#s patil

[thenewzpeg]

Champion cyclist thanked Bommai for getting her the race cycle

Gadag: A girl from Kadkola in Shirahatti taluk of Gadag district, Pavitra Kurthkoti on Friday met and thanked former chief minister and Gadag-Haveri Lok Sabha constituency BJP candidate Basavaraj Bommai for getting her the racing cycle as the CM due to her inability to buy the cycle Pavitra said she had been unable to buy the racing cycle due to poverty and this has been conveyed to the then…

[breaking-news-portal]

MLA from councilor election and then President of the country... know how Draupadi Murmu's political journey was

MLA from councilor election and then President of the country… know how Draupadi Murmu’s political journey was

Ward Member To President: It has been 75 years since the country got independence. In this, the last one and a half decade is considered special for women. Women, who raised the flag of success in every phase of life, also ruled the constitutional posts of the country. In the year 2007, Pratibha Devi Singh Patil became the first woman President of the country, while this time Draupadi Murmu was…

[hp-bodiceripper]

Bodice Ripper 2023: masterlist revealed

Reveals are here!

Thank you to all our wonderful participants for your skill and creativity. It's been a joy to host this fest for you again.

Thank you dear commenters, rebloggers, kudos givers, and enthusiastic supporters. We hope you feel properly romanced.

See you next year!

🖋 collarbones like a bow, skin an arrow to the heart by @lqtraintracks (Pansy Parkinson/Ginny Weasley, E, 4k)

Gin’s adjusting the lighting for their next shoot when in walks the new model Luna was so enthusiastic about, and that’s when they know they’re in deep shit.

🖋 Cool About It by @oflights (Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, M, 16k)

Harry is so excited for his first date with Draco. But what follows isn't so much a date as it is an all-night odyssey including a malevolent lift, a Gringotts heist, a Sleeping Curse, a trip to the kebab shop, a lack of dancing, a Muggle drug, a rooftop pool party, a black eye and, eventually, a sunrise over a Quidditch stadium.

🖋 Love Me Meow by apricitydays (Arabella Fig/Minerva McGonagall, E, 2.5k)

After the students leave for the summer, Headmaster McGonagall and the new Muggle Studies professor have a chance and sensuous encounter at the beach.

🖋 Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage by @goblinmatriarch (Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, E, 21k)

Lord Draco Malfoy may be a young man spending time in Dumbledore’s summer court, but that does not mean he needs to succumb to its licentious frivolity. He carries the burden of his lineage, the shadow of rumours, and the dignity of his betrothal to a good match. He is certainly not fool enough to be distracted by the dark curls and ready grin of the court’s stableboy, who seems to have taken up with every courtier who looks his way.

🖋 The Real Thing by @skeptiquewrites (Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, M, 5k)

Harry only means to cheer Draco up after a terrible breakup. He doesn't mean to fall in love.

🖋 this is how we become timeless by @evadwrites (Narcissa Malfoy/Lily Evans, T, 10k)

Narcissa is in eternal servitude to the Dark Lord, bound by the tears of a burned-down phoenix. Lily belongs to the Order, bound by the tears of the same creature. They’re the only two people in the world in the position of time turners, tasked with teetering the outcome of the ongoing war into their respective side’s favor. They are light years away, yet they’ve never been closer.

🖋 Wild Horses (couldn't drag me away) by @purplehotmess (Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, E, 36k)

Koi no Yokan (Japanese) - The feeling of excitement you get when you first meet someone and know that you will eventually fall in love with them. A more realistic version of ‘love at first sight’, it roughly translates to ‘premonition of love’. A story of magic, horses, magical horses, and two men who fight all odds to find their way to each other.

🖋 Yesterday by suhtmuikkis (Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, T, 10k)

Harry doesn’t intentionally kidnap Draco Malfoy. Really it’s debatable if you can even call it kidnapping but the git surely seems to think so.

🎨 Harry And Draco Wearing Kilts by @ladderofyears (Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, G, digital art)

Our favourite wizards, dressed in traditional Scottish attire.

🎨 I Bloom Pink For You by @crazybutgood (Narcissa Malfoy/Pansy Parkinson, M, craft)

Pansy has been starved for love her whole life. All she needs is someone who will give her the approval she craves. An origami comic inspired by Schmem_14's fic.

🎨 Joy Exposed by @getawayfox (Fleur Delacour/Ginny Weasley, G, Digital art)

Ginny and Fleur give an interview for Daily Prophet’s new Weekend Magazine and spend hours doing an accompanying photoshoot. When it comes to approving the selection of photos for print, they unanimously choose the candid one taken on their break, rather than all the styled and posed images.

🎨 Monday Murder Club by @vitaminpops (Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Lavender Brown/Padma Patil, T, Digital art)

The members of a crime-solving club find love and friendship amidst the blood.

🎨 The Professor's Passion by @digthewriter (Narcissa Black Malfoy/Hermione Granger, G, Digital art)

Hermione is a professor and Gryffindor head of house. She loves her job... until Narcissa Malfoy is hired on the school's faculty, and is now head of Slytherin. God, that woman is insufferable. Hermione despises her so much she can hardly think about anything else. (She must hate her... that's why she always feels so hot and bothered when she's around, right? And does she have to be so damn beautiful?)

🎨 You Pierce My Soul by @reliand (Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, M, digital art)

Harry's eyes were on him almost as soon as Draco entered the ballroom. It was as if he'd been watching the door, and now Harry's eyes were wide and his mouth open.

🎵 Masks Off by @roseszain (Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Teen, 3h 15 min)

Draco had followed his parents to this Caribbean island as a matter of course, even though no one had told him what they were doing here or why his father’s ships were frequently attacked by masked pirates. And, honestly, Draco’d had no intention of actually finding out either.

🎵 wasps and honey by swoons by cailynwrites (Hermione Granger/Narcissa Malfoy, M, 1 - 1,5 hours)

After ten years on parole in the Muggle world, newly widowed Narcissa Black is finally allowed to do magic again — as long as she can complete all the spells on the Ministry course list. Her Ministry of Magic representative? Hermione Granger.

[midnightpink]

A Wizard’s Guide to Co-Parenting with Your Ex-Arch Nemesis

read it here on ao3

Harry had expected a few things when returning for his Eighth Year. Rooming with Ron, a cheeky Firewhisky down at the pub, leaving his assignments to the last minute – those were all but certain to occur.

His list of certainties definitely hadn’t included McGonagall’s shake-up of the curriculum, which tasked the Eighth Years with the responsibility of parenthood for three weeks. Caring for a baby Transfigured from a sack of flour would have been alright if: 1) Malfoy wasn’t Harry’s assigned partner, 2) Their baby’s one goal in life wasn’t to spite Harry, and 3) Malfoy wasn’t infuriatingly good at fake parenthood.

by: thecouchsofa

Words: 38,232, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English 

Collections: H/D Kidfic Fest 2024

Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger,Parvati Patil,Minerva McGonagall, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Original Child Character(s)

Relationship: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter

Additional Tags: Hogwarts Eighth Year, Ridiculousness, Temporary Children, mild themes of child loss, A baby that lives to spite Harry, Teenagers being dramatic, Humor, Fluff, Getting Together, Draco Malfoy is Good with Children, Co-Parenting with your ex-arch-nemesis, featuring that one Home Ec unit that everybody hated, Everyone collectively losing their minds over babies made from flour, Kidfic, H/D Kidfic Fest 2024

[siriusblack-the-third]

I really loved that Marauders Dark Academia post <333 I was wondering if you have any other Indian James Potter headcanons? About him or his family etc

Ohhhhh i have sO. MANY.

He does that thing where you slurp chai, click your tongue and say 'haaaaa!' Sirius and Remus give him so much shit for it for the first couple months, but then they start doing it and Peter finds it annoying and suddenly everyone in Gryffindor is being subjected to extremely exaggerated 'haaaaa!'s

He absolutely loathes it when people say British food tastes good. He gets into so many arguments with Peter about it because "come on, mate, that's the sweetest chai my mother makes, she's even skipped the ginger, how do you find it spicy?* "It has cinnamon, Jamie." "Cinnamon is fucking sweet, you little—"

He's obsessed with literature and poetry. Like, even obsessed is a mild word. People think Remus is the type to read books but no, wolf boy over there wouldn't touch a book if he didn't abso-fucking-lutely need to. James is the real bookworm— he got it from his Baba, who waxed poetic about Rabindranath Thakur and Vivekananda and Ghalib and Faiz Ahmad Faiz and told James that their writing was amazing and then there's this little boy reading under his covers with a little ball of not-so-accidentally conjured light which is how he gets his glasses before he even goes to Hogwarts.

He's three quarters Desi. His mother was from India, and his father was half Indian, because James' paternal grandmother was also from India. Specifically, both women were from pureblood Maratha lines.

He does the head movements. All the head movements. Sirius picks it up after spending literally all their time together, and Remus and Peter laugh themselves sick about it so many times, oh my gods.

Sirius learns Marathi, Hindi and Urdu from James' parents in secret and surprises James during the holidays after sixth year because he has the proper accent down and everything. James cries (but he won't admit it)

The Potter family, except James' paternal uncle Charlus and his wife Dorea, live in India till right before his 11th birthday, when the Indo Pak war breaks out. Then they move to England.

James has so. Many. Cousins. He can't remember the names of half of them and he hates how the atyas and the maushis and the mamis pull his cheeks when he visits the country, but he puts up with it because family is important to him. Also he loves playing with the toddlers and babies, they're fucking cute.

Loves kajal so much it's borderline unhealthy. There will always. Always. Be a line of black under his eyes, winging out slightly at the outer corners. Sometimes, when he's feeling himself, he will draw the wing out to a dramatic, bold style that makes the light brown of his eyes look so much more beautiful (Lily drives herself crazy over it).

Absolute pants at waltzing. He loves the music, sure (he can play almost every sheet of piano music he can find on the first try bc baby boi is a Pureblood brat /affectionate/), but he hates the dance style. He'd much rather wrap his ankles with ghungroo and dip his fingers into alta dye, because bharatnatyam is the ultimate dance form and you are wrong if you have any other opinion.

He was really good friends with the Patil twins' parents and family. They would get together to talk shit about the gore loka and Sirius would get mock annoyed that James almost never took him because "Jamie we're practically married already what the fuck mate"

He's really fucking good at maths and arithmancy, and he really fucking hates it. Stupid numbers and their stupid calculations kashyasathi kartoy mi he kay upayog tari ahe ka hyacha (marathi— why am I doing this is this even of any use) but he has a point to prove to snivellus and fuck if he isn't proving it. It also helps that his mother made him complete all fourteen levels of abacus (seven basic and seven advanced) by the time he was fourteen.

[midnightstargazer]

I'm super excited for the @ladiesofhpfest, and I can't wait to share with what I've been working on with y'all! Here are some sneak peeks at what I've got planned for each theme:

Mothers and Daughters

There will hopefully be two fics, a (mostly) fluffy one about Astoria raising Scorpius and a very angsty one about Barty Crouch Jr.'s mother and her decision to take his place in Azkaban. The Mrs. Crouch one is still a WIP - I only got the idea a few days ago - but hopefully it will be ready in time.

Senior Sweethearts

Come join me in an AU where a few things go differently in DH and, as a result, Andromeda gets to grow old surrounded by her loved ones. Also featuring a very sweet friendship between Andromeda and Astoria.

Out and Proud

For last year's fest I broke Emmeline Vance's heart in a fic titled Midnight Rain. This year, she meets Hestia Jones and gets another chance at love and happiness.

Women of the House of Black

For this theme, I'm exploring one of my favorite headcanons: that Iola Black, who was disowned for marrying a Muggle several generations ago, was never forgotten by the women of the family, and her story was passed down as a cautionary tale.

Character Chic

A character sketch of Marietta Edgecombe. What sort of person is she? Why did she betray the D.A.? How does she move on with her life with broken trust, gaps in her memory, and a mistake she made at sixteen permanently scarred onto her face?

Marauders Era Misses

I've been promising an Emmeline-centric first war fic for a while, and it's finally on its way! Despite being a very background character in canon, she's someone I have a lot of headcanons about - and here, I'll be delving into aspects of her story that I've alluded to but didn't fully explore in other fics, especially Midnight Rain and To Have Loved and Lost.

Women of Color

An eighth year fic starring Padma Patil, who returns to Hogwarts after the battle to finish her education and figure out what comes next. How do you go back to your ordinary life after a year like the one she and her peers have just been through?

Rebels and Renegades

The fic version of this Tumblr post: Dorcas Meadowes and Marlene McKinnon as Riddle Era women who remember Voldemort from their school days and are among the first to join the Order of the Phoenix. This is still very much a WIP and will probably be the longest fic I write for the fest - but luckily, the theme isn't until August, so I've still got plenty of time!

Next Gen Girlies

This was actually the first one I wrote for this summer's fest, featuring Molly and Lucy Weasley. The two sisters are very different people, but they love and support each other nevertheless. It's also yet another excuse for me to delve into the topic of squibs, which apparently I just can't stay away from.

[fallingforfictionalcharacterss]

Presents

Summary: Over the past few years you received some gifts from an anonymous person.

Audio version

“(Y/n), (Y/n), quick, you have to come upstairs!” You looked at Lavender Brown in confusion, as she stormed down the stairs and into the common room. It was the first day of the school year and you hadn’t been in your dorm yet but something must have been going on there, since Lavender sounded so excited.

“What happened?”, you asked, exchanging a worried look with Hermione who was standing right next to you. Lavender started to grin widely.

“It happened again.”, she stated, wiggling her eyebrows.

“What exactly are you talking about?” When you saw the look on Lavender's face you realized that nothing bad happened and now you were even more curious. You followed her upstairs, Hermione shortly behind you.

“Seems like your secret admirer still can´t get enough of you.”, Lavender answered. Even though she was walking in front of you, and you could only see her blond tresses bouncing up and down at every step she took, you could hear the smirk in her voice. You rolled your eyes, still, you couldn’t help but smile.

“What is it this time?” “You´ll see.”, Lavender answered as she pushed the door to your dorm open. You entered the room and your gaze settled on the nightstand right beside your bed. There it was, a huge bouquet of red roses. You took a step closer and noticed the little note right next to it. You picked it up. The paper felt heavy and looked really expensive.

“Looking forward to the next year with you my love.”, you read out loud. Lavender and Parvati Patil, who were standing at the end of your bed and watched you closely, squeaked in excitement. Hermione, who was standing right next to you, took the note and read the text again. Then she turned the sheet around.

“No signature.”

“What did you expect? There´s never been one.”, you answered, while Lavender and Parvati sighted.

“That´s so romantic.”, Parvati whispered.

“And you still have no idea who it is?”, Lavender asked. You shook your head as a response.

“And if he doesn’t change method, I´ll probably never find out.” You sighed resignedly. “Doesn’t matter anyway.”

But it did matter. When you were lying in bed later that night you thought about who might have send you those flowers. It wasn’t the first time something like this happened. Actually, you almost got used to it already. It started in your first year. As if by magic -and you had no doubt that magic was actually involved in this case- some small gifts and notes appeared all around you. In the beginning it had been only small things, like some sweets, and you didn’t thought that much about it, but as time went by, the small gifts turned into more and more expensive presents and the small notes, like “good luck” the day before an exam, turned into actual love letters. But whoever sent you all these things seemed not to be interested in you finding out who he actually was. Hermione and you spend dozens of hours hexing the notes and asking different people to find out who was this mysterious person. The only thing you found out was that someone frequently asked the house-elves to sneak the gifts into your dorm but you just couldn’t find out who it was. You had tried literally everything. You had asked the elves nicely, ordered them to tell you, tried to bribe them and even threatened them, which you regretted immediately and all the more after Hermione found out. But the elves had assured you with tears in their eyes that they would love to tell you but that the young man, who asked them to bring you the presents, had told them that they weren’t allowed to tell you who he was. At some point, you had given up trying to find out. ABack then the presents had just annoyed you. Why would someone spend so much time and money on you if he didn’t wanted to tell you who he was? But you somehow managed to arrange yourself with the thought that you would probably never find out if he didn’t wanted you to. What actually bothered you the most about the situation was that whoever was sending the gifts to you must knew you very well. Because he didn´t just sent you chocolate and flowers but also some way more thoughtful presents. Whenever you mentioned something, you wanted to have, it somehow appeared only a few days later on your nightstand. No matter how fancy or expensive your wishes were, your secret admirer fulfilled them all. But he didn’t just give you things you wanted but also things you didn’t even knew you needed. For example, last year, when you got detention with Professor Umbridge, he gave you a small bottle of a potion that healed your wounds in no time, leaving no scars. Or when you lost your cap in your third year, the next day there was a new one, very warm and cosy and also in your favourite colours. But it weren’t the presents that made your heart jump every time, it were the letters.

Oh, the letters. You didn’t even knew someone could write things that sounded so beautiful and especially not if they referred to you. But the way he described how your smile brightened up his day or the colour of your eyes reminded him of the last warm day in the autumn, sent chills down your spine every single time. And whenever you felt worthless or had a bad day, you reread the letters and it made you feel better immediately. You felt a strange connection to the mysterious boy who was sending you these notes, even though, after more than five years, you had still no idea who he was. And it maddened you. It must have been someone who knew you very well, someone from the school, probably your house and probably your year. You had argued that if it was someone who was in Gryffindor as well, there was no need to involve the house-elves but Hermione reminded you that the boys weren’t able to enter the girls´ dorm and Parvati argued that this would make the entire situation even more mystifying. But on the other hand, none of you actually thought that any boy from your house was insightful enough for such presents and notes and probably most of them didn’t had enough money to spend that much of it on you. Thinking about this enigma, you slowly drifted off into sleep, with the scent of the flowers still in your nose.

“Red roses?”, Ron asked the next morning on your way to the class. “Don’t you think it´s a bit…” He came to a halt.

“Too much? Kitschy?”, you helped him out.

“Exactly.”

“It is, trust me. Especially because they clash with the red of the colours of our house. And there are so many of them. I mean, he probably meant it well.” You shrugged your shoulders. “But obviously I don’t know this for sure because I still don’t know who he is.”

“Even your lover doesn’t want to be associated with you.”, you heard a voice sneering behind you. You sighted. You didn’t have to turn around to know who was standing there.

“At least someone is interested in me, Pansy.”, I countered, turning around to the girl.

“Well, you say so. I bet you buy all these things by yourself to give yourself airs.”

“She doesn’t need such things. You on the other hand must be very desperate for attention if you even listen to the conversations of other people.”, Hermione snapped back.

“No one asked for your opinion, you filthy mud blood.”, Pansy responded, smiling smugly as her comment earned a small chuckle from Draco who was standing right beside her, watching the scene, and seemed very amused by it. Normally you would have now stared at him, admiring the sparkle in his grey eyes or the cute dimples that you could see any time you watched him smile - even though you would never admit it to anyone that you had ever watched him at all - but as Pansy called Hermione mud blood, your priorities were set differently.

“How dare you call her like that, you fucking…”, you started, grabbing your wand, but Hermione interrupted you before the situation escalated.

“Let´s go, (Y/n). She´s not worth it.”

You took a deep breath and turned around following Hermione who was dragging Ron behind her as he had grabbed his wand as well, at least as furious as you. But Hermione was right. If you would curse Pansy right now right here in the hallway the only thing you would earn would be detention. But you swore that you would get your revenge sooner or later.

But you already forgot to plan your revenge the next day. Because your secret admirer had left the next present on your bed. You just got back from class, wanting to fall on your bed right away, as you noticed a single white rose lying on your pillow. You grabbed it, as well as the small note that lay right next to it. Hope you like this one better darling. You slightly shook your head. How did he knew again? You talked about it in the middle of the hallway but you didn’t remember this many people around. Or was he spying on you? At this point, it wouldn’t even shock you. Darling. No one had ever called you darling. In fact, you had never heard anyone using this nickname for anybody. As you remembered what you said yesterday, you somehow felt guilty. You called the flowers kitschy. Whoever gave them to you wanted to give you a treat but you made fun of it. But still, he was sending you another flower. And another note. And you had to admit that you liked this one way better than the ones before. It felt more personal again as if he thought about it and not only wanted to impress you with the sheer mass of it. A small smile made it to your lips as you put the flower into a vase and put the note into a drawer with many others of them. You would find out who was sending them to you. Someday.

A few weeks had passed since the year had started. The white rose on your nightstand looked as beautiful as on its first day. It was a small spell, still, it made you smile every time you looked at it. You had just entered the dungeon where Professor Slughorn was teaching potions. You saw that the students, who had already arrived, didn’t sit in their usual places. You sighted. Whenever you had to brew a potion that took more than one person, Slughorn pared you up with random people from your class. Until now you had always been lucky with your partners but today your lucky streak ended.

“Ah, Miss (Y/l/n). Let´s see. Why don’t you pair up with Mr Malfoy over there?”

Draco sighed annoyed and you just rolled your eyes as you sat down right next to him. The relationship Draco and you had was strange. Well, actually, it was nearly non-existent. The two of you ignored each other most of the time. It was obvious that you couldn’t stand each other because you were a Gryffindor and he was a Slytherin and furthermore you were friends with Harry, but you had never really talked to each other, just throwing deadly glances whenever the other one had said something against your friends. Still, you had to admit that Draco was the probably most beautiful person you had ever met. You didn’t exactly know what it was but there was something about him that made your heart flutter any time you saw him. And now you would have to sit right next to him for the next hours and brew a potion, which would probably include some interaction with him. You glanced at him from the corner of your eye. Godric, how could someone be that pretty?

“You will find the recipe on page 187. Good luck.”, Slughorn interrupted your daydreaming and you flinched. Quickly you grabbed your book and opened it. Everlasting elixirs. You just prayed this lesson wouldn’t last forever.

“I will grab the ingredients.”, Draco mumbled as he got up and went to the larder, not even casting a glance at you.

The two of you were working silently side by side until you couldn’t bear the silence anymore. But no matter which topic you brought up, Draco cut you off within a few sentences. After nearly half of the lesson was over, you felt frustrated. While most of the time you were glad, he just ignored you, by now you would have given anything for him to make a mean comment, just to break the uncomfortable silence. But Draco didn’t seem to mind. He was cutting the fluxweed as there was nothing else, he had to worry about. But actually, you felt like there was something he did worry about. You had noticed that this year he seemed to be absent-minded as if he didn’t really care about school anymore. But this was none of your business. Neither were his hands but you couldn’t help but stare at them, holding the knife, cutting the ingredient. You didn’t even know that hands could look beautiful until you noticed his. His fingers were long and slim and he was wearing a beautiful ring on his left hand. The silver sparkled as it reflected the shimmer of the fire sparked off under the cauldron. You didn’t even realise you had stopped stirring the potion and just stared at his hands until he did. He stopped his movements and looked at you in confusion.

“Are you alright?”, he asked, catching you off guard.

“Hmm? Oh yeah, yeah. I´m fine. Great actually.”, you stuttered.

“What are you looking at then?”, he asked as he followed your gaze, still fixed on his hands.

“Nothing. Nothing. It´s just… your ring. It looks very nice.” You cursed yourself, already expecting a sarcastic answer but to your surprise, he just smiled.

“Thanks, it´s a family heirloom.”, he answered.

“Oh, well, that’s nice?” It was more a question than an reaction.

“Mother gave it to me at the beginning of this year. It means very much to me.”

And just like that, the spell seemed to be broken. You wouldn’t say you talked much or got along great but somehow the tense atmosphere relaxed and the two of you even had a small conversation about different things. But then the brewing of the potion got into a more challenging phase and the two of you dedicated your entire attention to the potion.

“Can you pass me the asphodel really quick?”, you asked Draco, while you were still stirring the potion to prevent it from boiling over. He passed it to you. “Thanks.”

“Your wish is my command, darling.”, he answered in a mocking tone. You froze.

“What did you just say?”

“Relax I was just joking.”, Draco rolled his eyes. “You Gryffindors are really jammed, aren’t you?” You didn’t answer. Darling. He had called you darling. Just like in the note with the rose. And the following one. Was it possible that Draco…? No, it definitely wasn’t. Of course, he had the money to buy expensive presents and he was intelligent enough to write those letters but neither you believed that he could ever feel something like this, nor there was any reason that, if he could, he would feel like this for you. You barely knew each other. It surprised you every time that your heart turned a somersault whenever you saw him and the only way you could explain your feelings for this guy was that you were slowly going mental. But in comparison to that, it would be absolutely and completely crazy to send someone you barely knew gifts for more than five years. And Draco didn’t seem like he was that crazy, did he?

“(Y/n), watch out!”, Draco called you out. Quickly he grabbed your hand that was holding the ladle and moved it again. Completely lost in your thoughts you had forgotten to stir the potion. It was now bubbling dangerously close to the border.

“Sorry, I just… got distracted.” You felt your face redden. What if he knew what you had just thought? But how could he?

“Don’t worry but just be careful from now on. Or do you want me to continue?”

You shook your head in response. His hand still rested on yours. It felt so warm and sent chills down your spine. Draco caught your gaze. You could see a small smile on his face as he looked at you. You could have gotten completely lost in his eyes but the moment passed and he looked away again with heated cheeks and removed his hand from yours. Even though the hot potion was boiling only a few centimetres under it, your hand felt cold without his touch.

For the rest of the lesson you remained silent and when Slughorn examined your potion it was more than just acceptable.

“Well, that wasn’t that bad at all, was it?”, you asked, relieved and somehow also sad at the same time that the lesson was over now.

“Surprisingly not. You´re not so bad at all”, he smiled. You raised your eyebrows. “For a Gryffindor.”, he added quickly, making you chuckle and he smiled as well.

The next few months were more or less uneventful. Harry was really caught up in his lessons with Dumbledor and since Ron was with Lavender, Hermione needed much of your company. But not only Hermione´s but also your love life got more and more confusing. You still got presents and they got more and more expensive up to an amount where you asked the house-elves to take them back because you couldn’t accept them. But they refused. What confused you even more than the presents was Draco. There was clearly something wrong with him. His grades dropped and he became very thin-skinned. Sometimes he caught you staring at him and threw a small smile, which didn’t reach his eyes. But whenever you tried to talk to him, he brushed you off in a very unpolite way, making you wonder if you might imagine the smiles and glances. You didn’t dare to tell Hermione or anyone else about this, not only because you knew they wouldn’t approve it but also because you didn’t know yourself what exactly was going on there. Actually, nothing was going on between Draco and you, nothing you could capture, still, it felt like there was something between the two of you even if you couldn’t describe it.

And then within a few weeks, the events overturned. While Harry used the Felix Felicis to get Slughorn´s memories, he accidentally helped Ron break up with Lavender, which lifted Hermione´s mood again. Harry, on the other hand, got into a duel with Draco, hurting him very badly. When Harry told you this you got not only somehow very mad at him, which surprised your friends even more than you, but you also struggled with yourself about whether or not you should visit Draco in the hospital wing. You decided not to do so because there was no actual reason to go there, but when you saw him the other day in the Great Hall again, it took a load off your mind.

And then the events got to their climax. One evening, Harry stormed into the common room, quickly explaining to you that he had to leave with Dumbledore but you should be alarmed because he knew something was wrong. And he was right.

You didn’t knew where they came from. You didn’t knew who they were. All you knew was that they took you by surprise even though you had been warned. You and some other members of the DA patrolled around the corridors, looking for anything unusual when you suddenly heard some loud screams. Fleshes of light were colouring the walls of the castle. You stormed around a corner just to see Neville and Luna fighting with some Death Eaters, firing curses all around them. You immediately ran to them, helping your friends. But if it weren’t for the members of the order of the Phoenix and the Felix Felicis, Harry gave to you before he disappeared with Dumbledore, you probably wouldn’t have made it. It was sheer luck all of you survived this night. You didn’t know how long you had been fighting. You already felt tired and weakened but you knew that every small mistake might cost your life or worse, the lives of your friends. So you kept going. Then you saw from the corner of your eye Professor Snape rushing through the fighting people, dragging Draco with him, who looked terrified. You didn’t think about it that much, just released that they had come to help on the one hand, but also worried that they might get hurt because it didn’t look like you would make it. But the two of them made no effort to fight. They just stormed past you, disappearing behind the next corner. But there was no time to wonder about this, since you were still fighting for your life. Then suddenly the opponents withdrew, fleeing into the night.

While most of the others followed them you accompanied Neville, who seemed to be seriously injured, to the hospital wing, where Madame Pomfrey treated his wounds. Finally, the others joined you. The Weasley family gathered around Bill's bedside, while Harry told you in a low voice what had happened. When he finished, your whole body felt numb.

Dumbledore was dead.

Snape murdered him.

Draco tried to do so.

Harry saw them.

You just couldn’t believe it. It was impossible. You knew Dumbledore had already been old, like really old, but somehow you had thought he would always be there. Sitting in his office and making silly after-dinner speeches a hundred years from now, just like he always did.

And Professor Snape. You never really liked him but you had always thought that Harry's distrust in him was exaggerated. Especially because Dumbledore trusted him. At least he did before he was murdered by the man he thought he knew. The man who had betrayed him the entire time.

And Draco. This just felt wrong. He wasn’t capable of such cruel things. Or was he? He had nearly killed Ron as well as Katie. You came to the bitter realisation that, no matter how much you wished it wasn’t true, you didn’t actually know him. You wanted to. But you never really did. Otherwise, you would have known. But didn’t you notice that there was something wrong with him? But you hadn’t done anything about it. What if you would have? Would you have been able to stop him? Would you have been able to stop this? You knew it was silly to think like this. None of the things that had happened was your fault. But still, how was it possible that you got fooled by him so much?

The sun already rose when you finally went back to bed. When you entered the dorm, the other girls were asleep, except Hermione who still endured with Ron at Bill's bedside. You were so tired and felt so empty that all you wanted to do was fall on your bed and fall asleep, forgetting all the sorrow of the last few hours. But as you wanted to do so, you noticed an envelope on your pillow. At first, you didn’t even want to open it but an inner force urged you to do so. You opened the envelope, pulled out the letter and started to read.

My love,

I don’t know what exactly happened when you are reading this. All I can hope for is that you are alight.

By now you probably know that I betrayed this school, betrayed you. All I want you to know is that I did not want any of this. But if I do not obey the wishes of the Dark Lord, he will kill me and everyone I love. I have no choice. When you read this, I am either dead or on the run. I am hoping for the latter because then I have a chance to see you again. I do not know if you can ever forgive me for what I have done but I want you to know that I will wait for you even if it takes forever.

I know I am a coward. I never revealed my identity and by now it is too late. I wish I would have been braver, maybe then everything would be different now. I hope that someday we will meet again in a world that is better than the one we are living in now. I wish I could create it for you but I am afraid I will never be one of the good guys. You deserve so much better, my love, still, I am hoping that one day I will be the man you want.

But all you need to know for now is that I love you, (Y/n), I always did and I always will. And that is everything that matters.

This will be my last letter to you and my last present. All the time in this world is not enough to spend with you and I wish I wouldn’t have wasted mine. But maybe if I am lucky, I will get some more of it in another world.

Goodbye my love

You had finished the text but your eyes were still glued to the paper. There was no signature, as always, but you knew who had written it. Who had not only written you this letter but had sent you over the last six years dozens of letters and gifts. And you had never realized. How could you have been so blind? And now it was too late. Your left hand clenched around the envelope you still held in your hand. But it wasn’t just the envelope. You could feel something hard, something that was hidden inside it. You turned it upside down and something fell into your lap. You grabbed it, taking a closer look at it.

It was the ring. The ring you had watched him so many times playing with and had admired and complimented in your potion class. His last present to you. Draco had given you the ring, the family heirloom, the one that was so important to him. You could feel the cold metal touching your skin and you shivered. You knew he was sincere. That he meant every word he had written. In this letter and every single one before. You couldn’t explain why, you just felt it. “I do not know if you can ever forgive me for what I have done but I will wait for you even if it takes forever.” That’s what he had said. You could feel a small, sad smile creeping on your face.

“I will wait for you, too, Draco.”, you whispered into the silence. “And I forgive you.”

[dhr-ao3]

The Runes of the Mind

The Runes of the Mind https://ift.tt/Pu7Vwk4 by looneylunascamander Hermione Granger is the only member of the Golden Trio heading back to Hogwarts. Though they won the war, Hermione has lost her parents, her privacy, and maybe even her peace of mind. Her only goals are to find what she loves again about the wizarding world, to finish school, and maybe heal in the process. No one knows what's plaguing her, and she's trying to hardest to keep it from coming out, but after an incident in class, she may need help from the one person she never thought she'd turn to. Soon he becomes the only person she can confide in, and that may be what does her in. Draco Malfoy is trying to right his wrongs, and that starts with his conditional return to Hogwarts. Determined to keep his head down and complete the year, things change when he's forced to tutor a classmate behind closed doors. Not everything is what it seems, and soon his efforts turn from academics to undoing ancient magic he never thought he'd encounter before it's too late to save the person who's slowly taking hold of his heart. Words: 2407, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M Characters: Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Minerva McGonagall, Horace Slughorn, Rubeus Hagrid, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Daphne Greengrass, Pansy Parkinson, Terry Boot, Hannah Abbott, Ernie Macmillan, Padma Patil, Parvati Patil, Original Female Character(s) Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood/Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom/Pansy Parkinson, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley Additional Tags: Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Post-War, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Hogwarts Eighth Year Common Room, Mutual Pining, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Slow Burn, No Ron Weasley Bashing, War Trauma, Lavender Brown Lives, Werewolf Lavender Brown, Mental Health Issues, Explicit Language, do not copy to another site, Study of Ancient Runes (Harry Potter), Attempted Kidnapping, Attempted Murder via AO3 works tagged 'Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy' https://ift.tt/pFOYPBb April 10, 2024 at 09:17PM

[equatorjournal]

Balloon ready for launching, India, 1965. Photo by C. S. Gopal. From "Balloons, Hyderabad" by Vimla Patil. https://www.instagram.com/p/CpN8m_btM-L/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[masalafilmsrevival]

Hello! I'm writing a final Essay about Indian parallel cinema or new Indian cinema and I kinda got lost, there are so many movies and themes to explore! since the deadline is pushing me, I don't have much time to explore it deeply, i've watched Charulata and Apu's trilogy but couldn't move forward from there. (all of them mind-blowingly amazing btw) Could you please please please give me some direction on which way should i keep looking/researching or any of your favorite themes that are recurring in 50's-70's Indian "new wave" films ? anything would be really helpful. Thank you in advance, hope you have an amazing day!!

oh my god, i did not see this until now as i typically only see notifications for this blog when i'm on desktop, i'm so sorry!! i really hope this isnt too late to respond. okay so i'm no expert but just some thoughts:

so obviously its a film movement that originated in bengal, a lot of parallel cinema is bengali indian OR bangladeshi, i'm not sure if theres a specific reason you're focusing on indian parallel cinema for your essay but thats something to keep into consideration especially because it spans past the 70s well into the 80s and somewhat 90s so after the independence of bangladesh. and that does impact and put context to the narrative of many films

the themes that are recurring tend to be class consciousness and disillusionment, religious and racial discrimination, casteism, more frank portrayals of the topic of sex, marxist thought, the burden of patriarchal society and expectation, to some extent borderline nihilism in my opinion, essentially the polar opposite of bollywoods pristine glamorized and polished portrayal of life and society that borders on science fiction from how removed from reality it is. in spite of it often.

if you want an outline of some filmmakers, actors, and films that can give you a decent idea of the movement, off the top of my head:

films i can think of that will give you a decent understanding of the tone and themes of the movement at least:

mirch masala

a river called titas and cloud capped star

donkey in a brahmin village

the apu trilogy and charulata as you said as well as devi and shatranj ke khilari. (the coward is also one of my personal favorites but not a necessary watch)

mammo, mandi, and bhumika

dont cry for salim the lame, the strange fate of arvind desai

arth

rat trap

maya darpan

duvidha, nazar, uski roti

quintessential filmmakers to at least get a decently rounded understanding (in my opinion):

saeed akhtar mirza

mani kaul

satyajit ray

ritwik ghatak

shyam benegal

mrinal sen

actors whose work or work during the period of early parallel cinema to look to:

smita patil (!) (probably the most important to look into if youre interested in this movement)

shabana azmi (early work)

madhabi mukherjee

soumitra chatterjee

 naseeruddin shah (early work)

om puri (early work)

all of this is really just what came to mind immediately, i had planned on writing up a comprehensive summary of parallel cinema and what i considered essential viewing and themes and i will do that eventually, but i wanted to answer this as quickly as possible so i could easily be leaving out an insane amount of things. also i primarily used the english translations for these films unless i couldnt remember them. if youre in the usa (and maybe outside of it as well im not sure) MANY of these works or works made by these directors are on youtube or archive.org. i hope this is of some help and eventually i will post more comprehensive detail + scans of books i have about this. hope this helps someone and you have a good day!

[thenewzpeg]

Lulu Group representatives hold a meeting with Minister MB Patil: Setting up of food processing plant in Vijaypura at a cost of ₹300 crore

Bengaluru: Top representatives of the Lulu Group, a leading multinational diversified conglomerate that has planned to set up a export oriented full-fledged food processing plant in Vijayapura held a preliminary meeting about the proposed project with the Minister of Large and Medium Industries, M. B. Patil, who is also the district in-charge minister for Vijayapura.Lulu Group export division CEO…

[howyouloveyourdragon]

Requests are CLOSED

i'm pretty open for most content so i will accept platonic, nsfw, yandere and dark content if requested <3

however i will not write SA content

while asks are closed, my inbox will usually be temporarily down before opening again to chat if any of you have any general thoughts or questions but i will be not be answering requests that are sent in after i have closed them

anons welcome <3

most recent work

coming out this week current series': jessie (jace)'s girl, only fair, mastermind , heartbeat

HOTD Taglist

Fanfic Recent/Current Poll (pssst there's another one)

ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ Fic Recs

I also accept au fic and headcannon requests and welcome some general chit chat :)

Current Fixation: House of The Dragon

Headcannons - closed (while sorting through current)

Fics - closed (while sorting through current)

NSFW - closed (while sorting through current)

Matchups: closed (while sorting through current)

Current Asks: 17

Works In Progress: 8

PLEASE include any concept, pronouns and any status you would like or if you would like anything based on a song or film <3

Characters I write for (if you do not so one here, feel free to request anyway and I'll try and see what I can do)

ASOIAF ᴍᴀꜱᴛᴇʀʟɪꜱᴛ

🌑 Rhaenyra Targaryen 🌑 Helaena Targaryen 🌑 Aemond Targaryen 🌑 Baela Targaryen 🌑 Jacaerys Velaryon 🌑 Cregan Stark 🌑 Rhaenys Targaryen (Velaryon) 🌑 Daemon Targaryen 🌑 Alicent Hightower 🌑 Laena Velaryon 🌑 Corlys Velaryon 🌑 Daeron Targaryen 🌑 Sansa Stark 🌑 Margaery Tyrell 🌑 Daenerys Targaryen 🌑 Harwin Strong 🌑 Robb Stark 🌑 Jon Snow 🌑 Arya Stark 🌑 Cersei Lannister 🌑 Jaime Lannister 🌑 Bran Stark 🌑 Ellaria Sand 🌑 Yara Greyjoy 🌑 Lyanna Stark 🌑 Rhaegar Targaryen 🌑 Aegon I Targaryen 🌑 Visenya Targaryen 🌑 Rhaenys Targaryen 🌑 Baelon Targaryen 🌑 Maegor Targaryen 🌑 Viserra Targaryen

ACOTAR

🌑 Feyre Archeron 🌑 Cassian 🌑 Rhysand 🌑 Azriel 🌑 Morrigan 🌑 Nesta Archeron 🌑 Elain Archeron 🌑 Lucien Vanserra

THE MARAUDERS (i do not support j k rowling)

🌑 James Potter 🌑 Remus Lupin 🌑 Sirius Black 🌑 Peter Pettigrew 🌑 Marlene McKinnon 🌑 Dorcas Meadowes 🌑 Lily Evans 🌑 Mary MacDonald 🌑 Regulus Black 🌑 Pandora Lovegood 🌑 Andromeda Black

HARRY POTTER (i do not support j k rowling)

🌑 Harry Potter 🌑 Fred Weasley 🌑 George Weasley 🌑 Ginny Weasley 🌑 Ron Weasley 🌑 Hermione Granger 🌑 Luna Lovegood 🌑 Fleur Delacour 🌑 Lavender Brown 🌑 Parvati Patil 🌑 Padma Patil

WEDNESDAY

🌑 Wednesday Addams 🌑 Enid Sinclair 🌑 Tyler Galpin 🌑 Ajax Petrpolus

NARNIA

🌑 Susan Pevensie 🌑 Edmund Pevensie 🌑 Peter Pevensie 🌑 Lucy Pevensie 🌑 Prince Caspian

THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL

(as a pre-warning, these will likely include majority perceptions from a book reader so lmk if you don't want spoilers in case I forget)

🌑 Sophie 🌑 Agatha 🌑 Hort 🌑 Hester 🌑 Tedros 🌑 Dot

my account is still pretty fresh so i'll likely add more fandoms as i go :)

[hp-bodiceripper]

ANONYMOUS MASTERLIST

Thank you all! All you magnificent creators, wonderful prompters, thoughtful commenters, generous kudos givers and rebloggers, everyone who’s been supportive and enthusiastic about this fest. Join us in celebrating our romantic, swoon worthy and steamy creations.

Reveals will happen in a week! You have until the 20th to catch up and take part in our Guessing Game.

Under the cut you find all our 2023 entries: 8 stories, 6 artworks and 2 podfics.

🖋 Fic

collarbones like a bow, skin an arrow to the heart

(Pansy Parkinson/Ginny Weasley, E, 4k) Gin’s adjusting the lighting for their next shoot when in walks the new model Luna was so enthusiastic about, and that’s when they know they’re in deep shit.

Cool About It

(Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, M, 16k) Harry is so excited for his first date with Draco. But what follows isn't so much a date as it is an all-night odyssey including a malevolent lift, a Gringotts heist, a Sleeping Curse, a trip to the kebab shop, a lack of dancing, a Muggle drug, a rooftop pool party, a black eye and, eventually, a sunrise over a Quidditch stadium.

Love Me Meow

(Arabella Fig/Minerva McGonagall, E, 2.5k) After the students leave for the summer, Headmaster McGonagall and the new Muggle Studies professor have a chance and sensuous encounter at the beach.

Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage

(Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, E, 21k) Lord Draco Malfoy may be a young man spending time in Dumbledore’s summer court, but that does not mean he needs to succumb to its licentious frivolity. He carries the burden of his lineage, the shadow of rumours, and the dignity of his betrothal to a good match. He is certainly not fool enough to be distracted by the dark curls and ready grin of the court’s stableboy, who seems to have taken up with every courtier who looks his way.

The Real Thing

(Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, M, 5k) Harry only means to cheer Draco up after a terrible breakup. He doesn't mean to fall in love.

this is how we become timeless

(Narcissa Malfoy/Lily Evans, T, 10k) Narcissa is in eternal servitude to the Dark Lord, bound by the tears of a burned-down phoenix. Lily belongs to the Order, bound by the tears of the same creature. They’re the only two people in the world in the position of time turners, tasked with teetering the outcome of the ongoing war into their respective side’s favor. They are light years away, yet they’ve never been closer.

Wild Horses (couldn't drag me away)

(Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, E, 36k) Koi no Yokan (Japanese) - The feeling of excitement you get when you first meet someone and know that you will eventually fall in love with them. A more realistic version of ‘love at first sight’, it roughly translates to ‘premonition of love’. A story of magic, horses, magical horses, and two men who fight all odds to find their way to each other.

Yesterday

(Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, T, 10k) Harry doesn’t intentionally kidnap Draco Malfoy. Really it’s debatable if you can even call it kidnapping but the git surely seems to think so.

🎨 Art

Harry And Draco Wearing Kilts

(Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, G, digital art) Our favourite wizards, dressed in traditional Scottish attire.

I Bloom Pink For You

(Narcissa Malfoy/Pansy Parkinson, M, craft) Pansy has been starved for love her whole life. All she needs is someone who will give her the approval she craves. An origami comic inspired by Schmem_14's fic.

Joy Exposed

(Fleur Delacour/Ginny Weasley, G, Digital art) Ginny and Fleur give an interview for Daily Prophet’s new Weekend Magazine and spend hours doing an accompanying photoshoot. When it comes to approving the selection of photos for print, they unanimously choose the candid one taken on their break, rather than all the styled and posed images.

Monday Murder Club

(Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Lavender Brown/Padma Patil, T, Digital art) The members of a crime-solving club find love and friendship amidst the blood.

The Professor's Passion

(Narcissa Black Malfoy/Hermione Granger, G, Digital art) Hermione is a professor and Gryffindor head of house. She loves her job... until Narcissa Malfoy is hired on the school's faculty, and is now head of Slytherin. God, that woman is insufferable. Hermione despises her so much she can hardly think about anything else. (She must hate her... that's why she always feels so hot and bothered when she's around, right? And does she have to be so damn beautiful?)

You Pierce My Soul

(Harry/Draco, M, digital art) Harry's eyes were on him almost as soon as Draco entered the ballroom. It was as if he'd been watching the door, and now Harry's eyes were wide and his mouth open.

🎵 Podfic

Masks Off

(Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Teen, 3h 15 min) Draco had followed his parents to this Caribbean island as a matter of course, even though no one had told him what they were doing here or why his father’s ships were frequently attacked by masked pirates. And, honestly, Draco’d had no intention of actually finding out either.

wasps and honey by swoons

(Hermione Granger/Narcissa Malfoy, M, 1 - 1,5 hours) After ten years on parole in the Muggle world, newly widowed Narcissa Black is finally allowed to do magic again — as long as she can complete all the spells on the Ministry course list. Her Ministry of Magic representative? Hermione Granger.

Come play our Guessing Game!

[mysterydragonss]

Pansy and Narcissa want to raise some money for the muggleborn fund, so Hermione suggests putting together a sexy calendar. She has no strong feelings about Malfoy volunteering to pose for September, she absolutely does not.

A series of snapshots from Hermione’s life, with past memories of eighth year and present tales as they put the calendar together in time for the Christmas gala.

“You’re going to need twelve volunteers.”

“Well, there’s three here already.” Pansy looked around, a devious smile in place, and Blaise shook his head.

“I’m not getting my dick out.” He exclaimed, wrinkling his nose.

“It’s not porn! It’s supposed to be…suggestive.” Hermione replied, feeling oddly defensive over his implication that the muggle concept was some kind of seedy filth.

“Embarrassed, mate?” Theo teased, and Blaise flipped him off.

Relationships:

Hermione Granger/Draco MalfoyTheodore Nott/Harry PotterNeville Longbottom/Pansy ParkinsonPadma Patil/Ron Weasley

Characters:

Hermione GrangerDraco MalfoyHarry PotterRon WeasleyNeville LongbottomPansy ParkinsonBlaise ZabiniTheodore NottNarcissa Black MalfoyPadma PatilLuna LovegoodAnthony GoldsteinSophie RoperCormac McLaggenAdrian PuceyGregory GoyleHermione Granger's MotherHermione Granger's FatherOriginal Muggle Character(s)Original House-Elf Character(s)Original CharactersAstoria Greengrass

Additional Tags:

Past Harry Potter/Ginny WeasleyPast Hermione Granger/Ron WeasleyPast Hermione Granger/Cormac McLaggen - FreeformMinor Hermione Granger/Anthony GoldsteinPOV Hermione GrangerHermione Granger is Bad at FeelingsUnrequited LoveNot Actually Unrequited LoveGolden Trio | Hermione Granger & Harry Potter & Ron Weasley FriendshipPost-WarPost-HogwartsHogwarts Eighth YearFlashbacksHermione Granger & Pansy Parkinson FriendshipPining Hermione GrangerPining Draco MalfoyPotioneer Hermione GrangerPotioneer Draco MalfoySupportive Narcissa Black MalfoyCrack Treated SeriouslyFluff and HumorFluff and CrackSnapshotsNon-Linear NarrativeNot Beta ReadNot Canon CompliantHarry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWEGood SlytherinsMalfoy Manor (Harry Potter)PregnancyNot Hermione Thougheveryone is softMinor Anthony Goldstein/Sophie RoperChaotic Ginny WeasleyNo AngstAdrian Pucey Is A Bit Creepy Near The EndBut On The Whole It's Just A Nice TimeNo Shirt AgendaLuna Lovegood Being Luna LovegoodGood Friend Draco MalfoyProtective Draco MalfoyAstoria Greengrass's Blood Curse | Blood Malediction

[cursedmoon-doll13]

I: First Week - Misfortunes & Misfires.

Cw: Swearing, Mild Gore

Features S/I OCs: Jasmine, (mine) Scarlet, (@vincent-sinclair-deserved-better) & Minoes (@myers-meadow)

Word Count: 6.8k

Dividers by @/saradika

I awoke as if emerging from murky, clouded water. Wherever I was, I hadn’t the foggiest. I reached a sluggish hand over to grab my glasses from my nightstand, but they weren’t there. Instead, I felt across an expanse of silk curtains. I cracked one crusted eye open, and was almost blinded. 

Of course. I was at Hogwarts. 

My giddy excitement from the night before had tapered off into a pleasant, fluttering hum. The early morning light streamed brightly through my domed window. Beside me sat Peaches, her stubby, ringed tail whipping my leg. She chattered hungrily at the scattering of birds perched outside on the spires. I grinned lazily at her, yawning and rolling myself onto my elbow to stroke her soft neck. She chirped and leant into my touch until she fell over clumsily into my sapphire sheets. I wheezed a fond chuckle.  

Unveiling my bunk, I slid down the ladder and half-stumbled my way into my robes. Luna was absent this morning, as was Cho; one glance at my watch told me that those two early birds had most likely flown the nest already. My only remaining company was a scowling Padma Patil, who was fiddling frustratedly with her earrings. She looked so grumpy I decided to save wishing her a ‘good morning’ for later, jamming my glasses onto my face. 

After refilling her dishes, I smooched Peaches on her fuzzy forehead and set off whirling down the tall spiral staircase, my long braid trailing behind me. 

The great hall was dotted sporadically by groups of breakfasting students. I glanced up to see the enchanted ceiling rolled in thick, overcast clouds of solemn slate grey; a typical British September. 

I approached the Ravenclaw table, my stomach panging sorely with hunger. I saw that Luna was grazing on toast, her pale eyes flashing behind her spectrespecs. She tilted her head and waved cheerfully at me as I sat down. I smiled back, relieved. Apparently she had forgotten - or perhaps forgiven - the sour note we left on last year, when I accidentally let slip that I considered The Quibbler to be the wizarding world’s greatest satire magazine. 

“Hello, Jasmine,” she greeted airily. 

“Hi, Luna…” 

Starving, I wasted no time at all in demolishing my plate of eggs and bacon. Then, a floating streamer wafted by and dropped a roll of parchment neatly into my lap. I gulped down the last of my pumpkin juice, unfurled it and examined my new schedule:

Charms is nice for first thing on a Monday… Ugh, but Potions class this bloody early…  Don’t we have that new Defence against the Dark Arts professor…? 

“Did you sleep alright?” Luna piped up. 

“I did. Thankyou for asking.”

I stashed my timetable away. 

“How are you this morning, Luna?” I asked gently. 

“Perfectly well. Cho was up even earlier, you know.” 

Oh, that’s right… I scanned the length of our table, but Cho’s shiny black head was nowhere to be seen. 

“Well, maybe she’s trying to get in some early quidditch practice,” I reasoned.  

“She really should be careful, though,” Luna said seriously. “The quidditch pitch is infested with man-eating brackadrills this year.” 

True to my house, I wisely held my tongue. 

Professor Flitwick spent our first Charms lesson carefully going over the syllabus, but for Potions, it was business as usual with Professor Snape. I was immediately lambasted for my shoddy work, (which was really just par for the course for me) though the presence of the now familiar Minoes and Scarlet helped to soothe my nerves somewhat. 

Our first Defence against the Dark Arts lesson - indeed taken on by a new and rather haggard professor - began with a simple lecture on banshees, which I caught Seamus grimacing at rather harshly at times. By the evening, my Ancient Runes class had rolled around, and I was tired and sore. I had spent all Summer going soft, and was no longer used to traversing the labyrinthine halls or playing games of musical chairs with the grand staircase. 

But how dearly I'd missed it! How glad I was to be in the thick of it again; a shocked and awed foreigner in this vast, mystical place, as Alice in Wonderland. 

Arriving barely on time, I found a friendly seat nearby Neville and Minoes. Their conspiratorial whispers died to a hush as Professor Babbling swept in.

“Welcome, all!” She announced. “Well, I’m glad to see a good turnout this year. The more, the merrier, as I always say! Not everyone understands the value and complexity behind our sacred runes, but clearly the lot of you have done your research, and…” 

Professor Babbling rambled on for about half an hour before finally conjuring up our lesson plans. Then, she drifted off once again into a completely unrelated story concerning her trip to Peru, until the ever-diligent Hermione steered her firmly back on track. 

“Professor Babbling, we’ll be studying the differences between simplified and traditional scripts this year?” She prompted. 

“Ahem… Yes, we will, Miss Granger.” 

Actually, I had already sifted through my copy of Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms before this, unable to temper my enthusiasm. To be honest, my fascination with it was more along the lines of researching ancient tombs and the like; the reality of it was a little more drab, but it was still an interesting class so long as Professor Babbling stayed on target.

Be that as it may, I was eager to leave for dinner. Hogwarts never disappointed when it came feasting, its dining tables lined with food, all drowned in gravy. Above, the grand roof swelled purple with storm clouds as it echoed the raucous boom of thunder from outside, magnificent. 

After a hefty meal, stuffed full and yawning, I approached the eagle knocker. As always, it calmly presented me with a riddle: 

“Without wings, I fly. Without eyes, I cry. What am I?” 

Without wings… Without eyes… Flying without wings… A manta ray? No, they don’t cry… Neither do sycamore seeds… Ferocious rain beat down against the massive windows as I stood there, lost in thought. Wait… It’s raining… And…   

“Oh. A cloud. It floats in the sky, and cries rainwater.” 

“Hm… A fair answer. You may enter.” 

The lock clicked, and the door swung open. I entered, and felt a trickle of warmth flow through me at the sight of our common room. Apparently someone had requested ABBA, because there were a number of joyful students who were dancing badly around the fireplace. The more studious Ravenclaws were already started on their first essays, curled up on armchairs, glaring at these rowdy newcomers. Being somewhere in the middle, I decided it best to relax for the evening and tossed off my scarf.

Padma, quite at ease now that it was dusk, was laughing heartily as Peaches streaked frantically across the cobalt blue carpet. 

“Jas, your cat has the zoomies!” 

I grinned and fiddled with my glasses as I reclined on the sofa. I was worried Padma would dislike her, considering that she was quite protective over her old, sickly parakeet. 

Peaches finally calmed down after a few more laps and padded over to me, chirping as she jumped onto my leg. That night, I amused her by charming one of Padma’s dragonfly hair-clips (with her permission) to flutter ceaselessly around the Ravenclaw dorm, glittering like a winged jewel. 

It was still soaring in shaky arcs as I fell asleep, admiring the gleaming array of stars outside my bedside window, content and peaceful. 

The next morning was damp and miserable. 

Perfect weather for being stuck inside, of course. After a healthy helping of kippers and an even healthier book haul, I convinced the eagle knocker to let me in on a technicality and spread my parchment over an empty table. As much as I adored Hogwarts’ library, I preferred Ravenclaw tower; it was cosy, it had the best view in the castle, and most importantly, you could play music here. 

I suppose I should explain how we Ravenclaws managed to circumvent the zero tech policy. 

Typically, most electronics fizzled out in the presence of so much raw magic, so a digital setup in Hogwarts was a no-go. But here was the trick; a nice, simple record player, and fine collection of vinyls. How did we procure this filthy contraband, you ask? None other than our resident Giles Taylor. Most of his wit and wisdom went towards smuggling various muggle things into Hogwarts; I guess we both felt a little homesick at times. 

Now, Giles was quite precious about this treasure, but if you buttered him up enough, he was willing to allow you to spin just about any album on it. 

This was a generosity I often took advantage of. 

“That better not be what I think it is, Jas,” warned Giles, chuckling nervously as I slid a fresh record from its glossy folder. “Because If Roger tries to exorcise my record player one more time, I’m going to have to ban you, simple as that.” 

I cackled in remembrance.

“Don’t worry… I’m behaving today.” 

He still glared suspiciously at me. 

“I swear, Giles, I solemnly swear,” I assured him, dramatically flashing my vinyl. “It’s Robert Smith, see? Look at him, he wouldn’t hurt a fly!”

“I dunno, bloke looks a bit peaky to me.” 

But he relaxed after that, allowing me to play my record. I opened my books and dipped my quill in ink. Giles winced sympathetically.

“I guess you’ve got a lot of work to do.” 

“‘Course, naturally,” I said. “It’s Professor Snape.” 

He leant forward to inspect my unfurled parchment. 

“Oh, bollocks,” he groaned. “He set you a footlong?” 

“Um… Several, actually, on uses of Lavender.” 

“Yowch.” 

“Mhm.” 

“Well, I haven’t summoned yet,” Giles continued. “I have Potions class on Thursdays and Fridays, though…” 

“I’m sure you can’t wait,” I said dryly. 

Giles stretched luxuriously across the sofa, hurling another log into our fireplace. It crackled richly, filling me with vigour as I plodded through my essay. 

“So - oh, hey kitty! (Peaches fled hurriedly away from his grip) - All of that aside, we’re still on for that chess match later, right?” 

Flourishing my signature, I grinned. 

“Oh, yeah.” 

Wednesday was also fraught with heavy sheets of rain, and poor Cho tread into the great hall sopping wet, mucky and shivering. Her teeth were chattering so violently that Padma and I both helped to cast exaresco to suck up the moisture, offering her hot plates of syrup-smothered pancakes to warm her up.

“It’s freezing out there,” Cho shuddered out. “You’d think it was mid-Winter already!”

As Professor Binns resumed his usual droning without much fanfare, I almost doubted he noticed our absence over the Summer at all.

Beside me, Minoes fought bravely to resist his soporific power. I tried my best to do the same, jotting down as much information as I could possibly garner from his lecture. And yet, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander a little towards my next class. I had taken on Divination out of pure curiosity, but I was always a bit of a sceptic. That said, I knew I couldn’t rule it out entirely; magic definitely existed, after all. I remembered back to when my dad once told me about a ‘witch’ living in a cottage near the outskirts of town who had made some incredibly accurate predictions about the future. Would this ‘Professor Trelawney’ be like her? 

After the bell rang, I, rather fittingly, felt a bad premonition coming on, so I packed up and escaped History of Magic as quickly as possible in order to scope out the North Tower where I’d be taking my first Divination class. As expected, I got lost.

Out of breath from running, I straightened my glasses and brushed damp hair out of my face. The halls grew cold and solitary. This area of the castle was unfamiliar to me. But then, I realised it was because something about my usual path had changed: a huge, gleaming suit of armour that usually stood sentinel by the corridor wall had vanished. Hidden behind it was a small door that I had never seen before; one so tiny I could only imagine it being used by a house elf. 

What could be in there… What could be… 

“Ooh!” Squealed a painting of a hearty, green-clad barmaid. “Quick, he’s gone! Try going in!” 

I bit my lip, pulling my robes closer to my body. I was sorely tempted… But no, I ought to be responsible and make a good first impression… 

“I can’t,” I said glumly. “I have Divination.” 

I’ll come back later… Yes… 

“Killjoy!” The barmaid roared after me. “Let me tell you, girl. Back in my day, I knew a couple of right daring wee lads. They’dve chanced it!” 

But I was already gone. 

I was late, of course, and was forced to waddle awkwardly over to make my excuses to Professor Trelawney under the scrutiny of my peers. 

“Yes,” she murmured. “Did I not foresee this? That one of our number would battle great confusion on their journey here? Go on, take a seat…” 

Professor Trelawney waved me away with a spindly, jewel encrusted hand. I breathed a glad sigh that I was not scolded, but as I scanned the misty, incense-ridden chamber, I saw that most of the pouffes were taken. The only free spot was by…

“Hi,” I whispered, sinking into a plush armchair.

Scarlet glanced over at me, their mouth curling into a brief smile. I noticed they wore the Slytherin robes now, their vibrant, purple hair pulled into a ponytail.

“Hi,” she replied. “Nice seeing you again.” 

I nodded distractedly as I unloaded my bag. Were they alone for the same reason as last time? For some reason, this random thought sprang to mind.  

“We’re supposed to read our tea leaves,” Scarlet explained quietly. “Drink up, then we’ll swap.” 

They brought a delicate, blue teacup to their lips and gulped down a mouthful. Still frazzled, I lagged behind in drinking mine. It was scalding hot - and I was never much of a tea drinker anyway - but I didn’t want to hold up the lesson. I winced at the bitter taste, but once I’d swallowed it all, I slid it over, and swiftly received hers. I fumbled nervously with my copy of Unfogging the Future as I rotated the cup around, trying to decipher some understandable shape…

“Oh, It looks a bit like a unicorn,” I reported. “That’s sweet… That means you’ll ‘find love,’ apparently. (They snorted) But there’s a bit here too… Like a sort of cudgel looking thing… Wait, it says here that if you get that, you’ll be ‘attacked…’ Um…” 

I whipped through a few pages to confirm it. 

“So - er - I guess you’re going to be attacked by a person you fall in love with,” I finished. “Or fall in love with your attacker, maybe?”

“Wow,” they said flatly, scoffing. “Finally, I have something to look forward to.” 

I couldn’t help but stifle a giggle; I quickly turned it into a fit of hiccups as Professor Trelawney approached, her many necklaces glittering. 

“Ah, Pimpernel, my most faithful student,” she praised. “What do you see in Daly’s cup, my dear?” 

Scarlet hurriedly returned to my tea leaves. 

“…Fire. Yeah, a big nasty flame,” they muttered, squinting into my teacup. “Uh, wait, I remember. A fire, that means ‘passion.’”

Professor Trelawney nodded sagely. 

“Yes, ‘passion!’ The burning fire of passion, for a beloved hobby, perhaps? A pastime you are most devoted to? Or, yes, a passionate love affair.” 

“Oh,” I said pleasantly. “That’s nice!”  

But then she stopped rather abruptly. 

“Wait!” 

Surprised, I peered up at Professor Trelawney. Her dreamy, tender smile had vanished. Now, her magnified eyes were huge and glistening.  

“Give… Give that here…” 

She reached out with thin, quivering hands to receive the cup. Scarlet’s brows were knit in concern, and we exchanged puzzled looks. I felt my stomach lurch as Professor Trelawney paled a papery white. That did not appear to be promising… I squirmed in my seat. 

“Oh… Oh, no… No…” 

“What?” I urged, nervous.

Professor Trelawney fixed me with a teary stare. It felt uncomfortably like that of a doctor about to diagnose their patient with a terminal illness. 

“You have…” Her lip trembled. “The Grim.” 

Shocked gasps echoed around the classroom. 

“…”

What the fuck is a Grim?

This answer was so underwhelming, my anxiety immediately dispersed into confusion. I glanced dubiously around the other pouffes, unnerved by the funereal atmosphere. Lavender and Parvati were gazing at me mournfully, as if I might be struck dead by lightning at any second. 

“Um…” I felt dumb. “What’s that?” 

“A most terrible death omen!” Professor Trelawney let out a frightened sort of moan. “T-to have two sightings of the Grim in such quick succession, oh…” 

A death omen…? The words rippled in my mind. 

Our panicking teacher wavered delicately on the spot, and for a moment I believed she might actually faint. Her arm went limp and the offending teacup dropped onto my lap. I saw for the first time the ominous shape of a black dog at the bottom of it… 

The Grim… 

“You are dismissed!” Professor Trelawney cried, clutching a hand to her chest, as if willing away an oncoming heart attack. 

I was prickled by whispers and mutterings as I hurriedly stuffed my books into my bag. A sceptic I may have been, but the collective dread of the classroom, the headache-inducing perfume and the exhaustion had all bubbled nausea into my belly. 

“Um, look,” Scarlet began, gently brushing elbows with me. “Harry got a Grim too, last year, and he hasn’t snuffed it yet. You’ll probably be fine.”

I smiled shakily. Considering Harry Potter’s penchant for misfortune, this wasn’t exactly reassuring news, but I knew that she was only trying to comfort me. 

“Was just a wee bit unexpected, is all,” I mustered up. “How did I go from ‘whirlwind love affair’ to popping my bloody clogs?”

“Maybe you’ll get some first,” Scarlet shrugged. Y’know. Before you die.”

“Oh, Fantastic.”  

After the drama of my first Divination lecture, I was glad to return back to my bed (after sassing that eagle bastard) and curl up beside Peaches. 

She didn’t know what was wrong, of course, but she purred for me like a cute little motorcycle. Stroking her soft fur made me feel a lot less freaked out, and given that Astronomy and Care of Magical Creatures were both due on Thursday, I made the mistake of looking forward to tomorrow…

But on Thursday, I was still thoroughly spooked. That familiar sense of unease plagued me all morning, distracting me constantly. I barely remembered how to chew my toast or drink my pumpkin juice but for drifting off into strange, unwelcome states of mind, which concerned my housemates quite a bit. 

“It’ll be fine, Jas,” Cho told me over breakfast. “My grandma saw one when she was a girl, and she’s celebrating her 90th birthday this year!” 

I smiled weakly at her.

As much as I would’ve liked to pretend that the old superstitious tales didn’t affect me, I unfortunately carried that bad energy right over through Charms and into Potions with Professor Snape. This was when my sour luck truly reared its ugly head. 

“Today we will be brewing the Draught of Peace, a potion meant to calm the mind and relieve anxiety,” he explained flatly, swooping into the classroom. “As this is a simple OWL level assignment, I expect you all to prepare and complete it easily.”  

I could really use a bit of anxiety relief right now…

“Be aware,” Professor Snape deliberated, crossing his arms, “That should you fail, its sedative properties are extremely potent…”

His black eyes narrowed as they passed over us, and I sucked in a shaky breath, fumbling with my potion-brewing equipment. Beside me, Minoes stood at attention and was listening raptly, while Scarlet ignored Malfoy’s haughty glare as much as possible. 

“You may begin.”

As I mashed up my powdered moonstone and my ladelled in my syrup of hellebore, Professor Snape’s oppressive aura weighed down on me like a ton of bricks. I used to be properly scared of him in my very first year, and I still wasn’t entirely over it now. Glancing over toward Minoes, I saw her brows furrowed in concentration, and her potion looking exactly how it should be… My heartrate spiked rapidly as he stalked over to our table, rushing to turn down the heat as he grilled Minoes on her ‘unconventional crushing style.” 

Cold sweat beaded my neck. My potion was now a dark, inky substance which resembled tar; not at all the light baby pink it should be at this stage. Somewhere along the line, I’d mucked it up. Panic spiralled in my brain as Professor Snape approached, black robes billowing, and I accidentally knocked my cup of powdered porcupine quills over the counter… 

Now, he loomed over me. I swallowed down a lump.

“Tell me, Miss Daly,” Professor Snape began. “Precisely where in your textbook does it specify that your potion should look like an oil spill? 

“Nowhere, sir,” I muttered, scraping up my quills. 

“And yet… Somehow, you have managed it.” 

I nodded shamefully, head hung over my cauldron. 

“As it seems that you are incapable of following basic instructions,” Professor Snape continued silkily, lips curling unpleasantly, “I shall monitor you.” 

From the other side of the dungeon, I heard a nasty sniggering that I knew came from Malfoy. I pushed my glasses back up the bridge of my nose, my stomach plummeting. On Monday, Professor Snape had simply insulted me as he usually did, but it seemed now he wanted to humiliate me. I briefly wondered if the rumours that the Weasley twins had set off dungbombs in his ingredients store were true.

“Go on,” he said softly. 

Picking my thumb nervously, I fiddled with my wand. Didn’t the next step include a bit of light spellwork? I could barely remember, and I was too afraid to check while Professor Snape was watching me. So against my better judgement, I twirled my wand shakily over the simmering surface of my cauldron. 

And unfortunately, this was a bad idea. 

You see, my wand, while loyal and sweet, is often quite unreliable; just like me. Sometimes it misfires. Sometimes my spellcasting goes horrifyingly wrong.

Like right about now. 

With an awful bang, The hem of Professor Snape’s robes combusted into a small inferno. Gasps issued from across the dungeon as the acrid stench of burning fabric filled the air. My heart almost stopped. Professor Snape stared right at me, furious. 

“What,” he spat through gritted teeth, going the colour of spoiled milk. “Exactly did you just do!?” 

“Well I just- Sir, you’re, um, very flammable, and…”

I hurriedly jammed my fist into my mouth. 

What the actual fuck did I just say?!

A chorus of hysterical giggles erupted around us. Even some of the Slytherins were sniggering, though not as much as the Gryffindors, who were practically howling with laughter. There was a terrible clattering as Seamus Finnigan had bent over double and knocked over his cauldron, spilling violently bubbling orange liquid onto the dungeon floor. Professor Snape’s face paled further into ashen white. He actually seemed to be trembling with rage. The flames licked now dangerously high, but he stood there, unmoving, as if petrified by their mockery.

“Aguamenti!” Minoes cried. 

She leaped in and extinguished it with an icy jet of water from the tip of her wand, her face wrought in panic. This immediately thawed him from his frost. 

I, on the other hand, couldn’t move at all. 

“Mr Finnigan!” He snapped, whirling around to face Seamus, burnt clothes dripping everywhere. “That’s twenty points from Gryffindor, and a failing grade!” 

This sobered Seamus up rather quickly.  

“Clean that up, Finnigan!” Minoes scolded him. “Before it ignites!” 

“Oh, right!” 

Seamus scrambled to clean it up himself, but Scarlet flung herself across the dungeon and did it for him: 

“Scourgify!” 

I watched idly, trapped in a sort of numb daze. My traitorous wand felt blisteringly hot in my hand, so I stuffed it down my robes as if I’d stolen it. A few Gryffindors were still tittering away, but now the Slytherins glared at me with hateful venom. 

“Jasmine, what are you doing?!” Minoes hissed. “Look, your mixture’s completely overflowing! It’s spilling all down your— oh, give it here!”

I flinched as I was bustled away from my worktable. She swiftly neutralised my failed concoction by scouring it just before it exploded.   

“Um… Professor,” Scarlet tried gently. “Are you hurt?” 

But he didn’t answer, his jaw twitching furiously.  

“And you, Miss Daly,” Professor Snape turned back to me, absolutely fuming. “Fifty points from Ravenclaw, and I want you in my office, now!” 

I could only let out a terrified squeak. 

Oh God, I am so dead. 

That afternoon, I received what was perhaps the most vicious tongue-lashing of my life - courtesy of Professor Snape - as well as an entire Friday’s (plus weekend’s) worth of paying reperations! This was a massive shock to my system, as I had not spent one single minute of my life in detention before this. My once flawless record had been besmirched. 

And the worst thing was, after the stunt I’d pulled on my teacher, I honestly felt that I deserved it. 

So, feeling outrageously lucky that I had not been kicked out of Hogwarts entirely, I dragged myself to lunch, though I was barely hungry at all. Once I entered the great hall, I was immediately bombarded by furtive glances and excited whispers. 

I understood why, of course: there had been a desperate desire for gossip, and I’d come to fulfill it. My ‘fiery outburst’ had garnered me some mild infamy, though most could barely decide if it had been intentional or not. Regardless, I was still left shell-shocked as my Gryffindor classmates approached me one by one, grinning from ear to ear: 

“Hey, crazy pyromaniac girl!”

“Daly, that was class!” 

Even Fred and George Weasley, who I had never spoken to before in my life, marched right up to me and congratulated me heartily, as if I’d won a prize.

Reception among my own house was varied. I felt deeply uncomfortable under Cho’s pitying gaze, though she surely meant well. However, my mood dropped several more notches as Padma regarded me coolly, deliberately ignoring me as I passed her on my way to the Ravenclaw table. Luna, on the other hand, seemed quite calm and serene, and I was now more than ever grateful for her forgiving nature.

Of course, the Slytherins seemed to have forgotten how happily they’d laughed along with the Gryffindors; they were all giving me the stink-eye.

“Pathetic excuse for a witch, that Daly,” Malfoy was yammering loudly: “Can’t even brew a simple potion without mucking it up!” 

Unable to muster the nerve to insult him back, I tightened my jaw, determined to keep on chewing. My food tasted like gravel in my mouth. 

“It must be all the Mudblood,” he sniggered. 

Embarrassed, annoyed and flustered all at once, I left for Care of Magical Creatures after shoving a few  steak and kidney puddings down my gullet. But my moodiness was swiftly replaced with delight as I was introduced to Hagrid’s new creatures alongside the rest of the group: a herd of beautiful Kelpies. 

Some of the others seemed a bit apprehensive at first, but I had been itching to return to this class all Summer. My reputation had always been good here, so as a demonstration, I was allowed to try and fit a bridle onto one of the Kelpies with the use of a Placement Charm. 

“Easy does it, now…” Hagrid advised, watching me mount a particularly calm, benign mare. “Steady, tha’s it. Now, hold on tight to ‘er!”

My robes swirling in the mire, I gasped as the cold sensation of water hit me. I gripped her damp, slippery neck tightly as we swam a couple of short laps around the pond. Relishing the feeling of freedom, I almost forgot my troubles. Almost. 

“I knew yeh’ could do it!” Hagrid beamed at me. I grinned sheepishly back, stroking the Kelpie’s mane. Well, at least I’m not a complete failure. 

That evening, my tired eyes stung as I squinted up at the glimmering, star-strewn sky. 

Hello, Andromeda… Delphinus… There’s Pegasus… Aries, Pisces, Aquarius… Perseus and Triangulum… Oh, Canis Major isn’t too easy to see yet… 

Professor Sinastra’s clacking heels echoed around us as she patrolled the Astronomy tower, softly instructing us. I felt so drowsy, I almost nodded off at my telescope. But then I remembered her number one rule: ‘no sleeping during class…’

By the next day, my unfortunate story had mutated into  a far stranger beast. Now, I was some kind of anti-Professor Snape vigilante, a loose cannon ready to lob a spell at the slightest provocation. I had a funny feeling that this was simply the story people wanted to tell, rather than the one they actually believed in. In fact, the Gryffindors were so positively delighted by the concept of Professor Snape suffering that, despite everything, I almost felt a bizarre sort of sympathy for him. 

This sentiment was dampened, however, as Professor Snape seemed to take pleasure in assigning me the worst possible tasks imaginable: polishing his most stubborn cauldrons (by hand), cleaning out the infirmary bedpans (also by hand) and disembowelling fresh specimens (the gore was absolute hell to remove from under my fingernails). All the while, Professor Snape would sneer coldly down at me, docking points from Ravenclaw for any minor infraction he could justify it for; and some for which he couldn’t. Once he’d gotten to the point of threatening to feed my spoiled concoctions to Peaches, I decided it was mutual hatred, and battled the mad impulse to torch him again.

My one consolation was that I wasn’t alone; if there was anything to be gained from this, it was my newfound camaraderie with Seamus Finnigan. 

“Ugh, this is feckin’ rotten,” he groaned over our freshly dissected pile of grindylow guts. “Hey, Jas. Pass me over them tweezers, I got this stubborn…” 

I slid them across the sticky, blood-soaked table. 

“At least you’ll be done after this, Seamus,” I said grimly, harvesting a gallbladder. “I still have a whole bloody weekend of this shit to look forward to.” 

“Miss me, will you?” 

“Oh, you know it. Who else am I gonna gab with?”  

Yes, we were felons chained in the same gaol, but Seamus was good company, and I was glad to resume my natural talking speed around him.

“By the way,” he started, grinning cheekily. “If the fire was an accident, I’ve done that before, too, but… What possessed you to call the man ‘flammable?’”  

“‘Foot planted firmly in mouth’ syndrome.” 

“Hah. Go figures.” 

“As for the fire-starting itself,” I continued wearily, grimacing as I ripped out a slimy grindylow spleen. “I suspect it’s the Protestant in me.” 

Seamus snorted. 

My Friday lessons were similarly overcast by my Potions mishap, but I tried my best not to let it distract me, and I even managed to enjoy myself in DADA and Wizarding Literature. Still, It was clear that had not impressed Professor McGonagall with my badly mangled rat-kettle hybrid.

“Now, I know you’re capable of better work than this, Miss Daly,” she lectured me sternly. “I can’t understand why you keep disappointing yourself.” 

As a matter of fact, neither could I. 

My workload had multiplied tenfold since I’d been indentured by Professor Snape, so once I finally had a bit of spare time, I had no choice but to spend it writing my other essays. Luckily, Saturday’s lunch break granted me a little breathing room, so I sped off to the library to borrow a few books. While I was there, I ran into none other than Minoes. 

“Hi,” I whispered. 

“Oh. Hey, Jas,” she replied quietly. 

Minoes was carrying a stack of heavy books, all stamped heavily with alchemical symbols. She adjusted her grip as she looked at me.  

“So,” I tried, brushing a stray lock behind my ear. “Uh… What are you reading about?” 

“Just some stuff for Potions,” said Minoes.  

“You’re far better at that subject than me, haha…”

There was a weighty silence for a moment. 

“The fire on Thursday was a complete and total accident, by the way,” I assured her quickly, “I would never do something like that on purpose.” 

Minoes’ expression was indecipherable. Nevertheless, It felt as if the atmosphere had brightened a bit. 

“Well, I suppose you’re feeling the consequences of your actions now,” she told me. “It’s definitely not a pretty grave, but you dug it yourself.” 

Grimacing, I nodded somberly. A very practical answer, but I had come to appreciate that of her. 

“Um… One more thing, Minoes.” 

“Yes?” 

“Well, I was wondering,” I began. “If you’d maybe like to go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend? I mean, I sort of can’t… I’m a bit busy right now.” 

I shifted anxiously, checking for Madam Pince. 

“Sure,” Minoes replied quietly, shrugging. “Actually, that sounds like it could be fun.” 

Relief flooded me, and I sighed happily.

“Great!” 

“Oh, but is it alright if I invite Scarlet to come along with us?” Minoes asked. “We all had such a nice time on the Hogwarts Express together, after all.”

This suggestion thrilled me even more. 

“Yes, of course, that’s totally fine,” I said, nodding.

Her dark lips twitched into a smile. 

“Okay, then. See you around,” Minoes finished. Cradling her heavy tomes to her chest, she spun on her heels and walked away. 

“Be seeing you…” 

Hogsmeade…

This was it, a little scrap of hope I could latch onto. My mood lifted, I finished my hour of studying and then set off to do more chores for Professor Snape. 

By Sunday, my five seconds of fame had largely blown over, as I was overshadowed by the Weasley twins’ typical shenanigans, which I was very glad for. For a while my reputation as a quiet, absent-minded student had been in great peril, and so to celebrate my return to normalcy, I decided to visit Hagrid. 

My neck wound in my sapphire scarf, I set off across campus grounds, the grass still damp and mucky from rain. The weather had picked up a bit, but it was still quite windy, blowing strong, bracing gales that whipped stray hairs powerfully against my face. The fresh air helped to clear my head a little, though. Today, I also wanted to help Hagrid to prepare lessons like I occasionally did last year. I hadn’t been able to speak to him properly until now because Professor Snape kept me so busy, but now I had been cleared of all charges, I finally had time. 

On arrival, I knocked heavily against the door. 

“Come in!” Hagrid bellowed, and I entered. 

I paused. Hagrid wasn’t alone; Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were here as well, nursing huge, grimy mugs the sizes of buckets. 

“Um, hi,” I said quietly. 

“It’s you!” Ron cried, his freckled face breaking into a grin. “The crazy firestarter girl!” 

“Ron!” Hermione hissed, nudging his elbow. 

Harry took a swig of his tea. I smiled awkwardly. 

“Jas!” Hagrid beamed, cutting through the tension. “Sip’a water?” 

“Oh, Thankyou.” 

I sat down, and he slid the entire pitcher over to me. 

“Hey, Fang,” I said quietly. Fang the boarhound licked sloppily into my hand, probably hankering for the remnants of buttered toast left there. 

Eager to change the subject, I turned to Hermione.

“We’re both in Ancient Runes, aren’t we?” 

Hermione’s face lit up at this. 

“Yes, we are! Professor Babbling is brilliant, isn’t she? When she can stay focused, anyway…” 

“Yeah, with a lot of help from you,” I chuckled. “Everyone in that class adores you, since you ask all the questions no one else wants to ask.” 

She smiled happily at me. 

“We’re in Hagrid’s class together,“ Harry finally spoke. “With Luna Lovegood.” 

I looked at him. This was my first time properly talking to Harry Potter, though of course I knew his name. Meeting him face to face, I realised he probably dealt with far more unwanted attention than I did, and thinking this, I tried desperately to stare at anywhere else but the scar on his forehead. 

“Ah, that reminds me,” Hagrid grinning beneath his dark, tangled beard. “How’d yeh like them Kelpies? Fascinatin’ creatures, eh?” 

“Oh, Hagrid, I loved them, they were all so wonderful,” I said warmly, and Hagrid beamed with pride. 

“Yeah, they were alright,” agreed Harry. 

“Hah… Right, need ter’ bring in somethin,’ hold on,” Hagrid grunted, almost toppling the whole table as he stood and shuffled out of the hut. 

“And - um - it was a great distraction, after the mess I’d made earlier,” I admitted, sheepish. 

“I heard it was bloody brilliant,” Ron mumbled on, ignoring Hermione’s warning glare. “Seamus kept talking about it. Wish I could’ve been there…” 

“Ron, I’m very sure she doesn’t want to repeat it,” said Hermione, glancing over to me. “Right?” 

“Actually, it’s fine,” I said quickly, surprising myself. 

“But it’s not like you think, Ron. Um, It was more that my wand backfired, it wasn’t intentional.” 

This didn’t seem to discourage him at all, though. 

“I’ve had that before, too,” he winced. “When my wand broke, y’know, it kind of snapped - remember, Harry? - and my spells went bad.” 

“Mine’s just like that,” I told him, shaking my head. “It’s always been a fickle thing.” 

“Shame you didn’t get Malfoy, as well, though,” Harry remarked dryly. “Both of them probably deserve it just as much.” 

“Really, you two,” scolded Hermione. 

But I couldn’t help cracking a grin. The absurd hilarity of the situation had finally hit me. Laughing about it - instead of moping - was better in the end.

“But I was sort of expecting things to go wrong, somehow,” I continued; I was on a roll now. “The day before, I was in Divination, and… I got the Grim.” 

Fang whined and rested his head in my lap, slobbering great big globs of saliva all over my jeans. I scratched him affectionately between the ears. 

“Tell you you’d drop dead, I ‘spose?” Harry grumbled. 

I nodded, almost giggling in remembrance. 

“Well, Professor Trelawney is very flaky, isn’t she,” said Hermione reprovingly. “Honestly, Jasmine, I don’t think you should worry about it.”

“Yeah, It’s not as bad as Trelawney says it is,” Harry agreed, and then he added: “Actually, when I saw it, some - er - good things happened, too.” 

“They did?” Curious, I raised my eyebrows.

But Harry said no more, merely exchanged furtive glances with Ron and Hermione. I was encroaching on a social circle I didn’t belong to yet, I realised. 

Just then, Hagrid burst in through the door. 

“Ooh,” I couldn’t help but exclaim. “What’s in there?” 

Huffing and puffing, he was hefting a large, lumpy sack over his massive shoulder. It thunked as he set it down, resting it nearby the hearth. 

“‘Fraid tha’s a secret,” Hagrid said, winking. 

Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked quite hesitant. 

“Yeh have ter’ keep ‘em nice and warm, yeh see,” Hagrid went on, misty-eyed as he gazed at it. He swaddled it lovingly in a patched blanket. 

“Hagrid…” Hermione had knit her brows worriedly. 

Our attention was swiftly diverted away from this mysterious sack as Hagrid broke out the rock cakes. Conversation was light and pleasant from then on, with no mention of Professor Snape or Grims. Ron was a laugh, and I found that Harry had a very dry, sarcastic wit that was enjoyable to spar with. Hermione and I, the resident cat lovers, even agreed on a play date of sorts for Crookshanks and Peaches, before we were eventually sent away:

“Well, ‘s awful late!” Hagrid boomed, flushing up to his ears in a way that was decidedly suspicious. “Yeh’d best be goin’ off, then, off yeh trot!” 

After he ushered us out, we tramped across the campus grounds back to Hogwarts. The frigid September air whistled right through me, and I tightened my scarf around my neck, shivering. Still disconnected from the trio’s link of friendship, I lagged behind, watching as the evening stars peeked out from the clouds and twinkled. For a while, I lingered among the howling gales. 

And then, underneath the bruising sky, I saw it: There, lurking silently on the horizon, was an enormous, shaggy black dog.  Dread washed over me like a bucket of ice water, and I rushed to rejoin the group. No, it probably belonged to Hagrid… But that foreboding image stayed with me right up till midnight, as I lay beside Peaches, her rumbling purrs soothing me into sleep.

[ao3feed-kathony]

The Old Therebefore

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/56107294 by writergirl007 Briar Rose Potter, never expected to meet the handsome muggle man at Audrey and Percy's wedding. Nor did the Girl Who Live ever think she would get pregnant from that encounter. But, through him, she had the one thing she had always been searching for, a family. Benedict Bridgerton had fallen in love with the beautiful raven haired, green eyed woman he met at his mother's charity gala, dressed in a beautiful silver dress. He kicked himself for not learning anything other than her first name, and that he had to leave because of a family emergency and had been so worried, he forgot to leave his number for her, because he wanted to see if there could be something more. Neither expected to meet again, especially not at a Bridgerton Enterprise event that his family was hosting, bringing them back together. But, when they do, the spark is still there, like a moth to a flame both want to be together, but how will they navigate being parents, the wizarding and muggle world, and everything in-between. What will happen? Words: 3508, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M Characters: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Percy Weasley, Audrey Weasley, Fred Weasley, Angelina Johnson, George Weasley, Padma Patil, Fleur Delacour, Anthony Bridgerton, Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma, Benedict Bridgerton, Colin Bridgerton, Penelope Featherington, Daphne Bridgerton, Simon Basset, Eloise Bridgerton, Phillip Crane, Francesca Bridgerton, John Stirling I, Michael Stirling, Lucy Abernathy (Bridgerton), Gregory Bridgerton, Hyacinth Bridgerton, Gareth St. Clair, Agatha Danbury, Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter Characters, Featherington Family (Bridgerton), Cressida Cowper Relationships: Benedict Bridgerton/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood, Draco Malfoy/Ginny Weasley, Arthur Weasley/Molly Weasley, Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley, Charlie Weasley/Original Male Character(s), Audrey Weasley/Percy Weasley, Angelina Johnson/Fred Weasley, Padma Patil/George Weasley, Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma, Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington, Simon Basset/Daphne Bridgerton, Eloise Bridgerton/Phillip Crane, Francesca Bridgerton/Michael Stirling, Lucy Abernathy/Gregory Bridgerton, Hyacinth Bridgerton/Gareth St. Clair, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Edmund Bridgerton/Violet Bridgerton Additional Tags: Female Harry Potter, Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), Pureblood Society (Harry Potter), Pureblood Politics (Harry Potter), Magically Powerful Harry Potter, Powerful Harry Potter, Smart Harry Potter, Protective Benedict Bridgerton, Unplanned Pregnancy, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/56107294