#saw a friend with santa arthur and i was like

[daisydood]

do you guys ever see an arthur thats just. not how the arthur in your mind is supposed to be at all and its not like the arthur owner did anything bad its just wrong

[lostbetweenvampiresandmusic]

Oceans of time (part 2)

Laddie asks David how he turned into a vampire. (Dracula a/u).

Part 1 Part 3

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

September, 1897

"With sorrow, we are forced to let you return to the earth, dear Lucinda," the minister spoke with a solemn, heavy voice. David had stopped listening a long time ago. The words didn't matter. They couldn't bring her back. Mia stood next to him, trying her best to hold herself together. The others had moved to the back of the crowd, not wanting to be seen if they she'd a tear. Mia held his hand, and he gave her a soft squeeze. He looked down to the ground, ignroing the ramblings of the priest. It was only after the service ended that he looked up again when he saw a young gentleman standing in front of them. He was dressed in all black, a high tophay covering his face in shadows.

"You must be David. I'm Arthur Holmwood." He said, a faint accent audible in his voice. He reached out a gloved hand but pulled it back when he realised that the man in front of him had no intention of shaking it.

David looked at the man and noticed that if he hadn't been struck with grief, he'd have a hard time fighting off the attention of many a young girl. That was, of course, if the circumstances were different. The next couple of months, the man would be in mourning, and not a single proper lady would go after him during that time. Arthur bowed his head to Mia, having seen her once before in quick passing. Only Mia noticed that his look lingered on her, just for a moment.

"Sorry for your loss."

David straightened, ready to go, when he felt a hand - not his sister's - resting on his arm. "Please, no one told me anything. I would like to know how my Lucinda died."

"Sir, you really don't want to." It was Dwayne who spoke up, having joined the trio. Most people had left the churchgrounds already. "Keep her memory as she was. Don't torment yourself."

Arthur sighed, shaking his head. "You don't understand. Something haunted me, back in London. When I got here, I was certain I had left it behind - but now I'm afraid Lucy has fallen victim to the monster. And I am afraid that her young friend might be next."

Mia frowned, paling slightly. "What do you mean?" But before Arthur could answer, he was already grabbed by his collar.

"Are you threatening my sister?" David's voice was low and quite dangerous - and if Arthur hadn't dealt with these horrors back in Europe, he would have been taken aback. He understood - God how he understood the need to protect the ones someone cared about. But how do you tell someone that there is nothing you can do when it is the devil himself you're fighting?

"I'm warning you. Gather some crucifixes, garlic, and holy water. Don't ever leave your sister alone. If that monster laid his eyes on her, if he followed Lucinda and me here, and saw her-" he pointed at Mia, "Then she is in mortal danger."

With those words, he left, and David immediately turned to his sister. She seemed frozen in place, her hands trembling slightly.

"We- we can all agree that these were just the insane ramblings of a man struck mad with grief, right?" She asked, her eyes slightly widened. "He- he-" Tears welled up in her eyes. "Oh god, did he mean I would end up like her?"

David pulled Mia close to him, holding her as she cried. "You will have nothing to worry about. We'll make sure nothing happens to you." He shared a look with the boys. They couldn't lose someone else. And they definitely would not lose her.

Santa Carla, 1987

"That's scary," Laddie said quietly. He held his teddybear tightly, playing with the ears.

"Yeah."

"So what did you do?"

"We went to Max."

"Wait, is that the same-" the kid frowned, looking at David. Surely it couldn't be, right?

"Yeah. Couldn't get rid of him after all he'd done. Besides, he has his uses."

"Like letting me watch movies!" Laddie grinned, causing David to chuckle. "Did he know what was wrong with her?"

"Yeah. Sometimes, I wish he hadn't, though. Would have made everything a lot easier. She would still be alive if he hadn't known."

October, 1897

"It's so good to meet you, dear," Max greeted the young girl standing between the streetgang he came to employ for everything he could. "I do apologise for not taking this more seriously sooner."

Mia didn't answer. She had been feeling rather weak lately, and she was quite certain that if Dwayne and Paul hadn't held on to her, she would have fallen to the ground. Ever since the funeral, she had been having nightmares - which Marko had noted was eerily similar to what Lucinda had been going through. Besides that, she kept on getting sicker with the day. She'd become paler than ever before, having little to no energy, and lately, even sunlight began to be a discomfort for her.

"Before we begin, I'd need a name and an age. Documentation, you see."

"Mia. I'm seventeen."

Max nodded, writing something down before starting an examination. He flashed a bright light over her eyes, asked her some basic questions about her health- and after fifteen minutes he sighed, and sat down.

"I like to try something unconventional." He looked at David and the others. "Somehow, she's dealing with a lack of blood, and I need to know why. I think hypnosis might help to discover what is causing this." David nodded, wondering whether it should be a what or a who that Max was looking for. After all, Arthur Holmwood had warned him against this strange monster that followed him back to here. But surely, that couldn't be real, right?

"Mia?" Marko looked at her. She shrugged. She just wanted to feel better.

"Oh no, I don't need her permission, not really anyway. It's her guardian who has to agree. So, David, what do you say? You are her guardian after all, no?"

David nodded. With him being five years older, he had made sure to get custody of her after their parents died. "The second she says she's uncomfortable, you stop. Got it?"

Max just grinned, telling Mia to lay down. He talked to her about opening her mind, about listening to the rhythm of the clock, and letting the ticking slowly guide her away and deeper and deeper into her subconscious. Worried, David looked at her, seeing how she fell deeper and deeper under the man's spell.

"You're asleep in your room, what do you hear?"

She was quiet for a moment before she spoke. It was barely louder than a whisper. "A tapping. Someone's rapping at the window."

"What do you do?"

"She - she calls me. She wants to be let in. She wants to come home."

"Who does?"

"She's hungry, starving," Mia's body shuddered. "She says I need to help her."

"Who is talking to you?"

"Lucy says I can help. She says he needs me. She gets in and -" Mia froze, as if in horendous pain, a silent scream escaping from her lips.

A book fell from the table in the room, and suddenly, Mia woke up from her hypnosis.

"What happened?" She asked quietly, looking at the shocked faces of her brothers. No one answered, but Dwayne moved to sit next to her. The room was quiet for a moment before Max spoke.

"I am afraid I do have to ask this. How long ago did you bury your friend?"

"Two weeks." David spoke, not sure where Max was going with this. The older man nodded, sighing softly.

"In order to prove my diagnosis, I want to meet the four of you at the cemetery this evening. There is something you will need to see."

"We won't leave Mia alone," Paul said. "Not when she's ill."

"As long as you leave her in a room guarded with garlic and crucifixes, she should be safe. If she were to come along, she'd be at immediate risk."

Santa Carla, 1987

"Mia was sick like Lucy?" Laddie had moved to lean against the cave wall, blankets wrapped around him.

"Yes. That evening we found out what it was."

"That a vampire attacked her?"

David nodded. "Yes."

"Lucy tricked her, didn't she?"

"Mia just wanted to help her. Little did we know that Lucy was also still being controlled. He was much worse."

"Did you go to the cemetery?"

David nodded, sighing. "Yeah. It was our biggest mistake."

"Why?"

"Because Mia had already invited the vampires in."

October, 1897

"We'll be back soon, alright?" David sat next to his sister, brushing some hair out of her face. She laid in bed, a plate with dinner standing on the sidetable next to her.

"Don't worry about me," she mumbled softly, already half asleep, "I'm fine."

David sighed, a soft smile playing on his lips. She wasn't fine. If he were to believe both Max and Arthur, she was in danger. Great danger. But he couldn't just tell her that, not if he didn't have the proof. Not if he didn't know why, or how, or what he and the boys could do to save her? He placed a crucifix in her hands, closing the window. On the windowsill, he placed some garlic plants, as advised, hoping it would work to protect her.

"Are you sure about this?" Paul asked as they left the house, pulling his coat close. It was chilly, especially now the sun had completely set.

"We have no choice. If we want to stop this shit from happening, we have to go." Dwayne said, taking a cigarette from his coat pocket.

The rest of the walk to the cemetery was quiet. No one spoke, each of them lost in their own thoughts. They were not ready to figure out what they were going to be seeing in the next couple of hours.

Max greeted them, handing each of them a stake and a cross. "You'll need this," was all he said, while he led them to the Westenra family tomb.

"Now you have seen your friend buried in this tomb, right?"

"What of it? We already talked about this." David shot him a look. Max just smirked, shaking his head slightly. "Just making sure we are all on the same page here. Now, gentlemen, when you enter the tomb, you should not be surprised to see an open, empty grave."

"And why is that?" Marko asked as he stepped in, taking a candle that was handed to him. As he shone it around the tomb he did, like Max warned, find an open casket. "What do you know about this?"

"Your friend Lucy is no longer a part of the living, nor is she truly dead."

"We saw her remains. She was completely ripped apart," Dwayne grimaced, "do you really mean to tell us that she is not dead?"

"Yes. She is not living, nor is she dead. She is what we call undead. A vampire."

"A what?" David glared at Max. "You think it is funny, don't you? Telling fucked up stories while our sister is dying?" He had pushed Max against the wall, stake in hand. Max didn't respond, only shushing him. "Listen!"

David quieted down. From outside the tomb, he heard the voice of a woman, soft and charming - and then the giggle of a child. The boys froze, Max springing into action. He waited, and it didn't take long before the woman stepped into the tomb. Even in the dim light from that one single candle, the woman was unmistakably Lucy. The same Lucy they had buried two weeks ago. A small child followed her as if he were in trance.

Lucy didn't notice them. She had only eyes for the child. "Come here," she said softly, and the kid obeyed. Lucy grinned, picking him up, bending his head to the side so she had access to his neck, and - she was about to bite down when she suddenly screamed. She dropped the child, growling as she turned around. Max had staked her. Mid turn Lucy fell tonthe ground, screaming and crying, twisting and turning, until all that was left of her was a sad pile of bones.

"What was that?" Paul and Marko spoke at the same time.

"That was how you kill a vampire. Believe me when I say that this is the kind of monster you're dealing with."

David nodded, sighing as he realised what needed to be done. "We need to find out who turned her."

"Yes," Max agreed, "but for now, you boys will have to go home and take care of your sister. I will make sure this young lad will be returned home safely."

They expected the house to be quiet when they got home. Instead, they heard voices coming from the bedroom.

"Please, please don't do this."

"My dear childe, you'll be healthy once again," a male spoke, his voice low. "I will protect you from the dangers of the world, I will worship you, obey you - as you will me."

"No, please, I dont-"

David pushed the door open. A tall, handsome man stood in front of his sister, his shirt ripped open and chest bleeding. The man forced Mia to lick up the blood, to consume it, while he bit down on her wrist.

David stood there frozen, not sure what to do, how to help his sister. It was Dwayne who sprung into action, pushing the man away from Mia. He tried to stake the man, still having the stake from the cemetery, but he was roughly thrown against the wall as the vampire laughed.

"You're no match for me," the stranger grinned, "soon your dear Mia will be mine. She will be perfect." He moved to stroke the girls hair, but she was quickly pulled away.

"Get away from my sister, " David growled, moving her behind him. "I'll fucking kill you."

The vampire just laughed, disappearing in a clowd of smoke. The moment he disappeared, Mia fell to the ground. She was unconscious, covered in both her own and the vampires blood.

[st4rry3yedd]

Who Is Sonoma County (Santa Rosa) Jane Doe (1979), the only unidentified victim of the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Killer?

Discovered: July 2, 1979 in Santa Rosa. Sonoma County, CA Estimated Date of Death: 3-7 years prior (earliest 1972) State of Remains: Near complete or complete skeleton Cause of Death: Homicide

Estimated Age: 16-21 years old Race: White Sex: Female Height: 5'3", estimated Weight: Unknown; medium build Hair: Brown or auburn

Distinguishing Marks/Features: had broken a rib at some point in life (healed), had a broken arm which was broken at the time of death.

Personal Items: Hard contact lens inside a metal candy tin decorated with cherries found near the remains.

Circumstances of Discovery: Hikers found skeletal remains, nude and hog-tied, in a steep ravine along a creek west of Calistoga Road near Santa Rosa. The decedent had been stuffed in a duffle or laundry-type bag before she was dumped approximately one hundred yards from where the body of Lori Lee Kursa was recovered seven years earlier. She is a victim of the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murder, who was responsible for the deaths of least seven female hitchhikers between 1972 to 1974. Several suspects, including the Zodiac Killer, Arthur Leigh Allen, and Ted Bundy have been considered, but no one has yet to be convicted. This woman is the only unidentified victim attributed to this serial killer. She was previously speculated to be Jeannette Kamahele, but dental comparison and DNA ruled her out.

Comparisons: despite Jeannette Kamahele being ruled out as being our Doe via dentals and DNA (according to Doe Network), the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office has yet to provide any official rule-outs to NAMus.

Popular Theories:

Paula Ann Pope, who was last seen on September 3, 1972, in Fresh Pond, CA, is thought to be a likely match. She was last seen leaving her campsite after getting into a fight with her husband because she wanted to go to a concert in Carson City, Nevada, and he didn't. She hitchhiked to the concert, then hitchhiked back with two people from Sacramento (where she lived at the time). She allegedly planned to return to the campsite, and was last seen by her travel companions with "motorcycle types". She was 18, had light brown hair which matched the auburn-like color of the Doe's, and wore hard contact lenses. The one trait that doesn't match is her height - 4'10" - however, I feel it's very important for the unacquainted with unidentified persons cases to know that with skeletal remains (and remains in most states of decomposition, to be frank) are very difficult to assign an accurate height to. Typically, there is a height range which can vary widely, but in some cases, such as Sonoma County Doe's, the ME doesn't list a range but just a single estimated number. So, it's a good idea to always take height with a grain of salt when sleuthing. This same rule should be applied to age range as well, which is typically far more accurate, but can definitely be off sometimes depending on the range (e.g., a Doe estimated to be 16-24 could also likely be 15 years old, because y'know, puberty hits people at different ages and all that).

Peggy Ann Reed, who was last seen in Santa Rosa, CA, on March 28, 1974, in the area of Guerneville Road and Coddling Town Mall; she was possibly hitchhiking. She was 15 at the time with light brown, shoulder-length hair, and apparently wore glasses occasionally, which makes it possible that she also wore contacts. She was 5'2".

Personal Theories:

Corinne June Groenenberg, who was last seen on November 1, 1973, in Modesto County. A family friend saw Groenenberg leave her home and followed her until she reached the highway and started to hitchhike. She was last seen getting into a green or blue truck. The driver was male. Corinne was 16 years old, with the same brownish-auburn hair color, and she stood at 5'6". Modesto is just under 3 hours away from Santa Rosa; I feel this is an unlikely match but not impossible as, depending on her intended destination, it's entirely possible she could have made it a decent way hitchhiking until she got to the Santa Rosa area and got into the wrong vehicle.

Sherry Jean Pickle, who was last seen on May 14, 1972, in Long Beach, CA. She is thought to have either hitchhiked to the Los Angeles area or traveled to meet a male companion. I think Sherry is less likely, considering Long Beach to LA is about a 40 min drive, but Long Beach to Santa Rosa is over seven hours, and the Santa Rosa hitchhiker killer wasn't known to operate outside of Sonoma County. It would fit better if Santa Rosa much closer and/or was on the way to LA.

It is important to note that it is unknown if either of these girls wore glasses or contacts.

Both Peggy Ann Reed and Paula Ann Pope have been submitted as potential matches to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office, but the office has yet to confirm or deny that they are even in the process of testing for these tips.

Sources:

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/main.html?id=1525ufca

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=4527dfca

https://www.namus.gov/MissingPersons/Case#/21696

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=1099dfca

https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/software/mp-main.html?id=863dfca

[whirlwind-lancer-dilan]

For the weirder ask one: 1, 11, 46 :-)

By now I had resigned that no one would ask me anything. Thank you! 🙏

Ok, let's see:

who is/are your comfort character(s)?

Argh, nice, I have some actually and luckily the question doesn't include "why?" because I'm not sure I know how to explain that. 💦

Anyway they are: Zorro (who expected this? 🤣). Luis Ramone (New World Zorro) I know he's bad but seeing him always makes me smile, Tylo, at least in my opinion, was really good at playing him, Luis is a bad guy but him and his facial expressions bring me good mood (thank goodness I said I couldn't explain why, lol). Arthur Morgan and Kieran Duffy from Red Dead Redemption 2. Vivi Ornitier from Final Fantasy IX. Do my OCs Nico and my friend's OCs count? I hope so. And then others but I don't want to make the list too long.

11. favorite extracurricular activity

Apart from drawing for myself I don't think I've ever had any. When I was still at school I could only stay at home or at my maternal grandparents' house. Whatever I wanted to try there was no time or money. I had and have a boring life, sorry. 😅🙏

46. favorite holiday film?

Sorry, no movie in particular come to mind. Here my family watch movies about the bible and they bore me so I avoid watching. Hmm… I remember many years ago I enjoyed watching the 2003 film Bad Santa but I only saw it that one time so I don't feel like to tell it's my favorite holiday film. When I was younger during the holidays they broadcast anime and cartoons that they didn't broadcast on TV the rest of the year but unfortunately I have a vague memory of it, but I remember I liked them.

Sorry if my answers are meh but I enjoyed answering, thanks again @aragarna! 🙏

[llimerrence]

i am NOT turning Gwenllian into a full blown character. i will not be writing her lmao (i have said that about a lot of characters, but this time i mean it. she's dead lol) but here's what i know about her:

She was an elf, she worked taking care of the reindeer. She was introduced by Clarke to Ebenezer. Clarke only did so because Ebenezer commented on how shiny one reindeer's coat was and, as a reindeer worker, Clarke wanted to make sure the credit was due were credit was deserved. She was the leader of the caretakers by that point, and knew exactly who was to be given credit for it.

yes, he literally did propose to her upon their first meeting. As soon as he got her name, it was the next thing out of his mouth. And of course she said yes. it was his very first christmas, and he proposed before taking off in the sleigh, and didn't get her answer until he returned.

Gwennie was a wonderful mrs. claus. She is where Ebenezer gets the "that's elf work" idea from, because girl did so much. She was also the one that started to force him to 'give up' responsibilities after his first injury on the job; and even more so after he got shot. It was never that the work was less important, but that he needed to calm the fuck down. It only started seeming less important to him after Gwennie died and he saw just how little the world needed him as Santa.

Gwennie and Ebenezer were that stupid PDA couple, Malcolm was born very shortly after their marriage. [And, if someone did the math, which...clarke did, they'd realize it was very likely that he was concienced on that very first christmas.]

Gwennie was good friends with Clarke, and the two used to spend a lot of time together. That changed when she got her position as Mrs. claus as she was suddenly much busier, and spent less time with Clarke. That said, their friendship did only add more fuel to the fire when it came to the rumors around Clarke. and as we all know, elves always believe rumors.

Gwennie was not nearly as involved with the outside world as Margaret; instead focusing more on improvements inside the Pole.

Gwennie passed a few years after Arthur was born, when he was around five.

[dasenergi]

Were you raised in any sort of religion?

How has your spiritual practice changed over the years?

I'm putting this behind a cut, because my answer is kind of long. I like to be mindful of people's feed. But if any of my followers are interested in my spiritual history, click and read-on!

No, I wasn't raised in any particular religion. Before the age of five there was a church within walking distance from my house. And often on Sundays I would go to Sunday School there. My parents didn't take me. I wanted to go. I liked the stories and the arts and crafts. So sometimes I'd walk myself or sometimes my sister and cousin would go too. One time when my sister and cousin went to Sunday school, I went into the big church and sat and listened to the sermon. (Again, this was all before the age of five and I was alone.) My strongest memory of the moment, was looking up at the rafters in the church… the church was God's house. And according to the preacher, God lived "up there". So I wondered if there was an invisible God in the rafters of the church watching me.

In July of 1976 we moved 50 miles away. And in this new town I still wanted to go to Sunday school. So occasionally one of my parents would take me to a nearby church. But that didn't last long. It was an inconvienence. We went camping a lot, or there were chores do to, or I wanted to play with my friends. That was the last time I went to church.

Another memory from childhood, probably around 6th grade - my aunt and uncle are religious. And they would give me childrens bibles for Christmas (I think I got three from them over the years). Anyhow, one Christmas the aunt took me into a back room of my grandparents house, turned off the lights, lit a candle, and we got on our knees and prayed. It was one of those, "Repeat after me things" - And she asked if I was ready and wanting to accept Jesus into my heart as my Lord and Savior. And really, I panicked. I felt very uncomfortable. My gut reaction was to flee. But I was a good kid, and I said yes. She was so excited for me. Afterwards she wanted me to go up to each family member (even my parents) and tell them, "I accepted Jesus into my heart!" I was so embarraseed. But I did it.

I have always been a seeker. Since childhood. I have always felt an affinity to martyrs, saviors, myths, and legends. It was 1980 (I was 9 years old) when I started feeling like I might be the reincarnation of Merlin or King Arthur. (I'm still not convinced I'm not. There's always the possibility.)

With Star Wars and Yoda, and the Beat authors like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, I began investigating Buddhism in high school. Ram Dass and Alan Watts.

In college I took religious and philosophy classes. Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism. I began reading all the texts of worlds religions. And studing their history and leaders. Even things like Joseph Smith and Mormonism. Wicca. Druidism. Satanism.

I had a good friend who started attending classes at a Zen Buddhist temple. He was the first one who really sat me down and we meditated together. Actually, I worked at the library at the time and I had a key and knew the security password. So we broke into the library in the middle of the night and he walked me through a guided meditation together there.

When my marriage started falling apart, and we separated, my very first night alone with no kids or wife I was a wreck and had no idea what to do with myself. So I went to a Barnes and Noble book store. And I went to the section on Buddhism. And there I found the book "Dharma Punx" by Noah Levine. I started reading it there in the book store and I immediately connected to the author's story / history. We were the same age. And when I looked him up online, I saw he taught classes within walking distance from my work in Santa Monica.

And that was when I became a Buddhist. Noah became my Buddhist teacher and my mental health therapist all throughout my marriage crisis. I got very deep and involved in Noah's organization, "Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society." I arrived early and setup all the cushions, I was the greeter welcoming newcomers, we had a little book store with merchandise and I collected all the money. I had spent years there. I was taking classes to become a Buddhist teacher myself. And that was when I had a falling-out with Noah. I felt he was taking advantage of me, and he kept choosing other (new) people to become teachers and not me. Noah was very involved in the 12-step program and he was choosing people he worked with from there.

I changed teachers and spent a couple more years in Buddhist circles, before I stopped going altogether. Although I still follow the Buddhist principles, I wouldn't describe myself as actively practicing. But I do have a week-long silent meditation retreat planned for May.

Towards the end of my time in Buddhism, medical marijuana was legalized in California and I started taking it instead of Prozac. It helped a lot and there was no side effects like Prozac had. And with that lifestyle, my eyes were really opened to the New Age movement. That was when I started having really profound visions that rewired my understanding of the universe. And even after I stopped using marijuana in 2018 (because it gave me anxiety attacks) my mind had already been awakened so I could quickly get into those meditative states. I've been very involved in the New Age movement and have had wonderful magical experiences within it -- Things that defied the laws of physics and the known universe. I've traveled the world several times. I've met wonderful powerful people. I've meditated in magical places on every continent except Africa and Antarctica. I truly do believe that we are living at a time of great change, and we are all a part of it. This change was prophesized by Nostradamus.

And that is kind of where I am now, I consider myself a New Age Buddhist. But as you know, I am also currently in a 9-month program working with a teacher on magical pagan practices, doing rituals and meditations and kything and scrying and things. I am also a certified master reiki healer. I've also done work in the Akashic Records. I can see people's past lives. I have done distance healing. And I'm pretty sure I am becoming who I was always meant to be, who I have always been… a Merlin for a new age. 😉

[dramioneldws]

🎵 Oh, what a laugh it would have been

If daddy had only seen

Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night 🎵

December 3: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – Various

You don���t have to creep down the stairs to peep these brilliant drabbles! Treat yourself to today’s collection:

🎵

Title: A Gentleman's Agreement

Author: Maira

Pairing: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy

CW/Archive Warning: N/A

Rating: T

Summary: Seeing Hermione Granger snogging the face off Theo’s best friend would normally not cause much consternation.  This time was the exception.

🎵

Title: Believe Me!

Author: WritingFicariously

Pairing: Arthur Weasley/Molly Weasley

CW/Archive Warning: N/A

Rating: G

Summary: Ginny swears she saw something untoward the night before Christmas. But why won't her brothers believe her?

🎵

Title: Christmas Kisses

Author: JCOBryan1990!

Pairing: Neville Longbottom/Pansy Parkinson

CW/Archive Warning: N/A

Rating: G

Summary: Theo Nott would do anything for his goddaughter, even if it means embarrassing her father and mother.

🎵

Title: Conversations in the Atrium

Author: somandalicous

Pairing: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy

CW/Archive Warning: N/A

Rating: G

Summary: Draco doesn't understand Muggle Music

🎵

Title: Does It Have a Happy Ending?

Author: Frumpologist

Pairing: Millicent Bulstrode/Secret

CW/Archive Warning: N/A

Rating: T

Summary: Santa Claus breaks into Millicent’s house.

🎵

Title: Dreaming of Santa

Author: VesperSwan

Pairing: Mrs. Granger/Corban Yaxley

CW/Archive Warning: N/A

Rating: G

Summary: Hermione dreams her mom is kissing Santa

🎵

Title: Fa La La La Love - Chapter 3

Author: anne_ammons

Pairing: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter

CW/Archive Warning: N/A

Rating: T

Summary: Christmas is coming. And whether or not Teddy likes it, love is in the air.  A story of friendship, love, and the hijinx of an elf named Peanut Butter.

🎵

Title: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Author: DramioneDreaming

Pairing: Gen

CW/Archive Warning: N/A

Rating: G

Summary: Albus Potter sees something concerning on Christmas Eve and shares the discovery with his siblings and cousins.

🎵

Title: I Saw Mummy

Author: EvergreenTuesdays

Pairing: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy

CW/Archive Warning: N/A

Rating: T

Summary: Inspired by the song, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”

🎵

Title: J’Accuse

Author: AccioMjolnir

Pairing: Hermione Granger/Charlie Weasley

CW/Archive Warning: N/A

Rating: G

Summary: Hermione’s daughter catches her kissing Santa Claus.

🎵

Title: Kissing Santa 

Author: Charlie9646 

Pairing: Harry Potter/Severus Snape

CW/Archive Warning: Age gap pairing (all of are of age)

Rating: G

Summary: Albus Severus knows a secret neither of his siblings know.  Or when Severus kisses Santa.

🎵

Title: Polyglamorous

Author: Lalalaartje

Pairing: Neville Longbottom/Pansy Parkinson

CW/Archive Warning: N/A

Rating: General

Summary: Neville had imagined something else entirely when his friends warned him about children making him choke on his morning coffee with their weird questions.

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Title: The Magic of the Season

Author: LiloLilyAnn

Pairing: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy

CW/Archive Warning: N/A

Rating: T

Summary: “Mum, I know Santa Clause isn’t real."  Hermione Granger was not at all ready to admit that her baby girl was too big to believe in Santa, but she couldn't lie to her either.  Well... she couldn't lie to her about *that* anyway.

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Title: What a laugh it would have been

Author: Ginnysocks

Pairing: Neville Longbottom/Pansy Parkinson, Seamus Finnigan/Dean Thomas

CW/Archive Warning: None

Rating: G

Summary: A series of inter-connected Christmas drabbles told in the style of "Love Actually". Follow our crew as they navigate the holiday season with their family, friends, and romantic entanglements.  III - Pansy gets caught ogling Santa and accidentally lets a secret out of the bag.

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Title: Promises and Pajamas Author: Highladylily Pairing: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley CW/Archive Warning: Infidelity(not between DHr) Rating: T Summary: Hugo sees someone kissing Santa, but it's not Mommy. Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43355026

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Happy reading!

@floorcoaster & @mykesprit

[anonymous-writer-hero93]

Fiery Christmas for Steve

Chapter one:

Chicago December 24th 11:56PM

Steve Clause POV

            “Steve the alarm!” Arthur exclaimed as he jumped on to my arm.

            “I know. I hear it. How many times have I told you not to play with things that are not yours. We need to get out of here before they wake up and think we are burglars.” I tried to yank my arm back from Arthur as we worked on making our way to the front door. I rolled my eyes until I heard some footsteps on the stairs. I looked over to the stairs and there was a scared women holding a baseball bat.

            “I called the police they are on their way. Don’t move.” I grabbed Arthur’s hand and ran for it. I sprinted out the front door and off the porch dragging him behind me. I knew he couldn’t keep up with me, so I had to pull him along as I took back alleys trying to avoid the cops as I could see the reflections of the light in the store windows.  I couldn’t run fast enough the lights were getting closer and the sirens sounded right in my ear. This was terrible how was I going to explain to our parents we got arrested all because Arthur wanted to pet the damn cat and set off the alarm. I speed up and went around another corner hoping to buy us some time, when we bumped right into something knocking me back a step.

            I looked down to see what we had ran into and there she was bundled in her winter jacket and blue scarf with her long brown hair blowing in the breeze. I had knocked her down in the snow due to my size. I went to apologize when Arthur helped her up and I couldn’t help but panic the flashing lights were almost on us.

            “Hurry up and get in the house.” She was standing at the door holding it open to for us when I had looked back from searching for the cops. Arthur hooped up the steps without even thinking. I paused a second; why was she helping us? This was going terrible; two people had seen us. “If you want to get caught you can stay out there then.” She moved to close the door, but I took the steps two at a time to get the in door as she closed it. I turned to look out the window and as she closed the door, I saw a cop car round the corner. That was too close for comfort. I looked down to see her staring at me red faced as I noticed I was blocking her from coming in all the way. I had her pinned between my large chest and the door. The sweet smell of lavender filled my nose as I blushed and moved for her to continue in the house.

            Arthur had made his way to her kitchen, and she headed that way when I stepped aside to let her pass. She took off her coat placing it on the back of a car and Arthur copied her motions as if they were old friends. “Thank you for helping us Miss….”

            “Samantha, but please call me Sam. Would either of you like a drink?” She was grabbing wine glasses out of the cabinet and pouring while asking.

            “No thank you Miss Sam. I am Arthur and this is my older brother Steve.” Arthur replied as he motioned to us. This is when I realized I was staring at her like a stalker, and I had not spoken a single word.   I was still reeling over what had just happened. This woman was beautiful, and kind why was she willing to help us she was just a stranger. She had to have been able to tell we were running from the police by the panicked look I know I had on my face.

            “Why did you help us.�� I finally asking and realized I asked it a little too roughly when she paused from pouring wine and turned to look us both up and down one more time. She turned back to the glasses and finally handed me one before she answered me.

            “Well, something about you had me wanting to help you. I don’t know if is the Christmas cheer coming off of him;” she pointed to Arthur; who was fiddling with his coat jacket. “That made be believe he was Santa Clause.”  There was a long pause and I know my jaw dropped open when she said the last part. An adult who still believe in Santa? Why?

            “But Why…Are you crazy?” Arthur gasped at me, and I was unsure where that even came from. All I knew was that she was making me nervous and her sent was washing over me causing me to lose my mind. I found myself having to control my body and not reach out and touch her. Why was I being so weird. I am normally all business and seriousness, but now I could barely talk correctly and not snap out.

            “No, I just think if no one can prove that something isn’t real then why stop believing in it. Well, I told you who I think he is, but who the Hell are you supposed to be in your.. what is that Versace...suit. You are too big to be an elf, so who are you?”

            I took a step closer to her without thinking before answering, "I am his brother and COO of North Pole operations. Why did you not stop believing?” I had to ball my hands into fits to stop myself from wanting to brush her hair off her shoulder. She probably thought I was angry. I knew I looked like it by my stern and taught face and even my poster. I was far from angry. I was trying to control myself, there was something about her I wanted to hold her and envelope myself in her sent and touch her skin which I imagined was soft and smooth.

            “Sorry about him he is stressed about tonight. We have some time why don’t you tells us about your self Sam.” Arthur interrupted me from my thoughts which helped. I turned my back to her and downed my glass of wine she gave us. It was sweet like candy, but a hint of cinnamon in it. I wondered if this was her favorite. What was I doing pull yourself together Steven!

            “I am firefighter at Fire House 81 most of them time, but I work part time at the Police department and fill in at the Chicago Memorial Hospital when they are short staffed. Which I haven’t picked up any shifts there lately due to a certain doctor that works there.”

            “That is so cool! You’re like a real-life hero!” Arthur was lighting up from how excited he was. I must admit that was amazing. Other than beautiful she was smart and strong.

            “Thanks. I hope you guys don’t get behind on your night because of this. You should be able to leave soon to continue the rest of your night.” I nodded at her unsure what to say, she probably thinks I am an ass. It doesn’t matter anyway it isn’t like I am going to see her again or that she even likes me.

“Are you going to be alone on Christmas?” Arthur had asked and I noticed no one else seemed to be home meaning she lived alone in this big house by herself.

            “Oh no, I am going to my dad’s house in the morning to see my brother and nephew. I just had to work a split shift tonight.” That was good I was glad she wasn’t going to be alone, but then I got a jealous like feeling in my gut because she wouldn’t be with me. What was happening to me why was am I being like this. I needed to get out of here before I do or say something stupid. 

            “The cost is probably clear. We should go Arthur before we get any further behind.” I sent my location to the S-1 to drop us a line before heading for the door. I took large strides to get out of there to breath. Once outside calmness washed over me. The calmness I am used to; well, that was until I turned and looked back to the house. Arthur was walking out saying good-bye to her and when I looked at her my stomach did a flip, and I could feel my face heating up. I grabbed on to the zip line disappearing into the sky looking down at her as I felt regret in not staying longer or being nice to her. Once back on the platform of the S-1 I knew I had to get my head back in the game if we wanted to finish on time.  

            “Steve! Wait!” Arthur clumsy chases after me as I headed to the bridge. “Why did you leave so quickly. She was nice and she asked me if you were single and told me she thinks you are handsome and should smile more. I think she liked you.”

            “Arthur enough. Why would a woman like that like someone like me? We don’t even live near here, so it doesn’t matter.” I rounded on him and snapped. Why did he have to tell me she liked me. I needed to focus on our job that was more important than what I felt for some stranger. I turned and stalked away leaving Arthur alone and my heart breaking knowing I was never going to see her again. I knew I made it seem like I didn’t care to Arthur, but I did. I was tired of being alone and she just felt right. I could tell just by being around her. I know it is stupid to say love at first sight, but I have seen stranger things and I would be a fool if I said magic didn’t exist.

            The rest of the night was a blur and my mind kept drifting back to seeing her standing there in the snow watching us disappear into the night sky.

            This is absurd I am Steven Clause COO of North Pole Operations. I am genius. I designed all of this and have been running everything while letting Arthur think he is in charge, and I have done this all by myself. I don’t need anyone… as I thought that I realized I had never noticed how alone I was until then. I didn’t know I needed or wanted anyone I wasn’t paying to be near me or had to be because they were family. What if I went back to see her? What if she didn’t like me and Arthur took what she said the wrong way.

**Thank you for reading. If you are a subscriber or have read this in the past. I know it is different. I went back and rewrote it better. Now that I am published author, I felt like I needed to fix my other writings. Please comment and leave reviews and subscribe for more changes to the other chapters.  

[lonelier-version-of-you]

Are there any festivey eps of holby and casualty that you would rec?

I can't actually think of that many, weirdly enough. I thought I'd have loads of suggestions but I only have a few.

Holby:

S13E11 "Snow Queens" - a Christmastime episode, and Connie and Faye's departures. It's a very good episode and I definitely recommend it.

S15E13 "Hanssen/Hemingway" - Okay, so it's not a Christmas episode by any means. In fact, it's the episode that reveals Henrik is Jewish. I wouldn't even call it festive, because it's not set at New Year's either - just generic early January. But it IS a wintery episode, with lots of stunning Swedish scenery, so I like to watch it in winter for that if nothing else, and also I'll take any opportunity to put it on an episode rec list.

S17E11 "I Will Honour Christmas In My Heart" - Yes, folks, I of all people am recommending an episode without any Henrik in it. I know, I know. But I really do love this one. It has a guest return from Oliver Valentine (a few months before his actual return), who's sick and needs an operation. There are some lovely scenes, a very Christmassy atmosphere, and Ollie Valentine - that's reason enough to watch it.

S19E64 "Always Forever" - Morven gets high on laughing gas, hallucinates Arthur, and makes the decision to leave Holby. Just... a really sweet and funny episode, even if Morven leaving with Cameron as her "happy ending" is a bit surreal now.

S21E01 "Everything Old Is New Again" - To celebrate the New Year, Jac shags Connie's ex-girlfriend. Okay, so it's not confirmed Jac shagged her and it's not confirmed she's Connie's ex-girlfriend, but let's face it, both of those things are obvious. It's got sapphic Jac content, it's got Jac, Ric, and Sacha doing karaoke on a long car ride to a conference, it's got Jac in formalwear, it's got good character stuff for Sacha... what more could you ask for in an episode? The only downside is the other storyline involves Cameron's arrival as a regular and Serena angsting. But the Jac/Ric/Sacha conference stuff makes it all worth it.

S23E37 - Okay, look, I'm just gonna say it. I did love this episode and think it was really good (although Amelia and Eli's storyline is heartbreaking, so while the rest of the episode is quite sweet, it's not a lighthearted watch). I didn't watch the S21 Christmas eps (Henrik was on a break at the time), nor the S22 ones (okay, I sort of did, but only the Henrik scenes), and I can't recommend the S20 ones because they just kind of sucked (or maybe I'm just biased against any episode where the main plots are "Fletcher family drama" and "Henrik's so-called friends force him to take a job he hates, this is portrayed as a good thing"). Although, as the last ever Christmas episode of Holby, it could've been better, it could also have been a lot worse.

I want to be able to put the series 15 Christmas episodes on here because series 15 is my fave but... I haven't actually seen them - I'll be getting to them soon in my rewatch though, so I'll update on their quality then! Also, it would be odd not to mention the episode I got my avatar from (S18E11 "Blue Christmas"), but I haven't watched it all the way through in aaaages so I don't actually remember how good it is. It also needs a trigger warning for mentions of CSA.

Casualty:

S27E16 "I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus" - Dylan's original exit, and a very solid Christmas episode. YMMV, but I really like it.

S33E17 - Another Dylan Christmas. I don't have a lot to say about it, but I remember it being a really good ep (though admittedly I haven’t seen it in a long while). It may, however, be a bit jarring for dedicated Henrik fans (or maybe it just is for me), because the actor who played Dylan Brenton (from “Shifts” and “If Not For You”) is in it in a completely different role.

If anyone has more recs please feel free to let me know, I always love a good Christmas or New Year's Holby/Casualty episode.

[theanonymousloser]

socks

pairing: Fred Weasley x fem!reader

requested: no

word count: 1.1k

warnings: none

description: the reader's love for crazy socks becomes contagious and infects fred weasley

"I like your socks."

Those four words were how it all started.

Y/n L/n, a fifth year at Hogwarts, was notorious for wearing odd pairs of socks.

On that particular day, she decided to wear a pair with small pictures of surfing avocados all over them. They were the type of socks that aren't no-show socks, but aren't knee-high socks, they stop just above your ankles.

She slipped on her shoes and headed to breakfast. It was a Friday, so she had some classes, but not too many.

"Hey L/n." Fred Weasley walked over to her.

"Hey Weasley." She replied, confused as to why he was talking to her. Y/n was used to be pretty invisible, sure she had a few friends, but she didn't really have any close friends.

"I like your socks."

"Er, thanks?"

Fred nodded, walking away.

"That was weird." She muttered to herself.

And so it became sort of a tradition, whether he was yelling across the classroom, throwing a note at her, or just catching her in the hallway, Fred Weasley always found a way to complement Y/n's socks.

.....

"I like your socks." He said, grabbing her arm in the hallway.

"Thanks." She looked down at his. They had hearts all over them and said "I like Y/n L/n"

"I like yours too."

"Go out with me?"

"Only if we both wear our most outlandish socks." She smiled.

"I'd expect nothing less," Fred mirrored her smile.

"It's a date then," she said.

"So it is," he winked.

.....

Fred and Y/n continued to go out, and in their sixth year, Y/n was invited to the Burrow for Christmas.

Fred, however, wrote a letter to his mom in November in which he told her about their sock tradition.

Everyone was seated in the dining room, around the table, eating breakfast before they opened presents. Y/n was seated between Fred and Ginny, and couldn't stop laughing.

Arthur was telling a story about Y/n's father when he was at Hogwarts, who, unbeknownst to them, had been one of Arthur's closest friends. The two had lost touch when they left Hogwarts, but Y/n gave Arthur her address in hopes that they would write to each other and try to meet up again.

Once he had finished his story, Molly announced that it was time to open presents, and everyone rushed to the living room. Y/n, again, sat between Fred and Ginny.

First, Molly handed everyone packages that were roughly the same size, except for Y/n's which was about a third of the size.

"Youngest to oldest," Molly instructed, and Ginny opened her package. It was a sweater with the letter "G" on it. Ginny immediately put it on over her head.

(I don't know if harry and hermione joined them that year, so I'm going to say they didn't)

Ron opened his next. It was the same thing, except his had the letter "R".

Fred and George began opening theirs next, but Molly stopped them.

"I'm afraid, Y/n is younger than you two."

Fred made a face at Y/n, who, in return, stuck her tongue out at him.

Y/n opened the gift with a large smile across her face. When she saw the gift she let out a small laugh, thanking Mrs. Weasley. It was a pair of socks with her first initial on them. She slid off the socks she had been wearing (with Santa riding a unicorn on them), and put on the new ones.

.....

The next Christmas, the entire L/n family was invited to the Burrow. After everyone had opened their presents, it started snowing. Fred and Y/n grabbed their hats and went for a walk in the snow. They had just been talking, enjoying each other's company, when Y/n gasped.

"What?" Fred asked, a worried look on his face.

"Look," she pointed to a small box on the side of the street. Inside, there was a small kitten. She was black and had white around her paws, making it look like she was wearing socks.

Looking closer at the box, Y/n noticed the word "Free" written across every side.

"I think it's meant to be." Fred said, smiling at his girlfriend. Y/n picked the shivering kitten out of the box, holding her close to her chest.

"Her name is Socks." Y/n smiled.

"Of course it is," Fred said with a small laugh.

.....

After Y/n's graduation, she was invited to the Burrow to celebrate. She had become like a second daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"Y/n, dear! Come in, come in!" Mrs. Weasley beckoned, answering the door.

"Fred and George should be here soon, I'm just finishing up a few things in the kitchen." She said, walking to the kitchen.

Y/n jumped as she heard Molly shriek. She ran to the kitchen.

"Fredrick Gideon Weasley, you do not apparate directly behind a person!"

"Sorry mum, I didn't know you would be there." He tried to defend himself. Mrs. Weasley sighed.

"Now Fred, you can't truthfully look me in the eyes and tell me you didn't know I would be in the kitchen when we're hosting a party this afternoon." Mrs. Weasley said, Y/n raised her eyebrows at Fred, excited for his response.

"Well, you see... Yeah, I got nothing. Sorry!" Fred admitted, walking over to Y/n, grabbing her hand, and pulling her outside.

"Hi," she smiled up at him.

"Hi," he smiled down at her.

"I uh, I wanted to give my gift to you before anyone else was here, so close your eyes." He said, and she gave him a weird look.

"What?" He asked, laughing. She rolled her eyes before doing as he said.

"Alright, now hold out your hands." He said and she did. He laid something in her hands.

"Open," he said from behind her.

She looked down at what was in her hands. It was a pair of socks (obviously), clearly handmade, but not by Mrs. Weasley. Written on the socks were four words. She gasped, her eyes watering.

"Will you marry me?" Fred asked from behind her. She spun around, a huge smile on her face. Fred was knelt on one knee, holding a ring out to her.

"Yes yes yes yes yes!" She said, smiling as wide as she could, tears falling down her face.

Fred slipped the ring on her finger before standing up and kissing her. He then picked her up and spun her around.

"We're wearing wacky socks." Y/n said as soon as she was back on her feet.

"Obviously."

[honouraryweasley12]

Approach

Written for the 2021 HPRomione Discord Secret Santa, for the extremely talented @be11atrixthestrange!

Leading up to Bill and Fleur's wedding, Ron tries to cheer up Hermione and learns a bit about a Muggle sport in the process.

Also available on FFN & AO3.

Ron ran a hand through his shaggy damp hair as he made his way down the stairs, reflecting on the morning. The typically lively Sunday breakfast at the Burrow had been tense, the discussion focused on the latest Order matters and security spells for Bill's wedding.

He'd seen Hermione slip out immediately after and he'd meant to follow, but his mother had practically shoved him up the stairs with orders to go shower. He didn't know if it was deliberate, but he had the sense that his mum didn't want them plotting things together.

He got ready as quickly as he could, before bounding into the kitchen in search of his friend. He found his dad at the table, nursing a cup of tea as he stared at the family clock contemplatively.

"Hey Dad, have you seen Hermione?"

Arthur started, before nodding his head. "I think she's out in the shed. I saw her heading that way earlier."

"I'll go take a look."

Ron turned and stepped into his worn trainers, before pushing open the creaky back door.

"Son, before you go..."

He stopped and spun, noticing the serious look on his dad's face, which made him panic slightly.

"Is it alright for Hermione to be in your shed?"

"Of course. I just wanted to ask you if everything was alright with her. She seems... quieter than usual. Rather subdued since she arrived."

If only his dad knew the weight of the sacrifices she'd made, but Ron wasn't about to betray the secret she'd entrusted him with. What she'd done to her parents, sending them away with altered memories, had affected her profoundly and he'd been attempting to comfort her at every opportunity.

He scratched the back of his neck, hoping his dad wouldn't cotton on to his half-truth. "She's fine, just, you know, worried about things. Uh, her parents, Hogwarts, and Harry."

Arthur's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't ask anything else. "She can always come to us if she needs anything. I'm sure you're helping her, as her friend."

Ron blushed but nodded, glancing out to the shed. "I'm trying my best."

"That's good, very good indeed. Friendship and family are all we have in these times." As if sensing Ron's impatience, he waved his son away. "You go ahead, don't let me hold you up."

"Thanks, Dad."

Ron closed the door behind him and jogged over to the ramshackle shed that housed his dad's extensive collection of Muggle items. He spied Hermione through the dusty window, his heart breaking for her as he observed tears running down her cheeks.

Trying for a moment to recall what the book had said about comforting witches, he gave up and eased the door open, not wanting to startle her. He took a few steps in and saw her hurriedly brush her cheeks with her sleeves.

"Hey, it's just me," Ron called out quietly.

He wanted to be reassuring and approach things with more tact than he usually exhibited, but seeing her so forlorn—her head bowed under a curtain of hair and her legs dangling limply from her perch on his dad's workbench—threw that plan out the window.

Instead, he strode purposefully toward her, hopping onto the bench and wrapping a long arm around her shoulders.

This seemed like the right course of action as she immediately burrowed into him, her body shaking as the tears came again. He held her until her breathing slowed and her trembling stopped. She looked up, sniffling as she wiped the wetness from her cheeks once again.

He fished a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to her as she calmed down.

"Thanks, Ron." She sniffed again. "You smell nice."

His own blush matched hers as he grinned, knocking his shoulder playfully against hers to make her smile. "For once, eh?"

She rolled her eyes, and he could see the corner of her mouth lift, despite the pained look that remained on her face.

"What were you doing out here by yourself?"

She paused for a moment; her eyes focused on a large item halfway across the shed, leaning against a shelf. "I miss my parents so much. I was thinking about Sundays."

"Tell me about Sundays."

She kept staring, so he gently persisted, following her eyes to the object in question. "What is that?"

"A golf bag. On Sunday mornings my dad would usually go play a round or two of golf with his mates. Sometimes we'd watch tournaments on the telly in the afternoon, and he'd explain to me how the game worked." She shrugged her shoulders. "He said he wasn't very good—but he loved it anyway."

"Oh, is that the sport where someone throws a ball and..." He jumped off the table and pulled a club out of the bag, swinging it wildly and almost upending a pile of hubcaps.

Hermione let out an amused snort, the sound of it music to Ron's ears. "That is absolutely not golf. That's rounders, or perhaps cricket. They would both fit, but the rules and scoring are much different in each sport. You see—"

Ron returned the club before interrupting her, seeing that she was winding up for a long explanation. "What's golf then?"

She blinked. "Right, well, golf is the most frustrating sport in the world, according to dad."

"Sounds brilliant," he murmured out of the corner of his mouth.

Hermione flashed him a familiar look of exasperation before jumping off the table and grabbing a nearby piece of parchment. She effortlessly transfigured a spanner into a quill, before scratching out a long, narrow rounded shape and adding various markings within it.

He leaned forward with interest, remembering the book's words about giving witches his full attention.

"The point of the game is to get a ball into a small hole with the least number of hits, or strokes." She gestured to her drawing. "This entire grassy area is also called a hole. A typical round of golf is 18 holes."

"The hole has a smaller hole? That's confusing. Besides, that doesn't sound so difficult."

"It isn't Quidditch, Ron." She cupped her hands together and made a circular opening between her fingers. "The hole the ball goes into is only this big, and you have to get it in from 400 yards away. That's the length of two-and-a-half Quidditch pitches."

Ron's eyes widened. "That's far! Maybe this is more challenging than it sounds. You have to do that in one hit?"

"Not usually, but it can happen. That's called a hole in one; it's very rare and to be celebrated when it happens. Each hole has an expected number of shots it should take for a good player. That's called par. Typically it's between three and five strokes. Since the goal is the fewest amount of strokes, professionals often have a negative score, since they will finish several holes under par. Anything above par adds to your score."

"So the lower the score, the better?"

"Exactly."

Holes in holes? Negative scores? Why the hell would anyone want to play this?

Ron decided it was prudent not to voice this out loud. Instead, he decided to ask something that was puzzling him.

"Who throws the ball at the golfster so they can hit it?"

She giggled. "No one throws the ball at the golfer. The ball is stationary, and you hit it from the ground. Each subsequent stroke is from where the ball last landed."

This game sounds ridiculous. If I thought getting things going with Hermione was going to be difficult, golf sounds bloody impossible.

He shoved those thoughts away and kept paying attention as she explained what the "tee box", "fairway", "green", and "rough" were. She kept gesturing to the parchment and scribbling things as she remembered them.

This was the Hermione he liked to see—completely engaged by knowledge and willing to share it with him. She was in her element, after the tumultuous past few weeks, and it made him happy.

"You have to be careful with your approach; one bad shot and you can get stuck in the rough."

Didn't he know it. It was why he was trying to walk that fine line between showing her he cared, and not being too forward with his feelings. He felt like he'd dug himself out of the rough, and was on the fairway, hopefully getting closer to the green… she had called it the approach, and that seemed fitting.

"Now, let's look at the clubs, and what they're used for."

Hermione pulled out the club with the largest endpiece. "This is the driver. When you start at the beginning of each hole, this is the club you want to use, because it will help you hit the ball the furthest. It's crucial to hit it with both power and accuracy, because if you don't, the ball will go flying to the side. As you get closer to the hole, you want less power and more precision."

Ron nodded, a bit lost in all the terminology, but he couldn't help but stare at how pretty she looked, her eyes bright as she turned back to the bag, showing him the difference between "woods" and "irons".

She examined a club with a small, angled head. "This is a sand wedge. Oh! I forgot about the traps. Besides the rough, some holes will have different hazards as a challenge. They're usually made of sand or water. If you get your ball stuck in there, you might need to use a special club like this to get it out."

He was an expert at traps, and he'd fallen in them far too many times. If there was a human equivalent to a water hazard, it was definitely Lavender "The Giant Squid" Brown. He frowned instantly, feeling a tight knot of guilt in the pit of his stomach, the words from the book flashing in his head like his brothers' famous fireworks.

He'd learned from his reading that Lavender had really done nothing wrong, she'd only done what he was incapable of doing. He'd been the git who dated a girl he didn't like that much, out of spite and jealousy. If there was one thing he'd learned from the whole debacle, it was that he should go for who he really wanted to be with, even when the stakes seemed impossibly high.

She must have caught him staring into space. "What's wrong? Too boring? Some Muggles do find the game slow, but I think it's interesting."

He cleared his throat. "No, not at all. It's just a lot to learn, that's all. But you're a great teacher."

She grinned at him and continued on. "That's good, because once you get the ball to the green, you have to putt it into the hole. This was always my favourite part. It gets so tense watching on the telly when someone is about to do it. Sometimes they miss by mere centimeters."

He looked at her with confusion, quite unsure of what putting was.

"Here, I'll show you."

She searched amongst his dad's things and found a ceramic mug, which she laid down on the floor at the far end of the shed. She got out a club with a thin rectangular head and rummaged through the pockets of the bag until she located a small, dimpled ball.

She set the ball on the ground and pointed the club handle to Ron. "Hit the ball into the cup with this."

He took the club and looked at the mug. He swung hard and hammered the ball, causing it to fly up, hit the far wall, and ricochet back in their direction. He instinctively pulled Hermione against him, the ball flying past where her head would have been and crashing into something behind them.

He grimaced and looked down at her, before reluctantly letting go. "Sorry."

"It's alright," she whispered, her voice suddenly hoarse. "I should have warned you to be gentle."

She took the club back from him, before summoning the ball and placing it on the ground.

Hermione bent forward and lined up the putter. Ron felt his face heat up as she wiggled her bum a couple of times, before smoothly making contact with the ball. They watched with bated breath as it rolled along, finally getting into the cup with a clank of porcelain.

"Wow! That was amazing, Hermione."

She bowed her head in acknowledgement and laughed. "Your turn."

This was much different than throwing a ball into a giant Quidditch hoop. He tried to mimic what she'd done, but after several chances where the ball veered to the right or left, he was ready to give up.

"You were so close that time," Hermione encouraged as they watched the ball miss the cup once again.

"I can't believe Muggles do this for fun," he responded miserably.

"I don't know how much fun they're actually having. There is also a mini version of golf where you putt through crazy obstacle courses. I've never been but it's quite popular for Muggle..." Her voice trailed off.

"Muggle what?"

She looked away. "Muggle dates."

"And you said you've never been?"

She shook her head.

"Good, that's good," he mumbled under his breath, ignoring the advice of the book regarding the ugliness of jealousy.

In the awkward ensuing silence, he hastily tried again and missed the cup by a wide margin.

She seemed to take pity on him and grabbed the putter from his hands. She got into position, but this time, turned her head. "Come here, Ron."

"What?"

She sighed and grabbed his wrist, yanking him close. "Here, put your hands on mine."

Hermione got into a putting stance again. Ron gently slid his hands over hers, praying that they weren't too clammy as his long, lean body pressed close to her. He resisted the urge to bury his nose in her bushy hair, the fresh, familiar scent of her shampoo already lingering in his nostrils. He was certain she could her the pounding in his chest.

He, in turn, could hear a tremble in her voice. "R-Ready?"

"Yeah," he croaked.

They swung the club together and stood frozen as they watched the ball roll forward, hitting the cup dead in the center.

"That's it, we did it!"

Hermione dropped the putter and spun in Ron's arms, the air suddenly tense at the abrupt closeness. Ron's eyes searched hers, his heart beating impossibly fast. He was aware of every spot of contact between them. She licked her lips and he wanted nothing more than to lift her up and snog her senseless.

"Hermione, I—"

The door of the shed slammed open and they flew apart, both standing uncomfortably with the suddenly forced distance between them. Ginny strode in, looking at them quizzically, a departure from the stony expressions she'd worn since they left Hogwarts.

"What were you two doing?"

"Nothing!"

"Putting!"

Ginny frowned, but didn't say anything about the compromising position they were previously in. "Mum's waiting for you, Ron. It's time to go for your dress robe fitting."

Ron opened his mouth to argue, but Hermione spoke up first. "Thanks for cheering me up, Ron. I feel much better."

"Er, yeah. That's good," he replied hurriedly. "I'd better get going, you know how mum is. Thanks for the golf lesson."

She nodded as Ginny shook her head and left them alone.

"I meant it," she added sincerely, reaching for his hand and giving it a squeeze, before reluctantly dropping it. "Thank you."

"Any time."

As he followed his sister back to the house, he glanced back to see Hermione beaming at him. He grinned back at her, a bit more jump in his step. Perhaps he'd have a chance for that imagined kiss at the wedding.

That would certainly be better than any hole in one.

[1ddotdhq]

💙 Thurs 24 Dec ‘20 🎂

Happy BIRTHDAY, Louis!! You are: golden, the end of June, perfect now, a rainbow paradise, the habit that we can’t break, and, most importantly, TWENTY NINE YEARS OLD! Fans, friends, charities and industry folks alike spent their day sending well wishes to Louis. Allontheboard put up a poem with only 1D titles to celebrate, Free My Meal, Bluebell Wood, Sandy Beales, Paul Arthurs (Oasis), and many more called him brilliant (or a legend, etc.) and wished him well. Helene, Eleanor and Krystle put up new pictures of them with him and sent him love. Eleanor was denied the opportunity for the usual “clubbing and pap pics” by COVID but got around it by posting an old vid of her and Louis from one of those outings... in 2017, for HER birthday, at a gay club. Why not just a cute cozy pic of their stuck-at-home celebrations?? Oh riiiight cause that's not a real thing lol. Charlie Lightening wished him a happy birthday and said that the LIVEstream was a killer way to end the year (it was!). And then the FANS!! Well, we spent the day trending various hashtags and tweets and reminding the world that Louis’ a KING and a BOSS and a KILLER musician, and only we got a special thank you from Louis- he came on twitter to say, “Thank you for all the birthday messages. The money you raised for all your individual projects is unbelievable. Love to you all x”. (Did the Brit Awards or Only The Poets have a Louis charity drive? No they did not, that's a thank you for US!) We also got the uncut/unedited version of an interview from early March 2019 courtesy of a fan, as a treat! Seeing him chatting cheerfully away, unaware that such a horrible tragedy is about to strike feels- to me at least- somewhere between uncomfortable and vaguely indecent, but if you can divorce it from that his physicality in the unguarded moments when the interview pauses is, always, a beautiful glimpse behind the curtain, and revisiting the familiar rote answers about how he hoped to have an album by next year, maybe, is exciting and satisfying, knowing that it finally happened and it's HERE and celebrated and complete!

The discourse about the TPWK video is raging (how dare HSHQ release a video about kindness? When they, themselves, are SO UNKIND to US POOR FANS by making random other people who are not their clients say things that we don't like??), and I’d like to take the moment to remind everyone that Jeff Azoff is not in fact feeding cue cards to people who AREN’T his client (i.e. Liam, Lou Teasdale, Brett and co., etc) and that we should all really reconsider claiming that there are shadowy figures pulling everyone's strings like puppets, rather than that this is an industry focused on financial gain and mostly indifferent to collateral damage. And besides all that, I personally would much rather have a video with Harry ballroom dancing than NOT! It seems that someone isn’t completely on board with us having that video yet, though: accounts posting it were gone after heavily on twitter for copyright violations, and if you don't believe us that lots of things happen that aren't directly managed by HSHQ, what do you call HSD getting caught up in the sweep? Clearly THEY thought their connection to HQ meant they were immune, and left the video up when the other UAs saw what was up and deleted it, but nope! Which works out great for us, an excellent birthday present for their least favorite guy, Louis (and for us fans, SUCK IT JERKS!) Jeff does do some things though, and protecting HSD is one of them, so I suppose they'll be back. And speaking of people who do their jobs, we found out today that Shia LaBoef (who was originally cast as Jack in DWD) did not leave due to scheduling conflicts, but rather, Olivia Wilde fired him because of abuse allegations. Good Riddance! Talk about a glow up for that role, Shia--> Harry is a serious upgrade!

Liam and Roman have another socially distanced and randomly cut advent alarm, which claims Liam being afraid of spoons was one of the truths in their little game though he has repeatedly told us that's no longer the case, SUS, and told all of us to get ready ‘cuz * sings * Santa Claus is comin’ tonight! (I’m singing it, but sadly, they didn’t). Liam DID play the part of Santa and gave LP Show DJ Deewan a lovely bottle of champagne to ring in the new year. And he’s not the only one who mentors and spreads love: Alone, an Irish charity serving the elderly thanked Niall (and his Modest!Golf partner Mark) for recent contributions, Casey Lowery shared the story of going clubbing with Zayn’s PA who then put him in contact with Zayn and got him his record deal (awwww I want more mentor!Zayn stories!!), and we got a behind the scenes shot of an old Z photoshoot! The gifts abound! So it looks like we’ve got lots to celebrate: let’s celebrate all of the lights for Louis, H’s sparkly jacket, Liam waiting for Santa Claus, Niall’s phenomenal Christmas Toy drive donation, and Zayn enjoying a Harry Potter filled Christmas. Happy Holidays to all!

[lizzielikeborden]

A Heart?

Request: Hi I was wondering if I can please ask a request for the Harry Potter x reader where the reader is Harry’s secret Santa and he’s hers as well? I just feel that be very cute. You don’t have to write it if you don’t want to I understand.

Authors Note: This is so cute! Please continue to request Christmas and or winter themed stuff. 

This was all your idea. And to be fair you didn’t think you’d get anyone complicated. In fact the only person you didn’t run through your head before you said anything at all was the one you got. Harry Potter was the most complicated friend you had. What made it worse was the tension between the two of you. Ever since you first sleepover with the gang at the Burrow there’s been this unexplainable nervous and undiscussed feelings type of tension. With what intuition you had, you could feel that everyone else in the room could feel it as well. And you spent weeks trying to find him something, but everything you saw that reminded you of Harry seemed too cliche or would end up being something someone else in the room would enjoy more. 

So, the day before Christmas you stood in the last store you hadn’t looked in yet. It was more of a travelers store. As you looked around you you found something that peaked your interest. It was a golden ball with a white piece, almost like a pocket-watch. The only difference the size and the the fact that when you gave it a location it would show the directions to get you there. On the the back was a stag, which made it even more perfect. You purchased it and got it wrapped. 

That same night you spent hours trying to write out a perfect note to put with the gift. The trashcan was full of thrown away notes by at least 9:00PM. Then it finally came to you, with your last piece of half cut parchment you wrote exactly what came to mind, marked it with your signature, and and a small heart. You couldn’t sleep all night waiting for Christmas morning. 

6:00 A.M. 

Christmas started early at the Burrow, everyone awake, and only a few chipper. Molly made coffee and hot chocolate for everyone and you all sat around the table. She passed out her gifts first and watched everyone’s grateful faces. Then it became time for the Secret Santa.

“Okay so the rules are someone who didn’t participate pass out the gifts we all put under the tree this morning.” You stated.

Arthur decided that since Molly handed out the first set of gifts that he would hand out the the others. Once the second round of gifts were passed out everyone, excluding the twins and Ron who ripped them open without care, shook and took a careful look at the gift. You could tell the handwriting was that of a boys because it wasn’t very neat and none of the boys at the table besides Percy had decent handwriting. The wrapping itself was messy, mostly tape, and the box was medium sized. You opened it up to find a Gryffindor quidditch jersey. It was one of Harry’s, number 7. It had a little note at the bottom of the box that read:

“To my favorite fan- With love, Harry.”

You felt as if you were going to faint. You didn’t even notice the wrapping paper fight and the screams guessing who got who. But then you looked up at Harry who looked so happy holding his gift and the note. He tilted his head toward the kitchen and you cocked your head back at him in confusion even though you knew what he meant. He then pointed as he got up from his seat, you followed in suite. 

“With love?” You weren’t facing him but no one was talking and you didn’t want it to get awkward.

“A heart?” He questioned back. You could hear him shuffling his feet.

“That is not an answer to my question.” You turned to face him.

“Well uh, yes, w-with love. Yknow because I.. Well. I really like you Y/N.” He stuttered and turned around. Before he could take a step away you grabbed his arm. 

“I like you a lot too, that’s what the heart means.” 

“Really?”

You shook your head and grabbed his face & pressed a kiss to his cheek. Suddenly a fit of clapping broke out but before you could fully turn your head Harry made it even worse. He put his hands on your face and kissed your lips. The house sounded like the crowd of a quidditch game. You pulled away and faced your crowd and took a bow. Harry laughed and shook his head.

“Well, shall we join Christmas again?” He took your hand and squeezed it.

“We shall.” You nodded and you walked into the living room....

[littlestarofthewest]

Santa’s Little Helper

This was supposed to be a Christmas present for the lovely @verai-marcel​, but tumblr fucked me over and didn’t post it. I’m sorry, dear. Please accept a veeery belated Merry Christmas ❤️️ It was hard to write something for the person who already wrote everything, but I did my best :)

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x female reader | Words: 2674 | Rating: Explicit!!!

Summary: You hate working at the mall as an elf. At least until a new Santa comes around.

You have to dig deep into your closet for your costume. You remember exactly how you tossed it in there last year, fed up from hanging around the mall wearing a stupid get up and a fake smile.

Every year, you tell yourself that you'll do better and won't have to do this anymore, but your year has been shitty, and while you hate being an elf, it's a steady gig with good pay. 

After changing in the staff room at the mall, you head out to assist the others in setting up Santa's workshop. Without customers around, you can hold on to the rest of your dignity for now.

Santa's little helpers are a combination of a few new people and some regulars like you. They happily welcome you back, lifting your spirits a little. While decorating the giant slide, you overhear them talking about the new Santa. The old one went into retirement last year, making him the second one you saw come and go. It makes you curious how the new guy is going to be. 

He shows up about half an hour later in full costume. The black belt digs deep into his full belly, a fake white beard hanging over it. The big boots make a heavy sound as he walks, the bobble on his cap swaying back and forth. 

He exchanges a few words with the mall's manager before he walks over with purpose in his stride. It makes you confident that he's not a drunk or otherwise abuses substances that will hinder his performance. There's nothing worse than having to constantly supervise Santa, so he doesn't scare off the children.

He greets the other elves and helps with a few last-minute preparations. You're battling an oversized candy cane that's about to topple over and bury you when a huge hand grabs its top, holding it in place. New Santa is standing next to you, so close that you catch a glimpse at his piercing blue eyes. 

"Careful," he says, his voice a deep rumble.

"Thank you," you say, tying down the rope that holds the candy cane in place. "I feared that one of these monstrosities might finally get me."

"You've done this before, huh?"

His voice sends a shiver down your spine, but you do your best to act calm. "A couple of times. You?"

"Me, too. Just not at this scale," New Santa says, looking around. "Usually, I go from door to door in small towns."

"Why the change then?"

"I just moved here, closer to my brother. My sister in law has a baby on the way, and I'm planning on helping out. Chances are she'll kill my brother otherwise."

"Sounds like a lot of responsibility."

"I'm Santa," he says with a laugh, clapping his huge belly. "I think I can manage."

"Let's see how you handle the mall crowd first," you say in a teasing tone.

He sizes you up for a moment, amusement sparkling in his eyes. "You're going to help me?"

"It's my job," you laugh, "like, literally."

New Santa smiles, holding out his hand. "I'm Arthur, by the way."

You tell him your name while shaking his hand, warmth spreading up your arm and to your chest. There's something so very different about this Santa compared to the others. It's going to be interesting to work with him.

-----

Since you've started working with Arthur, a miracle has happened. For the first time, you're actually enjoying the job. Arthur's great with the kids and endlessly patient even with the most pretentious parents. He doesn't take their shit, but he always finds a way to defuse the situation. 

The breaks with Arthur are nice as well. He's quiet, but when you find the right topic, he's easy to talk to. Over time, you go from joking over teasing to right out hazing each other. If you're honest, it sometimes even feels a little bit like flirting. Still, you try not to read too much into it. The days of working with him are numbered, after all.

After one horrible shift where a kid is dead set on ripping off Arthur's beard, and another one vomits all over his shoes, you tell him to clear out. You and the other elves clean up, and when you finally enter the locker room, it's quiet. At first, you think you're on your own, but then you turn the corner, finding another co-worker half-hidden in his locker.

"What a night, huh?" you say, making him aware that you're here.

"You can say that again," he says, the voice sending the usual shiver down your spine. Arthur appears from inside the locker, smiling at you. "Thanks for cleaning up. I'll help out tomorrow."

You wish you could say anything, but you're too distracted by Arthur's appearance. It only occurs to you now that you've never seen him without the costume before. Without the fake beard, there's still a nice stubble shadowing his chin and cheeks. The huge Santa belly makes way for a nice little tummy that you wouldn't mind kissing, especially to get to whatever's hidden under the tight jeans Arthur's wearing.

"You alright?" Arthur asks, honest concern on his face, so you decide to tell the truth.

"I just realized I've never seen you without the costume. You're not really old and fat."

Arthur laughs, clapping his stomach. "I'm getting there, especially with the holidays coming up."

"Is your partner a good cook?" you ask, hating yourself a second later, but Arthur shrugs before pulling a shirt over his head.

"Nah, I'm single," he says, sitting down to put on his shoes. "Just got a bunch of friends who drown me in holiday treats."

"Not the worst way to go," you say, and Arthur laughs.

"You're right. I really can't complain." He picks up his bag but leans against his locker, obviously in no rush. "How about you? Any plans for the holidays?"

"The usual," you say with a shrug. "Eating, drinking, and staying in bed as much as possible."

"That sounds great," Arthur says, and the way he looks at you makes you feel like you're in a heap of trouble.

-------

"I can't get you all in the frame like this. Move closer together, people," the photographer says.

It's your last day on the job, and the manager insists on an annual picture of the Christmas Crew. You shuffle closer to your co-workers, but the photographer still isn't satisfied. He alternates between checking his camera and barking instructions.

"You there, stand behind the slide. You three on the side, get on the ground in front. And you, you can sit on Santa's lap."

With horror, you realize that the last order is directed at you. When you don't move, the photographer clicks his tongue with annoyance. "Go on, dear. I'm sure he doesn't mind. It's in his job description."

You throw a questioning look at Arthur, and when he gives you a little wave, the photographer claps his hands. "See? Now, the two of you, up here."

He keeps giving orders while you settle down on Arthur's lap, trying your hardest not to put any weight on him. That works for about a minute, but the photographer keeps giving orders, and you fear your legs might cramp up.

"I'm not going to break, you know?" Arthur whispers behind you, and you move around a bit to get in a better position.

It's not so much about not hurting Arthur but more about not embarrassing yourself. You had a crush on Arthur from the start, but ever since you've seen him out of costume, it's been way worse. You've been thinking about him a lot, and he even showed up in your dreams. Being close to Arthur is dangerous. It wouldn't be the first time you did something foolish because of a guy.

The photographer keeps rearranging people, giving you ample time to notice how good Arthur smells and how hot his body feels against your own. It makes you tingly all over to think about certain things you could do together. Without meaning to, you move around even more until you hear Arthur's breath hitch behind you.

You're about to ask if he's alright, but then you feel something pressing up against your ass, and a wave of heat rushes through your body. Arthur tries to shift his weight under you, but then the photographer finally seems satisfied.

"Alright, nobody move!" he instructs before diving behind his camera. "Big smiles!"

You do your best to force a smile on your face while you still feel Arthur pressing hard against you. The photographer lets all of you make faces or wave, every second of it seeming like hours. You wish you could say that it didn't affect you, but the thought of Arthur's dick merely a few layers of clothing away from your pussy gets you all worked up.

Thoughts of you together rush through your head, and you can't help but move a little, making Arthur groan behind you. You wish you could just turn around and make things interesting, but instead, you jump up the second the photographer releases you.

You still feel hot all over by the time you arrive at your locker, and you busy yourself with your phone, not wanting to change now with other people still around. 

This morning, you even thought about asking Arthur for his number, so you wouldn't lose track of him, but that's out of the question now. You just hope he's not one to harbor a grudge in case you both end up working here next year.

"Hey," a deep voice says next to you, and you jump in surprise.

Arthur's standing at the far end of the row of lockers, fidgeting with his hands. "We're the last ones here, but I can leave as well if that makes you uncomfortable."

You didn't notice that everybody left already, but you don't mind at all. This gives you a chance to apologize. "No, it's alright."

"I just wanted to apologize for what happened out there," Arthur says. "It's just that you're so goddamn sexy, especially in that stupid costume, and you were sitting right there-"

You can't believe what you're hearing, but Arthur stops himself, taking a deep breath before speaking again. "I'm not trying to make excuses. I'm just very sorry for what happened, and I hope we can just forget about it."

"Don't worry about it, Arthur. I'm not uncomfortable, and you did nothing wrong," you say, trying to reassure him. "I would be happy to ride on your lap any time."

"Oh, okay. Good," Arthur says, a nervous smile dancing around his lips. "Have a good evening then."

He disappears behind the lockers, and you lean back against your own, swallowing a sigh. You can't believe you said something so stupid. Arthur's a sweetheart, and you totally blew it.

You open your locker to get out your clothes when Arthur rounds the corner. "You said 'ride,'" he says, "not 'sit' on my lap but 'ride.' Did you mean like-?"

He doesn't finish the sentence, but you can't help yourself. "Like sex, yes."

You both stare at each other, and you're about to apologize, but then Arthur moves. A second later, your hands are in his hair, and he cups your face in his hands as you kiss. You end up pressed against your locker, you and Arthur both ready to devour each other. Still, he manages to move a few inches away, both of you breathing heavily. 

"Is that okay?" Arthur asks in between breaths. "Do you want to-?"

"God yes," you say, cutting him off to pull him in for another kiss.

Your permission seems to hit a switch inside of Arthur. He picks you up, and you end up on the next durable surface, Arthur's hands roaming all over you. You reach down to lift his shirt over his head, and while he opens the buttons on your blouse, you run your hands over his chest and stomach.

As soon as you're out of your blouse, Arthur kisses along your neck, down to your breasts. Your fingers dig into the skin on his shoulders as he teases your nipples with his tongue, both of you not wasting any time. When Arthur runs his fingers up your thigh, you pull up your skirt and spread your legs. 

Arthur simply pushes your underwear aside to tease your pussy, and you're getting so wet that you can think about nothing else but getting off as hard and fast as possible. You open up Arthur's pants, his low curse when you pull out his dick, giving you way more satisfaction than it should.

Grabbing your legs, Arthur pulls you closer, and you can't help a little cry when he pushes into you. It's been a while since you've been with someone, and with the way this is going, you won't last long. 

You put your arms around Arthur's neck, and he lifts you up a little. It's not exactly riding him, but you roll your hips to welcome each of his thrusts, both of you moaning and panting.

It feels so good; you wish you could drag it out, but the way Arthur's holding you in place to have his way with you already got you going, and then Arthur does the worst thing he can do.

He's holding on to your hair, his lips right by your ear, whispering between eager breaths. "Dammit, you feel so good. I dreamed about this."

Arthur talking right into your ear feels like someone poured honey all over you, a nice glaze soon covering every inch of your body. You pull him closer, doing your best to get as much friction as possible.

"Jesus, sweetheart, you're killing me here," Arthur groans, sending you right over the edge.

Your muscles clench around him as you come, your face burrowed in the crook of his neck. He doesn't move until you relax and your breathing evens out a little. Still, you feel how Arthur is, so you roll your hips, drawing more curses from him.

"Come on, Santa," you whisper in his ear, "let your little elf please you."

Arthur groans, his fingers digging into your hips as he buries himself inside you with short, hard thrusts. With eager moans, he picks up the pace, and although he seems like he might explode any second, he manages to kiss you in such a tender way that you feel like melting.

Finally, Arthur pushes deep into you, and this time he stays there until he comes, the tension slowly fading from his body. While he's focused on breathing, you scratch his back and stroke a few loose strands of hair out of his face.

Arthur looks up to you with a thankful expression, and you smile. "This morning, I thought about asking for your number."

"I guess we rushed way past that," Arthur says with a laugh, but then he reaches into the pocket of his jeans and hands you a small piece of paper. I usually start with coffee - not this."

You kiss him one more time before you part to get dressed. "I wouldn't mind coffee."

Arthur runs a hand through his hair. "I've got some great coffee at home."

"Do tell," you say, acting nonplussed as you get your things out of your locker.

"Remember what you said about not getting out of bed, just relaxing?" Arthur asks. "I have a nice bottle of wine I could never finish by myself."

The mere thought of spending more time with Arthur makes you all tingly, and you turn around to look at him. "Did you borrow that suit, or do you take it home with you?"

Arthur grins. "Really? Santa?"

"Probably not every Santa," you say, running your hands over his chest before kissing him again, "but I like this one."

-------

For the next two days, you and Arthur only leave his bed when you absolutely have to.

[ridiculously-over-obsessed]

Mistletoe and Pining

@hrmdream Ho Ho Ho, it is I your Secret Santa! The Barden elves and I have been hard at work in the workshop to bring you your Christmas gift and we’re very excited for you to read it! Have the best holiday period, and I hope you enjoy your present!

Mistletoe and Pining

Rating: G

Words: 6.6k

Pairings: Bechloe

Summary: When Chloe panics and tells her mother that she's dating Beca so that she doesn't set her up on yet another disastrous Christmas date, both women have to try and navigate the holiday whilst harbouring their own feelings.

Read on AO3!

Chloe paced the floor of the studio apartment, running her hand through her hair, biting her lip. Why had she done this? This was perhaps the single most stupid thing she had ever done. There was no way Beca would agree to this. Oh god. What the hell was she going to do?

“Yo, dude, I got the groceries we needed on the way home!” Beca called as she let herself into the apartment, “Although they were out of that yoghurt you like-” She stopped as she saw the look on Chloe’s face, brow furrowing in concern, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” Chloe forced a smile, trying to adopt her normally breezy demeanor as she looked at Beca.

“Nice try Beale.” Beca raised an eyebrow, “How long have we know each other now? I know when there’s something wrong.” Beca went and set the bags of groceries on the table before turning back to Chloe, “C’mon. What is it?”

“I- I told mom we were dating so she wouldn’t invite someone over for Christmas dinner to set me up and now she’s insisting I bring you for Christmas…” Chloe knew there was no point dancing around the issue. Better to rip the band aid off now.

Beca’s jaw dropped, but she quickly recovered, shaking her head a little as she tried to keep the idea of dating Chloe out of it. Now wasn’t the time for that, “You… told her we were dating?” The brunette asked slowly, an amused smirk on her face.

“It’s not funny!” Chloe exclaimed as she saw the look on her friend’s face, “I panicked okay? She always picks the most boring people to set me up with, and I just didn’t want another Christmas of awkward flirting and trying to let them down easily…”

Beca could see that Chloe was starting to spiral a little, and she reached out and put her hands on her shoulders, “Hey, it’s okay. I get it. Of course you’d pretend to be dating me, I’m delightful!” She grinned as Chloe giggled a little, shaking her head.

“You don’t have to come, I know you were gonna go and see your dad, and Atlanta is way warmer than Portland at this time of year.” Chloe smiled reassuringly, “I can make an excuse for you.”

“Are you kidding? A chance to see where Chloe Beale grew up? I’m there!” Beca was still grinning, her mind racing with possibilities, but the one that stuck out most was that this was probably her only chance to date Chloe. Even if it was all pretend.

“Beca, you don’t have to change your Christmas plans just for me.” Chloe shook her head. It’s not that she didn’t want Beca to come for Christmas, it’s just that something felt… wrong about lying that Beca was her girlfriend, especially when she wanted it to be the truth.

“I know. But otherwise it’s dad and the step-monster trying to turn us into some perfect sitcom family, and that feels more painful than this.” Beca let her hands drop from Chloe’s shoulders as she started to unpack the groceries she’d brought home.

“Are you sure?” Chloe asked, heart beating a little faster as she thought about the prospect of having Beca there on Christmas morning.

“Certain.” Beca flashed her a grin, “So when do we leave for Portland?”

“Day after tomorrow.” Chloe smiled. Maybe Christmas wouldn’t be so bad after all.

-----

AUBREY: YOU’RE DOING WHAT????

CHLOE: It’s fine Bree, it’ll be fun!

AUBREY: Fun??? Fun??? You’re taking Beca, a woman I once saw eat spaghetti with her hands, to meet your family, who use more knives and forks than even my parents do, and you’re lying to them that the two of you are dating WHILE hiding the fact that you have a raging toner for Beca. You’re right that does sound fun!

CHLOE: It’ll be fine.

AUBREY: Who are you convincing here Chloe, me or you?

AUBREY: Honestly you’d have been better off saying you were dating me, at least I know how to mingle with that crowd!

CHLOE: Oh, so you’d have left your pregnant girlfriend to come spend Christmas pretending to date me?

AUBREY: I typed yes but Stacie smacked my arm…

AUBREY: Just be careful Chloe… I don’t want you getting hurt

CHLOE: I know. It’s gonna be fine, Beca knows it’s not real, it’s just to get my parents off my back

AUBREY: Is it?

CHLOE: Yes.

So now Chloe was lying to her parents and to Aubrey. Brilliant. Chloe set her phone down as she carried on with her packing. Beca was finishing up her shift at the record label, and Amy had already left to spend Christmas with her mom in Australia. She sighed as her phone pinged again, picking it up to see another message from Aubrey.

AUBREY: Does Beca know who your parents are?

Chloe didn’t reply to that. Aubrey knew the answer. None of the Bellas knew that Chloe’s parents owned the biggest digital processing unit company in Oregon, a family business that, once her brother took over, had four generations of Beale men running it. Her family were basically royalty in Portland, but Chloe had never told anyone, except Aubrey of course, but that was only because she’d come to stay with them over the summer their freshman year at Barden.

Chloe had always been determined to be her own woman, and her family had respected that for the most part. Given that she was the youngest of her three siblings, her father had paid relatively little attention to her compared to the others and had opted instead to just throw money at her. It wasn’t that he didn’t love her, Chloe never doubted that for a moment, it was just that he focused on her older brothers more, the heir apparent and the doctor. She didn’t mind, not really, but as she got older, she found herself never wanting to have to rely on her parents for anything, including money. Although they had insisted on paying her tuition fees for every year she was at Barden, and Chloe was never going to argue against not having a student loan.

She was worried that once Beca found out about her trust fund and the money that her family had, she’d be mad at Chloe for not getting them a nicer place to live in New York, or for not getting her a nicer birthday present. Three people in a studio apartment was difficult at the best of times and knowing that Chloe could have changed that might make Beca mad, especially as it would have meant that she had got her own bed. The redhead sighed again as she sunk onto the end of the bed, head in her hands. Why had she made this all so complicated?

-----

It was Christmas Eve and Chloe was pacing again, this time outside the airport in Portland. Beca watched her with a mildly bemused look on her face, but inside her heart was pounding. She hated Chloe being stressed out, the redhead usually the more optimistic of the two of them but watching her like this you’d think the world was ending.

“Dude, it’s gonna be okay. It’s just three days, and then we’ll be back in New York.” Beca tried to reassure Chloe.

“Yeah…” Chloe mumbled, pausing her pacing as she looked at Beca. Their eyes met, and Chloe felt that connection that she had felt ever since their eyes had first met at the activities fair all those years ago. The connection that convinced her, on occasion, that Beca might feel the same way about her, but she was too much of a coward to do anything about it.

Chloe opened her mouth, intending to tell Beca about her parents whilst they waited, but at that moment a town car pulled up, the brunette’s jaw dropping not for the first time that Christmas period.

“Um…” Beca started, “Is that… is that for us?” She frowned slightly.

Chloe could feel her cheeks blush as an older man got out of the driver’s seat, dressed in a suit, a warm smile on his face.

“Miss Beale, I’m so glad you came for Christmas. May I help you with your bags?” He had a light English accent, every bit the stereotype.

Beca stood with her mouth agape as Chloe returned the warm smile, picking up her bag herself.

“Me too Arthur. I’ve got them, thank you though. Arthur this is Beca Mitchell, Beca this is Arthur Wallace he works for my family.” Chloe introduced them to each other with a grin. As bad as she felt about not telling Beca about her family before now, she was enjoying the lock of shock on her face.

“It’s nice to meet you Miss Mitchell.” Arthur nodded politely in Beca’s direction as the brunette just stood there, gob smacked, “Miss Beale perhaps I am overstepping a little here, but surely you should tell your friends about your family’s business before you bring them here?”

Chloe giggled a little as she loaded her bag and then Beca’s into the trunk of the car. She turned to Beca who was still trying to figure out what was going on.

“Dude…” Beca started, finally finding her words again as she looked to Chloe, “Are you loaded?!”

“My dad is Portland’s leading data processing unit producer. It’s a family business, he does really well from it.” Chloe shrugged, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck.

“Woah...” Beca managed to squeak as Arthur opened the rear door for Chloe and Beca to get in.

Chloe thanked him, Beca nodding as she clambered in next to the redhead, still trying to figure out just what was going on. She was thankful that the dividing window between them and Arthur was up when they got in the back of the town, swallowing hard as she turned to Chloe.

“Exactly how posh are your folks?” She asked nervously.

Chloe smiled softly, taking Beca’s hand in hers to give it a reassuring squeeze. It was a familiar action that seemed far more intimate than ‘just friends’ but that fact seemed to pass both of them by.

“They’re gonna love you Beca. And they’re not that posh, it’s going to be fine.” Chloe could see the gears in Beca’s brain working overtime as she tried to take in all this information, “I’m sorry, I should’ve told you about my family before we came.”

“Why didn’t you?” Beca asked, a soft frown on her face. She thought Chloe trusted her with everything.

“I didn’t want you to be mad…” Chloe’s voice was barely more than a whisper, “I didn’t want you to think I was hiding money from you or something, because I’m not. My family has money, but I don’t use it unless I have to. Sure there’s my trust fund, but I don’t touch that, I’m saving it for the future.”

Chloe was starting to ramble the way she always did when she was nervous and it caused a smile to form on Beca’s lips in spite of everything, “Chloe.” She interrupted, “It’s okay. I’m not mad, why would I be? It’s your money and your family, whatever you need to do with it, it’s your business.”

Chloe just smiled gratefully, not taking her hand from Beca’s as the car headed for her parent’s house. Deep down, she supposed she knew that Beca would understand, complicated family wasn’t exactly a new concept to the short brunette.

“So how are we doing this?” Beca asked, “Do you just want me to follow your lead with it?”

“Yeah. It shouldn’t involve anything too intimate so don’t worry about that.” Chloe was conscious of Beca’s issues with people in her personal space, so she was trying to accommodate for that, “And my parents are insisting we sleep in different rooms, despite the fact that I’m nearly thirty. But it’ll be fine, it’s been a while since I had a bed that I didn’t share with a starfish!”

Chloe giggled at the look of mock outrage on Beca’s face as the brunette raised an eyebrow, “Well at least I won’t have to wrestle someone for the blankets anymore!”

Chloe just rolled her eyes, already feeling more at ease than she had when the plane had landed. It wasn’t long before they pulled onto her family’s estate, Beca’s eyes widening as she looked out of the window.

“You guys have a whole forest?! That’s so cool!” Beca’s eyes were wide with excitement as she watched the winding road take them up to the Beale’s house.

“It’s not a forest…” Chloe laughed, “It’s just a few trees. In a group. Okay so maybe it is a forest…” She conceded with a thoughtful frown.

“Whoa…” Beca exclaimed as they pulled up in front of the house.

House might be the understatement of the century. It was easily twice the size of any house Beca had ever lived in, more akin to a mansion or a small castle to the short brunette. Waiting on the front steps of the house were two people, red hair like flames against the white walls, older than Chloe or Beca, but as the car pulled to a stop in front of them, Beca could see the family resemblance and knew they had to be Chloe’s parents. She put her hand on the handle of the car door to open it but was stopped as Chloe placed her hand quickly on top of hers.

“It’s dumb, but you have to wait for Arthur to open it.” She smiled softly, “First impressions and all that.”

“Oh.” Beca pulled her hand away from the handle, turning to look at Chloe again, “Sorry. They’re gonna hate me aren’t they?”

“No…” Chloe took her hand in hers and gave it a tight squeeze, “No they’re not. They’re gonna love you.” She smiled warmly, ‘Just like I do.’ Chloe added silently in her head.

Beca bit her lip as she looked down at herself, at the flannel shirt and pants that she had travelled in, and suddenly feeling like she was incredibly under dressed. She wished she could believe her, but her heart was pounding a mile a minute.

“It’s going to be fine Beca.” Chloe reassured her as she saw Arthur’s shadow fall upon the door, “Just take my lead.”

Chloe stepped out of the car first, Beca’s hand in hers as she let Arthur shut the door behind them, warm smile on her face as she led the brunette to meet her parents. Beca was trying hard not to think about the fact that she felt so out of place here, or that her hand in Chloe’s felt like the most normal thing in the world, but honestly what else was there to focus on? None of this was a situation that Beca was used to.

“Hey mom.” Chloe grinned as the older women quickly and easily wrapped her in her arms, Chloe’s hand dropping from Beca’s as she hugged her back, “Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas sweetie, I’m glad you came!” Chloe’s mum hugged her tightly, her daughter the spitting image of her mother and definitely every bit the hugger she was, “We’re so happy you could make it, we really missed you.”

Chloe pulled back from the hug with a wide grin, turning to her dad and giving his hand a firm shake, “Hi dad.”

“Hi Chloe. Merry Christmas.” His smile was wide and warm, and his eyes had the same twinkle that Chloe’s always had, “Are you going to introduce us to your guest?”

“Of course!” Chloe grinned, taking Beca’s hand again, the brunette shuffling her feet awkwardly, “Mom, dad, this is Beca Mitchell, my girlfriend.” The word girlfriend rolled off her tongue with surprising ease, her heart leaping a little even though it was a bald-faced lie.

“Hi.” Beca forced a smile, anxiety making her chest pound as Chloe’s mom pulled her into a hug, “It’s really nice to meet you both.”

“It’s really nice to meet you too! Chloe’s told us so much about you, it wasn’t that much of a surprise when Chloe told us that you two were dating.” Chloe’s mom grinned broadly as her daughter blushed furiously, Beca’s grin genuine when she pulled back and looked at Chloe.

“Really?” Beca asked, mischief written in every line of her face as she looked at Chloe. She turned to Chloe’s dad, shaking his hand as it was offered to her, “It’s nice to meet you sir.”

Beca hadn’t meant to call him ‘sir’ but her brain was in overdrive as she tried desperately to adjust to the unusual situation she found herself in. It seemed to be the right call though as a smile of approval crossed his lips, returning the firm handshake. Beca mentally thanked god for her experience with meeting new clients at the label as the experience seemed to be paying off.

“It’s nice to meet you too Beca. Our daughter speaks very highly of you. Arthur, bring their bags up to their rooms please.” Chloe’s father’s tone was warm but still commanding as the older man nodded.

“Of course, sir.” Arthur smiled as he went to get the bags from the trunk.

“Dad, Beca and I can manage our bags.” Chloe frowned a little at her father as she moved to go and help.

“Chloe, whilst you are here you get the same luxuries as everyone else. And I’m sure your friend would like to experience them as well.” The look from Chloe’s father was a little condescending and Beca bristled slightly but said nothing, not wanting to cause a scene.

Chloe opened her mouth to argue but seeing the look on her father’s face she new it was futile. Instead, she followed him and her mother inside, her hand slipping into Beca’s once more. It took all of Beca’s self-control not to let her mouth hang open again as the short brunette stepped inside, the interior of the house looking like something out of a fairytale. The large staircase in the hallway (if you could call the cavernous room they were in a hallway) had green and gold tinsel twisted around the banisters, and a huge tree stood pride of place next to it. It was the biggest Christmas tree Beca had ever seen, dwarfing her as she gazed up at the gold and silver decorations in wonder, feeling a little like a child again.

“Chloe! You made it!” A cheerful voice echoed through the hallways as a young man, perhaps two or three years older than Chloe came into view.

Beca was still in a trance looking at the Christmas decorations as Chloe let go of her hand, allowing herself to be swept into her brother’s arms, laughing as he spun, hugging him tightly.

“Hey Ben! Of course I did, wasn’t going to pass up a chance to see my favourite niece was I?” Chloe grinned as he put her down, their matching blue eyes both sparkling with excitement.

“She’s so excited to see you, Jenny took her to do a little bit of last-minute Christmas shopping, they should be back soon.” Ben beamed as he looked over his sister’s shoulder at Beca who was still looking at the decorations in wonder, “Do I get to meet your girlfriend then or…”

“Oh, of course!” Chloe beamed, a soft laugh on her lips as she tapped Beca’s shoulder to pull her out of the trance she seemed to have fallen into, “Becs?”

“Hm? What?” Beca shook her head a little as she came back into the moment, a light blush on her cheeks, “Sorry.” She mumbled with a sheepish grin.

“This is my brother Ben; I think you guys met actually a few years ago? After the ICCA finals in your first year?” Chloe grinned.

“Oh yeah, I didn’t recognise you without all the eye makeup and the earrings!” Ben teased, sporting the same infectious grin his sister always did.

“Yeah, the earrings make security at the airport a nightmare.” Beca shrugged, grinning in spite of herself, “It’s nice to see you again.” Beca couldn’t remember him for the life of her, but in all fairness most of that night was a blur thanks to the adrenaline of winning and the less than legal drinking after their performance.

“There she is my baby sis!” Another male voice made both Beca and Chloe turn their heads as the oldest of the Beale children joined them, grinning broadly as he gave Chloe a tight hug.

“Rob, I missed you!” Chloe grinned, hugging him back just as tight. Once they broke apart, Chloe turned to Beca again, “Beca this Rob my oldest brother, Rob this is Beca.”

“Hi.” Beca grinned as she shook his hand, “It’s great to meet you.”

“Where’s Laura?” Chloe asked, looking around for her sister-in-law.

“Right here!” A woman, about five years older than Beca and Chloe walked into the room, a wide grin on her face, blonde hair tied back into a loose ponytail. Chloe gasped in delight as her eyes fell upon the unmistakable bump of a pregnancy.

“Oh my god, you’re pregnant?” Chloe grinned, going to hug Laura as she laughed.

“Yep! We figured it would be a nice Christmas present for you all if we just didn’t say anything.” Laura giggled, hugging Chloe back.

“This is so exciting! I’m gonna be an aunty again!” Chloe was beaming from ear to ear as Beca watched fondly.

Watching the redhead surrounded by her family, all of them so happy to see each other gave Beca a warm comfort that she hadn’t really experienced before. Being an only child of divorced parents meant that she had never really experienced a Christmas like this. She might be there under false pretenses, but Beca was glad that she had decided to come.

“Laura this is Beca.” Chloe introducing her pulled Beca from her thoughts, “Beca this is Rob’s wife Laura.”

“Hi.” Beca grinned, “Congratulations on your pregnancy!”

“Thanks!” Laura beamed as Rob wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist, “We’ve been waiting a long for this.”

“AUNTY CHLOE!” A loud voice rang through the hall as a small bundle of winter wear barreled its way over to Chloe, the young redhead beaming as she bent down to scoop her in her arms.

“Monkey!” Chloe grinned, spinning her niece in her arms as the young girl giggled gleefully, “Ooo I’ve missed you! You’ve gotten so tall!”

“Mummy says if I keep growing like this, someday I’ll be as tall as Uncle Rob!” The little girl grinned.

“Woah, that’s so tall!” Chloe gasped in amazement as the young girl’s mother joined them, dark hair a little windswept as she set a few shopping bags down, “Hey Jenny, merry Christmas!” Chloe beamed at her other sister-in-law; arms currently wrapped around the young girl.

“Hi Chloe, merry Christmas.” Jenny’s smile was easy as she moved her hair back from her face, “Did you guys have an okay flight?”

“Yeah, it was fine.” Chloe set her niece down and turned to Beca, “You guys haven’t met Beca before right?”

“Hi.” Beca gave an awkward wave as she smiled.

“Hi! I’m Ellie!” The young girl beamed, sticking out her hand as Beca squatted down so they were the same height, shaking her hand.

“Hi Ellie, it’s really nice to meet you.” Beca smiled warmly, the young girl reminding her of her aunt a little.

“You’re aunty Chloe’s girlfriend?” Ellie asked, eyes wide, “But you’re nearly as small as I am!”

Chloe laughed as Beca blushed furiously, Jenny shaking her head, a little mortified with her daughter.

“Ellie, grown ups don’t have to be really tall!” Jenny gently chided her daughter, “I’m sorry, it really is nice to meet you.” She smiled apologetically as she turned to Beca who had stood up, still sporting a smile.

“It’s fine.” Beca shook her head, “If I wasn’t used to short jokes by now there’d be something wrong with me.”

“What’s that saying? All the best things come in small packages?” Chloe grinned, arm easily and naturally slipping around Beca’s waist as she chuckled, the brunette feeling her heart pound, ready to leap out of her chest at how natural this felt for two people that weren’t actually dating.

“Alright, how about you two go and unpack and freshen up, we’re having lunch in an hour.” Chloe’s mother beamed at her children, happy to have a house full of them again.

“Okay.” Chloe grinned, “Which room’s Beca’s?” There was a hint of annoyance in her voice at the idea that (even though they weren’t actually dating – Chloe had to keep reminding herself of that -) her mother didn’t trust her with a partner in her room.

“The one opposite yours.” Chloe’s mother smiled warmly, “I know you’re both grownups, but still you know the rules of this house Chloe. No guys OR girls in your room overnight unless you’re married to them.”

“I know, I know.” Chloe mumbled, taking Beca’s hand and leading her up the stairs.

In the back of her mind she was cursing herself for wrapping an arm around Beca’s waist like she had, it had simply been a spontaneous moment, the redhead caught up in the charade and how easily Beca fit into their family dynamic. Once they were upstairs and had reached the room that Beca would be staying in, Chloe quietly shut the door, turning to Beca with a guilty look on her face.

“I’m sorry. About the arm around your waist thing, I got in the moment and-” Chloe started, the beginnings of a nervous ramble starting to talk form before Beca cut her off.

“It’s fine Chloe.” Beca grinned, giving her a reassuring smile, “You told me to follow your lead, so I am doing.”

“I know… I just don’t want you to feel uncomfortable, I know how you feel about people in your personal space.” Chloe gave her a small smile.

“It’s really fine.” Beca reassured, “Besides, when it’s you I don’t really mind…” The words were out of Beca’s mouth before she could stop them and she blushed deeply, red with embarrassment as looked at her feet, at the bed that her bags had carefully been placed on, at anything but Chloe.

“Oh.” Was all the redhead could think to say, “W-well that’s good! Um, the bathroom is the second door on the left as you head back down the hall, if you want to shower or something, and I’m just across the hall. I’m gonna go unpack.” Chloe hurriedly left the room, heart pounding as Beca’s words bounced around her head. She couldn’t have meant them in the way that Chloe had heard them right? That wasn’t what she meant.

‘Cool it Beale. This is all pretend remember?’ She thought as she stepped into her room with a sigh. Maybe asking Beca to do this had been a mistake. Maybe Aubrey was right, this was going to be too painful. But it was too late now.

Beca sank onto the edge of the bed, head in her hands. Why the hell had she said that? How much of a dumbass was she? She had been so swept up in the warmth of Chloe’s family, of the residual feeling that had been caused by the arm around her waist that had placed there without a second thought, that she hadn’t thought before she’d opened her mouth.

“Dammit Mitchell.” She whispered, shaking her head, “Just be cool for once in your life. This is just a temporary thing, a favour you’re doing for a friend.”

‘A friend you’re in love with!’ Her brain unhelpfully responded as Beca groaned softly. Why the hell had she agreed to this? Chloe was her friend, that’s all she was, and here Beca was letting her ridiculous unrequited feelings get the better of her.

-----

Christmas Eve with Chloe’s family was far easier than Beca had thought it would be after what she said in the guest room. The way Beca slotted in the Beale’s family dynamic was effortless, almost as if she were meant to be there all along. It was a weird feeling for Beca, to be waited on rather than helping with the food and serving it, and there had been a couple of awkward exchanges that Chloe had quickly helped her figure her way around, but that aside it had gone off without a hitch.

They had bid the family good night and walked to their rooms, hand in hand as if it were the most normal thing in the world (although that didn’t stop a tingle in Beca’s hand every time she felt Chloe’s hand pressed against it), stopping only as they reached their doors.

“I’m really glad I came Chloe.” Beca said as she turned to her with a smile, “I know that I’m a little awkward with all the posh stuff, but I’m having a great time.” They were stood usually close, even for them, but neither of them seemed to notice.

“I’m glad you’re here too.” Chloe grinned, “Like really glad. Even if it were just to pretend I was dating someone, I’m glad the person I picked was you.” Chloe had imbibed three glasses of mulled wine, and Beca was starting to have flashbacks to the hood night party of her freshman year as the redhead pulled her close, “I’d always pick you Beca.”

“Thanks Chlo…” Beca whispered, a little tipsy herself but having drunk less to make sure that she made a good impression on Chloe’s parents (which seemed ridiculous considering they weren’t actually dating, but nonetheless she preserved with making a good impression).

“G’night Beca. I think Santa’s gonna leave you some really cool presents tonight.” Chloe winked, her face mere inches from Beca as the brunette giggled softly. In a daring move that caught Beca completely off guard, Chloe closed the gap between them, pressing her lips to the brunette’s.

Beca forgot how to breath, how to move, how to do anything but stand there as Chloe kissed her. She knew that Chloe was a little drunk, that this probably didn’t mean anything other than to steer her clear of the mulled wine tomorrow, but god this was Chloe Beale kissing her and it was all she had ever wanted since she’d started college.

Chloe pulled away, smiling warmly as she waved her fingers at Beca and disappeared into her room, sighing happily as she flopped down onto her bed. That was the best Christmas Eve ever. Having Beca here only made everything better, Aubrey had been wrong. Stupid Aubrey, how could anything that had happened hurt her friendship with Beca?

It was 5am when Chloe’s eyes snapped open, her chest clenching as she sat bolt upright with the answer to the question that had been on her mind as she fell asleep rang around her head. She kissed Beca. She kissed Beca. She kissed Beca. Oh god. Scrambling out from the sheets and blankets that she’d tangled herself in, she immediately went to Beca’s room. Sure it was 5am and the brunette would almost definitely be asleep, but everyone else would be up at 7am and this conversation couldn’t wait.

Opening the door to the guest room, a small smile crossed Chloe’s lips as she saw the brunette splayed out across her bed, starfishing, her mouth hanging open a little. Tiptoeing, Chloe walked over to the bed and sat on the edge of it, gently shaking Beca’s shoulder.

“Beca? Beca I need to talk to you.” Chloe whispered, her tone soft but urgent.

“Huh, wha… what time is it?” Beca grumbled as she stirred, frowning a little as she rubbed at her eyes.

“Five am. I’m sorry.” Chloe winced a little as Beca groaned, flopping backwards into her pillows dramatically, “It’s just we need to talk about what happened last night.”

Beca’s eyes snapped open, heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t want to have this conversation, didn’t want to hear Chloe call it a mistake. But here they were, and this was a conversation they had to have.

“I uh, I shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry. It was the mulled wine, I guess I just got caught in the moment.” Chloe blushed as she rambled a bit. She wanted more than anything to tell Beca that, yes she hadn’t meant to kiss her, but god was it the best thing she’d ever done.

“It’s fine.” Beca forced a smile onto her face as she sat up, “Really. You’ve always been a little handsy when you’re drunk.”

Chloe couldn’t help but giggle a little as Beca teased her even as she felt her heart break inside as Beca blew it off so off handedly. Part of her wanted Beca to tell her it wasn’t nothing, that it was something she had wanted all along, but here was the definitive answer: Beca didn’t feel the same.

Beca thought she saw a flash of disappointment in Chloe’s eyes and took a deep breath. She’d been thinking about this all night, she’d been thinking about how Chloe’s lips felt against hers, how it felt like electric coursing through her every nerve, how she hadn’t kissed her back. Seeing the look of resignation on Chloe’s face made her wonder if the redhead felt the same way. All too quickly the moment was gone, as Chloe got off the edge of the bed.

“Right, I’ll leave you to get some more sleep then.” Chloe smiled breezily, trying to hide her heavy heart as she left Beca alone again.

Beca could’ve cried as she laid back in her bed, hands on her forehead. Why was this so complicated? God, the look on Chloe’s face… it was playing in her mind over and over. Right. That’s it. Beca sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, throwing her hair up into a messy ponytail before quietly tiptoeing down the hall. She frowned as she entered the kitchen, trying to figure out where things were so she could do this properly. A big gesture. That’s what she needed.

“Can I help you Miss Mitchell?” Arthur’s voice made Beca leap three foot in the air, spinning around as she spun round to see him stood at the entrance to the kitchen.

“Jeez dude!” She exclaimed, getting control of her breathing again as she shook her head.

“My apologies, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Arthur had a bemused smile on his face.

“It’s fine. I really could use some help though, I- I’m trying to do a big gesture, but I suck at this sort of thing.” Beca smiled sheepishly.

“For Miss Beale I assume?” Arthur entered the kitchen, taking a couple of mugs out of the cupboard, “To show her you don’t want to play pretend anymore?”

“How did you?” Beca gasped, mortified at the idea that they hadn’t be as convincing as she thought they had.

“The barrier between the passengers and I in the car is not soundproof… it’s a very common mistake.” Arthur smiled again as Beca blushed.

“Ah. Yeah that makes sense…” Beca grinned sheepishly, “Alright, so big gesture, how do I do this?”

“Hot chocolate.” Arthur started, “There are mini marshmallows in the pantry and whipped cream in the fridge.”

Beca quickly rushed to get them as Arthur heated the milk, ready to melt the chocolate into at as she returned. There was a quite pause before Beca asked him the question that was on her mind:

“Why are you helping me?” Beca didn’t look up from her hands as she asked the question, “I know you work for Chloe’s family, but you have no reason to help me…”

“I have known Miss Beale since the day she was born.” Arthur was dedicated to his task as he gave Beca the answer, “She is like a daughter to me. And I have never seen her look at anyone like she looks at you, or anyone look at her in the way you do. I want her to be happy, and I believe you would make her happy.”

Beca sniffed slightly as she grinned at him, “I’m really going to try…” She promised.

-----

Chloe lay back on her bed, frustrated and sad at the way that this had panned out. God she should have listened to Aubrey, because this really hurt. She was sad, and her heart felt heavy, and Beca hadn’t kissed her back. And now? Now she was stuck spending Christmas pretending to be in a relationship with someone who wasn’t in love with her, which would’ve been fine if she wasn’t so desperately, pathetically in love with them.

A light knock at the door paused Chloe’s spiral as the redhead got up, a soft frown on her face before she opened the door. Stood in a Santa hat that she had purloined from god only knew where, a mug of hot chocolate in each hand and a soft smile on her lips stood Beca. Chloe stood there for a moment in shock, not understanding what was happening.

“Here. Take these.” Beca grinned broadly, waiting patiently as the redhead took the mugs from her and set them down on a table, “It’s the proper stuff, hot milk, melted chocolate, cream and marshmallows. Y’know the kind you drink when you’re sad because it reminds you of being a kid at Christmas.”

“How did you-” Chloe started, trying to figure out what had happened in the half an hour since she had left Beca’s room that had got them to this point.

“You told me once. You were drunk, you’d failed your Russian Lit midterm in our senior year, and I asked what I could do to cheer you up, and you said proper hot chocolate with all the trimmings, because it reminded you of the happiest times in your life.” Beca grinned broadly as Chloe just opened and closed her mouth like a fish.

“Beca, what’s-” Chloe was struggling to find her words as she looked at the big grin on Beca’s face, her heart pounding as her brain worked overtime.

“Look up.” Beca said softly, biting her bottom lip a little, nerves making her heart pound right out of her chest.

Chloe looked up, gasping softly as she what was fixed (a little haphazardly admittedly) above her head. A tear slipped down her cheek as she lowered her head again, a soft smile of disbelief on her lips, “Mistletoe…” She whispered.

Beca nodded, saying nothing more as she leaned in, closing the gap between them as she pulled her close, pressing her lips to Chloe’s, one hand on her hip the other on the back of her neck. Chloe closed her eyes as their lips connected and lost herself in the feeling on Beca kissing her like this as the short woman’s tongue slid across her bottom lip, the kiss deepening far quicker than either of them could’ve imagined it would. The redhead wrapped her arms around Beca’s waist and lifted her upwards, the brunette’s feet not touching the floor as she just grinned against Chloe’s lips, taking advantage of the new angle to press her tongue against Chloe’s in a way that made her let out a soft groan.

Eventually, the need to breathe broke them apart, a little breathless as Beca stood in Chloe’s arms both of her arms now draped around Chloe’s neck.

“That’s what I should have done last night.” Beca whispered, forehead resting against Chloe’s as she grinned.

“Yeah, you really should’ve.” Chloe teased gently.

“Merry Christmas Chloe.” Beca grinned as she kissed her again, chaste and soft.

“Merry Christmas Becs.” Chloe mumbled, grinning from ear to ear.

This really was the best Christmas ever.

[fangirl-ramblings]

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x gn!reader

Summary: A return trip from Annesburg is about to change your life forever

Word count: 1520

Notes: CW: vague descriptions of wounds | Unsure how to tag this right now, Amensia Plot | Unbetaed [Any feedback is appreciated]

Tags for: @husbandits.

I was so excited when I saw that I was assigned to be your Secret Santa this year (even if i do still have a request I need to fulfill for you 🙈) I loved each item on your wishlist, but this one really jumped out at me.

"okay, so there was a post going around like last year i think where arthur had gotten amnesia and the reader took him in, and honestly i haven't been able to get it out of my head these past few months for some reason"

I couldn't find the original post you referred to, but a rough idea started to form in my head...The only problem is, this idea is so much bigger than the stories I usually write and I was starting to run out of time to get it posted for in time for the @rdr-secret-santa event (as you well know, I'm a slow writer) so...please accept my humble offering of the first chapter while I try chip away at the remaining parts.

The Best Kept Memories

[working title]

Chapter 1: Late 1899 [Oct/Nov]

All this commotion was frustrating to say the least; you'd arrived in Annesburg late yesterday afternoon, ready to pick up the supplies you'd needed to stock your cabin up with before the weather turned back into the harsh winter the Grizzlies were famous for. Despite arriving in town a good 30 mins before the train carrying your supplies from Saint Dennis was due in at the station, an hour later you were still standing on the platform waiting for it to suddenly come rumbling down the tracks.

   "All the trains have been delayed you know" A local busybody informed you.

   "Yeah, I kinda gathered," you politely replied - not really wanting to be drawn into conversation...too bad the older lady didn’t get the message.

   "Talk is…" she leaned in close, as if she was sharing confidential intel that only you were to know about, "a bunch of degenerates living not too far from here, decided to rob one of the earlier trains coming up from city." 

You found yourself rolling your eyes internally upon hearing this; you were aware the Murfree Brood were a sadistic bunch of murdering bastards, but from what you previously heard about them, they could barely care for and ride their horses, let alone plan to board and rob a moving train.

"Terrible affair I heard, seems they managed to make it all the way up towards Bacchus Bridge before…" she stopped mid-conversation, not because she ran out of gossip to share with you but she had noticed that the tracks began to rumble and the sound of a train's whistle could be heard approaching the station.

   "Well, looks like the delay is finally over," you commented, pointing out the obvious.

  "Oh do excuse me will you." You sighed with relief as you watched the woman move a little down the way, heading towards the train's engine to see if the driver had any updates of the goings on in Saint Dennis to share with her.

By the time you'd finished loading your wagon up, you were exhausted and couldn't face the thought of driving home through Roanoke Ridge in the dark, especially if the Murfree Brood were still loitering about. Looking down the main street you saw the local hotel had some vacancies and made the impulsive decision to spend the night in one of the rooms there, ready to feel refreshed in time for your morning ride home.

While it seemed like a very good idea at the time, you soon realised you'd made a huge mistake. After waking up and having a quick wash before getting dressed, you made your way back outside to find the most peculiar sight. The mining town of Annesburg, usually full of workers with dirt covered faces, wandering about in their equally filthy overalls, was now overrun by well dressed men in suits. 

   "They say they're Pinkertons." You overheard the gossiping woman that you encountered the previous night, telling her newly captive audience. "One of them told me personally that there was a gunfight up near Beaver Hollow."

   "Well Eunice, I heard talk there was reports of those hooligans that they're after, fleeing into the night and the 'Pinkertons' had to chase them all over the Ridge well into the early hours of the morning," another lady informed her, looking super smug that she'd been able to provide some information that her friend wasn't already privy too.

   "Well either way, several roads around the area have been blocked off by the men in suits." Eunice huffed before walking off, looking for a less informed person to chat too.

Shaking your head, you dismissed their talk as nothing but idle gossip and jumped up on your wagon, ready to head back home along one of the roads leading South.

   "This road is closed," the well-suited man hissed as you approached the roadblock with your wagon. "I suggest you find another route."

   "It wasn’t closed yesterday when I rode into town, any chance you could let me go past just this once?" you protested, not really knowing why you were bothering. His stony face told you this was not a man who had much compassion for others, but wanting to get back home before the storm brewing on the East side of the Lannahechee river rolled in, you persisted, "I can be home within the hour if you let me past, whereas the other route will take me twice as long - not to mention those treacherous mountain roads I'd be forced to travel along."

   "I said, find...another...way" he growled at you, clenching his teeth as he emphasised each word.

   "Fine," you sighed as you reversed your wagon and drove along the road heading north.

Even though this route would take you the better part of the day to get home, you didn't mind so much as you could take the time to enjoy the beautiful scenery of this part of the country, especially the area around the huge mountain that rudely stood directly in front of you.

Taking a left hand turn to finally head southwards; you trundled along, lost in a world of your own as you admired the red wildflowers that grew in abundance here. Making a mental note to maybe pick some up on your next visit up here, so you could liven your cabin up, you were shocked when your horse suddenly reared up, whinnying a distressed shrill.

   "Hey now Ponos, what's to do with you?" you asked gently, hopping down off your wagon to assess the area around you. There was nothing obvious that you could see in the road, but out of the corner of your eye you noticed a flock of scavenger birds circling over something that must be hidden out of sight behind the giant rock to your right.

   "Trust you to be scared of a half-eaten animal" you chuckled as you patted Ponos' neck in an effort to calm him down. A beautiful Chestnut coloured Belgian Draft, you'd named him after the Greek God of hard labour & toil and while you couldn’t fault his excellent work ethic and seemingly unlimited stamina, you soon realised why the stable owner had offered you such a cheap price for him all those years ago; this giant of a horse was easily spooked by the smallest of things.

After reaching up to grab your gun from underneath your seat, you started walking over to the most likely spot to investigate. If it was a fresh kill you had enough space on your wagon to throw the carcass on and take it home to make a nice meal or two out of.

Approaching the overgrowth behind the rock, the birds squawked and scattered when they realised that you were about to steal the meal they had their eyes on. Getting closer, you noticed a heaped mound laying there. Your mouth started to water as you realised whatever this was, it was certainly likely to be bigger than a rabbit and therefore would provide several tasty meals over the next few days. Using the barrel of your rifle, you cautiously moved apart the long grass, almost dropping your gun as you finally saw what was previously hidden.

Looking like death personified this was certainly no animal, but a seriously injured man. His poor face, gaunt, bloody and bruised. Judging by the shallow, laboured breaths you could see him trying to take, he was still alive - but only just.

   "Sir? Sir? Can you hear me?" You asked, not really expecting a response but the almost corpse groaned and weakly nodded in response.

You glanced back at the grey clouds that had followed you on your journey from Annesburg, before looking back at this wretched soul. What was it your old pa used to tell you?

   'There's never any harm in being a good Samaritan to those that need your help.'

Realising that you could never let yourself walk away and leave a healthy man to be stranded in a storm, let alone an almost dead one to succumb from his wounds, you quickly set your gun aside and placed his arms around your neck. Summoning all the strength you had, you somehow managed to pick the sandy-haired man up and manoeuvre him onto the back of your wagon. 

   "I live a short ride away, you’re welcome to rest there until you get your strength back up.” Unravelling a few pelts you had stored with the rest of your cargo, you tossed them over the injured man to help try to keep him warm.

   "Sorry it's not very comfy but I guess it beats lying there in the cold waiting for the cruel embrace of death," you explained whilst taking out a carrot from your satchel to feed Ponos, in the hope he had gotten over his fear and was willing to continue your journey back home, “Tell me, do you have a name sir?”

Jumping back into the driver’s seat, you looked back over your shoulder, only to find your passenger had passed out.