#tog x acotar crossover hogwarts au

[aelin-and-feyre]

A School of Fire and Shadow (Part 1)

Here it is! The first part of my new series! Please comment and send me feedback, thank you all so much for reading!!

Tagging: @rhysand-and-rowan @rugrat-mama @rowanismybae (let me know if you want to be tagged in future parts!)

TOG x ACOTAR crossover - Hogwarts au

Next part

If Aelin Galathynius wasn’t already dreadfully excited at the thought of attending Hogwarts, she definitely became so the minute she ran through the 9 3/4 barrier. Her first steps onto the platform felt like she was walking on clouds instead of the hard cement. Rhoe and Evalin, Aelin’s flustered parents, could hardly keep up with the young eleven-year-old as she weaved through the crowd - somehow maneuvering around people even with a trolley stuffed with trunks being pushed in front of her. People practically jumped out of the way as she passed, pulling children close to save them from wheels rolling over little feet.

The Galathynius’ muttered quick apologies to disgruntled parents as they rushed to catch up to their little witchling. Unfortunately, the witch and her muggle husband were too late, which they realized as soon as they saw the overturned cart in the middle of a ten foot clearing of people. Their daughter stood with her hands on her hips - a stance she was getting too good at assuming - and bickering with a white-haired young wizard who was picking himself up from the ground.

“You’re crazy!” He exclaimed, brushing off his robes - generic black, so he must be a first year without a house yet.

Aelin scoffed, gesturing towards her upset cart with a incredibly expectant expression. “Excuse me, you are the one who ran in front of my trolley like a dementor is on your heels. The least you could do is help me put it back together again.”

The sneer that overtook the boy’s face does nothing more than send Aelin’s eyes rolling. “Well, princess, I believe you are the one who was hurtling around with reckless abandon. It surely is not my fault your cart ran over me!”

“Oh, no!” Aelin cooed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Did I accidentally hurt the itty bitty baby?” She mocked.

Rhoe and Evalin finally reach their daughter, her mother barely able to contain the squirming puppy in her arms. Rhoe set a hand on Aelin’s shoulder, a firm order to stand down, as the event had begun to gather a crowd. Evalin expertly slipped the small dog into the young witch’s arms, prohibiting the girl from starting any real fight.

The wizard scowled once more, tugged on the lapels of his robe self-righteously, and stalked away towards the quickly filling up train. Aelin’s parents made quick work of reassembling their daughter’s cart, and quickly pushed her and the dog towards the luggage and animal cars. Once they had her nicely packed away, they each kissed her on the cheek.

“Please try not to get into too many fights, Fireheart,” Her mother pleaded, her eyes shining with worry for her daughter’s safety.

Rhoe’s eyes however, were shining with mischief. “At least not right away.” Aelin grinned up at her father, hugged both her parents, and made an empty promise to play nice. Her mother just shook her head.

Suddenly, three long pulls from the horn alerted the family that the train was about to leave. Aelin was pushed hurriedly towards the door, which shut promptly behind her. Leaning out the window, she waved to her parents as the Hogwarts Express began to slowly move. She waited until Rhoe and Evalin were out of sight before turning to seek out a compartment, a late decision that she soon comes to regret.

...

Rhysand, following his best friends down the small aisle along the compartments, glanced in every window they passed. Embarrassingly, he had to tip-toe just a little bit to get a clear view of each cabin, while Azriel and Cassian did not. The dark, wild hair his mother had been attempting to tame this morning continued to fall annoyingly into his eyes whenever the train shook a bit - which was all the time.

Cassian and Azriel sped ahead of him on their long legs - curse early growth spurts - and Rhys almost had to jog a bit to catch up. It was because of this that the young boy almost missed her.

She was sitting alone in a compartment, a drawing pad settled on her lap and a pencil held firmly in her small right hand. Her brows were furrowed as she concentrated on her sketch while also trying to keep her hand steady in the ever moving train.

Rhysand ran past her compartment and immediately skidded to a halt the second his mind registered what he saw. Even at age eleven, Rhys knew what a pretty girl looks like, and this witch is beautiful. Cassian and Azriel stopped at the end of the car, realizing that their brother was no longer with them.

All of the young wizard’s attention, however, was now trained on the door of the compartment, and his thoughts on the girl behind it. He waved off his friends. “I’ll meet you guys later!” He called. Azriel looked at Cassian, who shrugged and opened the door to move onto the next train car.

Quickly, Rhysand pushed his hair back, trying to at least look acceptable in front of a pretty girl. His palms were sweating and he shook out his arms, trying to gain the nerve to slide open the door. Taking a deep breath, Rhys pulled back his shoulders, straightening himself to his tallest height - which is really not very tall - and pulled the door ajar.

The witch looked up from her notepad, a look of bewilderment gracing her features for just a moment before a polite smile overtook them. “Hello, can I help you?”

Rhys panicked. He truly did not think he would get this far. Clearing his throat, he attempted to recover. “I, uh, I’m Rhysand,” He blurted, thrusting out a hand for her to shake.

The girl’s smile remained, her hand slipping into his own, only a little bit smaller. “I’m Feyre, it’s nice to meet you, Rhysand.”

“Please call me Rhys,” The boy suddenly found himself saying, quite loudly if the way Feyre reacted is any indication. He drew his hand away. “Sorry, uh, there are no other open compartments... do you mind if I sit with you?” He wondered sheepishly, as he actually wasn’t sure if all the cabins were taken yet. Looking around the tiny room, Rhys realized for the first time that she is alone. He’s suddenly curious as to why there is no one else sitting with her, at the same time that he’s very glad that he was the one that came to her rescue.

Feyre shrugged, gesturing to the bench across from her. “Be my guest.”

He tried not to look too eager, he really did, but the chance to sit in the same cabin with a pretty girl - alone - on the first day? There was no hiding his excitement. Feyre giggled a little at his antics, making Rhys’ ears turn pink. “So... what house do you think you’ll be in?”

...

Rowan grumbled certain profanities - his new favorite words after he learned them from Lorcan a couple months ago - as he trudged down the train aisle, looking for a place to sit. His ankle stung from the trolley wheel rolling over it, not that he’d ever let the little blonde witchling with the striking blue eyes know about it.

Unfortunately, it seemed that all cabins were full, or full of people he dreadfully did not want to associate with. When he stumbled upon a window that led to a room occupied only by two people, seemingly his age, Rowan muttered under his breath. “Better than nothing, I suppose.”

He slid open the door, startling the drawing girl and the boy who had been trying to pretend he wasn’t blatantly staring at her. The girl smiled brightly, setting her pencil down with a small wave. Rowan immediately liked her much better than the witch from the platform. “Hello, I’m Feyre.” She greeted.

“Rowan,” He grunted back, then gestured to the empty seat next to her. “Mind if I sit?”

“Not at all,” Feyre replied, picking up some of her supplies that had been resting on the bench and stuffing them into her bag. “This is Rhys.” She gestured to the small boy on the seat across from them, who was now looking very unfriendly towards Rowan.

Rowan tilted his chin in greeting, silently informing his fellow wizard that he had no intention of making a move on the girl he just met five seconds ago, as Rhys seems to be convinced. Rowan can obviously tell that there is some kind of backstory here, and he desperately does not want to get in the middle of it. He just wanted a place to sit.

As Feyre went back to drawing, and Rhys studied his nails like a nervous nancy, Rowan resorted to staring out the window, watching as the scenery flew by. He is so enraptured by the passing forest, that it takes him a moment to realize that someone new has entered the compartment. However, he recognizes her voice almost instantly.

“Oh thank the gods, I found an available place. It is rather impossible, this train is so crowded.” The blonde plopped herself down next to Rhys, smiling grandly at the people around her. “You don’t mind, do you? I’ve been searching for a place to sit for half an hour already.” Feyre has opened her mouth to respond when the girl’s eyes meet Rowan’s. Immediately, they narrow. “You.” She accuses.

Rowan rolled his eyes. “Oh shut up, princess, you ran into me.” He couldn’t help the smirk when she gasps indignantly.

“Do we really need to have this conversation again?” She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air far more dramatically than necessary. When Rowan proceeds to ignore her, she scoffed. “Typical,” Turning to Rhys, she added, “I sure hope you have better manners than he does.”

Rhys stuttered a few times, eyes flickering between the two witches. After a few seconds, finally he straightened, his nervous mask slipping and a boyish smirk curving his lips. “Of course I do.” The crack in his voice ruined the intended effect however.

For the rest of the ride, Rowan planned to ignore his companions, particularly a certain blonde-haired one. His carefully crafted plan is ruined however, when Feyre addresses him. “Rowan, what are you looking forward to most at Hogwarts?”

Slightly taken aback by the question, Rowan displayed a noncommittal shrug. “My cousin, Lorcan, says that the Transfiguration teacher is really great, I’m looking forward to learning from her.”

That catches the other girl’s attention, Rowan hadn’t caught her name before, not that he cared much. “You mean Mistress Maeve?” At the slight incline of his head, the girl just shook her head slightly, leaning against the back of the bench with a thoughtful look on her face. Against his better judgement, Rowan found himself wondering what had caused such an adverse reaction.

Feyre took the shift in atmosphere in stride, continuing the conversation easily. Rowan decided that he could very easily be friends with her, if given the chance. He didn’t usually make a habit of being friends with girls, cooties and all, but her smile was contagious, and the grumpy young wizard soon found himself chuckling a bit at her jokes.

Rhys quickly loosened up, becoming more comfortable around the two little girls who already had such imposing and strong personalities. When the treats trolley came around, the blonde girl, who Rowan had now learned was named Aelin, jumped out of her seat in excitement.

“Can I have two, no, three chocolate frogs please?” She had asked, already jittery without the sugar in her stomach. The witch eagerly ripped open one of the packages, ignoring the card inside and bit into the treat. It was then that she finally noticed Rowan’s disgusted expression. Her mouth still wrapped around a portion of the frog - which had stopped moving the second it had touched her lips - Aelin’s voice came out muffled. “What’s you’re problem? Do you not like chocolate or something?”

Now it was Feyre’s turn to look at him, the same level of disbelief placed on her face. Rowan shifted uncomfortably before remembering that he shouldn’t be intimidated by two girls. Immediately, he straightened. “Not particularly, no. It rots your teeth.”

Feyre gasped, and Rhys chuckled under his breath, shaking his head slightly. Aelin’s eyes narrowed, sizing him up. Rowan had to work extra hard not to squirm under her scrutinizing gaze. After a few more seconds, and the finishing of Aelin’s first frog, the girl finally spoke. “Huh. Well, that means more for me, I guess... Do you want the collector’s cards?”

Thoroughly taken aback, Rowan could only stare as she opened the next package with a little more delicacy, pulled out the card without letting the wily frog loose, and grabbed the other from the previous box. He watched her movements silently until her hand was outstretched towards him, offering the tokens. “Consider it my apology-” she gritted out the word like she hated to say it, “-for running you over at the platform. Truce?”

After taking the cards from her small, delicate fingers, Rowan slipped his empty hand into her own, shaking it resolutely. “Sure, princess. Truce.”

She scowled at the nickname, but smiled none the less, a faint girlish blush overtaking her cheeks as she slid her hand away from his. Just as she was about to open her second chocolate frog, Rhys in the middle of handing over one of his pumpkin pasties to Feyre, another young wizard, decked in Gryffindor robes, appeared in the window. When he saw Aelin, he positively lit up, pushing open the door and scooping her up in a large hug.

Rowan exchanged glances with his other cabin-mates as Aelin squealed, hugging the second year boy right back again. “I couldn’t find you anywhere, Aelin! I was so worried.” The boy exclaimed when he has set the witch down again. Briefly, he looked around the cabin and noticed her company. “Interesting friends you got here, Aelin.”

“Shh, Aedion, be nice!” She complained. Her cheeks were still red but Rowan couldn’t tell if she was embarrassed by their earlier interaction or the new male. “Rhys, Feyre, Rowan, this is my cousin, Aedion. He’s a second year, and in Gryffindor!”

Rowan felt like he just experienced whiplash. This squealing girl is nothing like the calculating one he was just bickering with moments ago. It seems the witch has a side of herself she reserves just for her family. Or perhaps the devious side is reserved just for him. Whatever the case, Rowan can’t tell which side he finds more annoying...

...

Just as Feyre was starting to talk to Aedion about what he likes about Gryffindor, another older boy appeared in the compartment doorway, a broad smile plastered on his face. Conversation stopped in the tiny room, as all attention turns towards the wizard, Hufflepuff robes covering his slightly intimidating frame. Though he couldn’t be much older than Feyre and her new friends, the male must have already gotten his growth spurt, and uses it to his advantage.

“Rhysand! It’s so good to see you!” He exclaimed, bounding into the now crowded compartment. Feyre watched as Aedion’s eyes narrowed at the male. She took a bite of her pumpkin pasty.

“Tamlin, it’s been a while,” Aedion spoke up before Rhys could respond. Tamlin ignored Aelin’s cousin, instead sliding onto the seat between Rhysand and Aelin and wrapping his arms around their shoulders conspiratorially. Aedion muttered something under his breath and then patted Aelin’s knee. “I’ll see you later, Aelin. Don’t get into trouble.”

The girl just smirked up at the wizard, and watched as he left before turning to the boy now sitting next to her. Feyre threw a confused glance towards Rowan, who was observing the interaction with minimal interest.

Finally, Rhysand got around to talking, shrugging Tamlin’s arm off his shoulders. “Nice to see you too, Tamlin. How are you doing?” It was with this sentence that Tamlin’s eyes found Feyre’s, just as she shoved the last of her pasty into her mouth.

She found herself blushing under his interested gaze, and didn’t know what to do with her sticky hands. Smiling shyly, Feyre tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear. “Hey, I’m Tamlin, Hufflepuff, second year.” He greeted, offering his hand to shake before thinking better of it, seeing her pumpkin-y fingers.

“I’m Aelin, that’s Feyre, and that grump over there in Rowan. Nice to meet you, Tamlin.” Aelin quipped, drawing Tamlin’s attention away from Feyre. The girl let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding, and looked over just in time to see Rhys roll his eyes. Confusion filled Feyre’s mind. That is the second person who had reacted negatively towards the new guy. But why? He seemed like a nice wizard.

He was also the second person who had stopped by the cabin to see a friend. If someone was thoughtful enough to do that, they were already in Feyre’s good books, as even her two sisters neglected to visit. In fact, they had left her alone to fend for herself the moment they had stepped through the barrier onto the platform. The relief that had coursed through the young witch when Rhysand had asked to sit with her had been overwhelming. And then Rowan and Aelin had joined and it had become a party. Tamlin’s entrance was just as welcome as far as Feyre was concerned.

Rowan had gone back to looking out the window, a bored expression on his face. Rhysand was eating his remaining pumpkin pasty, sulking as Tamlin carried an easy conversation with Aelin. His green eyes, however, continuously flickered towards Feyre. She can’t help the blush that lights her cheeks, but for the life of her, she can’t find a segue into the conversation. So, instead of feeling awkward, Feyre turned her attention to the white-haired boy next to her.

“Hey, Rowan,” The wizard broke from his blank staring out the window and blinked a few times, seeming to finally focus on what he was looking at. Before Feyre can ask her question, Rowans pointed toward something in the distance.

“Wait, isn’t that the castle?” He questioned, drawing Aelin’s attention from Tamlin as the four of them crowded around the window. From the corner of her eye, Feyre saw Tamlin huff, before standing and peering over all of them.

“There she is, Hogwarts school for Wizards and Witchlings.” Tamlin chuckled to himself, backing up until he hovered in the doorway once more. “I should head back to my friends,” His gaze drifted to Rhysand, seeming to remember why he had visited in the first place. “Nice catching up with you, Rhys.” His eyes averted to the two witches, still standing by the window. Aelin was barely paying attention to him anymore. “Girls,” He said in parting with a slight nod, not even glancing towards Rowan before strutting out of sight.

“What a weirdo,” Aelin muttered, making both Rhysand and Rowan laugh.

Feyre simply shrugged, pulling her robes out of her bag. “I thought he was nice.” She tried, heading toward the door. Her friends were already decked in their Hogwarts attire. “I’m gonna go change, now that we’re getting so close to the castle.”

Rhysand was the only one that answered, nodding slightly while they continued to gawk at the enormous building coming closer and closer. It was at this moment, seeing three eleven-year-olds, staring intently out the window, a gorgeous castle looming in front of them, that Feyre wished she had her camera. It would have made a wonderful picture. Perhaps one day she would paint it instead.

...

Four boats, each loaded with four first years, magically floated across the lake. Aelin almost tipped over the watercraft in her excitement to reach her new school - her new home - for the next seven years. Rowan had had to grab her by the waist before she fell into the inky depths. When she had been firmly seated again, Feyre grabbed her hand, squeezing it conspiratorially. Aelin squeezed it back, figuring that it was safer way to show her excitement.

Somehow, Rowan, Rhys, Feyre and her had been shuffled onto the same boat, though Aelin wasn’t necessarily complaining. It wasn’t like she knew a ton of other first years. In fact, other than Elide, Aelin knew none of her fellow classmates. Perhaps it was good that she was stuck on a wobbly rowboat with people she had at least known for a couple hours.

She wasn’t sure about her companions however. From what she’d gathered since they exited the train, Rhys had plenty of friends in their year, seeming quite popular actually. Rowan had simply gone with the crowd, not picking out anyone in particular to talk to, and Feyre had practically clung to Aelin in fear of losing her in the mass of people streaming for the carriages. A huge man with stark white hair that contrasted drastically with his incredibly dark skin had herded all the first years towards the boats. Before they took off, he had introduced himself as Varian, head of Gryffindor House and Care of Magical Creatures professor.

Now, nearing the shore on the other side of the mystical lake, Aelin stood up a bit in anticipation, This time, it was Rhysand who set his hands on her shoulders and sat her back down. “Bloody hell, Aelin, if you tip us...” He chuckled, sharing a glance with Rowan who was rolling his eyes.

They couldn’t do anything to stop the young witch however when the boat docked and she bolted off. Feyre quickly caught up to her, a wide smile stretching her face. “We’re here,” Aelin’s new friend whispered in awe. For a moment, both girls stared up at the castle. In the darkness, it’s windows were all lit up, casting a kind of golden light around the surrounding grounds. It truly felt magical.

“C’mon!” Aelin finally exclaimed, grasping Feyre’s hand in her own and tugging her towards the front of the group. They walked beside two other blonde girls, who quickly introduced themselves as Lysandra and Mor.

“Can you guys even believe it?” Mor questioned quietly as they made their way up the grand staircase.

Lysandra shook her head. “I’m so nervous my hair is changing color.” The girl muttered, looking forlornly at her golden locks.

Feyre reeled back slightly as the witch’s hair suddenly turned brunette. “You’re a metamorphmagus!” Aelin squealed, lightly touching the tips of the hair now darkening to a deep brown.

Lysandra was about to respond when a woman appeared at the top of the steps, seemingly from nowhere. Though short, her piercing gray eyes and severe bob made her look like a witch that surely should not be messed with. She seemed to meet each and every one of their gazes at the same time. “Thank you, Varian.” She murmured to the professor as he walked past.

“No problem, Amren. I’ll see you at the feast.” He responded, a smile in his voice. Mor and Aelin shared a glance.

“Hello, first years, welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.” Her sharp voice did not hinder Aelin’s growing excitement in the least. “I am Professor Amren, Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and Head of Slytherin House.” She gestured towards the enormous double doors Professor Varian had just disappeared through. “Behind those doors, your fellow classmates are waiting for you. First, however, will be the sorting ceremony where you will each be sorted into your houses; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Once you are sorted, you will sit at your house table and we will begin the feast. So,” A wicked glint in her eye suddenly made Aelin nervous for the first time that day. “Let’s go.”

Leading the way to the great hall, Professor Amren opened the doors, and sixteen first years officially entered the beginning of their journey at Hogwarts.

Masterlist

We will meet all the other Hogwarts students in the next chapter so stay tuned for Dorian and Azriel and Chaol and Helion and more!

[darling-cas]

Writing Masterlist

SERIES

Princess [Rowaelin]: Rowaelin meeting as 17-year-olds. COMPLETE.

I’ll Be Home [Rowaelin]: Christmas Fic. COMPLETE.

Give Me Love [Rowaelin + multi-ships]: High School AU. INCOMPLETE.

We Are Young [Rowaelin + multi-ships]: Figure Skating/Hockey AU. COMPLETE.

All Is Well [multi-ships]: ToG and ACOTAR Christmas Fic. COMPLETE.

The Lonely [Rowaelin + multi-ships]: High School AU. ON HIATUS.

ONESHOTS

Easy: Aelin and her court training.

Blood Oath: Aelin offers the cadre the blood oath.

Territorial Fae Bullshit: ToG and ACOTAR crossover.

Okay [Manorian]: Manon tells Dorian that she is pregnant.

Most-est [Malide]: Manon takes care of Elide after a drunken night.

Royals [Elorcan]: Songfic of Elorcan to Royals.

Halfway [Rowaelin]: Rowan feels like him and Aelin are drifting.

Halloween Birthday [Rowaelin]: Aelin helps Rowan’s little daughter find the perfect Halloween custom.

Restless [Rowaelin]: Aelin is restless because Rowan has been away for so long.

Tales [Rowaelin]: Rowan shares some tales from his lifetime with the court.

Not Too Drunk [Rowaelin]: Rowan comes home Aelin a bit too drunk.

From Afar [Rowaelin]: Aelin can’t stop staring at Rowan.

Friends [Rowaelin]: Whenever Aelin needs a friend, Rowan is always there for her.

Happy Birthday, Fireheart ([Rowaelin]: Rowan surprises Aelin on her birthday.

The Office [Rowaelin]: Aelin and Rowan work in a boring office together.

Mischief Managed [Rowaelin]: Aelin and Rowan try to keep their relationship a secret. HOGWARTS AU.

Marry Me [Samlaena/Rowaelin]: Sam has been in love with his best friend Aelin since they were kids, too bad she’s getting married to someone else.

Impossible [Rowaelin]: A tender moment of tranquility between Rowan and Aelin.

SERIES

Whatever It Takes [Nessian]: Figure Skating AU. COMPLETE.

All Is Well [multi-ships]: ToG and ACOTAR Christmas Fic. COMPLETE.

ONESHOTS

Territorial Fae Bullshit: ToG and ACOTAR crossover where Rowan and Rhys can’t seem to put their territorial fae bullshit aside.

Mr. Brigthside [Nessian]: Songfic of Nessian to Mr. Brightside.

I Miss Him Too [Nessian]: Nesta sees Cassian for the first time since they broke up and realizes how much she misses him.

Promise [Nessian]: Nesta and Cassian realize being friends after they broke up just isn’t going to work.

What I Deserve [Nessian]: Cassian reflects on his broken relationship with Nesta.

Blame It On The Firewhisky [Nessian]: Nesta can’t stay away from Cassian. HOGWARTS AU.

Dusk Till Dawn [Feysand]: Songfic of Feysand to Dusk Till Dawn.

Hard To Forget [Feysand]: Feyre wakes up to a drunk phone from her ex-boyfriend Rhys.

ONESHOTS

The Elevator: Steve, Bucky, Nat, and Sam end up getting stuck in an elevator.

Nightmares: Bucky and Wanda meet for the first time.

I Don’t Want To Go: Infinity War Peter Parker ending AU (spoilers!!)

New Beginning: Bucky wakes up in Wakanda and meets Shuri for the first time.

ONESHOTS

Tears [Warnette]: Juliette doesn’t want Warren to leave.

SNEAK PEEKS

Leave The Ocean Behind

Project X Blurb #1

Project X Blurb #2

[aelin-and-feyre]

A School of Fire and Shadow (Part 4)

This is one of the last chapters in Year 1, but please remember that at the moment, these characters are eleven or twelve years old and may not react to situations in the same way their much more mature characters in the books might. Thank you!

Tagging: @starzablaze @hannahnosretep @runesandfaes@mayhemories@illyrian-queen @bluephoenix222 @carolineherr15@rugrat-mama@rowanismybae @themajorindianfangirl @a-courtof-fangirls-and-fanfics @rhysand-and-rowan @notjustanyoldfangirl@gcarroll @illyrianinterrasen @helloprinceling @peachyyymeg (let me know if you want to be tagged in future parts!)

TOG x ACOTAR Crossover - Hogwarts au

House Key

Last Part Next Part coming Tuesday August 8

“Just look at him,” Aelin sneered, stabbing her grape with a fork. Juice went flying in all directions, but the witch didn’t even notice. Her gaze remained on the Gryffindor table and the white-haired boy sitting there laughing. “Plotting his prank. Making us wait like the mastermind he is.”

Rhysand didn’t even bother following her gaze. She talked about Rowan Whitethorn enough that he knew who she was talking about already. “I’m pretty sure he’s just eating lunch,” he said.

Aelin turned from her fierce stare to scowl at him. “That’s what he wants us to think. He’s just waiting for us to let our guard down,” she retorted, popping a grape into her mouth and chewing it angrily. It had been months since their last prank on Whitethorn - a jinx on his broom that made him hover just above the Whomping Willow for half an hour while the fourth years watched. Aelin waited restlessly for the retaliation she knew would be coming.

Rhysand, however, figured that perhaps the wizard was over the prank war. After all, now that the boy had been spending so much time in Mistress Maeve’s classroom, he could very well have more pressing matters.

“Leave the poor bloke to his food,” Azriel was the one who spoke this time. Aelin whipped her head around to stare at him. “You shouldn’t be wasting your time with him.” The girl sputtered, and Rhys raised an eyebrow at his friend.

Manon ceased her eating to comment, “Az is right. The way I hear it, you should be paying more attention to the Havilliard boy.”

Aelin crinkled her nose as all four of them turned to the Ravenclaw table, where Dorian Havilliard daintily munched on his sandwich. Rhys snorted at the way he used a knife and fork. “Not my type,” Aelin decreed. She shared a look with Rhysand that he could only describe as annoyance.

Manon scoffed. “Well he seems to think you're his. Besides, you’re eleven and you’ve never had a boyfriend, how do you know what your ‘type’ is?”

Aelin crossed her arms with a pout, both Rhys and Azriel laughing a bit at the action. “Eleven and three quarters,” the witch corrected, “and Dorian can try all he wants but I’ve sworn to myself that I am not dating anyone until at least third year. First and second year relationships are stupid anyway.”

Rhys’ eyes flicked to the Gryffindor table once, just glimpsing the back of a golden-brown head before looking back at his friends. “Yeah, that’s very smart of you, Aelin. Best not to get involved too young.” He nudged Azriel beside him. “Isn’t that right Az?”

The wizard didn’t even bother to avert his gaze from the Ravenclaw table as he replied absently, “Yeah, totally.” Rhysand rolled his eyes. It’s like Azriel didn’t even try to hide his feelings for Mor, Rhys’ cousin.

Turning back to the females, Rhys continues, “Besides, I don’t like Dorian.” Manon raised an eyebrow in question. Rhysand shrugged. “His father works with mine at the Ministry. Like, they work together.” He shared a meaningful look with Aelin. He’d confided in her a few weeks ago of his father’s shifty dealings that he’s been privy to. Although his father doesn’t directly discriminate against muggles and muggle-borns, many of his colleagues do. Including Mr Havilliard.

Aelin reached across the table and set her hand on top of his. “We can’t judge people by who their father is, now can we?” She soothed. Rhys grumbled a few times before nodding.

Suddenly, the second year witch who Rhys had been introduced to as Kaltain leaned over to talk to them. The girl had an uncanny talent for overhearing conversations concerning the Havilliard boy, Rhys had noticed. “So, you aren’t in the market for dating anyone right now?” Kaltain asked nonchalantly.

Aelin raised an eyebrow, “Are you offering?”

The witch scoffed. “Of course not. You know Helion though? Second year, Ravenclaw?”

“Vaguely,” Aelin replied. Rhysand looked over to the Ravenclaw table, easily spotting the wizard who had his nose buried in a book. He had seen Helion go through an entire ancient tome in less than two hours, and still have enough time to charm every person he passed. Rhys had to give the guy credit; he knew how to flirt.

Kaltain leaned in close as she spoke the next words, as if they were this deep, dark secret. “Rumor is that him and Dorian have a bet going to see who can get you on a date first.”

Manon burst out laughing, drawing many eyes as she exclaimed, “Seriously? A date - with Aelin?” The witch paused as another bout of laughter overtook her.

Rhysand felt it was his duty as a best friend to stand up for the girl. “Shut up Manon, you’re just jealous because they didn’t place a bet on you.”

Manon feigned wiping her eyes as she recovered from her fit. “I’m just saying, she’s not exactly a prize.” Abruptly, Aelin stood, gathering the attention of the tables around them. She did not have to act as she wiped her own eyes of the tears threatening to fall. Manon’s expression immediately dropped. “Oh, Aelin. I didn’t mean -” But the witch was already running off.

Rhys and Azriel exchanged a quick glance before both standing and sprinting after her. “I hope you’re happy,” Az shot towards the white-haired witch. Rhys noticed that the whole room was watching them as they skidded out into the hall. He was surprised to see that his cousin and Lysandra had followed them. He knew that Aelin had gotten closer to them over the past couple months, but he was proud to hold the position of her best friend. Rhysand couldn’t help but feel protective of her and their friendship. He didn’t want Mor jeopardizing that.

However, when it was clear that Aelin had run to the bathroom, Rhys was incredibly glad that the girls had tagged along. “Before we go in, we need the story,” Mor stopped them outside the entrance to the girl’s lavatory. Rhysand quickly filled them in on what had happened at the table, Lysandra damned the stupid bet before her and Mor entered.

Azriel and Rhys waited outside the bathroom for a couple minutes, and then Az spoke up. “I noticed that the kitchen is serving chocolate cake for dessert tonight...” He commented.

Rhysand already understood, grabbing his friend’s arm and racing downstairs.

...

Aelin’s eyes were blurry as she stumbled into the lavatory. Thus, she wasn’t sure if she was seeing clearly when she noticed the floating gray mass above one of the sinks. The witch quickly wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her robe, sniffling, and the blob turned toward her.

It ended up being two ghosts, one with thin braids clinking softly with gold and kind eyes, the other with silver hair and an incredibly beautiful face. One, Aelin recognized as Nehemia, the Ghost of Ravenclaw. The other disappeared through the wall before she could figure out who they were.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.” Aelin apologized through a cracking voice. She hated crying. It always made her throat sore and her eyes sting. She knew she had made a scene back in the Great Hall, but at the moment, she really didn’t care. Aelin just wanted to be alone. It seemed, however, that Nehemia would not allow that.

“Why are you crying?” The ghost asked, halting Aelin in her steps as she once again broke down.

Her legs wobbled a bit so she crouched, turning away from Nehemia as she attempted to regain her composure. Stupid Manon Blackbeak. Stupid Dorian. Stupid bet. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

The ghost scoffed, floating closer to Aelin. “You most certainly are not. What is wrong, girl?”

Just then, the door slammed open. Aelin looked up to see Mor and Lysandra come bursting through. They spotted Aelin on the floor and rushed to her, only giving Nehemia a sparing glance. “They’re idiots, honey,” Lysandra soothed.

“Rhysand will beat them up for you if you want,” Mor suggested as she rubbed Aelin’s back comfortingly.

Nehemia sported a perplexed expression. “Who are we beating up?” she asked, seeming on board with it but just wanting to know all the facts. Aelin couldn’t help the small chuckle at the ghost’s tone.

“Dorian and Helion,” Lysandra explained.

“Ah, the bet.” Nehemia nodded along. “I told them it was an idiotic idea. Told them about how they would hurt you and now look what they’ve done.” She placed a vacant, cool hand on Aelin’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I should have worked harder to talk them out of it.”

The cold tiles under her knees were beginning to become uncomfortable. Her tears started to dry out and Aelin dragged her hand under her nose as she stood. “It’s not your fault. Boys are idiots.” The three other females nodded in agreement. “I just need to tell them that neither of them are going to win the bet. And inform them that they should never do something like this again.”

“Or,” Nehemia interjected, “You could make them regret ever messing with you in the first place.” The three eleven year olds looked up at the ghost, a question in their eyes. “You could lead them on, make them work for a goal they will never achieve. You might as well benefit from having two boys desperately trying to win your favor.” 

Aelin played with a lock of her hair thoughtfully. Lysandra and Mor met her gaze, both of the girls smiling encouragingly. “Why not?” She finally agreed. “Whitethorn is boring me anyways, best to move on to a new bloke - or two.”

Nehemia smiled widely, retreating from them and glancing towards the door. “Good, good. You seem to have a couple boys waiting in the hallway for you.” The three of them looked towards the door. “Meet me in Ravenclaw Tower to form a plan when you’re ready.” The fleeting voice of the ghost struck Aelin’s ears and when she looked back, the female was gone.

“I hate when she does that,” Mor muttered. “Are you okay?” She asked, grasping Aelin’s hand in her own and meeting her eyes. Lysandra grabbed a towel that Aelin could wipe her eyes with.

The witch nodded solemnly. “I’ll be fine, I was overreacting to Manon.”

“Don’t let her get under your skin,” Lysandra reminded, gesturing towards the door. Aelin glanced back once at where Nehemia and the other ghost had disappeared, shaking off the feeling of someone watching her.

Rhys and Azriel abruptly stood up from their position against the wall. The latter held a plate of chocolate cake in his hands, which Aelin immediately zeroed in on. She noticed the look Mor and Rhys shared, to which Mor nodded once resolutely, and Rhysand seemed to relax. “You guys are the best,” she said around a mouthful of deliciousness.

Azriel shrugged, a small blush on his face as he tucked his hands into his pockets. Rhys, however, took the compliment. He slung his arm around Aelin’s shoulders comfortingly. “We know,” he said with a smug smile.

Just then, students began to flood the hallways, signaling the end of lunch. Aelin quickly hid her chocolate cake from view, scarfing it down like her life depended on it. Mor and Lysandra waved goodbye after informing Aelin that they would come get her for the meeting with Nehemia. She thanked them for being there for her and then they were off to their next class.

Azriel nudged her shoulder to see Aedion and Feyre sprinting towards them. Done with her cake, Aelin used her wand to send it back down to the kitchens and then turned to accept her cousin’s hug.

“Are you alright Aelin?” Aedion asked worriedly, examining her up and down for any injuries.

She placed her hand on Aedion’s shoulder, looking him in the eye so that he would believe her. “I’m fine. I got a little overemotional about some stuff said at lunch, but my friends helped me.”

For the first time, Aedion looked to Azriel and Rhys, nodding to them in thanks. Aelin rolled her eyes and turned to Feyre, who was waiting patiently for her turn to talk.

“You missed the chocolate snaps that appeared after lunch.” Feyre opened her hand to display about a dozen treats resting in her palm. “I thought they might work to cheer you up.”

Aelin couldn’t help but laugh. Perhaps she had been a bit too vocal about her love for chocolate. “I’m that transparent, aren’t I?” Feyre’s perplexed expression made Aelin wave her hand, collecting the candies and popping them into her mouth without thinking. She was about to thank Feyre for thinking of her but when she opened her mouth, instead of words, flames came out.

They did not burn her, but they sure did startle. Quickly, Aelin shut her lips just as riotous laughter came from around the corner. Rowan Whitethorn sauntered over to them, slipping an arm around Feyre’s shoulders who was covering her mouth trying to hide her smile.

Aelin opened her mouth again to ask what was happening and once more, a burst of fire flickered from her tongue. Rhys, Azriel, and Aedion finally noticed what was happening, beginning to quickly try and figure out how to stop it. She stared at the silver-haired wizard in front of her, daggers gleaming in her eyes.

Her guard had been down. He’d taken his chance. And he’d used chocolate to do it.

“You have a real problem there, Aelin,” he chuckled. Rowan tossed a chocolate snap into the air and caught it again. The males around her turned now to stare at him. “Calm down, bat boys and wolfie, she’s fine. It’s a concoction of my own making,” his eyes met hers, “so that her words reflect the fire in her heart. It will wear off in a couple hours.”

“This is a stupid prank, Whitethorn, and you know it,” Rhys growled. Azriel had to grab his arm to keep him from punching the wizard. Aedion didn’t look like he would be apposed to a new bruise of Rowan’s face either.

Rowan cocked an eyebrow. “Was it? Feyre didn’t seem to think so.” Rhys’ gaze shifted to the witch whose responding smirk made his fierce expression waver. Aelin didn’t dare try to talk, but everyone could see the fire that blazed in her eyes - rhetorical flames this time, but burning none the less.

The hallway had emptied considerably, as students rushed to class, and so the sound of a cane against stone drew all of their attention as the Suriel came entered the area. Rowan suddenly paled and Aelin couldn’t help but smirk at the thought of him getting reprimanded by the terrifying divination teacher.

“Whitethorn!” The Suriel snapped, even though it was still at the other end of the hallway. It seemed to already know what had happened. “Apologize to your...” It seemed to think for a moment. “To your Fireheart.”

Rowan was taken aback, his arm slipping from Feyre’s shoulders. “I-I’m sorry, Aelin.” He said, slightly shaking with fear. None of the other students were much better, all scared of the teacher that continued to hobble closer.

“Good, now get to class!” It barked. Rowan didn’t need to be told twice, quickly grabbing Feyre’s wrist and dragging her with him. “Aelin, let’s get you to Alis,” The Suriel’s tone considerably softened as she spoke to the witch. “The rest of you may also leave for your studies.”

Aelin shared a terrified look with Rhysand, silently begging him not to leave her with the creature, even if it was taking to the nurse. He just slightly shook his head in response. “Let’s go, little girl.” The Suriel commanded, and Aelin had no choice but to follow.

...

That night, Rowan walked into Maeve’s office just a half hour before curfew. She looked up from her desk after a few minutes of him waiting by the door. “Did you give her the chocolates?” Was the first thing she said. Rowan nodded, knowing by now that it was not wise to speak unless it was absolutely necessary. Maeve nodded in approval. “Good. Then you have completed my first task.”

Rowan beamed. If feeding some fiery candies to an annoying girl was the only thing he had to do to win Maeve’s favor, he would gladly do it. Even if it meant that scary teachers like the Suriel would then corner him and demand that he be nice to said girl in the future. The divination teacher seemed to think that Rowan must like the girl, or have some claim on her, the way it kept calling Aelin ‘his Fireheart’. The wizard slightly shivered, remembering the way the Suriel had put it’s bony hand on his shoulder and stared at him with those milky white orbs.

He watched silently as Maeve leaned back in her chair, assessing him. “Are you prepared for my next task?” Rowan nodded again. “Make Aelin hate you.”

Masterlist

[aelin-and-feyre]

A School of Fire and Shadow (Part 3)

Tagging: @starzablaze @hannahnosretep @runesandfaes @mayhemories@illyrian-queen @bluephoenix222 @carolineherr15 @rugrat-mama@rowanismybae @themajorindianfangirl @a-courtof-fangirls-and-fanfics @rhysand-and-rowan @notjustanyoldfangirl @gcarroll @illyrianinterrasen @helloprinceling (let me know if you want to be tagged in future parts!)

TOG x ACOTAR Crossover - Hogwarts au

House Key

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Aelin honestly didn’t think that flying would be this difficult. Of course, Rowan Whitethorn was a natural in the air, cutting through swarms of flailing first years while he and Cassian laughed. Matron Blackbeak was watching him closely, observing his obvious skill and agility in the sky.  

Meanwhile, Aelin opted to stay closer to the ground, merely hovering with her toes dangling only centimeters from the dirt. A couple others had their feet still planted firmly on the ground, although they didn’t seem to mind much. Aelin watched in wonder as Cassian and Rowan threw a ball of parchment through the air, flawlessly ducking and swerving to catch it.

“You’ve never seen a Quidditch match have you?” Aelin jumped as Manon appeared beside her. The white-haired girl also observed the gathering of sky-high eleven year olds but her expression displayed infinite boredom rather than wonder. Aelin figured since Manon was part of a family of world-famous Quidditch players, a couple kids dangling from their flimsy sticks was nothing to be amazed at.

Aelin huffed, she wanted to cross her arms but immediately thought better of it, fiercely gripping the broom instead in order to keep her balance. “Where did you get that idea?” she asked, even though it was completely true. Aelin’s family was much more involved in Ministry matters than sports.

Manon shrugged. “It’s either that, or you are completely in love with Whitethorn with the way you are staring at him.”

Aelin couldn’t help but sputter at the accusation, turning up her nose. “You’re in love with Rowan,” she shot back childishly. Aelin knew it was a stupid response but at the moment, she didn’t have a much better one.

The other witch raised an eyebrow. “First name basis, huh? You really are in love,” Manon cooed, making Aelin blush. Her feet touched the ground and she released the broom to be able to cross her arms and pout.

“Well you,” she tried desperately to think of a good comeback. “You’re in love with frogs!”

A short chuckle escaped Manon’s lips. “What are we? Ten?” Her own feet hit the grass and she smoothly dismounted her broom. “C’mon Aelin, I was just joking.”

Aelin released her pout, turning back to watch the group in the sky as Rhys and Azriel joined them, the four wizards gradually flying higher. “I’m surprised you aren’t up there with them, what with your grandmother obviously scouting for new recruits.” She subtly gestured towards the flying instructor.

Manon rolled her eyes. Aelin wasn’t completely sure but she thought a look of disappointment might’ve flashed across her face. “First years don’t get on Quidditch teams,” she explained. “It’s a stupid tradition but one that my grandmother upholds fiercely.”

But as Aelin watched, Matron Blackbeak swiftly flew up to meet the group of boys. She couldn’t hear what the Matron said, but Rowan left the sky with her, going off to talk a little ways away from the rest of the students. Aelin jerked her chin towards them and Manon, who had been sullenly fidgeting with her broom, glanced over.

Whatever their conversation was about, Rowan was exceptionally happy about it. It didn’t take a twelve year old to assume what the Matron had just asked him. “Perhaps she has changed tradition.” Aelin commented, noticing the way Manon’s grip tightened on the neck of her broom.

The witch didn’t say another word to Aelin as she hopped onto the instrument and soared into the sky. Going higher than any other first years, Manon showed her skill through loops and dives, flying with ferocious intensity. The rest of the students paused to watch as she made a clean loop around the Quidditch field, weaving between posts and skimming the stands.

The young girl made a gesture towards a Hufflepuff - who Aelin had learned was Asterin, Manon’s cousin. Asterin was about to jump onto her own broom when a sharp voice cut across the pitch. “Manon! Come down here this instant.” The students flinched at Matron Blackbeak’s piercing tone, watching in awe as the wild girl was restrained just by a few words.

Stone faced, Manon descended from the sky, landing easily at her grandmother’s feet. “Class is over for the day students, I will see you again next week.” The Matron instructed without averting her fierce glare from her granddaughter.

Everyone shuffled away with a few glances back at the pair. Manon stood, shoulders back but gaze down. Aelin hung back a few more moments, barely noticing as Rowan and his new friends ran off in laughter and glee. When she did finally leave the Quidditch pitch, Asterin was the only one that remained with the two other Blackbeaks. Family meeting apparently.

Dropping off the broom, Aelin wandered around the castle, finding her way to the Great Hall. Three of the flying boys from earlier sat at the Slytherin table, stuffing their faces with various snacks. Rowan was not with them.

Sauntering over, Aelin dropped down on the bench next to Rhys. “Hey Aelin,” He greeted, slipping an arm over her shoulder. Truly, his attitude had changed drastically since the train last week. He had become much more confident around her, though she hadn’t seen him around Feyre at all, so she didn’t know if that interaction had changed much, if at all.

Nodding to him once and then turning back to his friends, Aelin noticed Cassian’s intrigued gaze on her. She awkwardly waved at him. “Hi, I’m Aelin,” She offered her hand to shake.

The wizard smiled. “Cassian. It’s nice to meet you.” His hand was clammy in her own, betraying his nervousness though his attitude seemed at ease. Boys were so confusing.

Azriel interrupted, pushing a bowl of potato chips towards Aelin in offering. “You guys know that lunch is in like half an hour, right?” She questioned, even as she grabbed a handful of chips and shoved them in her mouth. Azriel smirked slightly at the action, popping a chocolate snap into his own mouth. Aelin’s eyes widened. “Is that chocolate?” Azriel nodded, sharing a humorous glance with his friends while offering her the plate.

“Sweet tooth, huh?” Cassian guessed. “We’ll have to keep that in mind.”

Around the mouthful of sugar, Aelin grinned. “You keep me stocked with chocolate and I’ll be your best friend.”

Just then, Manon sashayed into the Great Hall, heading straight for them. Her right cheek bloomed bright red, but the witch was smiling grandly. Asterin wasn’t far behind, her gaze trained on Manon’s back, until they parted and went to separate tables.

The four of them watched as she practically skipped over to their group. “What happened to your face?” Aelin asked, thoroughly confused. She shared a worried glance with Azriel.

“I got on the Slytherin Quidditch team!” She exclaimed, grinning wider than she had the entire week Aelin had known her.

Cassian’s eyes widened excitedly. “Seriously? That’s great!” He offered her a hand to high five and - to Aelin’s infinite surprise - Manon accepted.

Rhys’ expression matched Aelin’s in worry. “Uh, Manon, you’re bleeding a little...” He gestured to his right cheek bone. Manon seemed surprised, brushing the drop of red with one finger and leaving a crimson streak across the space below her eye.

She chuckled a bit, grabbing a couple chips - the first normal food Aelin had ever seen her eat. “I tripped up the stairs on my way here, smacked my cheek pretty good,” She popped a chip in her mouth, seemed to ponder over the taste, and decided it was good enough to keep eating. “I can barely feel it though, I’m so happy.”

Aelin looked at Rhys, then Cassian, then Azriel. They had all come from the field too, and there were no stairs between there and the Great Hall. Rhys shook his head slightly, silently telling them to leave it for now. Aelin knew he was right; when Manon felt comfortable enough to tell them, she would.  

...

Cassian departed from the Slytherin table when lunch began, leaving Rhys with Aelin, Azriel, and Manon. The latter witch added a few more chips to her usual plate of meat, chatting away the entire meal, still high on the excitement of becoming Seeker.

When owls began to flock in, Rhysand looked to the ceiling, hoping against hope that he would get a letter today. His father hadn’t yet written him at all. Sure, he was busy with the Ministry, but he could’ve taken the time to ask what house Rhys had gotten into, or if he was safe and happy at Hogwarts. Rhys couldn’t be too disappointed though. At least he had a dad who could write to him, Azriel and Cassian weren’t that lucky.

A smile grew on his face as he spotted a little black creature soar down in the midst of other owls. The bat dropped a small green box in front of him, just barely avoiding careening into his plate, before flying up and away again. Rhys grabbed the box excitedly. He stopped short when he saw the look on Aelin’s face.

“What?” He asked, his fingers itching to open the gift.

She looked at him incredulously. “You have a bat?!” Azriel laughed out loud at the exclamation.

Rhys shrugged, glancing around to see that a couple other people were looking at them weirdly. “It’s not a big deal.” He muttered, fingering the silver latch. “Be quiet.” Rhys urged when she opened her mouth again.

Her next words came out as a urgent whisper. “I thought we were only allowed owls.” She stressed. Rhys shared a conspiratorial glance with Azriel, both of them smiling slightly. Aelin caught the look. “You have one too?” She asked his quiet friend.

“Cassian too,” Az responded. “It’s a sign of our roots.”

Aelin opened her mouth, then closed it again, searching for the right words. Her gaze drifted behind Azriel and Rhys followed her line of sight to where a white-tailed hawk was depositing a letting to Rowan Whitethorn. She rolled her eyes. “And Headmistress Maas is okay with these pets?”

The three of them looked towards the head table, where the Headmistress was smiling slightly over the rim of her goblet. Maas caught their gaze, lifting the cup towards them in greeting, before turning to talk to Mistress Maeve. Aelin turned back to Rhys, her mouth gaping.

“She doesn’t seem to mind.” Rhys said with a smirk. Aelin grumbled something, going back to her food and Rhys took the break in conversation to finally open the green container.

A pin - a delicate silver snake curled against a green crest - was settled against a black velvet setting. A Slytherin pin. Perhaps his father did know what house he was in. He touched the brooch carefully, a horrible thought overcoming his mind.

His father probably didn’t know what house the Sorting Hat put him in, but he sent the pin anyway because it would send the right message in either situation. Right now, the gift told him that he should be proud to be in the snake house, like his ancestors. However, if he had been sorted into Gryffindor or Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff, the pin would’ve have told him that he should be ashamed to have not been in Slytherin.

Rhys sighed. He could always count on his father to play the table both ways.

Aelin seemed to notice Rhys’ disappointed expression, because she suddenly poked his arm. “Psst, Rhys,” He looked over to her, shutting the box and setting it aside. When she saw that she had his attention, Aelin continued. “What do you think about playing a prank on Whitethorn?”

Rhys grinned, the gift pushed to the back of his mind. “What do you have in mind, princess?”

Aelin smirked back. “Well, do you remember that coloring charm we learned in Hybern’s yesterday?”

...

Elide walked timidly into the Hufflepuff common room, her cat swerving around her ankles. She glanced around for anyone she might be able to sit by. Asterin sat brooding in front of the fire, her eyes blazing just as fiercely as the flames. Elide decided she was probably not in the mood to talk to right now. She didn’t see Viviane either, but guessed that the witch was with Kallias, as they were almost always together.  

In the week and a half that she had been here, Elide discovered that her fellow first year Hufflepuffs were nice enough, although she hadn’t made fantastic friends out of them yet. Settling into a seat in the corner, Elide had never wished more that she was a reader. At least then she could find some escape in the library, like Aelin did, or be able to bury herself in a good book. Instead, she was stuck with her yarn and needles, getting lost in the rhythm of knitting.

Marion, her tabby, sat next to her on the arm of the chair. Her tail swished back and forth as she slept peacefully. The cat was named after her mother, who had died a couple years ago. Elide almost never went anywhere without the animal.

The task kept her hands busy but not so much her mind, and Elide found her thoughts drifting. She was so distracted by her daydreaming, that Elide jumped when a second year plopped down across from her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” The girl apologized. She held out a hand, dirt caked under her fingernails. “I’m Elain.”

“Elide,” She set aside her needles and shook the witch’s hand.

Elain looked around awkwardly. “What are you making?” She gestures to the long strip of yellow and black yarn.

Elide lifted it up so that the witch could examine it. “A Hufflepuff scarf. My uncle just sent me the colors after I told him I got into this house.”

The girl nodded absently. Elide had a hard time believing that she was boring her already. Something else must be going on. “What can I do for you?” She asked. Not many people had talked to her yet, and Elain seemed to have an agenda.

“Um, I was noticing that you didn’t have a ton of friends,” Elide cringed at the harsh truth. “Not that it’s a bad thing,” Elain quickly said. “I just have a little sister that I think could use a friend as well. I thought you should go find her.” Elide perked up at the suggestion. She didn’t like pity, but she was pretty sure that Elain was just trying to help.

Recoiling her yarn, Elide nodded. “Yeah, that would be nice. Where can I find her?” The other witch smiled, relieved not to have offended her.

“Most likely in the art studio, she’s been hanging there a lot.” Elide wasn’t sure where the art studio was located, but she had been meaning to explore the castle and this would give her a good excuse.

She set her half-made scarf aside and thanked Elain - though she wasn’t sure that she should be thanking her - and headed out of the cozy common room.

It took barely ten minutes before Elide became completely lost. All the halls looked the same here. All the doors were made of the same dark wood and black iron castings; the stairs kept changing and redirecting her to various hallways that she may or may not recognize; and the portraits covering each wall were as unhelpful as people she passed. Her bad leg was starting to hurt from all the walking, and Elide honestly wasn’t sure she would be able to find her way back to Hufflepuff quarters. She should have brought her yarn and made a path.

Her cat walked along side her the entire time, waiting patiently when Elide had to stop and rest. She took a deep breath, steeling herself to continue wandering. “Come on, Marion, let’s keep moving.” Elide pushed off the wall and walked down the empty hall. She turned the corner and ran into an older boy, the force of the collision knocking her down.

“Shit.” The wizard blurted, offering a hand to help her up. “I’m sorry, Marion,” he said. Easily, he pulled her back to a standing position, not letting go until she had her footing. Elide was about to correct him about the name but he kept talking. “Are you okay?” He glanced around the empty hallways. “You’re kinda in the middle of nowhere.”

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine.” She tried, a weak smile on her lips that even she knew was unconvincing. A raised eyebrow from the Slytherin made her drop the charade. “Okay, I’m lost.”

The boy glanced behind him nervously. Elide tried to follow his line of sight, but he suddenly turned her around, directing her in the opposite way she had been traveling. “Well, lucky for you, I’m pretty well acquainted with the castle. Where are you heading? I would be happy to escort you.” With a forced smile - an expression Elide guessed he didn’t wear too often - and a strained voice, Elide was pretty sure he was not be happy to escort her, but it was her only chance of getting where she needed to go.

Limping next to him, Elide struggled to keep up with his long legs. “Um, I’m trying to get to the art studio?”

The third year looked at her sideways. “Really Marion? I wouldn’t have pegged you for a artist.”

Her cat’s ears perked at the sound of her name. “I’m actually meeting a friend, and my name isn’t -”

“A friend, huh?” The wizard interrupted once more, now looking forward again. Elide gritted her teeth to stop from yelling at him. He was older than her, and much bigger. She did not want to get on his bad side.

Elide huffed. “Don’t sound so surprised. I have friends.”

He looked at her doubtfully and Elide couldn’t help but feel personally attacked. “I’ve only ever seen you with that cat.” The sentence revealed more than the boy had meant, and Elide was amazed to see a slight blush on his cheeks. “Not that I watch you or anything.”

“I never said that you did,” She couldn’t help a small smirk. With the lapse in conversation, Elide decided to finally correct him. “My name isn’t Marion, by the way. That’s my cat’s name.”

The Slytherin seemed surprised. “Seriously? I’m sorry, that was foolish of me.” She noticed that he didn’t ask for her actual name. Instead, he kept walking, though Elide could tell he was slowing his gait for her.  They were just reaching the top of a staircase - this one mercifully didn’t move while they were climbing it - when they ran into another person. “Professor Maas,” the wizard beside her greeted.

The witch smiled when she saw them. “Oh, hello students, where are you off to?”

“Marion was lost, I’m taking her to the art studio,” he explained, attempting to side step the Headmistress and pull Elide along with him.

Maas’ eyes shone with laughter at Elide’s eye roll. He still didn’t know her name, although to be fair, she still didn’t know his. “That’s very kind of you. Best to get there soon before dinner. Don’t dawdle.” And with a wink in Elide’s direction, the professor turned away and up another staircase.

“C’mon, we’re almost there.” The boy said, gesturing Elide forward.

She took a couple steps, her ankle now throbbing with the pain, and stopped. “Wait, what’s your name?” But the older student was already several strides ahead of her, and Elide’s soft voice either didn’t reach his ears or he didn’t care to answer. With a huff, she caught up to him, just as he turned another corner and they arrived at a blue-painted door.

“Here you are, the art studio.” The wizard turned the knob and pushed the door open enough that Elide could see the stack of easels against one wall and a shelf of paint buckets organizing themselves. When she looked back, he was at the end of the hall. “See you around Marion!” He called.

“Hey! I still don’t know your-” He turned the corner. “Name.” The word died on her lips, causing Elide to grumble down to the real Marion. “What an odd boy.” She sighed, shaking off the weird encounter, and slipped into the room.

A girl with a messy bun and a paint splattered face sat on a stool in front of a canvas. She was the only one in the room, gripping her wand firmly as she pointed it towards a painting of the night sky. Elide cleared her throat, making the girl whirl in surprise.

“Oh! Hi!” She squeaked, rising from her stool and setting down her wand. She wiped her painted fingers along her apron. “I would shake your hand but I’m a little messy at the moment. I’m Feyre.”

Finally, a person who understands the natural order of conversation when meeting someone new. “Nice to meet you Feyre, I’m Elide. Your sister told me to come find you, though I admit I took a couple unexpected detours.” She desperately wanted to sit down and rest her leg.

Feyre blushed at the sister comment, probably also pondering if she should be relieved or insulted that Elain had decided to take it upon herself to find her a friend. She pulled out another stool and set it next to her own. “Come see.” Elide appreciated the invitation, taking a seat. She also liked the easy way Feyre seemed to just accept Elide without any big explanation. Marion hopped up into her lap, Feyre smiling at the cat for a moment before turning back to her art.

“What are you trying to do?” Elide wondered, her eyes roaming over the painting. It was rather good, for an eleven year old. The stars almost seemed to form their own unique constellations as they glimmered in front of a deep blue-black backdrop.

Feyre groaned, grabbing her wand again and shaking it angrily towards the canvas. “I’m trying to use this basic moving charm to get the stars to twinkle. You know, like the paintings in the halls.” She gripped her wand tight, brandishing it in a swirling fashion, and uttered a few syllables. Elide watched intently to see if anything moved. When they didn’t, Feyre slumped, burying her face in her hands.

“Hey,” Elide comforted. “It’ll be okay. It’s only the second week of school. By summer, you’ll be a master at this.”

“I hope so,” Feyre agreed, smoothing some fly-aways back into the bun and streaking blue paint into the strands without noticing. Elide cringed. “So, Elide, are you interested in art?”

The girl shrugged. “Not really.”

“Sports?”

“Probably not.”

“Reading?”

“That’s a definite no.”

“Oh my gosh, me too!” Feyre exclaimed suddenly. “I am not a reader at all, really. I would like to be, but I’m just not very good at it.”

Elide nodded enthusiastically. “I know right!” Feyre grinned and Elide smiled back, both girls glad to finally have a friend at Hogwarts.

...

“You are in Maeve’s group too?” Rowan asked in a hushed whisper to Gavriel, a third year Gryffindor and also Aedion’s older brother apparently. He was the Keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team and they met at Rowan’s first practice as a Chaser. Now at dinner, Rowan was trying to keep the people who overheard their conversation to a minimum.

Gavriel nodded around a mouthful of pasta. “Yeah, me, Lorcan, and Vaughn right now. Though Lorcan tells me you’re a contender for the fourth spot.”

Rowan shrugged nonchalantly, trying not to act as excited as he felt that the older wizard acknowledged his chance. He felt much better now that he knew that more than just Slytherins and Ravenclaws got in her club. It gave him hope.

Rowan was just biting into a piece of garlic bread when a solitary hawk flew into the Great Hall. It wasn’t mail time and the unexpected bird drew everyone’s attention. Rowan glanced up and paled. It was his hawk, but it had already delivered the packages for today. Upon further inspection, Rowan noticed that it carried a small scrap of parchment, and it’s tail - to his horror - was jinxed bright pink.

Flying straight for him, practically the whole school watched as his usually white-tailed hawk landed squarely on top of his head, dropping the note into his lap. The whole room erupted in laughter and Rowan looked up, noticing that his own silver locks were also turning pink. He hurried to shoo the bird off of him, but the spell continued until all of his hair was the outrageous color.

Rowan had never blushed so hard. His fingers curled tightly around the piece of parchment. Trying to ignore the laughs and stares, he unfold the note and read:

‘Prank War, Buzzard?

-A&R’

Rowan slowly lifted his gaze to the Slytherin table, where Aelin and Rhys had tears in their eyes from laughing so hard. Aelin fixed her eyes on his own, and Rhys lifted an eyebrow in challenge.

“It’s on.” Rowan snarled. Aelin smirked mischievously and Rhys high-fived her.

“Rhysand and Aelin!” A female voice boomed across the Great Hall and laughter died. Rowan turned, expecting to see Headmistress Maas, but instead the Potions Mistress was standing, a piercing glare pointed towards the two first years. “Ten points from Slytherin!” When she didn’t get the reaction she wanted, Amarantha continued. “And detention.”

Rhys and Aelin looked at each other, their faces falling slightly, and grumbled in defeat. Dinner continued a few moments later, everyone now using hushed voices rather than face Amarantha’s wrath. Rowan frantically tried to scrub the pink from his hair but it refused to budge.

Maeve sat at the head table, observing the sea of children in front of her and Rowan glowered. If Aelin and Rhys ruined his chances for being part of her cadre with their little prank, he would never forgive them. He turned his glare towards Aelin again to find that she was still smirking at him as she popped a chocolate snap into her mouth. It only served to fuel his rage.

Rowan pivoted to Feyre next to him, who was trying desperately not to laugh at his brightly colored state. “Care to join me in a prank war, Feyre?”

The witch’s eyes widened and she glanced towards the Slytherin table. When she looked back, she had an equally wicked smile. “They’re going down.”

...

Mistress Maeve slid her eyes from Lorcan to Rowan, trying to see the family resemblance. Especially with his temporarily pink hair, the young Whitethorn looked nothing like his older cousin. The Suriel sat next to her, picking at the pile of bones layered on it’s plate. It probably wasn’t the most secure place to talk about it, but at the moment, Maeve didn’t much care.

“Suriel,” She began, earning the creature’s attention. “I have a question.”

It’s black gums pulled back in a smile. “Well, Maeve, you know that questions will cost something.”

Maeve turned her wicked gaze on her fellow teacher. It unnerved her still, but she could not let that show, not right now. “Need I remind you of our deal, Suriel?”

The being shrunk back at the reminder, it’s milky eyes no longer focused on her. “What would you like to know, Mistress Maeve?” It muttered.

Maeve smiled at the submissiveness. “What future do you see for the young Whitethorn.”

The Suriel’s head turned to fix it’s gaze on the boy. “A great many things, Maeve. Fire and blonde hair, wings and battle. He will be a good wizard. A destiny awaits him, and it’s all connected to her.” A bony, skinless finger pointed towards the Slytherin table, where a small blonde girl held a staring contest with Rowan.

Quickly, Maeve pushed it’s hand back before anyone saw. She took a moment to recover from touching the creature. Once she had registered what the Suriel had predicted, Maeve smiled grimly. “Then perhaps it is time to forge him a new destiny.”

Masterlist

[aelin-and-feyre]

A School of Fire and Shadow (Part 2)

Big thank you to @rhysand-and-rowan for being my beta on this chapter!

Tagging: @starzablaze @hannahnosretep @runesandfaes @mayhemories @illyrian-queen @bluephoenix222 @carolineherr15 @rugrat-mama @rowanismybae @themajorindianfangirl @a-courtof-fangirls-and-fanfics (let me know if you want to be tagged in the future!)

TOG x ACOTAR Crossover - Hogwarts au

House Key

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The Great Hall was surreal, Rhysand had to admit. The mystical ceiling itself was unbelievable and the floating candles high above were both concerning and amazing. During the entire feast, the new Slytherin kept making sure no hot wax had accidentally fallen onto his plate.

When the Sorting Hat had been placed on his head, Rhys had been pretty sure he would be put in the snake house, as his father had been and his father before him. Azriel had joined not much later, a small smile on his face as the rest of the Slytherin table clapped for him. He could not help but feel a bit disappointed when Feyre was sorted into Gryffindor. Quickly, Rhys shook off the feeling. She was just a girl, and besides, cooties.

Aelin sauntered over to the Slytherin table, smiling grandly and sitting across from Rhysand after the Hat had been lifted from her head. “Why hello, Rhys.” She greeted, a wicked glint in her eye so intriguing that Rhysand suddenly found himself smiling back.

“Ready to rule the school, Aelin?” He inquired, quirking an eyebrow at the witch. From what he interpreted from the train ride, Aelin was just as much of a troublemaker as he was.

“Depends,” She responded, her eyes flickering briefly to Azriel. “Are you always as much of a buffoon as you were around Feyre?”

His best friend sent him a sideways glance but didn’t say anything, bless him. “Not usually, are you always as much of a pain as you were around Whitethorn?” Just as he said it, Rhysand noticed Rowan walking stoically to the Gryffindor, taking a seat next to Feyre. He did not mention it to Aelin but he had a feeling she had been listening anyway.

“Usually, yes.” Aelin smirked. “But that’s why this is going to be so great.”

Before Rhys could respond, a new witch stalked towards the table, her long white hair, extremely pale skin, and fierce golden eyes intimidating him just a bit. Aelin narrowed her eyes at the witch as she sat down next to her, the latter seeming to scrutinize her as well. Finally, they both broke into mischievous grins. “You’re going to be a piece of work, aren’t you, Blackbeak?”

The witch shrugged. “Aren’t we all, Galathynius?”

From what Rhys could tell, they didn’t previously know each other, but just knew how to spot competition, or an uneasy alliance. Cauldron, they would make a weird bunch.

“Wait, you’re Manon Blackbeak?” A third year Slytherin asked, deciding not to pretend like she wasn’t listening anymore. Rhys turned to look at the speaker and was taken aback by how similar she looked to Feyre. Must be a sister or other relative.

Manon nodded, not looking the least bit uncomfortable, as Rhys would have been in the same situation. Her face remained uninterested, but it almost seemed as if the third year was equally bored, already done with the conversation as her attention was turned back to the front of the Hall. Rhysand met Aelin’s gaze across the table and they both shrugged. Perhaps they should get used to the unusual at Hogwarts.

When the Sorting Hat finished, Headmistress Maas made a speech. She welcomed them to the school and proclaimed her hopes that the year would go smoothly for everyone. And then, the food arrived.

It was utterly delicious, and Rhys stuffed himself full with all the feast had to offer. Aelin and him became easy friends, bonding over their love of food. Manon seemed to be the opposite of a vegetarian, though Rhysand would never judge. His eyes may have bulged just a bit when he saw the amount of meat that she piled onto her plate, however.

About halfway through the meal, and a couple silent conversations between Rhys and Aelin, curiosity finally got the better of his new witch friend. “Why did that third year know your name?” Aelin asked Manon nonchalantly.

Manon took a bite of her chicken leg before responding. “Matron Blackbeak is my grandmother.” She said around a mouthful of meat. Her head jerked towards the head table where a older witch sat with about the same amount of bones on her plate to match the amount of meat Manon still possessed on hers. “She’s the flying instructor here.”

Rhysand gulped. The Matron did not look altogether loving towards children. He wondered briefly what prompted her to become a teacher in the first place. Azriel nudged Rhys in the side to get him to stop staring. Instead, his eyes averted to another teacher, a rather beautiful red-haired one that was talking to a man next to her.

When she caught Rhys’ gaze, she winked before going back to her conversation. Rhysand felt his cheeks heat, quickly looking down at his plate before he could embarrass himself anymore.

“That’s Amarantha, the Potions Mistress,” The third year from earlier interrupted again, not seeming to care that she was blatantly eavesdropping and watching them if she had seen where he had been looking. “And the Professor she’s talking to?” Her voice became disgusted. “That’s Professor Hybern, charms teacher and real pain in the ass.” The girl’s eyes skimmed over her audience of eleven year olds and she shook her head. “Forget that last part. Watch out for both of them though, not the best people in the world.”

Rhysand nodded. “Thanks for the advice.” But she had already turned back to her food.

The dessert appeared then, making the four of them jump. When she recovered, Aelin’s squeal practically burst his eardrum. She grabbed for the chocolate cake and was half done with it by the time Rhysand had gotten her attention again. He gestured to the head table and they surveyed it together, marking and observing. When they found each others gaze again, both nodded. 

Whatever came their way, Aelin and Rhys would have each other’s backs, because there was a distinct possibility that Headmistress Maas’ wish for a smooth year was severely misplaced.

...

“Gryffindor!” The Sorting Hat shouted in Rowan’s ear, making him jump, even though he knew it was coming. Rowan’s eyes found Lorcan’s at the Slytherin table as the Hat was lifted from his head. His older cousin’s face was expressionless, as always, but Rowan couldn’t help but feel guilty that he hadn’t been sorted into Slytherin.

He could feel her gaze on him. The two eyes that had been trained on his head since the moment his name was called. He hadn’t looked at her yet, had been instructed by Lorcan to not make contact until she did. His cousin felt pretty confident that Mistress Maeve would want him in her group, and just the thought of it had his palms sweating in anticipation. He sincerely hoped that him not getting into Slytherin didn’t mean that he wouldn’t be accepted into her cadre.

Eventually, he felt her gaze move, and Rowan shook off the remaining sensation as he walked the rest of the way to the Gryffindor table.

Feyre waited there, along with three other first years boys. He took a seat next to the witch, nodding to her in recognition and then introduced himself to his fellow Gryffindor wizards.

“You okay?” He asked Feyre, noticing her downcast expression. Perhaps he wasn’t the only one who was disappointed by the Sorting Hat’s choice.

Feyre shrugged half-heartedly. “I had a fifty-fifty chance of getting into a house with one of my sisters.” She explained. “Nesta is in Slytherin and Elain is in Hufflepuff but I got put into Gryffindor.” She pouted.

Hesitantly, because girls are gross, Rowan laid a hand on her shoulder. “It’ll be okay,” He tried, not very good at the whole ‘comforting’ thing. “We’ll have loads of fun in Gryffindor, I promise.” Even though he wasn’t sure about that himself.

Feyre nodded, smiling slightly at him. “Thanks Rowan. I shouldn’t even be surprised anyway. My sisters and I are nothing alike, of course we’d be put in separate houses.” She glanced over to the Slytherin table and Rowan followed her gaze.

A older witch, perhaps third or fourth year, that looked shockingly like Feyre was taking over Rhysand to say something to Manon Blackbeak. Rowan could not deny the family resemblance - light skin, brown hair, blue-grey eyes - but Feyre was also right about their different personalities. While Nesta’s face may look like Feyre’s, it did not hold the same kind, forgiving softness that the younger sister possessed.

“Yeah, you’ll have a much better time with me than her, I’m sure.” Rowan chuckled, retracting his hand from the witch’s shoulder and turning to listen to Headmistress Maas.

Chaol and Cassian had started up an easy conversation once the food had been served, and Tarquin and Feyre were talking effortlessly. If Rowan had cared enough to pay more attention, he might think that the wizard was flirting with her, though that might as well have just been the young boy’s personality.

“Hey... Rowan, right?” A second year further down the table called his attention. Rowan looked over to see the blonde from the train, Aedion, if he remembered correctly. Same blue and gold eyes and golden hair as Aelin, though Rowan wasn’t thinking about her, or the fact that she was sitting at the Slytherin table this very moment chatting it up with Rhysand. Briefly, he wondered how Aedion felt about his cousin in the snake house.

“Uh, yeah, hi,” Rowan said, his voice cracking and making him want to die. Lorcan already had a incredibly deep voice, but Rowan’s was embarrassingly high. He had just been glad Aelin hadn’t brought it up on the train.

“What do you think, man? Glad to be in Gryffindor?” Aedion asked, gesturing to the crowded table full of students scarfing down food.

Rowan didn’t particularly love lying, nor did he love coming off rude. “Yeah, I guess,” He shrugged noncommittally.

“Aw, come on, you’ll love it,” Rowan had a feeling his disappointment had shown before, and now the older wizard was trying to cheer him up, just as he had tried to cheer up Feyre. “Varian, the Head of Gryffindor, is awesome. Most of the time, he’s so caught up with Professor Amren that he let’s us do whatever we want!”

That caught Rowan’s attention. He glanced towards the head table where the teachers sat, scanning for the two professors who had originally welcomed them. They sat side by side, the witch looking stoically out at the hall, drinking a glass of... something Rowan could not see, and fully ignoring the wizard beside her. Professor Varian, with his large frame, ate visibly tense, as if restraining himself from talking to her.

“They don’t look like they’re together,” Rowan turned back to Aedion.

“That’s because they’re not,” A red-haired wizard with one brass eye interrupted the conversation with a chuckle. “Varian is hopelessly in love with Professor Amren, but refuses to admit it. It’s a rather funny circumstance though: Professor Varian, Head of Gryffindor, in love with Professor Amren, Head of Slytherin.”

Despite himself, Rowan’s eyes flickered to the Slytherin table, where Aelin and Rhysand were also currently examining the head table. His eyes were back on the two second years in front of him within a second, but Aedion had caught the look. The older wizard smiled. “Oh, Rowan,” He paused, his own gaze switching to his younger cousin, confusion masking his eyes for a moment before looking back to Rowan. “Good luck, brother.”

Rowan harrumphed. He didn’t need luck with anything. What did he need luck on? Nothing. There was nothing that needed luck whatsoever.

Cheeks red but stomach grumbling, Rowan turned back to his meal. He caught the end of Feyre’s conversation with Tarquin. “I wonder what it teaches.” She murmured.

Rowan followed their gaze to another teacher, sitting at the far end of the table. Feyre had called the person ‘it’ and he was sure that was probably a good assumption. It wore a cloak that concealed much of it’s face, but Rowan could just see the tip of a long nose, it’s skin cracked and flaky. It was looking down to eat but when it raised it’s head, Rowan was startled to see milky white pools where it’s eyes should be. The fingers that grasped the fork were too long to be normal, with black nails clinking against the metal.

“What is that?” He whispered to Feyre, who jumped a bit at the unpredicted noise.

Both her and Tarquin turned to look at him, and Feyre shrugged. “I’m pretty sure it’s a teacher, but I really don’t know. Would Headmistress Maas really let a thing like that teach children?”

“What are you guys talking about?” Aedion asked over Rowan’s shoulder, now making all three of the first years jump. Wordlessly, Feyre pointed towards the far end of the table. Aedion’s eyes followed and for a brief moment, when the boy did not reel back in shock, Rowan wondered if they were just imagining things. “Oh, the Suriel?”

“The what?” Tarquin asked, glancing back to the thing that had now grabbed a whole rotisserie chicken and was picking away at it.

Aedion went really quiet. “The Suriel. It teaches Divination, the practice of seeing the future, and it knows everything.”

“Everything?” Feyre echoed.

Aedion nodded solemnly. “It’s harmless, really, it would never hurt a student, at least I don’t think.” A chill ran down Rowan’s spine. “But if you need an answer, you go to the Suriel.”

“And does Professor Suriel -”

“Not Professor Suriel, just the Suriel.” Aedion corrected, just as dessert arrived, effectively ending all other conversation. Rowan cast one more glance back to the Divination teacher, and saw that Feyre was doing the same, a curious look on her face.

“What do you want to ask it?” He wondered, politely denying the scoop of pumpkin ice-cream that Cassian offered to him.

Feyre’s gaze drifted, seeming to only now notice the sweets displayed in front of her. “I’m not sure yet.” She admitted. “I’ll let you know when I do.”

...

Dorian sent a cursory glance around the room. Chaol got sorted into Gryffindor, no big surprise there as his best friend is one of the bravest people he knows. Other than that, he didn’t know many other people at Hogwarts.

Lysandra and Mor, the two first year girls that were also sorted into Ravenclaw, seemed very nice, if not incredibly pretty. Dorian wasn’t sure he wanted to go for them just yet though, as they’d be sharing a common room for the next seven years. He’d be their friend for right now.

Kallias, the wizard to his right, had been making silly faces at a Hufflepuff girl the entire meal. Dorian had to give props to the boy, he already had a girl just dangling from his fingertips. Of course Dorian could too but it was still a little early in the game for that.

Instead, the young Ravenclaw decided to talk to the ghost girl that had floated in a couple minutes ago. “So, Nehemia, any advice for a first year such as myself?” He wondered, still a little creeped out by the fact that Hogwarts just lets ghosts wander around the castle. Even being raised in a pureblood family had not prepared him for this.

“Fall in love.” Another voice that most certainly was not Nehemia’s spoke up from across the table. Both Dorian and the ghost turned to look at the speaker - a dark skinned second year who looked like he had a permanent smirk on his face. “Sorry to interrupt, I just couldn’t help but notice... Hello there,” He greeted Dorian with a polite smile, but the first year could see the excited flash in his coffee colored eyes. “I’m Helion.”  

“Nice to meet you, I’m Dorian,” He responded. “I’m not sure you’re the best to be giving me advice though, I’m only a year younger than you.”

Helion shrugged, popping a toffee in his mouth. “Falling in love is always a good piece of advice, right Nehemia?”

The ghost studied him for a moment, then turned to Dorian with her eyes rolling. “Don’t listen to him, all he thinks about is romance and... other things.”

Dorian lifted an eyebrow at the wizard who proceeded to lift his glass back in response. “Don’t worry, I think about plenty more things than that, she’s exaggerating. Please don’t hesitate to come to me if you need help studying, I’m very well-versed in almost every subject.”

The sentence was laced with innuendos that Dorian wasn’t sure should be coming from a twelve year old’s mouth or that his eleven year old brain should be understanding. However, the wizard looked sincere, as if he did truly know many things. Dorian nodded once, and Helion went back to talking with some other second years. Odd.

“Everything is odd here, Dorian,” Nehemia muttered, voicing his thoughts. “Better get used to it.”

Absentmindedly, Dorian nodded. His eyes drifted to a the Slytherin table, catching a glimpse of a girl his age with peach skin and glorious blonde hair. He smiled, knowing who he would start trying out his skills on. Roland had taught him well, and now that he was at school, Dorian was ready to master his charm. Like Helion had said, he should take this time at Hogwarts to... fall in love.

Masterlist

[aelin-and-feyre]

First Installment of ‘A School of Fire and Shadow’ being posted Tonight!

Here it comes! After weeks of planning and plotting, I’ve finally written the first chapter of my TOG x ACOTAR crossover Hogwarts AU! Be ready for out faves as adorable first years!!!

[aelin-and-feyre]

2000 Follower Celebration!

Ah! I have 2000 followers???? That’s just, like, absolutely crazy to me and I gush about it all the time tbh and I love you all and thank you for following me!

To celebrate the milestone, I’m gonna do something similar to what I did for 1000 followers and let you all vote for what series I should write next. 

The options are.... *drumroll*

Manorian - Beauty and the Beast au (Manon is the beast)

Nessian - Aladdin au

Fenrys - Origin story/boyo needs a mate because he deserves it

Tog x Acotar crossover - Hogwarts au

Go ahead and message me, send me your vote, or comment which series I should write next. Again, thank you to all of you for following me, I love you all!

[aelin-and-feyre]

Okay, I finally finished planning my Tog x Acotar crossover Hogwarts au series, and so now I can start writing! Yay!