#but albus keeps his favorite jumper on

[louisweasleyisgonnakickyourarse]

The Sexy Seventeen

“Happy Birthday Lou Lou!”

Louis groaned as his most pesky, most favorite cousin set off a mini firework within his cot. Confetti and enchanted sparkling dust burst forth in a loud pop singeing the top of the navy drapes. Around the dorm other sixth year Ravenclaws began to stir, roused now by the noise. But this was to be expected, even if it was annoying to be woken up by a party popper this early in the morning. Albus Potter had done this every single year for his cousin’s birthday since they had started at Hogwarts, and while the rest of the sixth year Ravenclaw boys never were pleased about it, they had gotten used to it.

“Fuck off.” Louis groaned, trying to turn over and pull his blanket up over his head. This proved impossible however as Albus was currently straddling the redhead and shaking his shoulders violently.

“Get up, get up, get up!” Albus cheered, “Everyone’s waiting for you. I brought you coffee.” The slytherin’s words lifted at the end, a delighted smile on his handsome face knowing his cousin would be seduced with the offering of black caffeinated nectar.

Louis muttered a curse or two, but relented, if only for the coffee. Louis had never been big on celebrating his birthday, not because of the attention or anything, it just didn’t feel special to him anymore. When he’d been little and still able to celebrate at home, it had been a bit different. It meant cake for breakfast, and usually getting skeev muggle school and go do a fun activity with his best mates Rose and Albus. But at Hogwarts, well birthdays had lost most of their luster. There were no parents waking him up with birthday kisses or family coming over to wish Louis a happy birthday. That was really what he had liked the most about his birthdays growing up, it was another reason for everyone who wasn’t at Hogwarts to get together. 

Now Louis didn’t consider his birthday a sad thing, even if the tradition had come to an end, it was just less important to Louis than it used to be. But not to Albus who had tried to make a day of it every single year. Although Louis would never admit it, it warmed his heart and him and Rose always tried to do the same in return for their Slytherin. But usually for Louis’s birthday it was the three of them sneaking out of the castle, ditching class and going into town. They’d get take out, fuck around a little bit, usually snowball fight, and in recent years, smoke something then head back to Hogwarts.

But unbeknownst to the Ravenclaw, Albus had something different planned for this year. A surprise party. It was, after all, Louis’ seventeenth birthday, the most important birthday for any witch or wizard. He was officially an adult now, and thus the world would soon be his oyster. He could even start learning to Apparate come spring if he wanted which Louis was very interested in. Not to mention he could choose not to come back to Hogwarts for his seventh year. But Louis planned to finish out Hogwarts properly. He was still unsure of what he wanted to do in the future so he figured he’d just try and take as many classes as he could to keep his options open.

“Up you go Lou Lou, big day.” Albus encouraged, finally getting off of Louis. The Redhead mumbled something sleepily but shifted off his covers and grabbed at the coffee cup Albus had placed on his night stand. After a deep few sips, he finally got to his feet and changed out of his pajamas into a pair of athletic shorts and an old sweatshirt. Albus gave him a curious look, not sure why his cousin was putting on workout clothes instead of his usual jeans and jumper.

“Interesting get up Louis.” Albus commented. 

“All I did was smoke cigarettes and sit around all summer, Al. Andrews is making me go for a run with him every morning after breakfast.” Louis explained understanding his cousin’s confusion. 

Andrews was in reference to Tyler Andrews, the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain. He was a a good captain in Louis’ opinion, but tough. After they had all returned to school and started practicing again, Andrews had noticed Louis’ decline and refused to allow it. He was putting pressure on all the sixth years in particular as they made up a decent portion of the team. It was unlikely Louis would be the only one fetched after breakfast. 

“That’s crazy, he can’t make you do that.” Albus said stubburnly.

“Not all of us can just sit on a broom and look pretty Al, some of us have to actually play Quidditch.” Louis teased, mocking as he always did, the position of seeker. 

The two tousled a bit before they were laughing and heading down into the common room, where, as Albus had promised, the cousins who remained at Hogwarts were waiting for him. There was Rose of course, but also Lily with her two Scamander twins, Hugo and even little Lucy who had just started her first year. They greeted their cousin with a very loud rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ and many hugs and kisses before they all went to breakfast together and proceeded to sing to Louis again just to embarrass him. 

The morning post came with a pile of letters for Louis from several relatives, even his Veela cousins. But at the top was a a little box that Louis knew was most likely a watch from his father as was tradition. As the eldest in the Weasley family, it was Bill who had inherited Arthur’s watch on his seventeenth, and now it would be Louis’. The gift felt intimate, private, and so he stuffed it into the front of sweatshirt in order to open it latter and read the accompanying letter. Bill, like his son, wasn’t a man of many words, but the things he did take the time to write or say were usually important. 

However there was one person in particular Louis was hoping to get a happy birthday from, even if he would never admit to the desire out loud. And that, of course, was Caerwyn.

[uprising-hqarchive]

WELCOME TO THE WIZARDING WORLD, WES!

we’re glad to have you. don’t forget to check the current timeline of events, and send in your account within the NEXT 24 HOURS. most importantly; don’t forget to have fun!

OUT OF CHARACTER

NAME/ALIAS, PRONOUNS, AGE:  Wes, He/him

TIMEZONE AND ACTIVITY: EST, GMT-5

IN CHARACTER

— is that Logan Lerman? oh, no it’s just Albus Potter. He is a 22 year old half-blood witch/wizard/squib, whose occupation is a journeyman alchemist. i guess that’s why his former house is Slytherin. He is prepared for the uprising, His alliance is to her Majesty’s government (Order supporting, anti-ministry).

BIRTHDAY: 15 October

SOCIAL MEDIA: @oxfordAl

RESIDENCE: studio flat in Oxford

EXTRA

History:

The middle Potter, the second son of a hero, Albus Potter has lived a certain amount of his life in the public eye.  He’s always been conscious of attention, desiring it less and less as he grew older.  He finds respite in close acquaintances and good friends, small settings and familiar environments.  His family, though sometimes the very people he’s clashing with, are always his first source of solace and comfort.  Whatever tensions they might have, they’re his people.  And woe be told to anyone who crosses the line in his presence.

From a young age, Albus showed a taciturn bent and found himself at his Aunt Hermione’s side with frequency.  Books and stories became his companions as much as his brother.  And sometimes to better effect.  He devoured literature, asked his aunt and parents for lessons and primers, and had a raging row over the fact that other children could go to primary school.  He saw Hogwarts and education as the next great challenge, the next great adventure.  He saw it as where he truly belonged.

How wonderfully cruel that reality can be.

Hogwarts wasn’t the worst thing really.  IT was a learning experience to be sure, in more than just the academics.  Sorted into Slytherin and falling into a different vein than his brother and father, he acquired more than a little gossip.  But Albus was used to his corner, and the wit came quick and venomous.  His first day landed him with a broken nose and a split lip from a Gryffindor’s fist, but he earned some respect from the Pit.  That would only increase as he made fast friends, finding his place amongst the clever and resourceful people of his house.  He excelled in the patient arts: potions, arithmancy, charms.  The reactive magics like defense and creatures were hardly his forte, though his marks held true.  And divination was utter garbage.  One needed faith for that.

As it came close to the end of his schooling, and as N.E.W.T.s rolled along, Albus found himself quite in a conundrum.  Where and what could he do?  Did he want to do?  There was so little pulling him other than his wandering mind these days.  So he researched.  He reached out.  And he found himself an apprenticeship in Oxford at a potioneer, admittedly his favorite subject and his highest marks.  He visited and investigated and was taken by the university.  His Aunt had always spoken highly of education for its own sake.  And touring the campus, reading the glossy brochures, and looking at the still pictures, he found himself quite taken with the notion.  He made inquiries, and found himself meeting the minimums for acceptance rather easily, thanks to a few careful considerations from the ministry.  And no institution as old as Oxford was without their own inroads into magic.  He found a tutor, and spent the summer before university cramming muggle knowledge into his brain.

Classics and history took up most of his time as he studied.  Rhetoric, debate, politics, and law.  People asked if he wanted to become a barrister, go into politics.  Both sounded dreadfully dull if he was honest.  Chemistry was a fun diversion, his understanding of the potion making and alchemical processes lending to his ability to break down mixtures and compounds with ease.  And it made him that much better at his job at the magical apothecary in the evenings and the weekends.  AS the muggle communication restrictions got tighter, he reduced his social life more and more, his friends that were magical and in the city of Oxford doing much the same.

He was only glad he sat his last exams before the stringent restrictions went into place.

Now finding himself without an anchor in his studies, Albus attends to his job as a journeyman pontioneer, making brews and scowling at them with trying to keep his rage at the growing situation down.  There have been a few curious emails, a cursory phone call on his mobile from a recruiter, looking for interested parties to work in exciting new opportunities.  And a letter with return address for Whitehall.  He wasn’t sure what it meant, but as the setting of his world grows more and more chaotic, Albus looked at these as invitations to something new and exciting.

He never expected to meet with a member of His Majesty’s intelligence services.

But with the restrictions on muggle transportation and crossing over that divide stricter than ever, it might be the best training for a career that’s catching his interest to neatly.

Personality:

Albus has grown into the young firebrand of his circle of friends.  Opinionated, yet understated, he takes to picking apart people on their turns of rhetoric and logic.  He is bile and caffeine amped to eleven and chasing down the high street in a pair of ragged Doc Martens.  He is the blast of winter air into a coffee shop with a cloud of cigarette smoke and the smell of powdered unicorn horn and eye of newt.  He sounds of barely contained frustration and a hint of extra firewhisky.  He is impassioned and believes greatly in freedom and self-expression and safety.  He chafes under harsh restrictions that seemingly have little logic.  Debate is his mother tongue and contradiction is his first dialect.  He is a satchel stuffed with journals and notes, an iPod blaring music, assorted bits of dark chocolate, and a series of buttons in rainbow and myriad middle fingers.  He might just be the poster child for what happens when you mix muggle and magic.  And he’d gladly flick you off and show you chipped green nail polish and his tongue stud to show you just what he thought about that condemnation.

Appearance:

Albus embraced a lot of the muggle university lifestyle during his time in Oxford.  Hooded sweatshirts and skinny jeans make up the bulk of his closet.  He likes a good jumper and tends to pair those with knit wool caps that just cover his perpetually messy black hair.  His time in Slytherin is not totally lost, and he does have a few Savile Row bespoke suits in greys and blacks that compliment his figure.  The tailored shirts are in shades of greys or pale blues to offset his eyes and the ties, either in contrasting colors or emerald green.  One must have some house pride after all.  Leather loafers mix with tough boots and kicked to hell Converse and Doc Martens next to his door.  He paints his nails when he finds the time, mostly to give him something to pick at when his bored or tamping down irritation.  He sports a series of small studs on his upper arch of his left ear and a single black, flat piercing in each lobe.  He tends to avoid jewelry and has a single tattoo on his right bicep: a green and silver snake coiled around a rainbow polyhedral gem.

Prompt:

Albus was running, which in and of itself showed how much this meant to him.  His earbuds were affixed, the harsh music pushing him on further and further.  The roads were empty this time of day.  And wizarding Oxford was never that busy of a place.  But here he was, pushing past his third mile and trying to ignore the burn in his lungs and replace it with the fire behind his eyes.  Damnable restrictions and damnable people pulling strings in the fucking toilets that were the Ministry were hampering his actions.  He grit his teeth and turned a corner, slowing his pace ever so slightly.

He clocked a tail, turning the corner in the distance, maybe thirty meters behind him if the reflection in the window was to be believed.  But this tail, he was expecting.  They weren’t out of place in robes or hurried by magic.

Fuck, they were wearing Adidas for Merlin’s sake.

Albus let his pace slacken to a cool down pace, waiting to see the move.  The figure slowed as well, but moved quickly enough to overtake.  But a few moments and they’d be side by side.  Al discreetly paused his song, tilting his head as his company appeared.

“Half four at the Queenleaf.  Ask for Earl Grey and lavender.”

And they pressed past.  He started his music up again and did his best to squash the face he wanted to pull.  What sort of philistine drank that sort of shite, even on a cold spring day?  He shook his head, pushing off again and taking the left fork at the next street.  His tail had taken the right.  He’d see what would come of things at half four.  The last time he’d taken one of these missives?

Well, it’d had the information for Box 500.  MI:5.  The Secret Service.  He was intrigued.

They at least seemed able to run an operation.  Damn far sight from the actions of the DMLE.

#uhq.accepted #hi this app is beautiful #albus potter

[havecourage-darling]

Coyotes

**Can be read as a standalone - there is an overarching plot. The only things you need to know are: reader is muggleborn, hufflepuff, a year above the golden trio and one year below Fred & George.

Pairing: George x Reader, Established Relationship

A/N: I’m getting back into the swing of things so I wrote this quite quickly, it wasn’t planned out really. Hope you guys like this one! The scene at the Hog’s Head was taken a little word for word just for plot’s purposes, I take no credit for that!

*As a reminder, please note - I’m no longer posting on Tumblr. If you want the continuation of this story, you can find it on AO3 or on my Masterlist.

Words: ~5.5k

Warnings: None

8. Previous Marigolds & Fireworks | 10. Weasley’s Wildfire Whiz-bangs

You ran your hand through Ginny’s soft red hair and parted it into two. Slowly beginning a braid, Ginny straightened and stilled. She smiled up at you from the floor and you grinned, eyes on the intricate twists in front of you. Ginny loved it when you braided her hair – she’d always try to leave it in for as long as she could before it slid out of it’s tie.

“Albus Dumbledore has proven his loyalty to his favorite pupil, Harry James Potter, known for his…” Hermione read aloud, from her seat in the far right corner of the room.

Ron snorted from his place in front of the fireplace, eyes focused on the flames.

You watched them warily, they had both been on edge – having listened to Dumbledore when he’d instructed you all not to write to Harry. You know Ron felt the most guilty, especially considering how much of state Harry was in at the end of the last year.

You, however, had decided halfway through the summer that you didn’t see any problem with a few letters. You knew how to use the regular post and technically that wasn’t breaking the rule.

Technically.

Besides, his Uncle Vernon was too afraid of anything related to magic to withhold your parcels from him and you hadn’t heard anything from Hogwarts. You figured that you were in the clear.

A loud snapping sound disrupted the quiet and drowned out Hermione’s soft voice. You jumped, Ginny’s hair slipping from your fingers and her braid disintegrating. Hermione half fell off her chair and Ginny threw a pillow at Fred.

“Fred! George!” You snapped, irritated with their sudden apparating.

Hermione righted herself on her chair and leveled a glare at them.

“Tough crowd,” Fred whispered.

“Sorry!” George said, not looking sorry at all, and smiling innocently at you.

“So hostile,” Fred tugged on a piece of your hair. “We’re here to tell you something – maybe they don’t want to know?”

You distantly heard the grating you’d come to associate with Grimmauld Place. Straightening, you frowned. “They’ve finally left for Harry.”

Fred huffed. “Honestly woman, how do you do that?”

Ginny’s started wringing her hands and Hermione’s pinched expression returned.

“I think I’m going to go check on Helga,” Ginny said quietly and you squeezed her hand. Ron turned to Hermione and winced.

You grabbed a handful of George and Fred’s jumpers to prevent them from apparating. “Why don’t we go to your room? I think I left something there.”

Fred sighed and nodded. “We always miss the good stuff.”

You pinched his side and he squirmed. “Alright, alright, I’m moving!”

“Do you think he’ll be too angry at them?” You chewed your lip. You plopped down on George’s bed and sighed. “They were only following orders.”

“It’ll work out, I’m sure,” George squeezed your shoulder. “I’m glad you’re finally here to help with all the silence.”

Fred nodded. “Everyone’s so serious.”

“Well, there is a reason Fred,” you nudged him.

“I know!” He said loudly and you shushed him.

Somehow, it always felt wrong to be too loud in this house. You did not want to wake up any of the paintings.

He winced and lowered his voice. “I know. I’m just sayin’ a few jokes wouldn’t kill anyone.”

“Except Sirius’ mum, remember when she caught us-” you blushed after Fred gagged.

“I think we all heard her that day.” Fred screwed up his face and pretended to mimic her shrill voice. “If you two would learn to keep it in your knickers-”

“Oi!” George flushed bright red and shoved Fred. Fred frowned and shoved him back. Soon enough, they were both tumbling around on the floor of their room.

You watched them, laughing, and a thought suddenly struck you. This was your last summer before school together, the last time you’d ride the Hogwarts Express, the last everything.  

“What’s with the face?” Fred asked, stuck in George’s choke hold.

“I’m going to miss you two,” you said sadly, your voice wobbly.

Fred groaned. “Don’t start!”

“The year hasn’t even started yet and you’re already preparing for the end!” George exclaimed, releasing Fred and coming to sit by you. “Don’t get ahead of yourself love.”

You sighed and nodded. “I know, I know.”

“’Sides, it’s not like we’re just gonna ignore you the year after. Contrary to belief, we do know how to write letters y’know,” Fred joked.

“And you’d better write lots of them!” You said sternly.

“’Course!” George squeezed your hand. “I’d come to Hogsmeade whenever you’d want.”

You smiled at them both. Faintly, you heard the grinding noise again and straightened. The whole house seemed to quiet and you looked at them both.

“Harry’s here.”

///

“It is the first week back!” A voice said into your ear. “You cannot possibly be studying for an exam already.”

You jumped, your quill flying and scattering across the table. “You scared me!”

George looked around the loud hall and raised his eyebrows.

Smiling sheepishly you shrugged. “I was focused.”

“Clearly.” George climbed onto the bench next to you.

“There’s lots to get ahead for. Why didn’t you tell me 6th year was such a jump? I’ve got access to even rarer plants – Flitwick’s already promised to teach me a few charms after class. He said he didn’t mind the extra work!”

George snorted. “Of course not, you’re one of his favorite students.”

You flushed, pleased, and went back to your work. “McGonagall’s already piled on the homework of course – and don’t get me started on Snape. I’m so behind on my Herbology as well. I’ve got a few plants I need to go visit that I haven’t been by to say hello. Ah, Madam Pompfrey’s agreed to start training me this year! She said she’s never seen such promise with my O.W.Ls for a healer. ‘Said I’ve got all the right marks for the N.E.W.T classes.”

George listened to you ramble on as you scribbled away. He nodded and hummed in the right places. He offered up advice on your last bit of work and playing with the hem of your jumper once he was bored.

“I’m almost done,” you said, smiling up at him warmly. “Thank you for sitting with me. You didn’t have to.”

“I want to, even if you’re ignoring me for Charms homework. Besides, you promised to introduce me to your new friends, what’d you name them again?”

You smiled and closed your book at last. “Paul, Lennon, George, and Ringo. They’re not magical, they’re only succulents from a store in town by our flat. I got them for Professor Sprout as a start of term gift.”

George snorted and you elbowed him.

“Hey! They’re still cute! Besides, I need to repot Frank – he’s outgrown his old small pot and Charlie gave me that really cool dragon one for Christmas last year.” You gathered your books into your bag but George hauled it onto his shoulder and you beamed at him. “Thanks.”

“S’okay,” he smiled. “Well, let’s get going. We wouldn’t want to keep Frank waiting would we?”

“Don’t you need to go over-” you glanced around you, “-merchandise, with Fred? You’ve already sat with me for a while. I really don’t mind.”

“No,” he assured you again. “What’s a guy got to do around here to spend time with his girlfriend?”

“I just don’t want you two to get behind on anything.” He shot you a stern look. You grinned and looked down at your feet. “Alright, alright, just double checking!”

You walked in comfortable silence, hand in hand, until you remembered your last class of the day. You hadn’t realized you were frowning until George squeezed your hand.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you frown while walking towards the greenhouses, what’s wrong?”

George’s voice brought you out of your head and you shook your head.

“I don’t trust her.” You furrowed your brows. “I forgot to tell you.”

“Who?”

“Umbridge.”

“’Course not,” George laughed. “She’s mental, no one likes her. She’s like Snape.”

“No, George, it’s beyond that… I can’t put my finger on it. She’s different than Snape. I don’t know,” you sighed. “First the dementors, then Harry’s trial, and now no Defense training? Something big is coming and how are we supposed to know how to defend ourselves-”

“Hey.” George stopped and tapped your furrowed forehead. You relaxed and he smiled. “Just like last year, we’ll get through it.”

You smiled. “Preferably with no huge fights this time.”

George snorted. “I’ve got no objections to that. I think that one was enough to last us into forever.”

Trying hard to keep your expression straight, you hummed. “Forever huh?”

“What? Oh.” George stumbled a bit and his ears went pink. “I mean- I didn’t – blimey-”

“I’m just joking!” You laughed lightly.

He sighed and reached for your side. “Don’t do that!”

You squirmed under his hand and laughed. “It’s not my fault you’re so cute when you’re all bumbling!”

“Hey!”

///

You were severely under dressed for the drafty shack that Hermione had chosen to meet. You hated the Hog’s Head. You were squished between George and Lee, butterbeer half drained, listening to Hermione give her speech.

“Because Lord Voldemort’s back!” She said strongly.

The small crowd around you gasped loudly and started chattering amongst themselves.

“Well . . . that’s the plan anyway,” she continued. “If you want to join us, we need to decide how we’re going to —”

“Where’s the proof You-Know-Who’s back?” said a blonde Hufflepuff that you recognized from the quidditch team.

“Well, Dumbledore believes it —” Hermione began.

“You mean, Dumbledore believes him,” said the blond boy, nodding at Harry.

“Who are you?” Ron said harshly.

“Zacharias Smith and I think we’ve got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who’s back.”

“Look,” said Hermione, intervening swiftly, “that’s really not what this meeting was supposed to be about —”

“It’s okay, Hermione,” Harry started. You, however, were having none of it.

You stood up. “Hey! Harry isn’t a liar and anyone who thinks so – shouldn’t be here.” You snapped harshly. “You all surely enjoyed the Gryffindor joy last year right? You all didn’t care if he was a liar or not when his name was pulled.”

You shot Seamus a pointed look and he flushed bright red and said nothing.

“And you,” you snipped towards Zacharias who hunched a little under your scrutiny. “If you came for learning purposes than what’s it matter to you? You all came because, like always, you wanted to hear what the famous Harry Potter had to say about last year. You should all be ashamed of yourselves. Cedric Diggory is dead and we have bigger problems on our hands.”

You huffed and crossed your arms indignantly. George smiled and wrapped an arm around you proudly. You caught Harry’s eye and he had the ghost of a smile on his face.

“S’okay,” he said quietly to you.

“What makes me say You-Know-Who’s back?” Harry asked, looking Zacharias straight in the face. “I saw him. But Dumbledore told the school what happened last year, and if you didn’t believe him, you don’t believe me, and I’m not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone.”

You tuned out as they kept talking to each other, keeping a wary eye of Zacharias.

“So?” Hermione cleared her throat. You saw her outstretched hand with a wobbling quill and she set it down. You stood, snatched it up, and aggressively wrote your name down under Hermione’s.

You tossed the pen to Fred who glared at Zacharias before writing his name.

Everyone started leaving quickly after that and shortly, only a handful were left.  

You eyed the parchment thoughtfully.

“You best not lose that. The thick headed one was right. If someone finds that we’re done for. Especially considering that a lot of us are Prefects.” You chewed on your cheek. “I could put a charm on it-”

“I already did,” Hermione smirked.

You laughed. “Of course you did.”

“Badger?” You turned around at George’s voice. “Fred and Lee are ready to go.”

“Alright.” You wrapped George’s borrowed scarf tighter around yourself.

You stood and were almost immediately stopped by George’s arm.

“Oof,” you grunted. “What’s wrong with you? You nutter.”

“They’re going but – we don’t have to – we could get a butterbeer or go into Honeydukes.”

You blinked. Hermione and Ginny beamed happily at you. George rolled his eyes but his flushed ears gave him away.

You intertwined your cold fingers with his warm ones and smiled up at him. “Of course! Didn’t you have to purchase…” you trailed off and glanced around at everyone watching you. “…some products.” You ended weakly.

Fred clapped your back and you stumbled. “We can manage ourselves.”

George smiled as they all started towards the door.

“I’ve always got time for you, even if we don’t have a day off.”

You beamed at him, reaching up for a quick kiss. “Let’s go.”

///

“Hello Frank,” you rubbed the base of his stem and the medium-sized plant relaxed. It instantly stopped hissing and leaned towards your hand. You checked his leaves and soil to make sure everything looked right. “You enjoying the warmth of the shed? Sprout said she had tea with you this morning.”

“Who is she talking to mate?” You heard Lee ask George.

“Frank,” Fred, George, Abby, and your best friend answered in unison.

“He’s got feelings too!” You called out from your corner. “Remember, no more than six of those Fred, she’ll notice if you take too many!”

Fred had lied and told Sprout that he needed a few basic ingredients for a potion’s assignment. She’d given him permission to take anything he’d needed as long as you made sure it was within bounds. You’d rolled your eyes but kept quiet and promised to go with him.

“I’m not taking too many of your precious leaves! A promise is a promise.”

You huffed. “I’m checking you both before we leave.”

“I am honestly baffled that you’d think I’d lie!” Fred clutched his chest in mock astonishment. “It’s just hurtful really.”

“Oh shut it,” you exhaled and shooed him with your hand. “Abby? Could you hand me the watering can? Careful, it’s not water!”

“I got it,” George stretched to reach the can from the high shelf and handed it off to you.

“Cheers.”

“S’alright,” he tugged on a piece of your hair. “Where are Ringo and the rest?”

“Who’s Ringo?” Lee asked.

“Muggle plant,” Fred and George answered again.

You couldn’t hold back your smile and shook your head. “They’re in Sprout’s office. She was really happy when I gave them to her. She said she was waiting for a new shipment of vines - promised she’d let me take first pick.”

“I heard we’re practicing Patronus Charms next,” Abby said quietly. “That’s really advanced magic - I don’t think I’ll be able to. I’m not good at Charms.”

“Of course you can,” you said fiercely. “You’re just as talented as the rest of us. You just need to practice more.”

“Easy for you to say,” Lee snorted. “You’ve been able to produce one.”

Fred and George snapped their necks towards you and you shot them a look. “Just an incorporeal one, for a few minutes. It’s hard to sustain.”

“How’d you do it?” Abby asked, awed.

“Harry says they need to be big, happy memories. Although, it is hard to do for the first time,” you admitted. “After that, it gets easier. You already know you can do it!”

Lee and Abby started arguing about the best way to go about producing a Patronus. You watched your best friend cross her arms and nod along with them.

Not listening to them, you made sure to double check all the plants as you got ready to usher them out. You tapped Frank’s leaves one last time, said your goodbyes and placed the water can back up on the shelf.

George crowded against you and you squeaked in surprise. “What are you doing?”

He smiled widely at you. “What? I just wanted to be next to you.”

“Sure,” you dragged out the vowel. “It’s not weird at all that you suddenly want to be in my personal space.”

“‘Course not,” he said and swooped down for a kiss. Startled, you bit down on his bottom lip and he leaned back.“Ow.”

“What was that you weirdo?” You leaned forward to touch his lip and frowned. “Sorry, it doesn’t look too bad.”

“You could kiss it better?” George widened his eyes.

You eyed him warily and shoved him out your way. “Fred Weasley! Whatever it is you’re doing you empty out your pockets!”

Lee laughed and shook his head. “I told you it wasn’t going to work.”

Abby laughed and your best friend rolled her eyes. “We’ll be outside!”

You searched both twins thoroughly and put back half of their stash before locking up behind you.

“Honestly, you can’t even distract her?” Fred said.

George shrugged and kissed your temple. “One day.”

“Not soon,” you said smugly.

A loud noise made you look up and you saw a familiar black owl flying towards you. She landed softly on your shoulder and nipped at your jaw.

“Hello lovely, where’ve you been? I didn’t see you this morning-”

Helga screeched when she caught sight of George and fluttered towards his outstretched arm.

“Oi, what am I? Invisible?” You said indignantly.

George laughed. “At least I can hold her attention.”

“Even Helga knows which twin is which,” Abby giggled. “I still confuse you two half the time.”

Fred shrugged good-naturedly. “Most people do. Badger’s the abnormal one.”

“Oh, nice.” You made a face at him. He laughed and squished your cheeks.

You batted his hands away and caught sight of Hagrid’s cottage in the distance. You saw smoke coming out of his chimney and beamed. “I promised Hagrid this morning that I’d visit. I haven’t really seen him since he got back.”

“Want some company?” Fred asked, resting his arm on your shoulder.

You huffed and squirmed under the weight. “You don’t need to bother-”

“Nonsense! We’re already halfway there anyway!”

“Alright, alright, keep your knickers on.” You shoved his arm and pinched his side. “I saw you sneak those rosebuds outside but I’m going to pretend like I have no idea why you’d need to use that in a potion since it could only be used for a cure to nausea.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he grinned.

Lee laughed and ran ahead with Abby hot on his heels. Your best friend pinched your side as she passed and walked after them.

Helga hooted softly and rubbed her head against George’s fingers, reveling in his attention.

“You know you’re my owl right?” You called out.

Helga dutifully ignored you and you rolled your eyes.

“Such loyalty – ouch, Fred!” He’d bumped into you, hitting your side painfully. You pushed at his shoulder in retaliation and he grabbed some snow off of the bushes around you. “Don’t you dare!”

You darted away from him, shrieking. “I’ll hex you! I’ll do it!”

///

“Watch out!” Someone squeaked.

You ducked instinctively and felt the cold rush of air as a wispy otter jumped passed you. Ginny, who’d been standing next to you, ducked with you. Neville, however, was laid out on the floor – the otter curling around his head.

Hermione appeared to your left, wand in hand. “Sorry Neville!”

Ginny helped him back up onto his feet and he smiled.

“It’s alright.”

You glanced around and saw many more incorporeal patronus charms than there had been a few hours ago.

“Let the memory fill you up, picture it in your mind, that’s it!” Harry encouraged a familiar Ravenclaw and a large bird erupted from her wand. It cawed loudly and soared above your heads.

“How did you do it?” Ginny asked you, making you turn back to her. Her brows were furrowed and she was focused on a spot by the wall.

“My parents – when they tell the story of how they met, how they always supported me growing up, I think about meeting your family, Helga, and Diagon Alley.” You turned to speak to the others that were listening in. “It doesn’t have to be a big memory or the happiest moment of your life. Just – a strong memory.”

They nodded and went back to practicing.

You took a quick walk around the room with Hermione, Luna, Ron and Harry. You five were the only ones who’d succeeded in producing a Patronus consistently.

Everyone had managed incorporeal ones at least once and a handful had produced a few corporeal charms. You were having fun seeing what they each manifested as.

There was an animalistic cackle followed by laughter and you turn to see a hyena snipping at Lee’s robes. Fred laughed and elbowed George.

“Your turn,” Fred joked.

George’s nose wrinkled, like it usually did when he was focused, and he waved his wand. You turned towards Neville for a moment, to give him further help when the whole room laughed.

“Blimey! There not the same!” You glanced over your shoulder but your line of sight was blocked by a few bodies surrounding the twins.

Suddenly, a loud neighing came from Ginny’s wand and a tall horse burst into a run across the perimeter of the room.

“Oi!” George complained. “Ginny! Your horse stomped out my Patronus.”

Ginny ignored him and beamed as you congratulated her. You turned to see Neville attempt again and you straightened.

“Ah! I see what you’re doing wrong.” You pointed at his wrist. “Move it slower, more fluidly.”

Neville tried to rectify his wand movement but you frowned.

“No, look, watch me.” You took your wand from your pocket and pointed towards an empty space to your left. “Expecto Patronum!”

Your coyote, which still managed to surprise you, shot out and headbutted Ginny’s hip.

She giggled, eyes wide and awed. “It’s a coyote!”

“Yours is a horse!” You said laughingly. “What’re you afraid of my little coyote?”

Neville imitated you and a blue circle bobbed mid-air.

“Good job Neville!” You shrieked, excited for him. “That’s great!”

Neville beamed and grinned at you. “Thanks!”

You glanced around for anyone who looked like they were struggling and found Hermione gaping at your coyote, still sitting by your side. It glanced towards Hermione and tilted its head.

“What?” You said feeling a little self-conscious.

“That looks like George’s patronus,” Harry said, passing by your group.

Hermione broke out in a wide grin. “That’s because it is!”

“George!” She called out across the room and his head perked up. “Try it again!”

“Alright.” He shrugged and waved his wand.

Sure enough, his coyote immediately passed everyone and headed straight for your own. They were almost identical, except for their size. Your patronus had smaller shoulders. George’s started gnawing at yours playfully.

“They’re a pair,” Hermione pointed at them. “That’s why it wasn’t a hyena.”

“What?” You felt like you were missing something. The entire room had gone quiet, staring at your two playful coyotes. Yours managed to sit on top of George’s, who was sprawled comically.

“Ahem,” Luna’s light voice broke the silence. “They can change when a witch or wizard has a change of character or an emotional upheaval.”

You blinked at her and she frowned.

“Like having a strong, unchanging, love.” She gestured to your two coyotes. “Mine is just like my mum’s, a hare,” she added as an afterthought.

Pavarti and Lavender awed loudly, both of them practically melting on the spot.

You rolled your eyes, despite your fluttering stomach.

“What a copier,” you joked, nudging him.

Everyone laughed and the tension was broken. The crowd around you all dispersed and your coyotes turned to smoke and disappeared.

“Oi, how do you know I’m the copier? What if you copied me?” George teased.

Fred and Lee snorted disbelievingly before you could answer. You smiled at George’s affronted expression and dragged him towards an empty corner by the wooden dummies.

“I-”

Before you could get anything out, George kissed you.

“Mmm.” You hummed after he leaned back. “What was that for?”

George leaned back and smiled his small, rare, genuine smile. “You love me?”

You laughed. “Yes, you weirdo. Did the many times I’ve said it before not count? You needed a patronus to affirm it for you?”

“No, it’s just…nice to see-”

“-a corporeal manifestation of it?” You finished for him.

He nodded and you pressed a soft kiss to his jaw. “I know, I get it.”

You smiled and buried your face into his shoulder. “Keep bugging me when I’m studying and it’ll change into something else.” Before the comment could sink in you laughed and ran off.

“Oi! That wasn’t nice Badger! A right Slytherin you should’ve been!”

You laughed as he chased after you.

///

“Hey,” you said quietly. “’Been looking for you for a while now.”

George smiled, his eyes still focused on the cauldron in front of him. “Hello love.”

“What’re you doing?” You asked, dropping your pack by the entrance. The two large doors behind you closed shut.

“I’m working on a few potions for our inventory.”

You raised an eyebrow. “In the Room of Requirement?”

At that, he turned to you and shot you a half smile. “Yes?” His tone made it sound like a question.

“Well, I’ve planned something for us.” You leaned over and propped your chin on his shoulder. He smiled and glanced at you.

“Yeah?”

You nodded. “Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“By the lake, Hermione managed to drop off most of the stuff while I came to look for you,” you said. “It’s warm today but the sun’s going to go down soon.”

“Alright, you’ve convinced me.”

“Whew.” You wiped your brow. “That was tough.”

George laughed and you pulled him towards the door. “Come on.”

You lead him towards the blankets you’d set up by the large willow tree. The weather had only just started to warm up, most the trees still bare.

“How’s your dad?” You asked. “I wrote to your mum and she was a little worried. She also sent me some fudge.”

George sighed. “Yeah, she’s a little stressed now that we’re all back at Hogwarts. He’s gone back to work now.”

You smiled. “That’s great! I know he’s been feeling a little restless. My dad told me he was trying to visit more often.”

“I know,” George huffed a laugh. “Mum’s been worried that someone’s going to see your parents visiting them.”

“Why?” You furrowed your brows. “They’ve visited loads of time.”

“S’not the same anymore,” George looked down at you. “Mum doesn’t want them to get hurt since…”

“They’re muggles,” you sighed and nodded.

“She’s really worried about you all now since you’ll be going back for the summer holiday.”

You pondered that and sat down, your back to the bark, and opened up your bag filled with goodies you’d managed to nab from the kitchens.

“You did all this?” George asked, a little awed. His tired expression melted away to a grateful one and you nodded.

“I know you’ve been tired, after your dad’s attack and Christmas. Especially now since Umbridge is keeping a close eye on us and…with Dumbledore gone – I thought we needed a moment of peace.”

George sighed. “Cheers love, it’s just what I needed.”

You chewed absently on a piece of bread and thought back to what George had said.

Were you bringing your parents any trouble – being a witch in a muggle household? Could you be the reason that something horrible happened?

“Hey, you’ve got that look on your face.” George brought you out of thoughts.

“S’nothing.”

George shot you a look and you huffed.

“It’s just…you’re right. Everything’s different now that…that he’s back.”

He raised his brows and straightened.

“Umbridge is a menace. I never liked Trelawney but I never thought she’d be sacked. How safe can Hogwarts be if Dumbledore’s gone?”

Instead of offering up a quip, George quiets and it made you even more nervous.

“I’m scared,” you admitted quietly. “We’ve got a lot to lose.”

George smiled and took your hand in his. “We’ve got a lot to fight for too. Besides, it’s like I always say – if it’s not okay then it’s not the end. We’ll find a way to make things right again.”

You exhaled harshly and nodded. “You’re right.” You rubbed your hands together, glancing at the sun setting. “I’m just worried. Everything seems so unsure now and with you two being gone next year…”

“Hey,” George pulled you towards him and you fell into his arms.

“Ouch,” you complained lightly, pinching his side.

He laughed and pulled you tighter to him. “You’ve always been a force of nature. Whether I’m here or not isn’t going to change that.”

“I know.” You kissed his cheek.

You both stayed curled together, your head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around you.  

“I’ve been wanting to tell you something for a while now, but, with my dad and everything that’s going on with Harry and the order…” George trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck.

You sighed and leaned back to look at him. “I know.”

“You know?”

Nodding, you took his hand in yours. “When are you leaving?”

George gaped at you. “Blimey, woman, how did you-?” You shot him a look and he closed his mouth. “Right. In three weeks, when the 5th years are taking their O.W.Ls.”

“’Course,” you snorted. “Might as well go out with a bang?”

“Literally,” George laughed.

“You’re not finishing out the year then?”

He shrugged. “We’ve never been the academic types. Much to Mum’s dismay, we’d never be employed at the Ministry or at Hogwarts. What’s the point? We got through most of second term anyway. It’s farther than what anyone thought we’d get through.”

“That’s not true,” you insisted. George just smiled knowingly at you.

You both quieted, the silence a little tense.

“Would you come with me if I asked?” George eventually blurted out.

“What?” You straightened. “Come with you where?”

George smiled. “The shop of course, we’ve got a while to go with the store downstairs but the apartment’s all but ready to be moved into. We’re set with what Harry gave us!”

“Live with you?” You couldn’t help but flush. “Together, all of us?”

He nodded. “I know it needs some fixing up but-”

“That’s not what I meant,” you interrupted him. “I’d love to George, I just…I’m only a sixth year.”

“So?” George cocked his head. “You’re the most adult one out of our entire lot. You’d be the brains of the entire operation! This is as much your baby as it is ours.”

You shook your head and smiled sadly at him. “I am the academic type,” you squeezed his hand. “No one will hire a healer who only got to Year Six.”

George sighed. “I knew you’d say no. I had to ask.”

“I’ll miss you,” you said quietly.

“I’ll miss you too but I’ll see you at King’s Cross when you’re done. It’s only a month, we’ve been away for longer,” he said.

“It’s not the same,” you buried yourself into his arms and took a deep breath. “Everything changes after this.”

George frowned but brushed back some of your hair from your face. You could tell he was at a loss for words then suddenly he smiled.

“Well, one thing will stay the same. I love you more than anything.”

You smiled, knowing his little game. “More than pranks?”

He nodded.

“More than Chocolate Frogs?”

George laughed, but nodded, and you clung to him tighter.

“I love you too.”

///

Fireworks boomed so hard the walls seemed to shake. You watched as everyone cheered and students ran towards the entrance doors.

Umbridge ran passed you, trying – and failing – to avoid the fireworks that were chasing her.

You leaned against the door frame, smiling half-heartedly, as they put on their show. They dove and swerved in the air, the fireworks blindingly bright.

Fred stopped and hovered near you, he waved enthusiastically. You waved back and he winked down at you. Fred dove towards Angelina, you heard the crowd cheer and you imagined he was planting one on her. Then, his broom rose and he started towards Hogsmeade.

George dove towards you, the students around you squealed and darted out of the way.

“Hello,” you said nonchalantly, despite the tightening in your chest.

“Hello.” He smiled at you, a sad little smile, and you returned it. “I’ll see you then?”

You nodded. “Write a letter once in a while, will you?”

George grinned and pressed a light kiss to your temple. He leaned back and his broom started rising up into the air.

“Hey!” He shouted suddenly.

“What?” You yelled back at him.

“Be careful, for me, yeah?”

You squinted, bringing up your hand to block out the sun, and caught the worried expression flash across his face. You knew what he wasn’t saying.

“’Course, I’m not the wild one, remember?”

His laughter rung in your ears and you couldn’t help but smile. Your heart leaped into your throat as he flew in loops.

“Try not to fall off your broom you nutter!”

Tags: @yallgotkik @cutie-bug @anomynousauthor

A/N: I want to point out, I didn’t make the reader into plants/herbology as a Hufflepuff stereotype – I’m just really into plants lol and yes I do name them all and I happen to be a Hufflepuff. Also! No hate to all my Slytherins! Literally most of my best friends are Slytherins.

Disclaimer* I have no idea how Patronus Charms actually work – I can’t remember really and the internet wasn’t much help. So if it’s a little out of character, forgive me.

#george weasley x reader #george weasley imagine #george weasley x you #reader insert #hufflepuff!reader #harry potter ff #harry potter ramblings

[theprodigypenguin]

Thicker Than Water

Ao3 Link

Pairings: none

Summary: James Sirius Potter loves his family, and he isn’t shy about announcing it. He’ll say it to their faces and say it to whoever is listening, that he loves his parents and his amazing sister, his cousins, aunts and uncles, even his ever frustrating younger brother, Albus. Difficult he may be to talk to sometimes, James still loves him, even if he struggles to make Albus understand that; but when Albus disappears not once, but three times, before the first term back at school is even halfway over, James starts to wonder, maybe he didn’t tell Albus he loved him nearly enough, and worries if he didn’t start saying it sooner, he’d lose his chance to entirely. {{Takes place during and after the events of “The Cursed Child”]]

Words: 15529

Warnings: angst (I think that’s it)

Notes: I just wanted to say that I’m honestly really proud of this fic. I managed to type it all out with my stupid thumbs and my lil phone screen because I broke my finger and can’t type normally on my laptop. I wrote over 15k words just with my phone holy shit. I really love family bonds, especially sibling bonds or bonds with really GOOD father figures, so me writing James being the best fucking big brother ever was honestly inevitable, and I’m really happy with it. My only hope is that I got his characterization right. There is no real romantic relationship written about, but there are vague calls to Scorbus, Jeddy (or Je T'aime), and Tedoire, so you can interpret it however you guys want. The main theme, though, is brotherhood, and James’ relationship with Albus. I hope you enjoy it! - Amelia

~#~#~#~#~#~#~

James Sirius Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts started off fantastic. It would be his second year as captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, of which his cousin was part of, acting as a Chaser. It would be exciting when trials came up, because his little sister, Lily Luna, and younger cousin, Hugo, would be trying out for positions on the team alongside he and Rose. With their family's history with Quidditch in their blood, he was certain they'd both make it onto the team. It would be the greatest Quidditch team the school had seen since his father played Seeker so many years ago.

Of course, he would have preferred his brother to join their top notch team, he'd make an excellent Beater, but unfortunately Albus was Slytherin, and seemed to detest Quidditch and everything about it. That was fine, though. Things were still looking up.

James was an excellent student, Transfiguration was his best subject, Charms and Potions were fun enough to keep his attention, he was a favorite of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and he even had a good time in his Divination and Muggle Studies classes. He didn't have much luck in his Care of Magical Creatures class, but he tried his hardest if only for Hagrid's approval.

On paper he was excellent, but face to face with the magical beasts that Rubeus Hagrid loved so much, and James had absolutely no idea what to do. Even in classes he wasn't good with, he excelled with the professors, and enjoyed the work. He was well liked by the majority of the school in fact, made friends with anyone under the castle roof, and was usually the one laughing loudest in the Great Hall during meal times, or making others laugh if he wasn't.

Everything was going great, he had fun on the train, discussing his summer with his friends, looking through their schedules and planning their next trip to Hogsmede, but things began spiraling quickly downwards, even before they'd reached Hogwarts.

The old Trolley Witch was a quiet one, so when she started carting her way down the aisle at top speed, shrieking about train jumpers, eyes wild, James had to note it.

"What's that about?" he'd asked aloud, leaning towards the door of the compartment as his friend hummed, twisting something between his hands.

"Woman's finally gone mad you figure, all those years dealing with kids."

"She said something about train jumping?"

"Sounds fun if you ask me."

It definitely did, but James didn't think that was allowed, otherwise he absolutely would have tried. The strange occurrence faded from his mind, until he stepped from the train out onto the platform that lead to the school.

It was a habit now, to peer over the shorter heads until he spotted bright red decorated with bows, sifting through the sea of students until he'd reached his sister, who was bouncing on her heels next to Hugo and and his older sister Rose, who didn't look too excited.

"I tried to talk to Al," she said without looking at James, her keen eyes panning around the platform, "Didn't get far with it."

"Mum or dad owled you?" James asked, feeling his mouth dry up at the memory of what happened between Albus and their father, just hours ago it seemed.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror lamenting over his hair when the voices of his father and brother echoed through the house, ending with Albus storming down the hallway, as their arguments usually did. James had quickly stepped out of the bathroom to cut his brother off, hands up and a smile on his face.

The expression that Albus was wearing, green eyes like poison snapping to James' face, stole his voice, and he had absolutely no idea what to say to make him stop from storming out of the house. Albus fought and argued with their father all the time, but James had never seen that look on his face before. He didn't know what to say, to do, to make his brother smile.

Honestly speaking, he hadn't been able to really make him smile for years now. As a last resort, his father had written his aunt and uncle, asking if Rose would try talking to Albus on the train, but it clearly hadn't gone well. The two of them had been inseparable once upon a time, but that friendship had ended when that between Albus and Scorpius Malfoy started.

James didn't dislike Scorpius, really. They talked in passing at times, usually when Albus wasn't around, and the young Malfoy seemed to be a very kind hearted and deeply gentle soul. Sometimes James wondered how the Sorting Hat could have possibly placed him in Slytherin of all houses.

Still, he couldn't argue that these severe problems between Albus and their father had only started after Scorpius Malfoy was introduced. Sometimes James got the idea that maybe their father just didn't like that Albus was in Slytherin, and used Scorpius Malfoy as an excuse to argue about Albus' acting up, but was Harry Potter really that bias?

James set a hand on Rose's shoulder and smiled at her when she looked up at him, "Don't worry too much over it, Rosie, Al is difficult, but things always work out in the end without too many problems."

"This is different, James," Rose said in almost a hiss, "Al's face... there was something going on in his head, I could see something reckless in his eyes."

"He is a Slytherin remember, he always looks like that. I know he appreciates you worrying, even if he doesn't say it."

"Sure he does."

"Let me talk to him," James decided, dropping a hand onto Lily's head and ruffling her hair, messing up the bows tied up in her red braids, "He's my little brother so he's my responsibility."

"I definitely don't envy you," Rose stated, looking to her left where Hugo was yanking on her arm, trying to get her to move towards the carriages, "This is the worst I ever have to deal with."

"We'll join you in a minute," James promised, turning and pushing Lily to follow Rose, before starting his search for his brother.

Instead of looking for Albus directly, he searched for the platinum blond of Scorpius Malfoy's hair, as they were always next to each other (and frankly his hair was easier to spot in a crowd than Albus'), but after several sweeps of his eyes over the bustling crowd of students, he hadn't found either Slytherin, and after a moment, he was alone on the train platform, fingertips buzzing and something sour in his mouth.

"There you are!" the short Charms professor chided at James when he stepped through the gates at last, holding a clipboard and waving a quill, "State your name!"

"You've known me for six years professor," James argued, before shaking his head, "Never mind. Is my brother on there?"

"Your brother?" Professor Flitwick looked at his clipboard, flipping through the pages before his nose scrunched up, "No Albus Potter," he said, and James felt his blood run cold as things seemed to click into place.

The argument between Albus and their father, the Trolley Witch yelling about train jumpers, Rose's uneasy statement about Albus being reckless, and the absence of both Albus and Scorpius. They were gone, missing, runaways, but the more James prodded for answers, the more questions he had.

It was days before James heard anything new. His father was in a panic, the school was tense, students whispered behind their hands about Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy running away.

"Doing dark magic you see?"

"Couple years they'll come back as Dark Wizards."

James was on edge the entire time, going so far as to insist he walk Lily to her classes, just to be safe. He was already missing one little sibling, he didn't want to miss another.

When Albus finally turned up, it was at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, unconscious with Scorpius Malfoy cradling him, trying to revive him, his arm at a broken angle. James wouldn't soon wipe from his memory the sight of his father carrying Albus, rushing through the corridors towards the hospital, looking pale white.

James had no idea what had happened, and whenever he tried to ask Albus about it after he'd been released from hospital, Albus just turned his back to him. He was rarely in the Gryffindor common room these days (and wait, where did James get the idea that Albus was a Slytherin?), so James had to search hard for him whenever he wanted to talk to him.

He sat next to Albus at every meal, but Albus would always stare speechless at his plate, picking the food on it, taking a nibble and dropping his fork as if the feast was terrible, his face contorting. He would scratch at the red on his tie, mutter and pull at his robes, pick at the Gryffindor crest on the chest of his robes. He'd torn off two crests from two sets of robes, and was working on a third before James was able to catch him and scold him about it.

Scorpius, James noticed, was suffering silently as well. He hadn't spoken to Albus since the Forbidden Forest, and James felt a knot forming in his throat every time he saw them pass each other. Scorpius and Albus would lock eyes, look hopeful, then duck their heads and pass each other. Why? They were such good friends before, weren't they? Albus was so miserable... and Scorpius...

The harassment from the other students seemed to have gotten worse, like Scorpius alone made them bolder. James caught Ravenclaw's dumping ink across his books, Gryffindor's shoving Scorpius against the corridor walls and knocking his books from his hands, Hufflepuff's whispering loudly behind their hands, just enough so Scorpius was clearly able to hear their scathing insults.

Scorpius had always been a target for cruel words and actions, but they'd always been subdued, and it was dizzying in a way to realize that Albus' presence around Scorpius was what had prevented the bullying to escalate. As if two targets were harder to get at.

As if the bullies were afraid to go at Scorpius when Albus Potter was around.

Then, of course, the worst came again, when Albus disappeared a second time. James only remembered his father, Aunt Hermione, the Headmistress, and Draco Malfoy tearing down the hall, Harry clinging to a withered old piece of parchment. James had wanted to follow, knowing this was obviously about Albus, but was dragged on to his next class by a friend.

He heard from a Slytherin, James recognized him as Craig Bowker Jr, that both Albus and Scorpius had gotten into a boat of trouble, that the Headmistress had essentially bled the Slytherin house points dry and taken away the boy's Christmas break, in addition to giving them detentions for the rest of the year.

"Whatever mess they got themselves into, I'm surprised they weren't expelled."

"Do you know what happened?" it was Polly Chapman who asked.

"No one's saying anything," Craig admitted, "but Draco Malfoy, he's that ex-death eater see, Harry Potter, of course we know him, and even the Minister of Magic are here! They did something really bad I think."

James felt that tingle in his fingertips again, and soon as he was free he went in search of his brother, finding him standing with Scorpius tugging his robes, looking far more comfortable than he had before. James decided he looked much more natural in green than red (those were Slytherin robes, right? Merlin did his head ache... was his brother jumping houses? Why did he have such distinct memories of Albus being a Gryffindor when he knew he wasn't? It must have been a very vivid dream).

Scorpius was beaming as he swayed on his feet flipping through a book, and before James could approach them, a door opened in front of them and out came Madam Pomfrey.

"Both along now, let me look you boys over before I send you back to your common room."

"At the hospital twice in just a few weeks," Albus droned to Scorpius, whose smile twitched down a fraction, "I didn't even get hurt this time."

"Better safe to check than to be sorry later on."

James decided to let them go for now, getting a check up was important after all, and instead went in search of his father, whom he found talking with Draco Malfoy, both somewhat stiff and anxious.

"Dad?" Harry's head turned so he could look at James, "Sorry for interrupting... is Albus okay? I mean he's disappeared twice now."

"Don't worry about it, James," Harry assured, "It's fixed now, I hope."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, son."

"But do you know why he ran off like he did? I mean, I know Al is spontaneous and impulsive, but it's not like him to-."

"James, I said not to worry," Harry interrupted, "I'll be talking to Albus later to get the full story, but what I do know...," he seemed to pale a bit, "It isn't the business of the school to know these things. Alright?"

"But I'm not the school, I'm his brother, shouldn't I know?"

"Maybe he should," Draco offered, and Harry shook his head at him before looking back at James.

"It's late, I'm returning home in just a bit, I'd like you to get back to your dorm and sleep. It's been a stressful first few weeks of school I imagine, but everything is fine now."

James opened his mouth to protest, but ended up sighing and turning around, "Goodnight."

"Your mother and I will write you. Oh and James, son... don't bother your brother about this."

James didn't say anything in response. Those words, it was like his father just told him not to be a brother. It was in his job description to bother Albus, that's what brothers did. Whatever was going on, James really didn't like it, and with every intention of talking to Albus the next morning, whether he wanted to talk or not, he went to bed.

Only to wake up to the news that his brother, his stupid, stupid brother, was yet again, missing, along with Scorpius Malfoy.

The entire school enlisted to find them, James was one shock away from a heart attack it felt, one arm tightly wrapped around Lily as Professor Longbottom yelled out corridors and castle sections for groups of four and five to check over. He looked in clear distress, but not unusual, he cared deeply for Albus after all, for all of the Potter's, so for one of them to go missing not once, but three times, before the first term had even ended? It was heart wrenching, and James was teetering on the edge of terror.

"I'm checking the Quidditch pitch," Craig Bowker Jr decided with a confident stride towards the door, "Potter, you know your brother, where would he be?"

"Not the Quidditch pitch," James stated, "I'll check the edge of the forest, that's where they were last time. Someone check the edge of the lake!"

"This is stupid," Polly Chapman said, "just let them run away."

"We don't need them here anyway."

"A little less muck out of Hogwarts."

James ignored them, ordered Lily to stay with Professor Longbottom, then took off towards the edge of the forest, riding his broom there to make the search faster.

Hovering high off the ground, he tried to spot something he recognized, the green of Albus' robes, the pale platinum of Scorpius' hair, but nothing caught his eye, until a sudden flash of green seemed to strike into the air from the Quidditch pitch.

James stared in confusing, assessing in his mind that Craig had gone that way, and turned the end of his broom towards the pitch. He froze, hands squeezing the broomstick so tight he felt the wood splinter into his hands, as a gut wrenching, blood curdling scream, seemed to fill and consume the air around him.

Once loudly, long, then a pause, followed by a second scream. From the Quidditch pitch. James shot towards it, holding with one hand as he brandished his wand with the other, but when he passed over the stands at last and started to lower, there was no one to be seen.

The only one there was Craig, lying in the grass on his side. At first, James was furious, his little brother was missing and Craig was taking a nap, but as he jumped off his broom and snatched it from the sky, stomping towards the boy's form, his steps faltered.

Black eyes, listless and clouded, stared at him, the Slytherin turned awkwardly on his side with his arms twisted, face white like parchment.

The broom fell from James' hand, tumbled to the grass, and he inched forward, slowly getting to his knee and reaching a trembling hand to feel Craig's neck. Still, silent, he didn't breathe, didn't blink. Lifeless.

But where was Albus? Who had screamed?

"James!" His head lifted at the call, to see Professor Longbottom tearing across the field, wide eyed with other students and teachers behind him.

James pulled his hand away from Craig, eyes locked on the teachers as they stopped in a half circle around them.

"Gone," he said, "He's...," his head shook, "Where's my brother? Why is this happening, Professor? Where is my brother?"

He felt his voice raising, eyes finding Lily, Rose, and Hugo trying to push through the crowd. Lily couldn't see this, see a corpse...

James stood, with some trouble, leaving his broom and passing the professors, going right to Lily and hugging her, hiding her so she couldn't see Craig.

"James, is it Al, did we find him?" Lily gasped out, whacking a hand against him as he started to lead her backwards out of the crowd, "Stop that, where's Albus? What's going on? James? James where's Albus?"

"Don't go over there Lily," James croaked, squeezing her, "It's not Al... don't look over there."

"But where's Al!"

James didn't know, and not knowing terrified him, he couldn't seem to let go of Lily, who was kicking at his feet in a wild attempt at being released. He only let her go when they were in the castle and Ginny was coming towards them, eyes misty and arms out. She took Lily into her embrace, James stepped back, holding his right hand as if he wanted to rub away the clammy feeling of Craig's cold skin.

"I saw this green flash," James was explaining to the teachers, to his father, "Over by the Quidditch pitch. I flew for it, but I heard screaming just after."

"After? You heard it after?"

"After, yes."

"You're certain?"

"Yes," James grit the word out, Neville looked at Harry with pursed lips.

"That light..."

"How he died," Harry finished, "The killing curse..."

James felt dizzy, hands curling into fists, "That's forbidden dark magic! Who in this decade would use it?!"

"James-."

"You're not thinking Al would-?!"

"No!" Harry snapped, "Al is missing, Scorpius Malfoy is missing, something happened to them, and we are going to find out what! Until then, you will stay within the castle, you will not leave."

"Dad, I wanna help!"

"You'll help by staying put, watching over your sister, do you understand?"

James didn't argue that, he couldn't argue when Lily was involved, but he still felt sick, "What about Al?"

"We'll find him," Harry said simply.

How long it took, James didn't know. Suddenly it was Halloween, and the next morning, Albus was at breakfast, sitting with Scorpius as if nothing had happened. They shrugged when people asked them where they'd been, Scorpius paled and Albus went rigid when they were asked about Craig.

They walked closer to each other than usual, heads bowed towards each other and whispering in low voices so no one else could hear them, lost in their own world.

The rumors had gotten more extravagant, people were spreading around that Scorpius had killed Craig, that he and Albus had killed him together, then successfully covered it up. James didn't believe it, neither did Lily or Hugo.

"Bloody ridiculous!" James had exclaimed, and Rose had just stared at him, looking as if she wanted to add her input, but deciding against it.

After Halloween, everything seemed to return to normal. Albus didn't disappear again, he and Scorpius were present for every meal and every class, lead to and from their dorm by Professor Slughorn, lead to and from classes by Professor Longbottom.

The rumors continued, the whispers, snide comments, and sniggers. People still pushed Scorpius in the halls, messed with his homework, they still snarled insults at Albus that had James burning in anger, but while before now, both would react miserably, Albus flinging himself into a fight and Scorpius ducking his head, now they simply stared at whoever had spurred the bullying, then looked at each other before laughing.

Laughing, of all things. As if the bullies that had harassed them for the past four years weren't that big of a deal anymore.

In fact, they seemed to have gotten bolder, more confident in a way. Scorpius especially, though Rose certainly didn't look happy about the young Malfoy's sudden boost of bravery.

"He asked me out," she said when James asked her what was wrong, her face cold and eyes dark and steely, "Scorpius Malfoy asked me out."

"Oh!" James breathed the word, "What did you say?"

"I told him no," Rose answered, "Why would I go out with him, James? Do you know what kind of person he is? The things people say about him?"

James frowned at that, "People say Al isn't my brother, but we both know he is. They call him a Squib, and he's clearly not. People start a lot of rumors, don't you think maybe, just maybe, they're untrue?"

"I overheard my mum talking," Rose said, sitting on a bench outside and staring at a closed book in her lap, "her and your dad. They were talking about Time Turners, illegal Time Turners."

"So?"

"What do you mean so?" Rose glared at him, "People think the Malfoy's couldn't have kids, so Draco Malfoy sent his wife into the past using a Time Turner, where she... you know... with You-Know-Who... and that's how Scorpius was born."

"Merlin I have ALWAYS hated that rumor!" James snapped, "First of all, you've seen photos of Tom Riddle, yea? You put his genes with Astoria Greengrass and you don't get a pale eyed platinum blonde. He looks exactly like Draco! Second, why would he send his ill wife back in time to sleep with the Dark Lord who ruined his life? Do you really think that lowly of the Malfoy's? Third, where the devil would they even get a Time Turner?"

"I have read a lot, James," Rose stood up, "Books, newspapers, first hand accounts of the war; I've researched forever, I know the Malfoy family, I know their reputation, and I do not want to associate with the son of Voldemort!"

"Book research leaves a lot to desire against first hand association," James said simply, "I like Scorpius, and I don't believe those rumors; never did and never will, and you shouldn't either. Rosie you're the smartest person I know, surely you understand how ridiculous the rumors are?!"

"He killed a boy from his own house, you saw the light!"

"I saw light, I didn't see Scorpius murdering anyone!" James threw his arms up, "Merlin's sake, Rose! I'm not asking you to marry him! Just give him a chance, he's a good kid!"

"Why do you like him so much, then?" Rose demanded, "Exactly how well do you know him?"

"Better than you it seems!" James scoffed, then sighed, shoulders sagging, "Look, give him the benefit of the doubt. Scorpius Malfoy has never done a single thing to hurt you, or me, or Albus, or anyone for that matter. Would you be more willing to befriend him if he was a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw, or does your bias of the Malfoy name reach beyond Hogwarts houses?"

Rose grit her teeth and looked away. James folded his arms, standing a little straighter and staring up at the gray sky. Flakes of snow were drifting down to blanket the castle in a beautiful sheet of white.

"Give him a chance, Rosie. If not for his sake, then for the sake of knowledge," this seemed to pique her interest, eyeing James, "You heard me. Who better to discover the truth about Scorpius Malfoy than Rose Granger-Weasley, the brightest witch to attend Hogwarts since her own mother? Be nice to him. I'm not telling you to jump his bones, just be civilized and try to get along. He's Al's best friend, Rosie. What in this world makes him smile aside from Scorpius?"

Rose just huffed through her nose and turned away, hugging her book to her chest, "For the sake of knowledge, fine; and for the sake of Albus, I guess."

"Thank you," James felt so relieved that the argument was over that his shoulders sagged heavily, until Rose glanced sideways at him.

"Have you talked to Albus about what happened yet?"

"I've tried, but I can never get to him before he's ushered to classes, meals, or his dorm."

"Mum and dad won't tell me anything," Rose admitted, pulling a curly strand of hair that had fallen into her face, shaken from her ponytail, "Have you heard anything?"

"Not a peep from my parents, but I've seen dad and Mister Malfoy passing the halls together sometimes, like they're checking on the boys. Headmistress McGonagall won't say anything either."

"Tried Hagrid? He might let something slip."

"He doesn't know any more than us."

"Professor Longbottom?"

"Suppose I could try, but I get the feeling he won't have anything to say either. You know... Scorpius might say something," Rose turned a glare on him again, and he held his hands up, "Never mind, I'll just see if I can get Al alone."

Of course, even for the amazing James Sirius Potter, it was a challenge to so much as greet his brother for the next few weeks. He was always getting escorted, watched by dutiful teachers, and it was starting to both annoy and panic James. Why were the professors keeping such a close eye on Albus anyway? Did they think he'd run off again? That he was dangerous? Or in danger himself, Merlin forbid?

James had no idea, and he didn't get a break in his struggles until one day before Christmas break, where he found Albus and Scorpius in the back of the library. Albus was leaning over a recent copy of the Daily Prophet flattened on the table, while Scorpius scratched away in a notebook bound in black leather. Most likely notes.

"I can't sodding believe this!" Albus hissed out, hands curled into shaking fists that wrinkled the edges of the newspaper, "You'd think there'd be some article, at least a paragraph, of a murderous dark witch being sent to Azkaban, but no!"

James felt himself blanch, ducking behind the closest row of books before either could see him, pushing copies of "Hogwarts: A History" and "Dragon Keeping for Dummies" aside so he could peer at the table just as Scorpius looked up, brow drawn, looking back and forth before leaning over the table to get closer to Albus.

"Are you that surprised?" He asked in a quiet voice, "Albus if the wizarding world actually learned about her... about who she is... they could fall into a panic."

"She's in Azkaban, what harm could she do now?"

"A lot," Scorpius closed his book and pushed it aside, "There are still a lot of dark wizards out there, ex-death-eaters who are still loyal to Voldemort. Revealing her existence will just give them hope, give them power. They could start recruiting again, try to bust her out. Let's face it, Azkaban isn't the most secure of prisons. They boast of being the best, but look at their track record. Barty Crouch Jr, Sirius Black, the break out of 1996."

"Matters of circumstance. Del- the Augery," he spit the name, "has no power where she is."

"But if we reveal her identity, then she will have power. Fear, people will be afraid of her, a lot of people, and that's what she wants. She wants the publicity to strengthen her own prowess, to collect supporters, to bring about eternal darkness... the eternal darkness that I saw..."

"I'm not afraid of her," Albus said, eyes narrowed, and Scorpius narrowed his lips into a thin line, "She can't do anything to us anymore, Scorpius. Aren't you supposed to be the Unbothered now?"

"I mean... I'm unbothered by bullies now," Scorpius argued, "Gryffindor's locking me in closets is a lot less scary than a dark witch torturing me and making it so my best friend never existed."

Albus leaned back, head falling back with a heavy sigh as Scorpius reached out to close the Prophet.

"Listen, it is over right now, but who knows what might happen in the next few weeks, or months, or years? Voldemort didn't return until your dad was fourteen."

"You think this monster is going to come back?"

Scorpius folded his hands and twirled his thumbs, staring down, "Think of it this way. There are a lot of dark wizards, dangerous, evil wizards, locked up in Azkaban. We can keep the wizarding world from learning of her existence, but the only leverage she has in prison is her blood, her birthright. She is going to use that birthright to her advantage, no doubt about that, and if she was able to manipulate us, she's going to be able to manipulate Azkaban prisoners who've been stuck in a cell for the past who knows how many years.

"And that's not the scariest part, Al," his voice dropped quieter, "The world that I saw... dark wizards can learn to control Dementors. They obeyed Voldemort, they might obey... the Augery. She can fly without a broom, we've seen how strong she is, the only reason she lost this time is because so many stronger wizards were fighting her down. Harry Potter, my dad, the Minister of Magic, former Auror Ron Granger-Weasley, your mom; you and I didn't help much I imagine but every bit counts. She was greatly overwhelmed by overpowered wizards and witches, she's young and she never attended a wizarding school. Yet she managed to hold her own against the most powerful magicians of the age for a long time, so just bloody think about this! If she was given the time and schooling, the training, then none of us would have stood a chance against her!"

"Alright I get it!" Albus breathed quickly, leaning against the table again, "I still don't see why we should worry, or why they shouldn't at least warn everyone! If she's going to get out and come back, we should be ready for it!"

"Like I said, it would send out a massive panic. People are still recovering from the last war, we don't need them readying for the next one."

"There's always gonna be another war, Scorpius," Albus mumbled, "and there's always gonna be a Potter stuck in it. Sometimes I think my family is cursed."

"How do you think I feel?"

"That's another thing," Albus pointed, "The rumors are getting even worse now! What they're saying about you, and me, they would stop if people just knew the bloody truth! About Craig's death, about the Augery, it would all go away!"

"Yea... about that...," Scorpius seemed to shuffle his loose papers around, collecting them into a neat pile and fixing the books stacked around him so they were perfectly parallel, "I... was thinking through it just now, that's what I was writing down, my family tree."

"Okay?"

"It really wouldn't matter if people knew the truth about the Augery, and were finally convinced I am not Voldemort's son," Scorpius was explaining this in a slow voice, and James pushed the books further to hear and see better, "my grandmother, Narcissa Malfoy, married into the Malfoy family. She was the second born of the Black sisters. You know, like Sirius and Regulus Black? She was their cousin."

"That's kind of cool."

"Right, and the youngest sister was Andromeda Tonks, that's Teddy Lupin's grandmother; he and I are blood related, cousins."

"I know that."

"Uh-huh, but the oldest sister, first born before Narcissa and Andromeda, was Bellatrix Lestrange," he pushed around his quill, "and the Augery... I mean... if she wasn't lying, and I don't think she was, that makes her more Black than Lestrange..."

"... oh... oh no...," Albus looked sick, and Scorpius nodded, "Tha-that doesn't mean you're related to Voldemort at all! You just have a really messed up family tree!"

"Can you even imagine how annoyed Sirius Black would be? Learning about Delphini?" Scorpius asked, picking his quill up again, "He would be disgusted I think. Might not like me much either, but I think I'm proud to be of blood relation to him, and to Regulus Black too."

"Scorpius..."

"Teddy Lupin and Delphini Riddle are both related to me by blood," Scorpius said, head bowed, the feather of his quill wiggling, "they're my cousins and there's nothing I can do about that. That makes me, and Teddy, Sirius and Regulus Black, related to Voldemort, by a twisted, unfair branch of fate and neanderthal instinct. That's just fact. I was so caught up in the situation I never stopped to think about my relation to her... do you think she knew?"

"No," Albus almost croaked, "She was sheltered by Lestrange, I don't think she knew anything about her family aside from her mother and father's names. You weren't the one she manipulated, you're smart enough to have known she was bad news from the get go. I should have listened to you."

"Well, yea."

"I put you in so much danger, Scorpius," Albus looked tortured, sinking into his seat, green eyes a darker shade of emerald as tears of exhaustion swam but didn't fall, "This is my fault. Why am I such an idiot? You don't deserve any of this."

"Calm down a little Al, I never said I was mad at you or anything," Scorpius chided, not looking up from his book, "I think my family is a really good example of how good and bad can come from anywhere. The Black, Malfoy, and Lestrange families, for decades, have been very notably on the darker side of history, but every now and then someone breaks through it all and shines a little bit of far too brilliant light. Sirius, Andromeda, even Regulus. Those little lights help pave a better path for new generations, like me, and Teddy. We don't have to look back and see inherent evil as the only option to our future. We can look at the lights and realize how easy it is to make choices, because that's really all that separates me from the darker sides of my family. Being good is up to me, not my family or the history of my family.

"I... I feel really sorry for Delphini. She was an orphan. She never got to meet her parents, and she was never given a positive structure while growing up. Her only friend was a bird. Maybe if she'd been given the same role models as me, or as Teddy, then she would've grown up different, nicer."

"Some people are just born evil."

"I don't believe that for a second, Albus."

James could see Scorpius smiling softly where he was leaning over his book, which James was suddenly very interested in seeing the contents of. Everything they were discussing made his head spin, and honestly James didn't know if he should reveal himself or leave to try and talk to Albus another day.

They were discussing quite a bit it seemed, in very hushed, secretive tones, so James had a hunch he might learn exactly what happened if he stayed just a bit longer, carefully pulling a few books off the shelves before returning to peering through the small hole he'd opened in the book case.

Albus was staring at the Daily Prophet, eventually looking down at his lap, arms folded and clinging to his robes, knuckles white.

"I keep seeing it," Albus said slowly, he looked humiliated, "hearing it..."

"Me too," Scorpius admitted after a quiet moment between them, closing his book after a minute and giving a sigh, "If you wanna talk about-."

"What, my feelings? I don't talk about my feelings."

"No, you would never," Scorpius droned, "You and I are the only ones who got caught up in this, we're the only ones who know what happened. The only people we can talk to about it is each other. We're the only ones who really understand it."

"You don't have to twist me, you're the only one I ever talk to anyway," Albus said, the corner of his lips twisting upwards into a smirk.

Scorpius gave out a laugh that sounded like a heavy exhale, breathy like a gust of wind, "It'll be okay. If we managed to live through that, we can do anything; and if we get in another situation like that, and we die, well, at least we'll be together."

Albus snorted at that, reaching up to pick at the green Slytherin crest sewn into the chest of his robes, "You really happy to die with me? What about your endeavor to marry Rose?"

Scorpius responded with a blank expression, but his face lit up in realization after a moment, "Oh, Merlin! I asked out Rose Granger-Weasley!"

"And she still said no," Albus laughed out, "How did you forget that?"

Scorpius pulled one of the books from the stack beside him absently, "I've been busy, Albus. We're taking our O.W.Ls next year remember. We both have a lot of studying to do."

"Scorpius it's December."

"Never too early to start."

"Merlin's sake..."

"Besides, asking her out was kind of spontaneous, I think I was just high off the adrenaline of almost dying and figured it was now or never, I don't really know what I was expecting her to say. I know she absolutely hates me."

"I'm sorry, Scorp," Albus said, "but hey, don't give up that easily. There's definitely still hope. Imagine how impressed she'll be when you smoke her in the O.W.Ls! When she finds out you pretty much helped save the world as we know it! You saved her life especially! You gave up an alternate reality where you basically ran the school, no bullies, no harassment, no getting locked in closets, no Ravenclaw's staining your notes in ink or tearing up your textbooks, because that world was a world where she never existed! Scorpius, you're a catch, she'll be crazy not to say yes to a date eventually! Just give her some time, okay? Don't give up so soon."

Scorpius flicked the edge of his book, staring down, "I didn't... I didn't give it up for Rose," he said, and Albus frowned, "That world, one of eternal darkness, ruled by Voldemort and the Augery. I wasn't a good person in that world... my father wasn't the man he is now, and that was scary. People were afraid of me. I don't care that I wasn't getting bullied, that people were nice to me, it wasn't worth it. Being friends with the entire school wasn't worth sacrificing you... or your family. You're the only friend I need at school. Even if I spend the next three years getting locked in closets and hexed because of an untrue rumor that started just because my father wanted to protect me from this world, just because the Ministry is too afraid to publicize the truth about Delphini, I don't much mind it. So long as I have you."

James could feel his heart seizing, again he was left so entirely confused as to how anyone could hate this kid. Across from him, Albus was watching Scorpius closely, not much emotion on his face itself, but a storm in his eyes that James, honestly, felt a bit afraid of. He couldn't tell what Albus was thinking, but the way he was watching Scorpius was intense in a way James hadn't been expecting.

The duo was quiet just long enough for James to realize why the expression was so familiar; because he'd definitely seen it before, on their mother. It was the same way she'd look at their father when he did something particularly odd.

Messing up while baking and getting covered in flour, Ginny walking into the room to find her husband trying to clean the mess, standing and waiting for a lecture about the kitchen only for Ginny to step over and hold his face between her hands, kissing him.

Oh.

That's right.

That intensely powerful expression was what Ginny gave Harry when she wanted to kiss him.

James really didn't know what to do now. If Albus reached over to try and kiss Scorpius, James might just pass out. Or freeze up like a statue.

Instead, Albus simply said, "Me too," and James almost audibly sighed in relief.

Scorpius was smiling softly down at his hands, "We were surrounded by Dementors, trying to get to the Black Lake. Severus Snape and I. Your aunt and uncle... they, um... but... okay we were surrounded, and Snape told me to think of something happy, something powerful enough to keep the Dementors from killing me. I tried to think of my mum, but it didn't work. I think... probably because I'm still miserable over her death? So, instead... he told me to think of why I was giving up that universe, where I was a king with a kingdom. He told me to think of you, and it kept the Dementors away, long enough for me to get to the lake and fix everything. If... if that makes sense..."

"Oh..."

"Yea... it was really scary," Scorpius flipped open his book, "Now shut up and let me study."

"If you study during the Christmas break I'm taking your books away."

"We're going to be stuck here for Christmas break, Albus, we forfeited our right to go home this year because of the mess we got ourselves into."

"Yea," Albus held his hands out, "Mate we've got the run of the castle, that never happens. We're gonna have so much fun!"

Scorpius smiled and shook his head, "Then let me finish my work now so I don't have anything during break. You too, study, finish your homework, because you know I will force you during Christmas if you don't do it all now."

"Why are you so mean to me?"

"Don't be so dramatic."

Albus sighed and dragged his bag up from the floor and onto the table, pulling out books and parchment looking none too happy about being hoodwinked into doing his homework.

"In the other world," Scorpius was saying as Albus opened his bottle of ink, "I never did any of my homework. I came into the library at one point, looking for answers as to what happened to Cedric Diggory, and you, and I found Craig Bowker in here. He was startled when he saw me and said he hadn't finished my essay yet. That was really horrible."

"Because he was scared of you?"

"Because I wasn't doing my own work," Scorpius looked anxiously at Albus, "I love working! A universe where I don't like homework is not a universe I want to be in!"

"Merlin bless, you're a special one alright," Albus chuckled, smoothing out his parchment, "I'm glad you like doing your work. One of us has to be motivated at least to get anything done between the two of us."

"Suppose you're right."

"We have detention again in a few hours," Albus murmured, and Scorpius smiled.

"Let's see if you can finish your Divination homework before then."

Albus was muttering something about prophecies being bullshit as someone walked up to the table, setting down their bag. James was stunned when he realized it was Rose, and Scorpius' eyes were wide.

"Oh, hello!"

Albus looked up, saw Rose, and sighed, dropping his head, "Of course the minute I decide to do some work someone else shows up."

"You're too easily distracted," Rose noted, pulling out the chair in front of her and sitting down, beginning to pull out her books with Albus and Scorpius just staring at her in confusion.

James felt incredibly proud, though. He felt as though his talk with Rose had really gotten through to her, and beamed through the little gap in the book case as Scorpius cleared his throat a few times.

"Um-."

"What did I say about making things awkward?"

Scorpius flushed, "I-I'm absolutely sorry."

"Don't apologize, Scorp," Albus said to him, then looked at his cousin, "What are you doing interrupting us?"

"My apologies, I didn't realize you owned this section of the library," Albus bristled, but Rose continued before he could respond, "There were no other seats."

"So go work outside," Albus snapped, and James felt physical pain at the way Scorpius seemed to deflate at her excuse.

"It's snowing."

"Wear a hat."

"Hey, it's totally fine!" Scorpius decided, "We don't mind! We're just finishing up our homework!"

"Yea, you missed quite a few classes," Rose noted, and Scorpius winced like she'd physically smacked him, "What are you doing for your History of Magic essay? We're supposed to pick a witch or wizard of importance from the last century."

"Ugh," Albus ran his hands over his face, but Scorpius simply lit up.

"I have a whole list of people I want to write about!"

"For the sake of Merlin and my sanity, do not write an essay on my father," Albus said, smacking the table with his hand, "The other year, everyone wrote an essay on Harry Potter, the poor Professor got so fed up he actually contacted my dad to help grade them."

"I'm not gonna write about him, don't worry," Scorpius laughed, lips in a thin line again, "I don't think he'd be very amused even if I did. No, I might do Regulus Black."

"You're picking a dead person?" Rose asked, and Scorpius frowned, "Professor Binns said that it would probably be better to pick someone alive, unless we know if there's a ghost roaming around. Otherwise it'll be more difficult to research. Not to mention how little is still known of Regulus Black."

"Well...," Scorpius trailed off, suddenly looking disheartened, and Albus snorted.

"Who are you writing about then?"

"My mum of course," Rose seemed to swell in pride, "The first known Muggle born witch to ever make Minister of Magic? Who else would I pick?"

"Huh," Albus looked at Scorpius, "Slughorn knew Regulus personally, remember? You could ask about him. I think it would be good to write about him. If you don't, I'll do it."

Scorpius laughed nervously, "Well, I mean, the essay isn't due till next year. Summer homework and all. I have time."

"I've already got my outline," Rose pulled out a thick scroll, "of course I've been adding a lot as I remember it."

"Is bragging over your essay the only reason you sat down?" Albus asked defensively, and Rose gave him a look.

"There were no other seats, I already said so."

"Well, then we're leaving," Albus stood, shoving all his books and parchment into his back, securing his ink before tossing that in last, "Come on, Scorpius, let's go talk to Slughorn."

"Oh. Oh! Yea!" Scorpius hopped to his feet, "Yea, he's got pictures too! Do you think he'd let me borrow some?"

"Course he will."

They walked off, leaving Rose at the table, glaring after them. James huffed through his nose in disappointment. That had been a pretty big disaster, but at least Rose tried, she had to be given credit for that. She'd just have to try again later.

James backed away, quietly replacing the books he'd taken down and creeping from the library to wander the halls.

It had been and interesting interaction to say the least, James thought he learned quite a bit just from listening and watching as the two Slytherin fourth years talked, and even after Rose joined them. James didn't know who "Delphini Riddle" or "the Augery" were, but he was smart enough to connect that they must have been involved in Albus disappearing those three times. With that simple fact known, James decided he didn't like her.

He wished he could talk to someone about it all, but he got the feeling bringing it up to his father would have the same effect as before.

"Don't bother your brother over it. It's not the school's business," blah, blah, blah.

In addition to their whispers of Delphini, their expressions and actions were also incredibly intriguing. The way Scorpius was sitting comfortably relaxed but tensed in his seat when Rose showed up, greeting her so enthusiastically but deflating the way he did when she implied she was there as a last resort.

Of course, because she would never sit with the son of Voldemort in any other situation.

Then the way Albus grew tense and defensive the minute Scorpius began to shrink, like he was trying to make up for his friend's fading self esteem; he lashed at Rose like he was defending Scorpius, protecting him. Fascinating, watching them interact.

Albus was an entirely different person with Scorpius than he was with everyone else, including his family. Not in a bad way of course.

Still, James wanted to talk to him, needed to, but every time he managed to get Albus alone, he'd dodge James' questions like a pro and sneak off the second James looked away. Then suddenly it was Christmas break, Albus was staying at Hogwarts with Scorpius, while James was hustled onto the train with the rest of his cousins and Lily, heading home for the holidays.

He didn't even try talking to his father about Albus, and tried to enjoy his time off from school without worrying too much, tucked into the Burrow with his largely extended family and slouched on one of the couches in the living area as the youngest of his cousins joined Lily and Hugo in chasing a flying toy that one of his uncle's had given them.

James was being much quieter than he usually was, especially on the holidays, and of course everyone, the adults mostly, noticed something must have been wrong with him. Not that he could help it. He'd been like this since he got off the train and realized Albus wasn't with them. Was it that strange to worry about his brother?

"This is the quietest I have literally ever seen you in my entire life," a sudden familiar voice said, and James flinched from where he'd been slouching against the arm of the couch, looking to the left to watch Teddy Lupin fall onto the couch just beside him.

"Hey, you made it!" James greeted, one of his usual smiles taking to his lips but falling rapidly, "Am I being quiet?"

"Everyone's noticed," Teddy revealed, and James leaned his head into his hand, keeping his elbow propped on the arm of the couch so he could watch Teddy with the least amount of work as the older boy talked, "Gran and I just got here, Harry says you've been sitting here sulking for the past three hours."

"Three hours? Felt shorter than that," James half joked at that, but the humor didn't seem to reach his voice.

Teddy seemed to notice, not surprising (he noticed everything), and his brows knit together above eyes that were currently a swirl of green and gold, flecked with flashes of silver and red. Like he'd decided to morph his eyes into the most Christmassy color he could think of. His hair, on the other hand, was his signature blue with a softer pastel blue frosting the tips.

"I'm fine, Teds," James tried to assure the expression of concern off Teddy's face, but it didn't work, and he just leaned closer to James so their shoulders were touching and their head's bowed close.

"It's Albus, right?" Teddy asked, and James let out a frustrated sigh, "Harry told me. It was a pretty big deal around the Ministry."

"Why?" James asked, "That's what's bothering me, I have no clue what even happened!" he kept his voice as low as he could so only Teddy could hear, grateful for the ruckus the rest of the family was making in their festivities.

Teddy was rubbing his neck, looking awkwardly off to the side, "Well... look, honestly you'd probably be even more worried if you knew. That's likely why you haven't been told yet. Your dad doesn't want to worry you or Lily."

James turned to face Teddy, leaning into his space, "I'm already worried, Lupin, tell me what happened to my brother."

Teddy exhaled through his nose and looked at the door to the kitchen, "I told your dad I was just going to talk to you, let you confide in me, never said anything about telling you Ministry secrets."

"Like you've never done that before," James threw in a blasé manner, "Look, I overheard Al and Scorpius talking in the library the other day."

"You were eavesdropping?"

"Teddy you prick, I was spying, that's much more sophisticated," James stated with a finger in Teddy's face, "I overheard them say a bunch of stuff, but it's like they gave me a bunch of puzzle pieces without telling me what the final piece was supposed to look like. They were talking about the Daily Prophet withholding information, death eaters, Azkaban, Voldemort, someone called the Augery; what's an Augery by the way? You heard a kid died? People have been spreading that Al and Scorpius killed him. I was there, I didn't see anyone, just-just Craig; a flash of green light. I heard someone screaming, and after some time and thought I think it was Scorpius Malfoy who was screaming."

Teddy seemed taken aback by that, the red flecks in his eyes engulfing the rest of his iris before they morphed back into the holiday swirl of colors.

"I didn't know that."

"Well what do you know? Listen, Scorpius was talking about some weird stuff in the library, wording out his family tree and concluding that he wasn't the son of You-Know-Who, but that he was distantly sodding related to him, which sounds like the worst damn family reunion I've ever heard of frankly."

"Alright, I'll tell you what I know, but you can't mention that you actually have this information, because I'm not allowed to talk about it."

"Will you get fired if they find out."

"I think Harry might just ground me."

"No one cares, tell me what happened."

Teddy glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening before leaning closer to James, close enough that their foreheads were touching so he could whisper as lowly as he could.

"A few months ago, Amos Diggory stopped at your house with his niece and caretaker, a young girl about my age calling herself Delphini Diggory."

"Delphini. Scorpius and Al said that name. They didn't call her Diggory though. Isn't that the name of the Hufflepuff who died during the last Triwizard Tournament?"

"That's right, he was murdered by Voldemort because he was in the way of your dad."

"Oh..."

"Amos was his father. The past half year, the Aurors have been raiding the homes of known dark wizards and dark magic enthusiasts, searching for Time Turners and destroying them. Hermione made them illegal see, so we had to enforce the law by confiscating the Time Turners, destroying them, giving the witches and wizards found with them a trial and imprisoning them if the evidence called for it. We found one in the possession of Theodore Nott, but instead of destroying it immediately, it was kept. Somehow Amos Diggory learned of it and came calling your father demanding he use it to bring back his son."

"Merlin..."

"Using time magic like that is illegal for a reason, it's dangerous and can have catastrophic consequences. I think Albus did what he did with good intentions, he fought with your father and ran away, thinking he could right all of Harry's wrongs, or at least one of them. Maybe to gain his approval, I'm not sure, his mind works very differently than yours or mine does. He and Scorpius jumped the Express and went to the home Amos was living in, enlisted Delphini's help, and using polyjuice potion, infiltrated the ministry posing as your dad, Hermione, and Ron. They found the Time Turner in your aunt's office and took it. Standing at the edge of the forest at Hogwarts, they went back in time, trying to save Cedric's life."

"You've got to be kidding me. It's cool they jumped the train and successfully infiltrated the ministry, but is my brother really that dumb?"

"Is that a question?" Teddy asked, then continued, "The first try, from what I understand, failed, but there were still consequences. Five minutes in the past put Albus in Gryffindor house instead of Slytherin, and Harry forbid him from speaking to Scorpius. Dumb move in my opinion, as if they wouldn't find a way past that, which they did. They tried again to save Cedric, succeeded the second time, but... with catastrophic consequences. Scorpius only gave foot notes on the situation, but when he returned to the present, Albus wasn't with him. He returned to a world run by death eaters."

"Oh Merlin..."

"He fixed it, fixed everything, made it so Cedric had died so he could bring back Albus and the way the world is now, safe from Voldemort, but it didn't end there. They were going to destroy the Time Turner, not trusting the Ministry to do it since they failed in it the first time. Albus, unfortunately, made the mistake of contacting Delphini for her input, and instead of helping them, she took the Time Turner and kidnapped them, snapped their wands and brought them to the Quidditch pitch."

"Where Craig died..."

"Hit with the killing curse cast by Delphini."

"Who the hell is she? She kidnapped Al and Scorpius, killed an innocent kid?"

"Harry didn't believe what she claimed at first, until she showed a fraction of her power and flew without the use of a broom," Teddy said grimly, "The daughter of Tom Riddle and Bellatrix Lestrange."

James felt sick, his mouth drying as he opened it attempting to speak, "You've gotta be kidding."

Teddy shook his head, "She went back to Halloween day, the day your grandparents were murdered. Her intention was to stop her father, so he wouldn't lose his powers to your father in an attempt to kill him. To stop the prophecy of the Chosen One from ever existing. Al and Scorpius were stuck in time, but luckily they managed to send a message to the present. Your father, mother, aunt and uncle, and Draco Malfoy, used another Time Turner to find the boys, managed to stop Delphini, and brought her back to the present, sending her to Azkaban, where she is currently."

"That's what they were talking about in the library then," James said, staring down, "but the Ministry is keeping her existence under wraps they said. There's been no reports of Voldemort's daughter existing at all, let alone that she kidnapped the boys and killed Craig Bowker Jr."

Teddy sighed and looked at the door again before turning back to James, "I know. It was a long and annoying delegation, but after discussion, Hermione and the rest decided to keep her existence from the eyes of the public, for now at least. There's too much at stake they claim-."

"Scorpius said that," James admitted, "That a confirmed child of the Dark Lord would just give his supporters more power to rise up and start another war, with her at the helm of it all."

"Scorpius is right...," Teddy trailed, running a hand through his hair, "not that I enjoy the secrecy. I think it's ridiculous. I'm worried it might come out later, in the worst way possible, and what are people going to think of the Ministry then? Keeping something so important a secret?"

"Not like there's anything we can do about it," James murmured, arms folded, sighing and dropping his shoulders, "Merlin, I can't believe this. Damn it all, Albus. Why's he gotta get himself into this kind of bind?"

"It's done with now, Jamie."

"But the fact it happened in the first place," James argued, "I heard their argument, before term started, it was... it was really bad, Teddy. They both said some awful things to each other."

"They didn't mean it. Your dad is a good man, and Albus is just young and confused about himself."

"I should've done something," James said miserably, running a hand over his face, "I can't believe one wrong move and my brother could've been dead. Poof, gone, just like that. I should've tried harder to talk to him. I was so busy with my stupid hair..."

"None of this is your fault," Teddy scolded, "Things happen."

"It could've been avoided."

"Maybe," Teddy agreed loosely, "but at this point, just be happy he's alive and safe. In a messed up way, I think the experience was good for him. It's unfair a boy was killed, that will never be fair, but Albus will surely grow from it. He's got a lot of potential, he just doesn't know it yet. Not to mention his self confidence is shot from the way he's treated at school."

"I should've tried harder to stop that, too," James said, staring at his hands, "I know some people from my house, from my year even, are some of the people who target him, and Scorpius. I should try harder to stop them."

"You've still got time, Jamie," Teddy assured, "The rest of this year, and next year."

"Then I'm graduated and gone, unable to help him."

"It will never be too late to be his brother," Teddy corrected with a naturally crooked smile, messing up James' hair with a hand, "It'll be alright now. Everything's settled down."

"Yea...," James said, but it didn't quite sound like he actually believed it, so Teddy tugged at his hair.

"Mate I think there's still some pink in your hair."

"What?!" James shot back and grabbed his head, eyes wide, "I thought I got it all!"

"Aw, Jamie, don't worry so much, I think pink looks great on you!" Teddy said, the blue in his hair rapidly shifting color until it was a bright, almost insulting shade of pink, "Very punk rock."

"Merlin you are so fucking gay."

Teddy gave a clearly exaggerated wink, playing right along to James' smile, "Don't tell Vic, she'll be devastated."

"No I won't be," Victoire shot down as she passed through the room carrying extra dishes, and Teddy turned to her with his hands held up as James curled forward laughing.

Talking with Teddy always made him feel better. He was the only one who seemed to know James well enough to know exactly what to say in order to make him smile, to bring his self confidence back.

His spirits were a lot higher than they were before, and he felt more motivated to talk to Albus as soon as they returned to Hogwarts for their next term.

He continued to replay Teddy's words in his head as he got on the train, insisting he, Lily, Rose, and Hugo all share a compartment together ("We'll see our friends in a few hours, let's have some more family time!"), but sat silently with his knee bouncing as he planned what he would say to Albus.

There were still a few more days till classes started up again, but James wanted to get Albus alone as soon as possible, so they could talk, then have a few days just to spend together bonding. James could practically see the face Albus would give him when he recommended they "bond". He tried not to think about it though.

Teddy said it would never be too late to be a brother to Albus, but after such a close call, James didn't want to wait any longer. The fact he waited this long was atrocious. It just wasn't acceptable.

"You know I love you, right Lils?" He asked his sister when they were on the platform, Hogwarts castle silhouetting the slowly darkening sky in the distance.

Lily just gave him a strange look, one eyebrow curved, "I know you love me, thick head, it's very obvious."

"Oh, good," he threw an arm around Rose, "I love you too, you know?"

Rose narrowed her eyes, watching James grab the back of Hugo's shirt to drag him closer, hugging him tightly from behind.

"I love my little Beater too!"

"Ge' offa me!"

"What's the matter with you today?" Rose asked as James ruffled Hugo's ginger head of hair, "Extra family time, confessing your love for us, which we already know."

"You can never say it too much, Rosie!" James exclaimed, squeezing her cheeks between his hands, "Always tell your family you love them! Always, always!"

Rose rubbed her cheeks and stared after James with an uncertain look in her eyes, like she figured he was ill.

"James has gone mad," Hugo said, eyes wide, and Lily laughed softly as she pushed him by his shoulders from behind.

"He's always been that way! I kind of like how straight forward he is, you know? I love you too, James!"

Rose couldn't help smiling a crooked smile at that, watching James spin around to walk backwards and wave, "Me too, James! Kind of!"

"I don't," Hugo decided, "Why are girls so weird?"

"You think James is the coolest big cousin ever though, don't you?" Rose asked, and Hugo frowned.

"No I don't."

"He does," Lily assured, "He told me so."

"No I didn't!"

James had his priorities set when he stepped into the castle, heading straight for the Great Hall where that night's supper would be finishing up. Only a couple handfuls of students had returned, so it was nearly empty, most kids huddled at the Gryffindor or Ravenclaw tables, having condensed the seating just for the holidays and blending houses.

Slytherin table, however, did have a few people sitting at it, small groups huddled together, casting suspicious glances at the end nearest the door, where Albus and Scorpius were sitting alone.

James was going to walk right over to talk to them, no more interruptions, until something did interrupt him, in the form of three familiar seventh year Gryffindor's. James knew their names, but didn't care to address them by such as they exited the Great Hall and into the corridor beyond, shoving each other and laughing.

"Hey," James called to them, and the three stopped simultaneously to grin in his direction, knowing him as the captain of their house Quidditch team and Harry Potter's oldest son; they liked him, but most of the time James got the feeling they were only nice to him because of who he was related to.

Their shared house also played into that, as these three had never been too good to hurl insults at Albus whenever they passed him in the halls. James knew about that, and about the shoving and the fighting that left Albus with a busted lip he lied about ("Care of Magical Creatures class, mum, I need to be more careful." James knew it was a lie because Albus was phenomenal in Hagrid's class).

"Potter! Have a good Christmas, yea?"

"Uh-huh. You didn't go home?"

"Wanted to stay back for once, see what Hogwarts on Christmas was like."

"Hope you haven't been messing around my brother."

It was something James hadn't said before, something he was disappointed in himself for not saying before. The three older boys just stared at him blankly, then snorted in different tones and volumes; the shorter of the three practically guffawed at it.

"You're funny, Potter!"

"I mean it," James quickly tried to clear his point so they would understand, "Stay away from my brother."

They didn't look amused anymore, scowling at James, who'd never been in a fist fight before, but was readying himself just in case, hands in fists at his sides and eyes narrowed.

Instead of fighting him, they just turned, "Whatever, James. Not our problem if you've turned into a snake lover. Completely disregard the fact they're all death eaters and murderers."

"They're not," James snapped, but he was ignored. It gave him the sense that the rest of the year might not be so fantastic for him, but he pushed the thought aside and just walked into the Great Hall to join Albus.

To say his brother was surprised at his appearance would be an understatement, because the moment James dropped himself onto the bench beside him, he froze with a forkful of cake halfway in his mouth, looked at James from the corner of his eyes, and stuffed the dessert into his mouth while mumbling around the utensil.

"He said what are you doing here," Scorpius translated, and James gaped at him.

"You understood that?"

"Well, he used a couple more words, but I decided not to repeat those."

Albus dropped the fork onto his plate and turned his head just enough to stare at James, "Isn't your table across the room?"

"But it's Christmas."

"No it's not."

"Classes don't start for another four days."

"I don't care."

"Gryffindor table is too crowded right now."

"I'm sure they'll make room for Mister James Quidditch Captain Potter."

"I wanted to sit with you though," James lifted the bag he'd been carrying on him, the rest of his luggage had probably been taken upstairs already, and dipped his hand into it, "Brought you something!"

"I don't want it."

"You don't even know what it is yet."

"Don't care."

"It could be cool."

"Doubt it."

"I'm giving it to you anyway," James set the gift on the table in front of Albus, who growled lowly, which was almost disheartening, but Scorpius was watching the interaction between them from Albus' other side, absolutely beaming.

"Got something for you too!" James said, and Scorpius' smile fell as his already pale features seemed to get whiter in shock; maybe that was fear though.

"Don't accept it, Scorp, he coulda cursed something."

"I don't even know any curses."

"That's a lie and you know it."

"It's just a book," James lifted the hardcover and Albus turned away with a hiss.

"His only weakness," he whispered under his breath as Scorpius reached out to take the book from James.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"Oh, Rose told me, uh, she met you two in the library before Christmas break. You mentioned wanting to write about Regulus Black for your History of Magic essay due over the summer."

"Oh," Scorpius slumped his shoulders, looking at the velvet cover of 'Black Family Through the Ages', which James had bought for himself a while back.

"I wrote my essay on Sirius, that's why I bought that. Course it's not as good as getting information straight from his mouth, but with that book and some first hand accounts from my dad and other people who knew him, I was able to write a good sized essay! It shouldn't matter if the person you choose to write about is dead or not. Actually I think those are the people who need to be written about the most! The dead don't have voices of their own! Unless they're ghosts of course, but I don't think Regulus Black is a ghost."

"Wow, um...," Scorpius seemed completely at a loss for words, staring at the book before looking at James, seemingly awestruck and clearly touched by the gesture, "Thank you."

"Ugh," Albus made a face and went back to leaning over his dessert as James talked over his head.

"Maybe you can talk to our dad about him! I don't think he knows that much, but you could also try Slughorn, McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey or Professor Sprout, Hagrid or Binns. Hey, you could come with us to Grimmauld Place this summer and try to talk with Kreacher!" James ignored the sound of Albus choking on his cake, "That's the old house elf who lives there, he's taken care of the Black family house for generations! He knew Regulus Black better than anyone! He's hard to talk to, a little snappish and sour, but you get along fine with Albus so dealing with Kreacher should be a walk in the park!"

Albus was red faced, James didn't know if it was because he was choking on his food, he was angry, or embarrassed, but Scorpius was smiling crookedly. He didn't accept or deny the invitation, just looked back down at the book, while James turned to Albus, who was downing his goblet of Pumpkin Juice like he'd been in the desert for weeks.

"Open yours now," James insisted, and Albus set his goblet down with a thud before glaring at James.

"I don't want anything, James," he said simply, pushing the parcel wrapped neatly in brown paper in front of James, "Why didn't you just send it with an owl if you're so insistent?"

"I wanted to watch you open it," James said, pushing the parcel back.

Albus smacked a hand on top of it to stop it from getting closer, then pushed it back towards James, "No thank you. Give it to someone else. Rose or Lily or Hugo maybe."

"But it's yours," James emphasized the word 'yours' with a shove against the package, forcing it closer to Albus.

They were facing each other now, both hands on either side of the present and struggling to shove it away and towards the other.

"I don't want your charity, James."

"It's not charity, it's love!"

"Merlin, I'd rather take charity!"

"Come on, you two, people are staring," Scorpius chided, looking around at the other three tables and the dozen or so sets of eyes staring over at them.

"Only cuz mister perfect Gryffindor here has infiltrated Slytherin," Albus grunted against his struggle to deny the present.

"I can sit here if I want, there are Ravenclaws sitting at my table, it's allowed before term starts."

"You're bloody annoying!"

"Open it!"

"Sod off!"

"Okay!" Scorpius stood up and plucked the wrapped parcel from between them, then stepped away from the bench and held it up, one hand on his hip, "Confiscated! You're making a scene! It was funny at first but now you're getting on my nerves! James, you came here for a reason, right?"

"I go to school here."

"No, that's not what I-," Scorpius paused and rolled his eyes, "I meant you sat at our table for a different reason, not just to give us Christmas presents."

"Oh! Yea I did!" He turned to Albus, "I gotta talk to you."

"No," Albus turned back to his plate, which had been cleared of food, leaving him gaping in disappointment before glaring at James, "You've ruined my night yet again, James. My chocolate cake is gone forever."

"I'll bake you some later."

"No."

"Al, remember earlier you asked me to get the new password from Professor Slughorn?"

Albus looked at Scorpius, "So?"

"So if you don't have a civil conversation with your brother I'm not telling you what it is."

"What? That's not fair. I'll just ask him myself."

"He's gone to bed already."

"I'll ask someone from our dorm."

"You think they'd tell you?"

Albus ground his teeth together before giving a groan and hoisting himself to his feet, "Bloody- Merlin- Sod awful- get the hell up, James, before everyone starts filing to their dorms."

James grinned at Scorpius, who just offered a smug, very Slytherin smile in return, and hurried after Albus as he made his way out of the Great Hall and down the darkest corridor. Likely because it was the one least likely to be interrupted down.

They didn't stop until they were several twists and turns away from the Great Hall, standing by a set of open windows carved into the gray stone, showing the courtyard below, dark but lit up by moonlight.

"So? What do you want? What was so important you lost me my chocolate cake to tell me?"

James found himself hesitating for some reason, looking up and down the hall to make sure no one, student or otherwise, was listening, because clearly this topic wasn't one that should be discussed; especially within the school.

"I talked to Teddy about what happened," he started, careful of how he worded his sentences, "You know, how you disappeared from the trai-."

"Stop," Albus slapped a hand over his mouth, then looked down the hall, dropping his hand and grabbing James by the tie so he could drag him further down the hall, out into the courtyard, releasing James only when they were next to the fountain.

"There, now no one can hear us," he said, and James stared at him, somewhat impressed, before shaking his head and continuing.

"I talked to Teddy about you and Scorpius disappearing those three times. You had everyone worried, you know? Dad wouldn't even let me see you when he found you the first time. He said you hurt your arm?"

Albus just sat down on the wall around the fountain, arms folded, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know everything that happened, Al, Teddy told me. Jumping off the train, Amos Diggory, breaking into the Ministry and stealing the Time Turner, Delphini."

"Don't say that name," Albus snapped, bristling, his green eyes like tar against the darkness of the courtyard.

"What do you want me to call her then? That one bitch? Sorry, I meant witch," he barely saw Albus' lips twitch into a smile he disguised as a scowl, and sat down next to his brother, facing him, "Bottom line is I know what happened, okay? Teddy wasn't supposed to tell me, he said the Ministry is keeping a lid on it to keep the magical world from going chaotic over the existence of... well, her."

"And?" Albus snapped, "What do you want, a fuckin medal? You know what happened, congratulations, five points to Gryffindor, what do you want me to say, huh?"

"Nothing, I just-!" James sighed, "Look I was really worried about you! Why didn't you tell me what was going on? I could've helped!"

"Are you mad? Why the hell would I tell you anything?!"

"Because I'm your brother!"

"Yea and Harry Potter is my dad, but I didn't tell him either!"

"That's a little different," James argued, "Is it that hard to believe you could've confided in me?"

"Kind of?" Albus scoffed, turning away, "Doesn't matter that you know what happened. I imagine what you got were the cliff notes, you don't know what I saw."

"Well... so what?" James felt somewhat desperate, "Tell me then."

"No thanks."

"Why?"

"Aside from the fact this is the first time you've sought me out at school to talk to me about something other than Quidditch, our parents, or the fact I'm in Slytherin house?"

".... yea, aside from that."

"You fucked up my dessert."

"That's petty."

"I'm a Slytherin."

"Being Slytherin doesn't mean you have to be petty- okay stop distracting me. I'm being serious here."

"Sirius is your middle name."

"Stop it," James said, and he must have spoken in an authoritative tone, because Albus went rigid, staring at him with the same silent defiance he'd give their father.

James found himself sighing again, leaning over his knees with his arms folded against them, staring at the castle and the lights flickering in the windows. They wouldn't be able to stay out much longer, it was already nearly pitch dark out, a professor would probably be along to chide them inside soon.

"I'm sorry," the apology slipped out without James thinking about it, but Albus didn't say anything in return, so he continued, desperately, "Just from what Teddy said... it sounded like it was really scary. I saw the light that flashed from her killing curse. I was on my broom by the forest edge looking for you, and that green light just lit the sky over the Quidditch pitch, so I flew over, saw Craig just lying there..."

"... you're the one who found him?"

"Yea," James tapped his fingers together, "I was really scared. You were missing, a kid was dead, I thought... you know, I thought the worst."

"Thought Scorpius and I had killed him?"

"What? No," James sat straighter to look at him, "I thought you were dead, too."

For some reason, Albus looked surprised at his admission, like he never expected James to worry for his safety.

"That witch, Delphini, blood of one of the most dangerous Dark Wizards of our history... she came after you like You-Know-Who came after dad. Like the Potter's are cursed... like he cursed our entire family when he killed our grandparents. She manipulated you and nearly killed you, you would've been lost in time, I never would have seen you again."

"Is that such a tragedy?"

"Don't bloody say that!" James snapped, and Albus leaned back, pushed by the raise in volume, "Why is it so hard to get it through your head that I care about you?! You're my brother! You're the only one I got and I don't want to lose you just because you're moody and reckless! Talk to me, damn it! Give me a chance to help you! No one can help you if you don't reach out!"

"I don't need your help, James!"

"That's too bad cuz here I am; I'm not going anywhere!"

"You're annoying!"

"I'm supposed to be!"

"Who's out there?!" James and Albus both froze at the sound of Filch's voice, staring at the lantern bobbing towards the courtyard, "Past curfew! Students out of bed!"

James grabbed Albus and dragged him up, around the fountain and down the far hall that lead onto the grassy hill beyond that lead to the Black Lake, the forest, and Hagrid's hut. They ducked behind the stone structures just beyond the arching doorway, watching the bobbing lantern in the distance before it disappeared back into the castle.

James sighed in relief and Albus muttered under his breath, "I'm expelled if they find me out here..."

"I've got my cloak, don't worry, I won't let you get expelled," James assured, turning and sitting in the grass, staring down at Hagrid's hut, where a single window was lit up.

Albus sat beside him, unable to do much else now. He couldn't just walk into the castle by himself without getting in trouble, so he had to just sit with James until he decided to pull out the cloak and sneak them both back inside.

"I was scared...," James muttered again, and Albus dragged his feet closer, lifting his knees and folding his arms over them, "I'm just sorry, okay? I've been a really bad brother, especially at school. I could've been more supportive of you, but I never tried hard enough. Always teasing you and making jokes about being in Slytherin house."

"That's how you express yourself, by making jokes," Albus muttered, "I don't know how you got it into your head that people wouldn't like you unless you made stupid jokes."

"I don't think that."

"Are you sure?"

James didn't reply, staring up at the stars as he considered it. Those three seventh year Gryffindor's, he recalled, laughing with them about Slytherin students and about Albus and Scorpius, selling his soul to a damaging joke just to be liked and accepted. He wanted to be something other than a Potter.

The first time he ever spoke seriously against those three, defended Albus instead of laughing at him, they scoffed at him. They wanted nothing to do with James Potter unless he was willing to hate Slytherin as much as they did. Maybe... maybe Albus was right.

"What the shit is wrong with me?" He asked, and Albus rolled his head to look at him.

"Get it finally?"

"I'm... sorry."

"It's not my life you're dragging around, it's yours. Look," Albus leaned forward, "I don't care that you laugh at me behind my back, I don't care that ninety percent of the school hates me while nine percent don't give a shit about me. Wanna know why?"

"Why?"

"At least I have a real friend," Albus was staring at the sky, "Even if it's just one, even if he's from a family dad hates... Scorpius saved my life. We saved Cedric Diggory, but it lead to dad dying, Neville dying, and me, you, Lily, never existing. Saving Cedric Diggory by humiliating him turned him, and he became a death eater, murdered Neville, dad was killed in a raid on the school, Voldemort ran the wizarding world with Delphini as the Augery beside him. Scorpius was a king in that alternate reality, ran the school because of his name, because people were either afraid of him or worshiped him, but he gave it up to save me and bring me back.

"My only friend did that for me, James. I couldn't care less about the rest of this school so long as I keep that friend. So go ahead and laugh at me behind my back, I honestly don't care. I've got Scorpius, you've got your jokes, we both win."

"I'd rather have my brother," James decided, hands clenched together, "Scorpius really did that for you?" Albus shrugged, "I should've given him more than a book... I need to thank him..."

"Don't talk to him."

"Why not?"

"Cuz if you make him upset I'll have to kill you."

James barked a laugh, then frowned, "Wait are you serious?"

"He's been through enough," Albus muttered, and James furrowed his brow.

"I heard... I heard someone scream, after I saw that light. It sounded like... Scorpius... what happened to him? After Delphini killed Craig? What did she do to you? To Scorpius?"

"Aside from kidnapping us?" Albus asked, staring at the grass around his shoes, "She was going to torture me."

"Wh- the cruciatus curse?"

"Yea?"

"Merlin... she didn't-."

"No, she didn't, but I would've preferred it."

"Al!"

"I can handle physical pain, James, but I'm not strong enough to watch it happen to my best friend."

James felt himself choke on his own breath, but felt stupid for not realizing that's what happened sooner. Of course a dark witch born of Voldemort would kidnap two innocent kids and torture one of them to manipulate the second into doing what she wanted. James was furious, but felt somehow proud.

"You went with her so she would stop hurting Scorpius..."

"He told me not to," Albus croaked, "Said not to bother, that it was fine, but I couldn't... he's my best friend, I couldn't... let him die..."

James reached out to wrap an arm around Albus, pulling him closer and hugging him with both arms wound around his shoulders and chest. He expected Albus to jerk away or fight the embrace like he usually did, but instead he slumped into it, head on James' shoulder.

"All the rumors, all the history of Slytherin students... you and Scorpius are the least Slytherin-like Slytherins I've ever met."

"No we're not," Albus mumbled, "We're what Slytherin are supposed to be."

James laughed at that, hugging Albus tighter, "Yea, I like that better," he squeezed his brother, "You did a good job, Al. Keeping him safe; keeping each other safe. I... wish I had a friendship like that."

"You can't have Scorpius," Albus said, voice muffled, it sounded like he was crying, and James grinned.

"Maybe we can share him?"

"Fuck off."

James just laughed again, softer this time, and continued to hold Albus until he'd calmed down, pulling out of James' embrace and turning his back to him, rubbing his eyes and sniffing.

James reached into his bag and pulled out the invisibility cloak, rising to his feet, "Hey, Al."

"What now?"

"Remember you can talk to me, okay? Don't ever do something this reckless again. I don't ever want to be scared of you never coming back," he reached his hand down, and Albus took it reluctantly, standing, "We're brothers, remember. We have a special bond."

"That sounds gross."

"Sorry about your cake by the way."

"Whatever."

"I'll make it up to you, promise. Come on, duck under, I'll make sure you don't get caught."

Albus muttered but obeyed, squeezing against James' side beneath the cloak and struggling to walk in tune with his older brother as they snuck back into the castle.

"Stop," Albus hissed, "That's the way to Gryffindor common room."

"Well, what do you expect me to do?"

"Help me down to Slytherin, then sneak back to Gryffindor."

"I thought you didn't know the password?"

"I bloody don't but Scorpius is probably already in bed!"

"Just come with me."

"That fat painting isn't gonna let me in, you know that! Even if she did I do not want to spend the night in Gryffindor tower with the majority of my bullies!"

"I'll beat 'em all up for you, don't worry."

"James you've never been in a fight in your life!"

"Who's there?" A voice echoed down the hall, and James exchanged a panicked look with Albus before jerking out from under the cloak, ensuring it was still covering Albus before spinning on his heel, seconds before a wand lit up in his face.

"James?"

"Oh! Hello Professor Longbottom! What are you doing wandering the halls this late? That's not allowed, you know."

Neville stared blankly at him for a moment, "I am a teacher, you know. I was patrolling. Ever since your brother started popping in and out..."

"Ah, making sure the kiddos are safe? Good man," James reached out to pat him on the shoulder, "Well, I should be off to my room now."

"What are you doing wandering the halls in the first place?" Neville asked, glancing at the space beside James where Albus was probably still standing.

"Just... enjoying the fresh air a moment. I... couldn't remember the password to the portal."

"Mandrake."

"Ah! Yes! Of course! Thank you, Professor!"

"Lacewing."

"Pardon?"

"You can come out, Albus," Neville said, pointing his wand at where Albus was, "I'm not dumb, I went to school with your father. Come on."

The air seemed to ripple as Albus peeled the cloak off, looking sheepishly off to the side as he handed it back to James and Neville set one hand against his hip, brow curved up towards his hairline.

"Honestly."

"We're sorry Professor," James quickly said, "It's my fault, I bullied him out of the Great Hall and outside, I wanted to talk to him about... everything he missed out at Christmas back at home."

Neville eyed him before looking closely at Albus, and maybe he noticed the glassy sheen of his eyes, or the red around them, the streaks of tears dried to his cheeks, but the Godfather in him must have won out over the Professor, because he huffed through his nose and glanced at James.

"The password to Gryffindor common room is Mandrake."

"Yes, sir."

"And Lacewing is the password to Slytherin," he said this to Albus, who glanced at him before looking back at the stone floor, "Both of you run on now, get to bed."

"Yes, sir."

"Thanks," Albus muttered, turning around with James, only a few steps away before Neville called out again.

"Al, come see me tomorrow."

Albus walked backwards to look back at him, "Am I in trouble?"

"No," Neville smiled, "Thought you and I could have tea."

Neville might not have seen it, but James was close enough to see the way Albus' lips curled in a small smile.

"Sounds cool."

"Bring Scorpius if you wish."

"Thank you, sir."

"Now bed, go on."

"Lucky," James said as they turned a corner, "You get your Godfather right next door for tea, and to get you out of trouble."

"I think he's just trying to make me feel better," Albus admitted stopping at the fork in the castle, left hall leading to Slytherin common room and the right leading up to Gryffindor tower, "Thanks, I guess."

"Anytime," James smiled, grabbing Albus as he turned and hugging him from the side, "I love you, Al."

"Let me go before I bind your legs and make you crawl to your bed."

James just laughed, ruffling Albus' hair as he pulled back and turned, his back to Albus so he didn't see the smile on his brother's face.

#harry potter and the cursed child #fanfiction #albus severus potter #scorpius malfoy #scorbus #tedoire #jeddy #james sirius potter #teddy lupin #potter siblings #je t'aime #cursed child compliant #i guess #tcc #ao3 #long fic #ccsquad #i think #post cursed child fic #also during cursed child\ #this is James' take on what happened #sorry to anyone who reads this #15k words of crap

[all-drarry-to-me]

2018 Writing Recap

Total Word Count: 87,996 total

Number of Fests: 4 (Joggers Fest, Consent Fest, Jeddy Fest, Next Gen Fest)

Number of Stories Posted to AO3: 10

Drarry: 6

Jeddy: 3

Lunsy: 1

Most Kudos Fic: The Magic Cat (Drarry, for Consent Fest) – When Harry sees Draco Malfoy with painted nails and wearing an oversized jumper covered in cat fur, his obsession from school comes back in full force. Featuring supportive friends, cute cats and lots of Harry figuring out what he wants.

Most Commented on Fic: Let this ink speak the words I can’t (Drarry) – Back to Hogwarts for eighth year, Harry has fallen into a comfortable routine. But that's before the letters start.

(To be fair, half the comments are my replies...)

Most Bookmarked Fic: The Magic Cat (again!)

2nd place: The five times Draco was caught sleepwalking, and the one time it all worked out (Drarry) – If Draco keeps refusing to tell Potter how he feels, his subconscious is going to help him out.

Fic with the most Hits: The Magic Cat (2nd place: The five times Draco was caught sleepwalking, and the one time it all worked out)

3rd place:  Drawn to you (As the waves to the shore) (Jeddy, for Joggers Fest) – James has been in love with Teddy since before he knew what love was. He's wanted to have sex with Teddy since the first time he saw Teddy's arse in the joggers. Albus is only trying to help.

Fic with the Highest Word Count: Mile Markers and Wizarding Wonders (Jeddy, for Next Gen Fest) with 21,723 words  – James planned a road trip to see the Seven Wizarding Wonders and Teddy ends up coming along. Cue weeks and weeks of bed sharing, accidental cuddling, Teddy's musical selections, a bit of stargazing and lots and lots of figuring each other out during long drives across Europe.

Goals Accomplished This Year:

Well, I joined the Harry Potter fandom this year and actually wrote things. I’m pretty proud of just that.

I wrote for several fests (including a couple anonymous ones), and did an advent fic in December; these especially pushed me to be more disciplined with my writing.

Made a few writer friends in the fandom.

Not a writing goal, per se, but I’m read so many amazing fics this year that have inspired me to be a better writer and a more involved member of the fandom.

2019 Goals:

Be less concerned with posting my work and the reaction it receives online; some of my favorite pieces didn’t make the above list, or are just short drabbles.

Be more consistent with how often I write (and write more than I do now).

Work on creating more intricate plots and longer fics. Basically, work on becoming a better writer.

Thank you, @restlessandordinary, for the tag!

I am tagging @assassinsdragons and @rose-grangerweasleyisbae, if you guys would like to do this. (: Happy New Year, everyone!

#tag game #dot posts #writing #fanfiction #fanfic

[thesnapewecandreamof]

Joint Custody AU

Remember this little post about how Dumbles and Voldie basically like have joint-custody of Sev? https://thesnapewecandreamof.tumblr.com/post/178279017974/sometimes-i-get-odd-thoughts 

Yeah, sometimes this thing still haunts me in my waking hours and I have decided to submit to it and make a whole AU where I could post shit all day.

- Severus Snape was hit by a spell during a raid. It was both done by a member of the Order and the Death Eaters. Nobody could identify exactly who.

- The aurors took the crying baby from the scene, later confirming that it was indeed Severus Snape. They estimate that he was somewhere along 7-10 months. 

- Two pure-blood names petitioned for guardianship. Any others were quickly discouraged or backed out with threat of a painful demise.

- The Highly Inefficient Ministry decided to share the custody of the child seeing as the two families are distantly related anyway and until the child could decide where he wants to go, it would stay that way. Bribes and threats may have been the case of such decision, the ministry is keeping their stupid mouth shut about this issue.

-Severus’ memories sometimes resurface, but nothing concrete.

- Death Eater and Order meetings now spend at least 15 minutes talking about harmless little things-that would jeopardize no mission-with a little boy present. The little boy can throw quite the tantrum. He was a spy and will always be a spy he said. Tried to say at least.

- Albus could feel his mouth smile as Severus did his best to tell him what Tom has been doing during their little meetings. A little spy never looked more adorable. Albus justified his actions by saying that every information is useful. Even little things like tea parties with the Death Eaters.

- The Death Eaters were teaching young Severus manners. Not playing tea party, thank you very much. 

- Tom was very amused every time Severus would tattle on how the Order’s members were inefficient and lazy. Did they rely on Severus’ information so much that they were forced to doing nothing without their spy? Severus secretly calling them Order of Fucks? Tom had no fucks to give, serves Dumbledore right naming his fire chicken Fawkes.

- Severus’ loyalties were not questioned during his time as a child. 

- Voldemort felt a twinge when Severus would grab his hand to get his attention when Tom would look at his other Death Eaters to make sure they remained seated and compliant.

- Albus’ heart broke every time he looked into the black eyes of the happy child. Such a sweet boy, Severus is. Molly practically vibrated with the need to mother the lad.

- Severus woke screaming once in Riddle Manor. Voldemort nearly sent out a raid to find the order until Severus calmed and clarified that Albus didn’t cause his nightmare, it was Tobias. Voldemort promised that no muggle would ever harm Severus again.

- Dumbledore found a note tucked in Severus’ jumper the next day. The contents disturbed him. 

- Ironically, it was in the Order that Severus learned a curse word. The Death Eaters managed to convince Voldemort to not scourgify the child’s mouth. Dumbledore received another note when he collected Severus. He was disturbed to find out that he was agreeing with the Dark Lord.

- “C is for cruciatus, our favorite curse. D is for Dumbledore, who foolishly fumbles--because he is a fool and will die a painful death by my wand!” “My Lord, please-”

- “ M is for monster which the world has in spades, but none is more evil than Tom’s ugly face-” “S T O P Headmaster,I swear- !”

- Both sides await secretly who Severus would call Dad. 

Sometimes you just have to say fuck it and let the madness consume you. There will be more where this came from. Beware. 

#crack #ooc #Severus snape #pro snape #albus dumbledore #voldemort #tom riddle #joint-custody-au #snitpost #shitpost

[wcrmtale-blog]

001. BASICS.

FULL NAME. Peter Douglas Pettigrew

NICKNAME. Pete, Wormtail, Wormy, Dougie (but very specifically only by certain aunts)

BIRTHDAY.  May 21st, 1960

GENDER. Cisgender male

SEXUALITY. Questioning (bisexual)

RELATIONSHIP STATUS. Single

SPOKEN LANGUAGES. English, some poor Latin retention from Hogwarts

ACCENT. All Sheffield, dropping his h’s, making his u’s into uh’s, contorting vowels and dropping plurals, turning behind into be-yind. Pete himself tends to insert plenty of speech breaks, liberally peppered with filler words (all those good ums and ahs), though his sentences tend to blur together rather than having an audible period/pause after every idea. Peter’s a notorious mumbler, always checking himself to try and chin up and speak a little more defined so he and his conversational partner don’t have to play the painful ‘can you repeat that?’ game.

BIRTHPLACE. Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England

ASTROLOGICAL SIGN. Taurus/Gemini cusp. One of the Earth signs, Taurus has a reputation for being a grounded sign, less hotheaded and more reliable and practical than others. A Taurus can be committed to the point of stubbornness and often finds fulfillment in utility. However, Taurus is very susceptible to possessiveness and insecurity and is very resistant to sudden change; criticism hits hard and when a Taurus is in an unhealthy mental state, a great majority of their emotions can be reliant on the people they are surrounded by. What a Taurus wants more than anything is stability and purpose; without these things, the ground feels shaky underneath their feet and can send them spiraling to find a way to fulfill those needs.

EX-HOGWARTS HOUSE. Gryffindor

PATRONUS. Brown rat

BOGGART. An ever changing beast that’s seen many variations. The current most popular switches between two variations of failure -- one in failing in his duty to the Order and Albus Dumbledore himself dishonorably discharging him, the other in facing the rest of the Marauders and finding that none of them remember him. Had Pete been exposed circa his second year at Hogwarts, it would have likely been Minerva Mcgonagall (brilliant, impatient, terrifying). 

BLOOD STATUS. Pureblood

ALLIED WITH. Order of the Phoenix

FACECLAIM. Charlie Heaton

002. PHYSICAL TRAITS.

HAIR COLOUR & STYLE. Ashy brown, it’s thin but there’s a lot of it, which makes tangling a nightmare if he doesn’t stay on top of it. The current style is grown out of a childhood bowl cut and the now-longer layers tend to piece together around his face and over his eyes. Peter hates how it looks tucked behind his ears too much to keep it out of the way like that, leading to frequent little jerky movements of his head intended to force his hair back into place for a few minutes at a time. The gesture is hardly a graceful one and sometimes he doesn’t bother; all the easier to hide behind.

EYE COLOUR. Dark brown

COMPLEXION. Pale, sunburns at the drop of a hat

ETHNICITY. Caucasian

HEIGHT. 1.71 m (5′6 ft)

PHYSIQUE. Skinny in the way any post-adolescent boy retaining his metabolism is, a little soft in the stomach where late night stress snacking is just beginning to catch up with him. Narrow shoulders, lines more round than sharp, a body used to having to look up to people.

TATTOOS. N/A

PIERCINGS. N/A

CLOTHING & STYLE. Lots of denim, plenty of layers (jackets, jumpers, undershirts, even when it’s warmer out), single-minded dedication to old white trainers that are worn until the bottoms run through. An especially well loved Gryffindor jumper that gets the most use out of all of them. Brown beanies tugged down over red-tipped ears, thick woolen socks with warming threads sewn into the toes. Henley shirts, red or navy and usually with a flannel thrown over the top. A preference for long sleeves and full length pants that suggests a lack of desire to shown off one’s body – in fact, quite the opposite.

MANNERISMS. Darting eyes hopping between every member of a conversation and a few on the outside, not missing anything. Shoulders hunched up around the ears, a laugh that hesitates, always looking for someone else’s laughter to confirm that it’s warranted. Rubbing hands together in the cold, shifting from foot foot when idle, tucking chin close to chest and curling in on himself. Thumbing repetitively at the filter of a cigarette, always blowing smoke down instead of out. Grabbing at items in his pocket and squeezing them tight. Flinching instinctively when someone approaches too fast, even if that someone is a friend.

HABITS. A nervous fidgeter, all leg bouncing and picking at nails until his cuticles are raw, barely conscious he’s doing it. A semi-conscious chewer too; plastic spoons and straws tend to get caught up in his mouth for an hour after he’s done with them, same with the ends of zippers or the tops of pens. Classic stress eater, often climbing out of bed late at night to dig a snack out of the fridge or from under his bed. Peter drinks milk from of the carton and eats ice cream out of the tub; spoons macaroni into his mouth from the pot rather than into a bowl first and snatches bacon right from the pan, absentmindedly sucking his fingers clean after. His friends are more than used to that specific longing look that means he wants something from your plate but is too polite to ask for it. Pete hums constantly when he’s alone (or thinks he is), especially in the shower. Kicks off his shoes and tucks his feet up to his chest on big enough chairs and couches, never unties the laces on his trainers. Tends to make faces when he makes eye contact with himself a mirror. Prefers to sleep in his Animagus form if it’s safe enough that no one isn’t in the know will burst into his bedroom. After he’s been standing for more than ten minutes at a time, he starts leaning into things: doorframes, walls, tables, Remus...

003. PERSONALITY TRAITS & TYPES.

POSITIVE. PERCEPTIVE, ADAPTABLE, UNOBTRUSIVE, CONSIDERATE, EMPATHETIC, LOGICAL, PATIENT

NEGATIVE. AWKWARD, ANXIOUS, WITHDRAWN, WILLFULLY GULLIBLE, INDECISIVE, SELF-CRITICAL, DEPENDENT

HOBBIES & INTERESTS. Novels, particularly sci-fi. Any kind of new music, muggle and wizard bands alike. Some light art, he doesn’t credit himself with being anything but a doodler but he’s actually got an eye for landscapes and buildings. There’s a newly acquired interest in gardening that’s just recently begun to creep in there as well. 

INSECURITIES. Hoo boy.. his physicality: what he looks like, what his strengths are (or more specifically, aren’t. He’s well aware he isn’t exactly toned). His learning ability: everything he struggled to retain in school, how much longer it takes him to pick up most new magic compared to his peers. His personality: how awkward he is at conversation or cracking jokes, how boring he can physically hear himself being every time he talks to another person, how little he has to say about himself that’s interesting or engaging. His roots: entirely unremarkable, the kind of generic that no one remembers. His friends: how easy it would be for them to drop him, how many other vastly more interesting, funny, charming people there are that could take his place, how much more dedicated he fears they are to each other compared to him. Himself in comparison to everyone around him: encompassing all of these previous fears.

MBTI TYPE. ISFP; introverted, sensing, feeling, percieving.  

ENNEAGRAM TYPE. Type Two - The Helper

MORAL ALIGNMENT. True Neutral

TEMPERAMENT. Melancholic

DEADLY SIN. Sloth

004. THIS OR THAT.

INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT?

OPTIMIST OR PESSIMIST?

LEADER OR FOLLOWER?

CONFIDENT OR SELF-CONSCIOUS?

CAUTIOUS OR CARELESS?

PASSIONATE OR APATHETIC?

BOOK SMARTS OR STREET SMARTS?

COMPLIMENTS OR INSULTS?

COLD HANDS OR WARM HEART?

005. ASSOCIATIONS.

COLOURS. Washed out colors; pale reds and oranges and piney greens like a chilly landscape under late autumn rain. Dusty brown, like cooking chocolate or dead leaves. The dingey off-white of something well-worn. Once blazing scarlet and gold, sported long after the brilliance of the color has faded. The translucent blue of shallow veins.

WORDS. Hesitant, shuffling, sniffle, blink, curl, small, nibble, snort, resigned, surprised – ‘woah!’, ‘sure’, ‘i s’pose…’

SCENT. Wet wool, dusty books, lived in skin and no cologne, tobacco lingering in hair from his and Sirius’ cigarettes, ash in a fireplace the morning after. Rich earth, a smell like the word ‘verdant’, like Hestia in the greenhouse.

TASTE. A Pepper-Up potion on a cold day, a rolled up slice of plain wheat bread for a meal while on watch, leftovers just a little off from one too many reheating charms, the burn of alcohol forced down, a meaningless kiss from years ago, joining the rest he can count on one hand.

SOUND. Chaotic conversation while playing observer in the Common Room, all laughter and chatter and friendly lobbed insults. His mother’s favorite songs from the 50′s playing every Sunday morning, the church bells on the walk through town. The confident lilt of James’ voice, the steady cadence of Remus’. Click, pressing play on his Walkman, different from the click-sht of a lighter. A hard sniff, the choked noise of holding back louder tears. The shuffling of sheets and the squeak of mattress coils in a quiet room late at night, turning over and over trying to find a comfortable spot.

MAGIC. Convenience, practicality, repetition. Sneaking off to drill himself again and again until it finally sticks. The giddy rush of that first Patronus, the sheer triumph of that first transformation. Three unregistered Animagi, a law worth breaking, the boy worth breaking it for.

WEATHER. Autumn, cool and overcast. Curling up on the couch in sun beams sneaking through the window, the most satisfying naps he can remember. Dead leaves crunching underfoot walking through the courtyard, going out of his way to step on them. Summer, always a little damp under long sleeves, dizzy and overheated. The heaviness in spring air when rain is on the horizon.

FEELING. Anticipation, queasy anxiety, wanting to reach out and holding back instead. The dread of approaching a classroom without assigned work ready, the exhilaration of cheering on the winning team, the sensation of always having to walk a little faster to keep up. The darker pleasure of seeing someone else be the butt of the joke. The guilty undercurrent of worry watching a close friend laughing with someone else. The guiltier undercurrent of resentment. Wanting. Doubting. Reminiscing. A distant crush from childhood that never quite goes away. The comfort of being touched by someone you care about, an arm around the shoulders, a hand ruffling your hair. The old fears that only get bigger – of not being enough, of never having been enough.

MEMORY. Learning to ride a bike and a broom the same summer, coughing a fit at his first cigarette. Nervously wiping hands on his trousers before shaking Remus’ hand, their first time on the Hogwarts Express. Watching James on the Quidditch Pitch, like trying to stare head-on at the sun. One period of grace when even Sirius felt like a close friend, when everything was right, when school never needed to end. 

TOUCH. Damp earth clinging to the soles of bare feet, goosebumps on bare skin. Sliding on a jumper with nothing underneath.  Pale grey and soft to the touch, a tiny heart trembling under thin skin. Chocolate Frogs melting onto finger tips. Sirius giving him a joking pinch to the cheek, a hard clap on the back, the pain sore and sweet all at once.

#hcb:dev #&&. the lighter side of being human (headcanons) #y'all i live for this shit this was so much fun to fill out #also it is... almost 5am #i'm going to crash hard and rep to ims tomorrow <3

[gryffindormischief]

How about a five line drabble of Harry and Ginny trying to get a kiss with the kids underfoot for the new year? (not required, just a suggestion, no obligation to write, etc)

A/N: this was super fun and I passed 5 lines, but stayed under 500 words, so that counts for something right?  Also keep in mind I’m heavily drugged and didn’t proof read xD  Happy new year!

Also available on FF and Ao3!

Quintessential

“Maybe it was amistake to let them stay up,” Ginny whispers conspiratorially around theneck of her butter beer bottle. 

Harry smirks, running abroad hand up and down Lily’s back comfortingly as she lets out a sleepyhiccup, “Nah. Even if we put them in bed, they were too wired from yourmum’s fudge.”

As if to prove the point,Albus takes a flying leap from his perch on the back of Harry’s favoritewingback chair toward the tufted footstool.  Tucking her wand away afterher silent preemptive wingardium leviosa ensuresAlbus reaches his destination, Ginny crunches on a handful of popcorn,“Too right that. But 12:01 they’re all off to bed so I can have my wickedway with my svelte husband.”

Oblivious to hisgodparents’ heated gaze, Teddy shouts from across the room by the wireless,“It’s TIME!" 

Navigating around Jamesand Albus expertly, only tripping over his too big feet once or twice, Teddyvaults between Harry and Ginny, settling down into the crack in the cushionswith a wiggle. 

As the countdown begins,Harry tilts his head awkwardly and finds his youngest still asleep, onlyshifting slightly as her fingers grip at his jumper reflexively 

Soon the countdownreaches the twenties, Albus carefully using his fingers and recently uncoveredtoes to ensure accuracy while James does his twin uncles proud as hemeticulously avoids all relevant numbers. 

A sleep flushed Lilysnuggles closer to her father as the countdown ends with cheers that fill theroom and Harry and Ginny lean close to ring in the new year with a quick pressof their lips. 

Eyes already closed,Harry pulls back in confusion when his mouth meets a sticky cheek rather thanhis wife’s now smirking lips. 

Watching with playfulbrown eyes as Teddy shrinks back down to his normal height, Ginny ruffles hiselectric blue hair, "You are so your mother.”

Teddy grins and gets up,pulling Albus into a clumsy dance that barely matches the beat of thecelebratory strains rippling from the wireless as Lee Jordan delivers a rousing,if slightly tipsy, speech about the wonders of the year to come.

Seeing their chance,Ginny quickly slides her fingers into Harry’s dark locks, lips caressing hispromisingly until James’ childish shout breaks through the haze,“That’s gross.”

Ginny’s head drops backagainst the couch with a tipsy giggle as Harry stands to begin wrangling theirbrood, hand landing on James’ lanky shoulder, “Talk to me in about 10years mate.”

#diva-gonzo #blarg writes things #hinny #harryginny #harry x ginny #read-a-hinny-fic #harry potter #ginny weasley #teddy lupin #teddy #james sirius potter #james sirius #albus severus #albus severus potter #lily luna #lily luna potter #the potters #happy new year!