#sev's thoughts and theories part 1 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

severnskull · 5 years

Text

Keeping Up With the Kage (Part 1)

Just who are they [the Kazekage clan] anyway?

Okay, so let’s start from the beginning. The Kazekage clan is one of the most influential families of Sunagakure, its members include the Fourth Kazekage (Rasa), the Fifth Kazekage (Gaara), Temari, Kankuro, and by adoption into the family, Shinki. Now, this may not sound like much, but two confirmed generations have taken up the mantle as Kage. However, I believe it runs in the family and that all the previous Kazekage have been from that same family lineage.

In the Third Naruto Databook, Page 64 the heading is ‘one after another felled by an assassin’s blade: the cursed line of Kazekage’. Apparently, the latter part can also be translated to ‘the cursed lineage of Kazekage’. This could imply that the Kazekage line is derived from a single family.

However, it’s still possible that they aren’t, after all, we don’t actually know the clan’s name because no one in Sunagakure actually has a last name. They carry titles. (No, Sasori’s last name is not ‘Akasuna’. He’s known as 赤砂のサソリ [Akasuna no Sasori] which literally means ‘Sasori of the Red Sand’, which is also a title.)

But I have some more tricks up my sleeve that may further this plot.

On the Naruto wikia, it mentions these users as being able to use Magnet Release, which is typically a kekkai genkai -- or a bloodline ability -- unless one receives some sort of chakra supplementation that allows for the user to gain the ability to use it (such as let’s say bijuu chakra or cell transplants, etc.).

Now let’s take a look at that for a moment and think about this. Not all of these shinobi so first, I crossed them off in black. Secondly, one of them is not able to use a sand-like ability, so I crossed them off in blue. Lastly, one of them is not a shinobi, but a bijuu, so I crossed them off in red. That left us with this list.

You probably already noticed, but three of the users are a part of the main, canonical Kazekage clan (Gaara, Rasa, and Shinki). But wait. The Third Kazekage? He’s there too?

It’s not actually a surprise because when Sasori first fights Sakura and Chiyo with the Third Kazekage’s Human Puppet, Chiyo explains the jutsu the Iron Sand Technique (chapter #268, page 9 and Shippuden episode #22). This is also mentioned above in the Third Databook, as mentioned earlier.

So here’s the question:

Let’s move on to Rasa. Good ol’ dad.

Well... maybe not ‘good’ because he was on a similar level of gaslighting for the ‘greater good’ as Danzo, but moving on nonetheless!

Now Rasa can, of course, use the Gold Sand Technique, which was developed to fight Shukaku and kill his son when the time was right. This is mentioned in the anime, the manga (chapter #546, page 11), and in the Fourth Databook (page 75, link provided by The Narutoversity). It is confirmed that he’s able to use this jutsu by utilizing the Magnet Release kekkai genkai and that he learned how to utilize gold dust in order to control the Ichibi.

Next, we’ll talk about Gaara’s Magnet Release.

Yes. Yes. I know you’re all screaming at the screen like, “Sev! Gaara only has that in the novel! It’s not canon.” I hate to be the one to inform you, but you are dead-ass wrong.

It is canon, but you probably missed it during the insanity that was the Fourth Shinobi War. So let’s recap.

In chapter 546, Rasa put a ton of gold dust in the sand while he was fighting with Gaara. That was still there when he was fighting with the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hōzuki.

Now this nerd, this guy whose eyebrows decided to fly south for the winter and never actually left, paid attention to everything that was going on. And yes, this is the very same guy that taunted and teased Gaara and was asking for the Allied Forces to seal him quickly.

Just look at him.

Yeah, I was surprised too. I adore him.

Anyhow, he actually took note of Rasa’s abilities and when Gaara defeated him, after being given a brief science lesson, this was his reaction:

He figured it out. But if that’s not enough, here is the actual excerpt from the Gaara Hiden novel: A Sandstorm Mirage, on page 76.

So just to confirm, even without Shukaku’s apparent help, Gaara got Magnet Release from his father and at some point, learned how to use it.

Satisfied?

Now, we’ll move on to our last character: Shinki.

As you can tell from the gif, his jutsu is very similar to the Third Kazekage’s. Here’s an image or two for comparison.

On top of that, Shinki uses Iron Sand as well and although he isn’t related to Gaara (as he was adopted) he does have the Magnetic Release kekkai genkai and could use the Iron Sand technique from a young age. This means that either he was taught the Iron Sand technique or he was able to utilize it from birth, which strengthens the idea that he’s from the same clan.

But you know, he might as well be Gaara’s real son, because look at them. Gaara is a fantastic dad.

There’s really not much else I can say or add since Shinki is a newer character and there’s still a lot to learn about him and unless Kishimoto decides to go the same route as J.K. Rowling and overshares or Kodachi decides to fill us in on some headcanons in the Boruto series, we may never know.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed that theory. Tell me what you thought of it! Do you think that Leader of Sunagakure is part of ‘the family business’ or do you think it’s all a coincidence?

Take a look at my other theories here.

27 notes · View notes

insertlatestfictionalcrushhere · 2 years

Text

I’ll see your heart, and raise you two

Pairing: Sevika x reader

Warnings: gambling? Suggestive ending…

Summary: You meet Sev at the last drop and play a game of cards with her. You’re noticeably good and this leads to more and more games between you two. One night, you run into each other randomly in Zaun and play a game that leads to more than a little cash…

A/N: Part 2 as promised! It’s gonna be 3 parts im so sorry pls don’t hate me. Also all of you liking what I’ve written so far MAKES.MY.DAY. I LOVE ALL OF YOU SO MUCH!!! AAGGGHHH.

Also, I don’t know many card games and especially don’t know anything like poker (am baby) so I did my best to vaguely describe gameplay but also leave it up to you to decide what yall would be playing. I used ‘go fish’ in my head

https://sevikas-wife.tumblr.com/post/675486076349153280/ill-see-your-heart-and-raise-you-two

Part 1 ^^^

Enjoy :3

--------——-----------------------——-----------

Precise. That’s how you would describe her shuffling. The air was growing thicker by the second, both of you expecting the other to be an actual decent opponent and yet, all you could do at that moment was watch her hands. The cards had been well worn and yet she shuffled and flipped them as if they were fresh out of the box. And oh…how you wished to be those cards….

“Hello?”

You snapped back to reality and looked up to see Sevika staring at you with a raised eyebrow. How long had you been staring? How long did she notice? Did she notice?? Oh gods what if…No. You shook your head lightly and smiled back at her, an attempt to play off your small mishaps.

“apologies, it’s been a while since I’ve seen someone handle..cards..so well” you replied, earning a small chuckle. Your heart lept at the sound. G o o d n e s s you needed to get some control if you wanted to stand a change against her.

“If that’s all it takes to impress you, I’d have you a mess within a few minutes”

It took every ounce of strength not to scream right then and there. Clearly, Sevika was turning out to be a challenge in more ways than one. You pressed your nails into your palm, desperately trying to maintain a calm composure. You rolled your eyes in reply, a safe answer that couldn’t spark more of her natural flirtatious commentary.

She dealt the cards accordingly, grabbed her hand, and laid back. You followed suit, arranging your cards how you saw fit whilst carefully eyeing her. She waved her hand at you, her cigarette dangling in the corner of her mouth. Your move. You took a few seconds to imagine the play a few steps into the future, weighing all options before finally making a decision. Your first goal: figure out how she plays.

Placing your card on the table, you briefly looked up at her to see her reaction. Nothing had changed. This might be harder than you thought, but that didn’t deter you. She calmy reached into her fanned cards, and made her move. Nothing that surprised you, but her speed in figuring out what to play was notably fast.

This went on for a while, neither of you giving away any emotions that could tip the other off. And while that may have been annoying to most, to you, it heightened interest in the game significantly. Sev played like the champ that everyone said she was, immediately crushing your theory that people let her win just because of her superior position in Zaun. You were intensely focused, nothing but her and her plays in your mind. The pulsing of the music, the buzz from the liquor, the smoke mingling with the dim light, none of it could pull you away from the game. And then it happened.

You played a card in the same repeated motion and yet, she flinched. The missing scale in her armor shown brightly like a lighthouse, and you didn’t hesitate to fire an arrow directly at it. You leaned back ever so slighty, and watched her pause briefly before playing. It’s a ruse. She doesn’t know what to play now. Unleash hell.

You almost couldn’t contain your excitement as you realized you had finally gained the upper hand. Your hands became less shaky as you dealt your next blow, your eyes watching her reaction even closer. You watched as her eyes darted back and forth between her hand and the pile, and you could’ve sworn a bead of sweat slowly fell across her face.

Her next play was a last ditch effort at best. You almost could’ve laughed but it was too soon. You gave her credit for having never been in such a position before. Holding back your full ego, you played your final move with a light plop of a card onto the pile and leaned all the way back into your chair. The game had been so intense, you hadn’t noticed how tense your muscles had been. She stared at the pile, your winning move on top, her mouth slightly agape. She looked up and met your smug expression and shook her head.

“Damn. I haven’t played anyone like that since my old man. Well done.” She said, lighting her cigarette that had gone out long ago. She offered one to you, and you accepted graciously, eagerly awaiting another form of numbification. The cigarette had barely touched your lips before she had her lighter there, ready to light. You knelt forward and puffed, staring at the flame and not her hands, lest you get distracted again.

“Thanks. It’s almost a gift” You replied, sinking back into your chair and letting the noise of the club fill the small silence. She chuckled while gathering the cards into a neat deck once more.

“Round 2?” she asked, her hands making quick work of the cards. You threw back the last bit of liquor in your cup, and decided to let your ego out juuuust a little bit. You knew that if thee Sevika took the time to light your cigarette for you, you had her interest and attention.

“And what? Potentially squander this moment? Nah” You dashed your cigarette out in the tray and stood up, grabbing your glass. “Maybe if you’re here tomorrow night, I can beat you again” you teased, and seized the moment to walk away.

You felt your cheeks burn and your knees grow weaker as you attempted to play it cool. How amazing it would have been to know if she was watching you walk away but looking back would’ve proved fatal to you regardless of if she was or not. Little did you know, she was absolutely watching you walk away and and loving every second of it.

#sevika arcane #arcane #sevika is my wife #sevika #arcane lol #lol arcane #arcane x reader #sevika x reader

188 notes · View notes

yooleestruck · 4 years

Text

in which lee rambles about how great writers are

I don’t really know what this is. I don’t know if now is the right time to do this, or a really bad time, or if it makes any sense, but I want to talk about it! I feel like a broken record saying ‘the writing matters most, the writing matters most’ but maybe I need to show what I mean by that? So, here is an attempt.

I’m sorry not all of these are the same length and not everyone is here, because every time I see that someone is a writer I do try to follow but I don’t always know/remember! Also I am weird about this sort of thing and don’t want to tag people in a monster-long post, so I’m just going to link. I also don’t want to make this a producers vs writers thing, it’s not, it’s just, when I say I notice writer-stuff, an explanation of what, specifically, I mean.

Writers have a style fingerprint. I’m sure someone with an actual creative writing or English background could describe it all academic-ly, but my ex-chemist ass is just going to call it a fingerprint.

My first game in Lovestruck was Starship Promise - I love Firefly, I’m a bisexual disaster scientist by education, it fit. But I had been REALLY put off by GIL when it first came out (this was back when they released stories in parts? And the heroine, which I will get to) and though I’d glanced at AFK, I mistrusted it after GIL and Medusa, who was who I was interested in, wasn’t out yet. So I resisted a LONG time. I finally picked up LS and SP and played it explicitly because a friend said, you need to give this another chance, for a list of specific reasons.

And when Atlas’s route came out, I read it a stupid number of times. I must have re-read his season 1 & 2 at least eight times apiece (he is still my most read route, despite the fact I have not read his last season because I want to leave the story open-ended) so when I read Neil Dresner’s route, I recognized the fingerprint. Not only that, when I was reading Jett and the episodes with the paint scene (YOU KNOW THE SCENE) came out, my breath caught with how lovely it was, a particular in-between moment and touch, and even though it wasn’t a phrase I had seen, the style of it, had me re-reading (because it was gorgeous) again and again from the log for like five minutes and I thought, “I bet Melissa wrote this” AND SHE DID.

Physical touch! (& in-betweens)

Melissa-grey has a particular way of writing about physical touch in very emotional moments that is very real and grounded and ironically the effect is just magical. It creates these so skillful “in between” moments, those little things that aren’t dialogue and aren’t metaphor but SHOW you that this closed off person is cracking for their little ray of sunshine. They are SO subtle and so beautiful, like, the heroine noticing the scent of a pillow, or a softening of an aborted hand movement. She sets up and executes these moments of physical touch as a conduit for emotional touch with characters who aren’t ready to admit he latter and it’s DELICIOUS. Those little in-betweens are what I live for in story - and it includes all the supporting cast moments, who swell up to make the world feel lived in, and balanced (I loathe love stories where no one else exists! That’s a recipe for disaster, people need networks) I noticed when she stopped writing, and because I missed it, I went and bought the entire Midnight Girl series, as well as Rated (I hope that is flattering and not creepy!) and that style of writing is so unique, that without KNOWING, I picked it up in four separate routes (noticed in Sev’s s1, too!)

Pacing (& friggen heartache)

Another fingerprint! Ripping your heart out! Arthoure has had me in tears, MULTIPLE TIMES and I get very grouchy about it every time because I am the least sentimental and romantic person that I know (I once MOVED STATES to avoid an ‘I love you’ conversation. I once said ‘yikes’ in response to an ‘I love you’ and I once broke up with someone because I thought he was going to propose. I’m a bitch) but I think it’s because of pacing! I know that producers play a role in that, but that actually makes it more impressive, because making each bit of story feel like it fits precisely the amount of space it needs when you don’t really get a say in how much space that is has got to take a MASSIVE amount of effort. Every little hint, every emotional beat, every character tell, they drop at a consistent build so the emotional payoff is just brutal (in a good, cathartic way?) every time a route makes me cry I wait and see and YEAH ITS ALWAYS ARTHOURE. The sweep and sentiment of Remy’s season 2 is unparalleled. Across Time is gutwrenching, and I actually stopped reading Renzei at one point because I was so emotional over it I had to like, LEGIT TAKE A BREAK to recover. Pacing and heartache. I have to stop and wonder - is it because the routes themselves are so gut-punching? OR is it because she knows how to wring every last emotional drop out of whatever story framework is handed to her? Because, Ezekiel’s villain costume is a bit silly (there I said it, it is) I get the cobra helmet shape in theory but in practice, ooof, but POINT BEING despite being skeptical I’d be able to take his story seriously as a result, I was hiccuping from crying so much (and I am gosh darn adult, in my thirties, with three degrees and a high-stress job at pretty major company. I DON’T CRY EASY)

Dialogue (& heroines!)

Xekstrin is the gosh damn master of dialogue. Clever, witty banter that doesn’t go where you expect it to, meandering but natural topic changes that are delightful to follow and feel real, and--special shoutout for this, okay--the navigation of viscerally important topics like consent, kink, self-worth, power in relationships, self-sacrifice, and apologies in a way that is not stilted or forced at all (listen, I know Viv & Lyris are the most recent and they are amazing but I remember this first hit me when I was reading Astraeus, and I spent half the route with my jaw on the floor going, oh shit, oh shit. The communication! The navigation of the complexity of emotion going on, chef’s kiss! Casual isn’t the right word, but, natural, maybe?). I don’t actually take that many screenshots of the app--it’s usually single lines that get me--but when I do, they are almost always conversations from one of her routes, because they’re so damn good, and often so unexpected, and yet always make such perfect sense for the characters involved. Dialogue is SO HARD OKAY. Actually try and transcribe a conversation sometime, it’s nuts how people talk vs how most people write people talking. Xekstrin also writes some of my absolute favorite MCs, and going back to fingerprints, I was reading Lyris s1 and right there in the first tavern scene, as we were following along with the heroine’s thoughts I went, ah, yes, I know who you belong to and I am SO EXCITED. Being able to give the heroine unique thoughts and quirks, to make her genuinely relatable, without overriding the necessary template of the genre dictates, is a skill all of its own. But I love her MCs! There is a beautiful balance of compassion, competence, and dash of bratty, wild, fun mischief. I can actually cheer for them. I can actually get behind them. I WANT the love interest to flop at their feet for who they are, not just because the story says so. And that comes from how the heroine’s thoughts are written, from her phrasing in conversations, how she sees situations, not just a producer saying ‘she is a strong lead who is self conscious about her ears and she’s nervous in the council meeting’ or whatever. I AM REALLY STRUGGLING to articulate this if you can’t tell from how long I have been blathering. Maybe this - the heroine is the same across every route, presumably, yes? Everyone has the same base. I NEVER question, when xekstrin is writing, why the love interest falls in love with her. Side note - I had hard written off GIL after a bad experience with the standalone app. I only read Aurora BECAUSE I learned she wrote it, and I would have SO MISSED OUT otherwise.

A complete aside in which Lee grumbles about heroines and not writers!

(Complete side vent: Often, the heroine is, if not a blank slate, a sort of collection of assigned traits, and she often remains so unless the story demands she become otherwise. Which is fine! I don’t personally, but I know a lot of folks self-insert, and so erring towards that makes sense. Almost all the otome I’ve played were originally written for a Japanese audience. When I played original Voltage games, starting back in 2014, I always had to remind myself - different culture, different culture, different culture, and it was not possible for me to relate to most of the heroines. I still enjoyed the stories, but I rarely cheered for the heroine’s romance, especially in some of the slice of life stories. I understood her, but I rarely wanted her to get with the love interest, I wanted her success to come in other ways! Another game company, Cybird, tried to ‘Americanize’ their heroine to IMO disastrous effect - it was such a stereotype, and made no sense since they didn’t also Americanize the context, so she come across as, frankly, ridiculous. And frankly, Voltage’s GIL heroine REEKED OF THAT. When they first posted her on social media I was legitimately annoyed about it, like could you lean into this more? I think not. So when I talk about being able to relate to and cheer for the heroine, it’s a big deal, because my blatant mistrust of Voltage and their ability to craft a heroine I could tolerate was a BIG factor in how long it took me to give Lovestruck a try. I was willing to tolerate it in translated stories, I was so skeptical of -en only ones.)

Metaphors (& balance)

literacouture writes beautiful metaphors for connection between humans! I’m really bad at keeping track of who writes what, but I purposefully kept an eye out on tumblr after reading Cal’s route, because there were some lines that were pure poetry, and I wanted to keep an eye out for more. It is HARD to spin metaphors prettily without delving into trite, painful, purple prose cringe territory, and it’s navigated beautifully in Cal’s route. There’s a balance between those spin-out moments and things that are tangible and anchoring and make it feel authentic and unique to the two characters involved, instead of just ‘I am trying to make this sound romantic and this is a romantic phrase so here it is’. That balance is really necessary. You NEED the mundane alongside the metaphor or it doesn’t feel authentic. Also. Trying really hard to write this without throwing any authors or producers under the bus, but...listen. I love Sin with Me. But the world logic (or LACK THEREOF) drives me up a wall. I don’t read Cal because of his character traits or sprite or (sigh) his story. I read him because literacouture writes a beautiful romance.

So anyway...

There are more! When I am less tired and don’t have meetings, I will try and write them up (Please know there are so many routes I love, and so many things I do recognize across chapters! I don’t even HAVE words for what theivorytowercrumbles accomplished with Helena’s story not to mention how much I adore Cyprin, SummerLightning’s handling of Onyx’s past relationship was so deftly done when it could have so quickly become ‘milk abuse for plot’ and joidecombat gave Sev a fresh, mischievous energy and navigated the dream/reality line with SUCH skill, and so on and so on.)

I’ve written a lot of reviews. And I try to give nods where I feel they’re due - sometimes, it really is obvious that the whole team’s work came together to makes something great, the world, the plot, the arc, the art, the words, and the music all fit into place in a well-crafted tour de force. And sometimes one piece or another is lacking, and I’ll admit I’ve left some...less than kind reviews to that end (I try and soften it, because I know there are humans on the other side of everything, but I’ve been harsh more than once with my opinions). I’ve read routes with plots that made me want to tear my hair out because I DO value consistency and logic to a degree, even if I’m going to accept at face value that, say, space travel is a thing or demons turn to sand when stabbed.

In the end, these are romance stories. So I will let a lot slide when it comes to plot. What sells a story are the words - not the outline.

And if Voltage doesn’t believe that - just remember that Hamlet existed long, long before Shakespeare wrote it. His was the version that lasted, because the people liked it best. The plot, the world, the characters, they all existed a hundred times over. Even just look at fan translations of manga. Why do people keep translating, even if someone else has? Because the words someone else picked don’t do the story justice.

I don’t know. I’m talking in circles because I don’t know my own thesis!

Maybe it’s just - the worlds these stories in are nice. But when I say I’m a fan of something, the premise is like. 10%. The rest is the writing.

#lovestruck #lovestruck voltage #lovestruck writers appreciation week #this isn't exactly one of the prompts #but #it's in the spirit of it #brevity may be the soul of wit #but that just means I'm not very witty I suppose #this is not a complaining post #except for maybe one section where I go off on heroines COUGH #but it's flagged

42 notes · View notes

cgl1404 · 7 years

Text

94518–94521

This will be one helluva wall of text.

First off, apologies. Sorry sa mga hindi ko pinapansin kahit paniguradong nasa field of sight ko kayo, lalo na kapag naglalakad. Hindi ako makapag-name drop kasi ginagawa ko iyon sa halos lahat ng makakasalubong ko, and it will then hit me a few moments later na baka kakilala ko sila based on walking pace, attire, movements, shape and dimensions. When walking, I don’t see people. I see obstacles. I tend to simplify humans as complicated obstructions capable of complex social interactions and sequences of conversations, which is far from an effective simplification.

Contrary to the common impression, I am not a smart person. Comprehension of facial features and emotions that can be implied from speech and nonverbal signals take too much processing power, kaya umiiwas akong tumingin sa mukha ng mga taong nakakasalubong ko (or if it looked like nakatingin ako sa mukha ninyo, napakataas ng tsansang hindi ko naintindihan, gaya ng panonood ng TV nang walang pag-intindi sa kung ano ang palabas). This also explains my apparent fondness of saying ‘sorry,’ which has been a topic of jokes more than once. Kuya Sev, noong sinabi kong walang gyroscopic sensor yung phone mo kaya walang augmented reality sa Pokemon Go mo, nag-sorry ako kasi nagbiro kang itapon mo na lang yung device mo. Don’t worry, no offense taken Kuya Sev hahaha. It just feels safe to say sorry.

To Team CD, sorry for that one email containing profanities, lalo na kay Jem. In my defense, that was a recurring mistake that begs me to correct, but such act of passive aggression is inexcusable. However, while being on that subject, please use rush files instead of rushes. Sincere apologies.

Maaaring wala lang ito sa inyo, pero sorry at nabigo ko kayong buong Team Concord noong Halloween Decoration competition (well, at least that is how I feel). That particular engagement activity feels like both the best and the worst. Memorable kasi naramdaman ko roon ang cooperation ng lahat ng nasa Concord, at kahit nag-contribute lang ng materials ay malaking bagay na (memorable yung lab glassware ni Miss Darlene, pati yung mga x-ray sheets, mga garapon, surgical equipment at yung non-Newtonian fluid). I did not and do not assume a major position or leadership in that event, but I gave my best, limited by time and resources constraints. Nagsalita ako sa harap ng maraming tao (two of which are foreigners!) kahit isa iyon sa mga pinakaayaw kong gawain. Afterwards, some of you congratulated me despite the lack of evident achievement, but I received it warmly. Kulang sa tulog, gahol sa oras, nagmamadali sa paggawa ng files, pero okay lang kasi gusto ko naman. Our team not being in one of the top places felt devastating (paano naging???), kahit wala akong sapat na impormasyon para ikumpara ang gawa natin sa gawa ng iba. Mabuti’t nanalo tayo sa costume category, thanks to Alfie, Fullo, the nurses, yung ilan pang female characters na nag-costume, lalo na rin sa mga naghanda ng props whose names I am unable to recall and enumerate in completion here.

Another memorable engagement activity ay yung OPM singing contest. Amazing na may katukayo ako na may kaalaman sa music theory, kasi interesado rin ako pero wala naman akong nalalaman doon. Okay rin silang kagrupo, FAM West kung hindi ako nagkakamali, kumpara sa groupmates natin pagkatapos noong November event. That regrouping which took effect in December was like a direct stab to a fresh, open wound (again, paano naging???) kaya na-discourage akong makipag-cooperate sa mga sumunod na E2C events.

Here come my expressions of gratitude. As what I have said in my resignation letter, I am immensely thankful for your kindness despite my social ineptitude. Sa naaalala ko, wala ni isa sa inyo ang itinuring kong may malubhang problema sa ugali. Concord felt too good to be true, minsan naisip ko na kung wala sa inyo, baka ako ang hindi maayos ang pag-uugali. Dagdag pa rito, maayos ang samahan ng Concord kaya siguro napag-iinitan. More on that later.

Thank you kay Miss Darlene na kahit mapurol ako pagdating sa pag-process ng files, hindi ako pinakitunguhan nang hindi kaaya-aya. Impressive din na may background siya sa maths at science, kaya nakakalungkot na hindi na natin siya supervisor kahit baguhan pa lang ako. Salamat sa mga nag-train sa amin, sina Ate Anne, Ate Celeste at Ate Clara. Kahit paulit-ulit yung mga mali ko at parang hindi kumokonti, you were very considerate. Team CD, may hiwalay akong post tungkol sa inyo, composed just after that trip to Intramuros, Binondo and National Museum. Sorry na hindi ako nag-volunteer na picture-an kayo para sana may picture kayo na kayo lang at hindi gumagamit ng monopod at front-facing camera. Okay rin yung pangalan ng group chat ninyo, CD Ang Munting Prinsipe. Sa amin naman, CSR Montano. Awful puns. 🤣 😂

To teams LE, MSR, Set-up and VOE, sorry at hindi ako masyadong nakikisalamuha sa inyo. Again, thank you for being pleasant to be with, despite my lack of interaction with you lot. Salamat din sa mga tumulong sa Parties kapag GG kami sa number of files. Sorry if we’re unable to return the favour. Ate Dhay at Ate Weng, nalilito pa rin ako sa nicknames ninyo kahit nung lumagpas na ako ng 1 year sa ICMS. In fact, tatlo kayo nina Ate Wawie na kinalilituhan ko ng mga palayaw. Email exchange with Team CD helped to turn that from three to two. Thank you Kenneth (at sa pagpapagamit ng piano ninyo. Heto nga pala yung full 360° view nung pumunta kami sa inyo: https://photos.app.goo.gl/fpNNkIYaPXDBVYsk1), Joem (aka Jimboy), Fullo, Annie, Ate Wheng, Ate Dhay, Kuya Nick, Kuya Kin, Ate Bea (sorry Ate Bea kung wala kaming naihanda sa birthday mo kahit ikaw ang active na mag-prepare kapag kami naman ang celebrant), Rob, Ana, pati na rin sa mga hindi ko naman nakakausap na kalilipat lang sa Concord. Salamat din sa mga dating nasa Concord, sina Kuya Sev, Bossing Ryan, Pongz (kahapon ko lang nalaman na Ryan pala ang given name mo), Caroool (say that in Ash’s funny tone), Mel Pedron, Sid, Alfie, Berna, Jessa, Bheng, Mina (or with H? All these nicknames with unnecessary addition of H), Mel, Emon, Ate Mae, and Ate Cecille (salamat sa lahat, sa Spanish bread at sa Kitkat, not a hugging person though).

Kina Ate Khaye at Ate Cy, salamat sa pagiging matulungin kapag may tanong at/o kailangan ako. Comparison is distasteful, pero nagkataong mas maraming instances na kay Ate Cy ako lumapit for help. Sorry sa mga biglaang leave at undertime. Sorry kung may pagkapasaway rin ako. Nga pala Ate Cy, yung tungkol sa pag-consume ng breaks, sabi mo logic ang pairalin namin noong kinuwestyon namin na bakit bawal pagsunurin yung breaks. Kung logic po, walang mali kasi mathematically, hindi po magbabago ang total na time spent sa breaks. Pero siguro ang ibig po ninyong sabihin ay ethics. That’s when the issue of spending break times is actually a debatable one. Thanks din Ate Cy sa vial na may letter. Again, salamat po Ate Cy at Ate Khaye sa lahat ng advice at tulong ninyo, lalo na nitong mga huling weeks ko. Highly appreciated po.

Team CSR... Support! Yaay! I’m not okay with omitting the word ‘Support,’ since we are not customer service representatives. Oh well. To Ash, our team lead. Sorry at hindi ka malayang makapagbiro sa akin. Sorry na nagpapaliwanag ka ng jokes kapag hindi ko na-gets. Ate Celeste made an excellent choice of choosing you as her successor, because doing otherwise would be unwise. You have the knowledge. Pareho tayong galing sa first batch of recent neophytes, pero mas matanda ka (truly, not meant to be offensive. TBH hindi naman halata ang edad mo), at mahusay ang social skills mo. Mami-miss ko yung kilay at facial expressions mo, at yung short, high-pitched na tawa mo. One of the funniest and coolest persons I’ve met. Roma, one of the funniest ka rin hahaha. Memorable yung mga biro mo (Akon, pagtawid, strange landmarks, anyare sa ‘Pinas) at yung mga kwento mo. JC and Kaloy, sabay kayong dumating sa team CSR Support kaya ang tingin ko sa inyo ay duo, and for some reason, tinuturing ko kayong mas bata sa akin kahit ako ang bunso sa service natin hahaha. Mami-miss ko rin yung nakakahawang tawa ni Kaloy at ang pagra-rap pagsasalita ni JC. Matuto na kayong mag-t*rrrent! 😆 Belle, good luck and welcome sa team! Ikaw na ang bagong socially-awkward, out-of-place, tahimik (lately, hindi na ako ganoon ka-tahimik) na bunso ng team, as far as I can tell from my first impressions of you.

Look at me, that’s the face of ‘I don’t do selfies, but no one else will.’

Team CSR Support, baka napapansin ninyo na madali akong matawa kahit hindi naman intended as joke. Siguro kasi I take things literally for most of the time. Kapag sinabing ‘parada ng mga bingi’ ini-imagine ko yung literal na kahulugan nito. I am not making fun of their impairments, but the mere thought of lining them up for a parade is so absurd and lacks rationale that I find it so hilarious. Absurdity is comedy for me. Nakakatawa rin yung mismong interaction ninyo sa isa’t isa. Exchange of remarks, dialogues and even the slightest gestures and facial reactions fascinate me. Feels like something I am unable to be a part of and complicated to comprehend, but fun to observe. Sorry for my impolite imperatives, at sa mga pagkakamali ko na hindi ko maalala. Nag-iwan ako ng maliliit na puzzles sa loob ng Citrix, some hidden in plain sight, some are just plain hidden. Not something reportable to IT Department or a violation of Code of Conduct, don’t worry.

Concord felt too good to be true, minsan naisip ko na kung wala sa inyo, baka ako ang hindi maayos ang pag-uugali. Dagdag pa rito, maayos ang samahan ng Concord kaya siguro napag-iinitan. More on that later follows.

Judging by the anecdotal evidences from my batchmates, I can safely say that I am so, so lucky to be in Concord. May naririnig akong display of synthetic pleasantries and repulsive attitudes sa ibang teams. Sa team Concord, we’re in harmony, and that I think attracts other people’s attention. Well, eating in the workplace, talking and laughing out loud isn’t exactly harmonious and peaceful, kaya tayo napag-initan. But surely, we’re not the only ones. People from other departments loudly talk, no one bats an eye. Concord having fun and everyone loses its sh*t.

Now, for the closing remarks. Initially, hindi ko nagustuhan ang napuntahan ko kasi halos laging lagpas sa oras ng pag-out, but that slowly changed, and other than that, wala na akong mairereklamo. Deepest and sincerest apologies, and utmost gratitude sa lahat ng naging bahagi ng Concord. Walang forever, based sa laws of nature at sa common notion ng ibig sabihin ng forever. Highly improbable na ang initial state ng isang non-isolated complex system will remain the same across time. Centralisation and resignations may physically disintegrate the team, but the relationships that we’ve developed, rapport that we’ve established, and the closeness make up that imaginary cord in Concord that will entangle us together.

1 note · View note

jbankai89 · 7 years

Text

Fic: The Stag and The Snake, Part I, Chapter Two - Negotiations

My good friend and braintwin @kuriquinn suggested I try posting my actual fics on Tumblr, rather than just linking them, so I'm giving it a try. For those of you following my work on AO3 or AFF, these will be reposts until I'm caught up and everything is posted. :)

Title: The Stag and the Snake

Author: JBankai89

Status: Complete, Part 1: 12/12 Part 2: 22/22

Rating: Part 1: PG-13, Part 2: NC-17

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairing: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin

Achievements: None

Warnings: Violence and Gore, Violent Sexual Assault, Minor Character Death

Summary: Vernon Dursley is enraged with the prospect of raising a boy he never wanted. Petunia recalls something that might help them get the child out of their hair more quickly. Overcoming their recalcitrance for anything magical, they invoke The Rite of Betrothal. Who will Harry be forced to marry, and will he be able to cope with all the demands it will entail?

Word Count: Part 1: 46 772 Part 2: 85 442

Other Links: AO3, AFF, LJ

Notes: Please note that this fic also contains Evil!Snape, which is a trope I hate, because Sev is my favourite character, but for the purposes of this story, he worked best.

This fic is based on the story of The Swan Princess, which I will be following the canon of in conjunction with the HP canon. Canon divergences include Voldemort is definitely dead, Lucius Malfoy is a bit OOC, and Sirius did not go to Azkaban. Because most of the story takes place before and after Hogwarts, a lot of the Hogwarts years are glossed over. I tried to keep the links and stuff organized how they did it on the old LJ group MyChemicalSlash, so I hope this is clean enough for you guys to follow easily.

Previous Chapter

Fic Masterpost

Chapter 2 – Negotiations

Sirius waited until they had Apparated back to their flat before exploding.

“Harry Potter with a family of Slytherin Purebloods!” he shrieked, “I won't have it Remus, I won't! And those Dursleys: 'What kind of name is that for a girl?' I mean, how thick can you get?” Remus had eased back into an armchair with a cup of tea, and he watched Sirius pace back and forth in front of the hearth angrily. His own distress over the situation was obvious, though he seemed to be taking it in stride, rather than losing his head.

“There's very little we can do, Sirius. I shudder to think what would happen to Harry if we failed to hold up our end of the bargain. Of course,” his mouth twitched into a small half-smile, “I'm sure Lucius will be thrilled when he gets the news.”

“Pompous git,” Sirius grumbled, “I don't care if he starts handing out sweets to orphans, I still don't like him.”

“I'd be amazed if you did,” Remus chuckled a little, “following the downfall of Voldemort, he did not make much effort to be well-liked by the working-class Wizarding community.”

“And he's a sanctimonious Slytherin git.” Sirius flicked his wand towards the fire grate, and flames leapt up, crackling merrily as though they had been burning for hours. He fell heavily into the armchair next to Remus, and raked a hand through his hair. “I know he was a double-agent and all that, but it won't make me like him any better.”

“We should be grateful he went to such lengths for our side, and at great personal risk to himself, not to mention the safety of his family. Were the situation different, I'm sure he would be considered as much a hero as young Harry, but as it is...” Remus trailed off and pursed his lips. “He'd be as hunted as muggleborns were during Voldemort's reign. It's still to dangerous for his triumphs for our side to be acknowledged. We can't blame him for feigning his loyalty to the Death Eaters, with so many of them still at large.

“Lucius will probably be just as eager to call this whole thing off as we are,” Remus continued in the same even tone, “Harry won't be considered a Pureblood, at least not by a family like that, and despite their recent, ah, affiliations, I think it's safe to say that old habits die hard.”

“Not much any of us can do, I suppose,” Sirius muttered with a heavy sigh, and helped himself to a cup of tea from the low table before him. “I'm not looking forward to that conversation though. When are we scheduled to meet with Lucius and Narcissa?”

“In a fortnight. One of the representatives from the Bloodlines office will be in touch with them, and then we'll need to meet with them to discuss the future of the boys.”

“I can hardly wait.”

~*~

The following fourteen days passed far too quickly for Sirius and all too soon, he found himself side by side with Remus outside the imposing fortress of the Malfoy Manor. He bit back a complaint of how he'd sooner play keep away with a nesting dragon's eggs than do this, but he held his tongue, given that he was fairly certain that Remus had had enough of his complaining. Seeming to sense his bonded's distress, Remus reached out and squeezed Sirius' forearm gently, and then together they raised their wands and tapped them against the iron-wrought gate.

The gate melted away and the pair stood before a winding path of stone slabs and pebbles pressed into the earth. The path was bordered by meticulously pruned flutterby bushes and scattered upon the lawn was all matter of tasteful, but exotic fauna; from white peacocks and bluebell rabbits, to a pair of impala. Sirius snorted when he saw the animals, but at Remus's hard look, he kept his sarcastic comments to himself.

As they approached the doors, they opened to reveal Lucius Malfoy waiting for them. His expression was difficult to read, though it was obvious that he was as unwilling to allow them in his home as they were to be there. He stood in a fitted, white shirt and black waistcoat that glimmered with a tint of green as the light caught it—dragonhide. He wore trousers of a similar material, and in his left hand he gripped a black cane with a silver snake wrought into the handle.

With as much grace as the man could muster, walking somewhat stiffly from an old wound he'd garnered during the war, he made a sweeping gesture towards the front hall of his home.

“Gentlemen,” he said in greeting, his voice coming off a little sharper than Lucius had probably intended. Sirius did not fail to notice how his eye had twitched and his mouth quivered somewhere between a faint smile and a grimace as he spoke. Though they had, in theory, been working for the same side, Sirius knew that Lucius liked this arrangement no better than they did.

“Thank you for welcoming us into your home, Lucius,” Remus said, nudging Sirius as he did so. Sirius felt as though he had lost his voice for a moment and let out a mumble of agreement, nodding his head once.

“Yes, well,” he trailed off, his nostrils flaring with distaste. “Come, my wife is in the lounge. We shall discuss...matters there.” Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked off through a passageway to the left of the grand hall.

Sirius kept his eyes forward and narrowed. I'll kill him if he tries anything, he thought, no matter how vehemently Dumbledore and other prominent Order members had vouched for Lucius, he could not let go of his deep distrust. Remus, on the other hand, was smiling placidly as he looked around, taking in the grandeur of the place. Their walk was not a long one, and they stepped into the lounge where Narcissa was waiting with a glass of red wine in her hand. Her lips were pursed and her eyes flashed dangerously, making no illusions about her feelings towards the arrangement.

Lucius joined his wife on the plush love seat. Remus and Sirius sat across from them, and a low table made of glass and dark wood divided them. On the table sat an open bottle of red wine, as well as a partially unfurled letter from the Ministry, presumably detailing the match the Coupling Charm had decided for their son.

Lucius flicked his wand and three more glasses of wine appeared. He took one, flicking his wand again and the remaining two floated towards Sirius and Remus, and they took them with minute nods of thanks. The senior Malfoy took a sip and paused as though using the moment to fortify himself, then shifted his cold grey gaze to the pair. “It seems that we must discuss the prospective bonding of my only son to your—godson.” The words almost came out as a sneer, but as Sirius opened his mouth angrily, Remus nudged him into silence.

“As you are probably aware, Lucius,” Remus began, his tone more stiff than his usual calm, “we are not Harry's legal guardians. However, the Ministry felt it was in his best interest that we—er, act as middlemen between yourselves and Harry's legal guardians, that is, his aunt and uncle. Their distaste for wizards is more or less on par with your feelings towards muggles.” Sirius snorted next to him, but Remus ignored it. “In the hopes of keeping the peace, as it were, we stepped in.”

“And I take it Potter is to be raised by these muggles, then?” Lucius did not manage to completely rid his voice of its disgust at the prospect.

“For now, yes, that is Albus's wish. When Harry and Draco have their first meeting, we will be taking him in, though he will still need to return to his aunt and uncle's house for several weeks out of the year until he comes of age.”

“And I assume that despite this...arrangement, Albus has no desire to tell us why he must return to these muggles?” Narcissa's voice was as cold as Lucius's had been, making it clear that she did not approve of being kept in the dark.

“It isn't a matter of trust or distrust, but the reasoning behind it is an extremely delicate matter,” Sirius said stiffly, “I believe Albus only told us due to the fact that we would be taking Harry in. Had we not been, I doubt he would have told us either.”

“I see,” Lucius mused, though it was obvious he did not like having information withheld. “To this arrangement, I am sure you realize that we must decide upon a surrogate for when the boys bond. It may matter little to you two, but the Malfoy line must continue.”

“It sounds as though you have already accepted it,” Sirius observed, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement. Lucius glared at him.

“We most certainly do not,” snapped Narcissa, narrowing her eyes at her guests, “generations upon generations of purebloods, sullied by that...that boy. Unfortunately, even we were unable to break the contract.” She deflated a little, and her eyes flitted to her husband, before returning back to the pair. “Though if you have some other brilliant idea, cousin,” she sneered at Sirius, “I'd be delighted to hear it.” Sirius fell silent and glared at her. He clearly did not want to be reminded of his lineage at that moment.

“What's done is done,” Remus cut in quickly before the argument could get more heated. “It's a magical contract, and we all know that there are precious few ways to get around it, especially considering Harry's legal guardians are adamant about proceeding. They hate Harry probably as much as Voldemort did.” The Malfoys started, which caused Sirius to raise his eyebrows in surprise. Remus's words seemed to resonate with them, and they did not press the matter further.

“I believe you have every intention of sending Draco to Hogwarts when he turns eleven, then?” Sirius asked as politely as he could in an attempt to break the tense silence.

“Yes, every Malfoy for the last nine generations has attended that school,” Lucius's tone was as strained as Sirius's had been. “And young Mr Potter? I assume his, ah, relatives have no intention of furthering his magical study?”

Remus snorted, his first show of genuine emotion since they had arrived. Sirius couldn't help but stare at him in surprise for a moment. “From what I gathered, they have no plans to send him anywhere—muggle or magical. As to Hogwarts, his name was put down by James and Lily before—” he cut himself off, and his gaze fell. Sirius looked away from the Malfoys, but he listened to Remus continue, his voice distinctively more croaky than it had been a moment before. “Considering his parents were both Gryffindors, I doubt we'll need to worry about the boys being housed together.”

Sirius bit back a laugh, and he returned his gaze to the pair. “Of course, no one can be certain of that, but it seems likely.”

“Quite.” Lucius's gaze flicked to Sirius, clearly remembering the man's own sorting, despite his Slytherin lineage. “However, the fact remains that these boys are from different classes. I will not have my son bond to some sort of ill-mannered half-blood and have them live in a hovel. I insist that we hold their meetings here, and perhaps you two may employ an etiquette instructor for Potter. Living with those...people, I assume he will learn little of our ways.”

“Oh that's just what we need,” sniped Sirius before he could stop himself, “to let Harry grow up to be a pampered little snot like—”

“Sirius,” Remus said in a warning tone, and Sirius fell silent at once. His expression did not lose its incredulity at Lucius's request, however.

“Lucius,” Remus said in a tone that clearly expressed that he was trying to keep the meeting from turning into a brawl, “Lily and James left Harry with a small fortune at Gringotts. By the time he has access to it, it will be enough that I doubt you need worry that your son will be living in a hovel, as you put it. Sirius and I intend to do our best to teach Harry our ways but I'm sure you understand, Harry will need to be sheltered from the wizarding community at large—at least until he's ready to face it.”

“Sheltered? To what purpose?” Lucius asked, “I assume this is another harebrained scheme of Dumbledore's?” He looked unhappy, but his outright anger seemed to be fading.

“Harry is barely one year old, and he's considered the Saviour of the Wizarding World. Can you imagine how overwhelming it would be for a child that young? He's famous for something he won't even remember. Dumbledore feels it best for Harry to grow up away from all that. Despite our, erm, special circumstances, I believe it would be best to honour Dumbledore's wish. To that end, I believe the less Harry is exposed to, at least for now, the better.”

“Child celebrities are nothing new, Remus,” Lucius pointed out, “surely that cannot be Dumbledore's only reason for shielding the boy from our ways.” Lucius's nostrils flared in obvious disgust, but Sirius seemed to have a vague idea where he was going with this, and was not disappointed. “I will not have my child bound to someone with little more knowledge of our world than a—a muggle,” he spat the word as though it were a curse.

“This is all we are permitted to disclose at this time,” Sirius said stiffly, and Remus watched him cautiously, bracing himself to jump in if the man lost his temper again. “I'm sure you can appreciate how delicate these matters are.” Sirius's mouth twitched at the corners with amusement, all but telling Lucius how little he trusted them.

“I think,” Narcissa cut in before her husband could respond, “we should return to the matter at hand, our intentions for our sons' bonding.” She pursed her lips, making no secret how she felt about the outcome of the Coupling, though unlike her husband, she kept her remarks to herself. “I believe my husband has already voiced our concerns regarding etiquette and the necessity for a surrogate to be chosen,” her eyes flicked to Sirius, “I would prefer a Pureblood candidate for the surrogacy,” she said in a tone that all but dared any of the men to interrupt her, “in particular from a respectable family...the Blacks, for instance.”

Sirius snorted, but Remus shot him a glare that kept him from saying anything.

“I hardly think that is an appropriate suggestion, Mrs Malfoy,” Remus replied, “Sirius's family made no secret about where their loyalties lay during the war, as you well know. Now if you were to consider a daughter from another Pureblood family, say, the Weasleys—” Lucius barked a derisive laugh that cut Remus off.

“Surely you're joking! The Weasleys mixing their blood with the Malfoys? We may as well pick an urchin off the streets of Diagon Alley!” Sirius groaned and pressed his fingers to his temples. This was going to be a long day.

~*~

Evening fell, and Sirius and Remus left the Manor with a cloud of gloom hovering over their heads.

None too surprisingly, their definition of wizarding decency was vastly different from the Malfoys' view of it, and their copy of the Bonding Negotiations was almost as blank as it had been when they had arrived earlier that day. They didn't speak as they moved beyond the gates of the Malfoy property and Disapparated, Sirius breaking the silence once they'd gotten back home.

“That went well,” Sirius said sarcastically as he collapsed into his favourite armchair. Remus huffed and strode over to the adjoining kitchen, slamming the near-blank parchment down onto the table as he went.

“These things take time Sirius,” Remus said as he pulled out his wand and gave it a little flick. At once, a drawer opened and several sharp knives flew out of it to meet a handful of onions on the counter, which shot out of their skins as the utensils descended and began to mince. “The Malfoys are used to the entire world bowing to their desires. Obviously, it will take some time before we come to an agreement.” Remus moved to the stove and levitated a large pot onto the cooker. He ignited a fire beneath it with a prod of his wand, and flicked his wand again to add oil and the onions to the pot with a sharp hiss.

Sirius stood up with an exaggerated groan, and wandered into the kitchen to watch Remus cook.

“I just hate that this is happening at all,” Sirius said miserably, “James and Lily gone, Harry living with relatives that don't want him, and when he turns seventeen we're expected to hand him over the Malfoys.” He pressed his thumb and forefinger on either side of the bridge of his nose, bowing his head slightly. “As if the whole thing with Voldemort wasn't bad enough...” he trailed off, and tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling while Remus continued to putter around their kitchen, chopping meat, vegetables, and herbs.

“It's out of our hands unfortunately,” Remus said after a few moments of silence. “The best thing we can do is be there for Harry as much as we can, and make this whole experience as painless as possible for him.”

“Assuming all goes smoothly and Voldemort is truly defeated, that is.”

“Don't jinx it, Sirius.”

~*~

By the fifth week of meetings with Lucius and Narcissa, Sirius felt no more optimistic about the arrangement than he had at the beginning. True, they had begun to concede on certain points, as had he and Remus, and very slowly the Bonding Negotiations contract began to fill.

Unfortunately, their pureblood mania was a constant reminder that he was dealing with a pair of recently reformed Death Eaters, and it made him feel no more at ease. Often he felt as though he was preparing himself to drop Harry into a den of wolves, or snakes, as it were; and he had no idea if the boy would come out of this in once piece. They had yet to even meet young Draco, which Sirius felt was deeply unsettling. He felt a sense of foreboding overwhelm him at the end of each meeting, and Remus's calm reactions did little to quell his worries.

“This is the last meeting, Sirius,” Remus reminded him in an undertone as they followed the path to the doors where Lucius waited, “please try and behave.”

“I will if they keep their pureblood cracks to themselves,” Sirius replied in a deliberately carrying whisper, and Remus elbowed him in the side, a little harder than was probably necessary.

“Gentlemen,” Lucius said with a small incline of his head in greeting. Remus smiled, and Sirius returned the small nod, but didn't speak. The senior Malfoy turned and walked inside, and the pair followed him to the now familiar lounge.

Sirius and Remus were greeted with a surprise when they stepped inside, and took notice of a white-blond toddler on the floor next to Narcissa. He was giggling and flailing a plush snake toy in his chubby little hands. She did not even look up when the men entered, her attention entirely focused on her child. Sirius did not fail to note her expression: it was softer and less haughty, filled with genuine love for her son. The look surprised Sirius a great deal, given that he did not think he had ever seen the woman let her emotional guard down before.

Lucius hardly gave the boy a second glance as he pressed forward directly into the matters at hand.

“In accordance with the bonding traditions, it is now time for you to meet our son, Draco.” Sirius and Remus glanced at each other, then back to the baby. There was no doubt as to who Draco's parents were, with his angular bone structure, bright grey eyes and white-blond hair, he was every bit a Malfoy. Lucius seemed to sense their mild confusion, grumbled under his breath, and elaborated. “It is customary to introduce the parents to the betrothed children on the final day of negotiations. We feel no need to be introduced to Mr Potter, his story is so well known I believe we can wait until the boys' first meeting.”

Both Sirius and Remus nodded in agreement. Having the Dursleys and the Malfoys in the same room was definitely a recipe for disaster. Lucius pulled out the negotiations scroll without another word, clearly intent to go straight to business, again without giving his child a passing glance.

While the contract was by no means a tool with which to control the lives of their children, it did cover several key issues that would aid the boys in the start of their life together. Included were Living Conditions: Lucius and Narcissa pushed to have them live in the west wing of the Manor, at least until they had gotten decent jobs, while Sirius and Remus petitioned to pay for a small flat. In the end, they bent to the wish of the Malfoys. Upbringing: Lucius and Narcissa wanted Harry to be given an Wizarding Etiquette tutor, and Sirius protested this idea so vehemently that the Malfoys gave it up. In addition, there were notes of arguments back and forth regarding whether they should police who the boys associated with while at school. Remus quashed upon this at once, in addition debating whether or not they should decide in advance what courses they should choose for the boys prior to the end of their second year, in order to push the pair towards more respectful forms of employment. Sirius protested so loudly against this, the Malfoys gave up on it almost at once.

In the end, everything had been decided, Remus agreed that it was more or less fair despite Sirius's misgivings, and the last item still to be determined was surrogacy. The paragraph at the top where this condition was supposed to be placed was as blank as it had been at their first meeting. Both couples fell into an awkward silence, the only noises in the room being the delighted giggles of Draco as his toy snake went flying across the table and bumped into Remus's calf.

Remus chuckled as the tension broke, and he picked the toy up to hand it back to Narcissa, who almost smiled in thanks. “We've made a short list of families we deem appropriate to participate in the surrogacy, with daughters that will be of an appropriate age when the time comes.” Lucius tapped his wand against the table and a second, smaller scroll of parchment appeared and unrolled itself, showing Remus and Sirius the list of names. They pursed their lips in mirrored expressions of distaste as they looked them over.

“I can't help but notice,” Sirius said in a tone that was less like a casual observant tone, and made it sound more like a thinly veiled threat, “that all the families on here are known Slytherins.” Lucius glared at him. He cocked an eyebrow at the Sirius, as though to say, 'so what?' though he never actually vocalized it. Sirius coiled his hands into fists, but Remus, sensing danger, placed a hand over his fist in an attempt to calm him.

“I understand your desire for your bloodline to continue,” Remus said carefully, “but considering Draco's betrothed, I am sure we can come up with an, er, middle ground.” he smiled, but the two other men were still glaring daggers at one another. “Sirius and I have been thinking,” he pressed on, ignoring the obvious tension that had re-emerged, “Mr and Mrs Xenophilius Lovegood are expecting a child. I have been told that it will be a girl, and they have consented to allow her to be the surrogate if she so wishes, when the time comes.” He paused and looked from one man to the other, “their bloodline meets your criteria, and they are a family of Ravenclaws, quite outside the rivalries between our own school houses.”

Lucius turned to Remus, looking at him as though he only just realized that he was there. His eyes narrowed, though this time in thoughtful contemplation instead of anger. “The Lovegoods are quite...eccentric.” It was not an outright rejection, which was promising.

“Any child the girl has will be raised by Draco and Harry,” Sirius pointed out evenly, “those idiosyncrasies are learned, not hereditary.” Remus beamed at Sirius, clearly amazed that he managed to keep his voice level.

“That is true,” Lucius lifted a hand to rub his chin thoughtfully, and turned to look at his wife. She nodded slightly, then immediately refocused her attention on the child. “Very well,” it was clear by his tone that he did not entirely approve of the decision, but it met the criteria that the Malfoys had set, and as such he had no choice but to concede. Sirius smirked triumphantly.

“And what of the girl?” Remus asked quickly, keeping a close eye on Sirius as he spoke. “I am not entirely clear on the process where she is concerned.” He exchanged a grimace with his bonded, and Narcissa rolled her eyes.

“Don't be so ridiculous. This is akin to an adoption, but with stronger blood ties. The boys need never even meet the girl, save for the delivery of their child, or children. She is not required to have any sort of...relationship with Draco or Potter.”

“I'm assuming then she won't be invited to The First Meeting ceremony?” Sirius's tone had sobered somewhat, as he tried to work through the technicalities of the surrogacy. Given that he and Remus had no interest in it, they hadn't bothered to ever look into how the process worked.

“Of course not,” Lucius snapped, clearly irritated by their ignorance. “For what reason would we invite her? The purpose of that ceremony is for the boys to get to know one another. Of course they will be told eventually of who their surrogate mother will be, but for all intents and purposes, she is a vessel for carrying their future children. She is not intended to be their friend, their wife, or anything of that nature.”

“That's a fairly cold way of looking at it,” Remus said with a small frown.

“Until a practised Healer comes up with something less distasteful, it is the only option.”

Sirius and Remus left that evening with the contract filled and signed by all participating parties. Sirius felt terribly guilty about the entire thing.

How could we have asked Xenophilius if we could borrow his child's womb, seventeen years from now? he wondered, feeling as though they may have not thought it through properly.

Remus reached out and squeezed Sirius's fingers gently. “I know it's unpleasant, but keep in mind that with the Rite there is no time constraints, and the Negations Contract is not binding. At least, not in the same sense. If Miss Lovegood rejects the terms when she is of age, it is fully within her right to do so. We're not forcing her into anything.”

“I know, Remus, it still feels wrong though.” Sirius laced his fingers with Remus's, and squeezed his hand gently.

“There's nothing we can do about it for now. Put it out of your mind and let's go home.” Sirius nodded, and Disapparated.

That night, Sirius's thoughts strayed back to Harry. That little boy was so full of life and light when he had last seen him. After four years with those muggles, would he be the same happy little boy?

Sirius wanted to hope for the best, the realist in him seriously doubted it.

Next Chapter

If you like my work, please consider throwing a few bucks in my Tip Jar! or become a patron on Patreon for my upcoming original horror novel, Keep Looking.

0 notes