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fandomsaligninstories · 9 days

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Year Two: Polyjuice Potion

Chapter List

WC: 1,050

4th January, 1993, Monday Morning

When Violet and the rest of the Hogwarts study body returned, it was with very little enthusiasm. They were too worried about what they'd be returning to, fearful of who would be attacked next by an unknown monster.

Violet and her friends departed the Hogwarts express in hushed conversation, discussing the possibility of whatever horror that had been attacking students might have been captured during their Holiday break. An unlikely scenario, they knew, but they wanted to hope.

Violet was pleasantly surprised when she walked into Hogwarts and found a certain blonde boy waiting for her. He stood to the side, leaning against the wall by the stairs that lead down to Hufflepuff house. His arms were crossed and he was staring right at her, a coy smile playing on his lips.

"We'll meet you later." Aimee said, pulling Violet's attention away from the boy.

"Yes, thanks. See you in a bit." She left her friends as they went downstairs, stopping beside Draco as he continued to stare. She dropped her bag at their feet, leaning her shoulder against the wall.

"Hey." He said, "Have a good holiday?"

"Yeah," She nodded, "I enjoyed seeing my parents. I miss them quite a bit when I'm here too long."

He huffed out a dry laugh, his eyes darting away from her, "Must be nice to have someone to miss and someone that misses you."

"Sorry, Draco, I wasn't thinking-" She knew how horrible his father was, and how little he interacted with his mother. He didn't have any real family to return home to.

"Don't." He cut her off, shaking his head, "Shouldn't have said anything."

Violet moved closer, until their arms were pressed together and faces a breath apart, "Please don't, I like it when you're honest with me. Besides, I missed you, for whatever that may be worth."

He didn't mean for it to slip out, but ever so quietly he said, "It means a lot coming from you."

She smiled warmly, then she let her head fall onto his shoulder. They watched the other students milling around, talking to their friends and heading to their separate houses. They stayed like that for a while, until the halls were empty and their legs tired from standing so long.

Finally, she straightened, unsurprised to find Draco already watching her, "So, did anything eventful happen?"

Draco hesitated for a long moment, wanting to tell someone about the odd encounter he'd had but not wanting to sound nuts either.

"What is it?" She prompted.

"Nothing, just... Goyle and Crabbe were acting odd the other day. Goyle was wearing glasses, said they were for 'reading'." Despite the skepticism in his voice, Violet couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Goyle isn't allowed to read?"

"It's not just that!" He argued, "Their voices were... different. They just weren't like themselves. They wanted to know what I thought about Potter being the Heir."

It was Violet's turn to hesitate, "What specifically did they say?"

"They asked if I knew who was behind it. I don't know how many times I have to tell them I don't know before they get it into their thick heads." Draco scoffed.

"Draco..." Violet wanted to tread carefully, a concerning thought taking root, "What sort of glasses was Goyle wearing?"

"Why's that matter?" He questioned, "They were round, I think."

"Oh, dear." Violet sighed. She was worried before holiday that Harry was going to do something dumb, but she didn't think he had it in him to do something so reckless, "Draco, I'll see you later, alright?"

She took off down the stairs, wanting to drop her things off in her dorm before tracking down Harry.

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"Harry Potter!" Violet's voice rang out through the hall as she chased the boy and his friends down. They were alone, all the other students already in the Great Hall for lunch. Harry turned around, eyes widening at the furious look on the girls face.

"Hey, Violet." He waved lamely.

"Tell me you didn't do something as stupid as disguising yourself at Goyle to interrogate Draco?!" She stopped in front of the trio, looking only at Harry. He looked to Hermione for help.

"I don't know what you think you know, Violet, but we would never..."

"Save it, Hermione." Violet took a deep breath to calm herself, "I know you think Draco is the Heir, but why would you do something so reckless? What would you have done had you been caught?" She looked at each of the three Gryffindors, waiting for a response.

"We needed to know what he knew!" Ron argued, "It's not like we can trust anything he says."

"Well trust me when I say, it's not him." She glared at the redhead, who only glared back.

"Violet, it wasn't personal." Hermione reasoned, "Does he know?"

"No, I don't think he even suspects it. After all, how would a couple of second years manage a transformation on themselves?" Violet sighed again, her anger turning to curiosity, "How did you manage it?"

"Polyjuice Potion," Hermione explained, "It took a while to brew, but it wasn't so hard."

"Impressive!" Violet was shocked. The Polyjuice Potion wasn't taught until Fourth-Year potions, so for a Second-Year to do it successfully? Though, Violet supposed that if anyone could do it, it would be Hermione.

"Thank you." Hermione smiled proudly, "Now, if that's all, we have some place to be."

Violet shrugged and turned on her heel to leave, heading towards the Great Hall for lunch.

She contemplated rather she should tell Draco what she had learned. Despite the impressive feat Hermione had with the potion, it still felt like a violation for Draco to not know who he was actually speaking to. But, on the other hand, if he knew he'd been speaking to Harry and Ron, who knew what he'd do in retaliation.

She didn't want to cause any more fighting, especially with how bad the tensions between the houses already were. So she decided not to tell her friend about what she'd learned, or anyone for that matter. If that's what it took for Harry and the others to finally believe Draco wasn't the Heir or the one behind the attacks, then fine, Violet would just let it be.

━⊱༻ ༺⊰━

TAGLIST:

@stellarlune-love

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fandomsaligninstories · 21 days

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Year Two: Parseltongue

Chapter List WC: 1,535

Every student around Violet tensed up and started muttering, moving back away from the table. Whatever Harry was saying seemed to cause the snake to stop moving, but then it turned to face Justin Finch-Fletchly, a second-year Hufflepuff. It suddenly moved towards him, hissing in it's face. Everyone around them froze as the snake turned back to stare at Harry.

"Vipera Evanesca." Snape's voice was hard as he spoke the spell, causing the snake to burn away.

"What are you playing at?!" Justin shouted at Harry. Harry only stared at Justin, a confused expression on his face.

Harry looked at both the professors before rushing out of the hall, Hermione and Ron running after them.

"What was that?" Violet questioned, looking to Hannah and Aimee, who both had terrified expressions.

"He's a Parselmouth..." Aimee responded, "He speaks Parseltongue."

Violet snapped her fingers in front of Aimee's face, capturing her full attention, "I don't know what that means."

"Parseltongue," Hannah explained, "He can talk to snakes. It's a very, very rare gift that very few people have. It's typically only Slytherins that can speak it..."

"I told you he was the Heir!" Justin was suddenly beside them, fear in his voice, "I told you, didn't I?!"

"Yes, I believe you now, Justin." Hannah answered.

"What? You think Harry's the Heir because he can speak to snakes?" Everyone was in shock, she decided. Surely they weren't thinking clearly, "How do you know he didn't just warn the snake away?"

"Are you mad?" Justin snapped at her, "You saw it! He was obviously telling it to attack!"

"But it didn't attack, now did it?!" Violet snapped back.

"Okay, let's go!" Aimee drug Violet out of the hall by her arm, the two of them escaping the chaos.

Once in the hall, the two girls moved to the side as the rest of the students exited. They waited for Hannah, who was still speaking to Justin.

Suddenly a pair of grey eyes were in front of Violet's, causing her to stumble back.

"What gives?" She demanded, until she realized it was only Draco. Then she shouted, "What was that?!"

"What was what?" He snapped back, "The fact that your little mate is a Parseltongue?!"

"Why'd you spell a snake at him? And how was I to know he's a Parselmouth?! I didn't even know what that was until five minutes ago!"

"Oh, right! You've been defending him all year, so surely you knew something!"

Draco was in Violet's face now, his anger overwhelming. Before Violet could respond, Draco was thrown back away from her.

Violet blinked up at Cedric, who was seething in anger. His hands were fisted at his sides, "Don't you ever get near her again."

"Cedric!" She shoved past him, kneeling beside Draco, who was laid out on the ground, blinking up at the ceiling, "Draco? Draco! Did you hit your head? Look at me."

"You- you can't be serious." Cedric stuttered, "After what he just did, how could you possibly-"

"Alright, Cedric, I think they get it." Aimee pulled the boy back by his arm, guiding him down the stairs, "We should go."

Cedric was still muttering as they left. Violet was still sat beside Draco, who was sat up and mentally cursing Cedric. For the moment his anger was forgotten.

"I'm fine, stop fussing." He gently pushed Violet's hands away, which had been feeling the back of his head for any injury, "Violet, really!"

"Sorry, I just wanted to make sure." Then she smacked him on the shoulder, "And that's what you get for coming at me like that! I had no idea about Harry, Draco. But even so, I don't think he meant any harm."

His tone was a mixture of intrigue and frustration, "How could you defend him?"

"The same way I defend you; I truly believe you're both innocent."

Draco pushed up to his feet, holding out a hand to help Violet up. He couldn't think of anything to say, so he just let his eyes roam over her face. Her brows were furrowed, her eyes focused on him. No matter how much time they spent together, she still couldn't fully figure him out. One moment he was kind and gentle, the next angry and deceiving.

He left without another word. Violet would've taken it personally, but she knew by now that that was just how he was.

━━━━━━⊱༻ ༺⊰━━━━━━

18th December, 1992, Friday

Violet was on her way out of the library, having spent most of the evening with Draco, when she stopped at the entrance. Some of the other Hufflepuffs, Hannah included, were having a not-so-quiet conversation at the table around the corner. She saw Harry a little bit away, listening to the conversation. She thought she'd ask if he was alright, then she heard what the others were saying.

Ernie Macmillan, a fellow Hufflepuff second year, was saying, "Well, Justin let it slip to Potter that he was Muggle-born."

Another second year, whose name Violet didn't know, asked, "And you think Potter's the Heir of Slytherin?"

"I know." Ernie responded, "He's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's a mark of a dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one that could talk to snakes?"

"They called Slytherin himself serpent-tongue." Violet was surprised Hannah joined the conversation. She knew her friend thought Harry the Heir, but she wasn't usually a gossip.

After another minute, Violet had heard enough. Harry must've too, because he stormed off. Violet went after him, following him through the back halls. They were heading towards the Hufflepuff house, it seemed. She caught up to him in what she thought was an empty hall, as he paused in the middle of it.

"You alright, Harry?" He didn't seem to notice her presence, as he stood in the middle of the hallway. She looked around him then, noticing Nearly Headless Nick floating there, unmoving. Then, to her horror, she saw Justin laying on the ground. Both the boy and ghost had been petrified.

Harry kneeled in front of Justin, reaching out to touch him.

"Merlin's beard, Harry! What happened?!"

He jumped slightly, turning back to look at her, "It wasn't me!"

"Well, obviously." She rolled her eyes, stepping closer. Justin's face was frozen in terror, his eyes and mouth wide, arms out in front of him, and skin pale.

Just then, Filch rounded the corner, observing the scene quickly, "Caught in the act. I'll have you out this time, Potter."

Harry and Violet whipped around, their pleas falling on deaf ears. As Filch departed, Harry moved to the wall of windows, watching something. Violet leaned forward to see what it was. She nearly screamed when she saw the line of spiders crawling out.

Filch and Professor McGonagall rounded the corner. McGonagall let out a gasp, moving around to observe Nick and Justin, then she turned to Violet.

"You're alright?" The Professor patted the girls shoulders and arms, as if checking to make sure, then she turned to Harry when she was content that Violet was unharmed.

"Professor," He tried, "I swear I didn't."

"This is out of my hands, Potter." Despite her words, her tone was sympathetic. Violet wasn't the only one who believed Harry was innocent.

"Return to your dormitory immediately, Ms. Ellis." McGonagall said, not giving the girl a chance to defend Harry. She watched Violet's every move until she was out of sight.

Violet was out of breath when she entered her dorm, having ran the whole way there. Aimee and Caroline both looked up, startled. She was surprised to find Hannah there, too.

"It's Justin! And Nearly Headless Nick!" She gasped, "They've been petrified!"

"What?!" The girls jumped up, rushing towards to Violet.

Violet told them everything. Or, rather, almost everything. She might've changed the story just enough to have her friends believe that Harry and Violet had been walking together. She didn't want to give them any further reason to believe he's the Heir.

"I can't believe it!" Hannah was shaking her head, "I feel sorry that you and Harry heard that, but surely you understand, Violet?"

"I don't like it, but yes, I do." Violet didn't want to admit it, but she fully understood why so many believed it was Harry.

"Poor Justin." Aimee sighed, "At least we leave for holiday in a few days, then we won't have to worry about anyone else being attacked."

"Sure," Caroline scoffed, "Until we have to come back."

"Not helping," Violet snapped, tired of her friend's bad attitude.

Caroline glared at the girl, turning on her heel and stomping back to her bed, "Whatever, Violet. I'll be down in the common room if you need me." The last part was pointed at Aimee and Hannah, but Violet only shrugged it off.

Once Caroline was out of the room, Aimee quirked an eyebrow at Violet, "What's with you two?"

Violet shrugged, "I honestly don't know anymore."

Hannah shook her head, dropping onto her bed, "Well, I hope you two make up soon. It'll be a long few months when we get back from holiday if you two are still fighting."

Violet couldn't agree more. It seemed like she and Caroline never got along anymore. It wasn't for a lack of trying; Violet had tried to apologize to Caroline for her behavior, for skipping out on her and starting arguments over the topic of the Heir, but Caroline just never seemed to care. Violet had given up trying. She didn't want to lose her friend, but she didn't want to keep fighting either.

━⊱༻ ༺⊰━ TAGLIST: @stellarlune-love

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fandomsaligninstories · 23 days

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Oh my god?? Oh my god!!! RANT

I went on Wattpad today bc I had a lot of notifications and saw they deleted ANOTHER one of my stories. And I was talking to a friend, she had ALL of her stories deleted.

Fuck Wattpad. I apologize if updates are slow this week, I’m now frantically moving every single story I’ve ever uploaded to Wattpad into google docs (a temporary solution as Google has its own issue right now) and there’s quite a few. I’m also sending in help quests bc they won’t let me submit appeals, and I want my stories back.

Genuinely enraged and heartbroken right now.

So, Wattpad has started deleting stores that contain mature themes, including pornography (anything explicit or graphic that has to do with sex or nudity), and self-harm/suicide, and so much more.

I’ve slowly moved a lot of my stuff over from wattpad to here (see my supernatural and marvel short stories), but I haven’t moved EVERYTHING over. However, with Wattpad deleting things, I’m going to start moving everything to here and/or Ao3, so I apologize if I start uploading a lot over the coming days.

I might not love or even like my older fics, but I take great pride in my work. No matter how bad it is, it’s given me the opportunity to grow and learn, so forgive me if I don’t want to lose it all.

Anyways, there’s my rant for the day. More Draco is coming, I got some more chapters written today.

#fandomsalign talks

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fandomsaligninstories · 23 days

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I’m working on a very special chapter for Draco and Violet, and a couple others will be posted this week, but in the meantime, please enjoy the hufflepuff sweater I made 😮‍💨😅

Also in the realm of crochet, I made my first wearable! In honor of being a hufflepuff, and for the Draco Malfoy fic I’m writing with my huffle!oc, it naturally had to be a hufflepuff sweater.

#fandomsalign talks

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fandomsaligninstories · 27 days

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So, Wattpad has started deleting stores that contain mature themes, including pornography (anything explicit or graphic that has to do with sex or nudity), and self-harm/suicide, and so much more.

Anyways, there’s my rant for the day. More Draco is coming, I got some more chapters written today.

#wattpad #supernatural #supernatural short stories #supernatural fic #marvel #marvel short stories #marvel fic #fuck wattpad #rant #fandomsalign talks

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fandomsaligninstories · 27 days

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Year Two: The Dueling Club

Chapter List WC: 1,931

17th December, 1992, Thursday

Violet had been given a note to excuse her from classes for the day, but by lunch time, she was bored out of her mind in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey agreed to let her leave, so long as she tried to avoid stressful situations for the time being. Violet wanted to respond that it wasn't like she went looking for stressful situations, they just happened to find her, but she didn't want to be rude to the healer, as she'd been nothing but kind.

After stopping by her dorm to drop of the vase of flowers and grab her bag, Violet arrived at the Great Hall with just enough time to eat. Her entire friend group, Caroline excluded, pounced with questions before she'd even had the chance to sit down.

"I'm alright!" She sighed, loading up her plate, "I was sick, that's all. I slept the entire time, nothing exciting happened."

"We were so worried!" Aimee leaned her head on Violet's shoulder, "We woke up and you were gone. No note, nothing."

"I'm really sorry," She apologized again, looking at Aimee, Hannah, and Cedric, "I woke up in the middle of the night not feeling well. I didn't think it would such an issue."

"Not an issue," Cedric corrected kindly, "But with the recents attacks, maybe don't vanish without a trace?"

Violet laughed, "Alright, if it happens again, I'll let someone know. Can I eat in peace now?"

Hannah and Aimee took turns catching Violet up on what she'd missed in class the day before, as well as giving her the homework the professors had provided. They'd only had Transfiguration, D.A.D.A, Charms, and Herbology. Herbology was the only class she was sad to have missed, though Transfiguration was a close second.

She was sort of glad to have missed Professor McGonagall; their encounters had been slightly awkward and unnerving ever since the start of the year. Every time Violet was near the professor, she felt like she was being watched, but she couldn't figure out why. Why did the professor have such an interest in her? What was she expecting to see, staring at Violet so frequently?

Violet had mentioned it to her friends, but none of them ever seemed to notice it. She wasn't afraid by any means, she knew the professor meant no harm. She just wanted to know why.

She only had two classes after lunch- History of Magic and Charms, with a free period in-between.

When she got to History, she sat her bag at her usual seat with Aimee and Hannah, then moved across the room to the Slytherin tables. She stopped in front of Draco, a gentle smile curving her lips.

Draco looked up at her, surprised. Then his eye got the single flower clipped in her hair.

"I didn't get the chance to thank you." Was her greeting.

He nodded. He didn't know what to say, and even if he did, with all the first-year Slytherins staring at him, he wasn't sure he'd have to courage to say anything.

Her smile fell at his silence, "Right... I'll just go now."

Draco's hand snapped around, grabbing her hand before she could step away, "Meet after class? Our usual spot?"

Violet stared at her hand in his. It wasn't an intimate gesture, but still, her entire arm was tingling. "Hm? Yes, yeah, alright."

She returned to her seat then, as Professor Binns had begun his lesson.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

After another boring History lesson, Violet was excited to meet Draco in the library. Her friends weren't thrilled that she was already leaving them, but they were much more understanding than before. They could see that, while they didn't like Draco, Draco and Violet were slowly becoming important to each other.

Violet and Draco walked together to the library in silence. They both made a point to ignore all the other students that stared at them as they passed by. The only time she had a second thought about it was when they passed Cedric, who was glaring daggers at Draco.

When they made it to their usual table, Draco took up the seat next to Violet. He dropped his bag on the table and pulled out the D.A.D.A homework from the previous day.

He handed the parchment to Violet, who was trying to not think about how close they were, "Here, you can copy mine, if you want. It's just stupid questions about himself again."

"Of course," She rolled her eyes, taking the parchment, "Thanks."

While she quickly copied down his homework, Draco's focus remained on her. He wasn't ashamed to openly stare at her anymore. He didn't know what had gotten into him; whether it was the residual fear he'd had yesterday over her disappearance, or his newfound honesty policy in relation to her, he was done hiding himself. He just hoped it wouldn't scare her away.

She slid his parchment back to him as she finished her final sentence, "You were right. Every question is about himself. How self-centered can the man be?"

"Very, apparently. I'm not entirely convinced all these stories are true. Or, if they are, that they actually happened to him."

"I've been saying that all year!" Violet laughed, finally looking up. She was taken aback by how intense Draco was focusing on her. It was as if nothing else existed, only her, "You alright?"

He jerked back, coming back to himself, "Yeah, sorry. You coming to dueling club tonight?"

"Coming to what?!"

"Oh, right- Professor Lockhart mentioned in class yesterday that he's starting a dueling club. It's this evening after dinner. A lot of people have signed up already."

"Huh," She shrugged, "Guess I'll go then. Maybe we'll have a chance to duel, prove who's the better wizard."

Draco laughed. Violet stared in awe as he threw his head back. It was extremely rare for Draco to laugh, much less so wholeheartedly.

"Ha! We both know it'll be me, but don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

"As if!" She smacked his arm jokingly, "We both know I'll win. And I definitely won't go easy on you."

"Noted." He nodded, smiling broadly. Another rarity. Violet felt like she needed to capture this moment in her mind, scared that Draco's newfound openness wouldn't last.

The rest of the hour was spent like that, laughing and joking. By the time Violet got to Charms that afternoon, her cheeks hurt from smiling so much. It didn't go unnoticed by her friends, but neither Hannah or Aimee mentioned it. They were worried, still distrustful of Draco, but they were glad to see their friend so happy.

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After dinner, many students stayed behind to attend the dueling club. All of the tables and benches were cleared out of the room, except for one table, which spanned the entire length of the Great Hall. Most of the professors had left, not wanting to witness the dramatic spectical that was about to occur.

The students gathered around the table as Professor Lockhart walked along it, speaking to them, "Gather round, gather round! Can everybody see me?"

The hall quieted as everyone turned their focus to the man in front of them.

"Can you all hear me? Excellent. In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves, as I myself have done on countless occasion. For full details, see my published works."

Violet sighed, looking around at the students to gauge their reactions. Many of them were rolling their eyes, but more were wholly focused on Lockhart. He unsnapped his cloak at threw it into the crowd, several girls gasping loudly and giggling as it landed on them.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape!" Lockhart held out a hand towards the end of the room, where Snape was stepping up onto the table. All the students stared at him, "He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry."

Violet sighed again, earning an elbow to the ribs from Hannah. Violet couldn't believe so many girls were still infatuated with Lockhart.

"You'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him. Never fear."

The two professors met at the center of the table, taking up the dueling stance before turning and walking five paces away. They faced each other again, raising their wands. Lockhart gave a count of three before Snape cast the first spell.

"Expelliarmus!"

Lockhart went flying back, landing on his back. The crowd of students gasped, many laughing.

When Lockhart got to his feet, he marched back to the center, "An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious, uh, what you were about to do. And if I had wanted to stop you, it would've been only too easy."

Snape replied with his usual bored tone, "Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, professor."

A moment of silence, then, "An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape! Well, let's have a volunteer pair." Lockhart looked around the room, but before hands could go up, he continued, "Um, Potter, Weasley, how about you?"

Violet looked around the room for the named pair. Harry was already on his way out of the crowd when Snape interrupted, "Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house?"

Violet didn't particularly like Ron Weasley, but she would've happily jinxed or cursed Snape for the way he called out the poor boy. It wasn't his fault he couldn't afford a new wand, even though he was the one that broke it in the first place. Snape's next words only made Violet like him less.

"Malfoy, perhaps?"

"Oh, for Godric's sake." Violet muttered under her breath.

"What's wrong?" Aimee asked.

"Harry and Draco hate each other. There's no way this ends well."

Violet had very little hope that she would be proven wrong. The way Draco stalked towards Harry only increased her concern.

"Scared, Potter?" He spat, glaring at Harry as they took up their positions.

"You wish." Harry shot back.

As they walked their five paces and turned to face each other, Violet lost all hope of this not ending with one of them seriously injured.

Lockhart didn't even finish his count of three before Draco shouted, "Everte Statum!" Sending Harry flipping backwards several meters.

The Slytherins around the room laughed, while some other houses chuckled or gasped.

"Draco!" Violet hissed, but he either ignored her or didn't hear her, as he smirked in triumph.

Harry quickly got back to his feet, hitting Draco with Rictusempra. The spell was a tickling charm, but perhaps with Harry's ill intentions, it send Draco flying backwards too.

Now the entire crowd laughed.

"I said, disarm only!" Lockhart warned both boys as they got back into the dueling stance, their wands pointed at the other.

Draco shouted, "Serpensortia!" and a snake flew out of the tip of his wand. It hissed as it slithered towards Harry.

"Don't move, Potter." Snape's tone held a bit of mock pity as he pushed Draco aside and moved towards Harry, "I'll get rid of it for you."

"Allow me, Professor Snape." Lockhart responded in a sharp tone, causing Snape to stop walking. Lockhart stepped in front of Harry, "Alate Ascendare!"

Whatever Lockhart's intention was, he only managed to anger the snake by sending it up in the air and slamming back down onto the table. Now the snake was hissing fervently, looking out at the crowd.

Harry slowly stepped forward, then started hissing at the snake. Except... No, Violet realized, he wasn't hissing. He was speaking another language.

━⊱༻ ༺⊰━ TAGLIST: @stellarlune-love

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fandomsaligninstories · 1 month

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Year Two: Sick Day

Chapter List WC: 1,655

16th December, 1992, Wednesday

No one could find Violet the following morning.

When Hannah, Aimee, and Caroline got up for breakfast, they'd found Violet's bed already made up. Her bag and all of her things were exactly as she'd left them the night before. Caroline brushed it off, while Aimee and Hannah were more concerned.

They'd hoped Violet had just left early for breakfast, but when they got the the Great Hall, she wasn't there either. They grew more suspicious as the meal went on, wondering where the girl could be. Even Cedric had no idea where she was.

By the end of the meal, Aimee had become so concerned that she rushed to the back of the hall, only stopping when she was in front of Professor McGonagall.

"Professor!" Aimee exclaimed, "Violet's missing!"

"What?" The Professor leaned forward, "What do you mean missing?"

"We haven't seen her all morning!" Aimee was quickly becoming a nervous wreck, thinking about what could've happened to her friend, "What if something happened? What if she got petrified?!"

"If I may," Madam Pomfrey moved to stand beside McGonagall, who had sprung up from her chair in panic, "Ms. Ellis came to me late last night not feeling well. She's resting in the hospital wing- Ah, ah!"

Aimee had begun to back away, wanting to run to check on her friend, but Madam Pomfrey stopped her, "Please leave her to rest, Ms. McCall, I fear she needs it. She'll be fine in a day or two."

"Oh," Professor McGonagall sighed and collapsed back into her chair, her complexion oddly pale.

"Okay..." Aimee nodded, "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey."

Aimee rushed back to her friends to inform them of what she'd found out. Madam Pomfrey fussed over McGonagall, asking if she was alright or needed anything. McGonagall only waved her off, stating she was just concerned for her student. Madam Pomfrey knew it was more than that; she'd begun having the same thoughts and concerns about Violet as McGonagall.

Pomfrey had spent five year with the boy they knew, patching him up and helping him through some of his darkest moments. She'd seen the way Violet reflected so many of his physical attributes, from her brunette hair to her ivory skin. Even the way they carried themselves was so similar, with their shoulders hunched and head down, but always with a soft smile.

It wouldn't be long before Pomfrey and McGonagall would speak about the girl and their suspicions and what they would mean if they were true...

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

Draco didn't know where Violet was. He looked for her all throughout breakfast, he looked for her in the halls between classes, he looked for her at lunch. He didn't know where she was, or why she'd suddenly disappeared. He knew it was likely because of what had happened the previous night, which made him feel worse about himself.

He'd been beating himself up over his behaviour, for how poorly he'd treated her. He felt nothing but regret, guilt, and anger at himself. He wanted to apologize, to make it up to her, but he couldn't do that if he couldn't find her. Not that he knew what to say or do if he did. This was entirely new to him; meaningful apologies and wanting to make someone else feel better? He'd never done that before.

By the time he arrived to Defense Against the Darks Arts that afternoon, he was ready to crawl out of his own skin. His friends had started questioning him, wondering what he was constantly looking for and why he was so on edge. He only dismissed their questions, not wanting them to know about Violet. He was becoming more and more protective of her, and he knew if he'd told his friends about her, she would no longer be just his. Besides, if the Slytherins found out Draco was rapidly becoming obsessed with a Hufflepuff? He'd lose all respect and become the biggest joke of the house.

For the entire three hours of D.A.D.A, Draco contemplated how he could get one of Violet's friends alone to ask what they knew about her disappearance. He hadn't heard a single person talk about another petrification, so while he was terrified something had happened to her, he didn't think it was that. He just wanted to know if she was okay.

When the bell rang to dismiss class, Draco was across the room and gripping Aimee's arm, pulling her away from her other friends before she even stood from her chair.

"Hey- Hey! Let go of me!" She shouted, though it was lost in the noise of the departing students.

Once at the back of the room, Draco dropped her arm and looked around. Her friends were watching them from the front of the room, but hadn't made any move to defend her.

"Malfoy!" Aimee snapped, pulling his attention back to her, "What was that?!"

He stuttered, suddenly realizing what he'd just done was incredibly stupid, "Uh..."

Aimee squinted her eyes at him, scrutinizing every move he made and word he said.

"I just-" He sighed, exasperated at his own anxiety, "Do you know where she is?"

"Where who is?" Aimee's frustration suddenly morphed into confusion, "Do you mean Violet?"

Draco only nodded, avoiding eye contact.

"She's in the hospital wing-" Draco's entire body tensed up, fear shocking his system. Aimee could see the change, so she reached out and grabbed his arm before he could run, "She's fine! Just wasn't feeling well."

Draco tore his arm out of her grip, staring at the spot on his arm as if it had burned. Slowly he looked at Aimee, his voice a near growl, "Don't ever touch me again."

"Oh, for Godric's sake!" She shouted in his face, causing him to flinch back, "You're the one that dragged me back here! What do you even care anyway? She's nothing to you!"

"You're wrong." He snapped, but refused to elaborate further.

He stormed off before Aimee could say another word. She stood there, staring after the boy as if he'd lost his sanity. Perhaps he had, because after he left the classroom, he sprinted across the castle to find the one professor he knew could help him. Whether or not she would, he wasn't convinced, but he had to try anyway.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

The entire castle was quiet. It was well after nine, so most students were in their common rooms or dorms, settled in for the night. Draco couldn't rest, though, too full of nervous energy. After dinner, he'd been able to collect the things he needed, but was told to wait until later in the evening to do what he'd planned to do.

So, when the nine o'clock bell chimed, Draco made his way out of the Slytherin basement and across the castle, not slowing down until he reached the hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey knew to expect him, so she didn't bother scolding him when he arrived so late in the evening. There wasn't a single other person in the room, aside from Violet. She was laying on a cot at the end of the wing, facing one of the many windows. He feared she may be asleep, as Madam Pomfrey had warned him that she'd been asleep most of the day.

He stopped at the end of her cot, staring down at her. She was staring out the window, watching the stars and moon move slowly across the sky. Even in the dim light, he could tell she wasn't feeling well. Her chest moved so slowly, he feared she was hardly breathing. And her skin was several shades paler than normal, with a slight sheen to it.

He briefly considered leaving, sneaking away before she could notice him, but when her head slowly turned towards him, he was frozen in his spot. Her eyes were so dark and sunken, but even given her poor state, one side of her lips quirked up.

"Hey," Her voice was rough, barely a whisper.

Draco moved to sit on the chair beside her bed, moving to sit as close as he could. He kept his voice low to match hers, "Violet? What's wrong?"

She settled back into the cot, her eyes closed, "Migraine. I get 'em sometimes. Worse when 'm stressed."

"I'm sorry..." His guilt tripled. He'd been part of her stress.

"Don't be." She could barely keep her eyes open, wanting to go back to sleep. The throbbing in her temple had spread down to her jaw, and the draught Madam Pomfrey had given her was wearing off.

"I just wanted to see you. I... Didn't see you today."

She hummed, her eyes taking in his appearance. He was as put together as always, aside from his hair being messy and tie loosened.

She was losing the fight to stay conscious, but she couldn't help her curiosity, "Worried?"

Draco's instinct was to lie, or make a joke, but he was tired of hiding from her. He promised himself he'd try, so he told her honestly, "Yes. Scared you were petrified, or something."

"Didn't think you cared." Draco knew it was time for him to leave by the way her words were being to sound jumbled together.

"I care. A lot, evidently." He stood up from his seat, suddenly remembering the glass vase in his hands that he'd been clutching, "Oh, I brought you these."

Violet's eyes opened then, focusing on the vase, "Violets? Where'd you find those?"

Draco's cheeks tinted pink; he was glad it was too dark for her to notice, "Professor Sprout. She's got all sorts of flowers. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I hazard a guess..."

Her eyes had closed again, but she smiled softly, "I love 'em."

He sat the vase on the side table, his finger brushing the soft violet petals as he turned away. He leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to Violet's temple, murmuring, "Feel better soon." Before he rushed away.

She'd already fall back asleep, but when she woke the next morning, her migraine thankfully gone, the sight of the light purple flowers left her with a permanent smile for the day.

━⊱༻ ༺⊰━ TAGLIST: @stellarlune-love

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Year Two: A Friends Breaking Point

Chapter List WC: 1,053

15th December, 1992, Evening

By mid-December, Violet's friends had caught on that there was something going on between her. Aimee briefly knew what it was, that Violet was studying with Draco, so she wasn't worried much. But Caroline and Cedric were more concerned, especially when the only response they got from Violet about where she was going was, "to study". Hannah was trying to stay out of it, though she was curious.

This particular evening, Caroline had decided she'd had enough of Violet running off after dinner. Aimee knew where their friend went, but refused to tell the others, as she didn't want another fight to happen. Finally, against Aimee's disapproval, Caroline followed Violet after dinner.

Aimee and Hannah, hoping to prevent further fighting, followed Caroline. By the time they'd gotten to the library, Violet was already at her usual table, pulling out a Herbology book, while Draco read through a chapter for Potions.

When Caroline rounded the corner and saw the two, she gasped in outrage, "Seriously?!"

Violet and Draco both jumped at the sudden noise. Draco stared at the girls, eyes wide.

"What're you doing here?" Violet asked, glancing between her friends and Draco.

"Us? What're you doing here?!" Caroline stepped forward, crossing her arms.

"We're studying." Violet shrugged, trying to stay calm. The closer Hannah got, the more tense Draco got. Violet could see his mental walls going back up. She'd been so proud that she'd gotten through to him, that he was finally starting to trust her, and now her friends were messing it all up.

"Studying? Right." Caroline scoffed.

"Caroline-" Aimee edged forward.

"No! I knew there was something going on." The blonde rounded on her friends, glaring at each of them before her gaze settled back on Violet, her tone harsh, "Why else would you keep defending him? Why else would you care so much?"

Hannah tried to interrupt, "That's not fair, Caroline."

Violet wasn't sure what to do. On one hand, she was angry at her friends. How dare they come here and accuse her of- what? Having other friends? They were turning Draco away from her, she could feel it. She could see it in the way he refused to look at her, and how tense he was. But on the other hand, she knew this would eventually catch up to her. She had gotten so used to lying to her friends about where she was, she never expected them to question or challenge her on it.

"Well?!" Caroline snapped. Aimee and Hannah finally stepped forward, nudging Caroline back, as she'd gotten uncomfortably close to Violet.

"What do you want me to say, Caroline?" Violet cried, her anger and guilt building up to tears, "He's my friend! Despite what everyone thinks, he's not a bad guy! I don't care what you think, okay? If you were really my friend, you'd understand-"

Hannah couldn't help it, "Understand that you're friends with the enemy?"

"He's not the enemy!" Violet shouted. She shook her head violently, repeating quieter, "He's not the enemy."

"If you were really our friend, you'd know that's not true. I won't be friends with Slytherin Scum or apologists." Caroline shot back. She leveled Draco with a sneer before turning on her heel and leaving, Hannah following after her.

Aimee tried to move towards Violet, but the girl on waved her off.

Her voice was pleading, "I'm sorry, Vi. I tried to stop them. I didn't tell them you were here."

Violet was staring at her hands fisted on the table, "It's fine. Just... Go, please?"

Violet didn't know what to say. She knew she had to be careful, that one wrong word would send Draco spiraling. She didn't want to lose him, she realized. She really did believe he was her friend.

"Draco..." She tried, looking over at him. His jaw was clenched, but he showed no other signs of how he was feeling or what he was thinking. She'd just started being able to read him, and now he was shutting himself off again.

"Draco," She tried again, pleading. He finally looked at her, "Please, I didn't tell them."

He nodded, then stood and grabbed his things.

"Please, don't go." He was really leaving?

He refused to look at her, and she couldn't help it; she started crying.

Draco couldn't believe it. Or, rather, he didn't want to believe it. That Violet, the first person he let in, the first person he started to let see his true self, betrayed his trust. The one thing he asked of her was to not tell anyone about their studying together. And yet, three of her closest friends had just stormed in like Prefects on a mission and chastised them.

He was too hurt to think clearly. He'd listened to every word the girls had said, even the part where the one girl- Aimee, was it?- claimed she didn't tell the other two. But that meant she knew, which meant Violet had told her. Violet had broken the one promise she'd made.

Later, when he had calmed down and was able to clearly think through things, he'd realized two things.

One, Violet said they'd been studying. Not that she was tutoring him, which she technically wasn't anymore, but that they'd be studying together. That meant no one knew he'd been so desperate and close to failure that he'd had to ask for help. And two, Violet had defending him, again. Even though it meant she'd likely just lost one of her best mates, she'd stood up for him. And he repaid her by leaving her there, alone and crying.

No matter how mad he had been, or how betrayed he felt, he realized that wasn't fair to her. She didn't mean for any of that to happen, and instead of thanking her for trying to be his friend, he punished her. He pushed away the only person he genuinely cared about, and for what? Because he thought she'd broken the promise she made? A promise that, in the end, didn't really matter, because what was he protecting himself from? From others knowing he wanted good grades, that he put effort into his studies?

He'd been cruel to Violet before. But this, he decided, would be it. He'd make it up to her somehow, if she'd let him. Godric knows he didn't deserve another chance, not when she'd already given him so many... But still, he would try.

━⊱༻ ༺⊰━ TAGLIST: @stellarlune-love

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Updates are coming!

I’m so sorry I haven’t been updating regularly. I had several family emergencies last week, and this week was work crisis’. I spent most of today writing, so once everything’s proofread, I’ll have about 5 chapters read to go for the week!

I know I’m annoying with this, but if you want to be kept up to date on all things Draco + Violet, just comment here or another post, or send me a message and I’ll add you to the tag list! I genuinely love being able to do that for you guys so if you want to be on it just lmk! My inbox and messages are open to all.

(If you anxiety about it, legit just comment a ⭐️ or something. I promise I totally get it, anxiety is a bitch even when it comes to something simple like comments or messages)

Okay done rambling. Goodnight! 💚

#fandomsalign talks #then I met you story

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Year Two: Jade(d)

Chapter List WC: 1,571

From the moment she sat down, Violet had to listen to her friends ask questions and accuse Draco of things.

"Did he hurt you?" Cedric had asked, looking over her as if she'd been physically wounded.

"Did he threaten you?" Aimee had asked, concern evident in her tone and expression.

"Are you two a thing? Is that why you've been defending him?" Caroline accused, glaring at Violet.

"What has he offered you?" Hannah asked, her tone sharp.

"Stop!" Violet cried out, slamming her hand on the table. She turned to each of her friends as she replied, "No, he didn't hurt me. No, he didn't threaten me. No, we aren't a 'thing'. And what is that supposed to mean, offered me?"

"What's he offered you," Hannah repeated, "You know, to get you to be on his side?"

"Nothing!" Violet snapped, "I'm on his side because he's innocent, because he's actually quite a nice person when you get to know him."

The three other girls all started talking at once, and Violet couldn't stand it. She stood up, not even having eaten a bite, and glared at her friends.

"When you lot have decided to stop being a bunch of pricks to Draco and I, come find me. Until then, just leave me alone."

She stormed out of the hall, her chest heaving as she tried to calm herself down. She barely made it back to her dorm before she broke down in tears, all the anger and frustration rising again.

She didn't know how long she lay in bed, but after some time, she turned to someone knocking at the dorm door.

Violet couldn't bear to look at Aimee as she entered the room. She rolled over, burying her face in her pillow. A moment later the end of the bed dipped, and Aimee sighed.

"Violet, I'm sorry. We weren't trying to be rude-"

Violet huffed, "Caroline was."

"Okay, maybe she was…" Aimee allowed, "But the rest of us weren't. We're just worried. You barely talk to us anymore, and you're always so…"

Violet sat up slowly, pulling her knees to her chest as she looked at Aimee, "So what?"

"So focused on him. I don't think you realize it, but you're always staring at him, or looking for him, and it seems like you're spending time with him now?"

"We're just studying together," Violet argued, feeling defensive yet again.

"You are?" Aimee was shocked, then shook her head, "That's what I mean. We only see you in class, yet you study with him. What's going on between you?"

"Nothing. We're just helping each other with Astronomy. We don't even talk outside of that."

Aimee angled her body to lean back against the bed poster, her arms crossed, "You really don't mind spending time with him? Alone?"

"I told you-"

"He's not that bad. Yes, I know."

"I think…" Violet hesitated. She'd tried not to think about Draco, much less speak about whatever was happening between them, but she wanted to tell someone. Aimee waved a hand for Violent to continue, "I think he's scared. I think the angry, violent part of himself he shows is just to hide who he truly is."

Aimee hummed, "Scared of what, though?"

"I don't know." Violet shrugged, "But when we've been together, he's been polite, maybe even kind. I just don't think he's all bad like he wants people to believe."

Aimee stared up at the ceiling, contemplating a response, "It could be possible. I still don't trust him, but if you do…"

Violet couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her, "I don't know about trust, but I'd say he's growing on me."

Aimee moved to sit beside Violet, wrapping her arms around the girl in a tight hug, "I've missed you."

"Missed you too," Violet rolled her eyes jokingly, hugging her friend back.

━━━━━━⊱༻ ༺⊰━━━━━━

Breakfast the following morning was uncomfortable. Though Aimee and Violet had made up, Caroline was adamant she'd done nothing wrong. Hannah had apologized that morning before they'd left the common room, but she was keeping a distance from Violet. Hannah wasn't sure what or who to believe, so she was keeping to herself more and more.

Cedric had caught Violet before she'd left the common room.

"Sorry about last night," He'd said, "I wasn't trying to argue with you, but… He's bad news, Vi. I don't like the way he looks at you."

"Looks at me?" Violet asked, too tired to argue, "He doesn't look at me any special way, Ced. Anyway, it's fine. Can we just move on? I'm tired of fighting about this."

Cedric had nodded, hugging the girl tightly before they left for breakfast. He didn't want to let it go, but for her sake, he would.

Violet sat between Aimee and Cedric at breakfast, as usual. Violet stayed quiet for most of the meal, only speaking up when someone asked her a question or spoke directly to her. She was exhausted from the previous night, having stayed up well into the morning hours thinking about a certain blond haired boy.

Just as she was getting used to questioning herself about Draco, and to defending him, she was starting to get used to thinking about him. It wasn't every moment of the day, more so fleeting thoughts throughout the day.

Over the next few weeks, Violet fell back into a comfortable routine. Aside from Caroline, she was back to hanging out with her friends, focusing on her classes, and studying with Draco. She didn't know when exactly it had turned into that, when her tutoring the boy turned into them studying together, but she didn't mind it. When he wasn't being a bully, he was actually quite a smart boy. He was passing all of his classes with top marks, and once he was caught up in Astronomy, he and Violet spent most of the study time together reviewing notes and completing homework.

It had happened, too, that she was spending more time with the boy. What started as a few hours a week, turned into almost nightly meetings. It was an unspoken thing, that after dinner every evening they would meet in the library. It had started one Thursday evening, before they had Astronomy, Violet had been studying in their usual spot when Draco showed up too. Neither knew the other would be there, but from then on, they started meeting more often.

Most of the time they'd focus on their studies, but sometimes they would talk. Or, well, Violet would talk and Draco would listen. No matter how many questions she asked him, he rarely answered.

One evening, when she was particularly tired and couldn't be bothered to study, Violet simply laid her head on her arms and closed her eyes. Draco openly stared at her, curious why she was so quiet.

Draco usually rolled his eyes or sighed at her questions. Outwardly he seemed annoyed with it, but he didn't actually mind it. He wasn't used to someone wanting to know him so personally. He just wanted to keep a distance between the two of them, but he was finding it harder to do every day. He would never admit it aloud, but he looked forward to seeing Violet every day; it was one of the only things he really enjoyed.

Most of the questions she asked weren't of substance, as she'd learned the hard way not to ask serious questions, as one night she'd innocently asked about his family, and he'd stormed off without a word. They usually pertained to his favourite this or that, be it music, food, colour, or whatever else she thought of. He didn't often answer, and when he did, it was with one or two words.

Her silence that evening didn't bother him. He appreciated being able to watch her without fear of being caught. His eyes roamed her face, from the way her lips were slightly parted, to the freckles on her cheeks, which he'd never noticed before. He'd reasoned with himself that it was because they blended into her tan skin, and definitely not because he'd been avoiding focusing on her for more than a few seconds at a time.

"I can feel you staring." She mumbled, eyes still closed. Draco's eyes snapped back to his paper, "'S okay, I don't mind."

After a few minutes, he was convinced she'd fallen asleep, so he decided it was safe to look at her again. The ache in his chest turned painful as he watched her, as he wondered what it would be like to reach across the table and brush the hair out of her face. Would she wake up and yell at him? Run away? Would she smile at him in that gentle way she does whenever she thinks he's not looking?

Thinking of that smile, he decided to give it a chance, to give her a chance. Quietly, as if not to wake her, he whispered, "Green."

Of course, she hadn't actually been asleep, though she was rather close. When she heard his answer, the side of her mouth quirked up in that soft smile he'd been thinking of.

"Hm?" She responded, feigning to be half asleep.

He hesitated, unsure whether she was conscious enough to understand. He decided that if she wasn't, that was better, "My favourtie colour. It's green. But not dark green, like… like jade. Or sage. Light green, with a bit of blue to it."

It wasn't until the next morning when Violet was getting ready in her dorms bathroom and had looked in the mirror that she realized he'd been describing the colour of her eyes.

━⊱༻ ༺⊰━ TAGLIST: @stellarlune-love

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Year Two: A Touch of Kindness

Chapter List WC: 1,495 A/N: I'm the actual worst, I'm so sorry I haven't been updating. I promise I've got some drafts in the works, I just haven't had time or energy to edit and post. Be prepared for some angst in these next few chapters... Don't forget that my taglist is open if you want to be added to be notified whenever I post! Just comment or message me.

13th November, 1992, Friday Evening

Violet missed her friends. She decided that no matter what it took, she would make up with them that weekend. The fight wasn't entirely her fault, as she'd only been trying to defend Draco, but that didn't stop her from being rude to her friends.

Sure, they were rude about Draco. And sure, they would never apologize for it, but it wasn't like she could explain to them why their words had upset and angered her so. That's what had made their fights so bad- she took their insults towards Draco personally and would turn the fight against them. Neither Hannah or Aimee said anything bad about Violet, yet she lashed out as if they had. And in turn, they reacted just as poorly.

They really hadn't talked since Tuesday morning, after the Herbology incident. She barely looked at each other, their interactions limited to narrowed eyes, crossed arms, and huffs of annoyance.

She'd wanted to speak with the girls after Transfiguration, but they both brushed past her in the hallway. She tried desperately to keep the tears from flowing as she made her way to the library. She might not hate Draco, but she didn't want him seeing her so vulnerable.

It was a losing battle she realized. She stopped outside the library, ducking into an alcove just as the dam finally broke. She turned to face the wall, burying her face in her hands as she cried. It was the first time she allowed herself to cry over the mess she was in, to feel her sadness so deeply.

She tried desperately to muffle her cries as she heard footsteps coming down the hallway. She leaned against a pillar, her vision blurry as she stared out the window to her left, trying to appear casual. When the footsteps subsided, she kept a palm over her mouth, her sobs finally subsiding.

"Violet?"

She startled at the voice suddenly by her side. She jerked back, bumping her head against the pillar behind her. She rubbed her eyes, trying to clear the remaining tears.

She looked up at the boy, his grey eyes alight with concern. For a moment that was all she could focus on, and she thought it was someone else, but she took in Cedric's brown curls and gentle expression.

He took a step closer to her, hesitantly reaching up to cup her face in his hands. "Violet, what's happened? Why're you crying?"

"Nothing's happened, Cedric." She wanted to step away, to escape this moment, but something about the warmth of his skin against hers and the look in his eyes had her hesitating, "I just needed a good cry."

"Is it the fight with Aimee and Hannah?" His voice was soft, laced with concern. His thumbs were tracing lines along her cheeks, wiping away any remaining tears.

Violet couldn't reply, her eyes welling up and throat tightening. All she could do was nod. Cedric wrapped his arms around her shoulders, one hand cupping the back of her head as she buried her face in his shoulder.

He held her tightly as she cried, whispering gentle reassurances that it would be okay, that things would get better. After a few minutes, when Violet felt like she was out of tears, she settled against Cedric. His hold tightened around her, and her arms tightened around his waist on instinct.

She decidedly didn't want to leave this moment anymore. She hadn't felt such comfort since she was a young child, bundled up in her mother's arms whenever she was sad or in need of a hug. Reluctantly, she pulled away, a nagging feeling at the back of her mind.

Draco, she realized. She was meant to be in the library with him by now.

She rubbed at her tired eyes, unsure of what to say now. She settled on, "Thank you, Ced."

He smiled softly before leaning down, placing a kiss on the side of her head. When he pulled back, his voice was just above a whisper, "I'm always here for you, Vi. Always."

She tried to smile in return, but she knew it was a pitiful thing. When she turned away from Cedric, she was shocked to find another boy standing in the entrance of the library, watching them. No, watching her.

Draco stared at the two as Violet pulled away from Cedric. He'd only happened upon them a moment ago, when he'd wandered into the hall looking for Violet, as she wasn't usually late for things.

It was as he was watching Cedric cradle Violet into himself that Draco was finally able to name that unknown feeling he had. The ache in his chest that he'd been feeling the last few days? It was longing, Draco realized. Longing to be the one that could provide that comfort for Violet. Longing to be the one that could make Violet feel better, not worse. Longing to be the one holding her, rather than insulting her.

The realization made his stomach drop.

He knew something was off about the girl, about how he'd been watching her and what he'd been feeling. He knew something was wrong with him to find her so fascinating. What he couldn't admit to himself was that it was all connected to one thing- he was starting to care for her.

▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔

Draco rushed back into the library once he realized Violet had seen him. He was already sitting at their table when she finally got in. She was torn between ignoring what she happened and confronting him about it.

She slowly took her spot across from him at the table, her eyes flicking between his lowered head and her bag in her lap.

When Draco finally spoke, his voice was so quiet Violet had to strain to hear him, "Are you okay?"

She hesitated, "I'm... fine."

He nodded once, never once looking at her as he handed her a piece of parchment. It was the quiz they'd had in Astronomy the night before, and he'd gotten top marks on it, having missed only two questions of the fifteen total.

"Draco!" All of Violets worries forgotten for a moment, she beamed at the boy, "This is fantastic!"

He simply shrugged, "I still missed two."

"I missed those as well. But it doesn't matter, you're already doing so much better!" She chuckled to herself, "Soon enough you won't be needing me anymore."

His head snapped up at this, his tone strained, "Don't say that."

Her smile dimmed, "Isn't that the point of this, though? I help you catch up so you can pass?"

His expression was panicked, "That doesn't mean I won't need you!"

Violet wasn't sure how to respond. This was entirely new territory for her, for them. They'd only been working together for less than a week, and before that they'd never even had a friendly conversation.

"Draco..." She leaned towards him, "What's going on?"

"Nothing, forget it." He snapped, snatching his quiz back. He turned his focus towards their current homework assignment, having barely started it.

Violet wanted to push for more, to get him to open up. Something was obviously bothering him, and she wanted to help. She didn't want another person to shut her out.

"Alright... But I was only joking, you know. I'm not that easy to get rid of."

He still wouldn't look at her, but she could see some of the tension leave his shoulders.

They worked in silence for the rest of the hour, only exchanging few word replies when one of them had a question. When the bell rang for dinner, Draco was halfway out of their secluded corner before Violet could even stand up.

He suddenly froze mid-step, turning slowly back towards Violet, "You coming?"

She stared at him a moment before nodding, throwing her bag over her shoulder as she made her way towards him. They walked to the Great Hall side by side, maintaining their silence, but each glancing at the other when they weren't paying attention.

When they walked into the Great Hall, several students turned to stare at them. Violet felt an odd sensation at the way they were all staring, especially the older students. Their eyes narrowed at Draco, disdain clear in their faces.

Violet reacted before she could stop herself. She raised a hand and gripped Draco's forearm, smiling softly at him, "Bye Draco."

He stared at her in disbelief as she walked away. He was used to being stared at by the other students, but it didn't bother him much anymore. It was one thing to have walked in together, he knew it would bring more attention to him, but for her to touch him? To speak so kindly to him in front of everyone? He didn't know what to think or how to act.

He let his body turn to autopilot, spacing out for the rest of the evening.

Violet had expected the onslaught of stares and questions when she sat down to dinner, especially from Cedric. What she hadn't expected, however, were the accusations her friends threw at her.

━⊱༻ ༺⊰━ TAGLIST: @stellarlune-love

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Year Two: A Bit of Draco

Chapter List

WC: 1,405

10th November, 1992, Tuesday

As it would turn out, the entirety of the Hogwarts staff was quiet about the latest petrification. That didn't stop the students from talking, though.

Word had gotten around that the boy, Colin Creevey, had been petrified. More than half of the student body was afraid, worried about who could be next. Colin, as had been revealed, was muggle-born, so rumours and discussion over the Heir had started becoming louder and harder to ignore.

Violet remained solid on her stance; neither Harry or Draco were the Heir. By Tuesday morning, she found herself defending both boys to her friends. Most, if not all, of the Hufflepuffs were convinced it was Draco. Though a few, including Hannah and Ernie Macmillan, thought it was Harry.

The more time went on, the more Violet grew frustrated with her friends. They began to argue over the subject, to the point that Professor Sprout had to separate the girls in Herbology that morning. They didn't speak at all during lunch, and Potions class was uncomfortable as Violet, Hannah, and Aimee had been paired up for the day.

By the time Violet arrived at the library at three that afternoon for her lesson with Draco, she was in a sour mood. She could hardly stand to be around anyone else, as her frustration was beginning to overwhelm her and she was worried she'd lash out at someone.

Draco was already sitting in the back of the library, at the same table as Friday. He was looking over the assignment they had due in Astronomy later that evening when Violet stomped up to the table, throwing her bag onto an empty chair. He looked up, startled. He watched as she sat in the chair across from him, her scrunched up face telling him just what sort of mood she was in.

He hesitated a moment before asking, "Want to talk about it?"

She looked at him then, her face relaxing slightly, "Surely you don't want to hear about my troubles."

"Not really," He leaned back, willing himself to appear nonchalant, "But I don't want your bad mood to affect your tutoring me.”

She rolled her eyes, "Unless you can convince my friends that neither you or Harry is the Heir of Slytherin so they'll stop arguing with me, there's nothing you can do to help."

Draco had to recite the words in his mind several times to convince himself she'd actually said them. Then, when he finally let the words sink in, his posture straightened and he stared at the girl in shock.

"What's that look for?" She asked, glancing at him as she pulled out a few books and notes for their lesson.

He still wasn't fully convinced he'd heard what he thought he did, "You... You argued with your friends? About me?"

"Well, you certainly aren't defending yourself, now are you?" She snapped.

"You defended me? To your friends?"

Violet finally focused her attention on him at his dumbstruck tone, his expression matching.

"Right, sorry. I forgot, I'm supposed to hate you and claim you're evil, or whatever." She rolled her eyes, "I defended Harry too. Despite everything, I don't believe either of you are the Heir. You might both be a bit daft, but I don't think either of you is capable of releasing a monster that's petrifying muggle-borns."

Draco couldn't get over it. This girl- a girl he'd insulted for the past year and a half- had defended him. She'd fought with her friends to claim his innocence.

"Why would you do that?" His tone was harsh, "For all you know, I am the Heir. Maybe I did open the Chamber of Secrets, hoping it would eradicate the school of you filthy-"

"Are you finished?" Violet interrupted, pretending his words didn't sting, "We've only got a few hours before dinner, and we have Astronomy tonight, so I'd really like to get some studying done."

Draco blinked dumbly at her. She really didn't believe he could be the Heir? Godric knows half the school was convinced it was him. The entire Slytherin house all but celebrated him for it. He couldn't find the will to keep arguing with her, though. For whatever reason, he knew that it was pointless, that nothing he could say would poison her against him.

For the entire session, Violet had to ignore the fact that Draco was staring at her. There was no malice in his eyes, only hesitant curiosity. She could tell her words had shaken him, but she wasn't sure why. Had no one ever believed him to be anything other than evil before? Was she truly the first person to believe he was innocent? The questions nagged at her for the rest of the evening.

━━━━━━⊱༻ ༺⊰━━━━━━

The rest of the week was just as awful. Between not talking to her friends, the other houses gossiping, and any class shared with Slytherins, Violet was feeling more and more alone. The only person she could really talk to was Cedric, who was adamant in not taking sides, and even talking to him was hard.

Whenever Violet would complain about Hannah and Aimee picking a fight with her, Cedric would simply tell her to "give them time". Well, she didn't want to give them anymore time, she wanted her friends back. Unfortunately, she wasn't ready to forgiven them for how rude they'd been about Draco.

She spent quite a bit of time thinking about why she felt so protective about the boy. She rationalized it as he has no one who stands up for him, aside his housemates, and even they do it for all the wrong reasons. She truly believed he was innocent, no matter how often he claimed to hate muggle-borns or how foul he spoke of them.

During Defense Against the Dark Arts, Violet was forced to sit in the back of the class, alone, as she didn't feel comfortable sitting next to her friends. Draco, who sat at the table in front of her, looked back at her frequently.

She kept her head down the entire hour, her focus on the book in front of her. Something for Herbology he guessed, judging by the drawings of plants on the cover. She often had a Herbology book on her, reading whenever she had the time. He'd noticed that the previous day, during History of Magic, when she had the Herbology book sat in her History book, promptly ignoring Professor Binns.

Draco was beginning to notice more and more about the girl. He, like Violet, wasn't sure why he held a particular fascination for the girl. Somehow, no matter where they were, his attention would find her. He tried not to think about it, but as he found himself watching her in D.A.D.A, he wondered about her.

He wondered if she was still fighting with her friends over him. He wondered if she continued to stand up for him, no matter how many insults he hurled at her. He wondering why she didn't hate him, when so many others did.

Draco decidedly didn't like how sad and angry she'd been all week. He hated that he felt this way, especially over some Hufflepuff who was likely only helping him because she pitied him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the unfamiliar ache out of his chest when he thought about it…

When he thought about how he'd seen her crying in the hallway before Astronomy the previous night, after her friends ignored her on their way into the tower. About how she barely ate at meals, and how the table was so quiet when she sat down. About how she'd become so quiet whenever someone would try to talk to her, especially that odd Ravenclaw girl with long, white-blonde hair. Or, the worst of all, when he'd find her staring at him, with glassy, absent eyes. That he hated most of all.

Draco didn't know how to handle this new feeling. He couldn't even identify it; he knew it wasn't anger or resentment. No, he'd felt those often throughout his childhood. It wasn't disappointment or sadness, something else he was used to. It wasn't jealousy or envy, as he certainly didn't want to be in her place. So what was it?

His answer would come later in the evening, when he was on his way to the library for their tutoring lesson.

━⊱༻ ༺⊰━

TAGLIST:

@stellarlune-love

#draco malfoy #draco x reader #Draco Malfoy fic #Draco Malfoy fanfic #draco malfoy slowburn #Harry Potter #hp fanfic #hp fic #Harry Potter fanfic #hogwarts #hogwarts OC #Harry Potter oc #hufflepuff #slytherin #hufflepuff x slytherin #rivals to lovers #fandomsalign writes #cedric diggory #then I met you story

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Year Two: Rogue Bludger

Chapter List WC: 1,905

7th November, 1992, Saturday

The first quidditch match of the year was proving to be challenging.

No one was surprised when Draco Malfoy suddenly found himself the seeker for the Slytherin team, nor when they found out his father had bought the entire Slytherin team Nimbus 2001's, the newest and fastest broom available.

Slytherin was leading ninety to thirty, and the students in the stands were as loud as ever. The match had only been going for less than an hour when something odd happened.

Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor keeper and captain was flying near Harry when a bludger hit his broom, breaking it in half. Wood was barely able to slow his descent before he hit the ground. Then the bludger went after Harry.

The young Gyffindor did his best to fly away from it. The rogue bludger was vicious in its pursuit, following him around the quidditch pitch and through the crowds of students. It tore holes through the stands, wood splinters flying everywhere. At one point, it appeared the bludger had finally given up, as Harry pulled to a stop near Draco.

Violet couldn't stop the scream that tore from her throat when the bludger nearly took out both Harry and Draco, both boys narrowly ducking out of the way.

"Woah!" Cedric shouted, pulling Violet back into her seat, "Harry's fine, Vi! I'm sure they'll take care of that bludger before it hurts him."

Violet couldn't tear her focus away from the pitch to reply, as Harry and Draco had just flown below, out of view. It appeared they were after the snitch, but the bludger was right after them. The longer they stayed out of sight, the more anxious and tense she grew.

She released a sigh of relief when they finally resurfaced, but the relief was short lived before they were back below.

When they resurfaced again, it wasn't in a way that brought her any more relief. Draco flew through the air in one direction, his broom in another, before landing on the pitch. Several boys around her let out a groan when they saw how Draco had landed, his eyes and mouth wide in pain at the impact of landing with his legs spread.

Violet was out of her seat again, but so were all the other students now. Harry was within distance of the snitch. The crowd watched in anticipation as he neared the snitch, his fingers nearly touching it, when the bludger reappeared. No one could hear the sickening crack of his arm, but they all knew the bludger made contact as Harry began to spin wildly.

He quickly righted himself, never giving up his chase of the snitch. Until he lost his balance and fell, luckily close enough to the ground for the impact to be minimal. He laid in the sand for a moment, seemingly unconscious, until a bright smile lit up his face and he held up the snitch.

The crowds went wild, as Harry had just won the first quidditch match of the year. Cheers quickly turned to gasps and shouts as the bludger reappeared again. Harry rolled out of the way just in time for the ball to hit where his head had previously been. The bludger continued its assault until Hermione blasted it away. She, Ron, and Hagrid were suddenly on the pitch, along with several teachers and students.

"Should we go check on him?" She asked no one in particular.

"No, best we let Madam Pomfrey take care of him first." Hannah replied, looping her arms through Aimee's and Violet's, pushing their way through the departing crowds.

"Right." Violet nodded.

Despite the surrounding crowd, Violet stood up on her toes to look for one boy in particular. She didn't know why she was worried for him, as he was obviously fine five minutes ago when he walked off the pitch. But she couldn't help the sense of reassurance of seeing Draco Malfoy along the sidelines, standing with his team and his father. He still had an expression of pain, but he was standing on his own, and that was enough for Violet to dispel her concern.

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Later that even, after dinner, Violet decided to visit Harry in the hospital wing. He was the only one in the room, all the other cots empty. He sat on the end of his, an annoyed look on his face.

Violet kept her voice quiet, for fear of disturbing Madam Pomfrey, "Hi, Harry."

His eyes flicked to her, "Oh, hi, Violet. What're you doing here?"

"Wanted to check on you. Heard your arm's broken." She sat on the cot next to his, her feet swinging above the floor.

His brows furrowed, "Worse than that, all my bones have gone."

"Gone?!" She gasped, "How?"

"Professor Lockhart," He rolled his eyes, "tried to spell my broken arm, but instead all the bones in my arm disappeared. Madam Pomfrey gave me skele-gro, so I've got to stay here overnight."

"He's a fool! I've never liked him. He's the worst professor we've had yet. And that's saying a lot, considering Professor Quirrell was secretly also you know who and tried to kill you."

"Thank you for that reminder." He stared blankly at her a moment before chuckling, "Yes, he really is quite awful, isn't he? Hermione and all the other girls are obsessed with him."

"I know!" She let out an exasperated sigh, "My friends are the same way, but I don't see it."

Harry nodded in agreement, turning away as he yawned.

"I should go. Glad you're alright, Harry."

"Thanks. See ya." He waved as she turned to leave.

As she neared the door, she noticed several shadows nearing the door and heard hushed whispers. She looked back at Harry as he threw himself onto his cot, rolling over to feign sleep. Violet slipped behind one of the open doors, hiding in the darkness.

Professor's Dumbledore and McGonagall rushed in, following Madam Pomfrey. Two other people were carrying a stretcher, a small figure laid on it.

"What happened?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"There's been another attack." Dumbledore replied, helping move the small figure onto the bed.

Once the two men with the stretcher moved and exited the room, Violet could see that the figure was a young boy. He appeared to be holding a camera in front of his face. Violet couldn't remember the boys name, but she was sure she'd seen him around the school, often taking photographs of Harry and other students.

"I think... You know that I think he's been Petrified, Madam Pomfrey." McGonagall replied, "Perhaps he managed to take a picture of his attacker?"

Professor Dumbledore carefully removed the camera from the boys hands, but when he opened the film compartment, a puff of smoke was released. The three adults released startled gasps.

"What can this mean, Albus?" McGonagall asked.

His tone was resigned, "It means... that our students are in great danger."

McGonagall, who was leaned over the boy, looked to Dumbledore, "What should I tell the staff?"

He didn't hesitate, "The truth. Tell them Hogwarts is no longer safe. It is as we feared, Minerva. The Chamber of Secrets has indeed been opened again."

Violet looked over at Harry, her body wracked with chills. Harry was still facing away from her, so she couldn't tell his reaction. Violet didn't want to get caught eavesdropping, so once the professors and healer had their backs to Violet, she rushed out of the room as quietly as she could.

She didn't slow down until she was in the Hufflepuff common room. Most students were already in their dorms, settling in for the night, but a few remained yet. She found Cedric, Hannah, and Anthony Rickett sitting around a game of exploding snap, their conversation hushed.

Violet dropped onto the couch beside Hannah, her breathing heavy from rushing across the castle.

"Violet, what's wrong?" Cedric sat up in alarm, moving from his chair to kneel in front of the girl.

"There's been... another attack." She pushed out, trying to steady her breathing, "A first year."

"Oh no!" Hannah exclaimed.

Cedric laid a gentle hand on her knee, "How do you know?"

"I was in the hospital wing seeing Harry. Professor's McGonagall and Dumbledore brought the boy in. They said... They said 'the Chamber of Secrets has been opened again'."

Anthony finally spoke, "What else did they say?"

"That Hogwarts isn't safe. I think they're going to close the school." The reality of what she'd witnessed finally hit her. She looked at her friends with tears in her eyes.

"They're not going to close the school, are they?!" Hannah asked, looking between Cedric and Anthony as if they held the answer. Both boys only shrugged in response.

Cedric tried to reassure the girls, "No matter what they do, they'll only do whatever will keep everyone safe."

Hannah and Violet shared a look of sadness. They knew that if they closed the school, no one would know when or if it would reopen.

Anthony stood slowly, "It's late, we should all get some rest. I'm sure if there's something to know, we'll find out in the morning, yeah?"

Cedric stood too, pulling Violet up by her hand. His thumb brushed over her knuckles softly before he dropped it, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Right, yeah." Hannah agreed, eyeing the interaction between Cedric and Violet. She pulled Violet by the arm towards the dorms, "G'night."

"Night." The three other replied.

Once the girls were out of earshot, Hannah questioned her friend, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I don't know." She replied honestly, "I think I'm just worried, and a bit scared."

"Me too," Hannah pulled her into a quick hug, "It'll be alright, though. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will figure it out and we won't have to leave."

"Yeah..." Violet couldn't think of better reply, so she stayed quiet. They entered their dorm, Aimee and Caroline sitting in their respective beds, both with reading.

Aimee looked up at the girls entered, "Violet! Did you see Harry? Is he alright?"

Violet shared a brief look with Hannah. Despite how the evening had gone, and how poorly she was feeling, she couldn't help the laugh that escaped. Aimee would never admit it, but ever since the previous year, she'd had a bit of a thing for Harry. She didn't talk about him much this year, not once the Heir of Slytherin nonsense had started, but all of her friends could tell Aimee still kept a close eye on Harry.

"Yeah, he's alright. He broke his arm, but Professor Lockhart tried to fix it. Instead, he made all the bones in Harry's arm vanish!"

"What?" Caroline sat up, her expression shocked.

"Madam Pomfrey gave Harry some skele-gro potion. He has to stay there until all his bones have grown back. He should be alright by tomorrow."

"But that's not all that happened," Hannah spoke up, moving to sit on her bed. Violet nodded, moving to sit on her own. She told her friends the full story of what she'd witnessed, and how she and Hannah were worried the school would be closed.

"They can't close the school!" Caroline shook her head, "Holiday break is coming up. Maybe they'll get this whole thing sorted then."

The three others were hesitant to agree, but they didn't want to entertain the thought of the school actually closing. Hogwarts was the only place they all felt normal, safe. They were with their closest friends, they could practice magic, and they were able to learn about magic freely. They didn't want to lose that, but they also didn't want to think about the alternative- staying at Hogwarts with a monster on the loose.

━⊱༻ ༺⊰━ TAGLIST: @stellarlune-love

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coat stays on - remus lupin x reader

pairing: remus lupin x fem!reader

word count: 1.3k

warnings: it’s just sickly sickly fluff my loves

a/n: @burnthoneydrops encouraged me to post this weeks ago and honestly i totally forgot about it but she’s wonderful and i can’t deny her!! i hope you enjoy, it’s the first i’ve written for remus so i’m a little conscious of it! i’ve also just opened up requests and you can see the characters i’ll write for here, please send in all the fluffiest fluff your hearts can think of <3

- - -

If your hand was starting to feel a little clammy in the crook of Remus’ arm, you weren’t saying anything. The streets were lined with market stalls and lots and lots of people, more importantly, and you were pretty sure if you let go of him right now you might never see him again.

“Doing alright sweetheart?” he asked, leaning his head down to your ear so you’d hear him properly because the man refused to raise his voice even a little, “Still with me?”

You squeeze him tighter to you and rest your head on his arm briefly rather than answering. The two of you had long since lost the others in the crowd, likely because you weren’t clinging to them as you did Remus. It would make you feel silly if it didn’t make you feel ten times better.

It had been Lily’s idea to venture out into the Sunday markets in town, but she clearly hadn’t thought about the timing. Just days before Valentine’s Day and it was packed, almost shoulder to shoulder as you traversed the street. But the 5pm February darkness had enveloped the cobblestones and most of the stalls had decided to illuminate their wares with pretty fairy lights on strings, wrapped around the poles. All kinds of colours. There was a helter skelter a little ways down that was lit up in warm gold.

Despite struggling with the sheer volume of people, Lily had been right that it would be something you’d enjoy.

Remus steers you towards a stall with a blue and white striped roof, filled with fudge of every flavour you can think of. He’s quiet as he stares at them all in turn, but when his eyes land on your favourite, you watch him smile and point it out to one of the sellers.

“That’s not fair,” you murmur, nudging him with a sharp elbow, but either he doesn’t hear you or he ignores you. To get your own back, you signal to the other seller and ask for Remus’ favourite in return.

“Here we are,” he says, handing you the paper bag once you’re a little away from the stall. You’re smug as you hand him one right back. He looks inside before he pouts at you and its adorable. He’s adorable.

“Thank you,” you grin and he rolls his eyes but still thanks you back. Then he points over your shoulder, where the buskers are playing, to the little tables for resting shoppers. There’s an empty one. The two of you share a brief look before you scurry over to claim it. When you sit across from him, you have to let go of his arm and it feels all wrong.

Until, of course, he shuffles his chair around the table so you’re sitting next to each other instead, facing the band.

You’re both content to nibble on your respective fudge for a while, listening to the music, but Remus breaks the comfortable quiet.

“I’m sorry we lost the others,” he says, face close to yours in a way that makes your chest ache, “I know you and Lily were looking forward to this together.”

He’s right in one way, because you were. But it was also inevitable that you’d only get half of Lily’s evening and that James would get the other, something you were thrilled about, honestly, if it meant that during that other half you got Remus.

You couldn’t quite tell him that, yet, so you settled for the next best thing.

“Sirius was in one of his moods,” you shrug, “I think we’ve come out of this one on top.”

Remus doesn’t laugh. You find it quite hard to make him laugh and you used to be conscious of it. You’ve since found that the little smile he does towards his lap is even more gratifying, like he’s holding in a belting laugh out of something that looks like fondness.

He’s doing it now, bottom lip caught by his teeth.

“Right as always,” he muses, looking back up at you, soft as ever. You struggle to keep the awe from your face.

“I am often right,” you whisper back, breaking off another chunk of fudge and popping it into your mouth, “It’s really pretty here at night. Shame about the people.”

“They’re awful, aren’t they?” Remus says, only joking a little, “Although, I’d rather you didn’t come here at night when no one’s around, hm?”

You nudge him again just because you can. He catches your elbow as if punishing you but all he does is run his hand down from your forearm to your hand to see if you’re cold.

“Mr Protective, you are. As if I’d want to come here on my own, idiot.”

“You’re cold,” he says instead, mutters it like he’s talking to himself as he squeezes both your hands in his own. You wonder if he even heard you call him an idiot like he was your favourite person on the planet.

“It’s an evening in February, lovely, of course I’m cold.”

You watch his pink-tinged cheeks to see if the blush deepens at your best name for him, but you can’t tell if it’s just from the chill in the air. He starts unbuttoning his coat, leaning forward in the chair to take it off.

“Woah, slow down there Rem,” you insist, holding your hands out to him to stop him, “I am fine. Since when do you worry about me so much?”

He doesn’t answer straight away but he does put his arm back into his coat. He’s thinking about what to say, something you’ll always let him do, but it means he’s going to answer seriously. It’s worrying when you’d just been teasing him.

“I always worry about you, I think. Absentmindedly. Wondering if you feel alright, if you’re comfortable. You haven’t looked very comfortable this evening.”

He doesn’t lie to you, ever, but you’re pretty sure that’s the most honest Remus has ever been with you. He can’t even look at you either, just staring at the floor and scuffing his shoe against the chair leg.

“Remus…”

“I don’t like you cold. And I don’t like to think of you alone. Sorry. I know you don’t need looking after like that.”

And he sounds heartbroken enough to break your heart.

“No, I don’t need looking after,” you confirm softly, because it’s true. He’s always said you’re the most independent person he knows. But you still wind your arm through his and tug him into your side, “I’d quite like it if it’s you, though, I think. If you’ll let me return the favour.”

It’s always the returning that he’s not so adept with. Your affection and your time and your energy are all things he struggles to see he deserves. It’s mostly why you worry about him too.

“Don’t take your coat off for me though,” you warn, putting your head on his shoulder, “You idiot.”

This time he definitely hears you and he must hear how utterly smitten that word is. He’s your idiot. He has to know it by now.

“Okay. Coat stays on,” he murmurs, turning to press a kiss to your crown and then place his chin there, gentle as ever, “Also, I lied. I’m very glad we lost the others, by the way. Not sorry at all.”

So maybe he did lie to you sometimes. It was a lie you didn’t mind, even if you’d pretend to.

“Yeah? Why’s that now?”

He slowly nods his head until his nose is nuzzling you instead of his chin, and you feel another feather light kiss, this one near your ear.

“Like you lots. Even more than them,” he breathes, and you try not to melt into him then and there.

“Oh lovely,” you whisper, “Like you lots too.”

#fandomsalign reblog #remus lupin fluff #remus lupin #remus lupin x reader

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Year Two: Introduction to Tutoring

Chapter List WC: 1,540

6th November, 1992, Friday

When Violet arrived at the Hogwarts library at four that evening, she was regretting the time she'd chosen for the tutoring sessions. She'd had Astronomy the night before, and Defense Against the Dark Arts at nine that morning. She had the rest of the day free, but she was in desperate need of a nap.

She'd had to visit Madam Pomfrey the previous evening when her exhaustion and headache had gotten unbearable. The healer provided a tonic that worked almost instantly, citing the girl was simply overworking herself. Violet had several free periods throughout the week, but she'd taken to studying more during those times rather than relaxing, like some of her fellow students. After her visit with the healer, though, she decided she'd allow herself more free time after the winter holiday.

Upon arriving at the library, she wasn't surprised to find most of the tables were filled. It was coming up on the end of term, which meant most students would be preparing for end of term exams. Though, it seemed quite a few of the students were packing up to leave. Violet couldn't help but feel relieved; she wanted to find a quiet, hidden table, so as to not have others watching or starting rumours when she was with Draco.

She paused part way to the back of the Library, spotting a familiar trio.

"Hey, Hermione! Harry, Ron."

Hermione slammed the book in her hand closed, her eyes widening at the sight of Violet, "Oh, hi, Violet."

Both boys stared at her mutely. Violet felt suspicious at the way they were acting. Hermione was never one to hide how smart she was, or how much more she knew about magic than the others, so why try to hide whatever they were looking at in the book?

"Everything alright?" She asked.

"Oh, fine. We were just talking about..." Hermione trailed off, looking to the boys for help.

"The Heir of Slytherin." Harry supplied.

"Not you too," Violet sighed, "It's all anyone can talk about."

Ron rolled his eyes, "Well, yeah! It's sort of a big deal."

"I know that!" She argued.

"Of course," Hermione stepped towards Violet, "We're all just worried, you know? I mean, who knows who it is, or what they're going to do next..."

"Oi! We all know who it is, Hermione." Harry shook his head, "It's Malfoy, it has to be."

Ron and Hermione nodded, looking for Violet expectantly.

She tried to keep her voice level, but couldn't help the pang of defensiveness she felt, "But what if it's not?"

"'What if it's not'?" Ron mocked, "Who else could it be?!"

"I don't know!" Her voice ticked up, "I just don't believe it's him."

"It makes sense for it to be Draco Malfoy, Violet." Hermione raised her hands in a defensive manner.

"Just because he's done bad things doesn't mean he's some evil Heir!" Violet had no idea why she was even defending him. He'd never been nice to her, much less given her any reason to believe he wasn't the Heir.

"Why are you defending him?" Harry questioned, reflecting her own thoughts.

Violet simply shrugged. She didn't have a good answer.

"I just think that Draco isn't as bad as everyone believes. Anyway, I have to go. Bye." She walked off without hearing the trio's responses.

When she got to the back of the library, she found Draco already sitting at a table in a secluded corner. There were bookshelves surrounding it, so no curious eyes would see them.

"Sorry I'm late," She said in way of greeting. She sat across from the boy, dropping her bag onto the table.

"So nice of you to show up, I was worried you might not." Draco replied sarcastically, but a hint of worry bled through.

"I ran into... Never mind. Let's get started."

The next hour was a long one. Draco was tight-lipped about his studies; what his grades were in other courses, what he was struggling with in Astronomy, and what he specifically wanted help with. By the end of the hour, Violet was ready to strangle the boy.

She finally snapped after another "does that matter?" response.

She stood up abruptly from her chair, balling her fists at her sides, "If you won't tell me anything, Malfoy, then I can't help you!"

He simply glared at her. She huffed out a sigh before beginning to pack up her things.

Draco looked at her with panic, "Wait! I..."

She looked at him expectantly, waiting a beat before saying, "I said I would help you, but I can only do that if you tell me what you need help with."

She reached to continue packing up when he finally spoke, "All of it! Charting, finding, all of it, okay?!"

Violet sat down slowly, guilt hitting her when she saw that Draco was genuinely stressed out over this. "Okay. Now we're getting somewhere."

She gave him a moment before she resumed her questioning; how did he do the previous year, what was he proficient at, what specifically did he struggle with. He reluctantly answered every question the best he could. It was obvious that it was hard for him to be so honest and vulnerable, but Violet had a reassuring presence about her. She never once mocked him, or blamed him for his own struggles. She knew what it was to struggle with a subject, and knew it must be slowly killing him that he had even asked for help.

When the final bell tolled at half past five for dinner, Violet had a solid idea on how to start helping the boy.

"What does you schedule look like? I think we need to meet more than once a week so that we can get you caught up."

Draco slid over a crumpled up timetable with his schedule for the year. Aside from their shared classes, the only shared free periods they had were Tuesday's, three to five-thirty.

"So... You can help me?" Draco scribbled on a spare bit of parchment, his voice quiet as he showed another bit of vulnerability.

"I don't like Astronomy, but I'm at least proficient at it. I'll help you in whatever way I can..." He still wouldn't look at her, and something about that bothered her, "Not everyone here is out to get you, Malfoy. Not all of us think you're the horrible monster you make yourself out to be."

He looked up then. His carefully blank expression couldn't hide the questioning in his eyes. Whether he didn't believe her, or couldn't believe her, Violet decided then that she would prove to him that what she'd said was true. Or, at least, that she didn't think he was a monster.

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She was late to dinner. By the time she finally sat down, all of her friends were halfway through their meal.

"There she is!" Aimee looked pointedly at Violet, "Where've you been all afternoon?"

"Just in the library." She was finding it easier to share only half-truths with her friends, "Studying for Astronomy."

"Astronomy, that's no fun." Cedric chimed in, leaning towards Violet, "I always hated that subject. I couldn't wait to drop it."

"It'll be the first one I drop!" Violet laughed.

She tried to ignore the way her cheeks warmed when Cedric smiled at her- that one smile, where all of his attention was on her and she could tell he didn't want it to be anywhere else. It was something she'd gotten used to over the past few months, but only recently did she start... reacting to it. Her body, at least.

She turned back to her food, willing her cheeks to lose the red hue they now had. As if to tease her, Cedric wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She knew that wasn't what it was, though; his attention had turned back to his conversation on quidditch with some of his teammates. The movement was more reflex than teasing. And that, more than anything, made an odd sensation bubble up in Violets chest.

When she looked back at her friends, Caroline was giving her a knowing look. Aimee and Hannah weren't bothered, as they were used to the behavior by now. They were talking about a Ravenclaw boy in their Transfiguration class. He had managed to turn his pet rabbit into small water-fountain with the Vera Verto spell. No one was sure how he'd managed it, as even Professor McGonagall was perplexed.

It was easy enough for Violet to slip into the conversation, all her previous worries forgotten for the time being. Even if she spent the entire rest of the meal feeling as if she were being watched. She didn't have to turn around to know that Draco Malfoy was the one watching her. It didn't unsettle her as much as it used to, but she could tell her friends were aware and curious on her behalf.

She didn't have it in her to tell them not to worry, that Malfoy wasn't a threat to her. Especially not after the conversation she'd had earlier with the Gryffindor trio. She had a feeling about Malfoy, but she didn't have any evidence to back it up. Everything pointed to him being the enemy, so she knew there was no way she could convince her friends of the opposite, especially without evidence. No, for now she'd have to deal with their hypervigilance around the boy.

━⊱༻ ༺⊰━ TAGLIST: @stellarlune-love

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