#Sirius: offended but happy noise | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

blueberryarchive · 3 months

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𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆.

୨ৎpairing: cowboy!jm x reader x preacher!jk

୨ৎword count: 5k

୨ৎgenre: smut, horror, angst

୨ৎtw: dead dove do not eat, mentions of death and gruesome details (human and animal), blood, mentions of arms and physical violence, cursing, smut (blood drinking and playing, period sex, rope play, degrading, dub-con, groping, penetration)

An Ewe and the Captive Bolt (a serie)

Today was his birthday, and for the first time in 28 years, the sky looked like a sheet full of spots. He felt ever since he saw Sirius and Canopus in the sky as two little white suns the night before, that this year was going to be different.

What Park didn't know was that what would be different was the pain he felt on the left side of his arm and his chest. The hot, thick blood soaked his shoulder and eye until it covered his eyelashes. The battered hat clutched in both dusty hands as he entered Carmen's diner, a child's shame on his tight lips.

The poor girl behind the counter dropped the key lime pie from her hands, creating even more noise in the place (which Jimin didn't appreciate being in such a state).

"Christ." She murmured, still static.

"Be a doll and bring me a glass of water, would ya'?" Jimin crawled to one of the seats, grunting as he felt his muscles burn.

The girl approached with a small towel and a terrified look.

"Never seen blood before?"

"No, sir." Her brown eyes were like two walnuts bouncing between Jimin's face and arms. She was adorable, her face round and her hair so curly that she reminded him of his sheep. If she hadn't been the sheriff's daughter, he said to himself every time he saw her.

"Are you hurt, sir? I can call my daddy and-"

"No need for that, sweetheart." He raised his hand. The last thing he needed was to have Montrell in his affairs. "It ain't my blood, it's my horse's"

Apparently, that seemed to affect the young woman more. Jimin was a little offended by her reaction.

"Why don't you bring me a piece of that delicious key lime pie you had in hand and two coffees."

There were more questions in her curved eyebrows, but she just nodded and walked away. Park took off his shirt, leaving a tank top underneath it, with the handkerchief that he kept in his jeans, he began to wet his hands and his face.

His fingers were still shaking from the adrenaline. The shrill sound of the car's tires driving away, the heated laughter cloistered behind the smoked windows, the last sharp sigh of his horse before Jimin ended his suffering. He had to find the bastards who ran over his horse. FH-6077, he read the plate in the distance before crossing the curve, and his brain couldn't stop humming the six digits like a prayer.

The sudden hand on his shoulder calmed the waters, the undoubtable smell of myrrh and tobacco from his companion.

"Happy birthday, buddy." His voice was gentle. If Jungkook ever went above a couple of those decibels, Jimin assumed he was going to die. Even seeing Park's bloody hat on the table and Park's bloodstained boots, he didn't flinch to ask.

Perhaps it was his ecclesiastical nature that gave him the confidence that at one time or another, others would fill the silence with their confessions. But Jimin could see in the father's noble eyes the desperation for an explanation.

"Sure." That was all he said. The girl approached the table with the pie and the coffee.

"Goodnight, Father John." She smiled widely.

"Night, Billie. How's your dad?"

"He really liked your mass today. I did too, I really liked the reading." Jimin noticed how the corners of Billie's lips twitched, contorting herself to try to look prettier for Father John. So obvious and adorable, but of course, Jeon would give nothing more than a shrug and the most predictable questions.

The difference is that Jungkook could fuck the sheriff's daughter. What father didn't want his daughter to be in the sacred hands of Father John?

Father Jeon (or John due to the Americanization of Jungkook's family) was tall, wide like a log, and robust like an unhorned bull. Attractive in every sense, but bland, shy until it hurts.

"'M glad, tell him I will visit Missus Davis next week."

"Do you have a smoke? I'm dying in here."

They both looked at Jimin who was just smiling with his mouth smeared with whipped cream.

"You can't smoke here, sir."

Jimin winked at her, grabbing the white stick that Jungkook handed him as he also sat down to end the unbearable flirting.

"I know, pumpkin. It'll be a quick one, I promise."

The girl didn't say anything else, and she walked away. Disappointment in her walnut eyes.

"I'll marry her in two months." Said Jungkook.

Jimin frowned. Jungkook curled his fingers, pointing for his friend to come closer and light the tip of the tobacco.

"Marry her? You can barely tolerate the poor girl."

"I love her." The father stated as he nodded slowly while he drank his coffee. "She's a good girl, I think she likes me, too."

"Are ya sure?" Jimin joked.

"Where's that bad hoss you've been riding since last month?"

Jimin's blood warmed again, the drags on his cigarette even longer.

"Fuckin' punks ran over 'im and broke his ribs. Had to do it." He pointed to the gun under his hat. The bloody clothes reminded him how clumsy he sure looked trying to pamper a horse that was already three steps away.

FH-6077.

"I'll find them tomorrow."

"I'll help you."

"What are you gonna do?"

They both looked at each other, the watery, electric current between them. Ideas undulated and braided between their cruel smiles.

"Haven't changed a bit, church boy." Smoke weaved into Jimin's blonde hair, his devilish smile vaporizing memories of his teenage pranks.

Jungkook drank the last of his coffee, his face falling back into the same bitter sadness that every father held as if he carried the weight of all the souls and sins of Rivermouth on his back. The silence was long afterward, the black night extended to the mountains, to the sky, to Park's own reflection in the glass. The round face with pronounced lips and rude, detailed eyes, sweet when they feel like it. The spitting image of his mother.

"I have some hippies coming to the ranch tomorrow."

Jungkook nodded, the pressure in the handle increasing, the clack of the cup being clenched by his teeth in a sip. Jimin knew he shouldn't have mentioned the hippies, but it was that ecclesiastical power. He knew that Jungkook hated the smell of pot, the long hair, and the colorful t-shirts, which reminded him of his father, previous father John.

God knows what Jungkook had to witness, the carbonic stench that emanated from that charred skeleton. The tongue pressed between two pieces of blackish board that used to be teeth. The fetid fat that ripped and curdled in the organs. There was not a day in which the poor man did not think about that before going to sleep and found himself face to face with the featureless face of his father, with the incinerated bowls pointed at the eyes of his son. Sitting in the chair under the cross that has sat on that wall since Jungkook's birth.

And Jungkook cried. He would close his eyes and every night, he would grab the skull and make it crunch under his thick hands. The body did not defend itself, it let its boy vent as if he were a sacred entity and knew that at the same time, the next day and every other day, he would appear again in that chair, and Jungkook would never be able to exhaust his anger against him.

"I have to go." It was the only thing he said leaving a ten dollar bill in the table. Park understood. "Go fetch a new hat from my house tomorrow, it's about time you threw that shit in the river."

"Hey."

Jungkook turned around. Jimin stopped smiling.

"Take it home in the morning, I'll make you breakfast before the rodeo."

Jeon looked at the floor with uneasy eyes.

"We'll see."

As he left the diner, the fresh wind conquered the father's soul. Nostalgia washed away his stony face and for the first time in years, he wanted to be a child again. Disappear with Jimin and sleep in the old hayfields of the abandoned Hillside.

He put on his black hat and started walking down the dark street, both hands in his pockets.

Today the smell of boiling fat was stronger than ever, the ghost of his father floated in the swirls of Rivermouth dust and, with it, the remains of the children who were later taken from that same cabin.

The white lace curtains let in the yellowish light of the first rays. The unmade bed, the smell of pine in the sheets.

In one corner of the bed, Park was dressing for the day, the muscles in his shoulder had swollen with the hours and makeshift cloths covered the open, bloody sores. Every so often, he hissed and swore under his breath.

The coffee began to gurgle in the kitchen as he finished putting on his boots, it was barely 6:30, but he already had the eggs frying and the beans hot in the pot. It seemed strange to him that his companion was not already sitting next to the window, Bible open and the first cigarette of the morning in his hand.

He turned off the stove just in time and poured himself a cup. Today he felt more domestic than ever, he had spent the night fixing every detail in the ranch, from the dust on his late mother's china to the rifles displayed in the hallway. To be frank, he spent the entire night cleaning every corner, maybe detailing every object in every room so that at the end of the weekend nothing would be missing, or the crash made him remember how little he's done in 28 damn years.

A porcelain jewelry box his mother had placed in one of the rooms was covered in a thin layer of gray dust; it was his mother's favorite piece. He hadn't opened it since the last time he stole a couple of pearls to buy his first rifle, the red stained his face with shame, and the only thing he could do as an apology was turn the house over with his own handkerchief and clean even the windows. He was surprised that the smell of lye and soap hadn't killed him.

Hearing one of his sheep bleating, he opened the window and decided to lower his chivalry a bit and smoke his first cigarette before Jungkook arrived. In the distance, he could see one of his ewes, fat and terribly woolly, walking slowly towards the barn. She was pregnant and Jimin knew that there were maybe 24 hours left, her skin was bulging, and her bleating was painful and whiny, she couldn't take it anymore.

The curtain caressed Jimin's face with the wind that was beginning to warm up, he took a drag of the cigarette and turned his body towards the kitchen. He felt a strange itch in his chest, the kind that bothers him when he senses a spirit floating near him. The greenish branches and the smell of sausages were mixed up with the subtle gallop of a skinny horse and the unexpected smell of myrrh.

He walked to the front door and opened it to find Jeon's promised hat. He sighed as he saw that not only was it one of his black deathly-looking hats, but he had also planted him at breakfast, sure to go see the grandmother of his very unexpected but predictable fiancée.

Long story short, Jimin had to eat four cowboys' breakfast and the whole pot of coffee, and the hat he would wear to the rodeo today didn't match his outfit at all. Dozing was the only thing he could do after loosening the buckle on his belt and putting the hat on his face.

The leather furniture was sinking under his body, the soft song of the river in the distance, and the birds pecking at his roof took him back to his childhood. Sleeping wherever he wanted without any purpose. He dreamed of the gallops of his first horse: Champ, a Tennesee Walking that had belonged to his grandfather, black as coal, glistening in the sun of his student days and running like a devil in a hurry. He dreamed that he was in public showing the animal to auction it.

"How do you encourage a horse to move forward, Sage?" A woman in the audience shouted.

"I don't know, kick his ass or something." Heavenly laughter coaxed him out of his lethargy.

His body sat on the furniture before he knew it, sweat covering his back, veins marked on the left side of his face. He ran with the unconscious weight of his body to the window, pushing the curtain aside with his finger until he saw the circular corral where his star horse, Arrow, was located, with a stranger on his back.

His fingers reached for the rifle lying on the rocking chair.

The blonde girl staggered on top of the animal while her thin fingers held his hair tightly. The horse's sleepy eyes moved from side to side, snorting as he searched for direction.

"Come on, horsie!" The girl snapped her teeth and laughed as the horse curved to one side. "Are you seeing, Hunter? It's moving."

Hunter was smiling foolishly, lying on the grass, his thin, wavy hair fluttering around his ears like a delicate flower. The dark glasses covered his wounded deer's eyes.

"You're such a cowgirl, my love." His voice was sarcastic.

And with a shot into the air, silence muted nature. He silenced the current, the clucking of the chickens that fluttered in the distance. Hunter, Sage, and Blondie turned to the cowboy who walked slowly across the grass towards them. A whistle from the stranger caused Arrow to raise his front paws until Blondie fell with a screech to the hard ground.

"Kitty!"

"Woah, cowboy." Jimin's silky voice approached, placing the buttplate of his rifle on his shoulder, aiming directly between Hunter's eyebrows. "Move slowly, ya wouldn't want to scare an alarmed man any further, now would ya?"

"I'm sorry, sir."

Blondie or Kitty or whatever her name was, rolled her red eyes.

"What the hell are you doing on my ranch?"

"Let's go, Hunter. I'm not going to talk to cornman." Sage was the tallest of them all, her shorts squeezed her thighs until they were overflowing, and her hair was long like a beach princess.

"Watch your fucking language around me, missy." Gritted Jimin removing the safety on the rifle.

"Sage, for once do you want to shut the fuck up."

Hunter raised his hands, sweat beginning to gather on his wrinkled forehead. His eyes shone as he heard the heels slowly approaching behind Jimin.

"Love." He exhaled.

"Is this part of southern charm, Mr. Park?" Coquettish, the dying accent of someone who once lived in these parts, daring, too much for her own good. But still, he lowered the gun, spitting on the ground.

When he turned around it was as if a pink burst of glitter and vanilla had slapped him from the stupor of sleep. The glasses were square and large, they covered almost her entire face, that was the first thing Jimin saw.

"Ma'am, are these your friends?"

"We are your visitors, cornman." Jimin ignored the Californian's irritating nasal whine as the sweet girl in front of him approached little by little with a smile. He felt the itch again, the one that senses a spirit floating nearby, this spirit was the nebulous memory of your face.

"Could you speak again, ma'am?"

"Sorry?" You laughed, and it was like birds were chirping in your throat. "You're Ari's son, right? I really liked the jams your grandmother used to make."

And oh, it couldn't be more obvious. It couldn't be more evident, not even because God had exploded your name in the sky. It was the stunning makeup and hair wax, it was the sequined heels and Patsy Cline songs reverberating from the old speakers. It was your name in the newspaper almost every week.

It was your sailor costume, the jam falling from your humiliated face, it was Jimin's hand caressing the bulge in his jeans that same night on top of the hay, imagining how you ate the strawberry jam that his mother made.

Now you called yourself Love, the name was as obvious as you were. Of course, your hippie name is Love.

"Miss Peaches '57." His voice was soft and trembling. Your eyes opened in surprise.

"Gods, I didn't even remember that title." You put your hand on your mouth, dressed as a Hollywood girl but your loving manners were indelible.

"Excuse me, where are my manners? Jimin Park." He raised his hand for you to place in yours, light and trusting. A chaste kiss to the back of your hand without stopping to see your eyes behind the orange glasses.

"You can call me Love."

"A sight to sore eyes, Love."

"Always." You responded. Jimin swallowed hard, trying to hide that nostalgic smile, 'pure in every way. With that same smile, he invited the four to go through their rooms, the tension subsiding fluidly with each laugh that came from your blessed lips.

It was as if you said one thing and the sun came a little closer, deorbiting out to your echoes, warming the room and Jimin's cheeks.

"Can you help me look for my suitcases?" You touched the shoulder of the cowboy who agreed and guided you to the front door. Like the good boy his mother raised, he opened the door for you, and outside stood a Packard Caribbean: long, yellow, and sleek as a sunflower.

"Nice ride."

"Thank you, it's from Hunter's dad. He gave it to him for his birthday. Isn't it a beauty?"

"Beautiful." His nose scrunched watching your stomach bulge down your cute little top, hard nipples contouring the pink fabric. You still were just good enough to eat.

Examining the car little by little, a detail began to emerge in his memory. Among them, glowing in the heat of that morning were the six digits from the night before: FH-6077.

When it came to religion Jimin didn't have many opinions.

As a kid his mother went to church every Sunday and took him. He saw the statues of Jesus suffering with indifferent eyes, he made his first communion only because they promised to give him a sip of wine with the host, he listened to the stories of death and plagues as if they were cartoons.

God was a very complicated being, the more he thought about him, the heavier his body became.

To his surprise, God was nothing more than a sham, a wall between you and him. The host, that time Jungkook's father offered him, tasted like nothing and the wine went down his young throat tasteless.

"Body of Christ." You said, the music playing crisply on the record player Hunter had brought. The guitars repeated the same riff over and over, he hated it.

Jimin stuck his tongue out where you placed a small square of magazine paper no bigger than a fingernail. Jimin’s eyelashes fluttered, his knees throbbing as he knelt in front of you, your thumb brushing against his lips before sealing them.

"Amen," he sighed.

The host that you offered to his mortal body was as tasteless as the first, but only Jimin knew the euphoria that, like a hurricane's wind, announced the sweet path that awaited the cowboy.

Jimin was not a man who smoked more than five cigarettes a day, seven if it was a bad day. But your siren song in his ear convinced him to drown his morals in your dark waters, your hands took both sides of his tanned face and you threw him without warning to your sanctuary, towards the steepest rocks, to your glorious eyes. And damn, Park could drink the water from your pupils and die of poisoning.

"I missed you so much, I didn't know it until the moment I saw you." His lips said before thinking about it, narrow pupils lying on the grass next to you. You just laughed, it was the only thing you did and he just admired it.

At one point around noon, Jimin took the steering wheel of the Packard. Hunter, Sage, and Kitty were talking about a record, making strange sounds and asking the opinion of Jimin who was driving down the dusty road, making the engine roar so that you would scream next to him.

"Slow down!" You asked. He went faster, he didn't care.

The purring of the car made Jimin's body pulse, his mouth was dry, his arm no longer hurt, and his lips prayed the license plate of the car, over and over again.

I'm going to find it, he told himself. And when I find him I'm going to make them suffer, as the tips of the horse's bones pierced its dark fur, neighing over his own stupid words trying to calm the wounded animal.

Faster, find it.

Like oil, the green branches of summer became watery and greasy in his vision, and the dust was stalactites that bathed the car in yellow.

"Good luck, cowboy." Kitty approached Jimin, somehow he had made it to the rodeo. The horns announced his name on all four corners and people shouted his last name like the idol he was.

Sage and Kitty kissed his cheeks before he climbed on top of Arrow, the weight of his body creating echoes every time he moved.

There was no one in that audience who saw Jimin on his horse who was not surprised by the agility with which the rope rose above his head and created fluid circles to catch the rough calf that writhed with the knot in its thick neck.

Jungkook saw from a distance how the cowboy's smile was so bright, how he rejoiced at the applause and the roses that were thrown at him. His movements were vehement, fiery, and impulsive like a devil without fear of death.

The hat Jungkook had given him had a small, withered pink carnation on it. He stood up as quickly as he could at the end of the show, but before he could talk to him he only saw Arrow galloping thunderously in the distance, one girl was wearing the gifted hat, she grabbed Jimin's waist and with the other, she gave whiskey to the cowboy. The copper thread falls to his chest and settles on his strap.

"The sight of him today was incredible, I had never seen 'im like that." Billie smiled behind Jungkook, her cheeks red, eyes covered with a fine lust that she probably didn't even recognize.

The firmament rose high above his eyes, there was no star that Jimin didn't feel the overwhelming sound of fire burning in his ears. His body was sweating on the grass, and the smell of nicotine was strong after smoking two cigarettes to settle his reverberating body. The high had passed and his body was a used towel.

He doesn't remember much of what happened, but the remnants of the hallucinogen's burn made him understand that he had the damn time of his life. A laugh left his lips, embarrassed by how easy it was to convince him to do that stupid thing. What Jungkook told him was true: you haven't changed at all, cowboy.

"How's my favorite rodeo king?" The angel landed above his head, you were wearing his hat and a flowered dress.

"Roughened up, I guess." Just like after a good fuck.

"Don't get hooked or you'll end up like Hunter." You combed your hair as you walked around him. "He can't last a day without it or else he starts hitting Kitty."

"Why don't you report it?" Jimin stood following your steps. After looking around him for a few seconds, he realized that he was in the rodeo arena, darkness bathed the stadium. The blue moon showed your silhouette walking over the horseshoe tracks.

"Because Kitty doesn't want to, they are going to get married in a few months. He promised to stop doing drugs when they did. It wouldn't be good for a kid."

There was a lightness in the promises the Californians made to others, they nodded seriously, but you could see the consequences in their evasive gaze.

Jimin nodded.

"Are you always so quiet?"

He nodded again, and they both laughed.

"'M better when I'm not ten feet deep in an LSD hangover, I can assure that."

"Yes, but..." Your silhouette approached his body, and you carried the energy of ten bulls on you. Your immortal look, you haven't changed anything. "I asked if you're always this quiet."

Jimin inhaled as he understood your question.

"When I'm in the stadium I'm more vocal." He again evaded the answer you were looking for so much. His chest beat boldly like the time he saw you covered in strawberries and sugar.

"You were a star this afternoon, your eyes were shining."

"Always."

You raised your eyebrow and scoffed. "Sure thing, sir."

Blood surged to Park's neck, his eyelids drooping, his pride tainting his flirtation. Enough of the games.

"Run." He murmured, saliva pooling in his throat.

You frowned with your typical smile.

"What?"

"I asked you to run." His body suddenly lunged and you became alarmed, raising your hands. "As fast and as far from this stadium as you can."

His pupils didn't move, his soft smile was confident. Your skin grew cold with each step, at first slow and suspicious, the darkness of the large arena was intimidating because it felt like you were not moving forward.

You heard how an object created hollow, sharp sounds in the air. It was his lasso.

"No." You muttered, running even faster.

And swoosh, you fell to the ground. The rope squeezed your neck, leaving your body in mid-air, your tongue came out and your eyes bulged from the sudden lack of air; the hat fell away from you. Your body was no longer yours, your stupid fingers tried to loosen the knot, but it was too late.

The boots approached, collecting the rope that was left over around his arm. The silhouette became part of your blurred vision.

"Stand up."

"I. Can't." Your lips emulated as you writhed like a worm in the dust.

"Lemme' help ya'." Jimin snatched the rope for you to stand up, your knees moved up to him where his fingers loosened the knot a little. "Breathe, little girl. We don't want an accident."

Saliva came out of your mouth in streams and fell to the floor. Jimin grabbed your chin and wiped it.

"Don't make a mess now."

"I'm sorry, sir." And now you sounded as helpless and stupid as Hunter did this morning. It was adorable.

You were afraid to look up, your eyes trained on the hat a few meters away from both of you.

"Tell me, pumpkin. How can two ugly sons of bitches like your parents have such a beautiful girl?" He laughed, dragging the rope to where his hat was, you walked behind him with careless steps. With a couple of blows, he blew the dust off his hat and looked at you again, searching for an answer you didn't even know how to articulate or if you should.

His hand wrapped the rope around his fingers until he had you as close as possible, the smell of tobacco hammered your temples, and your eyelids wrinkled to try to wake up.

Great was the surprise when you felt a pair of dry lips resting on yours, his tongue daringly passed over your lips so that you would open, his moans softening your fear.

His saliva was bitter and lovely, his tongue running flat across the outside of your mouth until it reached your chin and the tip of your nose.

"Let's see, open your mouth, sugar. Don't be shy."

You obeyed as the knot tightened around your neck, moaning as his lips sucked on the tip of your tongue and bit your bottom lip.

"God have mercy." He sighed, squeezing your chin with his hand. "How can you taste so damn sweet."

You moaned as you felt his teeth nibble gently at your neck, his fingers piling the fabric of your dress around his fingers.

“Mm,” you squealed, walking away even when it didn’t suit you. "Can't."

"It's a good thing I didn't ask." Jimin brought you closer, caressing your neck again.

"I'm on my days." Shame sealing your thoughts, in your eyes the hope that just the thought of seeing the blood would disgust him.

Jimin raised his eyebrows and slowly kissed you again, this time with the softness of an apology.

"A cowboy doesn't mind a little dirt." He murmured, touching the soaked towel that covered your underwear, two fingers pushed aside and the burning of your pussy collided with his cold fingers drawing a moan from your hurt throat.

"A good cowboy loves to get dirty." He smiled, removing the two soaked fingers from the red viscosity to put it in his mouth with a frown on his eyebrows. "Mm." He grunted, swallowing slowly.

You were speechless, stupefied. Who was this demon?

"Have you ever ridden a bull before?" His blood-tainted lips said, the idea shocking your senses.

You denied it, and God knows that was the stupidest answer you could give.

The animal began to make a mechanical noise beneath both of them, the leather surface pressed your thighs against the mechanical bull that began to move slowly.

Jimin's bestial eyes did not take off from you, the last of the bottle of whiskey went down his throat in long gulps and pushed the glass into the distance causing a roar.

Your legs were above his defined thighs, the bleeding wound between your legs dirtying his jeans but the cowboy didn't seem to mind. The dress already forgotten outside the stadium playing area.

"We'll go slowly because it's your first time on top." His consideration was so minimal, considering the situation. But you were a woman whose details annihilated your logic.

To the front and sides and then a gentle turn, this is how the animal began. Jimin moved his center with the animal, the bulge in his pants rubbing against your pussy.

One of his hands approached the dripping hole and with four fingers collected the blood until it painted his hand.

“Ah,” he requested, sticking his tongue out and you followed suit. His fingers got smeared on his tongue and cheeks until they reached his neck. With his tongue he passed over his lips, like wine he drank you, like sweet he possessed you and rejoiced.

His tongue entered your space again, the strange and bitter taste of your own blood while with his fingers he removed the zipper of his jeans until he showed that he was not wearing underwear underneath him, his tall and throbbing cock moved under his fist.

"Climb on, doll. You're wet enough for me." He laughed taking your body to sit on top of him. You hugged him as tight as you could as the mechanical animal began to move faster.

"We're going to fall." You whimpered. "Hurts".

"Shh, shh. Let me medicate you, it'll stop hurtin' when I dick you properly." One spank and his fingers squeezed the skin of your ass tightly. "You just have to move with me."

To the front, to the sides, two turns. You just had to keep your legs elevated a little, Jimin's cock sliding smoothly in and out with each movement.

"Now you're getting it. Fuck." Jimin hissed, squeezing your waist with his forearm. "You're quite the cowgirl, Love."

You moaned, pressing your forehead to his. His eyes absorbed every curve, from your breasts to your red-painted thighs. You were an angel, a myth that devours men. Your songs of pleasure echoing on the aluzinc walls.

The animal began to attack, abrupt and deeper.

"Does it hurt?" You asked between moans, watching the fabrics covering Jimin's arm begin to dye again. Jimin denied, cuntdrunk.

You removed the knot of cloth from the wound on Jimin's arm, running your thin fingers over the bleeding muscle. Park hissed, and the walls of your pussy tightened.

More, you wanted more.

Your lips sucked on the sores until you felt the metallic taste in your throat, Jimin pressed your body against yours. One turn, two forwards, three up. Your poor body trembled with the desire for the game to end but your pussy still wanted your walls to expand until Jimin's cock was molded inside you forever.

"If I knew you were such a slut." Park grabbed your hair to pull you away from his arm.

"If I knew cowboys fucked so well." The bloody smile of both of you was devilishly erotic.

The bull stopped suddenly, you looked at the man standing on the other side of you, rifle in hand, hot tears burning his cheeks.

"Jungkook? Jeon!" It was the last thing you heard before you fell face first onto the inflated floor, blood flowing warm and your eyelids falling softly.

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hart269 · 11 days

Text

Slithering Hearts

Chapter 4

Pairing : Regulus Black x Fem! Reader

Synopsis : You begin an unlikely friendship with the little Black. And soon your whole life seems to have become a tumultuous pathway. The catch, James Potter is your brother.

Notes : Just some rock cakes ;)

Masterlist / Series Masterlist

James Potter, Marauder, almost selected Chaser of the Griffindor Quidditch team, stormed through the corridor, searching for you and thanking Merlin that his glasses hadn't cracked from the loud noise of the Howler. He spotted you in the courtyard, sitting with another Slytherin girl.

His eyes locked into yours, you did your best to hide your smirk as he came near,

"What the hell did you say to Mum?"

"James Potter talking to a slimy snake, what a wonder" You mocked then smirked, "And I only told her the truth, be glad I didn't tell dad" you crossed your arms.

James groaned, the irrational part of him still hated the green that adorned your robe, but it was closed from the yelling he had received. He sighed, probably accepting defeat, "Nothing can happen of you, can it, Zouwu"

You mock gasped, "How dare you say that, I perfectly did my wand lighting charm and my potion didn't even explode", your smirk had turned into a bright smile as you told excitedly about your lessons.

James watched you with a little smile on his face, in the end you were still the same, an annoying little shit. He still scoffed, "You are still earning house points for the slimy snake house"

"Not my fault you are losing yours playing silly pranks" You remarked chuckling at James's offended gasp.

---

The days went by smoothly, considering you did your best to avoid any kind of noticeable trouble. You did occasionally sneaked off to hang out with Hagrid, whom you met when a niffler attacked you, and he was called to take it away.

You liked talkimg to him but didn't have to heart to tell something about his rock cakes, not even when your spoon bended trying to crack it. Hagrid had chuckled at your horrified expresion.

Still, one dreary afternoon you stood on his gate, "Hello Hagrid, I was wondering if you'd let me bake a cake"

Hagrid chuckled, "Good thing, I was thinking of preparing some rock cakes today"

You blinked owlishly, before clearing your throat, "Hagrid, I was wondering if I could make it myself, it's my friend's birthday, you see"

Hagrid moved from the door, "Why don't you come in then, but I'm not sure if I have all the supplies, you need"

You nodded grinning, "I'm sure we'll be able to come up with something"

Dwindling between the actual lack of supplies and the persistent hugs of the niffler which once attacked you, you had managed up to conjure a real rock cake, which didn't actually feel like a rock. You left a spare cake for Hagrid and thanked him heartfully, for letting you cook. Bending down, you patted the niffler which again tried to lunge for your chain, "Bye Niffles"

And so you went to your next stop,

"Wait a minute baby potter, I'll call James"

Sirius said when he saw you coming.

"Actually Sirius, I needed to talk to you, it is Regulus's birthday" Sirius eyed you suspiciously, knowing the implication. "So?"

"Will you come to the Common room today at midnight" you looked at him with your best puppy eyes that you could conjure up.

"Me in Slytherin Common Room, Merlin's beard, I will not be caught dead there"

"Please Sirius, you mean a lot to him, you can come with the invisiblity cloak, he won't be happy without you" You almost begged, glancing up at him.

Sirius didn't say anything definitive just a "I'll think about it", you still told him the password to the common room.

It was certainly an accident about how you found about about this trivial matter, Regulus's birthday, while you knew everyone's else, you strangely didn't know his.

You were in library, Regulus had dropped his notebooks on a nearby table and gone to pick up a book. Among others, he carried a black leather notebook with him and behind it in small letters were his initial and birth date, which you so just happened to glance upon on as you looked closely, and knowing his tendency of seclusion, you made a plan.

So some time before midnight while most of the common room was empty, you sat there with your Potions homework, completing it now since you were busy the whole day. You looked at the raven haired boy who among others was about to leave for his dorm, "Reg, I don't get this part, can you please explain it?"

Regulus looked at you curiously, you excelled at your studies and more like never needed help, but he instantly agreed, "Sure" Regulus moved to sit beside you glancing at the homework, "Which exact part are you talking about, the cauldron mixing or the herb collection?"

"Herb collection" you nodded, taking notes while he explained the procedures and precaution. Between his ramblings, you glanced at the clock, few minutes to midnight, you were worried the rock cake beneath your cloak won't actually become rock.

"Are you here?" Regulus asked noticing your distracted look.

"Huh" You broke out of your trance, at his perturbed gaze, "Of course, you were telling that porcupine quills should never be added while the cauldron is boiling". Regulus nodded, but as he began to continue, the door or wall to the common room slid open, with no one in sight. You hid your grin, while Regulus stood up, his wand pointing out. Only a minute now.

Regulus heard footsteps in the barren comon room, he glanced back at you, to see you shuffling among your stuff, "Can you hear the footsteps too?"

"For Merlin's sake, couldn't you have walked slowly" You grinned, Regulus turned and his heart almost came out , only the head of Sirius floated in the air.

"Happy Birthday" you both silently cheered, shoving the cake in his face, Regulus stood still, Sirius shook him, "Hey, Reggie, are you broken?"

"No,I, um, I, thank you," he whispered, nodding, not trusting his voice, the cake was cut, Sirius took a big piece to take back, while you took a big bite. It could have been better.

You turned to Sirius, whispering, "Thankyou for coming"

"No probs", he clapped Regulus's back, "I'll be leaving, all the green is making me sick, thanks for the cake". Maybe Sirius wasn't fully in, but it was something.

Sirius left as he came, Regulus turned to you, "How did you know?"

With a mouthful of cake, you grinned, "Magic".

He looked as if he couldn't comprehend something, "But why?"

You stopped picking up your supplies, tilting your head you smiled a genuine one "Because you are my friend silly"

Taglist : @shycreationdreamland @mp-littlebit @girlbooklover555

#regulus black #regulus black x reader #regulus black x female reader #regulus black x y/n #regulus black x you #regulus black series #timothee x reader #timothee fanfic #timothee chalamet x reader #timothée chalamet #marauders #marauders era #sirius black #james potter

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melodramaschild · 1 year

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OMG IM BACK WITH MORE AUTISTIC READER SORRY I HAD ANOTHER TJOUGHT I AM SO SORRY, okay so what about how you wrote rockstar Sirius (sorry I loved your portrayal of him so much) and he’s all cool and social and everyone laughs at what he has to say and then no one gets how he’s with you who is always awkwardly standing next to him and is shy when anyone talks to you and mainly quiet in public around new people but in private and around people you already know!!!! You’re so funny , kind, smart and sarcastic and witty and all his friends love you and he turns to absolute mush around you and he will always love your rambles and your jokes and rants, and whenever someone says you’re lucky he just thinks how they’ll never know how incredible you are !!!!! I’m so sorry for how long this is I really do apologise I’m just so happy I found someone who WANTs to do autistic reader, again feel free to ignore this I’ll probably pop back in your inbox soon 😔😔🤭🤭🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻 also sorry if this made no sense whatsoever

“…so I used all of my brain to think about it-” Sirius was telling you and marauders about his prank he did on his mother back in the summer but he was stopped as you jumped into his speech.

“You say it like you’re able to use that.” You looked at him with a zero facial expression, playing into a game and waiting for him to kinda blow up. The other marauders started laughing, knowing that Sirius was exactly the one who taught you this joke.

“Don’t… don’t use my jokes against me like that. That’s rude!” You knew he didn’t mean it, he explained it to you few weeks ago.

“Go and cry to your mama about it, bitch.” You couldn’t help but break the mask as you giggled.

“I shouldn’t never taught you that, cuz look at you now, very rude.” He puckered his lips at you and raised his eyebrows at you. You knew he wasn’t mad, you know how mad and offended Sirius looks like. This Sirius was in a pretending mode.

You quickly got up from the couch, leaving other boys behind you laughing. “Very rude, hm?” you teased and nudged his legs on one side so you could sit on the armchair. You sat on the armrest, placing your head on Sirius’ shoulder. His arm wrapped around you, securing you so you won’t fall.

“Mhm, very very rude and mean.” Mean? He never said anything about that. You shook your head up at him, confused. “Mean? Was i mean?” You ask him, sudden guilt written all over your face.

“No no no! Love, no! No mean, just joking like with rude, okay?” Sirius was here to quickly reassure you, his hand squeezing your side and carefully pulling you closer until you were sat down in his lap.

“No mean, okay, baby?” He said against your temple, just for you to hear. You nodded, smile on your face as you pecked his chin.

Laying on the floor with Sirius and you ramble about your day and he makes you put emotions to them. You argue that it’s useless and that it’s better to give them number out of ten.

He still helps you with them. Asks you how certain things made you feel. Why, how, etc.

He does anything to help you with your emotions and with the way to understand things.

Tw: htc, bullying

Sirius holding you so so so close and tight when you need it. So close when you’re having a literal breakdown because of those mean things people say.

It always made you doubt yourself and some part of your brain believes that Sirius should be with someone who can give him more than you.

But Sirius is Sirius. He’s a dog and he is with you because you are you. Because you feel safe. Because he’s happy with you.

That night he doesn’t say much, knowing that you’re already overwhelmed by noises. So he just puts this calming pressure on you. Occasionally whispering how much he loves you that he’ll talk with you in the morning.

Marauders hex those bitches who made you feel like that tho <3

And I’m so sorry but I’m literally falling asleep as I’m writing that but I do love it so much! Please send more! Please spam me! I can’t wait to read it and I do want to read everything that it’s on your mind!

#autistic!reader #autistic!fem!reader #sirius black #sirius black x autistic!reader #sirius black x reader

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artemisia-black · 1 year

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Me, a person who loves researching and can easily go down a well of hyperfixation: So like, what’s the magic system here? How do things operate? How do spells actually operate?

JKR: *offkey kazoo noises while she does jazz hands and leaves* No clue

I am personally offended by the lack of answers, because where’s the logic here? I can’t even make my own canon-compliant system, because canon contradicts itself. See, the floating lesson in first year shows we need a specific wand movement and correct pronunciation for a spell to work, but sectumsempra has Harry “waving his wand wildly” while shouting out the word and the spell works, so what gives here? Yeah, Snape created the latter, but someone had to create the former too, so why does wand movement matter so much in some cases but not in others?

Side note, my phone autocorrected “compliant” to “complaint” at first, which I thought was fitting here, since I am indeed complaining about canon

I have so many questions regarding how magic works in Harry Potter, and how magical beings’ bodies work. Do Dementors eat the souls and it’s like the souls get digested in their bodies, so the souls just stop existing once they’ve been “digested”? How does the removing-happy-memories-thing work, in that where do the memories even go in the Dementors? What is the rule system for spells? Because if changing one syllable or changing the stress in the word can change what the spell does, clearly there’s some system in place, but we never know what it is. Why do spells require a specific hand movement? Swish and flick for wingardium leviosa tells us that the spell needs a specific movement with the wand, but this is not the case with wandless magic, so what changes without a wand, and why does the wand movement matter so much? Like, I desperately wish we’d gotten Hermione’s POV because girl spent almost all her time in the library, at least some of her reading might’ve told us how magic actually works in the Harry Potter world

Anon I think you might be my soulmate, because I've puzzled on these questions too. This post won't provide clarity but more confusion I'm afraid.

The magic system has no logic in this universe. Even in my WIP Pietas, I try find an explanation for what happens to an animal's consciousness during transfiguration because it makes no damn sense.

‘Yes, hence my previous statement about his substance problem,’ she remarked, rolling her eyes. ‘However, most of the logic is sound. Much like an animagus keeps their consciousness during transformation, an animal who undergoes transfiguration retains theirs. Transfiguration is not metaphysical magic; consciousness remains even when the physical body has been altered.’

‘But that makes animal Transfiguration unethical,’ Sirius countered excitedly, ‘So as someone who buys into De Visser’s theory, should you not stop performing that branch of magic?’

‘I have to perform it, to pass my exams,’ she stated simply, her foot tapping on the ground.

‘Yes, but surely a good grade isn’t worth the torture of an animal?’ He countered slightly sardonically, pacing back and forth along the corridor, 'Surely, ethics must come before an Exceeds Expectations?’

Generally, the magic system seems to have very arbitrary and contradictory rules, Jily needed a secret keeper, but Bill was his own. Everyone looks down on Divination, but people take the Grim and Prophecy seriously.

Also, does the magic come from the wand, the words or the person? Children can do wandless magic (Harry sets the snake free) but yet can't do wandless magic as an adult. Why are the words mainly Latin based? Does that mean people who understand Latin can perform more powerful spells? What about before the Roman conquests? What did people use? Herpo the Foul was an ancient Greek wizard, what was he using? Also isn't it messed up that the means to perform magic requires enough gold to buy a wand (and Hogwarts allows Ron to wander around with a broken one for an entire year- and it does cause harm to other people). I have this theory that the ability to perform magic is a recessive gene that allows someone to bend the rules of physics and a wand is a way of honing that.

In my soul meta, it's clear that wizards believe in souls, so it's so fucked that they allow these creatures to devour them. What happens to these souls? Do the Dementors have a dimension inside them where they torture them and feed off the tourture?

This was not clear at all anon, but I don't have the answers for any of this. Legit makes no sense.

#harry potter

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someusername · 2 years

Text

I couldn't stop thinking about the first image of this post by the amazing @mlim8, so this was born 💚

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

Sirius jerked awake, a little confused as to why he had been on the receiving end of a slap across his face.

He tried to turn his face but felt the offending hand still in place, a weight on his left cheek. He blinked a few times to adjust his sleepy eyes to the darkness of the room.

With a sigh, he took the soft hand and lowered it slowly to not wake up its owner.

He turned to face his bed companion. It always marveled Sirius how Remus could occupy so much space in their bed. No matter how big the bed was or how nestled to each other they went to sleep, Remus ended with all his limbs extended to their full length in all directions and laying somehow across the bed in diagonal.

It was so enticing seeing him just take up all the space he unconsciously wanted. Sirius was happy to give him all the space he needed, even if it meant that he ended up sleeping on the edge of the bed and receiving constant slaps and kicks.

Carefully, he tucked Remus' arms closer to his body and cuddled him. Remus just left some soft noises and nudged his face closer to Sirius, bringing his left hand to rest on Sirius' chest. The gold band on his ring finger caught the dim light filtering through the shutters. Looking at the soft glow, Sirius thought that not only Remus occupied a large amount of space on the bed but also on his heart.

With a small kiss to the top of Remus' head, Sirius went back to sleep, content with the man he loved enveloped in his arms.

#wolfstar #remus lupin #sirius black #inspired by an amazing artist #they are husbands #Remus is a bed hog #Sirius just loves Remus #fluff #ficlet #i wrote something!#my writing

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theblacklupins · 2 years

Text

Blissember day 11: Blanket fort

For Remus’ birthday, the Marauders always seemed to go all out. The party was bigger than any other party they would host, be it for winning quidditch matches or to celebrate the end of exams. No, Remus’ birthday party always had to be grand, and despite the werewolf absolutely despising the amount of attention that it brought to himself, there was also one thing that managed to make it all worth it.

After the party, and when the noise in the common room died down to a couple of snored from drunk, knocked-out students, Sirius and Remus smiled at each other before sneaking out of the portrait hole, borrowing James’ invisibility cloak. The halls were silent as they walked through them, which Remus found comforting. A hand grasped his, and he smiled softly.

He loved times like these, when he and Sirius could be as in love as they wanted to be without anyone looking at them judgementally. They could kiss without anyone staring at them, they could whisper and giggle in each other’s ears without hearing judgemental whispering. They were alone, and in love.

They headed their way up to the Astronomy tower, sitting down at the edge to stare up at the stars. Remus sat cross legged on the floor, already looking up at the clear night sky twinkling with millions of stars.

Pushing the cloak off, Sirius waved his wand and a shit ton of blankets and pillows appeared out of thin air, falling around them with a soft thump of noise. Remus giggled when he spotted Sirius’ stuffed animal, a yellow chick named Floof. His boyfriend huffed, snatching the chick and holding it to his chest, pouting slightly.

“Before you say anything, yes, we can share, but ultimately Floof loves me more than you,” Sirius said, and Remus snickered. “What? It makes sense, I’ve been his dad for a years.”

“Yeah, whatever you say, babe.”

Remus helped adjust the pillows and blankets so they had a sort of pillow fort, using magic to help the blankets hover above their heads. Remus hummed contentedly, leaning into Sirius. He glared subtly at Floof, who was right in the middle, between them, stopping Remus from curling up against Sirius. He pushed the plush toy out of the way slowly, smirking when it fell over, before realising how stupid he was being. He snorted, to which Sirius looked over at him questioningly. Shaking his head, he turned back up to look at the stars.

“This is always going to be my favourite part of my birthday,” the werewolf murmured, hand tracing patterns over Sirius’ palm. “I love being here with you.”

“I’m a little offended that you don’t find my party planning skills all that great,” Sirius teased. He curled their fingers together, bringing their joined hands up to his lips and pressing a kiss to Remus’ knuckles. “But I don’t blame you. This is my favourite part too.”

They leaned back into their makeshift fort and stared up at the stars, Remus occasionally pointing to one and asking Sirius if there was a particular name for it. They giggled and talked and pressed kisses into each other’s skin, so happy and so content with what they had together.

They were the couple that quite literally, were star crossed lovers.

#remus john lupin #remus lupin #sirius black #sirius orion black #wolfstar #wolfstar fluff #wolfstar fic #wolfstar fanfic #wolfstar fanfiction

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awanderingdeal · 3 years

Text

An unfair race

I finally finished this! This fic is kind of a follow on to Endless Nights. Note: That fic is rated M and contains some sexual content, but you do not need to read it for this to make sense. I wanted to combine Finn talking with Heather, and an aspect of the discussion after that fic, where we talked about athletes in particular using exercise as a coping mechanism, and how this can sometimes turn unhealthy.

Some content warnings for this one: over exercise (if you'd like to skip the explicit description of this, skip to after the first stars, although there are a couple of mentions throughout), food mentions, self-depreciation and mentions of coming out/being outed.

Rating: T

If you feel I missed any content warnings or need to change the rating, please drop me a message!

The characters in this fic are from the sweater weather universe and belong to @lumosinlove

Finn’s entire body ached as his feet pounded against the path once more. His form was sloppy now, shoulders too hunched over and his strides falling without any real control. He forced himself onwards, breaths coming in fast pants, the straining muscles of his quads screaming desperately for more oxygen. And yet, his brain still whirred, obnoxiously loud thoughts pushing their way back to the forefront each time Finn managed to grasp a few blissful quiet seconds. He’d lost count of the number of times he’d passed the statue of the girl and her ducks, the smile on her face that he normally found so comforting becoming more and more irritating with each meeting. As he came to the gates of the park, Finn contemplated going home, but even just the reduced speed had brought the taunting thoughts back with a vengeance. One more go.

***

"H, has her jacket on. Has everybody got their game faces ready, boys?" It had been at least 30 minutes since James had made the joke as they all tumbled from the locker room, yet the sound of bright laughter still rang in Finn's ears.

He watched as Heather tugged her suit jacket more tightly around her, their eyes meeting for the third time in short succession. Fuck. Finn pushed his tongue against his mouthguard, sinking his teeth into the hard plastic. Later, self-inflicted as the need would be, he would complain about the new one he’d have moulded, each guard always feeling slightly different. For now, the rhythmic clench of his jaw was soothing.

Finn forced a breath through his nose, trying not to react too visibly as Heather dipped her head once more to add another scribbled note to the small, black book she carried everywhere. He forced himself to look away, knowing his constant glances were giving away his unease. Whilst Heather didn’t come to every training session, not even most, it wasn’t that uncommon to see her hovering around the edges of the ice, and ordinarily, only the very newest of the team paid any attention to her beyond an initial greeting.

“Earth to O’Hara!”

Finn held up his hand in apology, shaking himself back to the training session. Kasey’s eyes bored into him. It wasn't his usual intense stare, but something more concerned and Finn waited for the inevitable question. After a long few seconds, Kasey's eyes dropped to the puck, passing it back to Finn to take another shot.

The numbers on the clock inched forwards, slow and heavy like the sweet sticky molasses Leo was so fond of. Still, when Coach finally dismissed them for the day, Finn found himself wanting to take another lap. If he could get his thighs to burn enough then his head would race a little less, and it wouldn’t be too suspicious; Finn’s record of being last on the ice was surpassed only by Sirius. Before Finn could really consider it, Leo was next to him, knocking their shoulders together.

“Hey,” Leo cocked his head slightly, hair ruffled from the mask he’d recently pulled off and his pale skin glistening with sweat. He looked as beautiful as ever. Illogical as it was, it somehow made the dull ache in Finn's chest worse. "Everything good?"

"Yeah," Finn tried for a smile. "Busy brain today, that's all." There was no point brushing the question off completely; Leo was scarily observant. He and Logan often joked that he had eyes in the back of his head. Finn had no doubt he had caught the many pucks he had missed over the last hour.

"That sucks," Leo said, scepticism leaking into his voice. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Finn followed his glance behind them to where Logan was tussling with Jackson, loud rumblings of French intertwined with their laughter. "Or Lo, perhaps?"

"I like it when he looks like that,” Finn sighed.

"Mmm, me too” Leo hummed, his features softening. “Don’t think I didn’t notice that change of subject though, Sir. You don’t have to talk to me about it, but please don’t bottle it all."

Finn slumped into his stall, smiling as Leo lifted his hand to press a kiss to the knuckles. “I’m dealing with it.”

“Baby,” Leo started, his next word morphing into a stunted exhalation of air. His eyes closed briefly, his shoulders squaring before he relaxed them. He opened his mouth again, the sentence uttered clearly not what he’d originally planned on saying. "I'm going to take my padding off and head to see Lars. I think Loops is sticking around so I can get a ride with him if you two want to go home?"

Finn thought back to the quiet look of concern on Logan's face after he'd got home from his run the previous evening, and to the creased lines of worry at the corners of Leo's eyes earlier. "I think I might go and see Heather," he shrugged.

"Thank God," Logan appeared, wrapping his arms around Finn's waist. "Your runs were getting ridiculous."

"You didn't say anything?" Finn turned in Logan's arms, to rest his chin on top of his head.

"We were going to give you one more day. Leo wanted to speak to you this evening, only I had faith.”

"Oh, fuck off," Leo laughed. "You were just avoiding the conversation."

“I’m offended that you would even suggest that,” Logan burrowed into Finn’s chest. The sweat soaked gear they wore didn’t smell great, but neither of them seemed to care.

Moody huffed as he veered around them, his arms filled with tape. “No canoodling in the locker room.”

***

“As lovely as this chat has been Finn, if you really did just come in to catch up then I’m going to have to ask you to leave. I’ve got a couple of sessions this afternoon, and a mound of paperwork to complete,” Heather shifted in the forest green bucket chair. They were new since Finn had last been in here, replacing an ugly leather thing that Heather had always complained was too stereotypical. She’d removed her jacket now that she was back in her heated office, the item hung on the back of the door where it rightfully belonged.

Finn, freshly showered and changed, sat cross legged in the chair opposite. He reached forward to grab more pretzel sticks from the bowl on the table between them, puckering his lips as his tongue protested another injection of salt. “You know there is something I could do with your opinion on.”

Despite the reaction being minute, Finn saw the tiny upwards quirk of Heather’s lips. “Go on,” she encouraged.

“It’s dumb,” Finn muttered, drumming his fingers against the arm of the chair.

“Thoughts don’t have moral value Finn, it’s what we do with that’s important.” Heather pulled a handful of tissues from a box on the table, holding them out. “Tap away, but please spare the upholstery.”

“Sorry,” Finn grimaced, cleaning his hands of the salty residue.

“No need to apologise, I’m just still a bit precious about the new furniture.” Heather smiled. “Why do you think your issue is dumb?”

“It’s -” Finn tugged at his sleeve. “I can just never be happy with what I’ve got can I? I spent 8 years saying that if Logan could just love me back then I’d never complain again. And now I’ve got Logan and Leo and I’m still not happy.”

“What’s making you unhappy?

Finn breathed in deeply, scrunching his eyes shut. He’d spent weeks stuffing the pain into the tiniest box he could in his brain, and now here Heather was asking him to just - talk about it?

“Finn, look at me?” Finn did as he was asked, lifting his head to find Heather’s kind eyes. “I’m going to reiterate something I’ve said before. You can say anything you want here. It doesn’t matter if it’s selfish or unkind or if you think it’s stupid. Unless I think you’re a danger to yourself or anybody else, then nobody is going to hear about it.”

Finn bit his lip, wiggling his toes beneath his legs. “I get jealous,” he rushed out. “I get jealous of Cap and Loops and Potts and Lily and all those other couples who just get to hug and kiss and tell the cameras how stupidly in love they are.” He paused, the panic of having told somebody matching the relief, but now the words had started tumbling out he couldn’t stop. “I get so angry about it. Sometimes, for the tiniest second, I hate them. All of them.” he whispered, barely able to admit it. “And then I just feel worse. Because I love them too and it’s not their fault. Cap and Loops didn’t even get a choice in the matter. How messed up is it to be jealous of somebody that got outed?”

“Emotions are complex. It is possible for you to have sympathy for Sirius and Remus, whilst still feeling jealous that they now can be more open about their relationship.”

'I don't like it," Finn huffed. The sentence had come out mimicking a toddler having a tantrum. Finn wanted to act like one too, to throw himself on the floor and scream.

“Have you spoken to Leo or Logan about it?”

“No,” Finn frowned. “It would just make them sad and I don’t want them to pressure them. I don’t want them to know I think such horrible things.”

“Okay,” Heather nodded. “Imagine one of them came to you and told you everything you’d just told me. What would you say to them?”

“Wait.” A distressed noise fell from Finn’s lips. “Do they talk to you about this too? Both of them make a comment here or there, but we talked about it not long ago and we agreed that we weren’t ready.”

“Finn, you know I can’t tell you about what I discuss with Leo or Logan.”

“It was worth a shot,” Finn shrugged.

“So, what would you say?”

“I’d say they are entitled to be jealous. I'd say it’s not fair we don’t get to do everything the others do just because the world is homophobic and close minded and can’t imagine the three of us could love each other exactly the same as every other more traditional couple. I’d say that I know they don’t hate Cap or Loops or Potts or Lily, they hate the situation and that’s completely understandable. It fucking sucks and they can be angry about it." Finn drew in a hulking breath, Heather's outline a little blurred through his wet eyes. Each word had sent an aching pain through his body, similar to when he ran, only now he felt like was chasing something cathartic rather than running away.

"Earlier you said what you had to tell me was dumb," Heather said. "Can you explain why you think that it's dumb for you to feel that way, horrible even, but if it were Leo or Logan their feelings are valid."

"Maybe it's not dumb," Finn looked down at his hands, tracing over the freckles there. "But that doesn't change the fact I don't like having those thoughts. Especially when I don't want to act on them. I’m okay with waiting to tell people about us, if we ever do. They're not ready. I'm not ready."

"That’s something we can work on. Helping you to reframe those thoughts, I mean.” Heather slipped her notebook from where it had been tucked beside her and made a note. Finn leaned his elbow on his leg, tucking his chin onto his fist, trying to make his attempts to see the page surreptitious. Capping her pen, she gave a small chuckle, “I’m just leaving myself a reminder of what we’ve discussed. You can always ask what I’m writing, I’m not trying to keep secrets from you.”

Finn sat back, the book no longer quite so interesting now that it wasn’t forbidden. “So? That’s it?”

Heather hummed. “For today. I think you’ve got a lot to think about already. I’ll schedule some more sessions with you over the next few days, okay? It’ll give me a chance to get some new pretzels.”

"Thanks," Finn laughed, then gestured at the empty bowl. "For the pretzels. And the talk."

“That’s what I’m here for,” Heather said. “I’m just going to ask one thing of you before I see you next. Please try to keep your evening runs to a reason-”

“Who snitched?”

“There was no snitching, as you call it. We’ve just known each other for a while now, Finn. And as an employee of the Lions whose job it is to make sure you’re at top playing ability, I don’t want you to injure yourself. As your psychologist, I want you to have healthy coping mechanisms and exercising to that extent is not healthy.”

“I know,” Finn unfolded his legs, stretching them out. They’d gone stiff after being sat on for so long, the sensation coming back with an uncomfortable tingle. “I’ll try to keep the runs in check, promise.” His gaze fell on the closed door, steeling himself to leave. He stood, sending Heather one last smile. It was safe in here, but his boys were out there.

“See you soon, Finn.”

Stepping out of the office, Finn closed his eyes, giving himself a second to compose himself. A rustle of movement to his left caught his attention, startling a little at the sight of Leo and Logan. They sat on the floor, Leo’s hand resting on Logan’s knee where they were hunched to his chest.

“Sorry,” Leo scrambled to his feet, his arm outstretched to let Logan pull himself upright too. “We didn’t want to wait too far away. In case, well, I don’t know, you needed us.”

Finn joined them, immediately finding Logan attached to his side, his familiar warmth exactly what he wanted right now. “I’m okay,” he assured. “I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about it with you guys just yet. I need a bit of time to process, but just you being here makes things better. I’m going to see Heather a bit more too.”

“Proud of you.” Leo flanked him on the other side, taking his hand. Finn didn’t get to be in the middle often, Logan usually claiming the spot, and he felt like he had a kind of shield. “We just want you to be happy. And safe.”

“Can we go home, please?”

“Ouais, home,” Logan agreed.

#finn o'hara #logan tremblay #leo knut #heather #sweater weather #coast to coast #lumosinlove #rating: t #cw: overexercising #cw: food #cw: self-depreciation #cw: coming out #cw:outing

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fruitcoops · 3 years

Note

Hi! Do you think you’d be willing to write some Cubs fluff for Mardi Gras? Like Leo making Finn and Lo do something (I don’t exactly know how it’s celebrated)?

Oh my god I LOVE Mardi Gras!!! Also, I haven’t done Cubs fluff in a while, and I combined it with a couple other related prompts. This fic includes Cubs and Coops bonding (ft. Logan being a little shit), Leo learning to drive in the snow, a chaotic trip to the grocery store, and Lions family dinner after a winter walk. Hope you enjoy! Sweater Weather credit goes to @lumosinlove, as always <3

“Eas—Easy, babe, just take it nice and steady,” Finn gripped the ‘oh, shit’ handle with one hand and Leo’s thigh with the other; in the backseat, Logan rubbed his neck where the seatbelt bit into it.

Leo took an unsteady breath and carefully pressed the gas again, wincing as the car rumbled under him. “Oh god, oh fuck, okay.”

“Snow isn’t that hard to drive in—” Finn cut off as Leo slammed on the brakes again. “—as long as you don’t brake hard whenever you feel a little bit of ice. Lo, you okay?”

“Fine,” Logan wheezed, bracing against the car door.

“Slow and steady wins the race,” Finn murmured, keeping his eyes fixed on the road as Leo began inching forward again. “If you start to slip, take your foot off the gas and do not slam the brakes, okay? We don’t want to skid.”

“I don’t get why you can’t drive us there,” Leo said, glancing in each of his mirrors even though they were still in a fairly residential area. Ten minutes on the road and they’d barely made it four blocks from the apartment.

“Because you need to know how to drive properly.”

“I know how to drive!” Leo saw Finn and Logan exchange a look through the rearview mirror and smacked him lightly on the chest. “Stop it. When’s my next turn?”

“Still 53rd.”

“Left or right?”

“Right.” Finn tapped out a quick text on his phone. “Cap and Loops just arrived at the store.”

“Fuck,” Leo muttered.

“It’s okay, Peanut, take your time,” Logan said. “Just focus on getting there safely.”

Leo tried to breathe deep and they rolled down the block, flinching each time snow or ice crackled under the tires or threatened to make them slide. “I drive in the rain all the time. This shouldn’t be hard.”

“Rain is way different than snow.” Finn pointed to the next intersection. “Turn there.”

They took the turn a bit wide, but thankfully there were no cars on the other side—still, both Finn and Logan went pale. Logan cleared his throat. “Streets here aren’t as wide as New Orleans, mon amour.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Leo grumbled. “How much further?”

“The parking lot is on the next block.”

They almost got stuck driving up the small ramp into the parking lot due to Leo’s ‘slow and steady’ approach and he could have sworn he heard Logan muttering the Hail Mary in French under his breath. Parking was easy—nobody in their right mind would be driving after a true Gryffindor snowstorm. Except us, he thought wryly as he turned the engine off.

“Don’t forget to lock the car,” Finn said mere seconds after the key was out.

“Dude.”

“Sorry. Uh, Cap’s by the produce section.”

They were too focused on not slipping and falling on their asses to talk much while they walked through several snowdrifts to get to the front entrance of the grocery store; Leo sighed with happiness as soon as the heated air hit his face.

“Harzy!” Cap waved an arm over his head from the apple stand, smiling brightly. “You survived!”

“It was a close one,” Finn called back with a grin, sliding his hand into Leo’s back pocket as the three of them walked over.

“Dibs on riding in the cart!” One of Logan’s legs was already halfway into the basket before Sirius could stop him; he kicked aside the celery and onions and settled down, leaning back onto Sirius’ hands. “Bonjour.”

“Get out.”

“Non. I live here now.”

“I’m not pushing you.”

“I will!” Finn said. “Where’s the old ball and chain, Capsicle?”

“Call me that again and you can say goodbye to your ball and chain,” Remus said drily, lugging a bag of rice over from the other aisle. He stopped when he saw Logan, looking amused. “Hiya, Tremz. You look comfy.”

“Oh, I am.” Logan lounged in the cart, letting one leg drape over the side; he groaned when Remus set the rice bag on his chest. “Was that necessary?”

“No, but it was funny.” He grinned at Leo. “How was driving?”

Leo shrugged. “Decent.”

Sirius snorted as they began walking toward the meat section. “That bad, huh?”

“It’s a miracle I wasn’t beheaded,” Logan said. “Fish, how fast can you make it to the end of the aisle?”

“Loops, time me.” Finn tightened his grip on the cart and bent into a runner’s stance; Leo and Sirius both rolled their eyes as Remus dug his phone out of his pocket and opened up the timer.

“Ready…set…go!” Finn ran for three steps before hopping onto the under carriage as Logan whooped. Remus stopped the timer. “Four point six seconds! Get back here, I wanna try.”

“You’re not going to beat that time,” Logan laughed as he climbed out of the cart.

Sirius raised his eyebrows at the same time Remus stuck his tongue out. “Watch me. Knutty, can I trust you to be an unbiased timer?”

Leo shrugged. “Sure, gimme your phone.”

“You have one of your very own.”

“Trying to hide something, are we?” Logan wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Sirius pushed him away by the forehead. “Spill the beans, Loops! Got some spicy messages in there? Some things poor baby Nutter Butter can’t handle?”

“No, I just don’t trust any of you with anything that belongs to me,” he laughed. “You’re walking safety hazards.”

“I’m taking that as a compliment,” Leo said as he set the timer. “Ready? Go!”

Sirius nearly tipped the cart over when he stood on the lower bar, making both of them yelp and wobble for a moment. Leo stopped the clock at the end of the aisle. Three point nine seconds.

“Sorry, guys, that’s four point eight seconds!” he called as Sirius pushed the cart back up to them.

Remus narrowed his eyes. “Show me the phone.”

“I already reset the time.”

“So we definitely won,” Sirius said while Remus clambered out of the basket and Logan took his place. “Get out, Tremzy!”

“Make me!”

Sirius reached in and grabbed him under his armpits, but Logan kept a tight grip on the sides. “Are you done?” Remus asked wearily once Sirius started shaking him. “ ‘cause our grocery list is, like, a million miles long.”

With a disgruntled noise, Sirius dropped Logan back into the cart. “With any luck, he’ll be crushed under the food. What’s next?”

They had a few more competitions during their journey through the store, including onion basketball, vegetable Tetris, and a highly amusing game of twenty questions that ended in Sirius laying the bag of rice over Logan’s face.

Leo did some mental math as they walked out with six grocery bags full of ingredients. “We’ll need about seven pots to fit all this, but we’ve only got two that would work.”

“I think we’ve got one or two as well,” Remus said as he hauled a bag into the trunk of their car and brushed his hands off. “Celeste probably has some, and I can give Lily a call. Where are we making it, again?”

“Dumo’s. There’s nowhere near enough space at the apartment and I don’t want these two anywhere close to it.”

Finn shot him an offended look over a bag of onions. “Hey!”

“I love you, sweetheart, but if you fuck up my gumbo I’ll cry.” In the back of his mind, Leo was already thinking of small jobs for Logan and Finn to do so they could make it together, but they didn’t need to know that. It could be a Mardi Gras surprise.

“The sun’s coming out,” Sirius mused, looking upward at the clear blue sky. “Nothing we bought is going to melt. Do you want to go for a walk before we head out?”

Logan checked his phone. “We’ve got time.”

“Sounds good to me,” Leo agreed.

“I’m never going to say no to a snow day,” Finn laughed, wrapping his arms around Leo and Logan. “Lead the way.”

“So, Knutty, gumbo is basically chicken noodle soup, right?” Sirius asked as he linked elbows with Remus and started down the sidewalk.

“Uh, no.” Leo made a disgusted face and reached out to smack the back of his shoulder. “That’s blasphemy. Gumbo is more like stew, but you put less meat in it and more of a vegetable base. There aren’t noodles, either. Do you even know what a roux is?”

Sirius glanced back at Finn, who shrugged. “…I do not.”

“Fuckin’ hell,” Leo muttered. “A roux is the base to all good New Orleans food. It’s flour and oil, and you heat it up so whatever you’re making has an actual taste to it, as well as some thickness. If you get it wrong, the whole thing is pretty much ruined.”

Sirius raised his eyebrows. “Damn.”

Ahead of them, a pack of kids played pickup hockey on the park’s frozen pond. Several of them wore Lions sweatshirts or hats and Leo leaned his head on Finns beanie with a smile. “Look at how cute they are,” Finn cooed, waving to some of the astonished parents who had spotted them.

“Oh, killer hit,” Remus said as one kid went on a breakaway. “Is he—hey, nice shot!”

They paused for a second to applaud and a jumble of excited yelling echoed off the trees around the pond; Leo burst out laughing and draped his other arm across Logan’s shoulders, pulling him in closer to their huddle as they began to walk again. “We should head out there sometime. We live close enough.”

Finn hummed in agreement and stood on his tiptoes with a hopeful smile. “Kisses?”

Leo obliged, still grinning. “You’re ridiculous. That had nothing to do with hockey.”

“I didn’t get any kisses,” Logan grumbled, snuggling into Leo’s ribs.

“Get up here and I’ll give you one!”

“My nose is cold!”

Leo sighed dramatically and bent down to kiss the rosy tip of his nose—at the last second, Logan popped his chin out of his coat collar and caught his lips. “That was smooth as fuck. Better?”

“Much.”

“Are you three being gross again?” Remus teased, craning his neck to look back.

Finn raised his eyebrows. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”

“One walk,” Sirius sighed. “I wanted one walk where we could hang out in peace and quiet.”

“You invited the wrong people for that,” Leo snickered as they looped back around the block into the parking lot. “Harzy, baby, can you drive us back?”

“You need to learn!”

Leo turned on his saddest puppy eyes and stuck his lower lip out. “Please?”

Finn scrunched his nose up and flicked his shoulder lightly. “You’re too cute for your own good.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Obviously.”

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

After a quick pit stop at their apartment to pick up the pots, they arrived at the Dumais house just past two in the afternoon. Sirius and Remus pulled into the driveway just as they began unloading groceries from the truck and hurried over to give them a hand; all five of them were immediately mobbed by children the second they set foot in the house. Leo carefully took the onions from Logan so he could sweep Katie over his shoulder and tickle her knees, making her dissolve into giggles.

“My boys!” Celeste called from the entrance to the kitchen. She practically glowed with excitement as she pulled them into a group hug and Leo melted a little when she pressed a kiss to each of his cheeks. “You brought the food, yes?”

“We’ve got everything we need,” he confirmed, holding the onions and a pot up as proof. “As long as you’ve got counter space, we’ll be a-okay.”

Sirius and Logan lingered in the doorway, chatting with the kids in rapid French that Leo didn’t even try to keep up with—he used to think regional differences were made up for internet clout, but even after living with Logan for close to a year he sometimes struggled with the pace.

Celeste helped them gather cutting boards, knives, and basic spices that they hadn’t picked up at the store; Leo felt a thrill in his gut and drummed his hands happily on the countertop at the sight of the familiar ingredients. He made a mental note to send a picture to his mother later that night as he rolled up his sleeves.

“Think you can handle rinsing vegetables?” he asked, passing Finn a bag of green peppers.

Finn rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, and he pressed a kiss to Leo’s cheek before going to the sink. Remus unpacked the last of the bags and gave him an expectant look—Leo was struck by the sudden realization that for once, he was the only one in the kitchen who knew the recipe.

“Um, I’ll start the roux,” he said, grabbing the flour and oil. “Loops, can you start dicing the peppers, celery, and onions? Cap can help out once he gets the squid children off him.”

A smile tugged at the edge of Remus’ mouth. “Bold of you to assume he won’t drag them in here.”

“Alright, Rookie, what’s my job?” Sirius panted, grinning wildly as Adele wrapped herself around his lower leg and groaned with each dragging step.

Remus spared him a playful I told you so look, and Leo shook his head. “As long as you can use a knife with a kid clinging to your leg, you can help your fiancé chop the basics.”

Sirius mock-saluted him and hobbled to the counter; behind him, Logan wandered in with Marc under one arm and Katie under the other. “I have potato sack delivery,” he announced, giving them each a gentle shake. “Can these go in the gumbo, too?”

“No!” both shrieked at the same time, flailing their legs.

“Those look like pretty good potatoes to me…” Sirius said, glancing down at Adele. “What do you think?”

“Put ‘em in the soup!” she yelled.

“It’s not soup,” Leo complained, though he couldn’t be heard over the loud protests of the youngest Dumais kids.

Sirius finally got Adele to let go of him when he started cutting onions—“Do you want to smell like onions?”—but Katie perched on the edge of the counter and watched every move Leo made with eagle eyes as he finished each roux and began mixing the trinity in. Each motion was muscle memory—the smells wrapped him in a hug made of tangy peppers, smooth chicken broth, and a kick of spice at the very end.

Much to his surprise, Sirius, Finn, and Logan were quick learners. Making five massive pots of gumbo was much easier when he had five more hands helping him; Celeste had even been sweet enough to put jazz on as they cooked and the six of them took turns dancing, partnering with whomever was closest.

The others started arriving at five—almost immediately, the kitchen was crowded with ten new hockey players who crammed as close as they could to the stovetop to smell the bubbling broth. Noelle was the only one who was allowed to get within ten feet of the food, much to Talker’s chagrin.

Honestly, it was a miracle that they made it to the table without the rest of the team falling on the gumbo like a pack of wild hyenas who hadn’t eaten for a week. Kasey’s bouncy leg shook the edge of the table in anticipation until Leo reached over and smacked him on the thigh with his spoon. “Be patient, Bliz.”

“I’m always patient!”

Eight different people made noises of protest and he scoffed, leaning his face over the bowl to get a whiff of the thick steam. Dumo tapped his fork on the side of his cup; it wasn’t quite a classy ding-ding, but it made enough noise to catch people’s attention.

“First, thank you all for coming here for a family dinner,” he said, smiling so wide it made Leo’s heart warm. “Second, I’d like to welcome the older and wiser O’Hara to his very first Lions dinner, since he had the great fortune of visiting just in time to be adopted by the team for a night!”

Loud cheers filled the house and Alex gave a slight wave, blushing under the attention as Kasey and Nat jostled him between their shoulders.

“And finally, everyone say ‘thank you’ to Knutty for sharing his top-secret gumbo recipe from home. We might not celebrate Mardi Gras like New Orleans, but this is a party nonetheless.” Dumo raised his water with a wink and Leo squeezed Logan’s hand under the table as seventeen voices thanked him for his cooking, despite the fact that they hadn’t even tasted it yet.

The house went dead silent as people took their first bites, then erupted into noise. “Holy shit, Knutty!” Nado all but shouted, shoving another spoonful into his mouth. “This is witchcraft.”

“It’s called ‘cooking’, you should try it sometime,” Leo shot back, grinning. The chicken thighs melted in his mouth, and the pop of lemon and spice at the back of his throat tingled all the way down to his bones. He didn’t think Pots had taken a breath in thirty straight seconds. Leo closed his eyes, letting the tangled muddle of his family’s voices roll over him, mixing with the taste of home.

“Ça va, mon amour?” Logan asked under his breath, touching his elbow.

Leo smiled and touched their foreheads together, setting his spoon down on the edge of his bowl. “I’m so fucking happy right now.”

Logan smiled and the edges of his eyes crinkled. “You look happy.”

“You two are whispering without me?” Finn whined, scooting his chair over a few inches and squishing Logan between them. His bowl was already half-empty, Leo noted with a sense of satisfaction. “That’s rude.”

“I love you,” Leo said. It needed no embellishments; no big, dramatic displays. “And I love making food for everyone.”

“You can do it any time, baby rookie.” Kasey scraped the sides of his bowl to catch the last few grains of cornbread, knocking his knee with Leo’s. “Next time we have a sleepover, I’m not ordering pizza.”

“So I’m going to be your personal chef?” Leo snorted. “Not a chance.”

“What’s that saying? The Mardi Gras one?”

Leo savored his next bite of gumbo and looked around the table as everyone chatted and laughed at the top of their lungs. “Laissez les bon temps rouler,” he said. “Let the good times roll.”

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mysterioushogwartsrequests · 4 years

Text

Starry Skies, Starry Eyes

Request: Hello! I want to request something with Sirius too!! But with an age gap and Hogwarts Mystery MC. Can you write something like that?

This literally took me forever to write and I just want to get it out there. I hope the ending is alright, I had quite a bit of trouble figuring out the last parts, but I think it all came together in the end.

Edit: I am not quite sure what happened, but for some reason Tumblr deleted my story? It’s currently four in the morning and I just realized this so I have to fix it or else it is going to bother me all night. Anyways, it should be fine now! I hope you enjoy!

Note: I will write a part 2 for this story in the future! I’ve noticed the comments asking for more and I’ve already got some ideas.

Summary: Auror training was not going as planned. Now, (Y/N) (L/N) is staying at Number 12 Grimmauld Place with its only known resident, Sirius Black.

A small thumping sound resonated through the quiet halls of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Along with the maniacal murmurs of the Kreacher the House Elf occasionally adding to the noise. The commencement of the Hogwarts school year meant that few guests came through the home, effectively darkening the mood of one of its permanent residents.

Sirius Black lay atop a surprisingly plush mattress, casually tossing a rubber ball against the ceiling of his childhood bedroom. As he effortlessly caught the small ball in his hands, Sirius wondered how Harry could be doing at school and how he could improve to become a suitable fatherly figure for his beloved godson. This initiative proved difficult considering the restrictions set up by Albus Dumbledore. Underneath his leadership, Sirius was to remain in Grimmauld Place until it was determined safe for him to venture beyond the house walls. However, as the days passed by, Sirius’s optimism of stepping outside slowly diminished and thought it would be best to stop thinking about this improbable idea.

But before Sirius could give up his hopes of happiness, she arrived.

Downstairs, the front door opened, and two women stepped into the spotless home. From the way the mirrors shone, it was apparent they spent a lot of time transforming it into suitable headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. The first woman swiftly moved through the house, already familiar with its surroundings, “He should be here somewhere,” she announced, her bright pink hair clashing horribly with the emerald green walls.

The second woman followed her cautiously, scanning her unfamiliar surroundings, and mentally noting the details that stood out to her. “Y’know,” she started, grimacing at the meticulously preserved heads of house-elves beside her when they ascended the stairs, “when I first became an Auror, I didn’t quite expect to be babysitting a notorious murderer”

(Y/N) (L/N) had never been the type to feel unnerved. She had always taken pride in her ability to keep calm, especially in situations of immense danger. So, it was safe to say she was not enjoying the malaise developing within her.

Nymphadora Tonks rolled her eyes, a hint of notable annoyance as she reiterated her point for the third time that afternoon, “It wasn’t him, all right? It was Pettigrew who caused all that trouble, Sirius is completely innocent.”

A large part of (Y/N) wholeheartedly believed Tonks, but another, slightly gruffer voice kept ringing through her head,

“Constant vigilance!”

Reminded of Mad-Eye Moody’s teachings, she thought it best to remain cautious, just in case.

“I’m sorry,” added (Y/N), knowing she had offended her friend. Tonks gave her a small nod, accepting her apology as she led her past the multiple bedrooms on the second story. Halting at a door with the name “Sirius” intricately carved on a silver nameplate, Tonks raised her hand. “Black, are you in there?” she asked, knocking on the bedroom door.

“Yes, but, it seems I’ll have to find a better hiding place next time,” Sirius spoke up, casually confirming his presence within the room, “You found me rather quickly”

Tonks opened the door, a smile on her face when her eyes landed on Sirius, “You gave away your position by doing that,” she said, pointing at the ceiling as the ball bounced back into his hand.

Sirius clutched the ball tightly and sat up from his bed, “I suppose you’re right,” he said, the already faint smile on his face vanishing as he became aware of the stranger in his home, “What’s going on?” He asked, masking his rousing irritation.

Disregarding his obvious displeasure, (Y/N) subtly examined his appearance. This could not be the same person in the Azkaban wanted pamphlets. She had expected a worn-down, angry wizard with incredibly long, matted hair. But instead, she locked eyes with a devilishly handsome, well-kept, older gentleman wearing brown, pinstripe robes. (Y/N) mustered up a casual smile, pushing away her bewilderment but unable to hide the faint blush on her cheeks.

Tonks frowned at Sirius’s disappointment, “Well,” she began, placing her hands on (Y/N)’s shoulders, “(Y/N)’s just started her Auror training and Mad-Eye’s instructed her here for the time being,” Tonks gently pulled (Y/N) into the room as she spoke, “It won’t be for long,” she added, noting Sirius’s sour expression, “And at least you’ll have human company.”

Sirius eyed the (h/c) haired woman standing in his bedroom suspiciously. Indeed, he found it quite odd that Mad-Eye would send a trainee into isolation but decided against mentioning it. The idea of letting a stranger into his home without warning did not sit well with him, but he could not deny the presence of someone he could have a pleasant conversation with.

“All right,” Sirius said, rising from his seat and walking over to the two women.

(Y/N) swallowed nervously, impulsively trying to calculate the height of the man making his way towards her. It was not until he stood in front of her with his hand extended that she came to the possible solution of six feet. With her heart thumping against her chest, (Y/N) stretched out her arm and grasped his expecting hand firmly.

“(Y/N) (L/N),” she stated formally, looking up at Sirius with a confident smile as they shook hands.

Sirius mentally applauded her firm grip, a smile appearing at his lips, “Sirius Black, it is a pleasure to meet you.” He caught sight of the sparkle in her eyes, those bright eyes filled with stars reflective of her optimism and was instantly charmed. The two of them stood there, looking interestedly at each other, their attention devoted to something other than their handshake.

Tonks’s eyes bounced from Sirius to (Y/N), an odd feeling settling over her, but unaware as to what it could be, “Well,” she announced, now that the pair seemed to be getting along, “I’ve better get going, Mad-Eye’s waiting for me.” she declared, sensing this would be the best time to make her exit, and swiftly made her way out of the room.

Startled by her sudden declaration, (Y/N) turned to follow Tonks, who was already half-way down the stairs, “Wait!” she called, rushing after her friend, “Tonks, hold on!”

Hearing (Y/N)’s yells, Sirius stalked out of his bedroom and quickly followed after them, “Don’t yell,” he hissed, but his warning was ignored. With another cry of her name, Tonks turned, her arms raised warningly towards the curtains which had flown open. The woman in the, now exposed, painting took a singular glance towards Nymphadora Tonks and let out an ear-splitting screech.

“Filth! In my sacred home!” screamed the portrait of Walburga Black, her eyes then narrowing towards her son, “Shame of my flesh! Traitors!”

Sirius, with a swift flick of his hand, closed the long, green curtains and silenced his mother, his previous look of displeasure returning to his face.

“I’m sorry,” apologized (Y/N), looking up at Sirius from the bottom of the stairs, a frown appearing on her face.

“It’s fine,” Sirius replied exasperatedly, “...just don’t scream down the hallway, okay?” he added and retreated towards his room. (Y/N) solemnly watched Sirius leave, her eyes lingering on the curtains of the concealed portrait before turning towards her friend.

“What am I supposed to say to him?” asked (Y/N), gripping Tonks’s wrist before she could get away, “He wasn’t exactly pleased to have someone here.”

Tonks shook her head, patting her friend on the shoulder, “He's just going through some things right now, but he’ll ease up.” she added reassuringly, “I haven’t known him for exceptionally long, but he is part of my family so I know you’ll be alright.”

(Y/N) was aware of their familial connection, having been informed by Tonks before their arrival and she could not deny that this information settled some of her nerves, but not all. However, her trust in Nymphadora Tonks outweighed her suspicions. The two had experienced a lot during their time at Hogwarts and Tonks’s judgment usually supplied positive outcomes.

“I trust you,” (Y/N) said, releasing Tonks’s arm and hugging her, “Good luck with Mad-Eye, show them who's boss”

Tonks laughed as she embraced her former classmate, “As if I don’t do that already,” she stated confidently, reaching for the silver door handle, “But I’ve really got to go, I’m already late.”

(Y/N) nodded and watched Tonks exit the home, taking the time to lock the door before looking back towards the empty stairs. What Tonks had said about Mad-Eye assigning her to Grimmauld Place was not entirely untrue, but she had purposely left out the details of Albus Dumbledore’s involvement.

She was not sure why Dumbledore had sent her to keep an eye on Sirius Black, but she gratefully took the opportunity and packed her bags. But, as she assessed her current situation, (Y/N)’s mind fell on a particularly important thought:

“Where am I going to sleep?”

---

The temperature began to drop during the late weeks of October, and a substantial amount of rainfall washed over the country. Three weeks had passed since (Y/N)’s initial arrival and she found that her time at Grimmauld Place was rather pleasant. Unlike Sirius, (Y/N) could venture out of the home and occasionally found herself at the nearby marketplace, buying ingredients for her meals, or reviewing her books at the cozy coffee shop down the street. However, she also spent a lot of her time, albeit alone, wandering around Grimmauld Place, and learning the history of the ancient Black Family.

Even though she was surrounded by reminders of the Black family, (Y/N) couldn't help noting the unmistakable absence of its last living descendant. The two of them had, surprisingly, enjoyed each other’s company more than they had expected and usually saw each other during mealtimes. Sirius had also, to (Y/N)’s bewilderment, offered his help when he had caught her practicing her Transfiguration.

Despite receiving excellent marks in her examinations, (Y/N) constantly struggled with Human Transfiguration which put a damper on her “Concealment and Disguises” training results. On a particularly stormy night, (Y/N) decided to practice her spell-work in the kitchen, in front of the large mirror that hung in the room. She had successfully transfigured her hair into a shade of cotton candy blue but failed at altering the size of her nose.

Letting out a small gasp of horror and pain, (Y/N)’s hand flew to her face, her fingers grazing the small bump and unusual slant of her new nose. She only viewed her reflection for a split second, nervously covering up her face as her eyes landed on the comically large witch’s nose that had replaced her normal one.

Keeping a hand over her face, (Y/N) flipped through the pages of her book, searching desperately for a counterspell. However, as she ran through her book, the door to the kitchen swung open and someone lazily entered the room.

At first, Sirius did not seem to notice (Y/N). Like her, he was having a particularly tough time falling asleep but hoped a late-night snack would do the trick. However, he quickly became aware of her presence when the noise of her clumsily collapsing into a chair filled the room.

Raising his eyebrows, Sirius poured himself a glass of milk and acknowledged her jittery behavior. “Can’t sleep?” he asked, wiping away the milk droplets collecting at the side of his mouth. Sirius took a second to admire her new hair color, grinning as he added, “I like the new look.”

(Y/N) blushed at the sudden compliment, but nodded her head, a little too enthusiastically, in response, “Y-Yes! But I think I’ll head upstairs now!” she said, rising from her seat.

Although he did not mention it, Sirius knew (Y/N) was practicing her Transfiguration in the kitchen. The open book, specifically on a page regarding “Human Transfiguration and it’s counterspells,” and her wand strewn across the black, tiled floor were enough to confirm his theory. He was also aware that her last spell must’ve malfunctioned and that she was now struggling to revert it. However, he wasn’t sure how she would respond to his assistance and debated his next move.

(Y/N) had never requested his help before, but it was clear to him, due to her obvious distress, that he must do so. Sirius caught her before she could dash out of the room, his fingers delicately wrapping around the wrist of the hand that covered her face. Clearing his throat, he looked down at (Y/N), his grey eyes meeting hers, “Let me see.”

To her surprise, (Y/N) did not tense up at the feel of Sirius’s touch. Instead, she found herself relaxing underneath his unusually comforting gaze. This was only the second time she had stood this close to Sirius, the first being when she arrived, but her heart still beat the same way, thumping loudly against her ribcage. (Y/N) relaxed her arm, letting Sirius guide it away from her face to reveal the heavily crooked nose.

“It’s awful,” murmured (Y/N), turning her face away from his when his eyes widened in shock. She was already embarrassed and having a Senior Member of The Order of the Phoenix witnessing her mistake mortified her.

For the first time in weeks, unable to retain his composure, Sirius Black burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as he doubled over, “I’m sorry,” he forced out, wiping away the tears in his eyes as he smiled down at (Y/N)’s shocked expression, “But that nose makes you look completely ridiculous.”

(Y/N) scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest when he laughed, “I’m perfectly aware of that!” She stated angrily, “I wasn’t trying for a Witch’s nose! I was going for more of a Roman look like the book said” she said, gesturing towards her open book.

“Don’t worry,” added Sirius, retrieving his wand from his pocket, and directing it towards her face, “We’ll try again.” Muttering a spell, Sirius flicked his wand and a flash of blue appeared from the tip. Within seconds, (Y/N) felt her abnormally large nose shrinking to its usual size, enthusiastically turning towards the mirror when the transformation finished.

“Thank you!” she exclaimed happily, picking up her wand from the floor, “But what do you mean we’ll try?” she asked, recalling what he had said.

“It means, I’m going to teach you” started Sirius, lifting up the book from the table, “But we really won’t be needing this,” he added, slamming it shut and tossing it to the side with a large grin, “That is if you want my help.”

(Y/N) considered his proposal, surely having an actual teacher would help her improve since he could give her feedback and he was an experienced wizard. Surely, there was no harm in letting him help.

Nodding eagerly, (Y/N) grinned up at Sirius, “Where do we start?”

But some time had passed since their last encounter and her lessons with Sirius suddenly fell short. (Y/N) had not seen him for a week and was beginning to worry about his well-being. Sirius had stopped sharing his meals with her and refused to come out of his bedroom. During this time, (Y/N) had decided against intruding and hoped he would come around just as Tonks said. But as she sat alone in the kitchen, she began to wonder why Sirius would suddenly disappear.

Taking a glance at the enchanted calendar near the refrigerator, (Y/N) read the date October 29th scrawled at the top. Closing her copy of Moste Potente Potions, she paced around the kitchen, taking a moment to consider the situation.

“Maybe, I can make something to cheer him up,” She thought, scanning through the numerous recipe books, which had collected a substantial amount of dust through the years due to lack of use. (Y/N) picked out a tattered book on baking, running her hand over the hardcover to clean it off. She was not entirely sure what type of treats Sirius would enjoy but got to work with newfound determination.

“After all,” began (Y/N) to no one in particular, taking out a large tray, “Problem-solving is part of being an Auror”

---

Upstairs sat a man clutching an old portrait in his hands, a single tear sliding down the tip of his nose and onto the glass. Sirius lifted his hand and wiped away the tear-stained surface, the smiling face of James Potter throwing him a playful wink with his arm wrapped around Lily Evans.

As the anniversary of their death approached, Sirius Black recalled his final conversations with his best friend, urging him to choose Peter Pettigrew as their secret keeper instead of him. Sirius glared down at his former friend, Peter shyly waving towards the couple as the younger versions of himself and Remus Lupin approaching him bearing wide grins.

“Damn it!” exclaimed Sirius angrily, tossing the picture onto his bed and burying his face in his hands. These intrusive thoughts had plagued Sirius ever since that Halloween night at Godric’s Hollow. How he should’ve realized Wormtail’s odd behavior during their meetings.

How it should’ve been him that perished that night and not his best friends, who had just happily begun their domestic life with their baby boy.

Sirius wished for nothing more than to be able to turn back time and fix everything. But he couldn’t. All he could do was-

“Sirius?” A soft voice called from the other side of the door, a light knock following her voice. Taking a deep breath, Sirius wiped his face, rose from his bed, and stepped towards the door.

(Y/N) stared up at the silver nameplate, nervously tapping her foot as she debated calling his name once again. In her hands, she carried a freshly baked pumpkin pasty on a small silver platter.

“Just act normal,” she thought as she waited for Sirius’s reply, “Be calm.” But despite her constant pep-talks, (Y/N)’s nerves skyrocketed once the door to Sirius’s bedroom swung open.

Right off the bat, she could tell something was wrong. The Sirius that stood before her had puffy, red eyes and bore the expression of someone who had spent a significant amount of time crying.

“Yes?” He asked in a steady voice, one that completely betrayed his appearance.

“W-Well, I was just in the kitchen making some, uh, pumpkin pasties” She started, raising the silver platter, “And I thought since I haven't seen you in a while, that I would bring you one…” (Y/N) hadn’t realized she was no longer looking up at Sirius or that she was tapping her finger nervously against the platter, “Because I was worried… about you” she finished, meeting Sirius’s surprised expression.

Worried? About him? Sirius’s eyes shifted from the delectable treat to (Y/N)’s bright, (e/c) eyes, surprised by her genuine act of kindness. He was not surrounded by thoughtfulness or generosity while he was in Azkaban so having (Y/N), a woman he barely just met, go out of her way for him was undeniably heartwarming. Slowly, he picked up the pasty, enjoying the warmth of the dough radiating into his palm, and took a bite.

The delightful combination of pumpkin puree and cinnamon instantly covering his tastebuds, the dough practically melting in his mouth. He finished his treat and cleaned off the remnants of the pumpkin filling on his fingers. Clearing his throat, Sirius reached out and pulled (Y/N) in for a tight hug, “Thank you,” he uttered, his head resting on top of hers, “and… I’m sorry for making you worry”

(Y/N) gasped when Sirius pulled her in, the feeling of his arms around her waist making her blush instantly. Although she had speculated how Sirius would react, she certainly did not expect him to hug her, much less utter an apology. (Y/N) let her arms wrap around his larger frame, her free hand patting his back lightly, “You don’t have to apologize,” she replied, her head resting against his chest.

“But I do,” Sirius cut in, “I promised I’d help you and all I’ve done is hide....” He said, releasing his grip to look down at her, “And that wasn’t right.”

(Y/N)’s words suddenly failed her, the feeling of Sirius brushing a strand of hair behind her ear made her heart flutter. Sirius smiled down at her before releasing her, “Now, why don’t we go have some more of those delicious pasties?” He joked, gesturing towards the stairs.

“I guess it’s my turn to apologize,” (Y/N) muttered sheepishly, “I kind of made a mess in the kitchen…” but Sirius only laughed at her remarks, stretching his hand out towards her.

“Kreacher will handle the cleanup” he added, “Besides, you’ve done all the baking so it’s natural for you to now.”

“You do make a great point, Black,” (Y/N) replied, a grin spreading across her face as she took Sirius’s hand and followed him down the stairs.

---

It was now early December, and the excitement of the Christmas holidays began to settle over the inhabitants of Grimmauld Place. In a few weeks, Harry Potter would be let out of Hogwarts and Sirius had spent most of his time preparing for his arrival.

When he wasn’t cleaning, Sirius helped (Y/N) with her Transfiguration and often spent their time in the kitchen, searching for recipes they could use on Christmas Day. Today, however, the two of them decided to take a break to relax and enjoy themselves.

In the sitting room, Sirius laid across one of the couches, happily munching on some shortbread cookies they had previously made. (Y/N) sat at the piano, randomly plucking at keys, enjoying the faint sound of the fire crackling from within the fireplace.

“So,” Sirius started, resuming their game of twenty questions, that had now gone past the initial twenty, “Hogwarts House?” He asked, crossing his arms behind his head.

“Oh, we’re back to basics, aren’t we?” (Y/N) joked, earning another laugh from Sirius while she played one final glissando before swiveling on the bench, “I consider myself an observant person and I’ve noticed that you seem to be the only Gryffindor in a home of Slytherins”

Sirius raised a questioning eyebrow, “Your observations would be correct,” he replied, “But, I don’t remember asking what you think my house was” Sirius teased, reaching for another cookie.

“Now, you can’t get upset,” (Y/N) started, playfully raising her hands defensively, “but I was a part of Slytherin house.”

At her words, Sirius choked on his cookie, shot up into a seating position and began coughing up crumbs. Once he caught his breath, he shook his head, “You?! A Slytherin?” He asked in bewilderment, wondering if she was just playing a practical joke on him.

But (Y/N) only nodded confidently, “and I’m proud of it, thank you very much!” She stated, shooting him a wink from her seat at the piano. It was safe to say (Y/N) had grown quite comfortable around Sirius and had no trouble following through her flirtatious remarks.

“Blimey, you really had me fooled,” Sirius laughed, falling back onto the couch, “I never thought a Slytherin would worry as much as you do”

(Y/N) scoffed impishly, placing her hand over her heart, “That hurts, Black. I didn’t take you for the stereotypical type” she quipped, rising from the bench to rest on the couch opposite of Sirius. “Besides,” she added, snatching up a cookie for herself and taking a bite, “I’ve worn my old house scarf plenty of times, I’m surprised you didn’t notice it then.”

Sirius gave a hearty laugh, raising his arms up defensively like she had done before, “Sorry, doll” he apologized, looking over at her with a smirk, “But I’ve been too busy looking at that pretty face of yours to pay attention to some old scarf,” Sirius complimented smoothly, chuckling at the dark blush painting your cheeks.

“Have you always been this charming?” asked (Y/N) in a joking manner, turning on her side so her body was facing Sirius’s.

“That counts as your next question,” Sirius hummed, tapping his index finger against his temple in acknowledgment, “I’d like to say so, I’m quite flattered you find me charming” he admitted while nodding his head contentedly. He turned his head to look at her once again, eyes raking over her body in silent admiration.

Sirius felt odd. He would’ve never imagined that he and (Y/N) would get along so well, much less spend days lounging around until the wee hours staring up at the newly enchanted ceiling getting to know each other. In an attempt to raise Sirius’s spirits, (Y/N) had bewitched the ceiling to resemble the starry night’s sky. Just the two of laying over a blanket with Sirius expertly pointing out the various star clusters until she felt asleep at his side.

He never woke her when she fell asleep. Instead, he scooped her up from the ground and tucked her into her bed without complaints. Sirius didn’t quite understand why, but there was something refreshing about the angelic look of peace on her face and the her soft smile never failed at brightening his mood.

“Do you miss them?” asked (Y/N), redirecting their conversation to the stars above them, “Your family, I mean”

Sirius remained silent, his eyes shifting back towards the bewitched ceiling to find the Leo constellation. He stared up at the brightest star in that formation, the name Regulus scrawled around in tiny cursive letters.

“Some of them,” he replied gloomily, “Sometimes I recall the lousy Pureblood parties I attended when I was younger and remember playing with my brother and cousins… before it all went to shit,” Sirius explained, his eyes trailing over the various constellations to find ‘Andromeda’, “My Mother, on the other hand, was a foul old hag. If I could, I’d remove that portrait of her and burn it to ashes, but it seems she thought ahead and permanently stuck herself to the wall.”

(Y/N) hadn’t expected such an honest reply from Sirius. In all honesty, she thought he would brush her remark to the side or make a joke about how that’s her second question.

“I miss them too,” she added, feeling compelled to share a story of her own, “My parents passed when I was incredibly young, and my older brother disappeared for quite a while. I thought- well, I hoped to find him alive, but when I did… he wasn’t the same,” (Y/N) explained with a frown, “He looked sick, raving about blood-status, how we were all in danger and then I saw it. On his left arm, the Dark Mark on my brother’s arm and I froze, like an imbecile.”

Sirius pulled his eyes away from the ceiling as she told her story, frowning slightly at the glossy eyes that never met his. (Y/N) sniffled slightly, running her index finger underneath her eye to collect the tears that threatened to spill, “He raised his wand at me, he told me I had seen too much and that I couldn’t leave, but I couldn’t react,” She paused to take a deep breath, “But Mad-Eye was there and he finished my brother off before he could hurt me.”

Then she fell silent, sniffling softly before letting out a soft chuckle, “Some way to start off Auror training, right?” joked (Y/N), looking towards Sirius who met her tearful gaze with a solemn expression, “Wow, Sirius…I’ve never seen you look so concerned”

Sirius’s eyes widened slightly and he cleared his throat, tearing his eyes away from hers in embarrassment, “I’m sorry about your brother,” he replied, choosing to ignore her comment, “I know what it’s like to lose one too.” He admitted, looking back at her with a sorrowful smile.

“See, we’re not as different as we thought we were,” (Y/N) declared, sitting up on the couch, “Thank you for telling me about your family,” She said to Sirius, her gaze locked with his, “And for helping me with my magic.”

Sirius smiled softly, rose from his seat on the couch, and walked over to (Y/N), extending a hand out towards her, “No, thank you,” he admitted, “You’ve brought me happiness in this hell hole, I never thought I’d make happy memories here again”

(Y/N) slipped her hand into his and stood up from her seat, “I’m glad I could help,” she breathed, lightly squeezing Sirius’s hand. The two of them stood, hand in hand, in silence, each contemplating their next move. With a small inhale, (Y/N) rose to her tiptoes, pressed her lips against Sirius’s cheek, and quickly slinked out of the room.

Sirius looked back, but he stood alone in the empty room, the tip of his finger trailing the spot where her lips had been.

“Charming” he uttered to himself, letting out a small chuckle before exiting the room with another shortbread cookie in hand.

---

Only a couple of people had taken note of Sirius’s interesting behavior. How he would stand up every time (Y/N) entered or exited a room, how he would slide her chair in while she sat, and how close the two of them would stand whenever they were cooking.

(Y/N) leaned up against the countertops, sipping her hot chocolate as Tonks rambled on about her latest expedition with Moody. She smiled at her friend’s stories, recalling the times in the Clocktower Courtyard where they could only speculate what their future would’ve been like.

“And what about you?” Questioned Tonks, a knowing smile playing at her lips as she leaned in closer to her friend, “Anything interesting to report?”

“Yes, actually,” (Y/N) declared confidently, setting her mug down, “I’ve gotten quite good at human transfiguration and I’m certain I will pass the disguise portion of the exam now.”

Tonks gave a nod of encouragement, but rolled her eyes in disappointment, “Do you ever think about anything else?” She asked teasingly, “Don’t get me wrong, it’s brilliant that you’re focusing on your training, but what else have you done?”

(Y/N) raised her eyebrows inquisitively, “Well-” she cleared her throat, “I’ve gone to the bookstore a couple of times, baked, and I’ve had dinner with Sirius” she started, her mind drifting to the many evenings they had shared together, “Oh, you missed it. We enchanted the ceiling to look like the night’s sky, it would keep moving so you could see all the star constellations, like a large map.” (Y/N) explained dreamily, her eyes twinkling with excitement as she continued, “We would lay in the sitting room talking and then, the next morning I would wake up in my bed with no recollection of ever getting there.”

There was a small pause, “I told him about my brother,” (Y/N) admitted quietly, her eyes trained towards the wooden floorboard, “and he told me about his family, your mum,” she added, looking back to meet Tonks’s gaze, “and his brother.”

Tonks looked extremely surprised, she pursed her lips momentarily before awkwardly scratching the back of her neck, “I never expected him to tell you that,” she admitted dejectedly, but a smile quickly replaced her sad expression, “Sirius is a good man, Remus tells me stories from when they were at school together,” she explained excitedly, “It’s a good thing we weren’t walking the corridors together”

The schoolmates laughed wholeheartedly, holding each other’s hands as they finished their hot chocolate, “I reckon we would’ve given them a run for their money if we did,” she added with a wink and the two friends embraced.

“Merry Christmas, Tonks,” (Y/N) muttered, tightening her arms around her friend and Tonks did so in response.

“Merry Christmas, and to many more” grinned Tonks, “Maybe we’ll both be Aurors by the next one” she joked, nudging her on the side as people flooded into the kitchen.

(Y/N) smiled towards the people settling into their seats, her eyes scanning the room for Sirius, but he was nowhere in sight. The Weasley Twins crowded their mother, making jokes about carrying the pots to the table as she refused their help. Tonks moved towards Molly, taking the tray off her hands, and giving her a sympathetic smile as they set the table.

Taking advantage of the commotion, (Y/N) slipped out of the room to find Sirius. After having spent four months with him in Grimmauld Place, she had a strong inkling as to where Sirius could be.

“Sirius?” She called, peeking her head curiously into the drawing room where, as she expected, Sirius stood. He was staring towards a burn mark on the wall, his fingers tracing over the charred remains before acknowledging her.

“It’s astonishing how much you worry,” chuckled Sirius, looking over his shoulder to shoot a wink at her. (Y/N) scoffed, but smiled as she sauntered into the room, “It’s Christmas, you know. The day you’ve been dreaming about these past few weeks,” she spoke in a sing-song voice, slowly approaching Sirius with each word.

Sirius turned fully, spreading his arms out as he did so, “How do you know what I’ve been dreaming about?” He asked, a devilish grin appearing on his face.

“Hm, I believe I recall telling you I’m an excellent legilimens,” She said in mock ponderment, but giving herself into his embrace, “We’re waiting on you, you know?” She added, inhaling deeply to take in that sweet smell of smoky sugar she had grown so fond of.

“We shouldn’t keep them waiting then,” Sirius whispered, twirling the ends of her hair between his fingers. Merlin, but he could stay here forever just with her in his arms, a sweet smell of cinnamon filling his lungs as they embraced.

“Yes, you’re right,” She agreed, stepping out of his grip, and heading towards the doorway. Sirius slinked after her, his eyes flickering up towards the door frame, “Wait a minute,” he blurted out without thinking, making (Y/N) halt right underneath it. With a sheepish smile, he walked up towards her and reached down to grab her hand, pressing a kiss against the back of it and meeting her starry-eyed expression. His other hand was gripping his wand, discreetly flicking up towards the ceiling to re-enchant the drawing room ceiling.

“The stars are wonderful, aren’t they?” Sirius muttered, running his fingers against her palm until their hands were firmly pressed together. (Y/N)’s eyes instinctively shifted upwards, catching sight of the twinkling stars rotating throughout the ceiling.

Her eyes, however, caught sight of something else, something much smaller hanging from the ceiling. No- hanging from the doorway was a small plant with a cluster of white berries all around it. Her mouth fell open as she stared up at the plant, “Mistletoe…” she breathed out, meeting Sirius’s gaze with a dark blush painting her cheeks, “Was that your doing too?” She asked teasingly, nudging his shoulder with a small smile.

Sirius let out a noise of feigned pain, clicking his tongue as he smiled down at her, “That hurts, Doll. You know I have more honor than that,” He mused, pulling her into another embrace, “But,” he cleared his throat, hoping he did not misread their situation, “If you don’t want to, we can just pretend it never-“

“Are you mad?” (Y/N) cut him off, placing her hands on either side of Sirius’s face, “Stop talking, Sirius and just do it,” she urged, leaning her face closer to his, but refusing to close the gap between them.

Sirius didn’t mind, he preferred to make the first move either way, “As you wish,” he replied and rested his hand against her cheek, pulling her in for a gentle kiss. Her heart beat growing faster and faster as Sirius’s handsome face came up to her own. Their lips brushed together for a moment before completely dipping down and capturing her lips in a sweet kiss.

Their fingers locking together as her body pressed closer to his. Sirius placed his hand against her waist, keeping her close while their lips melted together and he could only focus on how soft her lips felt against her mouth, how addictively she invaded all his senses. (Y/N) could have sworn time had stopped when his lips met hers and she was only brought back to reality when he pulled away, his finger trailing delicately over the apple of her pink cheek.

“I think we’ve kept them waiting long enough now,” Sirius announced, flicking his wand towards the ceiling to make the stars disappear, his hand still gripping hers gently, “Don’t you agree?”

“Yes, you’re quite right,” She replied with a subtle nod of her head, “I suppose we should go”

Sirius smiled, leaned down, and pressed a kiss against her forehead. Retrieving his hand from hers and gesturing towards the stairs, which she descended first. The two of them slipped into the fully decorated kitchen, both smiling at the group of people seated at the long table as they settled into empty seats.

“What took you so long?” asked Tonks, gently shoving (Y/N)’s shoulder when she sat down.

But (Y/N) only smiled at her question, her eyes flickering towards Sirius and meeting his mischievous gaze as he lifted his wine glass towards her and brought it to his lips. The smile on her face only grew and she quickly shot him a wink before looking back towards Tonks.

“Oh, nothing,” She lied, happily poking at her dinner with her fork, “Just making sure Buckbeak was comfortable”

Tonks squinted towards her, but decided her answer was good enough… for now. (Y/N), however, had no intention of revealing what happened upstairs and spent the rest of the evening with the lingering feeling of Sirius’s lips ghosting over hers.

As they all bid their goodnights, (Y/N) climbed up into her room and caught sight of Sirius closing his door. But before he did, he raised his hand up to his lips and blew a kiss in her direction, his signature smirk appearing at his lips. (Y/N) pretended to catch the floating kiss, playfully bringing it to her cheek and laughing when Sirius did.

“Merry Christmas, (Y/N).”

“Merry Christmas, Sirius.”

And with that, the two of them closed their bedroom doors. Simultaneously, albeit unknowingly, flopping onto their mattresses with grins of satisfaction plastered over their faces. It didn’t take long for them to fall asleep, but the two of them had the same thought as they went…

“What would it be like to fall asleep in each other’s arms?”

#wow this was literally 14 pages #I need to shorten my stories bro lol #Sirius Black #sirius black x reader #hogwarts mystery #hogwarts fanfic #hogwarts imagine #Harry Potter #harry potter and the order of the pheonix #hogwarts mystery fanfic #hogwarts mystery fanfiction #harry potter fanfiction #sirius black x slytherin reader #sirius black x y/n #sirius x y/n #sirius black x you #harry potter imagine #harry potter imagines #imagine

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vanillann · 3 years

Text

from stars to the balcony (b.b)

a/n: this is based off the prompt “Either Bucky or Reader are feeling down (in any way, sad, angry, angsty, whatever), there is a power blackout and the other one notices that now you can see the stars, fluff” by @emmabarnes !

word count: 2.3k

bucky barnes masterlist

I could feel my legs burn from pacing the length of my room, my finger toying with the sleeve of my long sleeve. The tea I had made earlier sat on the table but I had long forgotten about it, the conversation from the kitchen was replying too fast.

I was fired, I didn’t have a job. I had bills to pay but no income for the moment. It was because of downsizing, which meant I could get unemployment, but still. I had been working at this job since I was fresh out of college and now I was left to rot in my own self pity.

I pulled my shirt closer to my skin, hoping it would absorb into my skin. As soon as I got the call I turned the heat down, hoping it would save some money. I rubbed my hand up and down my face, trying to think something over in my head but I was too stuck.

The busy street of Brooklyn was calmer than normal, something I was thankful for. I didn’t want to listen to stranger arguments or drunk girl giggles tonight, I didn’t want to even hear my own thoughts. I picked up the tea cup, walking back over the microwave and placing it in the center. I punched in the numbers, turning to lean on. my counter as I rocked on my heels.

I wanted to scream, but I didn’t need a noise complaint either and considering the man next door always got home late, I had only seen his face and I recognized his face immediately but I said nothing, it wasn’t my business.

Suddenly the calming sound of my microwave had stopped, the little lamp in the corner of the was out and I already knew what had happened, This is why this place had 3 stars. I pulled at the shirt to cover my hands, hoping that would change something but I could already fill the cold air rush over my cheeks.

I turned to open the microwave, smiling, then I noticed the tea had a light smoke falling out the top, dancing in the pitch back air with a little heat rushing to my face. I held it closer, finding one of the many candles I had bought forever ago and lit it in the center of the room.

I would’ve scrolled through my phone for a minute but I didn’t need my data bill going up. The soft blanket my cousin had knitted me was wrapped tightly around me and I could already feel myself warming. I looked around the room, trying to find a book I hadn’t read or something to do when I noticed the clear sky. It made me wonder why the power even went out, my curiosity getting the best of me as I pulled the blanket closer and warmed my hands on the tea. I grabbed the metal handle of the door, opening it just enough to slip through before I rested my hands on the edge. I looked down for a second, the sidewalk only had a few people on it and there were only taxis on the street.

“You aren’t jumping, are ya?”

I turned around swiftly, spotting the silhouette of a person on the balcony beside me. He had a hat pulled down to cover his face, he was wearing a thin long sleeve and pants, definitely not bundled up in the cold breeze of Brooklyn.

I had to remind myself who he was, superheroes don’t freeze in New York city.

“Oh no, no,” I repeated the words quickly, finding I had leaned over slightly to look at the city below better.

“Just checking, wouldn’t want to explain that to the cops.”

I winched when I realized what he meant, they would think he did it.

“Your name is James, right?” I decided having a conversation with the man from next door never hurt anyone, although I noticed the book in his lap and I didn’t think he’d respond, I wouldn’t blame him.

“Yeah, but most people call me worse names.”

I frowned, moving to the corner closer to him so I wouldn’t have to talk as loud. This felt like a lot more intimate conversation.

“I’ve been called so pretty bad things, doesn’t mean they're true.”

He didn’t respond, I suppose he didn’t wanna get into it with a stranger.

“What book ya reading?”

“Hunger something,” he moved it slightly so I could see part of the cover. I smiled when I recognized the gold bird across the dark cover.

“The Hunger Games! I really enjoyed that one,” I turned back to look out at the sky, “I’ve watched the movies one too many times.”

“They made movies?”

I was about to yelp but I managed to hold it back, I had forgotten not everyone was obsessed with these things.

“Yeah, four of ‘em,” I could hear my own voice jump a few octavos, he was probably so annoyed with me.

“Oh,” I saw him nod out the corner and I decided I should shut up and let him continue his reading. It was only fair because if someone had interrupted me I’d probably pull a Katniss and shot them with a bow and arrow.

I let my eyes drift over the closed stores, the light around the area was out and it made me feel better. We weren't the only place without power. The few people on the sidewalk were gone and I watched the last taxi drive off with two giggling girls who were wearing those “I Heart NY” shirts. I always loved counting those as a kid, feeling a strange pride from being from New York.

“You must be from around here.”

There was his voice giving me a heart attack again. If he didn’t keep catching me off guard I would admire how rough and powerful it sounded, like he could tell you to sit and you’d do it like a sad puppy waiting for a treat.

“Yeah, Buffalo but I visited Brooklyn a lot, how’d ya know?” I turned slightly so I could look at him when I spoke, since he seemed to actually want to talk.

“Only people from New York would be amazed by the clear sky, I used to hate how you could never see the stars,” I watched him place the book to the side, standing up and leaning against his own railing. The faint light from the few buildings that had power flashed across his face. He was taller than I remembered and his hair was longer, pulled into a little ponytail at the nape of his neck. I watched him tip his hat up slightly, I could actually see his eyes.

“I didn’t even notice the stars,” I turned back to look at the stars in question, smiling when I could see all the consolation that people would point out in chessy movies.

“I was amazed I could see any, kinda glad the power went out.”

He shrugged so carelessly, something about the demeanor suited him.

“I wish I could say the same,” I whispered against the wind, trying to push the feeling I had earlier from my body completely but I knew that was impossible.

It was silent for a second like we both didn’t want to scare the stars from the sky.

“I never learned any of the consolations.”

I smiled this time when he spoke because he was trying to keep the conversation alive.

“Can’t say I have either,” I turned back to admire him, the way he looked at the stars like it was everything to him.

“That one looks like it would be a Latin name,” he pointed to a cluster of stars like he was pointing at a cloud and telling someone it looked like an elephant when it definitely didn’t. Instead of calling him out I smiled, turning and letting my own eyes ranked over the millions of stars.

“That one looks really important, you know like it comes out every two hundred years,” my finger extended to point at a few stray stars that seemed to shine brighter than the rest, but I doubted that.

“Wonder if you’re right,” I could hear a slight chuckle in his voice as if he knew something I didn’t but it was more than likely he did.

“If I am then you owe me ten bucks,” my own laughs filled in behind his own, the once silent streets were long gone as James pointed to a different star.

“That one looks like you.”

“How can someone look like a star,” I kept laughing, looking at the stars he was talking about.

“I don’t know, but you do.”

I felt his eyes watch me but I didn’t have it in me to look at him, just watching the star that apparently looked like me. A large, duller star sat beside it but as it moved it seemed to grow brighter.

“That one is you then,” I pointed, smiling when I heard him scoff.

“That feels like a burn!”

I laughed, smiling as the breeze spread over my body and I couldn’t help but pull the blanket closer. I wanted to go in, because while it wasn’t much warmer it was something, but picking out stars with this man next door was a lot of fun.

I didn’t expect to enjoy the powerless night so much, but I was suddenly just as happy about it.

“I think that is Sirius, the dog star,” the nerd in me jumped out, laughing when I heard him slam his hand slightly on the rail. I said nothing of the mental on mental sound, I knew some things that happen in pop culture.

“I thought you didn’t know about this stuff!”

“I don’t, I just like Harry Potter,” I shrugged, looking back at his face. The few lights that were once on were off down, the only reason I saw any of his face was street lamps and the moon itself. I enjoyed watching his eyebrows raise, disappearing under the brim of his hat.

“I think Banner mentioned that once,” I don’t think he meant for me to hear and I thought best not to talk about his line of work, I definitely wouldn’t want to have to talk about mine if he asked.

“Probably, book and movie series.”

He nodded, both our eyes filtered back to the night sky that hung above us. It was enchanting to say the least, two kids from the city looking up at the sky like they lived in the country.

“You seemed stressed when you came out, do you feel any better?”

For the first time tonight, he asked a question I didn’t want to answer. I didn’t want to talk about any of my feelings from inside my small apartment, that was too real for the boy next door. Out here was light and airy, no stuffy matter allowed.

“Yeah, but I’d rather not talk about it.”

“I wasn’t planning on asking, just wanted to make sure you were feeling better.”

Anyone else would have been offended. He wasn't planning to ask but I respected it. He understood not to ruin a good moment like this, not now. Keep it light while it can be, because the second things get heavy the feeling is gone, I needed a light moment for this single second. If he wanted to knock on my door in the morning and ask then, fine, but now wasn’t the time and I was thankful we saw the same thing.

Another breeze brushed over my skin, a chill running up my skin and I frowned when the mug was no longer hot. I heard a pop from behind me and I turned to notice my lamp was back on.

The power was back, which meant the moment was gone.

“Well, power is back,” he awkwardly pointed over his shoulder at the building, his own apartment didn’t have much light but I assumed he was out here before the power went out,

“Yeah, I should probably head in,” I knew it would be warmer, but I felt as if my body was so much calmer out here.

“Yeah.”

We watched each other for a minute, I took my last glance at the boy with the beat up hat and the laugh of a Greek God.

“Night James,” I waved over my shoulder, holding the mug to my chest and grabbing the freezing door handle.

“Night (Y/N).”

I slipped back in the apartment, smiling when the little heat crashed onto my freezing cheeks, the contrast nice for the first few seconds. I set the mug down, blowing out the candle as my apartment now smelt like apple cider, which was just as calming. I missed the moments on the balcony but I was happy for the heat. I moved around my apartment, fixing my alarm clock and resetting a few other things after the power outages. I had just replugged the wifi router when I heard a little knock at my door. I assumed it was the landlord to tell me the power was back, obviously. I slid across the floor, swinging it open as I was prepared to lean on the door frame. I felt myself frown, not out of sadness but confusion as I realized who it was.

“James?”

He pulled his hand out his pocket, holding out ten dollars with a little shrug.

“Some crazy eclipses thing is happening tonight, hasn’t happened in two hunder and nine years.”

I couldn’t stop the large smile that graced my lips as I reached out to pull the ten-dollar from his grip, smiling more when he lingered in the doorway for a second.

“The tea you had looked good,” he rocked back and front of his feet, his eyes downcast to his shoes.

“Like a mug of it?” He looked up, smiling as I opened the door wider from him.

“If you insist.”

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sirrriusblack · 4 years

Text

Asdhfkfdgh haPPy biRtHdAy @moonscarsandstars !!! I hope you like this and I’m sorry it’s short but happy birthday!!!

“Heyyy, Remus,” Sirius called from the door, his voice squeaking. Remus froze from his spot on the couch.

“What did you do?” he asked, turning to face the front door. Sirius looked offended. He was only halfway in the apartment, his left side still tucked around the corner in the hall.

“Nothing!” he insisted, his voice reaching even higher. Remus rolled his eyes and placed the book he’d been reading down on the coffee table.

“Why is half of you still outside?” he asked, gesturing to Sirius’... situation. He stood and walked over to the kitchen, still in view of Sirius. He put the kettle on the stove.

“I’m just…” Sirius was glancing around the room like McGonagall was about to catch him in the castle after hours. Remus smirked. “I’m just enjoying the two different temperatures.” The two different temperatures? That was all he could think of? Remus shook his head and pulled out two tea bags and two mugs. He didn’t say anything, instead opting on silence until Sirius finally cracked.

The silence, though, gave room to another noise. The kettle started squealing on the stove, and before Remus could lift it, there was another noise. A loud, low bark. No one in their building owned a dog. Remus raised his eyebrows.

“Oh my gosh, okay, fine, I got a dog!” Sirius shouted, stepping into the room finally. Behind him followed a baby golden retriever, maybe the size of the kettle itself, which Remus took off the stove. He felt his eyes widen.

“I sent you to go get milk!” Remus exclaimed, looking at the half-ready tea on the counter. “Please don’t be mad, I was going to the grocery store and then I passed the pet shop and they had a sign saying they had puppies and I went to give them pats and forehead kisses and he jumped into my arms, Remus! Into my arms!” Sirius was fretting, meanwhile the puppy was sitting next to him, looking up at Remus with his tongue hanging out. Remus almost melted. “You’re not yelling?” Sirius asked. Remus dropped to his knees.

“Oh, hello darling,” he tapped the floor and the puppy moved forward carefully, sniffing Remus’ extended hand. After a brief moment he jumped up onto Remus lap and licked his cheek, leaving a slimy wet patch that Remus wiped off with his sleeve. “His ears are so soft,” he said, looking up at a confused Sirius. The dog curled up on Remus’ lap. Sirius lowered himself to the ground with them, crossing his legs. He still held the dog’s red lead in his hand. Remus unclasped it from his collar.

“Wait so… you’re not mad?” Sirius asked. Remus was scratching the dog’s back.

“How could I be? He’s so gosh darn cute,” he replied, kissing the puppy’s face. Sirius grinned, shuffling closer.

“Good, because I didn’t get milk,” he said, joining in on the pats. Remus rolled his eyes.The puppy rolled over to get tummy scratches and a noise Remus couldn’t explain escaped his mouth.

“So we’re keeping him?” Sirius asked. Remus nodded, maybe a bit too enthusiastically.

“I’m glad you like him,” Sirius said, smiling at the puppy. Remus looked up at Sirius.

“Yes, well, apparently I have a thing for dogs,” he said, winking and Sirius laughed.

#happppyyyyy birthdayyyyyy!#wolfstar fluff #that temperature thing was literally because i couldn’t think of an excuse like a dumbass #oh and i was gonna name the doggo but..#im a dumbass yet again #sirius black #remus lupin #wolfstar #my writing #:)))

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shadowturtlesstuff · 3 years

Text

New years

So it's 12:10 as I post this. First post of the year. Anyway @fangirling-again check your inbox, enjoy a rare happy fic and you know another year stuck with me

As for my followers. I hope this year is good for everyone! ❤

Audrey Rose is stunning. As always. But tonight she dons an elegant gown, a light yellow that grows deeper further down the dress, with gems on the skirts that flicker whenever she twirls and it catches the light in the most dazzling way. It is almost as dazzling as her smile. She stands with her father, laughing about the new year I presume. Dacina organized a party for all to attend, I've barely been with my wife for we both keep getting pulled into conversations with family and friends. I smile at my wife, thankful for the change in her relationship with her father. After everything the Wadsworth family have faced it must be both a relief and a slight pain to be standing here together.

"Thomas?" Dacina appears in front of me and I wince, we were in the middle of a conversation and I quite clearly stopped listening. "I know how difficult it is to be apart for five minutes from the one you love but you could at least pretend to pay attention to me." I laugh at her teasing tone. It's a lot harder for her to be with Illeana, but I've noticed her own glances and her lack of attention to anything but her girlfriend.

"You should dance with her, " I begin and both panic and longing fills her eyes as she begins to interject, "it is your party sister, and I'm about to ask my wife to dance so everyone will be watching us anyway." I wink before placing a kiss atop her head and walking over to my wife.

"Thomas!" Edmund Wadsworth says, clapping a hand on my shoulder. I ignore my wife's strange looks, she can never quite believe I convinced her father to let her leave for Romania. If I hadn't we would've had such a different life. I'd still marry her, but that is beside the point.

"I'm afraid I have to steal your daughter away, just for a song." I tell him and then offer my hand. She grabs it instantly and her hand fits so perfectly in mine. He kisses her cheek and let's us walk towards the dance floor. I try and find my sister here, but spot her near the buffet table with Illeana. They are in deep conversation but look happy nonetheless.

"Hi." is all I say, suddenly dumbfounded as we position ourselves to dance. Red no doubt stains my cheeks and I wince at how awkward I've become to my own wife. She merely laughs and offers her own hi.

"Now would be the perfect time to tell me how handsome I look, my love." I recover and she rolls her eyes. We slowly move to the music, and I try to make my heart match the beat instead of one that threatens to burst from my chest. Only my Wadsworth can make me feel like this.

"You look… " she waits, feigning thinking of the correct words "decent, husband." I bring a hand to my chest stopping our dance as I pretend to be offended. Her head shakes from amusement and her dark curls fall from her hair. I brush it back, keeping my hand on her face, caressing her. It is her turn to blush as her own hand finds mine and we begin moving again.

"Now would be the time to tell me how good I look." she uses my words against me. 'Good' is an understatement. She looks like heaven. I hum, pretending I haven't heard and lean in for a kiss. Her lips are warm, breath shaking as we stay inches away from each other, only existing to each other.

"You look magnificent, dazzling, beautiful, radiant. Need I go on? Prefect, magnetic, fierce, elegant." I add before she interrupts me. Her eyes are transfixed on mine. We dance slowly and faintly I hear people shout a countdown for the new year, but my only thought is of my wife. As it often is. But it makes me happy that I get to be holding her, dancing closely with my wife as we start a new year. She presses her lips to mine at what I assume is one due to the cheering. I press her closer, all thoughts on her. She pulls back first, eyes wide and face flush. Beautiful. I move away to try and contain my thoughts and try and think of anything but her.

6328÷435=14.57

13469÷342=39.28

I attempt a tactic to distract my brain-that has never once worked- so I do not keep kissing my wife for the rest of our lives. Audrey Rose laughs at me, I assume she figured out what I'm doing. I move my hands down her arms and take her hands in mine, the feeling of such content fills me. I have the perfect wife, her family accepts and loves me in their own way. I have dacina- I look for her in the crowd and find her dancing with Illeana near the edge of the room, amongst cheering people, families embracing and couples celebrating. They are lost in each other and it makes me happy that she took my advice. For once she listened to her older brother. I point them out to Wadsworth and she leans into me smiling.

"Happy new year, Cresswell." I barely hear her over the noise as we make our way to her uncle and father, both of whom are talking, a sight we rarely see. Audrey Rose tugs me and we wait not wanting to impose. Her grip tightens on me and I look down to find her with glassy eyes."It's a miracle ." I whisper to her and she laughs. Hopefully this means they will be less aggravated with each other. Over the last couple of years they are working to fix their relationship; not just for Audrey roses sake either. We watch them embrace quickly and Audrey Rose nearly squeals in delight. I make us move towards them as they both sit back down. We take our seats at the table. Audrey Rose and her father being talking and I try and find my sister again but find uncle Jonathan's stare instead. I smile at him and for once he returns it.

"I'm proud of you Thomas, I'm glad you came into our lives." he tells me as it's the most obvious thing in the world. As though him saying that doesn't make my breath hitch. I have come to see him as a fatherly figure since my own cannot be bothered to be one.

"I'm glad I did too." my hand tighten on my glass of champagne and I look up to find my wife's eyes in me already. I look forward to another adventure with her. For a lifetime full of adventures with my family.

@city-of-fae @padfoot-sirius-black @goatahoan @dandererfox

I forgot my tags again in sorry. I'm gonna have to make a list soon. So let me know if you want to be tagged.

#ctd #efh #hpd #sjtr #audrey rose wadsworth #cressworth #thomas cresswell #Kerri maniscalco #Btdp #First fic of the year #Unedited #Oops #Enjoy!

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pellucidity-is-me · 2 years

Text

See You in September

Summary: It’s Remus Lupin’s last day of his first year, and he has a few stops to make before he rides the train home for the holiday.

Wordcount: 3489

The Marauders raced each other down to the Great Hall for the final time (fortunately, Madam Pomfrey wasn't around; she'd have murdered Remus for trying to run so soon after the full moon, even though he lost the race by a very large margin). They sat down, breathing heavily and laughing, and watched Professor Dumbledore take his place at the front of the Hall. He held up his wand. Golden sparks shot from the tip, and the Hall went quiet.

"This wouldn't be much of a school without fierce, violent House competition," said Dumbledore grandly. "And on that note, I would like to congratulate the winners of the House Cup... Slytherin! Slytherin, incidentally, also won the Quidditch Cup. Let us all show our appreciation!"

Everyone clapped. Peter, James, and Sirius did not. Remus tried to clap (if only to annoy his friends), but James and Sirius nearly jumped over the table to tackle him and he had to stop.

"The points are as follows: Slytherin has five hundred ninety-three, Hufflepuff has four hundred seventy-one, Ravenclaw has four hundred sixty, and Gryffindor has..." Dumbledore stopped. "Well. This is most unusual. Gryffindor has forty-eight-point-seven-three points. Congratulations, Hogwarts!"

Remus was laughing so hard that he nearly fell out of his chair. The room roared with cheers and applause—Remus hated the noise, but he loved everything else.

Dumbledore continued speaking; though his voice was quiet, it carried throughout the Great Hall clearly. "This year has been a good one, full of unexpected surprises, troublemaking—" James nudged Sirius and grinned— "and friends. We bid goodbye to our seventh-years and look forward to the brand-new first-years who will our halls in September. And, finally, I would like to commend whomever has drawn moustaches on all of the Slytherin decorations—wonderful curlicues. Have a marvelous summer, and..." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled once more. "a marvelous feast! Tuck in!"

Remus glanced up at the Slytherin banners. Indeed, each one of the fabric snakes was sporting a curly moustache. Remus grinned as James and Sirius and Peter laughed. He wasn't going to ask how they'd managed that.

The feast was delicious, and Remus forced himself to eat more than he expected he could hold. Dessert was wonderful, but the sweetest part by far was the lighthearted banter with his friends. He loved Hogwarts.

After supper, everyone retired to their dormitories, and Remus didn't have a single nightmare that night.

What was Greyback and the full moon compared to this indescribable joy? For another three and a half minutes, Remus forgot completely that he was a werewolf.

A new record!

~o0o~

The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had helped Remus quite a lot that year—even though he’d been quite snarky and crass at times, he had given Remus private duelling lessons and hadn’t cared about his condition one bit. Remus thought that a bit of a thank-you was in order.

So, the next day, Remus stopped by Professor Questus' room one final time and knocked on the door. He heard Professor Questus sigh dramatically and was a little offended, but Questus opened the door for him anyway. "Lupin," he said, and he didn't seem happy at all to see him. "What do you want?"

"Er..." Remus wasn't sure what to say. "Well, yesterday was Thursday, and two days before that it was Tuesday..."

"Astute observation. I'm glad you still know the days of the week."

"Erm, yeah..."

"Impressive considering you were an animal only a couple of days ago."

Okay, that had been a little uncalled for—even for Questus. Remus swallowed his embarrassment and asked, "You don't want me to make up a duelling lesson?"

"Best not," said Questus. "I'm busy." He tried to shut the door, but Remus put his hand out.

"Wait."

Questus raised his eyebrows. "Lupin, I am very busy."

"What is it? What aren't you telling me? I know there's something." Remus tried to peer into the classroom, thinking that perhaps a clue lied therein, but Questus blocked his way. "You've been acting weird lately. You said you had good news a while ago, but you never told me what it was, and now you're acting like you don't want me here at all, even though you've seemed pretty happy to see me lately..."

Questus sighed again, even more dramatically this time. "You're too observant for your own good," he said. "It's going to get you into trouble one day. You're lucky I'm so forgiving." Remus laughed a little at that, and Questus' lips twitched in vague amusement. "Come in, if you really must."

Remus walked into the classroom hesitantly, and—for a moment—he thought that perhaps he was in the wrong one. The walls were bare, the floor was swept, and every stray item had been packed. There was no bookshelf... no green lamp on Professor Questus' desk... no desks at all. In fact, the only thing that Remus could see in the room was a stack of boxes pushed up against the wall.

"Are you moving classrooms?" Remus asked, knowing full well that it wasn't custom to remove all the furniture at the end of the year.

"More like moving jobs," said Questus abruptly.

Remus blinked. "What?"

"I'd tell you to take a seat, but there's really no place to sit," said Questus. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I didn't want to tell you. Didn't want to tell anyone, actually; it's a lot easier to disappear without saying anything. But the Ministry offered me my job back... and I accepted, obviously. This may come as a surprise, but I never liked children, and I'm definitely not trained as a teacher."

"Oh," breathed Remus. "So that was the good news that you heard in April? That's why you were so happy?"

"Yep. I've officially been reinstated as an Auror." He snorted. "With the rise of Dark activity, the Ministry has decided that a few childish insults towards one Orion Black is no longer a substantial reason to sack someone from the Department."

"Congratulations," said Remus timidly. Even though he knew he was being a bit selfish, he didn't really want Questus to go.

"Oh, don't be like that. You sound so disappointed. Being a teacher was never really in my plans, and I wasn't a very good one."

"I thought you were."

"Don't flatter me. If I was good with you, it's because you don't annoy me half to death. Most people do. You know, I made twelve students cry this year, some of whom were seventh-years."

Remus wanted to laugh, but he didn't feel it was appropriate. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked. He'd never admit it, but he was a bit hurt. Questus had known since April, yet he'd never said a word. Hadn't he known that he was Remus' best outlet for werewolf-related topics? Hadn't he known that duelling lessons were often the highlights of Remus' day? Remus was sure that Questus had known these things; he always seemed to be able to guess whatever Remus was thinking. Yet he hadn't said a word—hadn't even dropped any hints—and he'd been about to leave without even alerting Remus beforehand. "You were really just going to leave without saying anything?" Remus asked, and it was a bit embarrassing how quiet his voice was.

"It's not like we're best mates, Lupin. I don't owe you information. You're a first-year."

"Yeah, but..."

"I wasn't about to tell the whole class, and I'm not supposed to have favorites. Special treatment is a no-no."

"Of course, but..." That was ridiculous. Remus had already been getting special treatment for months. He'd been getting private lessons, for heaven's sake. "You helped a lot, you know."

"You had literally nowhere to go but up," said Questus, and it was such a Questus-y comment that Remus was hit with the sudden urge to ask—beg—force him to stay. Somehow. He wasn't sure how. It wasn't as if he could win a duel against him or anything.

Questus rolled his eyes. "Please don't ruin this for me, Lupin. It's supposed to be a happy occasion, you know. I hated this school when I was a student, and I hate it now. I just..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I know that we spent a lot of time together, I know I probably should have said something, and it really wouldn't have been fair to you if you came back next year and got the news with absolutely no warning, but... I'm not good at goodbyes. Or hellos. Or any social situation, really. So I wanted to avoid it." He shrugged. "And I really don't regret not saying anything. It would have been just as awkward then as it is now, and I was sure you could handle it."

Remus nodded, even though he didn't agree. He didn't think it was fair at all for Questus to leave without even saying anything. He couldn't imagine Hogwarts next year without Professor Questus visiting him after full moons and giving him lessons, giving him duelling lessons every Tuesday and Thursday, or letting him come by the DAD classroom when he needed someone to yell at him until he felt better. What was Hogwarts going to be like without Questus to not-pity and not-coddle and not-fuss-over? What was it going to be like without Questus' blunt questions and sound reasoning? He'd helped Remus look at things from a new angle, he'd helped Remus stop being ridiculous, and he'd even let Remus sit in his office during the Quidditch game. Without all that, Hogwarts would be miserable. And who would teach DADA?

"I suppose Madam Pomfrey is happy," Remus murmured, and Questus laughed.

"She doesn't know yet. Only Dumbledore, actually. So she'll be in for quite the treat next year. You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"No," said Remus. "Not if you don't want me to."

"And I suppose you know how to keep a secret."

Remus laughed, albeit weakly. "We'll see how much longer that lasts."

Questus frowned. "I don't have to tell you to be careful. But if you have a problem, I suggest you talk to Dumbledore—since I know you used to come to me."

Remus nodded.

"It's odd, isn't it? Being so close to your teachers since you can't get too close to your classmates."

Remus nodded again.

"Well. I should probably get to the Ministry headquarters now; I'm expected in twenty minutes. So, here's the part that I wanted to avoid..." He stuck out his hand. "Remus Lupin. Pleasure knowing you."

Remus shook it hesitantly. "Likewise, Professor."

"Ah, don't call me that. Not anymore." He looked at Remus intensely, still gripping his hand, and Remus was afraid to pull away. "I suppose my closing statement is... don't do anything stupid. That sums it up."

"As you are no longer my teacher," said Remus, smiling now, "I have half a mind to warn you of the same thing."

Questus let go of Remus' hand and suddenly started laughing hard. "I shall stay very far away from Orion Black from now on," he promised. "Merlin's beard. I should probably leave right away, now that I know I'm not safe from your cheek."

And so Auror John Questus left Hogwarts both suddenly and mysteriously, and Remus was left with many questions, much confusion, the odd lingering feeling that he hadn't seen the last of him.

And, despite the slight manipulation, the constant curiosity, the blunt statements, and the fact that he'd blasted Remus into a wall multiple times during their duelling lessons and quite often insulted him because of his condition...

Remus had liked Professor Questus.

~o0o~

Remus had two more stops to make before the train ride, and the first one required him to enter a place he'd never wanted to visit ever again.

He knocked on the door of the Hospital Wing, and he could hear Madam Pomfrey grumbling about students who hurt themselves just before getting on the train. When she opened the door and saw Remus standing there sheepishly, she stopped grumbling immediately. "Lupin!" she exclaimed, already pressing the back of her hand to his forehead. Remus wrinkled his nose and tried to push her away, but she wasn't having it. "Why on earth are you here? Are you feeling unwell after all? Don't worry about it; we'll get you home tomorrow if you need another day in the Hospital Wing..."

"No!" said Remus. "No, I'm riding the train."

"Then why are you here? If you're injured then I must insist you stay, since you're already delicate from the full moon..."

"I'm not delicate!" said Remus. "I just... I wanted to say goodbye."

Madam Pomfrey blinked. "Pardon?"

"Goodbye. I wanted to say goodbye. And thank you."

"I'm just doing my job," said Madam Pomfrey, putting her hand over her heart. "But you're very kind, Mr. Lupin."

"Just doing your job? You've only saved my life about ten times," said Remus with a grin.

"Nonsense. You would have been fine."

"Still," said Remus. "There's no one I'd rather have telling me off for trying to do basic things like sitting up and talking, making me take naps, force-feeding me disgusting potions, and snapping me out of it when I get all self-pitying. So thank you."

Madam Pomfrey narrowed her eyes. "I appreciate the sentiment, but this sounds suspiciously like a permanent goodbye. You are coming back next year, aren't you?"

Remus hesitated. "I hope. But sometimes things change unexpectedly, and my friends are going to find out soon, and I wanted to make sure..."

"Stop being ridiculous. You're coming back, I'm seeing you next year, and you're not saying goodbye."

"All right, then," said Remus, smiling. "I'll see you in September, probably. And I made you a card."

"A... card?"

"Yeah." Remus reached into his bag and pulled out a piece of parchment folded in half. It was simple—only a quick thank-you, a signature, and a picture of Bufo. Madam Pomfrey looked a little like she was going to cry, but switched back to her Matron Voice immediately.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Lupin. It's a lovely card, although I'm still not very fond of toads. Do enjoy your summer. Stay safe. Owl me if anything goes wrong."

"Of course, Madam Pomfrey," said Remus. "Goodb—"

"See you in September," Madam Pomfrey corrected.

"See you in September!"

~o0o~

Last stop. Remus knocked on the door of Hagrid's hut. "Hullo? Hagrid? Are you awake?"

There was a loud crash from inside the hut, and Remus snickered. The door flew open, and Hagrid stood there, thoroughly disheveled. "Sorry! I... I was cooking."

Remus smelled smoke. "Is something burning?"

Hagrid let him in and took what resembled biscuits out of the oven. "No, jus' slightly charred."

Remus giggled nervously, hoping with all his heart that Hagrid would not offer him a biscuit. "I can't stay and talk for a long time," he said, "but I wanted to say goodbye."

Hagrid froze. "Yeh are comin' back next year, aren't yeh?"

Why was everyone asking him that? "Yes, probably—if nothing goes wrong and no one finds out, I mean. But I want to say goodbye anyway."

"Well, tha's very kind of you," said Hagrid.

Remus didn't know what else to say to Hagrid, who spent so long telling him stories and helping him find gifts for his friends. Remus hadn't been visiting him as much lately, but it was always good to know that he was there if Remus needed him. He was always sympathetic, always understood—to a point—and had been Remus' first friend ever. Remus and Hagrid were the only non-fully-human people a school full of humans, and Remus was thankful for the solidarity. How could Remus possibly thank Hagrid for all that? What could he possibly do?

"D'ya want a biscuit before yeh go?" said Hagrid.

Well. Remus supposed he could do that, even though it would be absolute torture. "Sure," said Remus after a moment's hesitation, and then—purely out of the goodness of his heart—he suffered through the biscuit with all the tolerance of someone who had to drink fairy's wings and frog eyes every full moon.

~o0o~

"Well, mates," said James, looking over their dormitory. "We've done pretty well, I think."

"First year all finished," said Sirius sullenly. "Time to go home."

"We've played pranks, played music, played games, and played Quidditch. We have a secret Knock, a secret notebook, secret nicknames, and a plethora of in-jokes. So ends the first year of the Marauders," said James grandly, and it was obvious that he'd written the speech out and memorized it. "Write this summer in the notebook, all right?"

"Of course," said Sirius. "And keep the mirror close by, James."

"Of course."

"You'll be all right, Remus?" said Peter.

"I'll be all right," said Remus quietly, looking at his bed by the window. Would he ever come back? Would his friends find out the truth over the summer? He didn't know what was going to happen, and it scared him.

Remus was about as scared to leave Hogwarts as he had been to come in the first place. He supposed it was a bit like taking a shower—he never wanted to get in at first, but then, as soon as the water warmed, he never wanted to get out.

"We'll be back in September," said Sirius, more to himself than anyone else. "Only a few months."

"Only a few," echoed Remus. "I'll... I'll miss you. All of you."

"Awww," crooned James. "We'll miss you, too! But don't say your goodbyes yet—we've still got the train, haven't we? And it's going to be the best train ride we've ever had!

And it was.

The train ride back was fun, upbeat, and chaotic, just as Remus had expected it to be. Pulling back into the station was bittersweet, just as Remus had expected it to be. And Sirius was sullen and pitiable, James was hyper, and Peter was quiet—just as Remus had expected them to be.

And now—after nine months, ten full moons, countless homework assignments, and nearly three hundred eighty thousand words—it was time to leave the school to which Remus had become so accustomed and return to fake smiles and books. For a while, Remus was disappointed. But when he saw his father's face at the station, waiting for him, he immediately felt overjoyed to see him again and to be going home.

"Goodbye, James! Goodbye, Peter! Goodbye, Sirius!" Remus cried before he hopped off the train and hugged his parents tightly.

"How are you?" asked his father. "You look even healthier than in January! How were the exams? You haven't written to us as often..."

Remus smiled and held his fingers up to his lips. He'd tell his father and mother everything, of course—but right now, he just wanted to watch the Hogwarts Express pull out of the station.

Eventually, Remus' family all climbed into the Muggle car for the long trip home, and Remus watched King's Cross station fade into the distance before saying anything else. There was a sort of reverence in the air—a bit of awe—a touch of pure amazement that Remus Lupin, werewolf, had made it through a full year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was better because of it.

But the silence didn't last too long, because there was still something that Remus had been waiting months to tell his parents. Frankly, he couldn't wait any longer.

"So..." Remus said slyly. "About exams... I haven't told you yet, but I'm top of the form."

His mother made an odd strangled noise and almost drove the car into a ditch.

She pulled over, and Remus waited patiently for his parents to get over their mini heart attacks, smiling all the while. He'd been right, on that first day. Nothing was ever going to be the same again. But as Remus Lupin reflected on the last couple of months, which had been more eventful than the prior six and a half years combined, he decided that change was good.

The world had gone mad—absolutely topsy-turvy—but that was a good thing. A great thing, even. Remus was breaking all of his own rules, and it was exhilarating. James always said that rules were meant to be broken, and Remus sort of agreed now. He was a Marauder, after all.

When Remus had been Sorted at the very beginning of the year, the Sorting Hat had told him that he belonged in Gryffindor because of his “penchant for mischief”. Remus hadn’t believed that. He was a well-behaved werewolf. He had no penchant for mischief.

But times had changed, and, as it turned out, the Sorting Hat had been right all along. Remus sort of... maybe... kind of... had a penchant for mischief.

But only a little.

~o0o~

The final scene from my fanfic, Of Marauders and Monsters. I’ve finally finished, and I’ve enjoyed every word—all 379k of them!! Link in blog description if you want to read the whole thing now that the ending has sufficiently been spoiled.

#remus lupin #marauders era #marauders fanfiction #marauders textpost #harry potter fanfiction #sirius black #james potter #madam Pomfrey #john questus #of marauders and monsters #pellucidity

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halothenthehorns · 3 years

Text

TLTNL- IN THE HOG’S HEAD

James gave the book an easy toss to Sirius, who caught it while still eying Harry, waiting for some kind of que from him to say he wanted to keep going and wasn't lost in thought. He came out of his reverie by gazing at them, and then plastering a smile in place as he demanded, "was it really so preposterous I could be a teacher?"

"Did I not make it clear how painful to my legacy it would be for someone of my last name to hold any such position!" James said dramatically.

"James, he wasn't awake for that part," Lily reminded him.

"Oh yeah," he thought back.

Sirius quickly said though, "hey, if you end up being the new DADA teacher and break that stupid curse, more power to you pup! I'll be happy to hear it, just, you know, it'll be a shock is all. You've yet to show any kind of want for the thing."

"We were just as surprised as you," Lily agreed, "but if it's something you think you'll enjoy doing for your friends, I know it'll be fun to hear."

Harry beamed now, thoroughly distracted and eagerly waving Sirius on as he thought to himself they just might enjoy these next few months of his school, for the first time in this book it seemed hoping he was going to enjoy this feeling he was getting.

Hermione made no mention of Harry giving Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons for two whole weeks after her original suggestion.

"That's got to be some kind of record for her, I was under the impression she always spoke of what was on her mind." James chuckled.

"Have you forgotten her third year, she did a pretty good job of avoiding them and not talking about things when she sets her mind to it," Remus shrugged.

Harry's detentions with Umbridge were finally over (he doubted whether the words now etched into the back of his hand would ever fade entirely);

Sirius tensed with disgust, his lip curling as he glanced again at those words upon Harry. Though faded like an old scar, he truly did wonder how long he'd suffered to gain them this level of permanence. He did not see the Umbridge situation getting better anytime soon, so he dared not even ask if Harry had to live through the problem again.

Ron was getting better as Keeper by the practice, and their classes were going much more smoothly now that they had time for them as well. It wasn't until the day before the Hogsmeade trip that Hermione tentatively asked him in the library if he'd thought anymore about the subject?

Harry snarked of course he had, with that toad at the helm.

Hermione persisted her and Ron's, though a panicky look from their friend made her correct herself, her idea about him teaching.

"She really does do that a lot," James rolled his eyes, "what's she always trying to say her and Ron instead of just her for."

"Keeping his attention I suppose," Remus shrugged.

Harry didn't answer at first as he thought it through. He had been thinking about it, and at times the idea seemed just as ridiculous as when he'd first heard it, and then others he found himself preparing lessons.

Lily hummed at the idea before nodding to herself and saying, "you really do seemed to have taken a shine to this then."

"I like the idea of helping my friends out like this," Harry agreed, a small smile still in place, "though I still can't wrap my head around the idea of teaching Hermione anything she doesn't know."

"Same reason she attends classes instead of thinking she can learn better from her books," Remus shrugged, "she has acknowledged she's not the smartest person ever, to those who deserve it."

He finally began to answer when he could no longer feign interest in his homework,

"A feat I can not comprehend," Sirius deadpanned.

he admitted he had been thinking about it, but when prompted, he also admitted he still wasn't sure on the idea.

Ron said he'd thought it a good idea, now clearly okay throwing his opinion when he realized Harry wasn't going to start shouting again.

"That was almost sad," Lily frowned, "he really shouldn't be that scared to say his opinion around you-" she cut herself off when she saw how depressed Harry was at the reminder his best friend had been so tiptoeing around him of late just so Harry wouldn't randomly start shouting at him.

Harry still tried to remind them of all the things he'd done, and how much luck had been involved in that. Hermione gently reminded not all of it, even Viktor had said-

Ron cut her off in disgust of what Vicky had to say?

Hermione rolled her eyes for the tone but kept saying that even in his final year at Durmstrang Harry seemed better than him with his knowledge.

Ron didn't seem impressed, as he asked if she was still in contact with him?

"Because that was a relevant part of that statement," Sirius snorted.

Hermione shrugged so what if she was, she enjoyed her penpal.

Ron corrected he'd wanted to be more than pals, but Hermione ignored him now and again asked Harry to teach them.

Harry gave in, he would for just her and Ron.

Hermione started to look both anxious and eager as she began for Harry not to go freaking out about this,

Harry had to fight hard against the urge to put his face in his hands in shame, that he'd been going off on his friends so much of late that Hermione had to say that at all over some stupid little thing. What was wrong with him lately?

but she really wanted to invite more people, anyone who wanted to learn.

Harry reminded no one else was even likely to come, Harry was currently a nutter.

James made a pfft noise straight away, while Sirius rolled his eyes and immediately began ticking off, "the Weasley's already account for four, than that Luna girl, that Ernie prat, I am positive there are even more, oh that stalker kid Colin, um I'll bet his brother too, don't remember his name off the top of me head, I'll bet Cho would even ask for private lessons-"

Harry picked up a pillow and tried to press it against Sirius' face, the two wrestling this way for a moment before Sirius finally won by ducking away and smoothing his hair back, telling Harry wickedly, "didn't hear a denial on your part for those," then immediately began reading loudly before Harry was too tempted to start again.

Though Hermione said he'd be surprised how many people were interested in this seriously.

"Everybody's always interested in what I have to say," Sirius smirked.

"Not always," Harry grumbled, ignoring his twitching smile for that recurring joke.

Hermione just asked him to show up for the meeting she wanted to set up for tomorrow in Hogsmeade.

Ron asked why outside of school, and she reminded it wouldn't be a good idea for Umbridge to be walking in on this.

"Oh really? I thought she'd let you use her office and everything?" Remus chuckled in agreement.

While Harry was looking forward to his trip out of the castle, his worry had grown every day at the event. What if Sirius ignored his warning and appeared anyways, perhaps right as Malfoy came around as well?

Now it was Sirius' turn to scowl at Harry. Despite his deep set worry for his inevitable future mindset, he actually had been offended by Harry's lack of faith in him doing his part to keep his own arse covered, happily telling him as much, "first of all, exactly how stupid do you think I am? Hogsmeade is my home turf-"

"I just-" Harry tried to defend, but Sirius waved him down with a roll of his eyes, though his tone hardly lightened, "yeah, yeah, you're worried about me, but can I get just a little credit I know what I'm doing?"

Harry gazed at him with nothing but worry, there wasn't a trace of him showing he thought for even a second Sirius' words had given him comfort, and for a moment Sirius' cockiness started to ebb and he was getting worried just what had Harry so adamant about this, but he brushed that off and rolled his eyes, turning back to the book and just hoping he'd prove to his godson this was unnecessary.

When Harry confessed his worries to his friends, Ron was sympathetic in saying he'd understand if Sirius did such a thing, all he had was that ghastly elf for company.

Sirius gazed pitifully at that, looking hopefully at Harry to see if his best friend stating his exact problem had gotten through to Harry at all, but if anything it made his face draw tighter with worry. At least Harry grasped his problem, even if he still wasn't ready to concede there had to be a solution.

Hermione scowled at Ron, but otherwise ignored the slight on Kreacher.

"Because that was the important part of that statement," James scowled hatefully for Hermione's priorities.

Hermione instead said that even after V-Voldemort, she had to struggle for a moment to say it only to turn exasperated when Ron flinched anyways,

"She's only said that three times and now she can scold him for not saying it?" Sirius scoffed.

came out into the open it would take some time for Sirius to get his freedom back. They'd have to start rounding up true Death Eater's and then they'd realize the difference between them and Sirius, for one he didn't have a Mark.

"She was on a good track there for a moment," Remus said forlornly, still bitter that no one, especially not himself, had done anything to get Sirius' name clear before the Pettigrew scandal had been revealed.

"That last bit wasn't relevant though, considering no one knows about the Dark Mark," Lily sighed.

Ron kept up the hope Sirius wasn't stupid, Dumbledore had told him not to and even when Sirius didn't like what he was hearing, he still listened to Dumbledore.

Sirius grumbled something that was as close to acknowledging this to be true as was going to happen.

Harry still couldn't shake the worry, so Hermione told him to try and think of something else, he had enough categories besides his godfather. Harry vaguely agreed, his mind still on Sirius.

"I should feel privileged I take up so much of your time," Sirius rolled his eyes.

She was right in saying Harry had other things to keep him occupied, he was still struggling daily to keep up with his homework even if it was more manageable now, and he had it easiest, as Ron still had a few prefect duties to worry about, and while Hermione was taking more classes than both of them she was still knitting.

"Hermione is a magic unto herself," Lily said wistfully, wishing she could ask that girl for her study habits as even out of school Lily still felt bogged down at work.

She was getting better every time, it was now almost always possible to distinguish between the hats and the socks.

"Important distinctions she might have to teach Harry," James snickered in remembrance.

The day of the Hogsmeade visit they passed Filch as always checking names against the list of people who were allowed to go.

"It would be a easier to check against the ones who couldn't go," James snorted.

"I think Filch does it this way to purposely annoy us," Remus reminded.

With a slight pang, Harry remembered that if it hadn't been for Sirius, he would not have been going at all.

"Finally some acknowledgement I can be happy about," Sirius smirked, though there was a sour edge to it.

As Harry passed the caretaker, he was sure Filch gave him a sniff before waving him on, something Ron noticed.

"Obviously it was because he was trying out a new-" Remus elbowed Sirius before he could continue with the dumb joke.

Harry admitted he'd forgotten to tell them about the Dungbomb thing.

"I don't care how pretty Cho is, I find it really hard to believe that experience skipped your mind," James shook his head.

When he was done explaining Ron asked who would have set all that up? Harry shrugged off it had probably been Malfoy trying to have a laugh. Hermione was intrigued by the whole thing, finishing skeptically that didn't seem likely as they continued their walk to the village.

Harry wanted to chuckle as that look of confusion crossed them again as well at the reminder, but the laughter died before it could even get started. Still, he had no more clue than them what the whole instance had been about, and he had no want to make his head burst from this tiny detail.

Harry switched topics to asking where this meeting was, the Three Broomsticks?

Hermione said no, it was too noisy,

"But that would have made it perfect," James blinked in confusion of Hermione's logic. "You could get together and be at a perfectly normal volume and still not be overheard."

she'd instead set up the meeting in the Hog's Head. She'd heard rumor it was a bit dodgy, but since hardly anyone was known to go in there they wouldn't be overheard.

"I can see her idea though," Remus said fairly, "out of the way where no one goes, so even if some passerby had heard a snippet, well this just erased that problem all together."

"Still, the cover of a crowd beats how suspicious that will look," Sirius shrugged.

They walked down the main street, passing along the common sights of Zonko's and Dervish and Bangs, but quickly turned off a side road to a musty little place that had a creaking sign swinging about with a butchered hog's head upon it.

Hermione led the way in, where the place seemed coated in dust and smelled strongly of goats.

Harry felt his nose crinkling in distaste as he remembered the smell, helping to distract him from remembering why goats should mean something in particular about the barkeep he remembered seeing.

Harry remembered the place once being mentioned to him by Hagrid, whom Harry had been skeptical of at the time for his friend playing cards with a man who would not show his face. Now Harry saw this seemed to be a fashion choice in this place,

"Really gives the place its own feel," Remus rolled his eyes.

as there were two women in the back corner speaking in thick Yorkshire accents with baklavas on their faces, a man at the bar wrapped head to toe in thick white linen taking shots, and a woman in a veil in the back corner.

Harry frowned as the image back played, like he was sure his mind should linger on this for a moment longer in recognition of something, but that was ridiculous, how could he begin to know anything about some random man under a veil, err, woman.

Harry muttered his unease to Hermione, keeping an eye on the veiled witch,

Harry's skin twitched even harder at staring at her even longer in his past, yes he was quite sure he was right to think that was-

saying that could be Umbridge.

The thought was gone as he sighed, knowing without a doubt that hadn't been the answer, and now utterly confused what he'd been trying to think of at all.

Hermione disregarded this at once, saying even if Umbridge were to be here for any reason, they weren't doing anything wrong, they were only meeting up for a study group.

Harry said back this wasn't exactly a wholesome homework chat.

"What on Earth could you be speaking of?" Sirius cast the most innocent and mischievous gray eyes any person could have. "Surely what you're about to discuss is covered in Slinkards book."

The barkeep came out of the back then, and even his face was indistinguishable while hidden under his thick gray hair and beard, though with a vaguely familiar lean build.

Harry felt that spike of unease return, though he was now convinced he'd mistaken the veiled person for this barman as the person he should be having some vague connection with- but Sirius kept reading, and Harry had no hope of keeping such a flimsy train of thought that only increased the pain always present right behind his eyes when he tried to remember something.

He gave them an unfriendly greeting as they requested three Butterbeers, to which they paid for and then found seats in the back corner, little puffs of dirt clotting their feet as they walked.

Ron had to wrench open his musty bottle, took a swig, and then noted he bet he could go up there and ask for a Firewhiskey instead, the man surely wouldn't mind-

Hermione hissed at him he was a prefect, act like it.

"And?" Remus asked with a little smile.

"Please don't tell me-" Lily began with an honestly amused smile at the three of them.

"We would never try such a thing," James said at once, while Sirius didn't even bother and said, "yeah, but he still turned us down."

Ron pouted but gave in, Harry changing the subject and asking who all was supposed to be coming then?

Hermione gave an anxious look to her watch as she vaguely said a couple of people.

Harry felt a frown appearing on his face, as for some reason he didn't like Hermione's use of the phrase 'a couple'.

She was sure they all knew where this place was, and even as she spoke the door opened again and a whole crowd entered. First Neville, Dean, Lavender, the Patil twins,

"I thought Hermione had said Lavender and Parvati didn't think much of your story," Lily said story with pure acid.

Harry shrugged without comment, he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer of what had changed their mind.

then Harry's stomach did a mini flip as Cho and one of her usual friends entered,

"So the important people are there then," James smirked at Harry's suddenly red tinged face.

then looking so dreamy she could have come in by accident, Luna came along with Katie, Alicia, Angelina, the Creevey brothers,

"Whoa, what's Dennis doing there? He's two years below Colin, and he's a year below Harry. That puts him at a second year," Remus counted off.

"The things you remember," Sirius rolled his eyes for this detail being spotted.

"I am positive Fred and George told him how to get into Honeydukes the moment the younger Creevey made the desire of wanting to come," James grinned, "they'd help along anyone who wanted to hear this I'm sure."

Harry paused, cocked his head to the side and seemingly flabbergasted he hadn't burst this question out sooner, demanded, "how do the tunnels in and out of Hogwarts work?"

"What do you mean?" Remus asked. "They extend to fit someone, we mentioned that. What's that got to do with this?"

"I just realized," Harry shook his head as he explained, "that when Hermione and I first went in, we had to crouch, but when we were all coming back, no one was and in fact it was a lot bigger." He hated having to bring up that time, of such a moment where their entire life had been flipped upside down, so maybe it was best he'd waited.

James' eyes flipped to a near ghostly hazel as he clearly recalled the same setting, but he still answered, "it just enlarges to the capacity needed for the occasion. You just needed to get there in a hurry the whole time, it was only that size. You needed three people to fit in side by side, at least two of them adults, it compensated for that. Magic really does have a mind of its own." He finished with a mutter.

Harry swallowed hard, now regretting bringing it up altogether as he still hated to see his dad acting like this because of something from his past, and so let the matter go entirely.*

Ernie, Justin, Hannah, a blond with a long plait Harry didn't recognize, three Ravenclaws he only vaguely felt the names of were Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, and Terry Boot, along with Ginny,

Harry frowned, as something of those four together really struck a nerve in him, but surely he was being ridiculous and Ginny just hadn't wanted to come in with her big brothers so had chosen a random group of students or some such to sit with...

a guy with an upturned nose Harry had never met, while Fred, George, and Lee came in last holding a Zonko's bag.

"I would just like to take a moment to applaud all of them showing up at once like that," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"That many people are never that punctual," Remus agreed, "I imagine the houses all came together and waited outside in hopes others would show, and the congregation grew on the outside until they realized no one else was coming, then most likely the twins told them all to get a move on inside."

"You lot think way too much about things," Lily giggled.

Harry watched the crowd in horror before turning to Hermione and demanding a couple of people!

"I think I counted twenty five total," Sirius said cheerfully, "that falls under a couple."

"A couple is two!" Harry protested.

"Maybe even Ron and Hermione didn't know," James said with faint amusement, "and word spread a bit."

"That didn't make me feel better," he protested, but was ignored by Sirius continuing.

Hermione seemed happy at the turnout, as everyone pulled up chairs, though Fred went up to the barkeep first and asked for twenty-five Butterbeers.

"You cheated," Remus accused at once, "you skipped down and read that number, not kept a count."

Sirius kept reading as if he hadn't heard that too.

The barman glared at him for a moment before throwing his rag irritably as though he had been interrupted in something very important and started passing up dusty Butterbeers from under the bar.

"That's hardly very good customer management," James chuckled at this display.

"I really can't imagine what his problem is," Lily agreed a bit more curiously, though they were likely to never get the answer other than a grumpy old man.

Fred turned back to the crowd and told them to cough up to help pay for this, and then once everyone had a drink they all sat around Harry. It occurred to Harry he may be expected to give some kind of speech to them, and he quickly rounded on Hermione.

"Honestly, public speaking is an actual form of torture," Remus agreed, "just what did Hermione get you into?"

Demanding to know what they were expecting of him, but Hermione promised she'd speak first. Neville caught his attention by calling a friendly hello to him, but while Harry tried to say something back, he couldn't seem to find the words. His gaze flickered over the rest of the crowd, catching on Cho, who smiled, and Cho's friend who had curly reddish hair and an expression of deep dislike speaking volumes of what she thought about attending this.

"That's not an encouraging start to something that shouldn't particularly be going on," Lily murmured with discomfort, as a scorned girl could cause problems, but Harry had never done anything to this one, so she had no clue where this was coming from enough to be worried about it.

Hermione took to her feet and began in a high voice of stress about Harry's- err, her idea she quickly corrected at his look, about learning some proper Defense Against the Dark Arts, not that rubbish Umbridge was pretending at, her voice just a bit stronger at the end.

Sirius snickered a bit as he read that, it was very true insulting others had a way of bolstering one's self.

She'd decided it was time to take matters into their hands, by learning defense themselves.

Michael Corner asked slyly she was also interested in passing her OWL.

Hermione agreed that was important, but not the reason she felt this was necessary. They needed to do this because Voldemort was back.

The reaction was immediate and predictable. Cho's friend shrieked and dropped her drink, and many others around the table twitched or spluttered in some form.

The four of them had rather amused smiles on their faces. It was rare indeed to find individuals who had not inherited the panicky trait of not being able to hear Voldemort's name as if a curse had not been set upon them, but they'd certainly never tried it on a full group before, and the range of reactions amused the mind.

Then all gazes fixed on Harry. Hermione still kept attention though, saying anyone who wanted to join should-

but was cut off by the blond Hufflepuff with the upturned nose Harry didn't know demanding where the proof was You-Know-Who was back?

"Does he want a film of the event?" Lily snapped.

"I'd be happy to let him play the role of Malfoy already," James grumbled in agreement of this little comment that was unneeded in their opinion, why be there if you didn't believe it?

Hermione reminded what Dumbledore had said, but the boy insisted Dumbledore said because Potter said.

Ron demanded rather rudely who this guy was?

"He started it with that tone," Sirius snapped as if anyone was arguing against Ron right then.

The boy proclaimed himself as Zacharias Smith,

Lily frowned as that last name struck a chord as Alice's maiden name, wondering if this was some relative of hers that had lived past her friends life. Such little things like a name kept managing to strike her the hardest.

and he decided they had a right to know what exactly made You-Know-Who back?

"And what right is that?" Remus demanded. "Dumbledore's given the account, if that isn't good enough for him I hope the door hits him on the way out."

Hermione tried to intervene this wasn't the point of this meeting, but Harry finally cut in while meeting the boys glare. It had occurred to Harry why this group was here, they were all hoping to hear his story firsthand.

Lily groaned miserably that's all her son ever seemed to be, a spectacle. Still, she tried to at least remember that wasn't all of them, perhaps just the unnamed children Harry had never met properly, he must have more people on his side like Neville.

The whole room had gone silent, Harry was sure even the barman was listening since he was wiping the same dirty glass with the same filthy rag and only making both dirtier.

"An impressive skill," Sirius muttered absently while he flipped the page.

Zacharias dismissed this as evidence though, the only thing he had proof of was Potter coming back with Diggory's body, they hadn't gotten details.

"And there it is!" James sneered. "The details, because everyone wants to know what the body looks like until they get a peek."

The haunted look on his and all of their faces convinced Harry without a word he would not be asking for details of them anymore than he'd wanted to be asked that day in the Hog's Head.

Harry had to try very hard to stop himself shouting if that's all he'd come for he was going to be disappointed, Harry wasn't going to be talking about Cedric Diggory! He cast an angry glare at Hermione, feeling this was her fault for setting him up like some kind of freak show.

Sirius winced in disgust having to say that, but gazed sadly at Harry as he disagreed, "I don't believe that, and neither do you. She was just trying to help."

Harry merely rubbed at his scar in answer, his lip trembling with words he could not speak. It became clearer every day he had refreshed of this school year, every minute he learned something more of his fifth year, and yet with every flip of the page he knew more with every word he did not want the answer to what problem revolved around his scar, that had him thinking such things about his friends on such a regular basis.

No one left, not even Zacharia. Hermione's voice was pitched with concern again as she forced herself to go back on topic, saying they should meet up once a week-

but was interrupted again by the blonde girl Harry didn't know asking if he could do a Patronus?

Harry agreed defensively, before she prompted a corporeal Patronus?

The word choice pulled at Harry's memory before he recalled and asked if this girl knew Madam Bones?

"Harry," Lily cracked an honest grin finally now that the immediate tension began to dissipate. "That's the normal term for what animal your Patronus takes."

"I associated the word with the first person who I heard say it," he shrugged without much defense.

The girl agreed that was her aunt.

They all shared a surprised look at that though, before Remus began humming 'It's a Small World After All'. Sirius ignored him, mostly because he didn't recognize the tune.

Her name was Susan Bones, and she'd heard all about his stag Patronus.

Harry agreed this was true, and Lee looked deeply impressed, saying he'd never known that!

"How could he not know that?" James snorted. "He commentates on the Quidditch matches, he'd have seen it clear as Remus that day."

"Professor Lupin never said he saw the animal," Harry thought back, "just complimented what it did. Maybe it really hadn't taken shape yet and was just large and powerful. I don't really think it took the stag until, err, later."

Fred told Harry their mum had told them not to spread that around, Harry got enough attention.

Harry agreed she was right about that.

The veiled witch in the corner shifted in her seat,

That caught all of their attention, wondering why Harry kept noticing such a thing, but Harry himself hardly paid it much mind this time, now thinking back on memories he'd rather forget again.

as Terry Boot asked about the sword in Dumbledore's office, if that was really the same one he'd used to kill a basilisk?

Harry agreed, watching the awe on everyone's faces except Cho who he couldn't bare to look at.

"You're missing out on the best face then," Sirius pouted he couldn't have a few more fun pokes at Harry for his crush, who was now just as determinedly not looking at his godfather.

Neville reminded them all about their first year and the Philological, though Hermione corrected Philosophers,

"Close enough," Remus chuckled.

stone.

Cho did pipe in then, causing Harry's stomach to do a somersault,

Sirius cracked an evil grin and at once turned to say something else to Harry, who hissed back, "I'll make you do a somersault if you don't keep going."

"You're getting more violent by the day," Sirius approved as he did indeed turn away, though hardly looking very concerned at the threat.

about all the things he'd done during the Triwizard Tournament last year.

There was a general murmur of approval and awe over those remembered feats as well, causing Harry to almost not want to say what he'd come in here with every intention of saying.

"I'm sure you can throw in a few hints of how hard pressed it was doing those things while telling them it wasn't a big deal," Remus chuckled.

Still he began he wasn't trying to be modest

"But that's exactly what you're doing," James snorted.

Harry shrugged and still muttered how true it was none of that had been all on him. He was in turn ignored by the others, who were never not impressed Harry had reached his current age.

by saying he'd had help with all that stuff, though Michael Croner reminded not the dragon, that had been a seriously cool bit of flying.

"I had nothing to do with that," Sirius batted his eyes innocently, and Harry wasn't so against him he didn't chuckle as always.

Harry began to agree, before reminding them it sounded great when you stacked it all up like that, but his point was-

Zacharias cut in to demand if Harry was trying to weasel out of showing them how to do anything?

Ron snapped at him how about he shut his mouth?

"Thank you Ron," Lily nodded, some people needed a good tongue sticking charm now and again.

Zacharias wasn't deterred, saying they'd shown up to learn from him and now he was saying he couldn't really do anything.

"That's not remotely what he said," Remus frowned.

Fred snapped that wasn't what he'd said at all, while George threatened to clean his ears out with a long metal instrument from his Zonko's bag. Fred chiming in they'd stick it anywhere he needed, they weren't choosy.

Sirius gave a fantastic snort while James nodded, clearly liking to the idea at once if only in his imagination.

Hermione hastily tried to move on from that,

"No, no," Remus pouted, "some things need to be lingered on."

"This isn't one of them," Lily couldn't stop a chuckle as she tried to convince Sirius of this.

saying the point was everyone here agreed to take lessons from Harry. Everyone now nodded agreement except Zacharias, though that may have been because he was busy keeping an eye on the instrument George was holding.

"That's a terrible idea," Sirius gave a wolfish grin.

"He's leaving himself open to attack from the other," James mimicked the look.

Hermione looked relieved something had been resolved, saying they really should come up with a place to start this once a week- but was cut off by Angelina saying this couldn't clash with her Quidditch practice.

"Priorities."

No one could tell how much sarcasm James was saying that with, or if indeed there was any to be held.

Both Cho and Zacharias agreed with that statement, and Hermione impatiently agreed they'd find a schedule for all three teams to work with, but this was a bit more important than that wasn't it. This was about defending themselves against Voldemort's Death Eaters.

Ernie barked that was well said. Harry was more surprised he hadn't spoken up before now.

"He has been rather quiet from what I remember of his nature," Remus randomly agreed.

Ernie kept going then, saying this was more important than their OWLs or anything. He waited for a beat, as if expecting someone to exclaim how ludicrous that was, but then he kept going how stupid it was of the Ministry to assign them a teacher who refused to acknowledge the existence of You-Know-Who.

Hermione cut in to tell them all of their information about the Ministry doing this to them because of their fear about Dumbledore starting an army against them.

Everyone looked stunned at this news,

"It really is a moment where you stop and evaluate how stupid the mind can get," Sirius agreed.

except Luna, who said this made sense as Fudge had his own army.

"Now this I want to hear," James smiled openly, though there was a small hint of something else in there Harry couldn't identify.

Harry looked completely thrown at this news, while Luna continued with tranquility about his army of Heliopaths.

"Now those I've heard of," Remus said before Sirius could ask. "Old Scottish legend if I remember correctly, though it was never proved as more than that."

"Apparently, Luna thinks otherwise," Sirius shook his head with an indulgent smile, Harry unsurprised but still confused he had that same small tick to his mouth his father had. It wasn't quite mocking, but...

Hermione snapped back he had no such thing, while Luna didn't seem very concerned by the tone as she said yes he did.

Neville asked what that even was, and while Luna began to explain they were flaming creatures that could gallop-

Hermione cut across they didn't exist, there was no proof.

"She really can't be so naïve to think we've discovered everything there is to be?" Lily sighed for Hermione starting this fight.

Luna said there were plenty of witnesses, just because she was so narrow-minded she had to have everything under her nose before she understood the same-

James let out an impressed whistle for Luna giving such a sharp return, maybe he had her pegged wrong as just some girl with fantasy ideas. She clearly had a spunk to her.

Ginny cut in by mimicking an identical cough to Umbridge's, hem, hem, causing several people to startle in concern before giving uneasy laughs.

"This seems to be a full blown Weasley trait of good imitators," Sirius grinned at this even small resemblance to his own acts.

Before Ginny reminded they were supposed to be coming up with meeting places?

Hermione forced herself to get back on track and asking for any ideas.

"You didn't discuss this before you showed up with the idea?" James chuckled.

"Have you heard us do any such thing?" Harry shrugged, his mind currently vexed on the issue, though he had a funny feeling he'd like the end results of this.

Sirius offered, "Why not the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Um, the little problem that there's a basilisk corpse down there," Harry told him like the thought was obvious.

"I don't know," Sirius shrugged, " I think it kind of sets the mood."

"Plus," Remus agreed, "only you can open it, what with the Parselmouth door and all."

Harry shook his head furiously and said, "How would we get back up that giant slide? Plus, can't the teeth still kill you? Should we really be playing with that?"

"You're turning into your mother," Sirius told him, "and being a killjoy."

"Hey!" Lily and Harry both snapped, both giving Sirius the stank eye for his innocent joke.

James personally didn't want to think about Harry back down there again for any reason, he'd already had a few vivid nightmares about that place, and so instead offered, "they might be able to use the Shrieking Shack."

"Not sure if that's big enough," Remus disagreed, "certainly not for the lot of them at once."

The boys remained stumped, and rather miffed they were coming up short with this idea.

Sirius begrudgingly turned back to the pages, though he knew whichever student offered up something they hadn't thought of would still irk him.

Katie offered the idea of Library.

Sirius chuckled out the answer before anyone could respond.

Harry disagreed Madam Pince wouldn't be thrilled with that.

Dean suggested an unused classroom.

"Not secure enough," Remus dissed, "Umbridge could walk right in on that, which means you'd need a guard and all sorts of get away plans, that's pretty elaborate and I'm not sure how long term it would work for such a huge group."

Ron liked the idea, saying McGonagall had let them do this last year, but Harry felt their head of house wouldn't be so keen on this more rebellious idea.

Hermione said they'd brainstorm and get back to everyone once they found a place.

"You've half your goal accomplished at least," Lily praised.

She hesitated only a moment more before pulling a long sheaf of parchment out of her bag as well as a bottle of ink and telling before they departed, they should all write their names down on this as an agreement not to tell Umbridge or anyone what they were up to.

Harry felt an odd smile light his face for some reason, though he had no clue as this seemed innocent enough and surely Hermione was still just nervous with so many people looking at her.

Fred took it at once and signed with gusto, but as he tried to pass it along to Zacharias the boy hesitated and said he was sure Ernie could just tell him whenever meetings were.

"It's a test, clever girl," Remus chuckled, "I'd be sure not to pass along when the next meeting is to anyone who doesn't sign it."

Ernie didn't look much for the idea either though, saying that as he was a prefect, well if this list was found...

Harry reminded Ernie had just said this was the most important thing he'd do this year.

Ernie hesitated in still saying yes, but Hermione got snappy as she asked if he really thought she'd be leaving this lying around?

Ernie's anxiousness died down as he said he'd sign after that.

"If that's really what he was anxious about that I'm a little insulted for Hermione," Lily rolled her eyes. "She was the one who just said to keep this business quiet."

"Least it got the loudmouth to agree," James smiled, "between him and the twins, that should convince the lot of them there's no harm in agreeing to this."

Nobody protested after that, though Cho's friend gave her one more haughty look before putting her name down. There was a heavy feeling while Hermione slipped it away, as if they'd all signed a contract.

Harry felt a slight giggle escape him he had no name for, though he was confident it wasn't too far off the mark.

The twins decided to break up the group, declaring they had other things to get doing as they left with their friend, and thus began the others leaving in two's and three's as well. Cho was the last to vacate, she seemed to be having trouble with the catch on her bag and kept chancing glances at Harry, but her friend kept making impatient noises so Cho left with her.

"Well that was just rude," Sirius pouted, his smile widening when he saw Harry looked a bit disappointed as well that more people hadn't stuck around to talk to him. "Her friend clearly isn't a fan of you, why bring along that one?"

"Same reason you brought me along that time you asked out Christine Palish. You didn't actually want her to say yes, you just wanted me there as backup in case she did," Remus rolled his eyes.

Sirius just nodded in agreement, he still regretted taking his fellow Quidditch player up on that dare of asking out the girl with the then seventh year boyfriend, but Moony was always good backup, and the end results of the escapade had been worth it.

As they left Hermione seemed happy with the day's events, though Ron grumbled who'd invited that Smith guy along.

Hermione agreed she didn't think much of him, but he'd caught her talking to Ernie and Hannah and seemed interested.

"It was good of her to give him a chance," Lily said grudgingly.

"But this proved to me he's not worth keeping in this group, he's too unpredictable," James agreed suspiciously.

Hermione wasn't displeased though, the more people the better. Michael Corner and his friends wouldn't have come at all if he wasn't dating Ginny.

Harry jolted so hard he looked like someone had literally yanked on his leg as he snapped, "she what?"

All of them couldn't help chuckling at such a vivid reaction, though Harry still looked more annoyed like they imagined Ron would be at having this news dumped on them. Harry had been fidgeting with his hands so much of late, none of them noticed the little twist he gave to the gold ring on his finger.

Ron, who had been draining the last few drops from his Butterbeer bottle, gagged and sprayed Butterbeer down his front.

"Please tell me Hermione timed it like that," Remus muttered to himself, causing Sirius to snicker harder as he kept going.

He kept sputtering in outrage with his words about how his sister was what?

Hermione didn't seem very interested in the topic, explaining they'd met at the Yule Ball last year and hit it off. Then she spotted a quill shop and decided to pop inside.

"I do adore how casual she is about all this," Lily's shoulders were still shaking.

"Poor Ron, and Harry," James kept smiling as well at the peeved look on his son's face that hadn't lessened much as the news sank in. James was once again grateful he nor any of his friends had younger sisters. One little brother amongst them had caused enough drama in their group.

Ron demanded which one was Michael Corner?

"I would not answer that," Remus said at once.

Hermione gave a vague description, which Ron at once stated he hadn't liked that one.

Sirius rolled his eyes at this display even if he kept laughing more loudly with every line that Harry's pout kept increasing. Harry had known he had a bad feeling about him, yet it hadn't been very dominant at the time, what had changed?

Ron still couldn't wrap his mind around this idea, saying he'd thought his sister fancied Harry.

"Did he expect her to live on that crush forever?" James asked with honest interest.

"I'm starting to wonder if he was even hoping for it," Remus grinned, "least Ron knows Harry, may not be such a big deal to him."

"Nah, Ron knew Harry would never reciprocate so his baby sister would always be far away from any romance," Sirius snorted.

Harry forced himself to remain quiet and out of this conversation, now playing with his ring more than ever as something pressed heavily on his mind for this topic. Lily noticed him doing this, but she thought it was merely the idea of his wife's commentary on this and still realized she had not an actual clue of who the girl could be.

Hermione agreed she used to, but she'd moved on from that ages ago, not that she didn't like Harry of course, she finished towards him. Harry gave a vague nod, though he wasn't really listening, still seeing Cho waving good bye to him in his head.

The lot of them giggled at that, thinking that's what had kept him so off this topic now, but Harry was surprised such a thing hadn't crossed his mind since Hermione had brought this up, so Harry was left more confused than ever what was going on.

It did make Harry realize something for the first time, as he spoke in surprise she'd been talking to him lately.

"It took you quite some time to realize this," James chuckled.

"Well I'm sorry if those kinds of details don't keep my attention," Harry managed an eye roll and a friendly smile, though for some reason he'd noted every time Ginny had spoken to him while revisiting these memories...

Hermione chose her quill and made to leave the shop, but Ron was still breathing down her neck for more, causing her to snap at him this is why his sister hadn't said anything about it, she knew he'd harp on this.

Ron snapped he wasn't harping on anything all the way up the street.

"Oh yes, he's calm as a hippogriff on fire," Sirius snorted.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him while turning to Harry and saying at least he should have enjoyed himself.

Harry asked in surprise what that could mean, his face burning with embarrassment if he'd been caught staring at Cho the whole time.

"Oh I'm sure you weren't that bad," Remus tried for sympathy, failing as spectacularly as Sirius' disbelieving snort. If Harry was anything like he was in here, that had been a lost cause on the kids part.

Hermione told him with a grin Cho hadn't taken her eyes off Harry the whole time.

Sirius was still chuckling happily as he passed Harry the book.

HPHPHPHPHP

* I've actually been sitting on this one for ages, and yeah I really did want to bring it up in that moment in three, but it just never felt right considering everything else that was going on. So I tacked it in here rather awkwardly instead, better to have a random pop up question than ruin tension, so here it will sit.

#The LIfe that Never LIved #Harry Potter #fanfiction #reading the books #HP #OotP #Marauders #Jilly #James Potter #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #Lily Potter

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