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#but she’s often away covering quidditch games when the season starts
beeyoungkah · 3 years
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the golden trio meet up for lunch frequently around wizarding london. (a.k.a. harry’s third-wheeling again)
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slytherbun · 3 years
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wildflower
pairing: cedric diggory x hufflepuff!reader
summary: you weren't too sure what to think when a new eye candy transfers to hogwarts and becomes the new seeker of the hufflepuff's quidditch team but you realize in time that he is all of what you hoped for.
word count: 3.7k
tags: @specialagentsoftie
note: so this is all just a bunch fluff. i'm not sure how i feel about it in terms of cringey and hope y'all like it! figured i'd post this anyways either way though lol. i made up the way reader and cedric met at hogwarts so, it's non-canon from the movie.
another note: italics are flashbacks! :)
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it was cold.
you could see everybody’s breath in the air outside and knew it was a crime to be out and about now with freezing and chilly weather.
the snow outside coated the ground by inches and the black coats zippered up and wrapped around you only helped so much. you were the type to freeze easily and the climate at hogwarts didn't help your situation at all.
minutes ago before you walked outside, you knocked on the door to his dorm after surveying the hufflepuff’s common room and noticed there weren't very many people around. and when cedric opened the door after you rapped on it a few times—he took in the view of your body wrapped around your blanket before pulling you into his room.
pathetically enough, you were shivering in the halls even with your mitten covered hands stuffed in the pockets of your coat. you weren't about to admit the doubled up socks on each of your feet either underneath the knee-length boots you wore today.
"are you cold?" cedric successfully taunted you when you reached your arm out of the pocket of your jacket and then under the blanket to slap his arm. he hissed and glared your way playfully while rubbing his arm dramatically.
you shrugged with a smirk on your lips and he plopped down onto his soft bed. “don’t get too comfortable.” he suggested when noticing you trying to sneakily get underneath his covers. 
“what i’d do for one of those thermal blankets the muggles use.” you sighed dreamingly while watching him walk towards his closet.
“imagine having a postal company deliver the package to hogwarts? dumbledore would have an aneurysm.” cedric replied and you couldn’t help yourself when imagining the scenario playing out in your mind. 
he turned to the side to admire your smile while you were a little distracted while pulling out a coat. then he closed the closet up and walked back over, holding it in your direction to offer an extra to put over your body. you gladly took it with a smile. "thanks ced."
cedric backed up a few steps and brushed a hand through his brunette hair. not being able to help himself he joked, “can’t have you walking around with your blanket wrapped around you. your height already makes you look so adorable.”
you got off from the bed when he exaggerated with your blanket in hand and scoffed. cedric bit his lip nervously while continuing to back up before he felt the wall pressed against him.
he rubbed the back of his nervously while you held the blanket up to his height and above your own head. “i’m just kidding.” he gulped before you took it and put it over his face.
when he tugged it down from his face he spotted you innocently standing by the door with his jacket around you. “i was going to leave it here anyway. just put it on the bed and i’ll come get it later after we get back.”
while you zippered it up you noticed this particular jacket was the one that you often saw him wearing before he ended up buying a new one for the upcoming winter that you were suffering in now.
and it was longer than the one you had previously put on about twenty minutes ago so, you couldn't argue with him on that steal.
"alright.” he laughed and added with a more serious tone. “oh and by the way—you don't need to thank me. you're my best friend, wildflower."
today was the first quidditch match of the season and you were sitting at the edge of your seat in anticipation. the hufflepuffs didn't score well last season and you were hoping they wouldn't come out with last place again for the year.
y/g/b/f (your girl best friend) sat down on the stands next to you with an umbrella in her hands. you turned and looked at it with a confused face. but she just smiled at your contemplating thoughts and looked up at the sky once before supplying you with an answer.
“well it looks bright now but i have a feeling it’ll rain later.” she always had a suspicion for when it was going to rain or snow and you never second guessed her because every single time she was right.
“did you know we’re having a new seeker play on the team today? i believe he’s going to be captain too if he plays his cards right this game.” she asked. you didn’t know that.
“wait is he the new guy everybody is talking about? i heard the rumors but you know how they are. i didn’t want to take it seriously until i saw it with my own eyes.” you stated and she nodded. 
“yeah he’s a transfer i think but i’m not too sure. his name is cedric diggory though.” after her reply, you glanced around the stands to see if anybody had diggory signs for the game but with no avail you sighed. before you could respond you felt a few droplets on your shoulder. 
your friend gave you a smart-ass grin and popped out the umbrella to hold it over the both of you. “guess we’ll see how good he is.” you mumbled before seeing the players come up to the playing area with their brooms.
butterbeer was pretty popular during the winter season. many students from school usually went and got some to help regulate their body temperature and keep warm.
everybody else must have gotten the same memo because you were inside the three broomsticks now for some butterbeer and it was crowded.
almost every table was filled with peers and that’s probably why you didn’t see many people in the school. with just one glance around the area, you could already tell the divided area’s of where each school was seated right away. 
your tables were to the left area, the slytherins must have come earlier because they grabbed the back ones, some of the ravenclaw’s were off to the right, while harry and the other gryffindor’s had the middle area.
cedric nudged your side to grab your attention and nodded towards the hufflepuff area. “want to grab us some seats and i’ll get the drinks?” he asked and you nodded. “sure, could you get me a snack too if you don’t mind?” 
he smiled and tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “i suppose i could.” cedric walked away with a wink and you shook your head knowing he was just humoring you.
little did you know he already had planned to get you something else even before the two of you left the dorms. it had gotten to the point where asking him for little things hadn’t bothered you because you reciprocated all of the time.
but sometimes cedric would give you little excuses when it was your turn to pay, just so he could end up paying for whatever you guys were having or getting. he always spoiled you.
"ah the golden girl is here." hermione scoffed and watched you walk towards the hufflepuff area. your other best friend was seated already and started talking to you when you sat.
the brunette from the red colored house didn't particularly dislike you since you were always nice. sometimes you chatted with her while working on a project that you were paired for. then other times you gave her a soft smile when catching her eye while walking in the halls towards your next class.
she definitely couldn’t help but respect and admire you.
but the reason she didn’t put herself out there and try to befriend you was because you were one of the girls known in school for your smartness, quick reflexes, and witty attitude. 
when people from school talked about you and referred to you as the golden girl instead of your name most of the time—it wasn’t that you were golden per-say but the fact that it matched up perfectly with the school’s color that you sorted it.
hufflepuff was known for its represented yellow color.
and there’s no doubt about it that hermione was also known around the school. but, she felt it was for all of the wrong reasons. despite not having it any other way as one of harry's best friends, she wondered if not for him that in an alternate lifetime that she would be you. 
“why is she wearing cedrics jacket?” ron asked after following hermione’s stare. harry thumped him on the back of his head and then shook his own. “why does it matter?” the one with a thunderbolt on his forehead replied.
“well it is interesting, isn’t it?” the brunette said in defense of ron’s question. the one who didn’t seem curious at all took a sip of the butterbeer in front of him.
he licked his lips, thinking then replied to them with a response. “i mean it’s not our business but it is an odd find now that you pointed it out. maybe he’s just being friendly?”
“as if! cedric has had a crush on y/n since he met her. she’s just oblivious to it all,” she paused and tapped her chin. “—or is she?” ron gasped at her accusation but took a sip of his own drink before she could hear his outburst.
harry noticed her getting riled up once again and sighed. “well i don’t know what else to say. maybe you should just introduce yourself already and ask her instead of me.” he shrugged and hoped to end the conversation there.
you knew exactly who cedric diggory was when he swiftly passed by the hufflepuff area during the game. of course, he was wearing yellow. 
the game has been going on for a decent amount of time now and he was stacking up the scores on the quidditch board—easily passing by the score of the gryffindor’s team.
cedric was undoubtedly the new eye candy for the whole school with the gasps and ‘awes’ from the other girls sitting in the stand. your friend was so busy watching harry that she didn’t catch the commotion.
you didn’t really pay attention to him to get a good glance at his face so, you thought he was just another arrogant rich boy and rolled your eyes.
what you didn’t notice was the way it was like a slow-motion love at first sight situation for him when he went by. since it stopped raining through the middle of the game he was able to catch a quick view of you. 
the week wasn’t done yet so it was possible he’d be seeing more of you in another class he hadn’t had yet. and cedric hoped you were because he couldn’t help but look over in your direction throughout the game to catch another glimpse of your face.
it was still humid outside and you tried wiping your makeup a few minutes ago since it was under your eyes now, but you only smudged it further. your robe was drenched with your wavy and half-dried hair now lying down the back of it. 
but he didn’t care what you thought about yourself because he knew without a doubt that you were the prettiest girl there.
“cedric’s looking pretty good today.” y/g/b/f voiced for the first time today. you played with the napkin in your hand while trying to get a glimpse of cedric. 
“i don’t think you would know even if he was—since you spend all your time looking at harry.” cedric was up to the counter now waiting for your butterbeer and food.
“uh huh. don’t think i haven’t admired cedric before from afar though.” after a moment of not answering her, y/g/b/f noticed that you weren’t paying attention. you knew exactly what she was hinting towards.
cedric did look good.
his hair had that ‘just woken up’ style to it and he always managed to look even more attractive then he should have. the yellow scarf wrapped around his neck was the one that came with every hufflepuff’s supplied uniform clothing.
he usually wore it when you sat with him in potions on a chilly morning and you caught yourself wanting to take it off of him and wear it sometimes.
he always smelled good and it comforted you in ways a best friend shouldn’t have the ability to.
you seemed to have let your guard down and stared longer then you should have which confirmed what y/g/b/f already knew. “i knew it!” she chuckled and stated more loudly than the last comment to snap you out of the zoned out state you were in. 
“know what?” you asked while placing the napkin back down on your table.
cedric was reaching the table and you wanted the conversation to end quickly. you usually dragged out conversation topics like this so you had time to think of another one to distract her with. but, she always found a way to circle it back around again. 
you had to shut it down before he could hear, already knowing exactly what she wanted to talk about again.
“i’ll tell you later before our curfew.” y/g/b/f smirked and you sighed knowing she would in fact take the time out of her night to find you before bed. lucky you.
“hey y/g/b/f. how has your day been?” he asked your other friend while sitting down and placing your refreshments in front of you and then doing the same with his. 
she grinned at you then glanced over at him, “pretty good i guess if it wasn’t for this weather i would say great. how about you? and how’d you manage to get this one out?” she gestured towards you, causing you to roll your eyes. 
here we go again.
you were walking down the path back to the hogwarts dorms with y/g/b/f and some others. there was going to be a small celebration in the hufflepuff’s common room and other students were trying to hurry back without raising suspicions with any professors nearby.
“hey, i’ll be right back y/n/n. i see luna and i’m going to go ask her if she has a hair tie.” she said and pointed to the curly knots that she had on her shoulders.
you nodded and continued along the path while she walked over to the other side. it was quiet for a moment and you surveyed the peaceful area, a few feet over in the grass was a small patch of flowers.
you were about to take a quick look at them before feeling someone tap your shoulder. it was sudden and you couldn’t help but quickly move to the side and form a fist. you were about to throw it but stopped when you stared wide-eyed at the person who scared you.
cedric felt awful and only after he startled you did he realize that you were looking off in the distance of the area. the way you jumped though seemed that you were quick on your feet and he couldn’t help but smirk at the new name he had for you. 
“hey i’m sorry for startling you wildflower but i just wanted to introduce myself. i’m cedric diggory.” he introduced with a panty-dropping smile.
you weren’t sure if it was some kind of joke so you treaded carefully. “uh it’s okay, it’s my fault really for not paying attention but i’m y/n y/l/n. nice to meet you ced.”
cedric held out his hand for you to shake and you took it, giving him a firm shake. after you let go he smirked and questioned. “ced, huh?”
he crouched down to pick up a flower that you were looking at earlier and it reminded you to ask, “wildflower, huh?” you met his statement equally and folded your arms together so they were across your chest to look more tough.
his cheeks tinted a minor shade of pink and tried to hide his embarrassment by ducking down and ignoring your question. instead he glanced back up to tuck a hair behind your ear and then placed the flower there.
“yes, wildflower.” 
and how could you argue with him when he was being so sweet?
the two of you made it back to the common room after an hour of eating, then chatting with cedric and your other best friend. he was sitting on the bed with you sitting next to him.
you’ve been sitting for only about a minute or so—only enough time to shrug off your jackets and place them on the desk chair between that time after walking back to his dorm.
“would you like to lay down for a few minutes?” cedric asked when he noticed the tiredness shown clear as day on your face.
“sure” you agreed and you laid down while he shook your blanket out for the two of you to use. his eyebrows scrunched together when he realized it wouldn’t make much of a difference in comfort with how small it was.
you chuckled watching him trying to maneuver it around and he glanced your way with a smirk of defeat. “hmm, seems this blanket is a little small. would you like to go under the covers?”
cedric was giving into what you wanted earlier before the two of you left and he knew that too. the three broomsticks' food was delicious as always and you just wanted to relax for a few minutes after getting teased by your friend.
he grinned watching you get comfortable after the both of you were situated under the sheets and yellow comforter. there was a hufflepuff patch ironed onto it and you rubbed your thumb over it while laying down.
it wasn’t that awkward since you’ve fallen asleep in his arms a couple of times before already. class exams were frustrating and took a lot out of the students so he took comfort in you and vice versa when there was some down time during the weekends throughout the school year.
with an arm around you—he pulled you close to the point where you could feel his warm breath along your neck. “i don’t think you realize how much i treasure these moments y/n/n.”
he spoke breathlessly and you gulped slowly. you were dumbfounded with how seriously he said that. as if it had some kind of hidden meaning behind it. “me too.” you agreed and wondered if he would leave it at that.
but you knew better and cedric never left well alone when he wanted to get a point across. he turned your body slowly with the arm he had around your middle and you faced him with confusion.
he glanced down once before looking back up and continued on with his confession while staring into your doe eyes—a color he deemed his favorite the day that he met you.
“i’ve been fighting myself for a while on whether or not i should tell you this because i didn’t want my feelings to ruin our friendship. i’d rather be your friend than not be a part of your life at all. and i always look forward to seeing you e-everyday.” he paused when his voice cracked.
after cedric cleared his throat he continued, “and i totally understand if you don’t share the same feelings with me but i just couldn’t go on another day without telling you how i—” you cut him off by leaning in and brushing your lips against his.
he moved closer on the bed, so his skin was touching yours. cedric wanted to get as close to you as he possibly could. your hand swept through his brunette curls and you surprised him by tugging it.
he never knew what you were going to do and his friends teased him that you were a wildcard, to which he’d correct them and say you were his wildflower.
cedric smirked into the kiss and you groaned knowing he was being a smart-ass. but in return, he shocked you when he placed a hand delicately on your cheek to cup it rather softly.
he rubbed your cheek while your hand massaged his curls and then moved them downwards to the nape of his neck.
cedric pushed the hair back from your neck with his hand and then placed it back so his thumb splayed across on your cheek in a loving gesture. and you only wanted him closer after feeling sensitive about the whole astonishment that still had you stunned to the core.
you tugged the collar of his shirt and he pulled away with puffy, red lips and a smile. “what’s wrong?”
“i don’t know, i’m just emotional.” you voiced squeakily and full of embarrassment about it. cedric shook his head and before patting his chest, he held up the comforter over the both of you and let the minimal cold air in.
“oh, baby it’s okay. come here and let's cuddle a little before curfew.”
you bit the bottom of your lip and nodded, giving him a smile in return to the one he gave you and then crawled onto him. “i think i like baby better.” you voiced and laid on his chest with your head over his heartbeat.
he let go of the comforter when he noticed you were settled and tugged it firmly around both of your bodies. “better then what?” he asked.
“wildflower.” you admitted and hummed nervously while awaiting his response. you felt cedric shake his head and he put his arms around your body so you were pressed firmly against him before he kissed your forehead.
“you’ll always be my wildflower.” you closed your eyes after giving him a quick kiss on the cheek in response.
after a moment of laying back down you could feel his chest rising up and down in an odd pattern so, you put your head up to see him laughing again at you.
“what now?” you questioned trying to keep a serious facial expression but failing when he grinned.
“guess you got what you wanted, hmm?” cedric said—referring to the fact that you were finally under the comforters and you smirked.
“of course i always do. including finally getting you, ced.”
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jflemings · 3 years
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Rudolph ; oliver wood
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warnings: light swearing, not proof read
authors note: first fic posted! i originally had a fred fic lined up but could’t get this idea out of my head. reader is in Gryffindor!
It was approaching christmas time and as per usual Hogwarts was all decked out with decor of all kinds, christmas songs playing, rich scents of cinnamon and fire and of course the snow that covered the campus every year.
It was utterly magical.
You had been on the Gryffindor quidditch team since your second year as a chaser and since then you had made it your mission for your team to dress christmas theme for your last game of the season before break. This year was no different.
The bag of charmed headbands swayed in your grip as you walked through the cold halls to find your teammates. Donned in your gryffindor quidditch sweater, school skirt and casual shoes you were practically skipping down the corridor while looking out to the snow covered courtyard. With your head in the clouds and your mind on the festivities coming up you were blissfully unaware of the pair of Weasleys that were currently barreling toward you before it was too late. 
Frantic hands made their way to grip your shoulders with anticipation before a female voice was booming down the stone halls, echoing directly to your direction. 
“y/n! please! you have to help us. We swear we didn’t mean it!” George’s voice filled your ears while he continued to duck behind you
“yeah honest! we had no clue that angie was walking our way!” fred flailed before hiding behind his twin who was hiding behind you. Before you had time to properly retaliate a fuming Angelina was heading straight for you and the boys. 
“You two have done it this time! do you know how long it takes me to wash my hair let alone style it exactly how i want it!? ugh! and we have a match this afternoon I’m not going to have enough time!” Angelina launched herself over your shoulder in an attempt to grab their shirts 
You were always somehow caught in the middle of the twins an angle’s antics. Moments before disaster struck the chasers wrists were caught in your hands.
“angie! go find hermione, she surely knows a spell to fix your hair. she has a spell for quite literally everything!” your face was soft as you spoke in an attempt to sooth evergrowing temper. She took a deep breath in and out and nodded to you, giving you the okay to let her go the twins still making the effort to stay behind you where they thought they were safe. 
Once Angelina had stalked off to go and find the young witch you turned around to face the pair of freckled faced fifth years with your hands on your hips, silently waiting for an explanation. 
George was the first to break. 
“y/n we swear on our own graves that the slimey slugs were’t meant for her! we swear!” the younger twin pleaded
“please don’t tell Mcgonagall! or wood! oh for the love of merlin and mum’s apple pie please don’t tell Oli anything”
at this point the pair of them were practically on their knees which is a sight your personally don't see too often but unfortunately all good things must come to an end.
“truthfully boys as much as i would love to stand here and have you beg on your knees for my forgiveness I have things to do today, starting off by giving you two the prop for this year’s last game!” the enthusiasm practically seething off you as you rummage through the bag to find the two matching headbands you had organised for the boys.
“like every other year, identical and charmed to stay on all game: just how you liked it.” 
the pair beamed at you and gratefully took them from your hands 
“you two would’t have to know where golden boy is, do you? i want to give him his now before he gets too in ‘in the mode’ for this afternoon” 
the twins looked at each other thoughtfully “we saw him in the great hall before running into you. he was alone and kind of just minding his own business so you should get to that asap” Fred answered, proping his arm up on his other half’s shoulders. 
George was trying to get a peak inside the bag you were still holding, probably to try to see which headpiece you had picked to sit on top of your captain’s head for the game. 
“Say, y/n, what do you have dear ol’ oliver wearing this year? trying to see who’s the favourite” 
Fred lightly scoffed “C’mon Georgie, you and I both know who the favourite is” 
Although he wore a playful smirk and his tone was half joking he was right. The twins, along with literally everyone else, knew exactly who your favourite was but it’s not like you made any proper effort to hide it. As you got older, the less care you had about exposing your own feelings to the whole school. You had become shamelessly flirtatious with your captain with him often returning the comments; despite this you never did truly understand where exactly you stood with oliver. you knew he liked you but you did’t know the extent of it or if he only had eyes for you. 
you went along with fred nonetheless.
“yeah sorry, G you know who’s first place in my book” you said confidently while pulling out a set of antlers and a bright red nose. The twins stood dumbfounded before snickering.
“he won’t wear that” fred said flat out 
“hmm not too sure about that my dear brother”
“you have more of a chance of Georgie here landing a date with Angelina than you do getting wood to actually wear that on the pitch against Slytherin”
you smirked wickedly and turned on your heel “you, my dear friend, are going to be proven wrong”
*****
okay so Fred wasn’t that wrong.
“Oli pleasee, we do it every year” you dramatically drew out 
currently, you were sat straddling the seat whilst looking at oliver infront of you who was running over the drills out in front of him. He looked up from his parchment at you and tilted his head 
“l/n I’m not wearing antlers and a bright red nose to a quidditch game! i probably won’t be able to play”
you huffed but refused to give up the fight.
“they’re charmed to stay on through the whole game so you can play AND they will bring you extra good luck while we’re out there” you exclaimed as you picked up the red nose from the table and began fiddling with it. Oliver looked from your hands to your face and sighed.
“what do you mean ‘good luck’” he raised an eyebrow at you with curiosity laced in his words, almost like he wanted to believe you. You grinned.
“Because your favourite chaser is giving you them of course!” the grin etched upon your face somehow widened at the sight of a slight tinge of rose pink dusting the keeper’s cheeks. 
This prompted an eyeroll and a sigh escaping his lips. “just because you’re the favourite doesn’t mean I’m wearing a nose” your ears perked at the unexpected response you just got and you leaned in closer to his face.
“So i am the favourite, huh?” the smirk gracing your lips was cocky yet it flattered when he turned to look at you.
His honey coloured eyes drifted from your eyes to your mouth and back to your eyes “you know damn well you’re the favourite” 
You felt as though a whole zoo had been let lose in your stomach and the soft smile that then graced your lips was the only tell sign of that. You did know, of course. Everyone did. But it’s not like he’d ever said it out loud and if he had it certainly wasn’t to you or while you were around. 
“But you aren’t getting me in that headband and nose” 
your head dropped before throwing it back dramatically “Oliver wood you are going to look like a fool if you’re the only one on the team without a costume” 
“then i’ll look like a fool, darling” the smug smile off his face never left until he watched you get up and walk out of the great hall to go and find the remainder of your team, leaving behind the costume for him on the table. He smiled softly to no one but himself before returning back to what he was doing.
*****
Lunch time had rolled around and you were sat with Lee and the twins discussing the match you were set to play in less than few hours with wood nowhere to be found. You found yourself pushing your food around your plate with your fork in an effort to think of another way to get oliver to wear the stupid antlers. It was only one match for crying out loud! you were all going to look like idiots anyway so why not join in.
Your train of thought was broken when Lee Jordan had directed the topic of coversation away from the match and onto you and oliver.
“y/n would so make the first move are you kidding? I love wood as much as the next guy but all the quidditch going on in his head has surely been a distraction from his plan about how he’s gonna plant one on y/n” Lee was confident in his answer and Fred agreed 
you looked up from the miserable plate of food infront of you to hear george speak 
“oliver is as dense as a doorknob when it comes to his feelings for y/n. if they were gonna kiss he would just do it as a spur of the moment kind of thing, no think just do and hope for the best.” he shrugged as he spoke through potatoes while waving his fork about, angelina and katie agreeing by his side. Then they all turned to you.
“We haven’t kissed, if that’s what you are silently asking” you dropped your fork with a clank “but since we’re talking about it, I would be the one to make the first move, no questions asked” the smirk on your face was triumphant and Fred and Lee high five you from over the table.
“Let’s make a bet then” George piped up “five galleons to me if Wood makes the first move or five galleons to Lee if y/n makes the first move”. He scanned your group looking for a sign of protest before shaking on it with lee 
“Don’t lose me those five galleons, y/n” Lee complained.
you shifted in your seat and gave him a thumbs up and the best smile you could muster while eating food. All you had to do was think of how you could get wood to wear that darn costume and then give him a big ol’ kiss, no worries at all.
*****
It was go time. 
The whole team was ready to fly, charmed headbands and new plays were ready to go but your fearless captain was no where to be seen. 
Anyone who knew oliver knew that he lived and breathed all things qudditch and now with such an important game about to start he was no where to be found. nonetheless, the team was lined up with angelina filling in as captain for now because it seemed you didn’t have one at the minute.
this made you unbelievably nervous, so much so that you felt like you were about to pass out and if it wasn’t for the twins and their antics you might’ve been on a one way trip to the hospital wing right now. 
“do ya reckon oli is dead? because I mean why else would he be late to a match against Slytherin?” fred deadpanned while george stood behind him snickering to no one in particular.
you had momentarily thought about fred’s statement simply because you really couldn’t think of any other reason why oliver wouldn’t be here 2 minutes before you were set to fly. Your hands were now starting to lightly cramp around your broom and you were beginning to nervous sweat despite winter being right around the corner; internally you were an absolute shitshow. volcanoes were erupting in the depths of your stomach and your heart was hammering against your ribcage and the only thing that was on your mind was where the hell was oli?.
As if the gods above had heard your question one frantic keeper donned in red and gold came barrelling through the change rooms and you swear on your own grave you had never felt so much relief in your life. 
“sorry I’m so late! I lost track of the time and was trying to find something important” oliver apologised 
walking through your team his hand found your shoulder and he leant into your ear “can’t have all my reindeers losing their way because they don’t have a Rudolph” 
looking up at him, he sent you a cheeky wink while putting the nose and antlers on his head before returning to his rightful place in the front and centre. 
“You guys know what to do, let’s stomp on some snakes” the confidence oozing from his voice was indescribable. the way he spoke was powerful and reckless yet when he turned to look at you over his shoulder the facade dropped when he began to speak softly “Hope my favourite chaser is ready to win” 
a warm smile graced your lips “always, captain” 
*****
The sheer determination and house pride coming from the stands was overbearing. the screams, cheers, house war cries and encouragement made the desire to win even stronger than before. You, Angelina and Alicia were flying laps around Slytherin; your teamwork unmatched as you continued to set up and score goals for your friends. Fred and George were on their A-game. their aim had improved tremendously since last season with them becoming more coordinated to make sure you and the girls were able to score all you needed. Oliver was so focused on the opposing team and their chasers that you were certain he was unaware of the close score right now. It was 100-110 with Gryffindor taking the lead. all harry had to do was catch the snitch.
He had spotted it and now was neck and neck with malfoy. they were flying dangerously close to the stands where screaming students were situated. this was going to be the closest game you had had in a while. 
Just as Alicia had set up a goal for you to score harry caught the snitch and your whole team hollered at the outcome of the game.
“YES! GET IN HARRY!” George had yelled at the top of his lunch while Fred and Alicia laughed in delight at the sight of George almost falling off his broom. 
You flew over to an exhausted looking Angleina and did your best to pull her into a hug mid air 
“You were amazing Angie! absolutely brilliant! the hard work payed off!” you praised your close friend and the two of you made your way to the ground where students had begun piling off the stands but there was only one person you wanted to see down there.
The sound of your broom hitting the grass could be heard by the people around you when you caught sight of oliver hopping off of his broom. You ran to him and flung your tired arms around his neck with him instantly returning the favour  as his arms held a tight grip on your waist. 
“Oli we did it! everything that you drilled into us payed off, all the early morning training, that staying up into the early hours of the morning, all of it! every single bit!” you exclaimed and pulled away to get the first proper look at him that whole afternoon. His smile was splitting his face in half and for the first time in a while it felt like the two of you were the only ones in the world. 
One of his hands moved from your waist and up your back to grip your shoulder from behind before he dipped you and gave you the most passionate kiss you had ever gotten.
it felt like the twins had let a bunch of fireworks loose in your stomach, his neck felt hot under the touch of your calloused hands and his lips melted perfectly with yours. The both of you pulled away for breath, still not breaking eye contact.
“If I get this lucky every time I wear these stupid antlers I might as well glue them to my head” he half heartedly laughed at himself while continuously ignoring everyone around you who had now decided to pay attention.
Lee’s voice rang out over the microphone.
“Y/N! I thought i told you to not lose me those five galleons” he groaned while George grinned in triumph 
Oliver, who still had you dipped but was now looking up at lee, looked back down at you “you placed a bet on our kiss?” he quizzed you while an eyebrow raised.
all you could do was laugh and feel your heart swell in your chest 
“sorry, love. but i was fairly confident that our first kiss was going to be my doing” you smirked and grabbed his face pulling him in for yet another kiss.
Christmas had certainly come early this year. 
tags: @castieltrash1​
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ardentmuse · 4 years
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Chalk and Leather (Murphy McNully x Reader)
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DISCOVERING AMORTENTIA SMELLS LIKE MURPHY McNULLY TO YOU
Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery - Murphy McNully x fem!Reader
A/N: Since we just finished up the valentine’s day quest, got to give some love to the characters we can’t date. :) 
Masterlist
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“What do you smell, Y/N?” Skye asks you as you stand what should have been a safe distance from the cauldron Snape has bubbling in the middle of his classroom. Streams of pink smoke loft occasionally into the air as your professor’s voice continues to cut through the crowd, droning on about how you need to study amortentia to know how to identify it and therefore avoid it. A better policy seems to be just don’t touch any potions you don’t know.
You try hard not to lean forward but it is intoxicating. Skye elbows you and raises her eyebrows; clearly hoping your nose might provide some juicy gossip.
“I smell chalk and freshly cut grass and—“
Your eyes find the real thing you are smelling on the other side of the room. Murphy McNully, one of your dearest friends, is beside Rowan, the two chatting in hushed tones about something or the other. He laughs — the kind of bright, full laugh that consumes his whole face — and you feel the warm trickle in your chest you haven’t been able to explain for weeks, at least until this very moment.
“Leather and shoe polish,” you finish with a whisper. The words flow from your mouth like they’re the solutions to a riddle because they are. You are in love with Murphy McNully and somehow you hadn’t put two and two together until it was right under your nose.
You take another whiff and enjoy the fragrance you associate only with your rambling friend. It’s a pleasant blend of masculine comforts, rustic and warm like the boy himself. McNully catches your eyes across the room. He smiles, always so friendly, though something in your face must be off because he frowns soon after, returning his attention to Rowan and the rest of your class on his side of the room.
“That’s an odd collection of scents,” Skye muses. “I just smell the pitch.”
“Predictable. Maybe I’ll give those bludgers some amortentia next practice and see if they’ll chase after you like some lovesick puppies so I can take the day off.”
Skye cackles even though your joke wasn’t that funny and Snape snaps at the both of you.
“Is this stuff getting to your head, Parkin? Making you dumb?”
“No, Professor.”
“Then I advise you keep your voice down and pay attention,” Snape says, speaking to Skye but looking at you as well.
“Yes, Professor.”
Snape turns on his heels and heads back towards his desk. Skye lets out a breath, shaking off her scolding. You wish you could shake off your feelings, too: joy, fear, anxiety, doubt, hope, and love above all the others. 
As the class ends, your quidditch crew prepares to leave and head to the pitch for practice. McNully usually never misses an opportunity to come with you all and practice his announcing skills but when Skye calls out his name in the corridor of the dungeon, he mumbles something under his breath. He doesn’t even meet your gaze as he rolls down the hall and out of sight.
“Someone’s a little grumpy.”
The worry fills your chest like a balloon, making it hard to breath. 
“Isn’t that odd, though? He’s always chipper.”
“So are you and you look like a house elf denied her supper,” Skye laughs, patting you on the back as she runs ahead to catch up with Orion and the rest of the gang. But you can’t join in the joyous run. McNully is somewhere less than pleased about whatever he saw on your face during potions.
You arrive at the locker rooms and change into your quidditch gear, a little slower than usual. Your brain won’t stop replaying images of the dinners spent playing wizard chess with the dimpled blond currently getting situated in the announcer’s booth, the late nights in the common room, your legs up on his lap, memorizing quidditch strategy, and the after-match hang outs where you often found excuses to be close to him, grab his hand, and congratulate him on commentary you arguably didn’t hear given your focus on the match. How had you not seen before just how much he meant to you and just how many of your tiny fantasies about how nice it would be to have a boyfriend involved soft blue eyes just as you closed your eyes to be kissed or running your hands down crisp white collars as you snuggle close in front of the fire, or the pleasant warm laughter of mirth-filled lungs as warm hands run through your hair, just as soft and strong as McNully’s? Everything you hoped for had been right in front of you for well over a year.
When the team assembles and takes to the air, you heard the faint calls of Murphy’s voice from the booth as you bat at the first bludger. He had come to practice after all, just not with you.
“And Y/L/N whacks the bludger away from Parkin with a—“
There is an odd and long silence that follows and it seems the whole team notices. The entire friendly slows, each broom taking to a lazy bob as your team’s statistician stands in stasis. 
“… some level of accuracy,” he finally says with a cough. 
Murphy is struggling with numbers? That’s odd, you think and it seems everyone else is as confused as you, that is at least until Orion screams for you to focus from the other end of the field, clearly not wanting to lose practice time. But he doesn’t even need to call you from your daze. A rogue bludger is already heading for your team’s latest addition, Oliver Wood.
You fly as fast as you can, swooping down towards the goal posts in hopes of intercepting the ball as the rest of the team resumes play. With a great push, you dangle down from your broom and swing low, just hitting the edge of the wall and knocking it back towards the pitch below.
“And with an impressive show of athleticism, Y/L/N managed to protect our young keeper from a bludger that was—“
Murphy coughs like there is a frog in his throat. It’s alarming and your heart pulls for him. Without a thought for anything but wanting to make sure he is okay, you fly down towards the box where Murphy is sitting. His head is in his hands and his face is redder than it normally is. When he sees you, his eyes bug out a little, but he looks away. His attention is back on the game. He straightens his shoulders and begins commentating again.
“And Parkin shoots for the upper left and misses! A rare miss for the ace chaser, whom this season alone has scored 92.4% of shots on open goals in sunny weather.”
Wait, how come that stat was not an issue?
You hover a bit and stare at the boy who is proving quite the enigma. Your chest heaves a bit as you consider what might be happening, but out of the corner of your eye a stream of black comes barreling through. 
Instinctively, you press forward and swing your bat just as the bludger enters into Murphy’s commentary box. The bludger flies away to the east just as McNully covers his face, prepared for a sure to be painful smack right to the noggin. Your momentum however doesn’t stop just because you managed to knock the ball away. You pull up on your broom but can’t stop and land right down on top of Murphy, curling up in his lap as his wheelchair slides back into the wall. His arms wrap around you protectively, covering your head as the house banners fall down upon you in a giant crash. 
Once your crash ends and the chaos subsides, you realize exactly where you are; seated on Murphy’s lap with his arms wrapped tightly around your waist, canopied in the privacy of fallen tapestries. Murphy’s breathing is hard as his hands curl into the flesh of your back.
And for the first time since potions, he smiles.
“Y/L/N with the greatest save of the day,” he whispers, his hand reaching up to wipe a bit of dust off your cheek. 
You face is hot as you look deeply into Murphy’s eyes, unable to stop the smile on your face, too. And somehow, suddenly, everything feels right.
“And what were my chances of making it?” 
He slides his hand into your hair as he tilts your face up to him.
“I haven’t a bloody clue.” 
He shakes his head and laughs, his cheeks turning the brightest red you’ve ever seen. You start to speak but his voice interrupts you.
“I can’t think of a single thing but you when you’re near, you know that?” 
“I— I can’t either.”
Murphy laughs, the hearty kind you missed just a little, and the matching smile on his face only makes it better. He pulls you closer to him, letting you rest your head against his chest. He takes a deep and stabilizing breath.
“Lilac,” he says more to himself than you, “And fresh clean linens.” 
And now it is your turn to smile as you realize Murphy knows your scent, too— two people attracted by nothing other than each other. It’s impossible to resist the urge, just like this morning in Snape’s classroom, to draw closer to the source of such joy. Every part you longs to lift upward, to taste the thing you’ve been craving so intensely, the thing you didn’t know you needed.
“Y/N! Y/N! Are you okay?” Skye is screaming from somewhere near by. You hear the scrambled sounds of brooms dropping onto the deck and footsteps rushing to your aid.
But McNully doesn’t care. His hand takes your chin and he kisses you full on, not wasting a moment to seal your newly-declared affections. And all you can do is melt into him.
A faint breeze hits your face and you look up to see Skye standing now under the banners, her eyes filled with mischief as she takes you in.
“That chalk smell makes a whole lot of sense now.”
Murphy’s eyes bug out of his head as he pushes back on you.
“I smell… like chalk to you?”
“Among other things.”
He laughs, “I’ll have you know my spell for the chalk board reduces chalk use by 68.3% over traditional writing methods.”
You can’t help but smile. He’s back in all his quirkiness and something about the fact that he can be himself with you in his arms, open about your feelings, brings you more joy than you can say. And that joy is the kind of joy you hope to have every night moving forward with the boy who smells like chalk and leather by your side and loving you fully.
All tags: @fangirlandnerd, @aerdnandreaa, @thisisbullshytt,  @cancerousjojian, @whovianayesha, @themarauderstheoutsidersandpeggy, @luna-xxxxx, @sleepylunarwolf, @starryrevelations, @potter-thinking, @all-by-myself98, @bananafosters-and-books, @cutie-bug, @igotmadskills, @hazelandcoconuts, @yallgotkik, @amberkay284, @the-new-galahad, @13ofjuly, @daft-not-punk
Harry Potter tags: @tessimagines​, @0-lost-in-stereo-0, @whysoseriouspadfoot, @eldritchscreech​, @luckyvirgo​, @hellizhelusive2​, @lexrius, @sapphireorchid​, @amazingwonderlandnapkin, @garbdump​
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ardent-musings · 3 years
Text
The Girl Who Vanished (Part 1)
Chapter 5: A Tough One to Beat
Sweat trickled down her forehead. The air felt like knives as she sucked in a few breaths before holding it deep in her chest. Any noise was too much noise. She could hear a high pitched scream coming from the other side of the door. The scream mixed with the sound of a wailing cry. It was overwhelmingly loud, considering she didn't dare create any noise herself. She wasn't sure what would happen if she did make a sound. Unable to hold back her terror, she covered her mouth with her hand, forcing back down absolutely anything that threatened to reveal her hiding spot.
A tear escaped her eye, landing in her lap as she sat on the dusty and crumbling floor. Everything around her was falling apart and she didn't know why. Why were they running? Why was that voice so scared? Why did she know something bad was going to happen?
Ana awoke with a gasp, the nightmare having returned for the first time since she'd been at the castle. She had hoped that they would stop when she got to Hogwarts, but looking back at that, it was stupid to assume that a change in location would heal whatever cruel prank her own brain was playing at. No prank from the twins would ever come close to whatever her head could conjure up.
She sat up, noticing the gentle snores that came from Calista and Alex and how the lake's waters still loomed in darkness. The sun hadn't come up yet, and so she was left restless and startled. It was times like this where she wished she could look out her window and look at the stars instead of staring into the murky lake. She would often go outside and lay in the grass at the Manor when she couldn't fall back asleep; something about the endlessness of the night sky brought her comfort. It reminded her that there was so much out there she had yet to see. There was more than her parents, more than the manor. More than herself.
She looked at her nightstand to see that her potion was already sitting there. Ana grabbed the vial and drank its contents, deciding that staying in her dorm would do her no good. So she put on her shoes and a sweater and left the dormitory, with her wand in her pocket.
The castle looked incredibly different late at night. It was usually so loud and crowded with students, professors and ghosts so seeing it so lifeless made the halls seem double in size. Ana didn't know where to go, her legs just leading her wherever they wanted to take her. Nothing mattered at this point, there was no one around and they probably wouldn't be awake for another hour or two. She didn't know what time it was but guessing from the tiny sliver of light that was peeking through the windows, it was dawn at the latest.
"What are you doing out?" bellowed a voice from behind her. A boy who was years older than her in blue robes started making his way towards her, so Ana ran into the room closest to her. It was dark but from the smell alone she could tell she was in the library. She ran past the tall shelves, crashing into a huge table that she swore was not there in the daytime. Her hip ached but her adrenaline pushed her until she saw a door at the far left part of the room and she ducked inside, hoping that the boy would not look for her there.
She stayed by the door, listening closely for any sign of approaching footsteps. Her heartbeat was in her throat and Ana forced herself to suck in a few deep breaths. Running was not her favorite thing to do so having just been in a full on sprint was a lot for her system.
She sat at the door, waiting to hear any sound coming from the other side of it. The prefect came out of nowhere, and she cursed herself for not having noticed him. After a few minutes of silence, Ana decided to move away from the door just in case the prefect decided to dip his head into the room. The darkness of the room started to unsettle her again.
"Lumos," she whispered.
The room around her started to come into focus as her eyes adjusted to the growing light. It was a rather large room that she found herself in. There were pillars and several levels to the room, all of them leading down to something at the center. Once again her feet moved on their own accord, and she dragged her body down the steps, rubbing at her hip that was sure to bruise.
In front of her was a mirror that almost reached the height of the sloped ceiling, most of the glass covered by a large velvet tarp. Ana found it incredibly strange that the only thing that would be in the room was an old, crumbling mirror. Surely this thing could've been stored in a broom closet somewhere, she thought. It was taking up so much unnecessary space.
Ana wavered by the mirror, finding it a bid odd. She could see the reflection of her flowery pajama pants in the glass, and she imagined she's look ridiculous if anyone had seen her. Well, besides that prefect but she hoped he didn't get close enough to her to get a good look. The longer she looked into the mirror the more it didn't make sense. Something about it felt off. And then she noticed it. And her breath halted.
In the background of the reflection were two more pairs of legs, joining her own. She whipped her head back to see no one was with her; no one had snuck up on her. And yet when she turned back to the mirror, there were three sets of legs. The image terrified her and she started retreating backwards, nearly tripping on the step behind her.
At this point Ana didn't care if there was anyone outside that door, she wanted to be nowhere near that mirror. Maybe it was enchanted or bewitched, but Ana was not about to stick around to find out.
Since the library was never her destination, so she quickly left the room, and made her way through the halls yet again, trying hard to not run into anything or step too loudly. She didn't feel like losing Slytherin any house points her first year.
After walking aimlessly through the halls undetected, Ana found her way to the Astronomy tower. She had been there before for class, but seeing the expanse of the Hogwarts grounds as the sun rose was another level of beautiful. The lake glimmered like tiny little crystals bouncing off the light of the sun and the sounds coming from the dark forest sounded like a perfectly chaotic lullaby. Ana's hair blew in the gentle breeze that was growing slightly colder as autumn was approaching.
She laid on her side, finding it surprising that the stone floor was as comfortable as it was. Her mind thought back to the twins and that strange mirror. Both of them left her confused and yet she still wanted to learn more. Although, she wasn't sure she'd get the chance to fully understand the twins after the courtyard incident. Perhaps that was a lost cause. The thought made her shiver and she wished she had a blanket with her, making a mental note to remember to bring one the next time she would inevitably sneak out of her dorm room again.
~
"Slytherin captain, Marcus Flint scores again! Bringing the score 70 to 20 with Slytherin in the lead!"
Lee Jordan's voice echoed throughout the entire pitch, the Slytherin versus Gryffindor game was in full swing. Ana was a bit tired given her eventful morning, but she would not dare miss the first Quidditch game of the season. Calista and Alex were screaming at the newest goal, shaking Ana in excitement. She laughed at the two girls who were gripping tight to each other after any major move was played.
Lucian swerved over their heads, smacking a bludger with his bat, aiming it at Angelina who was racing towards the posts. George jumped in, directing the ball in the other direction, knocking into Adrian Pucey's broom, which made him teeter to the side before catching himself. Angelina raced towards the Slytherin post, launching it into the air only to be caught by Miles Bletchley. Between the roar of the audience and Lee Jordan's commentary, Ana was fully immersed in the moment. She missed the roar and excitement of a good game of Quidditch. The back and forth was incredible, the action having been going on for about an hour or so, and the golden snitch had yet to be spotted.
"Slytherin's Klay Morris steals the quaffle from Alicia Spinnet! He's closing in on Wood and- He scores! Another point to Slytherin," Lee yells. "Morris has scored over 50 points for Slytherin! An impressive amount for the seventh year's last season."
Another half an hour passed and the score reached 110 to 70 with Slytherin in the lead. Lucian and Peregrine Derrick had been doing a fantastic job keeping the chasers away from scoring, while Fred and George were able to get a few good whacks in. But it was easy to tell that this was their first game.
Terence Higgs, the Slytherin seeker who had been crisscrossing across the field suddenly dove down, aiming for the ground. Charlie Weasley, Gryffindor's seeker, was close on his tail.
"It seems that Slytherin seeker, Terence Higgs is in pursuit of the snitch! Weasley needs to catch this in order for Gryffindor to win the game!"
Ana should have been watching them chasing the snitch, but she couldn't help but get distracted by the Weasley twins who had resigned to watching their brother race around the pitch instead of playing. They looked at Charlie in awe, probably happy to be able to play with him before he graduated. Fred and George looked happy again, and Ana was relieved. Their last interaction made her pained to see them look so defeated.
Everyone was watching the two seekers, no one paying attention to the Slytherin beater, Peregrine Derrick. In that moment, Derrick hit the bludger into the two Weasley twins, instead of aiming for any of the Gryffindor chasers like he should've been. The heavy iron ball crashed into one of the twins and hit him directly in the chest. He doubled over on his broom, lowering to the ground as the other followed. Ana stood up to watch as they both descended to the grass of the pitch.
"Slytherin Beater Derrick just hit George Weasley with a bludger! That's got to be a foul!" Lee yelled. "What kind of play is that? That's a load of- oh, sorry Professor McGonagall."
George was grabbing at his ribs, clinging to it with white knuckles. Fred was kneeling next to him, running his hands through his younger brother's hair, trying to comfort him. Ana found Fred sweet, he was being so gentle with his brother. She caught a glimpse of the Weasley twins she met on the train and a ball began to form in her throat. She wished this guilt would just disappear already. Slytherin was cheering at the fact that Gryffindor was down their beaters, but all Ana could do was monitor the two of them as they waited for any help to come.
The two seekers were zipping around the pitch, trying desperately to inch ahead of the other to grab the golden ball. Charlie was crashing sideways into Higgs, trying to get the boy to lose control. But that did nothing because a second later, Higgs pulled up, charging straight up into the sky and swiping the snitch into his grasp.
"And Terence Higgs catches the golden snitch! Slytherin wins 260 to 70! Sorry lads, maybe next game," Lee huffed, ending his commentary with a pout.
The Slytherins were screaming in celebration, Alex and Calista entangled in what Ana could only assume was the most bone crushing hug she'd ever witness. And she was happy about Slytherin winning, Lucian had been blabbering on and on about the game for weeks. But the only thing Ana could focus on was how George was assisted off the pitch, his arm slung over Fred's and Charlie's shoulders. All three of them looked disappointed and George had the added look of excruciating pain etched on his face. He was sweating and grimacing any time they swayed him too hard in one direction until he was led off the pitch.
Slytherin house was absolutely buzzing the rest of the day. No matter where, there was always a whoop or a cheer being yelled through the halls or across the Great Hall. Everyone was now at dinner and getting their fill of whatever sweet and dessert they wanted. Ana would respond in excitement anytime someone turned to celebrate with her, but her mind was on the Weasleys. She knew that she should hate them but it was so hard when she saw bits and pieces of the friends that she met on the train. Her eyes scanned the Gryffindor table to only find a deeply depressed Oliver Wood, Angelina Johnson, and the rest of the chasers nibbling at their food. Ana had a guess as to where the twins and Charlie were and once again her feet began moving on their own accord. Dinner wasn't sitting well in her stomach anyways.
'Where ya going, pumpkin?" Lucian beamed at her with a dazzling smile. There was no way she could tell him where she was going. How would he feel if she told him she was going to go check up on his opponent? She couldn't. So she decided to give him the most convincing smile she could.
"I have to go check up on something in the greenhouses! But I'll meet you guys in the common room to celebrate," she promised trying to keep a straight face.
Lucian was going to say more until Derrick shoved a treacle tart into the boy's mouth. Ana saw this as her time to hightail it out of the room, so she left before anyone else stopped her. The sound of cheers started up again, dying out the farther she got from the hall. Thankfully Ana had been to the hospital wing before when Professor Sprout asked her to deliver a few herbs to Madam Pomfrey, or else she would have gotten completely turned around. Only this time she wasn't here on a favor. Ana assumed she was so worried because of how guilty she felt the last time they saw each other. Would they even want to see her? Or talk to her?
Ana had no time to panic about those questions, because when she turned the corner, she saw a hunched over Fred who was sitting on the floor alone. His head snapped in her direction and he scrambled to get up off the floor as she continued to walk towards him. She was a few feet away from him when she realized she hadn't planned what she was going to say. He stared at her with a bit of sharpness, his jaw clenching and unclenching the longer she remained silent.
"How is he?" Ana blurted before she lost her nerve and walked away.
Fred shifted his weight between his feet, "Who?" he huffed at the girl.
"George."
Fred chuckled and he took a step back from her. His harsh glare didn't go away and Ana began to question whether or not she should have come.
"Are you so sure George got hurt? Or maybe it was Fred? Lord knows you can't tell the difference anymore."
Godric why did he have to know exactly what to say to make her feel like a completely rubbish person?
"I didn't mean for that to happen. Things just got out of hand!" She promised.
"So what you didn't mean to hurt me when you called me by the wrong name?"
"I wanted to get on your nerves a bit. You know the way you get on mine?" Ana countered. He wasn't fully innocent in all of this. Sure what she did was uncalled for, but he and his brother had dirty hands too.
"Oh so we blew up a cake in your face. Big whoop!" He was pacing the corridor and his voice seemed louder due to it echoing within the vacant hall.
"I was humiliated, Fred!" She shouted back, remembering how terrible she felt that afternoon. "My very first day at Hogwarts and I get pranked! By the two of you. And you laughed in my face!" She walked up next to him, trying to get him to stop pacing.
"It was a joke!" He threw his hands up in defense coming to face Ana. The movement made her jerk backwards, flinching at how quickly his arms moved towards her. Fred's brows scrunched at the middle, suddenly worried he did something wrong. But he didn't. So why did she flinch? "Bi-," he started.
"You hurt me, Fred Weasley!" She choked, fury and bile was rising in her throat. Every bad feeling she had was emerging, every moment of sadness and pain and humiliation all resurfacing. "I thought we were friends! Why would you do that to me?" she sat down on the stone bench that sat opposite the hospital doors. Her nose began to tickle and she wiggled it, not wanting to cry in front of Fred. She sat with her legs crisscrossed, hunched back, and eyes focused on her hair that rested in her lap.
"So you set a snake out on me and George?" He accused, standing in front of her. She didn't like how much bigger he was than her at the moment. She hated how easy it was for him to make her feel so small.
Ana sighed, finally looking up at him. He didn't look as angry as before but she knew this wasn't over. Fred took a deep breath and dropped next to her. They didn't say anything. They just existed in the same space for a moment without any snide remarks or quick one liners. Ana typically liked silence, but she didn't like when things were unresolved. She wanted to see this through. With a quick twist of her body, she was now facing Fred whose eyes met hers.
"I came here to ask how George is doing," she said firmly. Fred could be difficult with her, but she came for a reason.
Fred looked down at her fingers which were still tangling and unraveling her hair. He hated what was happening between them. He remembered how she played with her hair like this when they were first on the train. Something within him wanted to go back to that day. Maybe not lash out on her when he and George found out who she was. But an even bigger part of him, the more stubborn part told him that this was just how things were. It was complicated, but them being friends would be more astounding than if they were to keep at each other's throats.
"Madam Pomfrey says that he has a few cracked ribs," Fred sighed, looking up at the large doors that separated him from his twin. "They should heal in a couple days but he's going to be sore for a while."
Fred remained silent, and he turned to look at Ana. Her features were unreadable again. He hated how she could turn off so quickly, it made understanding her that much harder for him. Everyone in the Weasley family said what they felt, so it frustrated him to look at her and have to second guess what she was feeling.
"I'm sorry he got hurt," she admitted. He looked at her with surprise; an apology was the last thing he expected. It could have been so easy for her to mock them for getting sidetracked their first game, but she didn't. Fred wished maybe she was a bit harsher on him. Then he could be angry at her without feeling guilty about it.
"But you're not sorry for the snake?" he quipped.
"Are you sorry for blasting me with cake?" she countered without missing a beat.
"No. I'm not."
"Then I'm not sorry about the snake," she concluded.
"Then I won't be sorry when I prank you again!"
"Well, maybe I'll just prank you back, Weasley!'
"I'd like to see you try, blondie," he teased.
They stared at each other again, neither of them knew what was going on. But neither of them felt like doubling down. The large hall that they sat in suddenly felt smaller, their sole focus was on each other. Fred couldn't help but let his apathetic expression crack; he wasn't fantastic at hiding how he felt.
Ana smiled back at him. All of the yelling felt ridiculous, considering the fact that George was probably in immense pain beyond the wooden doors. And yet there they were, arguing about things they weren't going to apologize for. But they were now on the same page.
She let out a small giggle at the situation, which made Fred smile back at her. That same smile he had when he gave up his seat on the carriage. And Fred found himself growing fond of her giggle, for once she didn't look so stern like she always did when they exchanged glances.
"Godric, I need to go to bed," Ana joked.
Fred mirrored her statement with a stretch, pulling his arms back to relieve his poor posture. "I need to see George before I can sleep. Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let me in, she had Charlie go in since he was the more mature brother," he rolled his eyes.
This was normal conversation. This is what would be said if they were friends. But they weren't. And yet Ana couldn't help but feel like talking to him like this made sense.
"He knows how worried you are," she leveled with him. "I mean you basically jumped off your broom when he got hurt."
He looked at her like he was studying what she had just said, a smirk growing on his face.
"What now?" she pled. She felt like she was under a microscope anytime he looked at her.
"So you were paying attention to us when we were playing today?" he accused. He crossed his arms and she turned away from him, not wanting to be scrutinized any longer.
Ana chuckled, "I always pay attention to the enemy."
"And I'm your enemy?" he joked, trying to get her to look at him again. He jutted his head in her line of sight so aggressively it caught her off guard.
"Well you're definitely a right pain, Weasley!" she laughed, leaning away from him but looking back at him. The smile never left his face.
"Back at you, Malfoy."
"I hate you."
"I hate you more."
There was no venom in their voices as the two of them stared at each other. Maybe hating each other was something they would grow to enjoy. She no longer wanted him to ignore her. Sure, they'd be at each other's throats from time to time, but she knew she could reciprocate whatever they dished out.
Before she could say anything more, the two massive wooden doors creaked open, revealing Madam Pomfrey. She gave Ana a quick smile before turning to Fred.
'You're allowed to see your brother now," she told the boy. "But make it quick because he'll need his rest."
He stood up, looking relieved to be able to see his brother. She could only imagine how horrible he felt not knowing exactly how George was doing. Fred took one final look at Ana, a gentle smile pulling at his lips.
"See you around, Malfoy," he smirked as he was led beyond the double doors, slamming behind him with a bang.
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Text
Healthy Competition
“We love you, Sweetheart.” Eveleen kissed her daughter’s forehead before releasing her from her tight embrace. Coal was next, wrapping Ophelia into a bear hug, lifting her clean off the ground as she released a sob into her father’s neck. He smelt the same as he always had, like wood shavings, pine and something herby that laid beneath the other scents. His scratchy chin rubbed against her cheek, spreading her tears. Ophelia gave her father one last tight squeeze before he set her down and she rubbed at her eyes, sniffling slightly.
Eveleen smiled bitter sweetly at Ophelia as she took Coal’s hand. Large fingers so familiar to her twined with hers and they unconsciously pressed into one another’s sides. Eveleen assured Ophelia she would be okay and to be sure to write home and of course to learn a whole lot while she was at school. After all, Easter Holiday always snuck up on them. Ophelia’s siblings had long since taken off across the platform, but Ophelia always took the longest to say good bye to her parents.
David and Danny lingered closer to their mothers, long since haven said goodbye but still waiting on Ophelia. Eventually David had to take his cousins hand and give her a tug towards the train. They had already put their own trunks on board, as well as Ophelia’s. Now it was time to go.
“I love you, I love you!” Ophelia called, blowing kisses to her parents and aunts as David dragged her onto the Hogwarts Express. Once on she sniffled again and removed the pink paw mitten in order to better clean up her face. She had worn the hat and mitten kitty set religiously since David had gifted it to her over Christmas.
She also tried to use the mixing bowls Danny had gotten her as often as she could but had quickly learned they weren’t as practical  for round the clock use after wasting an entire box of cereal. She had poured it into one of the smaller mixing bowls but Ophelia still hadn’t been able to eat it fast enough for it not to get soggy. She had reluctantly left most of the set at home, except for the little plastic measuring cups that were currently functioning as sort of a key chain the way they were hooked to her back pack. She knew Danny wouldn’t mind if she didn’t use the mixing set every single day at every opportunity, but Ophelia was a sentimental bean and, well, a bit of an odd duck to be quite frank.
Ophelia followed after her cousins, one mittened hand still in David’s as Danny lead the way back to the compartment the boys had picked. Ophelia was excited to see her girlfriends once back at school but she hadn’t even thought about sitting with them on the train. That had always been something her and the boys had done together, usually playing some sort of game as they munched on snacks from home. Ophelia didn’t think this year would be the exception. She hadn’t even turned her new phone on this morning, forgetting about it to be quite honest, most of the time if it wasn’t vibrating in one of her pockets.
The three settled into their compartment comfortably, shedding their winter coverings in exchange for their basic layers, not yet ready to put on their robes but still too warm to keep on the puffy winter jackets their parents made sure they wore. Even without all the extra bits though, Ophelia was still dressed rather warmly. She had exchanged Danny’s sweatshirt which she still hadn’t given back, for the unicorn one she had received this year from Santa. Cotton candy pink leggings and purple leg warmers poked out from underneath.
As Ophelia unpacked the snacks her mother had sent her with, she came to the disappointing realization that Eveleen had mixed up the chocolate pretzals she liked with the chocolate almonds Ernst preferred. The Gryffindor frowned but got up none the less. Ernst was probably looking for her to trade anyway.
“I’ll b-be right back.” Ophelia said to the boys lounged on the opposite seat of her, bag of chocolates in hand, “M-Mum mixed up Ernst’s and I’s snacks again.”
Ophelia slipped from the compartment and headed off to where she though she had seen her brother heading earlier. Luckily she had only just stepped into the next train when she spotted Ernst’s dark head of hair heading her way. They met and exchanged, Ernst scampering off, and Ophelia squeezing past a few roving first years. As she walked into the next cart though, she tripped over someone’s pet toad and was sent tumbling down. A near by compartment door opened and out popped a familiar face.
“Ophelia?” The boy asked. Ophelia blinked up at him, rubbing her head for a moment before smiling awkwardly from where she was laid out on the ground.
“H-hiya.” The boy stepped out of his compartment and helped Ophelia up, his eyes lingering on her face with a bit of confusion.
Ophelia only knew Christopher Wolf, or Tofer as most refereed to him as, because of Danny. Tofer and Danny both made the house team this season and while that meant Ophelia had a considerable amount of classes with the young wizard being in the same year and house, they had only interacted ever very briefly where quidditch was concerned. Ophelia made it a point to go to every single game for Danny and even a few practices. She understood Quidditch rather well being from the family she was and ever could play a decent game of pick up if forced to. But she would much rather watch Danny on a broom than play herself.
“You, er, you look different.” Said Tofer, his cheeks pinkening. Ophelia however, only felt uncomfortable at the comment on her appearance. She had really only been thinking about what her mates or Danny would think of the pinned bangs and no more glasses. She hadn’t anticipated on anyone else even noticing, it was weird someone she had barely ever spoken more than two words to was even saying anything about it to her.
“D-Does it look w-weird?’ Ophelia blurted out, hand going to her forehead. Tofer however chuckled but shook his head. He was a good deal taller than her she realized, maybe almost as tall as Danny and David. She backed up slightly, bumping into the other side of the isle.
“No, you, uh, y-you look good.” Tofer complimented. Ophelia cocked her head slightly at this, staring at her house mate. She hadn’t quite expected that. She felt her face grow red, she needed to get out of there.
“Th-thanks.” She muttered, started to walk away. The chocolate pretzeled snapping slightly as her grip tightened on the bag.
“The clips are cute.” Tofer called after her. Ophelia nodded but continued walking, her heart beat rising a bit.
“Hey, Ophelia, wait, are you sitting with Danny?” He asked. She could hear his foot steps following her. Ophelia paused however at the mention of her best mate’s name.
“Yeah.” Ophelia anwsered over her shoulder.  Tofer paused, face going a bit blank before he nodded.
“Good, good. I’ll walk you back, I need to talk to him. Quidditch stuff.” Tofer explained. Ophelia forced a smile and fell into silence as she let the lanky boy catch up. He had tawny colored hair and hazel eyes with a permanently tan looking shade of skin. Handsome, Ophelia knew. He had been one of the boys to make the list in her dorm’s top five fittest boys in the year. Danny had just made it at number five at Ophelia’s insistence but all were tall quidditch players. However his charms were rather lost on Ophelia. She specific taste, and that taste was Danny Cathers. No one else would do.
Back at the compartment, Ophelia slid open the door and shuffled in, Tofer coming in behind her. He sat next to Ophelia greeting Danny and David pleasently. David looked up from his novel, eyeing Ophelia. Why is he here? Ophelia looked back pointedly. I don’t know.
“So Danny,” Tofer began, “Ready for winter training? I heard it’s going to be hell for us fourth years. Starting prep for next year and all. How’s Hufflepuff looking, David?”
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itfeelssowrite · 7 years
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2 Songs: Into the West by Annie Lennox or Abraham's Daughter by Arcade Fire; 2 Actors: Mads Mikkelsen or Hugh Dancy; 2 Actresses: Emily Browning or Emma Watson; 2 Movies: Logan or Deadpool; 2 Books: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban or Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; 2 Characters: Stella Gibson or Jessica Jones; 2 Ships: Willara or Naomily; 2 Shows: The Golden Girls or I Love Lucy; 2 Anything--Names: Evelyn or Sebastian (gender aside)
2 Songs: Into the West by Annie Lennox or Abraham's Daughter by Arcade FireInto The West. I decided to listen to both songs to give you my freshest opinion. I've started with Into The West. It's only been playing a minute in a half. The second it got to the chorus, instant tears. I mean . . . do I even listen to Abraham's Daughter now?
Update: I did because fairness.It's still Into The West, though I -love- Abraham's Daughter, and it comes down to the fact that while I can separate Abraham's Daughter from The Hunger Games, I -cannot- separate Into The West from The Lord of the Rings. The Lord of the Rings can't end until Into The West has played. It's my permission to rest in The Shire with Sam, and to sail away from it all with Frodo. It's a promise that if I look ahead, I'll always see the thing worth fighting for in front of me. You only need not turn away from it.Also. OH GOD, BILLY BOYD'S VERSION. ::sobs::2 Actors: Mads Mikkelsen or Hugh DancyBy such a small margin you could call it prosciutto, Hugh Dancy. Will Graham is a remarkably unique character who we get to see play vulnerable passive reactionary to calculated active choice within the span of the series. Hannibal, while bewitchingly superb, sets the tempo and acts as the catalytic force for most of the series, even captured maintaining control. I am grounding my opinion based on both actors' work in Hannibal alone, because I don't consider any of their other roles nearly as demanding of their talents as these two. 
2 Actresses: Emily Browning or Emma WatsonEmma Watson by more than a nose, though I love Emily Browning dearly. If we're viewing both of them just as actresses, Emma is far more versatile and I would say less selective, giving her more opportunities. I suppose you could debate this now that Browning has made the smart choice of joining Bryan Fuller's menagerie of fantastic actors, but it's not a coincidence she's playing Laura Moon. She -is- Laura Moon. She holds an iron clamp on her niche.
Both have such lovely singing voices, though! And both are avid feminists. So. I mean, you really can't go wrong.
2 Movies: Logan or DeadpoolNow if you ask me which movie I'd want to see more often, it's Deadpool. If you're asking me my personal favorite of the two? Logan. Everything about Logan just works for me. It was a bold and unapologetic story and I think the absolute most appropriate ending for Hugh Jackman's Logan and Patrick Stewart's Charles. Deadpool is equally as daring, but ultimately loses out to the magnitude of two decades'-long characters coming to an end.
2 Books: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban or Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireI can't give as vivid or probably as accurate an answer on this one considering I haven't read the books in AGES (which . . . y'know, I might have to change after Pet Semetary), but I do know I loved both of these books very much. Prisoner of Azkaban for the focus on Hermione after the Hermione drought in Chamber of Secrets. GoF because of the excitement of the tri-wizard tournament, the Quidditch Cup opening everything up and seeing the trio really work together (and squabble) as a trio, rather than the Harry-Ron, Harry-Hermione dynamic of the last two books. I also liked GoF as a young 'un because that's when Ron and Hermione really started getting under each other's skin, which when you're young they teach you it's because you're in lo-ooove. J.K. Rowling agreed and now it's canon and 15 year-old me would be appalled to learn that 26 year-old me has since abandoned that ship.
I'm going to say Goblet of Fire, but I am curious to discover what it'll be after my rereads!
2 Characters: Stella Gibson or Jessica JonesAnother hard one to answer as I feel I desperately need a rewatch of The Fall. Stella Gibson is already a more complex character. There are subtleties that Gillian plays that I would need to revisit.With that said, there's something of note in the fact that I can remember Jessica Jones so -vividly-. It's such a tight, intimate narrative following a character I am absolutely in love with.Asking myself who I want to see more of, Stella Gibson wins out. I also recognize that Stella Gibson is human in a dreadfully human world. That reality and her ability (and inability) to function in it edges out the distinctly comic book tones that Jessica Jones has to operate in, where her adoptive sister is an ass-kicking post-child star and said sister's boyfriend is a super soldier on rage 'roids. Frames it up a bit differently, y'know?
2 Ships: Willara or Naomily. . . ::ponders:: . . . ::opens mouth, thinks better; closes it:: . . . ::tilts head:: . . .How?How do you choose? My god. Willara is four seasons of a tragic soulmate story, leading to what I still consider to remain one of the most well-executed story arcs in Dark Willow. And then the redemtion achieved by the end of the series, and Tara persisting into the comics. Willara was -the first- romantic kiss between women on television and one of the first mainstream same sex couples on public television. Then there's Naomily. Two seasons and a movie (or not if you're a baby and can't accept canon). The instant-catch fuse of teenage first love, slow burning to combustion and reborn from the ashes. The tighter story, by far, by the very nature of the show as the character piece between the two works.Oddly, I knew of both couples before you, having caught Buffy on television and, because I was gay when Skins was airing, seeing Naomily everywhere. But I had the pleasure of -really- watching both beside you and seeing both couples through your eyes while also forming and sharing my own opinions. And I've written fanfiction for both verses. Fuck, guess they tie on sentimentality.. . . In this moment, asking myself which couple I want to revisit more, it's Naomily. And I realize that may be because I've seen Buffy more and more recently, but . . . I didn't write 2:23 A.M. about Willara. I miss Naomily in an entirely different way. As a writer, I miss them . . . 2 Shows: The Golden Girls or I Love Lucy::in Chandler Bing's voice:: W-Why, why why. Why? Are you kidding me? Only two of the best comedic shows on television! Both titans in their time. Both trailblazers. Both progressive and daring. I've laughed equally at both, again and again and again. They're equally timeless!I think while The Golden Girls was able to cover more controversial topics and more thoroughly, when it comes to being entertained, it's easier to land on a hoot of Lucy episode nine times out of ten. I think Golden Girls has just a few more episodes you'd be inclined to skip past. Gods, and no one does physical comedy like Lucille Ball. Melissa McCarthy and Beth Behrs come close, though!2 Anything--Names: Evelyn or Sebastian (gender aside)Evelyn
Oh dear lord, that was about an hour and a half’s worth of time! I hope it was worth it! Thanks, love!
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hohslop · 7 years
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yo do hinny
Who’s more dominant: Ginny
Who’s the cuddler: Harry
Who’s the big spoon/little spoon: it varies. But I think Ginny is the big spoon more often.
What’s their favorite non-sexual activity: They definitely would do an one-by-one quidditch battle. I guess that would be trying to catch the snitch.
Who uses all the hot water: Both of them do. That’s why they just shower together.
Most trivial thing they fight over: They fight over who was actually the better quidditch player at Hogwarts. Ginny would argue, “I played Chaser and Seeker to cover your damn ass and still won at playing both of them.” And Harry goes, “I was the fastest person ever to catch a snitch. And that was my first time even playing a game.” It goes on and on.
Who does most of the cleaning: Harry while Ginny naps on the couch. He doesn’t mind though.
What has a season pass on their dvr/Who controls the netflix queue: Harry. Even after years of being together, Ginny still can’t figure out this Muggle thing.
Who calls up the super/landlord when the heat’s not working: Harry
Who leaves their stuff around: Ginny
Who remembers to buy the milk: Harry
Who remembers anniversaries: They’re both terrible at remembering things. It would be the day of their wedding anniversary and they would be like, “Oh, lol. Well, wanna go out for dinner tonight then?”
Who cooks normally: Harry. Ginny cannot cook to save her life.
How often do they fight: Not often. They’re pretty easy-going.
What do they do when they’re away from each other: They try to keep in touch and let each other know the details of their day.
Nicknames for each other: Harry calls her Gin. But that’s it. However, Ginny would call Harry, The Boy Who Lived or The Chosen One to annoy him.
Who is more likely to pay for dinner: They take turns.
Who steals the covers at night: Ginny
What would they get each other for gifts: They don’t care for gifts so they just get each other quidditch stuff.
Who kissed who first: Well, it kinda just happened, didn’t it?
Who made the first move: When they got together for the second time, it was Ginny.
Who remembers things: As I said before, they both suck at it. They forget events, meetings, dinners with the family, and much more. Eventually, Hermione had enough and made them a giant magical agenda that would literally announce the plans for that day.
Who started the relationship: Again, for the second time, it was Ginny. Harry continually thought that she might not want to be with him. But Ginny took the record straight.
Who cusses more: Ginny. She would cuss at the most inappropriate time and Harry would always facepalm himself.
What would they do if the other one was hurt: They would get super worried. If one of them was intentionally hurt, hell would be released.
Who is the dirty talker: Ginny, but Harry’s not bad at it.
A head canon: Ginny literally never asked to move in with Harry. She just came over to his flat one day and just placed her stuff everywhere. Harry didn’t mind though, he was just caught off guard. But after they got engaged, they moved to Godric’s Hollow.
*Here’s another one because why not?Ginny, of course had a long time crush on Harry but it went a away maybe between 3rd and 4th year. But she genuinely enjoyed being his friend. Her crush grew again in her 5th year when she made an inappropriate joke about Ron and Harry just died laughing. She was like, “This guy gets me.” So they became closer friends and when they started dating later that year, she fell in love with him.
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orderofdeathrp-blog · 7 years
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Faceclaim: Samira Wiley || Age: 28 Years Old || Pronouns: She/her/hers
Neutral
Demigender Female
Half-blood
Former Hufflepuff
Beater for the Holyhead Harpies
Taken
Possible triggering content of child abuse, death, racism, self-harm, and sexism
The first time she flew, it had been an accident, because six years old was far too young for a toy broomstick, let alone the real thing. Nobody. Not even Gwenog herself really knew how Gwenog got her hands on one of her older foster sibling’s brooms or how she had been strong enough, with her chubby little legs, to kick off the ground. It had been an old broom, not very strong, and she had only managed to go a few meters off the ground. At first, she was frightened by not having anything beneath her toes to ground her, but when she leaned forward, the broom began to move, the wind rustling her curls, and Gwenog loved it.
When her mothers found her outside, flying in low circles, giggling, they’d pulled her off the broom, spanked her firmly while telling her to never do that again and that she could have fallen and gotten hurt, and presumably punished whichever sibling was supposed to be keeping an eye on her. But whenever the older children played their version of Quidditch, which was more a game of tag than anything, Gwenog would sit outside and beg and for her turn.
On her seventh birthday, she awoke to find a broom at the foot of her bed. It was taller than she was, and there were nicks and scratches along the handle, but it flew fast and high and was absolutely perfect. Less perfect were the rules her mothers set for it. No flying without one of them watching. No going higher than the roof. No flying beyond the boundary of willow trees. And absolutely no letting Hestia ride with her.
The one time she tried to coax Hestia onto the broom for a joyride, Mum had used a willow switch on both of them until her arm ached and Mama had taken her broom away for a month.
Even though Gwenog easily could have spent every waking hour on a broom, she had no idea what Quidditch really was until she started at Hogwarts and stumbled onto a Ravenclaw practice on a warm autumn evening. Mouth wide, she sat on the grass and watched as the older students swooped overhead, chasing balls and tossing bats in lazy arcs, moving as if they were dancing on their brooms. Eventually, one of the Chasers spotted her and swooped down, asking almost cruelly what she was looking at. Gwenog, voice quavering, could barely speak above a whisper when she asked what they were doing. The Chaser rolled her eyes and said something snide about Muggle-borns in response. Gwenog lunged, not at the older girl but at her broom.
It took Madame Hooch and Ravenclaw’s captain nearly an hour to catch Gwenog as she circled the pitch, swerving and ducking the Bludgers that spun towards her. That little stunt earned her two months of detention, repainting the Quidditch pitch’s stands, and the ire of her fellow Hufflepuffs when she lost them two hundred House of points. Somehow, her mothers never learned about the incident, a small mercy, and Madame Hooch let her borrow a bat and a Bludger if she finished painting early. Somehow, word got around about the skinny little first year who could hit a Bludger clear across the pitch and could do a barrel roll without using her hands, and one of the Hufflepuff Beaters, a seventh year with too much time on his hands, taught her everything she needed to know for when she would join the team the following year.
She got a Howler the week before she went home for the summer, and the entire school got to hear her mama coldly state that she was delusional if she thought Quidditch would come before her studies.
Gwenog ran away from home for the first time that summer, after a screaming match with her mum. It was about Quidditch, and Gwenog had said it wasn’t fair if she didn’t even get a chance to play and do something she wanted for once, and when her mum shook her and said she was still a child and had no idea of how dangerous Quidditch was, Gwenog snapped, running to her room and kicking off to the sky from the window sill. She made it nearly to Cardiff when two Aurors calmly hexed her and flew her home, one holding onto each of her arms.
When she saw her mum and mama’s faces, Gwenog braced herself for a beating, but instead they sat her down at the kitchen table and sighed deeply and told her it was time she learned what happened to her and Hestia’s birth parents. For most of it, Gwenog could only hear white noise pounding in her ears, interspersed with lightning storm and fall of nearly one hundred meters and snapped spine and brooms found in pieces. She cried until she threw up. When she left the toilet, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, her mama handed back her broomstick, but Gwenog did not feel like flying that night.
That was the first and last time Gwenog ever discussed her parents’ death. Later, whenever interviewers tried to bring it up, she would walk out without a word.
In her first ever Quidditch game, she knocked the Slytherin Seeker off his broom within five minutes and then spent the rest of the game carefully avoiding illegal hits from the rest of the Slytherin team. When Professor Slughorn asked her to wait after Potions the next day, she had braced herself for punishment, another in a long line of detentions, and was shocked when he cheerfully shook her hand, pressing a sealed piece of parchment into her palm.
The rest of the Slug Club members hated her, something Gwenog wore with a badge of honour, going out of her way to needle them, to show up late, wearing Muggle Dr. Marten boots, hair uncombed and puffy. Professor Slughorn, Horace he told her to call him outside of the classroom, adored her all the same, making sure she always scored Exceeds Expectations in all her potions classes, regardless of how abysmal her attempts, and buying her little gifts. It was Horace who took her to her very first Harpies match and introduced her to Gwendolyn Morgan before her sixth year at Hogwarts. He later would proudly brag that he had gotten Gwenog her spot on the team, and even though it made anger curl deep in the pit of her stomach, she never corrected him.
But the Harpies had changed her life. Her first trial run with them, she had fallen off her broom twice and almost fainted, and showed up the next day, both eyes bruised and burning with excitement. While she had always been central to the Hufflepuff team, she had never quite meshed with them, but after that first flight, she knew she was a Harpie and was ready to sacrifice anything for them. Pity her mothers did not feel the same way. Gwenog could have sworn that, as she hitched her backpack over her shoulder and jumped on her broom to run away for good, her mum had hissed at her that if she wasted her life playing that stupid game, she was not welcome back home. Gwenog flew off without a second thought.
Celebrity was fast and brutal, her photo splashed across the cover of Quidditch magazines, announcers calling her a girl wonder and eagerly waiting for an older, more experienced, and most importantly, male player to take her down a peg. And every time, she flew faster and higher, hit the Bludger twice as hard, showed off just because she could.
And then, she was falling, knocked off her broom by a Wasps’ Chaser who hit her in the back of the head with a Quaffle. At St. Mungo’s, they did their best to hide the photos, but Gwenog still saw that image of her body, still on the sand, hip and leg twisted at an awkward angle. They said she would never be able to fly again, and she proved them wrong as only Gwenog Jones could, back on a broom within six months.
When her hip twinged as she knelt to tended her garden and if there were times after matches where she would buy a few extra numbing potions and drink them with shaky hands, Gwenog was good at hiding it from the press, from her teammates, from Hestia, whenever she saw her baby sister on her odd visits to Hogwarts for Slug Club reunions. As far as they knew, she was the same old Gwenog who sang too loudly when the Weird Sisters and drank butterbeer until she got hiccups, who had a new piece on her arm at every event and who, if rumours were to be believed, could turn an interviewer into a woodlouse like most people used accio.
Yes, she could still dazzle spectators with her swing and grin slow and lazy for the cameras and pick a fight with Rita Skeeter, but more often than not most days, she felt hollow and empty, like this carefully crafted life was a façade, wondering if she should retire before she became a pitiful relic, a laughingstock, if she should retreat into obscurity and buy a large farm in the Welsh countryside with plenty of room to grow her beloved plants and maybe even a few willow trees, if she should visit her mothers before they got old and forgot her face. But Gwenog always tamped down those impulses, pushing them into the tiny place where the pain in her hip and her parents’ death lived.
Rumour had it that the British and Irish Quidditch League had plans to cancel upcoming seasons. Nobody could deny that stadiums were half-empty more often than not. But rumour also had it that the Ministry was going to up advertising Quidditch, a form of bread and circuses. Gwenog didn’t give a shit either way. They wanted her to be their mouth-piece; Harold Minchum had gone so far as to call a private meeting with her and a few other stars, and she had cheerfully told the reporters outside that she had full intentions of telling the Minister of Magic to fuck right off. It had earned a laugh and enough negative press that the public relations manager for the Harpies gave her a tongue lashing and forced her to issue a public apology.
Jokes and snide remarks were not enough to chase off that knob of anxiety that embedded itself low and deep in Gweng’s stomach, and if she had taken to checking over her shoulder, be it for a skull tattoo or a Dementor’s hood, well, that was just taking precautions. Nobody could fault her that.
Connections
Horace Slughorn, Emma Vanity
Wand
9 inches, unicorn hair and boomslang skin, mahogany
Patronus
Condor
Boggart
Falling from her broom and snapping her spine
Amortentia
Pine trees and honey
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