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honeyheartsandkisses · 3 years

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Best friend’s brother

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Gryffindor reader

One shot, 3k word count.

Summary: You have been best friends with Ron, Harry and Hermione ever since your first year in Hogwarts. But lately you’ve been feeling a little different about Ron’s older brother. You, Hermione and Harry have been invited to spend the last week of the school holidays at the Burrow. Could anything possibly happen between you and Fred?

“Oh welcome dear!” Mrs Weasley chirps, rushing out the door to greet you as you heave your heavy luggage out the trunk of the cab. “Leave your luggage dear, I’ll get the twins to bring them in for you.”

“Thank you for having me Mrs Weasley! I can’t wait to finally have your signature pumpkin juice again.” You give her a big hug before pulling away. Mrs Weasley erupts into a fit of giggles. “Oh you’re too kind dear. Come on in, Harry and Hermione arrived over an hour ago and Rons been wondering when you’d arrive.”

As if on cue, your three best friends burst out of the front door, sprinting in your direction. Before you knew it, you crash down to the ground by the impact, the wind knocked out of you. The four of you burst out laughing, laying on the ground out on the lawn.

“You’re finally here!” Hermione says, before getting up to dust the dirt off her jeans. You follow suit, looking over at the boys still wrestling on the ground.

“Did you guys miss me?” You tease, playfully kicking Harry’s leg.

Ron was the next to stand up. “I think ‘miss’ is a strong word. We simply wanted you to reach earlier because Hermione wouldn’t stop talking about the latest book she read.” He says with a goofy smile on his face.

Despite all the playful banter, you couldn’t be happier seeing your closest friends again. Your parents are muggles and you didn’t have anyone to talk to about the wizarding world. “Well, you can tell me all about your book Hermione. Its not your fault the boys are uncultured barbarians.” You say, rolling your eyes at Ron.

“Hey!” Harry protested, but only earned himself a playful slap on the shoulder from you.

Just as the 4 of you were about to head back into the house, you see Mrs Weasley dragging Fred and George out into the lawn by their ears. The twins groan and protest, but fail to struggle out of their mother’s iron-like grip. “The two of you better help y/n with her luggage. After causing all that mess in the kitchen with your pranks, it’s the least you can do!” With that, she throws them out the front door, slamming it shut behind them.

For the first time of the day, your heart does a little backflip the moment your eyes fall on Fred Weasley. He's wearing a maroon sweater and black jeans, his hair in its usual messy state. Nothing has changed since the last time you saw him other than his left ear which was a little redder than the right from where Mrs Weasley pinched it. “Merlins beard that hurt...” He groaned, rubbing his ear.

Your crush on Ron’s older brother was no secret to your three best friends. Your feelings for him surfaced just over a year ago when you were doing your final exams in the great hall and the twins flew in on their broomsticks, setting off fireworks in the great hall. Ever since that faithful day you couldn’t stop thinking about him. Be it bumping into the twins in the Gryffindor common room, or sitting near them during mealtimes in the great hall, all these small encounters made your heart skip a beat.

“Hey y/n! Great seeing you again.” George greets you with a big smile and the two of you exchange a friendly hug. “Ill grab the small trunk. Fred will handle the heavier one.” He smirks mischievously while his other twin lets out a loud sigh in defeat. You laugh at this, “I’ve missed you George.” You watch as he grabs the smaller trunk and hurries back into the house.

Fred, who is now standing in front of you, clears his throat loudly. “Ahem”

“Well, we’ll be inside waiting for you y/n! See you back inside!” Hermione chirps, steering a very confused Ron and Harry towards the house. You sent her a thank you message mentally. Right now, only you and Fred were left standing on the driveway, out in the cool evening air.

You subconsciously run your hands through your hair, attempting to comb out any tangles from the earlier tussle with your best friends. “Hey Fred. Its great seeing you again.” You smile up at him.

“Not going to say you miss me too?” he bends forward, bringing his face closer to yours. This makes your breath catch in your throat. You lean backwards a little, feeling nervous and confused all at the same time. But this only makes him lean forward even more. Before you could catch yourself, you feel your weight shift and you lose your balance, falling backwards. In that split second, Fred grabs you around your waist and pulls you forward into him, allowing you to regain your balance. Your face now inches away from his, you freeze completely.

“Breathe y/n. You’re turning blue.” He laughs. Only then do you realize you had been holding your breath for the past few seconds. You quickly took a deep breath, before slapping his arm. “That was completely unnecessary!” Fred flashes an innocent smile, nearly making you hold your breath yet again.

“What was?”

“Oh you know exactly what i mean Fred Weasley. You complete arse!”

Fred continues to laugh, the most adorable sound you’ve ever heard. “Alright alright come on, lets get you out of the cold.” He says, swiftly lifting your massive luggage off the ground before leading you towards the house with one hand on the small of your back.

When you step into the house, you’re greeted with the glorious smell of Mrs Weasley’s cooking. She’d already started preparing dinner. You see your three best friends sitting on the couch, Ron and Harry at a game of chess while Hermione had her head buried in a thick book. You could hear the sound of laughter coming from the back yard and you assume George is out there playing with his two older brothers Charlie and Bill.

“This way y/n. You’ll be sharing a room with Ginny and Hermione.” Fred says as he lugs your trunk up the stairs.

“Right...” you reply, following him up the stairs.

Fred stops climbing the stairs and turns around to face you. “You sound rather disappointed y/n.”

“No not at all. I just—“

“Would you rather stay in my room?”

You stare at him for a few seconds, expecting him to burst out laughing or show any sign that this was a joke. But it never came. “Oh um... well it’s really kind of you offer but—”

“Ah bummer.” He says, before turning around to resume climbing up the stairs. Did Fred Weasley just flirt with you?

You reach the third floor and walk past a few other rooms as Fred leads you to the one at the end of the corridor. In one of it you see Percy hunched over a messy desk, scribbling away on a sheet of parchment. “Hey Percy! How’s work at the ministry—“ before you could finish, Fred pulls you away from the room. “Trust me, you wouldn’t want to get him started. We won’t hear the end of it.” He says, drawing circles with his index finger in the air next to his ear. This makes you laugh.

Soon you two reach the last room at the end of the corridor. Fred places your trunk in the corner of the room, right next to Hermione’s. “Well this is where you’ll sleep for the next few nights.” He says, taking a look around the room. “Trust me when i say it’s much cleaner than mine. George always leaves our room messy.”

“So George is the ONLY one messing things up in this house. You’re the obedient one.” You say sarcastically, knowing full well the two of them were always up to no good.

“I am, and always have been.” He winks at you, dropping down onto the mattress on the floor. The one you assumed was going to be your bed for the next one week. “Actually y/n there’s something i need to tell you—“ before he could go on, George pokes his head through the door, smiling mischievously. “Dinner is ready lovebirds!” He immediately disappears, laughing gleefully running back down the stairs.

You looked at Fred, raising an eyebrow as if to ask ‘What was that all about?’ He simply sighs, running his hands through his fiery red hair. “Um... we should probably go downstairs.”

Sitting at the overcrowded dinner table with Harry on your right and Ron on your left, a little part of you was dying to tell Hermione about what George said a little earlier. All this time you thought Fred only saw you as his little brother’s best friend but so many things have happened today, making you think otherwise. The dinner table is flooded with a feast whipped up by Mrs Weasley. Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, green peas, and of course, pumpkin juice.

You take a long swig of pumpkin juice. “Thank you for the feast Mrs Weasley!”

She waves it off. “Oh don’t mention it dearie! Help yourself to the food everyone.” With that, everyone starts digging in. Mr Weasley passing the potatoes over to Percy, George using his wand to summon a plate of yams from across the table, everything was loud and messy. But this was what you loved about the Weasleys.

Amid the chaos, you catch a glimpse of Fred, sitting right across the table from you, and your eyes meet. You feel your heart do yet another backflip, and you quickly direct your attention into scooping a lump of mashed potatoes onto your plate.

“You feeling alright y/n?” Ron asked, giving you a weird look. “You've gone all red.”

“Yeah I’m fine.” You quickly say, hoping no one else noticed it.

Ron ignores you, pressing his palm on your forehead to feel your temperature. When this doesn’t work, he cups your cheeks. And when this doesn’t work, he feels your neck. “Seems fine to me.” He finally says.

“Look if you really need to check her temperature use one of these. Do you really have to put your hands all over her like that!” Fred explodes, magicking a thermometer from a cabinet across the kitchen. The whole kitchen goes silent, staring at Fred. His sudden outburst shocked everyone, even you. The playful, carefree boy had never exploded like his before. Fred looks around the table at all the eyes staring at him, turning a little red.

George is the first one to break the silence. “Well brother dear, it looks like you’ve finally let the cat out of the bag.”

Mr Weasley diverts his gaze from Fred to George. “What do you mean son?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Fred has a crush on y/n!” Bill says, laughing hysterically.

“Good for you brother!” Charlie stands, shaking Fred’s hand. “Who would’ve thought our little Fred was capable of love!” This makes George howl with laughter, causing Fred to chase him around the kitchen trying to get him to shut up.

For the first time ever, Fred looked embarrassed. He’d played so many pranks in Hogwarts and received all sorts of punishments, but never once did he look embarrassed. This was a first.

You couldn’t help but laugh too. The entire situation was so embarrassing for Fred but it was so adorable at the same time. Harry leaned over and whispered in your ear “Should we tell him?”

You shake your head. “I want to be the one to do it.” To this he nods, smiling gleefully. Hermione overhears this and gives you two thumbs up. You couldn’t possibly feel any happier than you do in this very moment. A million thoughts race through your mind. Fred likes me back? When did it begin? I can’t believe this!

“Now settle down boys! Leave him alone!” Mrs Weasley says, shushing them. The twins return to their seats, Fred as red as a tomato. He looks across the table at you, clearly searching for a reaction. Anything at all to signify you liked him back. You feel his gaze see right through you and your silly smile. Theres no way that boy doesn’t know you like him back.

After dinner Mr Weasley and Mrs Weasley do the dishes with a few swishes of their wand while all the children spread out across the house once again. Percy was back in his room busy at work. Bill, Charlie and Ginny watching a movie on the couch, though Bill was already half asleep. Fred and George were hiding away in their room doing God knows what. The mischievous twins were always busy planning their next prank. You, Harry, Hermione and Ron decide to sit on the benches out in the backyard, enjoying the cool night breeze. There under the blanket of stars, the best friends talk about the dinner scene.

“Oh you have to tell him y/n!” Hermione jumps up and down, buzzing with excitement. “Its not everyday you find your crush likes you back!”

Ron folds his arms defiantly. “I still think y/n has bad taste when it comes to guys. I mean, of all people it just had to be Fred. The boys a fool!”

“Well why are you going to do y/n?” Harry asks, looking over at you.

You keep your eyes fixed on the mesmerizing night sky, as though searching for an answer. “I really don’t know. I thought we’d talk about this after dinner but he’s hidden away in his room.” You let out a huge sigh before turning to look at Harry. “Maybe it was just a joke?” This made your heart sink. Your friends stay silent, all deep in thought.

Hermione finally breaks the silence. “Well theres only one way to find out. You have to ask him.”

“I’d rather not find out.” You quickly stand up trying to shake the dreadful feeling threatening to consume you. “It’ll kill me to find out it was all just a joke.”

Just like that, sleep fell over the Burrow. Everyone tucked away under their blankets in their overcrowded rooms. After everything that happened you found it hard to fall asleep. Tossing and turning on your surprisingly soft mattress didn't seem to help and so you pull on your robe and decide to head on downstairs for a warm glass of milk. You quietly close the door behind you, careful not to wake Hermione and Ginny. When you turn to head on down the stairs you see Fred sneaking out of his room, gingerly closing the door behind him. He completely freezes when his eyes fall on you. Feeling slightly self conscious, you pull your robe tighter around yourself before quickly making your way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Pacing back and forth, you try to utilize the last 5 seconds you had before Fred joined you in the kitchen to brainstorm something to say. Anything at all. You turn around to pace the other way only to come face to face with Fred’s chest. “Hey there.” He says.

You tilt your head up to meet his eyes. “Oh hey. What are you doing out here?”

He grabs a pitcher of milk from inside the refrigerator, pouring it into two tall glasses. “I could ask you the same thing.” He slides one glass across the kitchen island to you.

“Thanks.” You take it and swallow quickly, allowing the cool liquid to sooth your throat that felt like it was closing up.

“Truth is I couldn’t sleep.” He says, looking straight into your eyes.

“May i just ask you one thing?” You blurt out before you could stop yourself.

He nods, walking around the kitchen island towards you. “Ask away.”

“That thing that happened earlier... was it a joke?”

He take a long sip and sets the cup down on the table before answering. “That depends.”

You frown. “What do you mean by that?”

“Did you want it to be a joke or did you want it to be real?” He looks down at you, taking one step closer. Your heart pounded in your chest.

“Why should that matter?” You say, taking a step back.

“If you wish it was a joke, its a joke. If you wish it was real, then its real.” He says, once again taking a step closer to you.

“You’re such a pain Fred Weasley. If you didn’t like me you should’ve said so. This is a pure act of cowardice.” You say, turning around to leave. But before you could make it two steps away from him, he grabs your arm, pulling you back with force. This makes you lose your balance and stumble backwards straight into him. His arms wrap around you from behind, leaving no escape.

“Um... Fred?” You manage to say, your voice barely a squeak. Your heart raced. You could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. You guys were close but you’ve never been held like this before.

He kisses your cheek, before slowly loosening his grasp allowing you to turn around to face him.

You touch your cheek where he kissed you. “Wha... what was that for?”

“I like you y/n.” You stare at him, in a complete state of shock. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you ever since we first met at platform 9 3/4. I’m sorry about dinner. That wasn’t the way i hoped you’d find out but it’s true. Everything you do drives me crazy. When you went to the Yule Ball with Ron it wrecked me.”

“You know we’re just friends Fred. There’s nothing going on between Ron and I.” You take his hands in yours and bring them around your waist. “I’m already yours.”

His face twists into a smile, pulling you closer burying his face in the crook of your neck. He kisses your shoulder, then neck, and finally crashes his lips with yours. Your lips move in sync, and you feel yourself go lightheaded. The most wonderful feeling in the world. He lifts you up, placing you on the kitchen island and you wrap your legs around his torso.

“Wait!” You say, pulling away just before things could get too heated. “Can we take it slow? I just don’t want to mess this up.” Still sort of breath from the lack of oxygen, you place a hand on your chest to regain composure.

He brushes away a lock of hair that fell over your eyes before cupping your face with his large hands. “Anything for you darling.”

“Darling?” You couldn’t help but let out a giggle. “I didn't think you had it in you.” You always imagined Fred wasn’t the romantic kind but it appears you were wrong.

He lifts you off the kitchen island, carrying you bridal style. “Oh you have no idea.” He walks all the way to the couch, setting you down. The two of you spend the next few hours talking and laughing by the warm fire, only falling asleep an hour before daybreak.

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primasveraas-writing · 3 years

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And In Darkness, I Stand- Chapter 3

Kallus’ leg is never quite the same after Bahryn. But then again, neither is he.

1 2 3 4 5

3. The Ghost

The day of reckoning arrives.

Thrawn appears in the doorway, and Kallus knows that it is over. The Admiral taunts Kallus with the jamming device, the Fulcrum symbol flashing across the small screen. He has failed, and at best, he will die quickly for this discovery.

But Kallus is not one to resign himself to whatever miserable fate lies ahead. He will go down fighting, and there remains a chance to warn the rebels of the danger, as cryptic and brief as the fragment of his message is.

Kallus surges forward, attacking Thrawn with all his might. The blows are rapid and unforgiving. Thrawn targets his bad leg, yet the adrenaline overpowers the pain. Still, it is not enough to overcome Thrawn.

“Your technique is good. But… limited by your training in the Imperial Academy. Predictable.”

Thrawn is quick, strong, precise. More so than Kallus, but he does not need to win and he does not need to escape.

He throws the helmet first, which Thrawn catches easily. But the blow to his legs knocks the jammer out of his hands, and Kallus crushes it beneath his boot.

It is like clockwork, what happens next. He stands his ground, he is overpowered.

Thrawn is observant, a tactical master. He knows the weaknesses of everyone around him, and how to use them to ensure that he is the most powerful in the room.

It’s no surprise, really, that a series of swift kicks are delivered to Kallus’ right leg, which is healed but not correctly, functional, but not without pain.

Kallus lands on his back and is about to rise again when Thrawn looms over him, and brings his heel down on the barely-fixed bone.

His vision goes white instantly; he’s pretty sure he screams, but that fact matters less than the poison in every cell in his body, than the agony worse than death as the bone shatters.

It is worse than ever before. It is worse than the first break and the flare-ups, and the burning sensation after field missions. It is worse than the night he couldn’t sleep, overcome by the need for more bacta, convinced that he would be better off without the leg, when he desperately wished he had just sucked it up and gone to the medbay after Bahryn.

But here he is. He cannot even think to get to his feet, then Thrawn lifts Kallus by the front of his shirt and delivers a punch to his chest, sending him flying into the night air, where he collides with the durasteel railing.

That might have hurt, he registers dully, but it is insignificant compared to the agony in his leg.

He loses.

But the message got through. He has not failed in totality, and the rebels have a chance.

That he lives is cruel. Thrawn tortures Kallus, hangs him up by his wrists like a slab of meat, and beats him. He asks no questions, and Kallus knows he would not break, but the lack of interrogation is still a relief.

This, he deserves. Under Imperial law, it is only fair that a traitor is punished. Kallus would take this over an interrogation, which is sure to follow after the assault on the rebels, and he can only hope that Thrawn doesn’t deign to do so personally.

He does not want to break. He hopes he dies before he reveals any secrets of the rebellion- not that they trusted their spy with much, in the first place.

At the end of the day, the rebels prevail, as is so ingrained in their nature to succeed against impossible odds. What’s more is that he apparently does have the heart of a rebel- some of their lucky nature passes to him, and he finds himself safely aboard the Ghost, thanked by Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla alike. It is surreal, and strange, but for the first time in months, he is safe. At peace, even, at least for now.

But he is left alone. The rebels are making do with what little they have. They are busy, and Kallus, who once wished for the end of the entire movement and every being involved, remains in a corner of the ship that rescued him, his mind racing.

That is one benefit to it all. He’s particularly sharp now, going over what Imperial Intelligence he has memorized and can share with the rebellion. He feels little pain and can even stand, and the adrenaline coursing through his veins fuels him until the Ghost rendezvous with a rebel command ship.

He’s the last to embark, hanging back until Hera claps him on the shoulder, nearly pushing him out the door.

“Come on,” she says, nodding towards the bustling hallway. If she’s tired, she doesn’t show it, and a small smile pulls at her lips. “I’ll take you to medical.”

“I’m fine,” Kallus insists, because he feels so. “It looks worse than it is, Captain.”

“Hera,” she corrects him instantly. “And I chose to believe that if you come with me to Command then go to the medbay straight after.”

Kallus nods, because he has confronted Hera’s will a great many times and seldom triumphed. They trudge through the unfamiliar halls together, Kallus bowing his head to avoid the stares of those passing or congratulating Hera, who promises a quick debriefing then rest before reorganizing in the morning. He doesn’t imagine it will be as easily delivered to him as it will be for her, but he thinks of sleeping in a room surrounded by people he isn’t actively betraying, and perhaps talking to Garazeb soon, and the thought calms him.

A spike of pain shoots through him with his next step forward. Kallus falters, then grits his teeth and presses forward.

“Agent- Kallus,” Hera says, frowning at him. She touches his arm, gently, and Kallus is surprised at the care. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he promises. Every step hurts progressively more.

She regards him, wary, and Kallus pretends he does not see the concern painted across her face. However, she continues to lead him towards the command center once he takes another step without wincing.

The pain is too familiar, and logically, Kallus knows that it will overcome him soon. But if he can suppress it for now, if he can confront the Rebellion's leadership first, then he can deal with the injury, once placated by an understanding of his future with the Alliance.

Hera indicates that they're close, her montrals swishing as she peers around the next corner. Kallus inhales sharply once her attention diverts from him, suddenly aware that he'd forgotten to breathe.

She waves him on. Kallus' leg feels like lead. He tries to go through the door, and stumbles, lightheaded.

"Kallus, are you sure-"

"Yes," he wheezes, bracing himself in the doorway. Officials in the command center look up at him- he recognizes faces but can recall no names.

"Kallus-"

He stands straight up, preparing to look Hera in the eye, but his leg buckles under the weight, and he cries out in pain. She's supporting him now, her hands under his arms, and she's saying something, her green eyes filled with alarm.

Kallus tries to look up at her, assure her that he’s fine, but the hurt widens and spreads until it is burning at him yet again and Kallus cannot remember a single word he was going to say. He’s doubled over, and he can’t speak, nor see, and the agony consumes him, and he’s falling, falling- then all goes black.

Kallus opens his eyes slowly. His eyelids are heavy, and his exhausted body begs him to go back to sleep, But he’s here, in the Chimera’s medbay, and he’s not sure if he’s yet safe-

He blinks again. Someone is next to his cot- someone- Zeb.

The Lasat is slumped over, clasping Kallus’ hand. Kallus stirs, reaching for Zeb, and croaks out his name.

Instantly, Zeb wakes, sitting up straight. “Kal,” he gasps, leaning forward. “You’re up.”

Kallus nods, too tired to speak. His brow furrows, but two questions come to mind, and he can’t decide which to ask first.

He doesn’t know where he is, but Zeb is here, so he must be safe. That issue is resolved then, so:

“‘s my leg still there?”

Zeb looks confused, glancing from Kallus to his legs beneath the sheets. Then, he huffs out a laugh and takes Kallus’ hand again.

“Yeah, Kal, it’s alright. You’re gonna be okay, you hear me?”

Kallus nods again, satisfied. That is enough for now, and he lets his eyes slide shut.

He is alone when he wakes again, save for the meddroid fiddling with the tubes in his arm. Kallus groans- his head hurts, and he still feels tired, but other than that, the pain is not bad.

“Kallus,” the droid says, its overly-large eyes peering at him. “You are awake.”

“Yes,” he agrees, then groans as he stretches, running a hand over his face. There’s stubble on his chin and his beard. He’s been out for most of a day, then, possibly longer. And he’s here, on some Rebel ship, and not the Chimera. This explains the droid, which looks ancient, scratched and dented. It appears to have been taped together in more than one place, and Kallus smiles to himself.

“We know nothing of your medical history.” The droid tells him. “Although I have conducted many tests, there are still questions.”

“Okay.” Kallus is pretty sure that his questions (where is he, what day is it, where is Zeb) should have higher priority, but he is too out of it to protest, so he nods. “You may ask them.”

“Excellent.” A beat. “What is your first name?”

He laughs, a deep, rumbling sound emitting from deep in his throat. It’s been a long time since he’s laughed like that, and his voice was already scratchy from underuse. “Alexsandr,” he says, then spells it. Perhaps he is a good spy, after all. He doubts that anyone in Imperial Command knows his first name, either, though this is attributed to a lack of care rather than insufficient information.

There are a few more basic questions about his background and history. Kallus realizes that he’s in the Rebellion’s system now, and he wonders what his file says. Alexsandr Kallus. Coruscanti. Previously Agent Kallus, ISB, Fulcrum. Wanted by the Empire for ten counts of treason; wanted by the Rebel Alliance for one hundred crimes against humanity.

He snorts. The meddroid, which was turning away from him, pauses. “Can I help you, Alexsandr?”

“No,” Kallus says quickly. “I mean- yes. Do you know where Garazeb Orrelios is?”

“The Lasat? He has been here for the last twenty-four standard hours. I do not know where he went.”

Oh. Kallus feels heat flame his cheeks, and a monitor next to him beeps. His blush deepens when he realizes that his heart monitor made the sound; his heartbeat has just spiked.

“I will get a medic to speak with you about your leg.” The droid looks at the monitor, then back at him. “Do not excite yourself further.”

Kallus coughs, unable to look at the droid. “Yes,” he mutters, ashamed. “I will do that.”

The medic is a Rodian, who speaks in a soft tone and seems to barely remember where she is. This fact isn’t particularly comforting, but she is kind enough and patient with all his questions.

His right leg had a severe initial break that never healed correctly, causing weakness in his tibia and impeding the muscles and tendons in his entire leg. The strain that later followed only made this worse, and almost two days ago, the leg was shattered again- he broke both his tibia and his fibula. Bone fragments have punctured both his muscle and his flesh, but in short- it will never heal right, and Kallus will be affected for the rest of his life.

She explains that they operated on him, once Hera and two other rebels dragged him into the infirmary. It was easier to keep him under after he had passed out, and they did the best they could trying to prevent infection and further blood loss. He’s also covered in extensive bruises, including on his ribs.

“How do you feel?” The Rodian concludes, fiddling with one of the machines next to him.

“Like I could run forty klicks,” he mutters, staring down at his leg. Right now, it’s wrapped in bandages and some sort of brace.

She brustles, looking shocked. “I thought I made it clear that wasn’t possible-”

“It’s-” he sighs. “I understand.”

“Well, I-”

“Kal!” The budding argument is halted in its tracks; Zeb stands in the doorway, disheveled but grinning. “You’re awake!”

“I am.” He’s not, technically- he’s hasn’t yet attempted to sit up, but Kallus cares very little about the nuance, and Zeb makes his way over to Kallus’ bedside.

“Good.” Zeb scans him with barely-suppressed joy. “You scared us,” he admits. “Hera says you just collapsed.”

“Yes, well, the adrenaline wore off.” Kallus doesn’t look at Zeb. “I’m recovered now.”

“I know.” A smile creeps back into Zeb’s tone. “I don’t believe you can be kept down for long.”

“I can’t,” Kallus agrees, echoing Zeb’s humor.

“Do you remember anything?” Zeb stops fiddling with his pants and instead smooths out Kallus’ blanket.

“A little.” His brow furrows. “I remember that you were there for me.”

“I was.”

“The meddroid says you were with me for a full rotation.”

Zeb is suddenly very interested in a spare thread on his pants. “I was,” he mumbles, and Alexsandr suppresses another smile, glancing away so that Zeb doesn’t see.

“I didn’t want you to be alone,” Zeb continues, his shoulders slouching. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up.”

“It’s okay.” Alexsandr didn’t know his voice could go this soft, but Zeb’s next words distract him from this point, his tone just as gentle.

“I’m sorry about your leg.”

“Don’t be.” It comes out flat, and Kallus looks away from Zeb.

It will heal. He’ll walk again, but he’ll be limping and limited. He’s going to have a cane adjusted to him tomorrow. He may never do fieldwork again.

“I am.” And Zeb sounds like it too, though his expression is devoid of pity. “Still, I thought you’d like to know that everyone in command is excited to have you here. It’s all anyone can talk about.”

“Really?” A jolt of surprise travels through him. ��They don’t hate me?”

He sounds sarcastic, but Zeb looks back at him, completely serious. “You saved our necks more times than we can count. And you’re a goldmine for Imperial information.”

Right. His expression falls before he can help it. “You’re a badass ‘n a hero, Kal. That’s what they care about.”

“I’m not sure if I am. Or that I will be.” Kallus gestures to his leg, bound and immobile before them both.

Zeb’s expression softens, and he rests his hand on Kallus’ arm. “Right. I’m sure that will stop you.”

“It’s different. How can I help that?”

“So are you gonna retire? Hide in the medbay or go to the Outer Rim until the war is over?”

Frustration builds in Kallus, and he sits completely upright, clenching the sheets in his hands. “It’s not that simple! Of course I’m not going to- to kriff off and die- but I can’t walk!”

“Not forever.” Zeb amends. “And you’re one of the greatest minds we have.” Zeb glances around the empty room. “Don’t tell anybody I said that.”

“I’m a former Imperial, a spy and I have months of recovery ahead. I’m not entirely convinced people want me here.”

“I do,” Zeb says immediately, then glances away, scratching the back of his head. “I, er- well, I do. And so do a lot of other people.”

Kallus looks up at him, and Zeb meets his eyes again after a long moment. “Do you want to be here?” He asks softly.

“Yes, I do.”

“Good.” Zeb grins, but there is tenderness in his gaze. “Then you’ll put your mind to it and everything will work out.”

“You sound very confident in this fact.”

“I’m confident in you.”

---

I am distinctly aware of the lack of research that I’ve done. I’m doing my best to be canon-compliant here but sometimes I don’t have the energy to remember that a shower is a sonic and not a shower… so here we are.

Additionally, please take any medical jargon with a grain of salt. I am not a doctor, and I’m mostly going with “yeah that seems like it could happen” as far as realism goes. Nevertheless, thank you for the warmth with which this story has been received, and thank you all for your support!

#kallus #agent kallus #alexsandr kallus #kalluzeb #star wars rebels #sw rebels #sw rebels fanfic #swr #rebels #star wars #star wars fanfic #kalluzeb fanfiction #kalluzeb fanfic #rebels fanfic #swr fanfic #kallus fanfic #kallus x zeb #and in darkness i stand

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isimp4yts · 4 years

Text

Needing You

draco x hufflepuff!OC

A/N- hi! this is my first chapter of my Draco fanfic that’s on wattpad. It’s called Needing You by isimp4yts. hope you enjoy it! it’s pretty much slow burn and idk if i’m gonna make it spicy yet but it’s definitely gonna be a lot of angst.

Word Count: 1.7k

Talia was woken by her brother, Cedric, throwing a pillow at her while stifling a laugh knowing full well that the ‘attack’ would aggravate her as she wasn’t really a morning person. As she groaned into the pillow that was thrown at her she sat up a little bit, throwing the pillow to the side.

Glaring at Cedric she barely grumbled, “I was just about to get up you know” and dangled her legs off of her bed reaching for her slippers.

“Yeah, sure you were, either way you’re up now. Come on dad wants you to hurry up and get ready, he doesn’t want to be late”, he said with his voice echoing more as he walked out of Talia’s room.

So that’s what she did, she got dressed and brushed her long brunette hair trying to control the fly aways. Of course there was no need to make too much of an effort in her appearance as she could sort herself out at the Quidditch World Cup when she gets there. She went downstairs and saw her father holding two backpacks, knowing one was hers and Cedric with his own backpack already on.

“Come on darlin’, we have to get there on time, we don’t want anyone to be waiting on us do we?” her father said while rushing her out the door, with Cedric, giving her her backpack.

~~~

Talia, Cedric and her father were waiting in a woodland area for some friends of her fathers to meet up with them, well Cedric was sitting in a tree. The boy couldn't sit still for the life of him. Talia kept switching the weight from each leg as they started to get tired, from waiting for so long. In the distance some voices could be heard and Amos stepped forward, greeting the voices.

“Arthur! It's about time son” Amos says to a ginger man with several people following, Talia recognised all the people behind the man but one, however she had never really spoken to any of them even though three were in her year. The ginger man whose name must be Arthur apologised for their lateness and introduced her father to the others. Talia smiled at the three who were in her year, giving them a small nod.

“This is Amos Diggory everyone, he works with me at the ministry”, Arthur explains then moves to gesture Talia just when Cedric jumps down from the tree making her flinch and slap his arm. Arthur reaches his hand out to Cedric for him to shake it, saying “And this strapping young lad must be Cedric, am I right?”.

Cedric lets out a small laugh at the compliment, as does Talia, just what he needs, more fuel to his growing ego. Although Cedric is seen as a sweetheart to most, he truly is a nuisance to his younger sister when he wants to be.

“And of course Talia, you must know the kids since you’re all in the same year” Arthur smiles at her, also reaching to shake her hand. Talia smiles sweetly at him taking his hand and simply nods at the older man.

“Merlin’s beard, you must be Harry Potter” Amos says while stepping towards the brunette boy with glasses. Talia knew him purely from the gossip that goes around Hogwarts, apparently the first year he was there he saw You-Know-Who and the second year he killed the Basilisk. All with the help from his friends Ron and Hermoine, to which the students gave them the name ‘The Golden Trio’. Talia stopped listening to their conversation, eager to get going, the group of wizards and witches walked up a hill looking for the portkey, which was a boot. They all held the boot, while Amos counted down. When he reached three Talia felt her head spinning then she let go and gracefully made her way to the ground along with Arthur, Amos and Cedric, while the others landed with more force. The young girl looked at her surroundings while taking a deep breath of air, using portkeys always made her lightheaded. She turns to see Cedric helping Harry up and the boy taking his arm with a smile and thanking him.

The group started making their way to a large field with several tents and Arthur exclaimed “Welcome to the Quidditch World Cup!”. Talia, Cedric and Amos separated from the rest of the group to get their tent ready. The three went inside the tent which was larger on the inside with a bunk bed for the siblings and a normal bed near it for their father. Talia sighed and threw herself on the top bunk bed while shouting “Dibs!” watching her brother shake his head as he headed towards the bed, taking off his jacket and throwing it onto his sister's face.

“Dad! Did you see that! Icky tried to suffocate me with that hideous jacket of his!” Talia shouted, trying to get her father’s attention but failing as he waved his hand at her while he was putting on the kettle, showing that he couldn't bother with the siblings bickering.

“I think you should stop calling me that childish name now Lia, since some people consider me to be rather strapping”, Cedric responded with a cheeky smile. Talia stuck her tongue out at him then climbed down the bunk bed with Cedric’s jacket and proceeded to shove him and his jacket into the bottom bunk and then run away. Cedric jumped back up almost immediately, chasing after his younger sibling but he wasn’t quick enough as she had shut herself into the bathroom catching her breath.

“I knew that comment would go to that big head of yours, do you really want that forehead to get bigger since it looks like that’s where your ego is?” Talia joked while looking at herself in the mirror and patting down her hair.

“Big talk for-”

“That’s enough from you two. Talia come out and have some tea, you too Cedric, I really can’t be dealing with the both of you pissing about” Amos says as he unlocks the bathroom door with his wand pushing Talia out.

The two siblings giggled at how quickly they managed to annoy their father and sat down to have a cuppa tea before they got ready for the Quidditch game. Both the Diggory children misplacing each other's belongings while doing so.

~~~

The Diggory’s went into the stadium, to find their seats when they saw Arthur and the others also looking for their seats. They could hear Ron asking how far up they were when an arrogant voice could be heard from below them. The Diggory’s went to catch up with the Weasley’s and Co. when they saw Lucius Malfoy making a comment to the lot.

“Father and I are in the minister’s box, by personal invitation of Cornelius Fudge himself” a voice next to Lucius said. Draco Malfoy, quite the peculiar child, found it incredibly entertaining to make others' lives miserable with snide comments on anything from their appearance to their upbringing. Harry, Ron and Hermoine gave him a cold look, while Talia just stared blankly at him. She didn’t really have a problem with Malfoy since they were partnered together in Potions in second year for a project. Of course at the start she wasn’t too fond of the boy but she didn’t want to judge him from the way he treated her and everyone else in first year, she knew people could change. A problem with Talia was how she was very optimistic and gave almost everyone too many chances to prove themselves to be a better person. Draco also wasn’t too fond of the hufflepuff at the start, as she was too happy all the time and it made no sense to him that someone could be so joyful. But the two warmed up to each other, well as much as Draco can warm up to someone, he didn’t pester her and was no longer mean to her. In fact he didn’t really say much to her unless it was related to schoolwork. What neither wanted to admit was they found each other rather interesting as they both lived such different lives and treated people so differently, they didn’t realise people like the other existed. They both had mutual respect for each other as they went on with their lives both being studious and having their separate friend groups and going on with their lives without bothering one another.

Lucius snapped at Draco telling him to stop boasting, and put his head down with a grim look on his face, brows furrowed. The elder Malfoy then told us to enjoy ourselves and went off to the minister’s box while Talia and the others made their way to their seats. Cedric nudged his sister while they continued up, and said “pleasant bloke that Malfoy is isn’t he” to which Talia replied “which one?” and snickered at her remark. After being blessed with the presence of Lucius Malfoy she understood why Draco was, well Draco. She decided to forget about the encounter and Draco’s interaction with his father and got herself riled up for the game.

~~~

After the game Talia decided to go to bed early since she was exhausted from all the travelling she had done that day, but the early night didn’t seem to happen since she was shaken by Cedric so she’d wake up.

“Icky, piss off would you-”

“Get up now, we need to get out of here” her brother interrupted her, his eyes wide. She sat up and saw her father worrying and telling them to hurry up. Cedric pulled her down and held onto her arm running as fast as he could into the woods, dragging his sister with him. Their father barely catching up to them, Talia kept looking back to make sure he was still behind them and that they didn’t lose him and saw black figures flying in the air. Cedric finally stopped, pulling his sister behind a tree and signalling his father to join them as they all crouched. Cedric noticed his sister shivering and he didn’t know if it was from fear or being cold. Either way he engulfed her in a hug making sure she was safe while looking at his father who looked back at the field trying to figure out who caused the attack.

“Dad, do you have any idea what that was?” Cedric questioned while trying to calm down his breathing.

“I have no idea son” Amos replied then placed a firm hand on his daughters shoulder to try and comfort her.

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derelictdumbass · 3 years

Text

Supply Run

Pairing/s: Tyler Ronan/Dean Sinclaire

Summary: Dean and Tyler go to the store for a supply run.

Warning/s: Very vaguely/briefly infers past child abuse

"Are you getting more snacks?"

Tyler turned to the right as Dean's voice stole his attention, his hand hovered over a bag of salty chips and Dean couldn't help but think he looked like a raccoon with his hand caught in the cookie jar; especially with the cute look of surprise etched into his face. Those green eyes blinked in that mesmerising way they did before he looked back to the accused bag and away from Dean's amused gaze.

"Uh yeah? We're almost out?" He finally said, grabbing the bag and straightening up with a bashful smile on his face. Even at his full height he was just two inches shorter than Dean, who with the help of his favourite pair of boots stood even taller than normal. Tyler had gotten used to tilting his head up a fraction to meet Dean's chocolate brown eyes but still felt a trickle of embarrassment over it, or perhaps it was something else that he was trying very hard to ignore.

Dean let out his signature huff of a laugh, hands resting on his hips and smile growing wide. Tyler swallowed thickly as Dean's eyes crinkled with his smile, his lopsided grin and the playful shine in his eyes always managed to knock Tyler off his feet for a second.

"Oh jee I wonder why?" Dean snorts, his tone accusatory as he turns and starts sauntering back down the aisle. Tyler scoffs animatedly and follows after him, eyes on the back of his head and watching the way his dyed red hair bounced as he walked.

"Hey Alyson was eating just as much as I was," Tyler defends himself, coming to a stop as Dean swivels and pretends to inspect something on one of the shelves. He snickers at Tyler's quick throwing of Alyson under the metaphorical bus, the siblings always pointing fingers when it came to food.

"Ah yes, just like our lovely Goblins to scarf down all the food and leave none for their poor beloved fox," Dean laments, throwing a hand up to his chest and leaning towards Tyler again, the scent of pine and charcoal invade Tyler's senses and it takes him a second to playfully push the taller man's shoulder. Dean grins as Tyler rolls his eyes, hoping the heat rising to his cheeks wouldn't become visible.

"The bag was on the coffee table you could have had some at any time, what, do you need me to feed you now?" Tyler jokes lightly, walking forward as Dean carefully strode backwards in front of him, his grin only widening at Tyler's words. The thought of Tyler hand feeding him made his heart stutter, a nervous laugh escaping and hopefully sounding less shaky then he felt.

"I wouldn't complain if you did," Dean answers in what he hopes is a smooth manner and Tyler can't tell if his old friend is flirting with the way his eyes flick up at him or if he's just being himself. Either way his own heart skips a beat and his own nervous laughter escapes his throat, shoving Dean once again and causing him to hop as he balances himself.

As Dean finally puts both feet on the ground he barely dodges someone walking inside, letting out a small yelp as he falls back. Tyler quickly catches his shoulder to steady him and after Dean let's out a quick apology he and Tyler both look up at the stranger only feel their breaths catch in their throat.

"Dean,"

A much older man gazes at Dean with a hard to read expression, brown eyes identical to the young man's look over the two through thick glasses. His thinning grey hair is combed back and his stocky frame hidden under winter clothes, the beard on his face hides makes it hard to see the expression on his weary face. Tyler can't remember the last time he saw the man standing before them but he can remember the anger bubbling under his skin as memories crash down on him.

Tyler's grip on Dean's shoulder tightens, in a protective comforting manner as he steps closer, ready to step in between them if he needed too.

"Hi, dad," Dean mutters out, his voice completely drained of it's previous playful energy and bright eyes dull as they steadily held the older man's gaze. Tyler couldn't help the way his jaw tightened, it was a small change in demeanor on the outside but Tyler could almost feel the huge shift on the inside. Dean's confidence blew out like a candle, all the charm he had to throw around shriveled away and it made Tyler furious to see him impacted in such a way.

"Mr Sinclaire..." Tyler gives his own acknowledgement to the man, if only to get the focus off of Dean for a second and allow him a moment to breathe. The older man almost jumps, as if he hadn't seen Tyler at all and his eyes squint in blurry confusion at him. It takes him a moment but soon his eyebrows raise in recognition and his mouth opens and closes for a moment like a drowning fish.

"Ollie, is that you?" He sounds shocked, Tyler wasn't surprised no one had alerted Dean's parents of his arrival. They had never been on speaking terms.

"It's, uh, Tyler now," Tyler quickly corrects him, biting his tongue and keeping anything else he wanted to say to himself. He dropped his hand from Dean's shoulder as he pushed himself further foward, instead holding Dean's hand gently and squeezing it in hopes to bring him back to the present. Dean's tense shoulders relax the tiniest bit and he offers Tyler a small, thankful smile as his dad glances at their hands and clears his throat quickly.

"Ah, I see. Well it's good to see you, you look... Well," The older man says awkwardly, offering what the younger men can only assume is a smile.

"Yeah, thanks..." Tyler replies in a similar manner, failing to find the energy for a fake smile and simply nodding before glancing between Dean and Tom at the register, who happened to be poorly disguising his eavesdropping.

"Well, we were just leaving so..." Dean says after sucking in a deep breath, pulling Tyler to the counter and quickly yanking his wallet from his pocket. Tyler watches as Dean hands Tom the cash for the snacks, his brows furrowed now and eyes feeling far away. He remembered seeing that look on his face a lot when they were younger, usually right before he had to go back home.

"Right, uhm! before you go, your mother wanted to know if you're going to make it next week," Dean's dad moves out of the way of the door as Tom hands Dean his change. Dean seems to grimace as he stuffs the coins into his wallet, letting out a small sigh as he stepped away from the counter. Tyler followed, moving ahead of him to the front door and feeling the cold air hit his face as it opened.

"Uh, I don't know dad I'm kinda busy helping Tyler and Alyson clean out the old house... I'll try but, no promises," Deans says, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looks back at the man one last time. The older man nods, looking down at the ground and rubbing his hands together as he takes a step further back into the store.

"Right, sure. I'll let her know,"

"Yeah 'kay... Bye,"

Tyler is almost thankful for the nip in the air, it cools down his heated skin as he and Dean walk back to his car. The air is tense and the only sounds that are heard is the crunching snow beneath their feet, the wind rustling the trees and the bag of chips hitting Tyler's leg as he walked. He didn't know why he was so angry, nothing about that interaction had been too bad, but something was still eating at him.

"You didn't tell me you're parents were still here," He says, not looking at Dean as he walked. Another deep sigh left Dean and he could see him roll his neck in attempts to work out the tension from his peripheral.

"I kinda thought it was a given? You would have been the first I told if they left or... you know," Dean trailed off and Tyler shook his head gently. He stopped in his tracks and Dean paused a step after to turn and look at him.

"So wait, you still have to see them?" Tyler asks, finally meeting Dean's eyes again and he immediately feels guilty for pestering him from the sheer tiredness in his eyes. But that makes him need to ask even more because if that small interaction alone wore him out like this surely it wasn't good for him to be around them at all.

"I don't, have, to Ty... I visit... Holidays and birthdays, you know..." Dean sighs, shrugging his shoulders and looking back at the store with a gentle frown. Tyler took a step forward, free hand lifting up to gently grab Dean's arm as his eyes became serious.

"And they don't-"

"They couldn't even if they wanted to Tyler," Dean cuts him off quickly, his gaze matching his intensity as he grabbed Tyler's hand, "I took those kickboxing lessons remember? And besides, they're old and frail now, the worst they do is say something bigoted and tell me I've gained weight every now and then," Dean's tone is light and he gives Tyler's hand a comforting squeeze. Which is ironic seeing as Tyler wasn't the one dealing with them, but Dean knew Tyler worried about him, just as much as he worried about Tyler.

Tyler nodded at his words, letting them soak in and calming down a bit. He knew it might have been rash to assume the worst but with how many times Dean had arrived at his house covered in bruises when they were younger he just wanted to be sure.

"That's still shitty," He says after a beat, allowing his hand to fall and for Dean to straighten up and step back.

"Yeah but it's only for now, moving soon remember? Soon we're all gonna be in the big city together paving our futures together and I won't have to give them more than a phone call every now and then," Dean smiles, his eyes slowly brightening back up as he spoke about the future. He smiled as he began carefully walking backwards, Tyler following and allowing his own smile to return.

"I guess you're right, as long as you're okay i'm happy I guess," He hums, watching Dean almost run into his own car and laughing as he stumbles.

"Well I am very okay, 'specially with my favourite Ronan back in town," Dean grins as he steadied himself against the car, unlocking it and opening the drivers side door, all the while keeping his eyes locked on Tyler's. Tyler grins, a whole greenhouse of butterflies letting loose in his stomach as he mulls over those words.

"Your favourite? Wow, I'm telling Aly," He quickly recovers, teasing gently as he opens the passenger door and chucks the chips on the dash. Dean gasps as Tyler slides into his seat, sitting down quickly and punching him very lightly in the arm.

"Don't you dare, goblins don't snitch!"

"And fox's don't lie,"

#self insert #self ship #Tell Me Why Tag #nadine writes #si/oc: Dean Sinclaire #CUTE FLUFFY THING WITH A SMALL UNCOMFY DAD INTERACTION IN THE MIDDLE BC WE LOVE COPING VIA FICTION #I kept it on the tamer side bc I can write something else if I wanna deal with all the misgendering I be going through daily #Tyler would go off on these fools everytime they misgender me and that's very sexy of him #But anyway we love friends to lovers having goofy flirty moments in a store don't we uwu #I know probably zero ppl have played or seen the game but these two are Michael and Tyler x10000 bc pre-existing bond #are they gonna wrestle on the couch and get flustered bc the romantic/sexual tension is off the charts? YES #and I will write that as well just u wait #I love how i lost motivation for stuff then went and fell for Tyler and suddenly got motivation for a bunch of things oajsjdjfjf #now time to queue this to post tomorrow 😌💜

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antoxsmith · 4 years

Text

Reality

Warnings: smut, some praise kink, slight fluff

Pairing: Negan x Reader

Summary: Negan appears inside your appartment as you watch The Walking Dead. He is everything you wanted, and more.

NEGAN MASTERLIST

Inspired by:

Tik-fuckin-tok.

You looked at your digital watch hanging on the wall next to the television, impatient, waiting for the episode to start and hoping work didn’t call you in again. After that long, horrific week that you just had; this was the highlight you needed so you could finish your Sunday in happiness; wrapped in the sweet arms of The Walking Dead’s plot.

When you finally saw the commercials come to an end, you shifted into a comfortable position and started to eat the chocolates, eager. After a second you choked; Negan’s face all over the screen in a cocky smile that you could see he was giving to one of his lieutenants.

“Lord. Have mercy.” you whispered as you drooled for the fearless leader of the saviors. After almost a season you just couldn’t have enough of him, his features, the way he spoke…Fair to say that he was your favorite character.

As the episode went by you couldn’t do much but thank God for blessing you with so many Negan scenes; all while throwing chocolate into your mouth until you finished the bowl. Just after that, you began feeling the weight of the week in your shoulders and eyelids; threatening to fall asleep.

Before you could; the episode went back again to Negan. You chuckled in tired awe; seeing how he raised Lucille to kill someone. Then; out of nowhere, he disappeared. You looked confused at the nicely done effects; as the saviors too; looked confused; still kneeling.

“What the-” you mumbled; you had read the comics. Negan wasn’t a sorcerer of any kind.

“Oh shit!” you heard from the kitchen; a familiar voice shouting. Your eyes opened widely, quickly and quietly moving from the sofa to stand next to the TV. You heard loud footsteps from whom you thought was here to rob you, coming to the living room. You felt goosebumps on your spine as you quickly called emergencies; but still, you weren’t scared. That voice…

Just as someone picked up; the footsteps came into the living room your heart nearly stopped at the shock, your trembling fingers stopping the call. “Negan!?” you gasped out loud with your eyebrows furrowed in confusion, your voice making him take a step back in surprise; but his gaze quickly changed to a mostly stern one. He had Lucille, wore that leather jacket; even had that fantastic salt and pepper beard you loved to stare at; and he was right fucking there.

He looked at you as if you were crazy or stupid. Maybe both.

“Where the fuck are we; doll?” He asked, looking around. “I was about to bash someone’s head in; and having a hell of a party!” He grinned with a trace of anger.

When you didn’t answer fast enough; he looked back at you with piercing eyes, impatient. “Speak when you are spoken to.” he imparted, his loud voice making you flinch. Your hands weren’t trembling anymore, but they sure as hell were sweating; even more as he slowly walked closer to you and invaded your personal space.

“Uh at… my… my house?” you mumbled, your legs feeling like jelly for the way he looked at you and his approach. You knew that look; the one he gave people when they were making him angry after fucking up; in silence, but scarier than you thought. “It’s… 2020. We are in the real, the healthy…” you mumbled, and he raised an eyebrow expectantly, “...world.”

He looked at you for what felt like forever; and then, out of nowhere… he smirked.

“Look, honey. Sweet cheeks as ever; by the way-,” he started, making you chuckle as a teenager in love, suddenly forgetting everything else. He noticed and his eyes darkened; but you didn’t mind. “You might want to tell me the truth, or I-” He stopped himself, as he heard Rick’s voice, looking past you into the TV.

Now that was a confused Negan. His lips were even parted slightly as he looked at the characters in the series planning their attack to the Sanctuary, not able to understand what was going on.

“Oh, some cock-sucking information on Rick the prick!” He said out of nowhere, taking a seat on the sofa. You stayed still, disbelieving his disconcerting behavior. Wasn’t he taken back at seeing the working plasma TV with people talking about him in full definition?

His voice snapped you back to reality. “Hey, sweetcheeks.” He spoke without turning to look at you. You hummed questioningly in response, knowing he was talking to you. “Come sit next to me.” He said almost kindly, but you knew better. This was an order.

You did as you were told and even as much as you wanted to look at the screen; see what was he so mesmerized about, you couldn’t take your eyes off of him or the weapon on his lap. At this point you were convinced that you were lucid dreaming. What a great imagination.

“Doll?” he mumbled.

“Yes?” you almost whispered, too scared to wake up if you spoke louder. His jaw was tight, his hair taken back and you wondered how did he manage to smell so fucking good in the middle of the apocalypse; the tangy aroma filling your nostrils.

“Are you enjoying the view?”

Your cheeks turned red, but you giggled and nodded. “Actually, yes. A lot.”

Just then, he looked back at you, raising one of his full eyebrows. A smile appeared on his lips after a minute and he chuckled at your sweet giggles. “So, you spend your days like this? Looking at… us, I guess?” He asked, tilting his head and motioning to the TV with a nod. You nodded cheerfully.

“Wanna see something?” you asked, already looking for the Netflix page on your phone. He looked at you, confused; and waited. However, you did not fail to see his hand leaving Lucille aside and his other arm going over your seat, barely touching your shoulders. “Here’s you.” You showed him a picture of him in the last episode. He quickly read over what you showed him, taking the phone from your hand. You smiled at his proximity.

“A comic?” He asked, looking up to you from the screen. “And how the hell do they know about Lucille? My last work, too?” He kept on asking as if you knew.

“Eh, well you are… you are a…” You traced off, your voice getting smaller. You took the phone from him; scared of him seeing his fate. “A character?” You failed to seem sure. He laughed.

“Alright. That’s a good one.” He said cockily. “This one was good. Did someone at The Sanctuary put you up to this?”

You looked at him and just gulped.

“I could ask you the same.” You answered.

He stroked his beard, not seeming too worried about it. You weren’t, either. Just very fucking confused. He didn’t stop looking at you; his chin up and shoulders back.

“Alright… If you are telling the truth, then… Can you order italian food?” He asked as if he was tempting the grounds.

You giggled and nodded. Without thinking too much about it, you called your favorite restaurant, feeling his eyes set on you as you ordered spaghetti and rolls. He raised an eyebrow at the fact that you knew that; and you chuckled, smiling proudly to him while still on the phone.

The next hour; you spent answering his questions and telling him about the modern world; the things that changed from before. He didn’t buy it, until…

“Holy shit I am in another dimension!” He shrieked, spaghetti and rolls in front of him on the small table you had in the living room. Just then he did believe you. You chuckled and nodded. “You really think that corona-whatever-the-fuck stuff is like the flu? Maybe the world is going to shit again. Wouldn’t like to be here for that again.”

“I guess. Work has been awful because of it.” You mumbled, trying not to think about that too much. “Hey, you asked me a lot of stuff. Can I ask you now?” you said as you began to eat.

“Sure. Why do you ask for permission?” He said, and you just looked at him in silence. Really? “Okay. I get it.” He understood that look, and you giggled. “I am not that fucking bad.”

You hesitated a bit, but then you spoke. “You killed Glenn and Abe, and everyone hated you because of that. I don’t.” you shrugged, unaware of Negan’s lingering eyes and mesmerized smile. “Rick killed a whole outpost. But that’s a conversation no one is ready for; yet, I guess.” You looked down at your plate and sighed. “Then you have a sense of humor that kind of relaxes me. A bit evil; like that time you killed Carson and laughed about it; or when you burned Mark’s face. People used that kind of thing to say you are a monster.” You kept on talking, never knowing when to shut up; but Negan liked it. He didn’t even touch his spaghetti anymore, all of his concentration set on you. “But then again you have morals. Not like the Governor or Alp- Well, not like others. You steal stuff, so that makes you the bad guy; but I kind of get it, somehow. You feed hole families; the Sanctuary even has a system for points and shit. And your wives; well. They are there for their own sake really. I don’t know why they act as if it was something bad. I mean, look at you-!” you shut your mouth, your cheeks turning red. You looked up from your plate just then, hoping he wasn’t gripping Lucille or something.

Instead, he was resting his chin on his hand with a playful gaze while staring at you, smirking softly. “What about me?” He asked leaning forward, dilated pupils. You instantly felt your thighs clenching from the way he was looking at you.

“You are… quite… handsome?” You answered nervously. He laughed out loud, but didn’t move.

“Anything else?” He asked.

You bit your lip. You wanted to tell him everything you really thought about him and the times you had fantasized about him, but you couldn't. You were too shy.

He noticed how you felt, and he sit back on his chair again, staring at you as if he could see straight into your core. Then he licked his lips and moved his fingers signaling you to come closer, making you clench your thighs together again.

Without hesitation you got up and walked towards him, stopping next to his seat. He looked up to you and you found weirdly pleasant how he could be looking up and still be the one dominating the situation.

“Sit.” He mumbled.

You grabbed the closest chair, but he stopped you; smirking: “Not there, sweet cheeks.”

Then you got it. You bit the insides of your mouth nervously, thinking about it for a second but… hell. It was Negan. If there was a man you couldn’t say ‘no’ to, was him. You forced yourself to move and placed your body on his lap insecurely straddling him, trying not to put all your weight on him.

You heard his subtle laugh just before his arms went over your body, tangling on your waist and pressing you hard towards him, making you whimper involuntarily and look at him through your lashes.

“Tell me more. What was that you were saying? Oh, right. About my wives being lucky.” He grinned, looking down at your lips seductively.

You gulped, trying to relax your body. “I… well, I think that you benefit them a lot.” You mumbled. He looked as if he approved what you said, so you kept speaking. He kept holding you close, running a lingering hand on your back. “And you never force them to any-“ you stopped talking as Negan approached your neck, the tip of his nose barely grazing your skin. He hummed questioningly for you to keep on talking, and you obeyed. “Y-you could make any of them happy if they saw past your façade and I…” you gasped softly as you felt him kiss your tender skin. You placed your hand on his shoulders. “I think you…” you tried to keep on talking, even though it was hard to think as he slightly bit your skin, “… you are amazingly good at leading people and…” you moaned softly as he ran his tongue through your collarbone and sucked, leaving a hickey right where your bones found each other in the middle of your collarbones. “Negan…”

He looked up to your eyes and his smirk was gone. Instead, he licked his lips in a languid expression you couldn’t quite recognize, but he kept looking down to your lips and then back again to your eyes. “You think you know me?” He asked, demanding.

You held his gaze and slowly nodded, looking down to his lips too. “I do.”

“And?” He asked, recognizing how you were holding back, his fingers on the small of your back slowly moving up.

“And I- I think you are everything anyone could ever want.” You mumbled feeling terribly cheesy. He chuckled at your sweetness.

You looked at each other in silence, his only movement being the hand on your back. Just then you were able to notice something hard pressing against your bottom. You came back to reality as his fingers touched your hair, locking onto your nape and bringing you down to him.

As his lips pressed roughly against yours you felt as if your stomach was boiling, melting against his touch. You placed your much more relaxed hand and locked it over his bearded cheek, just as his tongue pushed past and made you squirm, your tongue rolling warmly with his.

You felt his hands feeling your arms, your thighs, as if to believe you were really there before daring to do something else. You were too mesmerized, as if into another dimension. You decided to take one step further; breaking the kiss and kissing his neck almost sweetly, if it wasn’t for your tongue going over his skin softly and your hips moving roundly over him.

“Such a good girl.” He grunted, his hand leaving your hair and going down your spine, his fingers trailing down your ass. You smiled proudly and kept on sensually assaulting his neck, while your hands undid the zipper of his leather jacket. You could almost feel his grin as he helped you take it off and toss it aside. Just as you were about to go back to his neck, you felt him grip your thighs and get up. You whimpered softly but locked your hands on his shoulders as he slammed his lips against yours again.

He sat down on the sofa you had been on earlier and pulled you closer again, not breaking the kiss as he lifted your shirt softly and touched your naked skin. His fingers were hot and strong, making you take off your shirt yourself.

“No bra, sweet cheeks?” He asked provocatively, making your cheeks turn red once again. “You are fucking perfect.” He said as one of his hands kept lingering on your back, while the other softly trailed over your torso. You were on cloud nine, feeling him hardening against your bottom. You tilted your head to the side, as he began kissing your neck again, this time much softer; going down to your collarbone, and unexpectedly taking your nipple into his mouth, sucking and twirling his tongue around it until it was hard and perky; his stubble leaving little marks over your skin.

“Negan… can I…” you mumbled, shyness washing over you once again. But the look he gave you, full of lust, was enough to get you going. You separated from him and stood up, your curvy body making him lick his lips.

You unbuttoned your pants, taking them off slowly and moving your hips provocatively; your pink panties showing. When you looked back at him, his jaw was tight, as he tried to control himself. Just a second later, you kneeled before him, licking your lips.

He smirked widely, understanding now. “You are going to have to tell me what you want, baby.” His thumb touched your chin, softly, keeping you in place. Just when you thought you were about to chicken out; you pushed yourself a little and wrapped your lips on his finger. You would’ve smiled at the look he gave you; but instead, you twirled your tongue around it and sucked softly.

“Please, Negan.” You pouted, your hands going over his crotch already.

“You know the magic words.” He smirked to you, undoing his pants but not giving you what you wanted. “Say it.” For the way he looked at you, this time it was an order.

“Please let me suck your cock, daddy.”

Negan chuckles, his brows raising as he hears the nickname. “Ask and you shall-fucking-receive, darling.”

He unzipped his jeans and you bit your lip as you finally saw his length. Wasting no time, you lean forward, your tongue tracing the underside of his cock. He licks his lips and carefully takes your hair into his hand, helping you get it out of the way. You kept on teasing him, your tongue running over his length countless times. Negan looks at you, and he knows. He knows how bad he needed this. To be just a fucking man; not a savior, not a leader. Just a man with a woman that actually understood him.

He was taken back from his thoughts when you took him into your mouth, his size only allowing you to go halfway. He moaned softly and looked down at you. “That’s my good girl.” He said, meeting your sweet eyes, mouth full, and you hummed; feeling already wet from how much he teased you, and now from his words. As you sucked on him, he took off his white shirt.

You pulled back and movde your mouth up and down slowly, your hand helping you touch the rest of his length. Negan grunted as you took him down your throat and kept looking at him deliciously. “That’s it, keep looking at me, baby.” He ordered, as you pushed a bit further into his length. “Oh, fuck, princess…” His words dissolved into a throaty moan as his neck arched in pleasure.

Your other hand slowly came down, and you feel yourself. You were creaming over him, your panties wet in your arousal. You moaned softly and circled your fingers over your sensitive, wet skin, your mouth going up and down his length just as far as you could take it.

He looked down at you and tiltted his head to the side, spotting your hand inside your underwear. He stopped your sucking, and griped your hair softly; taking you off him. You pouted, and he smirked. “Who the fuck said you could touch yourself?” He asked, taking your hand and bringing you back up to his lap.

You bit your lip. “I am s-sorry.” You mumbled, but you felt his cock just right there pressing against your bottom; your underwear being the only thing that kept you from feeling him. The eagerness made you roll your hips and quickly he thrust up, making you feel him against your clitoris. “Please.” You plead; your red, parted red and swollen lips making him groan.

“You touched yourself. I have to punish you now, baby…” He said, but you are simply too much for him to not take right now. His hands gripped your ass and you rolled your hips again.

“Please, daddy.” You plead again, and that’s where he loses it; punishment leaving his mind. He could take care about that later.

He moved your panties aside and you whimpered in expectation, as his fingers gently touched your folds. “You are so fucking wet for me, sweetcheeks. What have you been thinking about?” He asked as if he didn’t know already, while circling your swollen clitoris slowly and keeping his eyes on yours. He just fucking loved eye contact.

“A-about you, Negan. About you fucking me...” You moaned, your eyes closing in pleasure. He smirked as he saw you give yourself to him, melting under his touch. He positioned himself and you only notice when he pushes inside, making you open your eyes and moan loudly, gripping onto him as he thrusts all of his length into you. The little pain you feel is completely washed over by the pleasure he gives you; kissing your neck as he waited for you to relax.

“Fuck, honey. Where have you been all my life, huh?” He moaned as your walls held him tightly, as if your body didn’t want to let him go… ever.

“Please. Please, Negan…” you gasped, looking at him with narrow eyes and parted lips.

“What, honey? What do you want?” He asked as he kissed right under your ear.

“Please fuck me.” You moaned, too lost into what you feel to be shy anymore. You didn’t care; you needed him.

He smirked and you once again came back to reality as his fingers touched your hair, locking onto your nape and bringing you down to him just like the first time. You kissed back, and suddenly felt the intense fear of losing him. However, it went away when he started thrusting up into you slowly, taking your moans into his mouth. He felt amazing inside of you and completed you just as you needed and imagined; making you squirm and moan his name as the wet, sinful noises turned you on a little more.

When he felt your hips moving with him, he groaned and let go of your lips. Still, he holds you in place and looked straight into your narrowing, greedy eyes. “Fuck, baby. You look so beautiful with my whole dick inside of you.” He praised and you moaned loudly. “Oh, you like that? You like when daddy tells you how fucking lovely you look when he pounds into you?” He asked and you shamefully nodded too many times. He chucklds lowly and you felt his hand let go of your nape; now his fingers locked on your hips. With that he started moving faster, harder, and you felt yourself clench onto him. “So fucking good for me, princess. I am going to cum inside of you, so, so much. You’d like that, baby girl?” He asked between his own throaty moans and grunts, the noise of your skin slapping his making you feel your whole body as if you were in fire.

“Yes! Please, please! I need your cum inside of me.” You moaned and he smirked, amused. Then he stopped moving; out of nowhere. “W-What… Negan, please.” You mumbled as you moved your hips but it wasn’t nearly as enough friction.

“You want something else. I can see it in your eyes.” He said, making you bite your lip in shyness. It’s hard for him to keep himself from pounding into you but he felt like he needed to give you the best sex you’ll ever have. He knew you were too shy to ask for what you wanted yourself, so he does. He kissed your neck once again, and you finally felt your body relax again. “How do you want it, princess?” He asked into you ear, and you squirmed. “Show me.”

You smiled softly and kissed his cheek, taking him by surprise. He was used to the kinky, to the pain, the foreplay... but not the sweetness. Noticing his surprised gaze, you got up and took Negan’s hand. He obeyed, even though he was still a bit taken back by your gesture. He didn’t have too much time to think about it anyway, because you climbed back up the sofa, on all fours; your body asking for him to fuck you like that.

Negan smirked and wasted no time, positioning himself in you entrance. Sharply, he thrust inside and you both moaned as he held your waist. “It’s like you were fucking made for me.” He snarled, just as he started moving.

You moaned loudly and gripped onto the sofa, arching your back in pleasure as he pounded into you hard and fast, just as you wanted. “Negan… Oh, God- Negan…” you cried out as he moved even faster; as if your moans of his name light up something on him. “Don’t stop, please, don’t ever stop.” You plead and he grunts, the sound of your skin slapping not enough for him. He slapped your ass; not too hard, not too soft. Just fucking perfect, making you feel your walls tighten around him and your eyes roll back.

“Fuck, sweetcheeks, you tighten so good.” He moaned as he kept on moving. “Come the fuck here.” He gripped your hair, yanking you back until his chest was pressed against your back, moving your head aside until you are able to look at him. “I swear, angel; you look so fucking beautiful while I fuck you.”

You moaned as he looked into your eyes and thrusted into you, making your legs tremble. He didn’t stop even though he noticed, and you felt his hand leave your hair, instead wrapping around your neck. “Oh, daddy!”

“Are you going to cum for me, baby girl?” He asked, but you don’t need to answer as you screamed his name over and over again as well as some profanities, your walls clenching around him. He knew. He knew you were so close. Out of mercy, his fingers left your neck and instead circled your clitoris. Once, twice. The third time, you screamed his name and your thighs trembled, reaching your orgasm as he whispered into your ear how much of his good girl you were and how beautiful you looked.

Your sight was blurry, and after a few seconds you realized the tears of pleasure leaving your eyes as Negan continued to push into you, the overwhelming sensations making you grip onto his hands. You wished you had wanted him to stop, but you didn’t. You just wanted more.

“That’s it baby girl” He groaned as his thrusts got sloppier, harder. “Fuck, I am gonna cum inside your pussy, sweetcheeks.” He managed to say and a moment after, he was holding you in place as he came deep inside you, groaning and mumbling every profanity you had ever heard. You felt your insides pulsating and coating under his seed; making you moan once again, in satisfaction.

After a sweet, lingering minute, he came out of you, panting. You turned around, exhausted, but you couldn’t stop looking at him. He smiled softly and even though he was very fucking tired too, he lifted you up in his arms once again. “To the right, the first door on the left.” You mumbled as you rested your head on the crook of his neck, the feeling of him cum coming out of you not bothering you at all.

Once you were there, he set you down on the bed and slowly laid next to you, looking at the ceiling, the sound of a firework from the distance reminding him of where he was. You smiled softly; your eyes threatening to shut, but you managed to rest your head on his chest and pay close attention to the sound of his heart.

“Why don’t you sleep?” he asked as he noticed you were still up even though you were clearly exhausted, looking down at you as he traced your arm with his fingers.

“I am scared you might not be here when I wake up.” You mumbled.

“I don’t want to go either. I don’t even know how I got here.” He chuckled and you smile. “Just in case, I…” He sighed, and looked down at you; words trying to come out unsuccessfully.

“Uhm?” You mumbled, and rose from his chest just enough for you to look at him straight in the eye. You stayed there, the moonlight reflecting in his eyes as you once again were proven that he was really there with you.

“I think you are pretty damn amazing, sweetcheeks. I hope you never let anyone make you think you are not worth it. If you do, just look at your comics or the TV and well… y’know. I’ll always be there.” He said, feeling weird about the comics thing. You smiled to him sweetly and once again you kissed his cheek.

“I hope you know, if you are back there again; that there’s someone that still loves you.”

That’s the last thing you remember, that... and the little, honest smile he gave you after you said it. When you woke up, there wasn’t a trace of him. Not his clothes, not his scent, not even his cum. Nothing.

You felt weird. The first thing you did in the morning was cry a bit; missing him as if he was dead. It was the strangest feeling you had ever felt; and it stuck with you for hours, for days, for years.

While you took a long, hot shower to try and stop thinking about what you now thought was probably a long dream, you felt a bit of pain in your chest. When you looked down you couldn’t have smiled wider as you saw a hickey right in the middle of your collarbones.

#long #negan #negan x original female character #negan x you #negan x oc #negan x y/n #negan x reader #The Walking Dead #the walking dead negan #twd #writing #fanfic #write #sorry #smut #negan smut

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saturatedboy · 3 years

Text

Slaughter of the Ram

Chapter 2 (Lord Heisenberg x Male!Oc)

Words: 3.8K

Smells of wet pine and a slight whiff of burning tobacco drifted around in Leonardo’s mind. The endless darkness that consumed his mind had turned and twisted into small patterns of purple and blue dots dancing around. Harshly, Leonardo had inhaled through his nose and realised his breath through his mouth, the noise coming out sounding more like a growl than a groan. The exhale of his breath had swooped back into his mind through his nostrils, them flaring at the intoxicated smell of alcohol. The sudden remembrance of the alcohol had alerted his brain, pain soon aching in his head area. Opening his eyes steadily, the blurred vision had shown shapes of brown and red in different shades and lighting. Being careful, he forced his eyelids to stay open and scanned the front of his sight lines, the pictures coming clearer through the sleepiness that had glazed over his eyeballs. Upon a wooden wall were different shapes and colours of bottles, all of them being alcoholic beverages- some even Leonardo didn’t know. Looking a little to the left, the barman from the night just gone was stood cleaning glasses, refilling some for the distance laughter that came from a booth that was behind Leo. To his right, he could see more of what his head way laying on, the bar top stretching on a little more until it rounded of by a 90-degree angle.

Regretting all decisions in his life for a split second, Leo used his hands that were previously rested on the slightly sticky counter and pushed himself up. Feeling a wave of relief wash over him as the bones from his neck cracked at the sudden movement. A delighted sigh came from between his thin lips, his tongue gliding over them both after to make his lips moist with his own saliva. Although the relief that had come over him felt amazing from within, his physical appearance had showed no relief for his own body as he was slouched over on a stool, hair messy and unkept tidy, small amount of saliva drifting down his chin and clothes all crinkled. Still in effect of the alcohol, his body swerved sideways about, his mind doing flips and his stomach rumbling for the loss of a meal. “Bar...bar tender!” He called out, being careful to not slur his words. The bar man looked over at his frame, only to look back at the glass he was drying and placed it down, walking over to the now hung-over Leonardo. Once there, he leaned his forearms on the bar and stared amusingly at Leo.

“Let me guess. Water right Leo?” He chuckled out, already walking away to go fetch the poor soul a glass of water and to take some medication for his head. Leo looked down, ashamed for people to see him like this in his aftereffect state.

“Yeah...a water will do fine thanks.” He replied as the tender had placed the glass down, filled half way to the brim with water. The water was clearly cool, the glass already having fresh droplets of water gathering on the outside of the glass itself. Being thankful, Leo nodded and grabbed the glass, almost moaning as the cool liquid fell down his throat.

“Here take these,” The tender held his hand out, two pills being present, ”Their medicine for your headache.” Leo once again nodded, unable to speak a ‘thanks’ as he was already downing the water fully this time, using his free hand to grab only one of the pills. The tender closed his hand and went back to his original position, going back to cleaning glasses and serving the early birds who crave for alcohol to keep them going through the day. Leo placed his empty glass down and went to looking at the small pill between his fingers. Thinking nothing bad about it, he took it down dry swallowing and using his mouth to have it slip easily down. He just had to wait for the effects to keep in.

Looking off to the side now that he was more fully awake, Leo wasn’t surprise when he didn’t see the star guest of last night not next to him however. A slightly pang of guilt washed over him, had he made him leave? No, that thought was quickly shaken off as a loud voice came through then now open doors of the entrance. “Where is he- OI! Leo, no time to slack off!” The female's voice was clearly angry, and held so much of authority when saying his name out loud. Groaning and rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand roughly, Leo could only slightly whine when he felt the pull of his shirt became balled up in his friend Catherine’s grasp. “I knew he wouldn’t stay. Tch- trust a Lord they say. Fuck that never again.”

The pull on his shirt had Leo falling from his stool onto the ground, his knees buckling under him as his upper body was thrusted upwards from the iron grip Catherine held him in. ”Get up, we have to get to the school gosh dammit.”

“What’s got you all worked up?” Leo yawned, ready to listen to whatever has placed his best friend in such a foul mood. However other than getting an answer, he was met with provoked eyes as she flicked his forehead, letting go of his shirt making him collapse fully to the floor. Huffing, Leo pulled himself back onto his feet using the stool he had previously sat on to balance himself on his two feet. Watching Catherine storm away, Leo looked back at the tender and waved before following his childhood buddy.

The air was chill, not many villagers was up at this hour of the morning. Being quick on his feet, Leo caught up with Catherine who still hadn’t talked after getting him. Weighing his options, Leo kept quiet, whatever was going on in Catherine’s head she would tell him when she was ready with it. Instead of talking about her problems, Leo decided to create small talk to sooth her mind and his. “So, the children are out and here we are going to work still.”

“Of course, Leo, we are teachers. I’m just hoping my fresh order of food has come from the Duke.” She speaks, lifting her umber dress at the front as she and him came to the cobble stairs that lead towards the school itself. As they walked, they chatted, amongst throwing a few giggles here ns there. The mood did certainly brighten up as the sun had also, becoming brighter and clearer in the sky that was misted with fog.

At the school front, both Leo and Catherine had sorted their clothing, patting it down and straightening collars. “How I look?” Leo questioned, throwing his arms to the side in a presentable manner and showcasing his clothing from yesterday.

“You look like the same yesterday only this time you looked as though you just ran through a forest bush,” Her remarks never failed to make him chuckle, his smile never leaving his face as neither did hers. Nodding and slightly agreeing with her, they both entered the school through its double doors. The school was fairly small, only having one level to the building. It contained a total of 4 classes, an assembly room and toiletries. The head’s office being placed near the reception. As they opened the heavy doors, a man stood at the reception desked looked up, flashing a toothy grin with his stumble beard.

“Glad to see you both in work, aren't nothing like staying inside on a cold day.” He said, his gruff voice echoing around the partially empty space. Catherine only waved, giving Leo a hard smack on the back as she walked off down the hallway to the side, turning into the first classroom on the left to start her own work. Just before Leo could speak, her voice screaming about how the order hadn’t been delivered was heard. The noise made both grown men laugh.

“Morning there, I’d be off. Have a good day.” Leonardo said, running his fingers through is hazel hair as the man behind the desk replied with a ‘good day to you too.”. Taking the same and only hallway that Catherine did, Leo walked right down it and entered the very last classroom on the right. When entered, he shut his door and walked past the small desks that were standing towards his own rather large one. When seeing his desk, he noticed something. ‘Where are my papers?’

Hitting his head with his hand, he rushed out his classroom and walked down the hallway towards the entrance. Just as he passed Catherine’s room, she popped her head out. “Whilst you're out there go pick my order up from the Duke please,” and off she went back in leaving no room for any protest against her request. Going along with it, Leo had rushed and left the school whilst getting the receptionist to stare at him with a questionable look and from another teacher of the building. He sped walked through the entire village that he grew up in and rounded about towards the Bar which was starting to become a fairly visited place of his. Clenching his chattering teeth as the coldness picked up, he entered the bar and walked towards his once seated place. A sigh left his lips as he saw his messenger bag untouched under his stool. “May mother Miranda have mercy on me,” he muttered, grabbing his bag and pulling it around his shoulders. Walking back out after looking through his bag, Leo kept his eyes firmly on the path he had to follow. Keeping lightly on his feet in case of any unseen ice, the young man had walked in the opposite direction of the school to head to the outside perimeter of the Village. Walking through the cold, he stuffed his hands into his pockets of his trousers, being careful to not prod himself with the pencil that had normally sat in there.

Although the sun was out, its rays of warmness had no touched the scratchy skin of Leo’s. Instead, he was given the sky’s shivers as he felt a snowflake swirl In front of his face. ”Snow, my favourite weather,” he muttered sarcastically, already feeling unimpressed however slightly better after taking the pill to help with his headache. Wandering around through the day was always better than night, there was no need to be scared of the mountains his village was nestled between. Some people from his village had even climbed the mountains, overlooking the view to see other parts of the land that seemed to stretch further than he had ever thought. It is a sight to forever hold though, everyone that had the wonders of being on top of the mountains had witnessed the true feeling of being free.

Leo smiled at the memory of him and his own family travelling up there once. He was about 8 at the time and was gifted a pencil and book to write in for his stories for his birthday. The climb was awful however, his small legs felt like collapsing but with his father by his side, he managed through it. He remembered reaching the top and grabbing his small book from his coat pocket, just so he could write everything he could see. Villages, lakes, a factory, castle and eve a vast forest or woods. He didn’t know what it was at the time but he felt onto of the world. He felt like he ruled over everything. “I should visit them soon,” the memory of his family had him thinking about them. They had been out of contact after he got his teaching job because he was trying to start his own life by himself. A faint smile brushed on his lips as he walked nearer to the mountains front, where carts would travel to and from to get to other villages.

The sound of hooves clapping against the stone ground had Leo smiling even more. ‘Finally,’ he thought as he spotted in the distance the cart of horses, a jolly voice accompanying them both. Striding towards the cart, Leo saw the horses first as the cart was turned like it had only just entered his village quarters. Cupping his hands, Leo blew hot air into them and rubbed them together, their friction creating warmth for him. Just as he placed his arms back to his sides, he moved past the horses and walked to the front, only to stop quickly as he saw more than one familiar face.

“Ah Leonardo, please come come. I'm sure you've came to collect the order for Miss Chef aren’t you,” The Duke joked, laughing slightly at his own humorous tone.

“I am indeed or else I’m sure the children will be coking me next sir,” Leo replied respectfully, standing next to the other familiar face all whilst maintain eye contact with the Duke.

“I’ll be with you in a second Leonardo, just speaking with the Lord here is all. Please excuse me for a second whilst I gather your order Lord Heisenberg.” Leo and the Lord Heisenberg watched as Duke had entered into his cart, the slight shake of the cart moving from his weight and rummaging through whatever was in there. Both men stood in silence, the only noises being the clicking of the hooves or the whilst from the wind that was picking up slightly more as each second flew by.

Lord Heisenberg next to him had rummaged through his coats pockets to take out a cigar and lighter. Lighting the cigar, he flipped the top of the silver lighter back over the wheel and dropped it back into his pocket. Taking the brown cigar to his mouth, he took a deep inhale as the end of the stick flamed brighter. Taking it out from between his lips he blew the smoke into the air, not slightly bothered if it went into Leo’s direction. “So, you’re ‘ere being an errand boy?” He grumbled out, taking another inhale of his cigar.

Leo relaxed slightly, finding the voice to the Lord to be rather comforting after the events of last night. “I’m no errand boy, I forgot my things and, on my way out, my friend asked me to get her order. Just doing a favour is all.” Leo and Heisenberg stood in silence one day, the atmosphere around them becoming calm as more snowflakes had decided to create their own routine about dancing around them.

“So, a teacher huh? Must be strange teaching up there with all the demons running around.” The joke had made a small chortle escape between Leo’s lips, a smirk finding a way onto Heisenberg’s as he heard the male’s laugh.

Leo turned to face Heisenberg, looking a little up since he was about an inch taller than him. “They learn quick, already reading one of my favourites. I wouldn’t say they are demons; I would quote them to be foxes for the many excuses they come up with when they don’t hand their homework in.” Heisenberg had thrown his cigar somewhere into the snow behind them having finished it. The after taste had swarmed his mouth, making him suck on his top lip to get the dry texture fairly moist. Running his rather thick muscle tongue over his lips, Heisenberg had dazed down to stare at the young man next to him.

“Foxes huh? Quite the metaphoric person ain’t ya.” Leo shook Heisenberg’s words off, finding no need to try change his mind about him. Writing and saying such words were just natural to his lips, any other way seemed more foreign than he would want. Silence had struck around them, their final words being lost through the now chilly air that had rained snowflakes.

“Excuse the wait gentlemen, I have gathered both of your orders,” The large man had left the comforting warmth of his cart to sit on the outside ledge, holding two large bags in both of his clammy hands that were littered with many rings. A sweet smile was plastered onto his face, eyes beady as he leaned forward and gave the respectful bag to each of the other men. “It was a pleasure doing business with both of you. I shall be arriving here next week again Leo. Would you like anything whilst you’re here?” The Duke had asked, placing his now empty hands onto his stomach whilst leaning slightly back.

Thinking for a moment, Leo had returned the sweet smile back to the Duke. “Do you have any pots of ink and any parchment paper? I'm running low on both.”

“Ah yes, I had restocked them before I came here. How many would you like?”

“Just 2 pots of ink and about 2 books of the parchment paper please as well.” Leo waited as the Duke had travelled back into his cart, his horses neighing at the moment. The cart moved left and right, making Leo take a step back in case of any sudden jerk movements. However, his move did not go unnoticed by the Lord.

“Awww, is the writer scared of movement?” He teased, smiling as he swung his bag of equipment over his shoulder whilst leaning on his large hammer with the other. Leo ‘tsked’ and closed his eyes.

“I am merely looking out for myself sir, if something were to happen- especially in this weather- I'd rather be prepared.” Leo spat out, not meaning his words to be accompanied with such venom, it wasn’t like he had anything against Lord Heisenberg. His words had made Heisenberg chuckle out loud, finding amusement with Leo the villager.

“Here we are,” Leo silently thanked the world as he heard the Duke’s voice. He wanted to get going soon, the chill was starting to hit him badly and his fingers wrapped around the bag of food he could only guess were becoming numb. “2 pots of ink and books. That'll be 150 Lei please.” The Duke leaned forward and handed the materials to Leo, who took them in gratitude.

Just as Leo reached down into his messenger bag to gather his money and place his things in there, a small pouch was thrown into the Duke’s hand. ”Here, I’ll pay for him. Think of it as a way to pay back for the enjoyable night I had.” Heisenberg spoke, turning to Leo and tipping his hat. Leo moved his hand away from his bag and rubbed he back of his neck sheepishly.

“It was only a couple of drinks; the bar is always filled with guys like me.”

“Oh, really now? Please, you weren’t the one moving away from me now were you.” Leo held back his tongue, looking the other way from Heisenberg’s direction.

“If that’s all gentlemen I shall get going. Safe travels the both of you.” The Duke had waved at both men, pushing himself back into his cart one last time and shutting the doors leaving both Leonardo and Lord Heisenberg alone once again. With snow falling around the both of them, Leo had agreed with himself to start heading back to the school.

“This has been fun but it’s time for me to leave and head back. Safe travels Lord Heisenberg.” Leo had spoken, adjusting his grip on the bag of food as he threw it over his shoulder. He walked away, back turned-on Heisenberg and started his walk back to his home village. As he walked, he listened to the footsteps that followed him. This continued for about 2 minutes before he sighed, rolled his eyes and turned to face whoever was following him. “Shouldn’t you be getting back to the Village of Shadows?” Leo asked, watching as Heisenberg had followed him with a shit eating grin.

“Now now, and here I thought we were beginning to become friends,” The smile never faltered off his lips as he said that, finding the faint blush on Leonardo’s cheek from the cold sort of nice to look at. Something new.

Leo shook his head gently and turned, walking away from Heisenberg not even caring anymore if he followed him or not. However, he thought being followed by a Lord would be comforting- absolutely not. He felt his stomach do turns, his head ache was starting to come back and his hands were becoming warmer as his grip around the food bag was becoming less loose. “So, you just wear thin layers in this cold?” The Lord asked, walking alongside the younger male. Leo shook his head again, his hair shaking along with him.

“I would be wearing a coat but someone had taken me away from the warmth of the bar and took me straight to work. I would of gone home and got my coat but no, work is very import around the village.” Heisenberg silently nodded, looking ahead as he let Leo lead the way back to the Village of the Ram.

“You got a lover?” The sudden observed question made Leo trip slightly, he managed to catch himself however before any harm could be done. A blush raised from his cheeks to his ears as he started to run his mouth dry.

“A lover- gosh no. I-I haven’t even got time for those kinds of things. I’m a writer, my life is dedicated to spreading the word and I have work to do, children to teach. They are the future; they must learn the history and how to read and write.” Leo sighed, feeling slightly guilty for speaking so quickly. “Anyway, no woman in the village can woo me. Maybe Catherine but not me. I don't even love women like that.”

Heisenberg quirked a brow at his words. ‘Don’t like women like that? How...peculiar.’ The Lord smirked, placing his own bag in the hand of his hammer and swinging his arm around the shoulders of Leo, making him slightly jump on contact.

“You don’t need to love women, you can just have a night stand and-” Leo pushed Heisenberg away, adjusting his shirt and placing his collar straight.

“Gosh no- just no. I don’t like women like that, simply. I like guys.” He put it simply, now walking with heavy footsteps and deep ragged breaths. ‘Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Oh fuck’ Leo chanted in his mind, finding now that his own actions may cause him to get harmed.

“So, you’re gay.”

“...Yes, I’m gay.”

“Eh okay.” The answer from the Lord left Leonardo speechless. Not many people in the village really supported his rights of love, thinking a man and woman should be together to bare children since foreigners never come around. Just to know the Lord Heisenberg, apparently one of the top Lords ever was okay with him liking men, had a rather shocking effect on Leo’s mind.

“Okay,” he repeated, smiling a little at the acceptance he was given off a Lord. Looking far ahead was the opening entrance back home, back to his home village. Being slightly more comfortable with the Lord trailing behind him, Leo turned his head and showed his smile at Heisenberg, who in favour smiled back. “Welcome back to the Village of Ram,” Leo said, turning back to face the entrance again with a slight skip in his step.

#karl hesienberg #karlheisenbergxmaleoc #lord karl heisenberg #karl heisenberg #karl heisenberg x male #lord heisenberg #LordHeisenberg #maleoc #karl heisenberg x male oc #resident evil 8 #resident evil

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itseivwhore · 4 years

Text

|Ezio Auditore x Reader| (Modern)

My house is just beside a little forest,so I often go there almost all the time.But during the Summer I specifically go in that forest to pick up some blackberries that grow there every year.The other day I went there to pick them up…for finding out that there was absolutely NOTHING.I honestly was pretty disappointed.But I enjoyed walking in that forest like always,it was like:COTTAGECORE VIBES CHEEEEEEEKK!!!And why just a mini one-shot with Ezio?I don’t know,most likely because me and my friend have been talking about him A LOT lately ( ;) ti amo tanto),and he was the first one that came in my mind.So sì,have this little little little drabble I wrote just for fun.

°Of sunkissed skin and brown eyes°

~~~~~

Slowly,almost lazily walking side by side,shoulders brushing against each other,the sound of their light,velvety footsteps on the grass was the only sound that interrupted the quiet of that late August afternoon;a fresh breeze moved the branches of the tall trees that flanked them;the sun,shyly hidden behind thick,grey clouds-a presage od an eminent rain-still gave out some weak,warm rays that blended into the treetops,casting a carpet of strange shadows on a soft,green ground.

The wind that there was on that evening carried with it the pleasant and light smell of the last trees in bloom;and it also carried away,and above all,their discreet and silent promises of love,whispered in barely audible murmurs,their happy phrases,their delicate laughters:that quiet breeze led them away,held them and kept them with it,making them slowly dance in the air for a few endless moments,and entrusted them to the dark sky.

They walked together,side by side,talking,smiling,kissing,laughing:fingers touching each other slowly,craving their delicate touches,shiny eyes meeting,the intense gaze of him lost in the soft one of her,looking at her as if she was something unique,rare,ancestral,a precious to treasure:Y/n was the object of a deep and unimaginable admiration for Ezio.

He loved to see her walk,so gracefully,among the tall trees,her hands resting gently on their old dark barks;he loved to see how her h/c hair fluttering slightly when she moved,and how she closed her eyes,being caressed and rocked by the breeze,to say the least;he adored,in a boundless and indescribable way,how the corners of her mouth raised up in a proud and mischievous smile whenever she discovered he was watching her;he adored seeing her e/c eyes litting up with a genuine happiness when she managed to find more blackbarries;he adored how she lowly hissed when some thorns of the tangles stung her.

The young Auditore was totally and utterly enamoured by every little gesture she did,by every word and sound that left her lips,by every aspect of her whole being:he was anamoured by Y/n.He loved her madly,insanely,immensely.

And she loved him just as much:Y/n loved the way he followed her every steps;loved how she caught him-very often too-watching her with a dreamy expression on his face;she loved how the weak sunbeams kissed his tan skin,and how it made his brown eyes became lighter,pools of acient honey;she loved how he always guided her through the old path,his warm,big hand on her shoulder,adoring at how his touch and grip felt firm yet gentle on her skin;she loved to hear his warnings,said with such a caring and worried voice.

They were both glad and happy to be there,on the green hills of Tuscany,undisturbed,together.

It was Ezio’s idea to go and pick up some blackbarries that grew right on some hills,that gave a wonderful view of the vast green fields not far from his villa;and certainly Y/n did not think twice about it,accepting.

~~~

The young woman sharply turned around when she heard Ezio humming loudly:an expression of pure pleasure was on his face,eyes closed and lips wet and dirty with the dark juices of the blackberries he was eating,one hand inside the wooden basket full of those little black fruits he was holding.

“Ezio!“ Y/n shouted,trying to assume a serious expression,but failing miserably in seeing his face.Hearing himself called so loudly,the guy opened his eyes in a flash,finding himself in front of his fiancée.

”Cosa?“ he asked her,raising up an eyebrow,throwing yet another blackberry inside his mouth,a provocative gesture on his part,smiling smugly when the young woman gave him an exasperated look,amusement glistening in his brown eyes.

"I told you that you can’t eat them” she answered him in a calm voice,taking a few steps forward and approaching him,gently taking the basket from his hands,turning around again and resuming on picking up some more blackberries.

“Sì,you told me that I can’t eat some of them…” he started in a nonchalant tone “But you didn’t tell me that I couldn’t eat them all,dolcezza” Ezio replied in a smart voice,stretching an arm out from behind her and taking another little fruit,swiftly taking his hand away when she slightly slapped it.

“I remind you that we need them for the cake.We can’t eat the cake if we don’t have enough blackberries.Simple as that” Y/n explained calmly,her concentrated gaze did not move from the tangle where the berries grew,carefully picking them one by one,for then placing them in the basket.

As she continued to do this,she heard Ezio chuckling silently,and almost suddenly she felt his hands resting on her hips,taking in her curves,humming lowly,endless shivers running along her back when she felt his velvety touch on her body,his hot breath against her skin.

“I would rather eat something else…” the young man purred in a low,sensual and temptalizing voice;and she swore to feel and perceive a smug little smile when he pressed his lips against her neck,leaving a trail of lazy and chaste kisses allong her skin,smiling against the soft flesh when he heard her laughing,writhing under his touch when he playfully bit her cheek.

Grabbing her waist,squeezing them sometimes,he suddenly turned her around,making the young woman face him.She tilted her head to one side in an interrogatory gesture when she noticed that he was looking at her in a confused manner,thick eyebrows frowning in a thoughtful expression.

“I’m worried” he finally spoke,raising his chin up and looking down at her,only the cheerful singing of the swallows interrupting the quite that had suddenly fallen between the young couple.Y/n meanwhile,looked at him with an expression of pure concern,her e/c eyes never leaving his brown ones.

“You didn’t kiss me yet” Ezio concluded in a strong tone,taking an attitude of sorrow,looking at her with a false disappointment,the slight smirk he had on his scarred lips just miserably betrayed his offended expression.On the other hand,she burst into a purely amused laugh as she heard the firm statement of her boyfriend,deteaching from him slightly.

“I thought you were serious!” she exclaimed,looking at him in a surprised way,laughing again:but the young Auditore always kept his seriousness.

“What makes you think that I was not?” Ezio asked her with a determined tone,raising an eyebrow in a smart way,spreading his arms,amazed when he saw Y/n take a few steps back and come back to pick up the blackberries.

“I kissed you some minutes ago” she defended herself,making a vague gesture with her hands,biting her bottom lip when she was sure that he couldn’t see her action:she knew very well that nothing and nobody would stop him to get what he wanted…and she also knew,very well,that Ezio knew how to be persuading.

“I will die” he replied promptly,

his loud voice,his theatrical and dramatic ways;and once again on that late afternoon at the end of Summer,she found herself in his strong arms,swinging gently and slowly from one side to the other,as if he were cradling her.

“Of what?” Y/n then asked,resting a hand gently on his arm around her side,beginning to caress his knuckles,her voice only a light,barely audible whisper for the rest of the world if not for him.

“Of starvation.I need your kisses.Ora” saying that with such need and desire-nowhere close in being malicious-he gently took her chin between two fingers,moving her head to the side,bringing his face closer to her one.And they kissed,slowly,lovingly,soft lips against each other,the hand that previously was on his arm,slided up behind his neck,pulling him closer.

They both deteached from the long,almost breathtaking kiss,him only humming lowly as he pressed yet another kiss on her cheek,purposedly snuggling his bearded face on her skin,closing his eyes when he heard the melodic sound of her giggles leaving her mouth once again in that endless afternoon.Y/n sighed slightly,relaxing,leaning her back against his broad chest,his chin now placed on her shoulder.

“Happy?” she suddenly asked him,looking over her shoulder to caste a small,pleasured smile forming on his lips as he nodded slowly,the arms around her middle just tightening more.

“Tantissimo” he murmured in a low and happy voice,Y/n only smiling more widely every time he spoke in Italian;she loved everything about that part of him:when he would mutter curses under his breath when he was focused,or when he would call her with sweet nicknames that never failed to make her heart flutter;or when,in the heat of the moment,with her between his arms,with his forehead pressed against her own,with a burning flame in his eyes,he whispered on her lips how much he loved her in his language.

But the young woman shook her head slightly,feeling her cheeks heating up at the memories of all these passionate nights.Ezio’s low voice near your her helped her to concentrate again.

“Guarda” he whispered to her in a thread of voice,his arm sliding from around her body,his hand now resting on her waist,squeezing slightly,enough to completely catch her attention.Y/n closely followed his gaze,beyond the hills,where vast green soils alternated with numerous orchards and vineyards.

“There is an abandoned church,beyond that hill…do you see it?” Ezio pointed out to her,stretching an arm out and pointing to what used to be a stone building,erecting,though in its smallness,among the sumptuous and shapely hills,a small tower supported next to the church.

“One day I will take you there” Ezio promised her,whispering this in a candid tone,pressing a light kiss on her cheek.She turned around slowly,her e/c eyes meeting his brown ones,getting lost in these two big cesspools,no longer illuminated by the rays of the sun.She looked at his calm face for a few moments,thoughtful.

“Why not now? Why not today?” Y/n asked,hoping that made her beautiful e/c eyes glisten;the corners of her mouth that rose in a small smile fought between hilarity and seriousness when she saw that,once again,Ezio quickly took another blackberry from the basket.Holding the fruit,he pointed up at the sky:the grey clouds,which used to be just a few dark wads in a bright sky,were now bigger,obscuring the sun’s rays once and for all,thus hiding a magnificent sunset hidden under that thick layer of clouds.

“It will rain soon” the young Auditore explained to her,chewing the little berry fruit with taste,humming loudly,savoring its sweet taste.A thunder growled loudly all of a sudden,the loud sound that,once repeated in deep echoes in that quiet atmosphere,was gradually fading away.

But when Ezio lowered his gaze on her,seeing how hopeful her eyes where,how pleading her face looked,a low chuckle left his mouth,stretching a hand out and carressing her soft cheek with the back of his hand.He slightly sighed,a ghost of a smile tugging his lips up.

“I just am not able to say ‘no’ to you,mh?”

~~~

They immediately arrived in the abandoned church,both of them breathlessly,pants taking their breath away,their chests rising and lowering quickly,their hearts beating wildly,their hair wet and sticky on their faces.It started raining just when they had just begun to make their way to the church;at first walking quickly,and then beginning to run under what had become a downpour,holding hands.

Y/n let go of her hand from his own,starting to slowly walk inside the church,her soft and flush steps resounded in a thousand echoes,breaking against the old dark walls of the church.Stretching a hand out,she started to trace the dirty stained glass of the long,tall mosaics with her fingers,looking with absorbed and amazed air at all that surrounded her.The wild ivy had penetrated through the chipped windows,continuing its path and climbing even the cold walls of that forgotten place,though fascinating in all its decadence.

Ezio,who up to that moment had been bent in two,with his hands resting on his knees to catch his breath,looked fascinated and captured by the figure of Y/n,who had now stopped in the middle of old wooden benches while she was looking at the paintings ruined by the years.He smiled to himself,his eyes did not move away from her even for a moment,observing her intensely.

“I just could take you right here,you know that,tesoro?Mh?” he uttered from all of sudden,smirking with a knowing grin when she turned around and looked at him in an amazed way,his excited eyes wondered all over her body,noticing how her wet clothes hugged her body more.

All thanks to the rain.

“In a church?” Y/n asked in a perplexed tone,raising her eyebrows,gesturing at the place around them,stepping forwards towards Ezio,placing both of her hands on his chest,running them up and down on his broad shoulders,playing with some strand of his wet,dark hair.His hands found her hips,pulling her closer against himself,squeezing them,grimacing a bit as he placed and moved his glance around the church;then lowering his gaze down on her again,humming,giving her an inviting smile.

“It’s deconsecrated.I do not see the problem”

And perhaps Ezio was persuadable enough,with his soft gestures and with his velvet words,to convince her;and perhaps,most probably,in that place which had once been sacred,holy,both the noisy rain and their heated,passionate sounds resounded inside that church.

°*~ TrAnSlAtIoNs! ~*°

“Cosa?” = what?;

“Sì” = yes;

“Dolcezza” = literally,sweetness.Sweetheart/sweetie;

“Ora” = now;

“Tantissimo” = very much;

“Guarda” = look;

“Tesoro” = darling.

#more power #power fluff imagine #ezio auditore #ezio auditore x reader #ezio auditore imagine #ezio auditore modern #x reader #assassin's creed modern #assassin's creed one shots #cottagecore vibes #cottagecore #my writing

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kind-wolf · 3 years

Text

Kiss on a stick

Fandom: Rainbow Six Siege

Character: Dominic Brunsmeier

Genre: general

Rating: T

Warnings: Swearing

Word count: ~1650

Note: This is just a little something for my lovely friend @angelaiswriting 💗

Merry Christmas!

Even before reaching the common room, she could hear the Christmas music.

Usually she wouldn't mind someone trying to spread the holiday cheer for all the operators who would be spending Christmas on duty. And even those who don't celebrate Christmas, didn't seem to mind the music and the decorations. But she did.

Or more accurately, she minded ever since one particular colleague of hers, made it his mission to torment her.

Although torment might be a bit of a harsh description.

Dominic Brunsmeier wanted to be a little shit and use the general holiday spirit and especially one decorative item to steal a kiss from her.

The first time he smugly pointed at the mistletoe they were standing under, her quick combat reflexes helped her duck away before he could get a hold of her.

"Hey! That's cheating, " he had called after her, while her laugh echoed through the hallway as she ran away.

She should've known that he wouldn't let it go that easily.

That man had spent years upon years alone undercover. He knew how to play the long game.

So for the past 3 weeks, she never walked through a door without checking for the treacherous little sprig and the german operator who never seemed too far away from it.

She had even taken to carrying around a baton, so she could nudge the mistletoe off, whenever she encountered one.

It didn't seem to deter Dominic though.

He kept at it. Only grinning at her when he caught her destroying yet another trap. "I'll get you eventually Engelchen."

"In your dreams Brunsmeier," she had scoffed, even though she was sure he noticed the upwards twitch of her lips she failed to suppress.

Another memorable moment in their game had been when she tried to throw him off with the help of Alexsandr. Everybody had already caught on to the special cat-and-mouse game, so when she asked the Russian operator for help, he immediately agreed with a big grin on his face.

They walked to the common room together and just as expected, there was a mistletoe sneakily attached to the corner of the doorway, meaning Dominic wasn't far.

Alex gestured for her to go first. So she did. And just when her eyes met Dom's who was leaning against a couch, she felt Alex grab her wrist to pull her back. "Not so fast Милашка. I think I get a kiss."

She didn't tear her eyes away from Dominic until she saw them widen in realization.

She had to suppress a giggle, since Alex was already leaning down to her height.

Just as he planted a firm kiss on her lips, she heard the German in the background complain "That's not fair! That's my kiss."

When Alex released her, she was ready to reply, but the Russian beat her to it with a laugh in his voice. "I didn't know you wanted a kiss from me so badly. But don't worry. I got plenty to give."

"Fuck you, " came instantly from Dominic, who was grinning nonetheless.

Their game went on until there weren't many days left until Christmas.

And she could tell he was getting desperate, for the mistletoe now also appeared in random places like the stairwell or the inside of the kitchen cabinets. One was even placed so high above her locker that she had to get a ladder to get it off.

Despite the music playing, the common room was empty. Suspicious.

She made sure it was really empty by immediately checking every corner and possible hiding place, just like she would in a combat situation.

But then the arm around her waist and the whispered "Got you" made her stiffen.

Damn that sneaky bastard!

She knew it was Dominic. It was hard to admit, but she had grown accustomed to the smell of him, to the sound of his voice, his barely noticeable accent, his presence in her daily life.

The hold on her waist was strong enough for her to know she couldn't just wiggle away. Of course she could fight him off if she really wanted to, but hurting him really wasn't on her agenda for today. Or any other day if she was being honest.

She slowly turned in his grasp and the first thing she spotted was his gleeful smile, before her eyes caught the greenery dangling right above their heads.

"How the fuck..." she trailed off upon taking in the fact that he had really put a mistletoe on a stick so he could hold it up wherever.

They both laughed before she bumped her head against his chest, relaxing into his embrace. "You're such a dork."

She looked back up into his face, expecting a smart retort, but was only met with his intense gaze that suddenly threatened to set her on fire.

She shouldn't be feeling like this for her colleague. She shouldn't...

When his face slowly lowered to her own, time seemed to freeze. Not even the clattering of the mistletoe stick as it hit the ground registered in her brain, as his nose bumped against hers, his now free hand coming up to hold her chin in place.

Her eyes fluttered shut as first his beard tickled against her skin, before he brushed his lips against hers.

A shuddering breath left her lips, before it was cut off by his firm mouth pressed against hers.

She responded tentatively, grasping the front of his uniform as she tilted back to meet his lips fully. He pushed closer, mouth parting slightly as he deepened the kiss. His hand slid down to her neck, still holding her in place.

It was as if he was trying to devour her, to never let her get away again.

The hand that was not at her waist wandered into her hair, gripping it gently. She couldn't stop herself from answering his passion with the same enthusiasm he was showing her.

She slid her arms around his neck and pulled herself impossibly closer to him, almost moaning when her body felt his muscles even through the layers of clothes.

The hand from her waist slid down to her backside and he cupped her ass eagerly.

Her heart was hammering against her rip cage as she tried getting enough air into her lungs between kisses while Dominic barely seemed to feel the need to breathe.

"I'm not sleeping with my colleagues, " she managed to gasp out, after pushing herself away from him a few measly centimeters, fully aware that the willpower to stay true to her word was dwindling with every second.

His mouth was back on hers with barely a "Mhmm," to signal he had indeed heard her words.

"I also don't date my colleagues, " she insisted with the next gasp for air.

Again Dominic only hummed, his hands squeezing her ass firmly to get her closer again.

"It only gets messy, " she continued, yet not doing anything more to stop his kisses.

She felt his grin against her lips when he mumbled a cheeky "I sure hope so."

Even she didn't know if the sound that left her in response was a groan or moan "I'm serious."

With visible effort Dom pulled himself away from her and sighed before gently bumping his forehead against hers. "Look, Engelchen... I really like you. Or I wouldn't have been that persistent about getting a kiss. And from your reaction just now, I would say you like me too."

Despite knowing he was right, she still tried to keep it together, get back to something that at least resembled professional behavior. "That doesn't chan-"

Both hands now on her hips, he swayed them both to the rhythm of the slow music that played in the background. "Let me take you on a date. We can take it slow. And if it doesn't work out, I promise not to make it awkward."

Fuck. She wanted to say yes. She wanted to be in his arms, run her fingers along his beard, hear his goofy jokes. She knew she shouldn't though. "But..."

The german cut her off with a quick peck on her lips. "Say yes," he whispered before pulling away again to look into her eyes.

Her hands finally slid away from behind his neck, down to his chest. And she sighed before she playfully patted his stomach. "Alright. But I'm expecting something spectacular. You gotta blow my socks off."

Dominic's grin put the shine of the Christmas lights around them to shame. "Trust me, it'll be so good, you'll be the one who wants to blow somethi- OWW."

Bonus:

"Eeekk! What..." before she could even get her question out, she burst out laughing, almost immediately gasping for air.

She tried her best to see through the tears that were already gathering in her eyes, wiping furiously to get another look at Domi.

He stood in front of her, in what was obviously supposed to be a sexy santa outfit. The red dress rimmed with white fluffy fabric way too short on his broad frame. She would almost be able to see his underwear. If he was wearing any, which she wasn't so sure about with him. To add some more flair to his outfit he had also put on a hat with blinking Christmas lights and red knee high socks.

"I take it, I exceeded all your expectations," he asked, turning his back to her and shaking his barely covered ass.

At first she could still only wheeze as a reaction, but she tried to get some words out anyway. "You… are… out...out… of… your mind!"

"And you love it," he simply stated while walking up to her.

While she was still calming down and wiping the rest of the tears off her face, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "Does your sexy Santa get a kiss before we go and gift the others with the sight of my gorgeous legs?"

She risked a glance down at said legs, and barely contained another laugh before looking back into his face. "Kissing Santa? I'm sure that'll put me on his naughty list," she teased.

He was prevented from answering when she placed a hand on his bare thigh, sliding it upwards under his dress while the other gently grasped his beard to guide his lips to hers.

#dominic brunsmeier #bandit #dominic brunsmeier x reader #dominic bandit brunsmeier #bandit x reader #bandit imagine #r6s bandit #rainbow six #rainbow six siege #rainbow six siege imagine #r6s #r6siege #r6s imagine #wolf writes

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peeterparkr · 4 years

Note

OMG FINALLY! Dick Grayson one where his bff who he’s in love with is attacked by some guys in an alley and he saves her but is so worried that he removes his mask without thinking etc ... you can do whatever you like with it really! Xxx

omg I don’t know how this came out of that but I hope you like it! This is literally my first time writing for him so pls be kind. I’m sorry it sucks

warnings: assault, fighting, probably swearing.

word count: 2k idk HOW

My hero. Dick Grayson x Reader

Gotham was a handful. Never safe. You’d always walk around fearing your life. But at some point you didn’t want to be that way. You always tried to prove everyone wrong. You could take care of yourself, and most times, you did. But whenever someone would tell you to take care, you’d get mad. It was— stupid, maybe.

Maybe Dick Grayson was who you were trying to prove. Maybe. Your best friend who’d become a bit of an asshole lately. You’d grown up and grown apart with that. Maybe it was because of his new life.

You missed him at Haly’s. But of course, he wouldn’t miss you. As if he’d love to have the life you had by now. Life in your 20′s still working for a circus and now your second gig as a waitress in a bar. It wasn’t that bad.

Millionaire Grayson, that’s how your old friends used to call him. Everyone who ever knew him would call him that. You didn’t. You knew Dickie became distant for other reasons. He wouldn’t tell you which, but he had them.

He wasn’t that distant to you. You’d see him every now and then. There were a lot of things to Dick Grayson that you’d keep to yourself. Like being your first kiss, first love. First broken heart. And you remembered the first kiss, you were young, stupid. And he had saved you from falling down the trapeze.

‘My hero’ you had said and without a warning you had kissed him.

Ah, and without a warning, years later he’d broken your heart.

That’s when you drifted apart from him. But he’d come back every now and then, if he ever gave himself time to visit you. Sometimes he’d visit Haly’s to say hello after a show.

But he had left Gotham, and with that, he had also left you.

You didn’t expect to see Dick Grayson walking into that filthy bar you worked at, one would think you’d see him at fancier places, or not at Gotham at all. But there he was with a black coat, soaking from the rain.

You felt your stomach hop as you saw him. His dark eyes searching the room. You knew he probably was there because of you. From time to time you’d talk, text, and you had told him you’d work there now.

“Hey angel, bring me another beer,” one very drunken guy told you. You rolled your eyes as you walked over to get it.

Dick sat by the counter, alone. You walked past him. “Grayson,” you greeted him. It was weird, seeing him like this.

“Y/N,” he smiled. “Uh, I was just around the neighbourhood and uh-“

“No, you weren’t,” you chuckled. He couldn’t lie to you. You knew he’d come to say hi.

He blushed. “No—but I thought- I’d say hi.”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s… it’s nice to see you, how have you been?” You blushed yourself.

“I’m good, I—I well-“

“Hey, angel, my beer, sweetheart, give that pair of legs a good use!” The asshole yelled.

You closed your eyes. “Duty calls.”

“Don’t talk to her like that,” Dick warned them.

“Or what, pretty boy? What you’re gonna do? Throw your fancy coat at me?” The guy laughed.

Dick quickly stood up and stormed to them.

“Dick, dick,” you said, standing in front of him. “I can handle them myself.”

“Oh, you’re a Dick,” the guy mocked.

Dick rolled his eyes. “Really funny, haven’t heard that one.”

Dick stepped in but you pushed him back. “Please, Dick, not tonight, we’ll catch up some other time, okay? Please, it’s alright..”

“Y/N-”

“I can take care of myself, Dick,” you pushed.

“We just called her an angel, suits her, anyway,” The bearded guy continued.

Dick glanced at you and opened his mouth.

“Please, don’t make a scene,” you begged him under your breath. You brought the guy his beer.

“Thank you angel,” he grinned as he basically undressed you with his sight.

“You better leave soon,” Dick warned them again standing in front of you , and they laughed.

“Dickie, please,” you begged him again, knowing damn well your boss wouldn’t like someone defending you. He was a bigger jerk than this guy.

Dick sighed and sat back down. You kept waitressing for a while, ignoring Dick’s stare. Always protective.

“Bye angel,” the man said to you before leaving. You stepped back and gulped. You decided to switch position with the bartender.

“You know I could get you a better job than this,” Dick intruded. “I—Bruce has several places where you could work at, I’m sure I could find you a spot somewhere.”

“Always helping, Dickie,” you shrugged. “I’m doing alright.”

“I—yeah, but—“

“I don’t want any sympathy, Dickie,” you told him. “It’s alright. I can take care of myself.”

“I just thought it could be so we can see each other more, like old times,” he pointed out. “We’re not kids anymore, are we?” He chuckled.

“Not really,” you smiled. “But we belong to different worlds, that’s okay. You deserved it, the fancy life—after what happened.”

Dick gulped and looked away.

“What do you do now, Dick?”

“Here and there,” Dick shrugged. “Complicated.”

You smiled. “They miss you, you know, everyone at Haly’s.”

“Everyone?”

“Mostly everyone.” You took a deep breath. You did miss him.

He sighed. “Yeah, I miss… I miss you too–I mean, I miss them,” he cleared his throat. “I miss them, too.”

You smiled to yourself as you turned to other customers. You were supposed to be waitressing.

“You shouldn’t be in a place like this,” Dick told you. He was probably right. But you hated when he got all protective on you, it’s not like he cared, anyway.

“I can take care of myself,” You reminded him. “It’s no better than any other place here in Gotham.” He knew you were right. “Besides, if something were to happen, I’d like to see one of those heroes get in here, they don’t really care about people like us.”

Dick stared at you. “How so?”

You chuckled dryly. “I don’t know, I don’t know,” you looked at him. “Or at least… Not the new Robin one. The old one, he… he really helped me out sometimes.”

Dick took a sip from his beer. “He… he did?”

“Yeah, it was weird, it’s been for a long time, Clay said Robin was my guardian angel,” you chuckled. “But you know how he is,” you smiled, looking down. “Haven’t seen him in a while, though. And guess Batman never gets to this part.”

Dick sighed, as he looked away. “Have you… have you needed help?”

“No, as I told you, I take care of myself,” you said. “You look different,” you pointed out. “Heard you left to Detroit.”

He nodded.

“What brought you back to this hell place?” You questioned him. “Anyone who gets a chance to leave Gotham should never come back.”

Dick looked at you. “Unsolved business.”

You clicked your tongue. “Well, hope you solve them quickly.”

He grinned.

“So… uh, how about we… we go out for dinner after you’re out or-?”

“Y/N, need you to take out the trash,” your boss came in. “And bring in more ice.”

You nodded. “I’ll… see you in a bit,” you excused yourself as you went to do as told. The old bar had an exit to the alley, where’d you take out the trash. It was dark and you never liked going there. You knew that you being sent there was a punishment of sorts, your boss liked to see you as a way men would buy alcohol if they ever spoke to you, however since Dick only had had one beer in his hand, it meant you’d failed at your job. Very indecent and degrading, really.

But you did as so, you took out the trash, it was still raining, and sadly, you were not alone. As soon as you had walked into the alley, there were men waiting for you. You tried to ignore them, but they closed the door for the bar. You tried to hide your shivering as they whistled.

“Look what we got here, it’s the angel,” The voice said, and you turned to see the bearded guy from before, his odour could be smelled from where you were standing, throwing away the trash.

You frowned and ignored them, trying to get back into the bar.

“Oh no, no, you don’t have your pretty boy to help you here,” he laughed. “C’mon angel.”

You tried to walk past him but he was surrounded by the other three that were once in the bar.

“I need to go back,” you said, firmly and tried pushing your way through.

“I don’t think so my angel,” the guy said. You feared everything and you knew this was too late. “And that was a wrong move,” he said, taking your arms and pulling you to him. You felt more hands on your body.

You screamed as loud as you could and tried to kick your way out but the other three surrounded you, the guy covered your mouth.

“Now, you’re going to cooperate, alright, you listen to this,” the guy hissed at you. You kicked him again and he pushed you against the wall. “Stop, now.”

You saw it as a lost battle. But before you could feel or see the worst, a shadow had appeared from the roof.

“Leave her alone,” the shadow warned and jumped right behind him, and then you covered yourself. The shadow kicked down the drunk horrendous guy as he easily took down the other three guys, fighting against them with no difficulty as he threw punches and kicked them to the ground. He kept punching them and you knew this was Robin. Even with the rain, you saw him.

He was Robin. The Robin you once knew, the one who had protected you before, not the new, young one with crazy hair. This was your Robin.

You fell to the ground, scared, as you saw now the four guys that were just surrounding you and touching you. You let out a sob, but Robin kneeled by you.

“Y/N, y/n, are you–are you okay?” Robin asked, and you looked up. And saw him, his eyes. His dark eyes. He had taken off the mask

“I–”

“It’s okay, you’re okay, they can’t hurt you.”

“Dick.” That was the only thing you’d managed to say. He panicked.

“What–?”

“You…” You cleared your throat. “Your mask.”

He saw his hand, he had taken off his mask. “I’m… I’m… shit,” he sighed, “I’m not a monster. I swear.. This… this is the reason why I left Gotham,” he admitted as he looked at the passed out men. “You must think I’m a monster.”

“I never said you were,” you whispered as you watched him, cupping his face. “You… It was you who was protecting me.”

He nodded. “I never really left you, back then”

“No, I guess you didn’t,” you admitted. “But then you did.”

He looked at you. “Are you… are you okay?” He asked, helping you stand up.

“Yeah, yeah,” you cleared your throat. “Guess I can’t… really take care of myself after all. But I guess I don’t… have to,” you coughed. “Thank you,” you said, kissing his cheek.

He put on his mask again. “Yeah.”

You stayed there, under the rain, watching him. Expectant of everything and of nothing at the same time. “Not only for tonight,” you pushed. “But for… always keeping an eye on me.” It was like you were transported to when you were younger and you’d stand in front of him, all childish and nervous.

He looked away. “Yeah, yeah–Look,, I’m… I’m not proud of whom I’ve become that’s why…”

You shook your head, taking his arm. “I don’t care, you’re always going to be Dickie for me,” you whispered as he got closer. “You always had it, the hero type.”

“I’m not sure if I could be called a hero,” he admitted.

“You saved my life,” you shrugged. “My hero.”

He bit his lip, and gulped. He remembered, and he understood it now. Without a warning, he leaned over to kiss you. And this time it was different. Maybe you’d grown up, but definitely, you hadn’t grown apart.

this sucked

#dick grayson x reader #dick grayson #dick grayson x y/n #dick grayson x you #brenton thwaites x reader #Brenton Thwaites #titans fanfiction #titans fanfic #titans imagine #dick grayson imagine #dick grayson blurb #dc fanfic #DCU Titans #dcu fanfic #dc fanfiction #batboys #batboys imagine

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halothenthehorns · 3 years

Text

TLTNLT- THE EYE OF THE SNAKE

Lily eyed the book with worry before glancing to Harry. She wanted to volunteer they stop for the night, at least on the good note of Hagrid's return.

"Don't even Lily," James began pleading at once, recognizing the look on her face as she eyed the book, though it wasn't her turn. "Please, we haven't gotten to hear about the twins revenge yet for what Umbridge did to my boy! After that, I swear I'll back you on calling it a night." She couldn't help but give in quick enough, she wouldn't mind hearing a little comeuppance for that toad as well.

Sirius refused to get up to get the book though and demanded James just throw it to him, it dissolved into an argument of who was lazier, and Remus solved the debate by Summoning the book to him and then smacking Sirius upside the head while Lily did the same to James.

Sirius snatched the book away but waited patiently for Harry's joyful laughter to subside, they knew they were all going to long for that noise too soon again.

Hermione ploughed her way back to Hagrid's cabin through two feet of snow on Sunday morning.

"Dedication," Sirius chuckled.

The boys would have gone with her, but their homework refused to allow otherwise.

"No, I think that one wins," Remus sighed.

It was difficult to concentrate, as someone was enchanting snowballs to fly into their common room window. Ron finally lost his patience after an hour of this and shot his head out, telling whoever it was below that as prefect he'd put someone in detention if one more- then he shouted in pain.

"At least someone around there knows the proper response to that," James chuckled.

He pulled his snow covered face back in to announce it was Fred and George.

All five of them started chuckling, but suddenly Sirius was even harder than before, and he wouldn't stop for several moments until finally he ran out of air and then his shoulders were still shaking.

"You know you're going to have to explain that," Remus said conversationally while watching his friend fall to pieces.

"Think back to the last time the twins were mentioned throwing snowballs," Sirius insisted, now watching the others gleefully for them to get the joke.

"Err, last year, we had a snowball fight with them," Harry offered.

"No, farther back," Sirius insisted.

James got it first, his eyes widening with some fascinating combination of fear and unrestrained humor. "The twins, were pegging Quirrell, with snowballs..." he trailed off in a strange tone of voice, but the twitching smile creeping across his face was threatening the same reaction as Sirius' soon.

"On the back of the head, where," Remus tried, and failed, to finish though the other two realized already and felt their mouth's flop open.

"Merlin's beard," Lily whispered, glancing to the first book and feeling the urge to start praying Quirrell never divulged who it was doing that or the twins would be next on Voldemort's list after her own son.

James couldn't help falling into the same laughing fit as Sirius had now, and Harry joined in uneasily like he was still half fighting back the urge to scream at the idea.

Remus just pressed hard at his temples, now fearing for his friends lives. They may very well start laughing in Voldemort's face the next time they came across him if this crossed their minds at the wrong time.

Sirius kept going with a grin still stuck in place, he hoped Harry had shared that little bit of information with them or he'd be very disappointed.*

Hermione came back around lunch, Ron at once asking if she'd planned his lessons out for him?

"I was surprised she didn't start doing that when he was spending a whole year on flobberworms," Remus sighed.

Hermione admitted she'd tried,

"The sad part is, she's not actually kidding," James chuckled.

before explaining she'd been there the first half hour knocking and he hadn't even been there.

"Why?" Lily demanded of the poor girl. "Go fetch yourself a nice warm cuppa and come back, clearly he was out doing his gamekeeping."

"Credit for determination?" Remus offered weakly.

When he did come back, it was from the Forest, causing Harry to groan in trepidation. That place was teeming with the sort of creatures that would get Hagrid fired.

"Hagrid has to do work in there as well as the grounds," Sirius corrected, "remember the unicorns from your first year? He self obligates to tend to any injured creature in his reach."

"This doesn't automatically mean his first lesson back has to do with something in there," Remus agreed, though Harry hardly looked convinced.

He asked what was being kept in there,

"I'm sure I could spend an hour telling you all the creatures in there, and Hagrid probably has a cataloged book on them," James chuckled.

but Hermione said he refused to explain. She'd still tried to explain to him why it was so important he go over lessons about Knarls rather than Chimeras, while instantly telling the terrified faces of the boys she doubted he had a Chimera.

"Hagrid's disappointing me then," Remus said with a blank face, leaving his friends unsure how much of a joke he meant that. He'd certainly been excited enough about dragons...

Though it didn't seem to be from lack of trying, considering he'd mentioned how hard it was to get eggs.

Remus cracked and began snickering with laughter while the other two rolled their eyes.

He still wouldn't even explain to her how he'd gotten those injuries.

Lily couldn't help but go back to worrying her lip at this, but he was still up and moving so she was at least convinced he was fine. She wished she could know what had gone wrong, to warn the poor dear so this never had to happen to him, but at least he was back at school and away from whatever had happened.

Hagrid's reappearance at the staff table at breakfast next day was not greeted by enthusiasm from all students.

All five of them scoffed, thinking he should have gotten a standing ovation for what he'd been out doing.

The twins and Lee made the event noticeable at least, by running up to the staff table and wringing his hand in a welcoming greeting,

The Marauders began laughing even harder, knowing they'd have done the exact same thing.

though most like Parvati and Lavender exchanged glum looks. The very smallest of Harry's unbiased opinion even understood why, at least Grubbly-Plank's idea of an interesting lesson didn't involve getting heads ripped off.

"Where on Earth has your sense gone?" James demanded deadpan, though not as well as he'd liked as he couldn't help nodding in slight agreement. He adored Hagrid and there was no better gamekeeper, but it wouldn't kill the man to stop putting his son in extra danger like some of his previous creatures had caused.

They trekked down to his first class back with heavy trepidation, with only minimal relief to see only the usual Slytherins present, Umbridge hadn't arrived yet and Harry was not looking forward to how they'd likely act worse than usual with her around.

Sirius was already flush with anger at the thought, in some distant way he almost found it remarkable how he could continue wanting to punch the same person in the face repeatedly, he was more than used to that feeling, and was just having to redirect it.

However, the High Inquisitor was nowhere to be seen as they struggled through the snow towards Hagrid,

"Probably because it goes over her head and she got lost," James said with relish.

"Let's hope she goes wandering into the Forest and never comes out," Remus grumbled.

who was not a reassuring sight, his bruises now turning green and yellow,

"That means they're starting to heal, even if they aren't the prettiest sight," Lily began smiling with relief.

and some of his cuts still seemed to be bleeding.

They all frowned uneasily at that though, but James quickly tried to reassure, "maybe he's just, err, picking at them, you know scratching at the scabs." None of them really believed this, Hagrid should have the self restraint not to, but they couldn't think up anything else.

Harry could not understand this: had Hagrid perhaps been attacked by some creature whose venom prevented the wounds it inflicted from healing?

Sirius practically felt the cold chill wash off of Harry beside him, looking over with worry to see he'd gone ghastly pale and was shivering at the mention of this. He opened his mouth in concern, but Harry was already forcing himself to remain out of the moment, pinching the bridge of his nose and breathing deeply before looking around at them. He did not try to offer a comforting smile, just nodded to show he was fine and turned back to Sirius. There was still something dark lingering in his eyes, washing Sirius with a now familiar deep worry. He hadn't seen Harry this afraid to learn something since the end of last year, when Cedric had died...but no, this must be something else, maybe he was remembering the basilisk too vividly, no one else was going to die!

Sirius exchanged a look with the others, but when Harry felt like the silence was going to smother him he forced himself to find his voice and pleaded, "it's alright, really, I don't know what that was about but it's certainly nothing to do with Hagrid's class," even this small memory he offered made him twitch with unease even as he relaxed for that being true, and Sirius forced himself to keep going for at least that miniscule comfort.

As though to complete the ominous picture, Hagrid was carrying what looked like half a dead cow over his shoulder.

Remus couldn't help but snort in surprise, making Harry smile despite himself.

He gave them the happy greeting of telling them they'd be working in the Forest today.

Lily couldn't help but groan in frustration, she felt like tearing out her hair at her boy now being forced to go back in there again.

"Calm down dear," James placated even as he kept a worried eye on Harry, but though he was frowning his words still seemed to be true, he wasn't afraid of the Forest, much, at least not to the level of whatever memory he'd nearly remembered. "We told you the older students go into the forest for some advanced Care of Magical Creatures classes. Hagrid is doing this a bit early, usually only NEWT students do, but when has Hagrid ever been conventional?" He laughed at the end like something was actually funny.

Lily didn't join in, but she didn't feel like yelling at Hagrid, as much, either.

Malfoy got panicky at once, demanding to know what was in there?

All of the boys couldn't help a dark chuckle for this.

Harry couldn't help but smile watching Malfoy squirm. Ever since his last Quidditch match, anything that caused Malfoy discomfort was good with him.

Even Lily couldn't help a twisted little smile for that. Of all the times she'd detested that sport for multiple reasons, she'd never condone something that made her son so upset, and clearly losing his spot on the team because of this twerp meant he deserved far worse than just a little discomfort.

Hagrid ignored this and beckoned them all to start following him, explaining over his shoulder that he had the only domesticated ones in Britain.

Remus couldn't help his level of interest rise. He completely trusted Hagrid's words on this and was hoping Harry was experiencing something he hadn't gotten to in his own classes with Kettleburn, and was now resisting the urge to snatch the book away from Sirius with curiosity.

Malfoy's voice lost none of its panic as he demanded how sure Hagrid was of this? It wouldn't be the first time he'd brought wild things here.

"I, well I mean the skrewts were," Lily struggled to both disagree with Malfoy and not make Hagrid come off too bad in that, but failed and the boys couldn't one hundred percent back her up either, so they let the awkward silence hang.

Hagrid scoffed of course they were trained, Malfoy countering by demanding what had happened to Hagrid's face then.

"Oh surely that's nothing to do with this," James said at once as Lily lost an extra shade of color. "If Hagrid says he's domesticated them than he did, that means it's been years since he's had whatever this is. No, I'm still convinced those injuries have something to do with whatever happened on the way back from the giants."

"Something that made Maxime come home early and leave him to himself," Lily reminded a little snippy. Even knowing it hadn't been Maxime to rat out Hagrid last year, she was still a little cold towards the woman who'd caused him so much pain in her original down turn of him, though she'd been suppressing it since clearly Hagrid had forgiven her.

"I'm positive that was Hagrid convincing her to do so, which makes me wonder if Hagrid did come across some new creature and he didn't want her to get hurt," Sirius tried.

"Which still has nothing to do with this actual lesson," James finished with conviction, as he felt that had made his original point.

Lily wasn't entirely convinced, but as they had nothing more to go on, let it go.

Hagrid snapped that was none of his business and to stop asking stupid questions.

"I love Hagrid," Sirius chuckled.

They stopped so deep into the Forest there was no longer snow on the ground, and Hagrid dumped the cow carcass in a semi clear patch of trees.

"Do I want to know what happened to the other half?" Harry muttered with unease.

"Was probably breakfast for whatever this is," Remus said with far too much eagerness in his opinion. "Now he's coming out with more, as more than likely they haven't wandered off too far since then."

The class stayed very far back into the trees, peering around as if expecting to be pounced upon any moment. Hagrid hardly took notice of this as he told them they'd soon be attracted by the smell of blood, but he was going to give them a call to let them know it was him.

Remus was clearly listening with the most interest, a smile on his face Harry hadn't seen since they'd been talking about the Skrewts. He was so busy silently laughing at his utter enthusiasm for this, and his friends clear indulgence as they were not so silently snickering at his clear interest at this, his memory pain from before was easily being put to rest for now.

He shook back his shaggy head and gave a shrieking cry like some monstrous bird.

"Oh!" Remus' smile didn't at all dim even as he clearly understood what was going on while Sirius nodded in the same way. "You're going to love this lesson Harry."

"Why's that?" He couldn't even pretend at uneasiness with how happy the both of them were. He glanced to his parents who both shrugged, they didn't recognize the noise.

Remus and Sirius exchanged a look, but then they both smirked and neither would tell Harry, though clearly sure of themselves Remus was right.

Hagrid did so three more times before stopping and smiling at a space between two gnarled trees where a pair of blank, white eyes were shining, and soon a dragonish face emerged followed by the skeletal body of a black winged horse.

Harry gasped in surprised pleasure while Lily and James grinned as well for finally getting the joke.

"You tossers," James happily scowled at the two, "you couldn't have just said it was Hagrid's way of calling the thestrals."

"Where would be the fun in that?" Sirius chuckled.

"It's not like we were one hundred percent sure," Remus batted his eyes innocently. "Kettleburn had to get Hagrid to bring one to our class in our last year, he'd only been trying to domesticate them only a few years previously and we only got to see the one, so we weren't positive that was how Hagrid got their attention."

"You both recognized that noise and you know it," Lily rolled her eyes at them while Harry was now bouncing eagerly in place. Even having these creatures explained to him already, he was still eager to finally have the memory returned from his own time, at least then Ron wouldn't think him crazy anymore.

It watched the class for a second before disregarding them and moving to the cow and eating.

Harry watched this in relief for a real answer of these things, looking eagerly to Ron, who was still looking everywhere else before uneasily asking why Hagrid had stopped calling for it?

Lily fidgeted with a bit of hair as the question occurred to her, but she didn't want to ask as it felt rude. Harry clearly had no restraints as he blurted the question. "Who's Hagrid seen die?"

"His dad," Sirius said, the smile beginning to dim as he recalled, "he explained that to us when he was leading out a rope with nothing on the other end."

"So you can't actually see them?" Harry said in surprise.

"I can now," entirely losing the smile now. "Couldn't then."

Harry felt bad for his question at once, glancing uneasily around and realizing they'd all be able to see them now just from the looks on their faces, and no longer had the courage to ask.

Most of the class were the same, except Neville who was watching with distaste at the gorging, and a Slytherin who was watching the swishing tail with unease.

"Oh," Lily murmured as she brushed her nails uneasily through her hair.

Remus and Sirius nodded without surprise though. Their classes hadn't even been as large as Harry's and half the class had been able to see them.

Two more arrived moments later, Hagrid turning to properly face the class and asking for those who could see them to raise their hand.

When Harry did, Hagrid nodded, saying he wasn't seriously surprised.

"How would he know whether I could or not," Sirius blurted out, then scowled at Remus when he pinched him, but then they all grinned as Harry again laughed at the joke.

Malfoy demanded what exactly were they supposed to be seeing?

For answer, Hagrid gestured again at the carcass. There was a beat of silence, before several people gasped in shock and took a step back. Harry supposed it would be an even stranger sight to watch bits of flesh being stripped away and then vanishing.

"Certainly an interesting experience," Remus chuckled.

Hagrid explained they were called thestrals, causing Hermione to oh in surprise.

"I wonder if you'd told her about this instead of Ron if she'd put it together?" James asked.

"Not sure, depends on if the books do or don't say what's pulling the carriages, otherwise I wouldn't really think she'd make this particular leap," Sirius shrugged.

"If Harry'd described them, I bet she would have," Remus defended.

Parvatie seemed even more alarmed at this, saying she'd been told they brought misfortune to those who could see them.

"That's just superstition, like Muggles and black cats," Sirius scoffed. James looked confused why such a thing would be a superstition, but decided against asking.

"I'm pretty sure by the time you do see them, you've been as unlucky as it's possible to be," Remus grumbled.

Trelawney had told her-

"Why am I not surprised?" Lily rolled her eyes in exasperation.

but Hagrid cut her off to properly explain that was just a superstition. They were extremely clever. These didn't get any work besides pulling the schools carriages though, and occasionally Dumbledore asked to use one to fly somewhere when he didn't feel like apparating.

As he kept speaking more were arriving, one brushing past Parvati who squealed in alarm, though Hagrid insisted they had nothing to be afraid of. Then he asked the class why only some of them could see them?

Hermione raised her hand.

"Those who are surprised, please raise their hand," James rolled his eyes.

Once called on, she said it was because only those who had seen death had the ability.

Hagrid gave her ten points before stopping in confusion upon the hem, hem noise.

Sirius made a guttural noise in outrage, all too willing to feed this owl treat to the thestral, though she'd hardly be big enough to qualify as a snack.

Harry felt a funny little feeling rising in him, the idea of Umbridge in the Forest caused such a huge stirring in him that must be more significant than her studying one of Hagrid's classes...

Hagrid stopped in surprise. Never having heard this before, he looked to the nearest thestral in concern as if coming from it.

Remus threw his head back in laughter, probably a little too amused but unable to help himself.

When made again though,

Now the lot of them were giggling, still more at Remus' reaction.

Hagrid spotted her and greeted her still with a friendly tone.

She took no notice of this, speaking again in the loud voice as if he were slow.

Remus stopped laughing at that, but a smile lingered in place that gave Harry the creeps. He didn't usually find Remus that scary, ironically he found him the most open and friendliest as his dad and Sirius had this way of looking sometimes that made him want to duck for cover. Yet this wasn't the first time he'd seen evidence Remus could be the scariest one of all. It was clear in this instance that though he usually ducked away and tried to ignore what people thought of him though, he wasn't going to let anyone be thinking or doing anything like that around Hagrid.

Reminding him his inspection was today.

Hagrid agreed happily that she'd found the place, asking if she could see what they were doing today?

"Death is scarier than her face, so maybe," Sirius snapped.

Umbridge pretended as if she couldn't hear him, cupping her hand to her ear in confusion.

Lily's mouth popped open in outrage. She'd seen evidence of this the first time, but clearly the woman was going to keep putting on a show, and the thought of ringing her neck was clearly starting to look like a kindness.

Hagrid frowned in confusion as he began explaining thestrals, but as Umbridge kept the charade up, Hagrid flapped his hands and mimed horses hopefully.

Umbridge made a note on her clipboard about how he had to resort to sign language to communicate.

James spluttered with indignation and set the little table on fire, though he hadn't consciously pulled out his wand.

Harry scrambled for a moment to recall a spell to put it out, and Lily realized a moment later that anger wasn't her mind's manifestation but she really did have to wave her wand to vanish that.

Though they all had the understanding of why she was doing this to Hagrid, the fury it pushed them all to for treating him like this was just as bad as what Voldemort had been known to do. How could this horrid walking soulless monster claim to be anything else while treating him like that!

Hagrid clearly heard, but turned back to the class disoriented and tried to think back to what he'd been saying before her arrival.

She made a note of this as well, saying he had short term memory.

Lily wrapped her hands tight around James', both to still her own hands and his from setting anything else on fire.

Malfoy looked as though Christmas had come a month early;

"Great, I got his present all ready, hope he enjoys his new coffin," Sirius snarled.

Hermione, on the other hand, had turned scarlet with suppressed rage.

"She's far more restraint than us," Remus said flatly. "I'd have already given her a fat lip for starters."

Hagrid gave her another uneasy look before ploughing on back to patting the first to arrive, a male named Tenebrus-

"That was the one he brought to your class?" Harry tried valiantly to keep up any tone that didn't promise murder.

"Yep." The one word answer from Remus was not encouraging.

but Umbridge cut him off to ask if he was aware the Ministry classified Thesterals as dangerous?

"They classify anything more than a kelpie dangerous," Sirius' lip curled in disgust, shifting protectively towards Remus, who for once was so angry on someone' else's behalf he hardly recognized the intended slur against him.

Hagrid only chuckled, saying they weren't anything of the sort. Sure they may take a bite at you if you annoy them-

Umbridge made another comment on her notes about how he clearly enjoyed violence.

"Well I guess we all share that trait, and she's perfected it," Lily hissed.

Causing Hagrid to start looking anxious as he corrected a dog would do the same if put in that spot, but thestrals just had a bad reputation.

Remus sighed heavily. He would have quite enjoyed chatting about this, he found it a great way to put into perspective many misunderstood creatures, but as that woman would be classified as more dangerous than a dragon to him, now didn't seem the time.

Umbridge did not respond to that, but instead continued miming out her actions for him too obviously while saying she was going to start asking the students questions and he should continue.

Sirius was white knuckling the book by the end of this, never having been more tempted in his life to turn into Padfoot for the act of revenge from this woman being eaten by a creature. He'd never envisioned using his animal as anything more than a friend to Moony, but this woman managed to taint something he'd only ever seen as a good side of himself.

Hagrid stared at her, clearly at a complete loss to understand why she was acting as though he did not understand normal English.

"It's almost kinder this way, more deniability later when he claims not to know anything about her murder of being strung up in a tree," James huffed.

Hermione had tears of fury in her eyes.

Lily was close to that urge as well, and she couldn't even act on it, so she almost envied Hermione as well as wanted to snap at her to get on with setting her on fire.

Hagrid tried to keep his flow, but was again distracted by Umbridge turning to Pansy and asking how well she understood Hagrid?

James's hands were shaking in fury underneath Lily's grip. He couldn't believe Hagrid was letting this woman do this to him. Then again, he'd also been letting Malfoy get away with this for the past two years. He couldn't comprehend why Hagrid wouldn't stand up for himself and tell this woman to shove that clipboard up her arse.

Like Hermione, Pansy had tears in her eyes, though these were of mirth. Her answer was almost incoherent from her suppressed giggling.

Somewhere in there was a fascinating parallel between these two girls, but it was too clouded with anger from everyone else to be paid much mind by anyone who would.

She still half managed to say no, it mostly sounded like grunting. Umbridge made a note of this while Hagrid flushed beneath his bruises but refused to let himself stall again, telling the class

At least Remus still had the clarity of mind to acknowledge this as the correct response rather than wanting to drown her in a pile of dung like he still wanted to.

about their amazing sense of direction. Just tell them the place you wanted to go, and a thestral would get you there.

Harry felt a feeling buzzing at the back of his mind, frowning for a whole new reason that had a terrible connection to this scenario. In the Forbidden Forest, looking at Thestrals, needing some place to go...even Sirius reading was mounting that feeling into an actual panic at just trying to connect these dots, but then a warning sting had his eyes watering from the pain of thinking about this too long and he was forced to let the threads unravel again. The others were still too angry at what Umbridge was doing to have noticed this time.

Assuming they could understand you, Malfoy mocked loudly enough everyone heard. Umbridge smiled indulgently while Hagrid stumbled off with another blush.

Umbridge turned to Neville then and asked who'd he seen die?

Lily's face gained an extra blanch in fury, it seemed quite the miracle in itself Umbridge was managing to find every way possible to anger her.

Neville answered his grandfather, while Umbridge kept going without a care and asking what he thought of them?

Neville gave Hagrid an anxious look before saying they were okay.

Umbridge noted this by instead jotting down the students were too frightened to speak their mind.

"You're too stupid to realize how little time you have left to breathe," Sirius vowed.

Neville tried to correct her that wasn't it-

Lily made a guttural noise that was probably meant to be sympathetic if it had been less angry.

but Umbridge was now ignoring him as well.

She turned back and mimed one last time she'd send Hagrid his results,

"That wasn't an inspection," Lily howled furiously, "that was a persecution that should have been your execution!"

before leaving.

Hermione was hissing about that foul, lying, twisted old gargoyle,

"I'm running out of insults. Those weren't quite as bad as I was hoping for, but it's good Hermione's keeping it fresh," James seethed.

as they headed back to the castle thirty minutes later after class. Demanding of the two if they could see what she was up to.

"Certainly doesn't take a blind man," Remus huffed.

Answering for herself it was Umbridge's thing against half-breed's! She was going to treat Hagrid like a troll because of his giantess mother! It wasn't fair!

"Nothing in my life seems fair," Harry muttered to himself, his anger bleeding out into something far worse. He was getting scared. Now that Umbridge had come and gone with such a blatant abuse of her power, he couldn't help fearing what was going to happen to Hagrid because of it. She couldn't possibly find a way to send him back to Azkaban could she?

That hadn't even been a bad lesson!

Ron did remind that Umbridge had said they were dangerous.

James actually made the motion like he was going to smack Ron upside the head. "Since when does Ron take anything that lime toadstool says over Hagrid?"

"He was just arguing with Hermione, like he always does," Harry sighed, though he'd given Ron an affronted look for that too at the time.

Hermione impatiently explained it was just as Hagrid said, they were able to take care of themselves, in fact they were really interesting. She wished she could see them.

That cooled most of their anger. While right in line with Hermione's fury, she had no idea what she'd really just asked for, giving them all a moment of surprise. As mature as Hermione acted, they forgot sometimes these three were still only fifteen when this was happening.

Harry quietly asked her if she really did, and she looked suddenly horror struck.

Lily hummed with a small smile on her face, at least Hermione was always quick on the uptake, even her own mistakes.

She began apologizing, saying what a stupid thing that had been to say, but Harry told her to just move past it.

She did by saying in surprise how many could, three in one class.

"I envy the generation where that's the good news," James muttered.

Malfoy came upon them again to ask if Weasley would be able to see the Quaffle if he watched someone snuff it.

"Do you think he could see the Snitch better with two black eyes?" Sirius barked in fury.

He didn't wait for a response as he walked off laughing with his friends, Hermione telling them both to ignore him.

"I hate it when she tries that advice," Harry groaned. "It never actually makes me feel better."

"Doesn't usually stop you when you decide to retaliate either," Remus said grimly, "and this time seemed appropriate."

The holidays were approaching, and the castle was showing it. Ron and Hermione's prefect duties were becoming more demanding, Ron's commentary on them keeping Harry updated, such as the time he'd had to try putting up tinsel with Peeves on the other end trying to strangle him,

"A tradition in itself," Remus at least tried for a friendlier tone of voice, though Sirius still seemed too down to put his usual enthusiasm into the holiday. He supposed it was of some comfort Hagrid hadn't been kicked out of the castle his first day back though.

or when he'd had to watch over the first and second years on their break times and he complained they'd never been such cheeky snots at that age,

"Oh no, you were far worse, as you had more practice at home," James promised.

"He's not even speaking from experience with that one," Lily said with a faint smile, "believe it or not, he didn't give his parents as much hell as you'd think." She told Harry.

"Gave me more credibility when the teachers tried to tell my parents I did something, they thought I was an angel," James batted his eyes innocently while Sirius snorted and rolled his eyes, properly informing Harry, "or they just indulged him and me too much not to think half the stunts we pulled weren't funny."

and of course having to do patrols with Filch who had dung for brains.

"Least some things never change," Lily said wistfully, and students complaining about Filch was always a common one.

Hermione had her own growing problems, worrying about all those poor elves she hadn't managed to free yet and were stuck here over Christmas.

Sirius frowned at the pages, having some real questions for Hermione about all this. Did she really think she was releasing elves, and the castle wouldn't be showing it? That someone wouldn't be investigating this even if her plan was working? Hermione could easily get into big trouble if she even was, he wouldn't be surprised if the Ministry charged her with theft and all sorts of things. He left all of that to himself though, since she wasn't doing a thing, and instead was distantly amused at her worrying over something so foolish to him.

Harry, who had not had the heart to tell her that Dobby was taking everything she made,

"I can see the pro's of that," James chuckled.

"Though I still think that could have been an educational moment for her," Remus frowned.

"Only if she'd listened and realized the way she should have," Lily disagreed, "and I'm not entirely sure she would have yet, if ever," she finished with a fond smile for the girls tenacity.

bent further over his essay so she didn't have to see his face. He wasn't particularly looking forward to this holiday, as for the first time since he'd been here he wanted to spend it away from Hogwarts.

Sirius couldn't help but perk up with interest at that. He hadn't thought about it too much last year, enjoying himself in provoking Harry in the mix of his Yule Ball failings, but now he wondered just what he'd been up to last year at this time. Had he and Remus finally managed to regain one of their own traditions and spent the holiday together? Or had he spent it alone in that old cave with Buckbeak, wondering if Harry would make an appearance and amuse him by ignoring his rules by coming out of the castle to see him.

Between his ban on Quidditch and his worry about Hagrid he was feeling far more resentful than the holiday spirit of this place.

"I don't even blame you," Remus sighed in agreement, thinking the Burrow would be a relief even with Molly and Sirius in one place compared to this storm of a castle.

The only thing he ever looked forward to anymore were the DA meetings, and those would have to stop over break as nearly all the members were going home. Hermione was going skiing,

James opened his mouth curiously in confusion, but Harry promised Hermione explained it to Ron.

which she'd explained to Ron's confusion about how Muggles strapped narrow boards to their feet to go down a mountain.

James's eyes widened in even more confusion and perhaps a little concern at this idea, before Lily began giggling without restraint and promising James it was in fact great fun. Though never having had the pleasure of doing this herself, she was now promising him they could do this together and he would never turn down such an offer.

Ron was going home to the Burrow, and Harry endured several days of envy before asking Ron how he'd be leaving and Ron mentioning in surprise Harry was coming with him, his mum had told him so weeks ago.

Lily snorted and shook her head in exasperation while the boys all chuckled at what they'd felt was implied by this point.

Harry brightened at once at the idea, but somehow felt all the more guilty as he thought of Sirius. He wondered if he could persuade Molly to invite his godfather over.

"But of course she will," James looked scandalized anyone could think otherwise. "Even she couldn't have the heart to leave him alone in that place, I've been half hoping he's been sneaking over to the Burrow just to get some air now and again."

Sirius grinned at his best mate for the overly protective words that he wasn't convinced were true. It was impossible to imagine his life without James, but he had the nasty feeling he was hardly up for leaving his bed to sulk anywhere that wasn't the fireplace in hopes for someone to be around being in that place all alone. He doubted his spark of life would lead him into doing something like James suggested being in that mood, he'd need one of his friends around to give that back to him.

Even though he doubted Dumbledore would permit Sirius to leave Grimmauld Place anyway,

"Dumbledore needs to stop having a say in everything," Remus snapped hatefully. He never in his life would have thought he'd say any such thing, but regarding Sirius being locked away in that place he knew would always be an exception. Just the thought of it was putting a damper on his lively friend!

he couldn't just think of leaving Sirius alone with Kreacher.

Sirius tried for laughter at the idea, but it came out too twisted. None of the others refused to even nurse the idea, there was just no chance Molly was that cold hearted. No matter her feelings about Sirius' personality, even if she did value Dumbledore's rules as an absolute law, she must see what that place was doing to Sirius! No mother could look at him and think what was happening to him was in any way good for him!

Harry arrived in the Room of Requirements for the last DA meeting early, and was glad he had, as Dobby had taken to decorating for the holiday.

"Naw!" Lily cooed at how sweet that was, while the boys just looked confused at such an odd gesture.

"How could you tell it was Dobby though?" James asked in surprise.

"Who else knows where this place is?" Sirius returned with a shrug, all of them missing the slightly appalled but vaguely amused look on Harry's face.

He'd known at once it was the house-elf, because nobody else would string up so many baubles that said 'Have a Very Harry Christmas!' with his face on it.

Sirius blinked slowly at this for a moment, before he tossed his head back in laughter, and began sliding down the couch with mirth. It might have been a touch forced at first, to ease away the bitter taint of thinking of his future again, but now he couldn't seem to stop. Harry wasn't particularly delighted to see no one was exactly trying to get him to either, but rather suppressing their own laughter.

Harry tugged the book away without remorse and kept going loudly over Sirius, who quickly recovered and tackled Harry, pinned him down and easily snatched the book back, sat on it and continued snickering to himself until he decided he was done before going on all while Harry rolled his eyes affectionately at his godfather. Moments like this making him truly feel sad for his own future, that he had no recollection of ever seeing Sirius this happy and full of life, and growing more worried all the time he never would.

Harry had only just managed to get the last of them down

"Why on Earth would you do such a thing, ruining his hard work!" Remus demanded still a bit breathlessly.

Harry just scowled at him without response.

when Luna came in and saw all of them in his hand, asking if he'd put them up.

Harry said no, it had been Dobby a house-elf.

"At least you acknowledged somebody else's work," Lily said through still wobbling lips.

Luna pointed out a few decorations he'd missed, such as mistletoe.

"I think you brought that one on yourself, not being the first thing you took down," Remus told him lightly while Sirius and James fell into renewed giggles.

Harry jumped away from that at once, Luna nodding seriously that was a good idea, it was known to be infested with Nargles.

Little tears of mirth were pouring out of Sirius' eyes, he'd hardly stopped giggling for a line in between getting all this out and this was only making things worse. He didn't yet have his voice back to properly make his joke, but that didn't stop him from trying, though it only came out a garbled mess that the others just shook their heads at, Harry almost looking disappointed when he kept going without repeating himself sensibly.

Harry was saved the necessity of asking what Nargles are by the arrival of Angelina, Katie and Alicia.

"Well now you're just disappointing me," Remus pouted, "I'd have loved for you to ask anyways."

"I'm sorry," Harry actually sounded like he meant it.

All three still had snow in their hair and were shaking their limbs from cold as Angelina announced he'd been replaced,

All of James' humor was wiped clean, looking like he'd been sucker punched in the gut for that reminder. Sirius too lost his sense of fun for the reminder of why no more Quidditch practices had been mentioned, that dower look on his pup could never be funny.

by Ginny Weasley.

"Well, well, well," Lily said in surprises, all the boys looking marginally impressed it was another Weasley to have made the team. Harry's reaction was a brilliant smile, like a proud sibling, but not quite right, Lily couldn't help but notice. He didn't seem at all agitated like she would have thought of learning of his replacement, and she frowned in thought as he began twirling the ring upon his finger yet again...

"I'm not surprised," Sirius smirked in some form of congratulations someone had taken this away from his pup. "Her whole family's got talent, it's only natural she'd get a portion!"

"Do we know if Percy is any good at the sport?" Remus said curiously.

"More important matters, who's broom was she using?" James pondered.

"Not Ron's, he's still using his," Sirius thought out.

"I may have guessed the twins if-" Remus began bitterly, but Harry cut in with an enthusiastic smile.

"I think it was the twins, or I mean, I think the twins bought her a broom, called it an early Christmas gift." He thought back to watching Ginny enthusiastically thanking the twins for something anyways.

"Oh, that was so sweet," Lily enthused.

"Wish they'd thought of that over the dress robes for Ron, but it is good to see them doing so much for their siblings," James fondly agreed.

Harry gaped in surprise as Angelina said she was pretty good, though not her first choice, but they couldn't have him... she trailed off with a dirty look at Harry.

The boys hardly noticed a thing about Harry's lack of the proper reaction he should have had, they were to belligerent for him he wasn't the one on the team and now Angelina wasn't helping anything.

Harry bit back his retort, did Angelina really think he wouldn't rather be there?

"Thank you!" Sirius barked, waving his hand impractically in Harry's face like he'd been saying the same thing in here, though he still had that funny smile in place. The thought had been crossing his mind frequently enough before he relearned Ginny's ability in Quidditch, and this seemed oddly significant to him for some reason...

He asked about the Beaters for a change of subject, and they were Jack Sloper and Andrew Kirkie, neither with much promising talent. Other members began showing up, saving Harry from further response so he didn't have to keep seeing Angelina's reproachful looks.

James scowled and shifted in agitation, thinking that earned Angelina a dung bomb under her bed for this repeated offense against his son. A little sympathy wouldn't kill her.

Harry began by telling them they'd only be reviewing today, no sense in starting something new right before a three-week break.

Sirius sighed, but didn't want to linger on anymore bad, they'd had enough of that already, so picked back up a chipper enough tone while telling Harry, "yet more evidence you took your learning smarts from Moony. Everybody loves the teacher that doesn't assign holiday work like practice."

Sirius' smirk widened as he managed to make Harry and Remus bluster with appreciation for the praise at once.

Zacharias became disgruntled at once, wishing loudly someone had told him there wasn't anything new, he wouldn't have come.

"Well then someone should have informed him," James rolled his eyes with regret.

Fred shot back he was sorry Harry hadn't told him then.

James whooped with delight, beating Sirius to his own joke when saying, "yes, I mimicked a twin, I win!"

"Win what exactly?" Sirius demanded with his own grin.

"Not sure, I'll let you know though," James promised.

"How about the right to tell Sirius he can't make that dumb joke anymore," Remus offered.

"You can make that yours," James waved off, his eyes lighting with something Harry had grown to associate with a Marauder story, "I think I've got something better."

Sirius met his eyes with a challenging stare of his own, going on without fear.

They broke off into the usual pairs and began going over some old spells, Harry doing a few with Neville before breaking off and passing around. When he got near Cho she beamed at him, and he had to resist the urge not to simply hover near her.

"Aw man, you mean she stopped trying to improvise her spell work around you?" Sirius smirked at Harry. "Also, I'm growing disappointed in you pup, I haven't heard one instance of you encouraging those private lessons she so clearly needed."

"Can my reward for not strangling him please be he stop making those jokes," Harry begged his father.

"I would never, this is an endless source of amusement," James snickered while Harry turned pleading eyes to his mum, who could only offer him sympathy at this point.

By the end Harry was swelling with pride as he watched their progress in comparison to the start of this group. Neville's spell only hit Dean rather than his target, a much closer miss than normal!

Harry let Sirius' teasing go, he couldn't seem to hold anything other than pride for those around him, his friends doing so well. He honestly believed they could have been just as great under any tutelage, he already knew they were all capable as Remus had been the start to them all understanding the work needed to go into this class.

Harry called a halt after an hour and told they were doing so well, when they got back he'd even start teaching them Patronuses.

"Ooh," Lily grinned, "now you're getting advanced."

"They've all caught up to all the spells I knew," Harry's smile increased at the idea, ignoring that pesky feeling about something regarding that for-coming lesson. "That was the last one I had preplanned, and it's a really difficult one."

"I know you'll get them through it without a problem," James said like this was obvious. "I am a bit curious how you plan to do it though."

"Hopefully he just starts with getting the spell down first for them, he doesn't need the extreme measures he had to go through, he can build up to that later." Remus offered with a small frown, no one wanted to hear of Harry around anymore dementors, even the boggart kind.

There was an air of excitement as they all left in the usual groups, most shouting a Happy Christmas to Harry as they departed. Harry hung back as Ron and Hermione left though, still hoping to receive one from Cho.

"Uh hu, and maybe a little something more," Sirius persisted, Harry's face turning a stunning new shade of red the others hadn't quite seen before. His memory was raising a flag of warning already for whatever was fixing to happen, and he had the desire to take the book away from Sirius again for a whole new reason.

He realized she was the last one left when she waved Marietta to go on and Harry felt a jolt go through him.

James wolf whistled while Harry pleaded with the ceiling to cave in.

He was watching all this from the corner of his eye as he pretended to straighten something, when he heard a distinctive sniff. He turned in surprise to see Cho standing in the middle of the room crying.

"Wow Harry, you got her crying before you even did anything, that's got to be a new record, even better than myself if you can believe it- ouch!"

Remus whacked Sirius upside the head to get him to stop while Lily's face folded with sympathy. She'd been fixing to snap at both boys to quit picking on her son for this already, now she realized Cho wasn't even trying to make a move back, but looking for sympathy, and she really hoped Harry at least tried to help rather than running for the hills like James' slightly panicky look showed he wanted to now do.

He didn't know what to do. She was simply standing there, crying silently.

Lily rubbed at her temple, confounded how his automatic reaction wasn't to go to her, wrap his arm around her in comfort, ask if she wanted to talk about it or if she simply just needed a shoulder. She knew not all boys were as dunce as hers, but they certainly acted like it sometimes.

Instead he feebly asked her what was up?

Sirius couldn't help a snort of surprise, which he immediately regretted as Lily gave him a blistering look and Remus nudged him hard in warning not a second before he'd done it.

Cho stammered out some kind of apology while saying she'd just been wondering if he'd known all this if he'd still be alive.

"Oh," Sirius whispered like a deflated balloon. There went any humor he could have offered.

Harry felt his heart sink down into his intestines. She wanted to talk about Cedric.

Lily gave a heavy sigh in understanding. Cho was looking for someone who'd been close to Cedric like she had, someone to understand what she was going through on her level, and Harry really was the closest person to that, and yet the worst one. Harry had his friends to talk to about this, even Sirius, but not on the same level Cho was seeking. She no longer could imagine the two together anymore if this was how Cho was going to start trying reciprocating feelings for Harry, she couldn't even imagine this turning out well for the two poor souls in this moment.

He still told her Cedric had known all this, he couldn't have made it to the Cup if he hadn't, but once Voldemort wanted you dead you didn't stand a chance.

Harry was starting to look a little green from being forced to remember this again all while the bubbling sensation of being around Cho alone.

She hiccupped at the sound of Voldemort's name, but kept his eyes as she whispered he'd survived as a baby.

Harry defended while moving towards the door,

Remus couldn't help feeling something cracking at his jaw for that, maybe a smile, as he all too easily envisioned anyone running for the door after seeing a crying girl.

no one knew why that was, it wasn't something he boasted.

Harry met Lily's eyes, the flash of understanding present in the whole room, why Harry wouldn't share how he did know some of the answer to this with just anyone. He'd never even told if he'd shared with this Ron and Hermione, and no one was going to ask.

Cho suddenly realized where Harry was heading and asked him not to leave, again apologizing for this.

Harry tragically stayed in place, thinking he'd have been much happier with just a Merry Christmas.

"Right, it's all her fault bringing this up, we're all in agreement," James was babbling uneasily until Lily nudged him to get him to stop, they all just wanted to change the subject.

Cho admitted she realized this must be hard for Harry, she supposed he just wanted to forget about it all.

He did, but it felt heartless saying so.

"Not heartless," Lily promised him at once. "It's natural love, I promise."

"Does it get better?" The whisper escaped him before the question had even formed in his head. No one had the heart to lie to him and pretend it did, but the full range of that answer couldn't just be covered in a quick chat. Lily had been asked the question though, and she would never just not answer him.

"With the right people around you, you can learn to live around it."

He seemed to relax under her words, his smile easing as he glanced out the window, into nothing really but his own memories. For a while he'd almost selfishly wished he hadn't gained these back, had almost entertained the idea he'd done this to himself on purpose for some ease of a better life, but the peace settling over him at her words convinced him on the spot he could never do such a thing, because she was right.

Cho changed to saying what a good teacher Harry was, and Harry awkwardly thanked her.

"This whole thing is awkward," Sirius muttered, wishing he could skip a few pages already, no amount of mocking Harry at his crush was worth this ball of pain seeing his pup so miserable at the reminder of Cedric.

Harry felt torn in half, his desire to run from the room still prevalent while his feet had no ability to do so.

"Girls," James muttered in agreement. How they managed to cause a never ending conflict inside was their own source of magic.

Cho was coming closer to him now, pointing at another bushel of mistletoe.

"Uh oh," Remus hummed under his breath.

Harry's mouth was going dry, he said the first thing that came to mind, it probably had Nargles in it.

"That's what you lead with eh?" James couldn't help but ask as Harry's face grew steadily more red. He wasn't mocking though, Harry was surprised to hear, more watching him with indulgent curiosity to see how this played out.

She asked what those were, and Harry deflected he hadn't a clue, she'd have to ask Luna.

"I'd have thought it was obvious, you should never bring up another girl at a time like this," Sirius pleasantly informed Harry, who seemed to have lost all ability to speak in here as his mind couldn't grasp anything else now. They'd stopped talking about Cedric, he should be grateful, but oh he'd never wanted to see their reaction to Cho being so close to him!

Cho was almost nose to nose with him now, he could count her eyelashes...

He returned to the common room to find Hermione and Ron sitting by the fire,

Sirius suddenly felt cheated. Moments ago he'd been wanting to skip this just so Harry could at least have this private moment and he'd have much more fun speculating and poking fun at his pup, but now the book actually had gone and cut this off! He even tried to check if pages had been stuck together before giving up and looking to Harry hopefully, demanding, "alright, out with it, what happened next?"

Harry sat there for a long time with a such a look of shock they wouldn't have been that surprised if he'd just announced he'd lost all his memories again for realizing what had just happened. The words that came out didn't even seem to be attached to him. "She kissed me."

Harry hardly registered the whoop of joy from his father or the enthusiastic pat Sirius was giving him, it was hard to think past much of anything really. At fifteen he'd felt more elated than he ever had in his life while also so infinitely confused because of what she'd done after the fact. He couldn't quite bring himself to string those words together yet. All at the same time, some very distant part of his mind was shaking its head at his past, not quite in disapproval, but not exactly happiness either. It took him several more moments than it should have to realize that Sirius was going to keep going.

While clearly happy for him, there was something about this reaction they couldn't put down all to shock. His smile was oddly detached, something clearly lingering in him showing this wouldn't stay a happy memory for long. This couldn't then be the first kiss between him and his future wife, or if it was then something really interesting must happen in between times.

both writing, but Hermione's was clearly a letter so long it was dangling off the table.

Lily started giggling uncontrollably while none of the Marauders even seemed to be giving this a passing thought. They were all ignoring her, thinking it was for an entirely different reason.

Ron was on the hearth doing Transfiguration homework, but both looked up upon his entrance and asked what had taken him so long.

Harry couldn't decide what to say. Half of him wanted to tell them,

"I get the feeling you're not going to get a choice," James said, watching Sirius impatiently to see if what they all knew had happened, really had! This was Harry's first kiss after all, and Harry was still acting too wide eyed to give them much to go on in here.

the other half wanted to take the secret to the grave.

"I honestly can't blame you, considering company," Remus snickered. James and Sirius were acting like this was his Quidditch team announcement and Lily hadn't stopped giggling for several moments, he couldn't imagine Ron and Hermione would react much better when they found out.

Both asked if he was alright, had something happened?

"It's a touch sad by those reactions they're assuming it was something bad," Lily managed to get out, trying to compose herself and stop laughing at Harry's face and her husbands proud smile.

Harry had just decided he wasn't going to tell them anything when Hermione took matters into her own hands,

"I think I'm actually grateful for it this time," Sirius agreed with a touch of impatience, Harry wasn't helping anything in here, they needed a bossy hand.

by asking if Cho had kissed him.

"Hermione needs to read a book on subtlety," Sirius snorted.

"Like you'd be any better," Remus rolled his eyes.

Ron sat up so fast he spilled his bottle of ink while Hermione watched Harry with a slight frown, until he finally nodded.

"Why's she frowning?" That caught Lily's attention.

"Not for the reason you're thinking," Harry told her, blinking slightly and clearly coming back to hear to glance at her with a still benign smile. Whatever had been bothering his mind before had clearly passed for now, and he was willing to at least semi laugh along with whatever they were. "There's nothing between us, I swear." He was now more sure of that than ever.

Lily nodded without surprise, just confusion at the reaction.

Ron gave his friend a triupmhent first pump and began rolling on the floor laughing.

"Padfoot did much the same," James huffed. "Wouldn't believe me for ages I'd finally gotten her to kiss me until she did it in front of him."

"Can you blame me?" Sirius said without remorse. "You'd been going on for ages it was going to happen, woken up from enough dreams convinced it had-"

He ducked as James chucked a pillow at him to get him to stop, but now Sirius wanted to keep going remorselessly because of that until Remus nudged him and reminded, "let's focus on one at a time for now."

Sirius sighed but acquitted.

Hermione gave Ron a look of deep disgust and returned to her letter.

"Ah," Lily finally said in understanding.

"It's not that bad, just because Hermione didn't laugh along doesn't mean she needs to think him childish," James rolled his eyes while Lily pressed her lips together to hide a smile.

Ron came back to himself enough to ask how it was?

Harry considered for a moment before saying wet.

Cue four collective snorts of laughter, Lily couldn't help herself.

Ron made a noise that might have indicated jubilation or disgust, it was hard to tell.

Harry wished it were harder to tell in here.

Harry clarified it was because she was crying.

"That's what she gets for bringing up what she did before she started this," Remus sighed.

Lily was watching Harry critically now, hoping he'd been kind to Cho after all that.

Ron's smile faded a bit as he asked if Harry was that bad at kissing?

Sirius was becoming unintelligible, his voice wobbling as he fought to keep reading around his laughter at Ron's conclusion.

Harry felt his own worry begin as he suddenly wondered the same thing.

"I don't think that's determinable from one peck-" Remus began with a light smile before he was cut off by James' scoff of disbelief.

"Not my son!"

Lily smacked him upside the head.

Hermione scoffed of course he wasn't while going back to her letter.

"Know this from experience does she?" Sirius couldn't resist poking even having expected Harry's eye roll.

Ron demanded how she knew, while Hermione explained Cho spent all her time crying. At meals, in the loo.

"Merlin, you'd think she'd run out of tears," James was starting to look a little frightened at such a thing occurring while Lily smacked him harder. James rubbed at the spot but was suddenly a bit happy that Harry wasn't more enthusiastic, and defensive, of this. If this was Harry's future wife, he'd start to feel a little worried about this.

Ron said he'd think a bit of snogging would cheer her up, while Hermione called him the most insensitive wart she'd ever had the displeasure of meeting.

"Hermione is so eloquent," Lily chuckled.

"I don't see anything wrong with what he said," Sirius grinned, while Lily scowled at him and considered parting some of Hermione's wisdom on him specifically, not that it would do him any good.

Ron asked what she meant by that.

"I found it fairly obvious actually," Remus pointed out.

Harry desperately asking who cried while they were kissing?

"Didn't you take the time to ask her, try to talk to her?" Lily tried to keep the accusation out of her voice.

"I mean, she kind of just took off after the fact, I kind of patted her on the shoulder for a quick moment," Harry struggled and ultimately gave up trying to explain himself as Lily's brows kept rising.

Hermione looked at the pair with exasperation before asking didn't they understand how Cho was feeling?

They both said no together.

Lily rubbed at her temple even while she was thanking the universe for her son having a friend like Hermione.

Hermione set down her quill and began the list of things she knew were upsetting Cho, like her now crush on Harry could be an insult to Cedric's memory and everything that entailed, plus she was performing so bad in her school and Quidditch lately because of all these feelings her place on her house team could be compromised.

"Bloody hell, the girl sounds like a train wreck!" James said, actually yelping in pain at how hard Lily smacked him that time.

"A little sensitivity dear," Lily said acidly.

"It's not like I said it to her face," James defended.

"Has Cho and Hermione been having secret conversations where she learned all this?" Sirius demanded as he kept looking at that list of things.

Lily groaned and rolled her eyes in exasperation, she really needed to go hang out with Alice when this was all over.

"Just be grateful she didn't try to say all that in one breath," Remus remembered from her first appearance.

Both boys sat in stunned silence after that little speech before Ron declared one person couldn't feel all that, they'd explode.

"Honestly," Sirius agreed. He hadn't even found that many of those things that complicated, why was Cho making such a big deal of them.

"Apparently it's even affecting her Quidditch abilities, I think the girl needs some time off to sort herself out," James said with a touch of sympathy, and an apologetic look at Lily, who decided that was as close as he was going to get to understanding that heaping mess.

Hermione told him just because he had the emotional range of a teaspoon didn't mean everyone did.

"Well that's hardly fair," Sirius couldn't help but defend, "Ron's been through some stuff as well, doesn't necessarily mean he can compare and understand how she's feeling."

Lily looked to him in surprise, thinking that had almost been some form understanding on Sirius' part.

Harry said he hadn't known any of that, she'd just started crying all over him and he hadn't known what to do, Ron saying he didn't blame his mate.

"No one really can," Remus agreed, even Lily was shifting anxiously as she wasn't sure of the right thing to say to Cho, one of her real friends would have been better like that Marietta.

Hermione asked if he was at least nice to her, and Harry defended he'd patted her on the back a bit.

Hermione looked as though she was restraining herself from rolling her eyes with difficulty.

"She's more restraint than most," James grinned slightly, as Lily herself lost the fight and did just that.

Then Hermione asked if he was going to see her again, and Harry said he didn't have much of a choice, she was still a DA member.

"That's not what she meant and you know it," James scolded.

"No, not really," Harry said with such a sincere face James believed him, and shook his head at his poor son who kept looking around for some kind of answer no one was going to give him. Then it was clear by the look on his face he'd gotten it, and his face flushed anew as clearly his mind was wandering off.

Harry's mind suddenly set in a whirlwind of being alone with Cho, who may actually be happy and not crying, and his stomach clenched painfully.

Ron asked what if Harry hadn't wanted to ask her out?

"That's fair," Remus agreed, "for all she knew, Harry might not have wanted her to kiss him."

"Well he did, and now he has, so the question is what he's going to do with this next," Sirius said, looking curiously to Harry, who gave no indication he'd heard, and then back to the book curiously.

Hermione told him he was being silly, Harry'd had a crush on her for ages.

"I want to know when she started to notice," Harry muttered. She'd made it clear she knew at the Hog's Head, but how long before then? How long had Cho been planning this? Was he already making a fool of himself by not having done something ages before now! His mind was bubbling with too many questions, and it suddenly slammed into him his real circumstances. At the time, he'd have been aching to write to someone about this, more than likely was going to bring it up to Sirius on his holiday visit...but now he actually did have his dad he could ask. His parents real advice, if he'd so chosen... but for some reason he just couldn't put his finger on, not about Cho...

Harry didn't deny this, but he was certainly feeling wrong footed now after Cho had spent so long crying into his shoulder.

"Oh I'm sure she won't be like that forever," Remus tried to say sympathetically, but he was still too amused by his friend for that to have quite come off right.

Ron changed the subject by asking Hermione who she was writing that novel to.

She simply said Viktor, Ron asking Krum in shock?

Hermione said did they know any other Viktors?

"You know, I actually don't right off the top of my head," Sirius looked honestly disappointed he couldn't mock Hermione for that.

"What a wasted moment," James agreed with a sigh.

Ron finally turned back to his homework disgruntled, leaving Harry to his silent thoughts. He watched the fireplace instead, suddenly wishing Sirius' head would appear there and give him some advice about girls.

James looked like he'd been sucker punched in the gut, again. Who knew that all those years later, Sirius' joke would turn into Harry's only option. It hadn't occurred to him yet this was where Harry's thoughts would head, but of course that made logical sense, no matter how scandalized it made him feel. He glanced over and saw Sirius looking a bit shamefaced to have read that, while Harry was frowning at him and clearly wanting to apologize. James shook his head though, refusing both of them for something neither could help.

Hermione called it a night not too much later, the boys heading up to their own silent dorm, Ron muttering about what she saw in Krum?

"An impartial friend," Lily said with an eye roll. Though it had never been confirmed, she hardly thought Hermione had the time to both travel to Bulgaria over the summer to visit him, and be so in touch with the Order as she'd clearly been.

Harry considered it for a moment before remembering how much older than them he was, and an international Quidditch player.

"Harry, you are not helping!" Sirius said as dramatically as possible, biting his tongue to stop himself adding that Ron would probably pop by and see him as well during break now, though more likely he'd go see his own dad, or maybe one of his brothers.

Ron pretended he hadn't heard while saying the guy was grumpy.

Harry agreed very grouchy, his mind still on Cho.

"There's the proper response," Remus said, looking uneasily between the crackling tension that James and Sirius were suddenly trying to pretend didn't exist. It's not like either of them could help it, neither blamed the other for the circumstances and both would do anything to change them, leaving both completely unaware what was even needed apologizing for.

They slipped into bed silently, the rest of their doormats already asleep. Harry left the hangings around his bed open so he could stare out the window, thinking back and wondering how he'd have felt if just twenty-four hours ago he'd realize he'd be kissing Cho Chang.

"You'd probably have vomited from stress," Sirius told Harry, then suddenly frowned as he watched a bead of sweat trace down his face. Harry was suddenly looking sickly pale, a white hot pain resting on his mind of some memory fixing to return. He'd been far too distracted from Cho and now Sirius and James to notice the oncoming warning signs like before, but they were there now. The tightening of pain around his consciousness, his breaths starting to go shallow. He couldn't sense any oncoming pain though, which meant this would be something even worse...

Sirius exchanged a slightly panicky look with the others, but no one needed to tell him what he already knew. Harry couldn't say what was suddenly making him look so panicky, and the only way to find out was to keep going. Yet just by the look on Harry's face, Sirius suddenly knew he'd rather be doing anything else in the world. He could never do that though, leave Harry in such sickening dispense, so he took a deep breath and forced himself to keep going with the same enthusiasm as before. Harry was going to bed after all, nothing was going to happen to him in his dormitory, they had a bit of time...

He thought about Hermione's explanation, but she'd somehow made this all feel more complicated.

Lily opened her mouth wearily, she wanted to keep talking about this, chat with her son and offer up some more advice, but James wrapped a reassuring arm around her waist and she at once acknowledged that delaying whatever was plaguing her son wouldn't make the blow any better.

He decided he wished Hogwarts offered a class on how girls' brains worked, that would be more useful than Divination.

James gave an uneasy laugh that echoed oddly in the room, all of them sitting tensed as if waiting for a snake to strike. Harry's shaking and pain filled expression promised something bad was coming.

He slipped into an uneasy dream, back in the DA room with Cho accusing him of being there under false pretences. He'd apparently promised her a thousand Chocolate Frog Cards like Cedric always gave her, but he couldn't give them to her. Hermione appeared and said he had promised, and since he couldn't, he should give her his Firebolt instead.

Sirius spluttered in indignation, even as a dream he couldn't imagine saying such a ludicrous thing and he turned to grin at Harry, wanting to see his pup go back to normal for just a second and be outraged at the idea as well, but he was so focused on something that he couldn't understand it was as if Sirius wasn't even there. Yet the tense set of his shoulders made it clear he was still aware enough, waiting for the blow to start.

The dream changed . . .

Remus was picking at his sleeve just for something to do that wasn't waiting for this horrible news, plucking at a loose thread that would soon create another hole he'd have to patch and he didn't care. So long as he kept focusing on that, his mind couldn't go wild and create some horrid scenario that surely they must just be exaggerating, that look on Harry's face didn't necessarily mean...

He was in a long dark corridor with a locked down at the end. His body flew smooth against the floor, everything was vibrant colors around him. He tasted the air with caution and scented the man stirring on the floor. His impulse was to bite, but his work was too important. He tried to continue on, but then the man fully awoke, and he had no choice, he lunged and felt warm blood, now everywhere as the man fell back again, the blood was everywhere, and his forehead hurt terribly...

Sirius had managed to get through that by reading as if yet another odd dream of no significance, because none of that had made a lick of sense. That had sounded like, a snake maybe? It was attacking someone, but obviously Harry was just having some vivid nightmare, maybe about the basilisk or anything else, he couldn't wrap his head around another alternative.

Then he looked to Harry, hoping for some sign of relief, that this nightmare had just scared the dickens out of a young kid like so many others had, but he knew. He was stark white, his mouth had flopped open and his face etched with horror all while his hand pressed into his scar as if holding his head together.

"Harry, Harry breathe." Lily pressed her hands to either side of his face, stroking his wet cheeks and refusing to let go as he kept shaking.

"I, what did I do?! He's dead-"

"No!"

The word crackled like electricity through his mind, he should know that voice, believe that word, but it was impossible. He was trapped between a memory and a fear, it was all his fault!

The book had fallen out of Sirius' sweat slicked hand, but he lunged back for it and began flipping wildly through the pages. He couldn't just sit there and do nothing, he had to know what was wrong with Harry, and he couldn't think of any other way to force him out of this state than to find out what really had happened.

Someone was screaming his name, there was a poker pressed against his forehead, but nothing seemed real until he rolled to the side and vomited.

In some wild part of his mind, Remus had to guess Harry hadn't done that yet simply because he wasn't yet aware enough of his own body. He was still trapped in a limbo of what was and an impossibility that he couldn't rationalize.

Ron was there though, asking what was wrong, and Harry forced himself to breathe past the pain, he had to tell him.

James felt useless just standing there, only on his feet by sheer willpower of hovering over his son when he was so vulnerable despite his shaking limbs. He couldn't do anything, Lily wasn't getting through to him, and no matter how much he kept whispering to Harry they just weren't getting a reaction.

Ron's dad had been attacked.

"No," Lily snarled, her hands tightening around Harry as he began shaking in place, somehow, impossibly, his fright growing by the second. Her sharp green eyes wouldn't leave his face, but Sirius could still feel their intensity spurring him on.

It was serious, there was blood everywhere.

For the first time in his life Sirius didn't even seem to realize he'd said his own name, he couldn't think of anything else but getting to the damned part where Harry realized that wasn't true, it couldn't be. It just wasn't possible, because nothing was adding up. Harry hadn't seen that, he hadn't done it, it just had to be a dream, and he'd realize that any second!

Someone far off said they were going for help, but Harry hardly registered the words, insisting Ron understand even as his friend promised it was just a dream. Harry furiously told it had happened... he'd done it.

Lily recognized the change in his parlor just in time, but not fast enough as he managed to vomit on her as well as himself. She didn't let that stop her for one moment, as finally his lungs had returned to him, but now he was gasping so hard that whatever he was trying to say still held no intelligence. All they were sure of was that he believed that, and they weren't going to stop until they convinced him that wasn't a possibility.

Ron clearly didn't understand, telling Harry to relax, Neville had gone to get help.

Harry insisted it wasn't him they should be worried about, there was a huge snake, it had attacked Ron's dad.

Lily hadn't left his side while Remus banished the mess, still running her hands carefully though his hair, constantly whispering in his ear there was no way this was true of him, but it wasn't giving him any comfort; because he knew deep down there was a part of him that had done this.

He tried to get out of bed but Ron pushed him back into it; Dean and Seamus were whispering somewhere nearby.

Remus considered them lucky he wasn't in the room, and fifteen again, as he was likely to turn around and snap at them to leave already, he didn't need anyone's attitude on top of worrying about his family.

Harry had no clue how long he sat there in a state of suspension, but the next thing he understood was footsteps on the stairs, and Neville coming back with McGonagall.

James wanted to feel relief. He trusted McGonagall to know the best way to help Harry right then when he couldn't, but the feeling escaped him as he kept watching his now panicking son. It was as if they weren't there, his eyes were flickering around the room and the fear wasn't dropping out of him for one minute.

Harry had never felt so relieved in his life to see a member of the Order of the Phoenix, at once telling her Arthur Weasley had been attacked by a snake, it was serious, he'd seen it happen.

Sirius finally hesitated in his hasty need for a moment. He wanted to make his favorite joke, he wanted to see it distract Harry from the horrors of this just for a moment, but for all their concern Harry didn't seem to even be aware of them. Sirius wasn't even sure if he'd heard anything since the news of Arthur's attack. That wasn't going to stop him though, he had to keep going, to find out the truth.

He explained in detail everything, and as McGonagall continued to just gaze at him in horror, he shouted he wasn't lying nor crazy!

"Neither of those things was going through anyone's mind," James promised at once, still watching every twitch of Harry's with concern.

"At least no one important," Remus muttered.

Finally she whispered she believed him, and she was taking him to Dumbledore.

Sirius cursed as he finished his part in frustration. Looking to Harry in hopes some relief would appear, Dumbledore would explain, but if possible this news only managed to make him look worse. They just wanted to understand, what was happening to him?

HPHPHPHP

I've heard that in the original rendition of this book JK was actually planning on killing Arthur, and please forgive me for sounding like a cold hearted monster, but I almost wish she had rather than Sirius. The message still would have been made, anyone close to Harry could die, but the Weasley's still have a parent left at least. It really breaks my heart what happened to Sirius through the course of this series, and realizing that in this moment Sirius might have been saved if someone else had been lost always makes me extra upset.

*I've always seen people realize this at the end of the first book, but I always found this a much funnier callback.

#The life that Never LIved #Harry Potter #fanfiction #reading the books #HP #ootp #Marauders #Jilly #James potter #Remus Lupin #Sirius black #Lily Potter

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