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hoodharlow · 20 days

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Used to Be

AN: yes I delete this when it flopped 🤭

Requested? No

Warnings: elopment, angst, a mini me revelation, a proposal, and mentions of break ups. Overall mess 🤭

Word Count:

2016

“Until 2003, you needed blood tests to get married?” Urban exclaimed, reading out loud a brochure for getting married.

“Yeah, you know how whites are. Always marrying their cousins.” Naya commented. She glanced over to Jack and Sydney. “You're sure you're not cousins right?”

“She was the only witness available?” Jack asked Sydney.

“Yes,” Naya answered. “I'm also the only one who won't tell a soul. If your parents find out you two are getting hitched, you're both dead.”

“I think I saw a vending machine down the hall. Let's get snacks.” Urban motioned Naya to follow, leaving Jack and Sydney.

Jack relaxed in his seat and reached for Sydney's hand. “Do you think we're making a huge mistake?” He asked her.

“No, do you?” She asked back.

“No.” Jack shook his head. “I love you so much, Syd. I've known since we were ten and you hit my head with the tetherball.”

“It was an accident but I'm glad that it made you come to your senses. Because I've loved you since you stole back my latest copy of The Series of Unfortunate Events from Miguel Casillas in fourth grade.”

Jack chuckled and pulled her to his chest.

Sydney hugged him tight, sighing contently. It wasn't how she imagined herself getting married when she was playing with Barbies growing up. But it was perfect. She had the man of her dreams at her side with their best friends. Sure they were barely eighteen and fresh out of high school but they loved each other and that was all that mattered. They didn't have much when they moved from Louisville to Atlanta other than their love, aspirations, and support for each other to keep them going. The rest could come later once Jack was settled in Atlanta.

For now his parents think he's just visiting Sydney during her summer bridge program at Georgia Tech where she was going to study architecture like her late father. Jack didn't apply to any schools. It wasn't in the books for him. His dream was to be a rapper. He was pretty decent at it. With the connections he had back home that led him to Atlanta, it wouldn't be long for him to get signed. He knew a radio host back in Louisville that sent his work to Atlanta to a producer from home that worked with some huge artists he was a fan of. He had everything going for him. From being minutes away from marrying to the love of his life to working on his music.

Jack and Sydney have been together since their sophomore year of high school. Though they've known each other for way longer than that. They went to the same elementary school and were always seated together because of their last names (Harlow and Harris). When her dad passed away from a car accident, he was at her side cheering her up when she was down. He was always someone she could count on.

“When I get my first break I'm buying us a huge plot of land for you to design our home.” Jack said, twirling one of her curls with his index finger.

“Can it be in Louisville? I don’t want the paparazzi up my butt when you're famous.” Sydney said, pretending to shield herself from paparazzi.

“Where else would we raise our soccer team? Also the only person that's gonna be up your butt is me.” He huffed out his chest.

“If you're up my butt how are we gonna have kids?” She asked playfully.

“Fine, I'll be up your butt on special occasions.” he gave in.

“Okay,” she laughed.

Jack wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him, kissing her temple. They talked amongst themselves until it was their turn to go up. A woman in a button-up and trousers walked out with a clip board along with a couple a few years older than Jack and Sydney. The groom was dressed in a formal marine uniform and the bride in a simple sundress. Under her dress was the outline of a small bump.

The woman with the clipboard looked down and read outloud, “Harlow and Harris?”

“That's us.” Jack said, squeezing Sydney's hand. “Forever and always?”

A bright flash burned his eyes. Jack closed his eyes and blinked until he regained his eyesight. He was brought back to the present. To his engagement photoshoot.

Jack’s knee began to lose sensation with how long he’d been on one knee. 92830 pictures later and they were finally finished with the shoot. He never thought he was going to spend almost a full day taking pictures of his engagement for some magazine spread. Hell, Jack wasn’t even sure he was going to remarry after his divorce with Sydney. But it was the next step for him and Mallory, his fiance.

Mallory is the niece of one of the higher ups at Atlantic Records. Jack met her at a networking event a year after he signed to Generation Now. He never paid her much attention after that. But if they ran into each other he would say hi. It continued like that until the night his debut album came out. His team went all out and had a huge celebration.

Jack had to hand his phone to Urban because he was tempted to call Sydney and show her that paid off in the end. He didn't, he wasn't that cruel. He just spent the night drowning his sorrows with tequila and champagne. The following morning he woke up with Mallory next to him. From there they've been inseparable (he couldn't get rid of her). He grew accustomed to her presence and liked being around her. When she wasn't shoving her phone in his face for her content. When people found out about their relationship, Mallory banked on it and grew a following for her pottery and sculptures. Did people actually buy her artwork? No, but she had over two million followers and that was something for her.

“Baby, do you want to see the pictures Gianni took?” Mallory asked him.

“It's fine. I'm sure they came out great.” Jack answered.

He went to his dressing room where his friend and family were. They were there for the proposal but once Mallory started talking about outfit changes and the photographer she brought.

“Hey,” he said, hugging his mom.

“Hi.” She said curtly.

His mom wasn't the biggest fan of Mallory. Mainly because she was best friends with Sydney's mom, Miss Esther, and they still talked. They had a brief falling out when Jack and Sydney divorced but according to his dad, they became best of friends once again a few years ago and they would hang out a lot. Jack wouldn't know, he tried his best to never mention them or when they were over at his parent’ place for dinner he'd avoid visiting. But here and there he would ask his mom about them. Maggie made it obvious that she still hoped that he and Sydney would try again now that they're older but that was never going to happen. Especially with how Jack ended things with her.

“Look mom, I know you're not Mal's biggest fan but we're getting married and I want you to try to be nice to her.” He said.

“I've never been rude to her, Jack.” His mom said, sipping her flute of champagne.

“I'm not saying you are or were. I just want you to be more accepting or at least pretend to be. She's going to be my wife.” Jack said frustrated.

Maggie's ever present frown turned to a straight line, which was a grin in Jack's books. “I have to get going. I'm meeting Esther for something.”

“Could you hold off telling her about this?” He gestured around them.

“Baby, you're at the bottom of the list of talking topics we have. Don't worry about it.” She smiled sweetly.

She motioned to Jack's dad and they bid Jack goodbye. Jack went to Mallory who was busy going through the pictures with her friends. He sat with her and pulled her to his lap. She met his gaze and smiled. Jack smiled back. He looked over to where his parents were and felt a shiver go down his spine. He felt uneasy and couldn't figure out why.

Jack's friends left not much after. They agreed to meet up again for the Louisville soccer game. Jack reserved a suite for them as a way to celebrate that he was engaged. Mallory's friends that flew in went back to the hotel and Mallory was meeting with them for a girls night. They had a few hours before that, so they decided to check out some houses. A new private neighborhood was hosting an open house.

There were two rows of various gates and fences with no end. They passed four fences when Jack finally pulled up to a house. He parked on the side of the street next to other cars. He opened Mallory's door and helped her out.

As they made their way to the house, a gate from the house across the house they were going to see opened. A black Mercedes pulled out and parked in front of the small mailbox. That didn't get Jack's attention. The house in the gate did. It looked exactly like the house Sydney would talk about designing for them. He let go of Mallory’s hand and went to get a closer look.

“Jack, where are you going?” She called after him.

He waved her off and crossed the street. Just as he approached the house, the gate closed. He looked over to the Mercedes but the windows were dark. He couldn't get a good look unless he shoved his face in the window. A little boy got out of the car followed by a guy several inches shorter than him. The little boy shoved a small key in the lock of the mailbox and grabbed a small box, leaving.

“It's here!” He held up the box triumphantly to the guy.

“That's great, but we're running late. Your grans are waiting for us, mate.” The guy said in a New Yorker accent. Sensing Jack, he turned around. “Oh ‘llo? Are you here for the open house? If so it's across the street.”

“I am, but I by chance saw your house and–”

“It's my cousin's house.” He said.

“Oh, sorry,” Jack began. He cleared his throat. “Do you know who designed it for your cousin?”

“My grandma has pictures of you at her house.” The little boy said, also cutting off Jack.

“Oh thanks.” Jack said, a bit confused.

“I wish we could chat, but we have to get going.” the guy said.

He opened the backseat for the little boy. Jack noticed someone else was sitting in the passenger side. He couldn't see their face but he saw a head full of curls similar to the little boy’s.

“Bye.” The little boy waved at Jack.

The guy nodded at Jack and got in the driver's seat. They sped off and the uneasy feeling he had earlier returned. His stomach churned, but Jack brushed it off. He crossed the street back to Mallory.

“What was that all about?” She asked.

“Don't worry about it, let's go see if this is our future home.” Jack said, placing his arm over her shoulders.

He looked back once more at the house before going inside.

Jack couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling and it got to the point that he was irritating people around him. He couldn't enjoy the game because he was so distracted. He felt some familiarity when he saw the little boy. He had the same hazel eyes as Sydney. He silently cursed himself. Sydney is the last person he should even be thinking about.

“Yo, is that mom?” Clay asked Jack in a quiet tone, bringing him back to the game.

“What are you talking about?” Jack frowned.

“There.” His younger brother pointed to the bottom row of the suite across from them.

“I can't see that far.” He said.

“You came to a sporting event and sat yourself in the way back knowing you can't fucking see?” Clay shook his head.

He pulled out his phone and zoomed in to where he was pointed at. Lo and behold, it was their mom. Most importantly the little kid that Jack saw in the neighborhood was sitting on her lap and they were sharing a tray of nachos and a hotdog. A seat behind them was Esther, Sydney's mom, and Jorge, her step-dad.

“Why is she sharing nachos with that kid? In my twenty-two, almost twenty-three years of life, mom has never bought me nachos.” Clay said in disbelief.

“Those are Syd's parents.” Jack told him.

“Damn Miss Esther is still fineass-OW!” He rubbed the back of his neck where Jack smacked him.

“That's my mother-in-law, don't be weird.”

“Ex mother-in-law.” Clay corrected him.

Jack held up his finger to tell him to be quiet. He pulled out his phone and called his mom. They looked through Clay's phone camera as their mom looked at her phone then hung up. A message came through seconds later that her hands were full and that she'd call him later.

“I bet her hands are full, sharing nachos with some kid and not her son.” Clay mumbled.

He ignored Clay as he went on about how he used to use his birthday money at the concessions stand because their mom never bought him nachos. Jack snapped a picture of their mom and the little boy, sending it to his dad. His dad saw it. The three dots appeared then disappeared. From Clay's phone he saw his mom look at her phone then scan the stadium. Her eyes landed on her sons. She pushed off the little kid and told Esther something before getting up.

“Come with me.” Jack said, pulling Clay from his seat.

“Where y'all going?” Urban asked them.

“We'll be right back.” Jack said.

They left their seats and walked to the seats their mom was sitting at. They found her pacing and texting frantically.

“Mom, what–”

“Why are you eating nachos with some kid?” Clay beat him to the punch.

“What are y'all doing here?” She asked them, annoyed.

“What are we doing here? What are you doing here? And with Syd's family?” Jack asked her.

“It's complicated. We'll talk at home. Why don't you go back to your seats.” Maggie said.

“Mom, what's going on?” he asked her.

“Maggie, what's going on? My mom was–” a voice Jack never thought he'd hear again.

“Syd?” He said softly.

“Oh my god! You're Jack Harlow!” A girl, a few years younger than Sydney, squealed.

It took Jack a second but it was Sydney's younger sister. She was eight years younger than them. He didn't recognize her. The last time he saw her was right before he and Sydney eloped.

“Nina, let's go inside.” The guy from the house said, pulling her away.

“Holy shit, Sydney. It's been forever.” Clay said, pulling her into a hug.

“Hey.” She smiled at Clay.

Sydney took a step back and stood behind Maggie. The door abruptly opened.

“Mommy, where are you?” the little boy said. He looked at Jack then to Maggie, pointing. “Gramma, that's the guy in the pictures in your house.”

Clay threw his arms in the air. “What am I, chopped liver?”

Sydney tapped her pen against her desk. She was stressed out of her mind ever since she saw Jack at the soccer game. After three years of living in Louisville, she finally ran into him. Part of her was proud of herself that she was able to avoid him for that long. The other didn't know how to feel. She was scared out of her mind though.

She never planned to tell him that he had a son, Jaden. She didn't even plan to tell his parents, but they found out a month after she moved in when she was dropping him off at her parents. Sydney had just graduated from Georgia Tech and was working at her grandparents’ (her late dad's parents) architect firm. She begged Jack's parents not to tell him. After how things ended she wanted nothing to do with him. It wasn't like she needed him. She made good money working with her grandparents and she had her own trust fund. Jack's parents help around but she never took any financial gifts from them. She doesn't even know what she's going to do know that Jack knew.

When Jaden popped up at the game she left. She had her bag with her so just scooped up her son and bolted out of the stadium. Since then she's been on high alert, looking over her shoulder in case Jack popped up. He already knew where she lived.

The phone on her desk rang.

Sydney pressed the answer button. “Yes?”

“Miss Hart, your nine am is here.” the firm's receptionist said.

“I don't have a nine am.” she said into the speaker. “Hello? Clara?”

Seconds later there was a knock on her office door. Sydney got up and opened the door. Behind Clara was Jack.

“And here's miss Hart's office.” the receptionist gestured to Sydney. She turned to Jack, fully taking him in. “Would you like anything to drink? We have still water, sparkling water, soft drinks, juice, coffee and tea as well as danishes, croissants, doughnuts, and muffins.”

“I'll take your hottest tea.” Jack smiled sweetly at the sixty-something receptionist.

“Sounds good. If you'll excuse me.” Clara said, leaving them alone.

“How the fuck did you find me?” Sydney asked him, closing the door behind him.

Jack took a seat on the dark purple couch. He picked up a picture frame of her with her dad's parents from her college graduation. In her arms was their son. He couldn't be more than a year and a half.

He turned the frame to her. “You're not that hard to find. Your grandparents own the biggest architecture firm in all of Jefferson County right here in Louisville. I thought it would've been a more neutral place than showing up at your house.”

“Jack, this is my place of work.”

“I want to meet my son.” He said, dismissing her previous comment.

“He's not your son. He's my son.” Sydney sneered.

“You had no right keeping him from me, Syd.” he snapped at her.

“You don't get to be upset, Jack. You don't get to waltz into my job and demand shit from me.” She jabbed her finger at him. “You wanted the divorce. You wanted an out because I was holding you back. But ironically enough you were too much of a coward to tell me. You had to get your little fountain entourage to do it for you.”

“Syd, I don't want to but I will take you to court.” Jack warned.

“I'm sure your fiancé would love to read about your ex wife next to her unsold engagement announcement cover for People magazine. Congrats by the way.” She smiled sweetly.

It hadn't even been a week since they took their engagement pictures when every newsstand and grocery store stand were filled with them. Jack was annoyed because he wanted to wait a few weeks to announce it. Mallory and Neelam rushed it to the stands.

He reached for the stack of sticky notes and pen. He scribbled something on the baby pink post-it then got up.

“You have three days to decide if you let me meet him or I'll get my lawyers involved.” He handed her the sticky note. “Here's my number. I'll be waiting for your call.”

His phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his cargo pants. Sydney saw ‘Neelam’ on the caller ID and rolled her eyes. She and Neelam never saw eye to eye. Most of the animosity came from the fact that Sydney was married to Jack. When they finally called it quits, Neelam was the most excited to see it happen. Her Cheshire cat grin had as Sydney signed every NDA and contact would be forever imprinted in Sydney's mind.

“Your fucking job was to keep tabs on that shit… How could you miss the most important document? Send it fast so we can get it resolved.” He hung up without another word. Jack rubbed his temples. He looked at Sydney and sighed. “Turns out we're not divorced.”

#jack harlow #jack harlow angst #jack harlow fanfic #jack harlow imagine #Jack harlow one shot

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m4rs-ex3 · 8 months

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people always make silly little lists of characters' crimes which i love but i'm gonna do smth a lillllll different

tdp character trauma log 🫶✨

callum

lost his father at a Baby age (the perfect age actually; young enough to be very emotional and impressionable but old enough to have to process it)

was thrown into a drastically different + high-key terrifying environment at Baby Age

lost his mother--his comfort person, his only connection to his og life (besides amaya), and also just an amazing individual--leaving him alone in said environment

was constantly belittled for being bad at the thing he never asked to be

lost his stepfather aka his only parent left and experienced an array of regret over what he didn't do while harrow was alive

almost watched his little brother down/freeze to death

was betrayed by his childhood friend

endured a severe dark magic sickness + traumatizing fever dream

almost choked to death

watched his whole world jump off of the highest point in the world

almost died plummeting off of the highest point in the world

was abandoned by Love of His Life for several depressed years

was literally fucking possessed

was taxed with the decision between becoming a vessel for the most dangerous individual in the world to destroy everything and hurt everyone he loves OR essentially ending his life (a conclusion he himself had to come to)

was under the impression that Love of His Life was dead (and he never got to tell her what he wanted to)

almost died pt 3

almost died pt 4-5

bound and brutally beaten + electrocuted (?)

watched the most important person in the world to him mercilessly tortured within an inch of her life

almost lost her AGAIN and had to destroy his entire moral compass in order to save her

tortured

almost died 6: choked pt 2

rayla

where do i begin

well first off grew up in the silvergrove and hey moonshadow elves i love ya but oh dear god -promotes "strength" and stoicism over discussing your feelings and admitting to your weaknesses -so bound (literally) by duty and oaths that faltering results in either being good as dead or dead as dead -ETC

equipped with a debilitating phobia of water--a fear most would see as bizarre and silly and exceptionally irrational--in a culture that as previously mentioned shuns fear to all hell

was left by her parents and (despite them having a perfectly good reason) never really healed

almost drowned which was not helped by the phobia

almost ravaged by an ancient vampire

an ASSASSIN who has to KILL PEOPLE but is a WHOLESOME SWEETHEART

haunted by her "constant" mistakes; her strengths get wholly overshadowed by her weaknesses

told by the father figure she revered that she is a stupid baby useless idiot (roughly)

was flatly told by Father Figure he expected to kill her (to which she's just like "fr prolly" good god girl you are fucked)

had to not only sit and listen to, but conform to horrid stereotypes she's been haunted by since she was a kid

nearly slowly lost a hand (and just straight up accepted like ik this isn't the point but i feel the need to address when she does some insanely broken shit)

saw a person wither to dust before her eyes i feel like we forget about this

almost died like pt 4 ish i literally cannot keep track what counts and whats too minor a near death experience and why do i have to ask these questions

watched the love of her life (shut up harry styles) suffocate in his sleep in her arms

almost died pt 5-8 ?

i once again don't even know where to begin this time with her ghosting. linking this post again but tldr she didn't do anything wrong, she believed she did, her society not only confirmed these suspicions but god they pinned her with so much more, and she was told that actually no and what the fuck is she supposed to do with that u just told her everything she knows is wrong and that she actually has worth and she is not keen on that mindset

almost died 9? i include this one bc soulfangs are terrifying

cooly came to the conclusion that she deserved to die for her parents mistakes (and fully intended on doing so)

almost died jumping off the highest point in the world

suffered from persistent nightmares

almost drowned (the phobia once again did not help)

was nearly killed by the dead former co-workers she feels responsible for killing

forced herself to leave behind Love of Her Life and if you don't think that was the hardest fucking thing in the world for her

spent two, miserable years alone, getting beaten down again and again (mentally and physically,) plagued by her vendetta, haunted by all she lost, never knowing comfort, never knowing love, and probably so much worse that we don't even know woohoo!

thought that, after years of painful wondering, the parents she desperately wanted back were killed right in front of her

almost died pt who even fucking knows

almost died

was absolutely fucking brutally tortured (within an inch of her life) 😚✌🌸✨✨

almost died horrendously (she rlly couldnt catch a break that day)

had to choose between pushing her trauma to the absolute limit or hating herself for not protecting her friends

almost died

motherless

couldn't make friends (for a reason no one would believe)

that's why yo [daddy] dead. dead as hell. what shoes [he] got on what shoes [he] got on in [his] casket

almost drowned/froze

had the pressure of surviving as an orphan ANDD being a fucking king forced upon him at the same time

felt responsible for thousands of lives

was imprisoned

was almost motherfucking impaled by scary adult

all that? yea he was like 10

therefore

grew up weird like his brother and rayla

probably almost died a lot of times

imprisoned again & was threatened and bared witness to his brother + his closest friend tortured (+ almost murdered)

almost murdered by someone he once trusted

prolly a lot more idk i was gonna include soren n claudia but i am so fucking exhausted THESE KIDS ARE SO FUCKED OML 😭😭

#uhh like for part 2 #dear god #callum #callum tdp #tdp callum #rayla #rayla tdp #tdp rayla #ezran #ezran tdp #tdp ezran #tdp #the dragon prince

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atlasdoe · 9 months

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hello, i am bored. here are some unpopular opinions that may very well get me cancelled if i posted this on tiktok

do not read if you know youre going to get mad if i say something you disagree with

the over feminisation and over-aggressive characterisations of sirius and remus are so left field it makes my eye twitch. like if you wanna write them like that then fine but don't tell me that one scene of sirius wearing something nice and one scene of remus throwing harry up a wall (while he's in the middle of like a twenty year war with all of his friends dead mind you) means that they were as people are interpreting them in cannon

the fandom isn't misogynistic. you just want everyone to care about the same characters the way you do despite the fact that very little of them (especially the girls really besides lily and the black sisters) have any character/story to care about to begin with

on that same note, it is not wolfstar and jegulus' shippers job to write dorlene and marylily fics. there are over 6000 fics tagged under dorlene and over 2000 for marylily which is really impressive and a really big number for ships containing two people who don't have any connection to one another

we cannot blame every death on dumbledore. dumbledore was manipulative and not a very good person but he wasn't out here deliberately getting all the people on his side killed

this fandom is obsessed with tragedy so much that tragedy has now become repetitive and boring. i love a good sad story but what is the point in taking every single character and making them live the worst life possible. its like yall are only capable in caring for a character if they have literally the worst ending ever

the marauders weren't child soldiers. They were young but they weren't children.

on the same note just because barty, evan and peter (and any other death eater) was young does not excuse them of their actions. I'm 20 and I know that i wouldn't betray all of my friends or help torture new parents into insanity

deciding that pandora somehow had to be a part of a death eater family was the worst thing this fandom did to her character

it pisses me off when the fandom will bend over backwards to try to connect the same 12 characters to every headcannon imaginable when there are so many other characters that you could use

despite this tho i hate the whole "ravenpuff" thing. As someone who actually cares about Emmeline, Edgar, Fabian, Gideon, Amelia, Benjy, Caradoc and all of that it annoys me to no end when the only time people post about them is to shove them all into the two least cared about houses and decides that they were all friends while giving them the most uncreative name out there. if you dont care about them then dont post about them

marlene is the most overrated character in the fandom

james and marlene being childhood best friends is my least favourite headcannon

mary obliviating herself is the worst headcannon

remus lupin is a bottom

sirius black is tall

marlene being in ravenclaw > marlene being in gryffindor

this fandom really needs to remember that barty and evan were villains. if you like them then that's completely fine but stop trying to make them secretly good

i can only ship sirius with remus but i can ship remus with literally anyone (so long as they are actually his age or older. for some reason i cant ship remus with people who are over a year younger then him)

i dont think its fair to say that if you like regulus then you cant shit on snape stans but it is utterly unfair to stan barty and evan but shit on snape stans

fancasting and commenting on normal peoples tiktoks is stupid and embarrassing. we are HATED by other fandoms and is it because we are unable to stay in our lane. stop getting into other peoples buisness by commenting "REMUS LUPIN" under a Spiderman edit

james would not have stopped talking to sirius after the prank. He'd be mad at him and he'd tell him off but he wouldn't stop talking to him. If James had to pick between Sirius and anyone he's picking Sirius

on that note i think the only people who weren't talking to sirius after the prank was remus and lily. mostly because i dont think anyone other then the marauders and lily would even have known that remus was a werewolf at the time

ALSO evan, barty and regulus would not befriend remus after the prank. firstly they wouldnt care and even if they did they would be more likely to abuse the fact that they know about him being a werewolf

im sick of seeing people try to shame others for shipping wolfstar but not marylily because "theyre the same ship." theyre literally not. just because YOU hc mary and lily to have a similar dynamic as remus and sirius doesnt mean that theyre the same and doesnt mean that everyone else should think so to. Same with literally every other ship that gets compared to another based on headcannons

this is getting really long so imma leave it there

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ottogatto · 5 months

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You know what bugs me in the morality battle in fiction, between the good guy with the power of friendship and a bad guy. Where the good guy is portrayed as a victim and the bad guy as an abuser.

The fictionalized good guy doesn't sound like a victim of abuse.

Weird thing to say, I know, borderline inappropriate. And I definitely think I'm being partially close-minded. However, these sorts of sentences always left me confused:

And I think I know why now.

It left me confused because I couldn't see how it could hurt the bad guy. What was the point. The bad guy didn't feel or need love, and they always had huge amounts of friends or servants. They could get love if they wanted. If anything, shouldn't the good guy... be the one who's afraid of never knowing love or friendship?

These morality attacks, from the good guy to the bad guy, don't work on most real-life abusers. Either because they don't care, or they don't feel threatened. It sounds confusing because that's not something a victim would say to an abuser, when abusers usually are those who are charismatic and accepted enough to be enabled in their abuse by others, while the victim is isolated.

I'm not much for guessing the author's mindset from what's written in their fictional work. But I think that literary criticism encompasses this:

What Harry said here may reflect what a toxic narcissist such as JKR sees as the ultimate emotional weapon.

What Harry said doesn't hurt because that's the ultimate retribution from a victim to an abuser.

It hurts because that's what an abuser says to their victim:

You're weak and pathetic. You'll never know love or friendship. And you will die alone, because everybody hates you.

At least Harry had friends and the knowledge his parents loved him to the death.

It's frustrating to see how the underdog heroes -- the victims of abuse -- can always rely on the power of friendship. They don't lose friends because of their own weird, broken behavior. They don't get trapped in toxic relationships with narcissistic predators. They don't have to feel so lonely, unworthy and unlikable. How to relate to them?

Loneliness is hell, indeed. Voldemort succumbs to it.

And I'm not siding with Voldemort here, who was never hurt by Harry's words. But I can't connect to Harry when he says something that hurts me.

Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love.

"I don't want you to pity me" -- probably something Snape would say.

And I would add that maybe Harry shouldn't view lonely people as weak or to be pitied. That he should feel empathy and solemn respect for them. He doesn't know what loneliness feels like anymore, but not everybody has this chance, and it's not always their fault.

#severus snape #harry potter #albus dumbledore #little rant #order of the phoenix #deathly hallows

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bottlesofrouge · 2 months

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on one condition.

harry styles x original character

part three.

word count: 9.5K

warnings: homophobia

29 JUNE 2018

whatever made lynn think an hour drive with harry would be fine could not have been more wrong. the two left his apartment complex approximately fourteen minutes ago and they've already argued over what song to play a total of three times and just how high the air conditioning should be set to.

lynn thought 72 degrees was a decent temperature, but harry wanted it set to 62. it wasn't her fault he decided to wear a sweater vest in the middle of june.

a text from jackie comes through on the screen of the car which lynn is used to. but this time, harry's phone was connected to the apple carplay, and he's quick to close out the notification.

"how's jackie?" she can't help but ask.

"she's good," harry's smiling at his phone. "even better in bed."

lynn grips the steering wheel so hard her knuckles turn white. "that's good."

honestly, lynn wasn't mad. there wasn't a single part of her that wanted harry for herself. he simply wasn't her type (nobody was her type). however, there was something a little unnerving about harry having an entire college campus full of girls to sleep with and still choosing her childhood best friend.

harry was meeting her family for the first time today and to say she was nervous would be an understatement. she could barely stomach dinner last night and opted to skip breakfast entirely this morning. he wasn't always the most polite person to be around, and lynn was terrified to see how he acted around children.

"we should probably kiss or something," harry pulls her from her thoughts.

"i'm sorry?"

"you know," he waves his hand in the air. "to make it more believable or whatever. we haven't been affectionate around my parents at all, and we've been seeing each other for nearly a month. do you think you can handle it?"

lynn scoffs, "can you?"

"i'm certain i'll be able to hold back the vomit," he says. "nothing too crazy, either. it has to look natural."

"don't be silly," she turns into the parking lot of the performance center. "most men would die for a chance to taste my cherry chapstick."

"alright, katy perry," he rolled his eyes. "try not to look so stiff."

"what's that su-" she's cut off by the sound of harry's door slamming.

when she meets him in front of the car, he takes her hand and leans in with that god-awful dead stare on his face. the kiss is quick, and feels like it looks natural. (at least she thinks so.) lynn hasn't kissed anyone in years. she doesn't want to overthink it, so she pushes it to the back of her mind as the two walk hand in hand to meet her family.

it was just peter, kathy, and amelia, but lynn felt like her heart was going to fall out of her ass as she watched him shake hands with each of them. god, they were going to find out. lynn would never date someone like harry.

"you must be amelia," harry says. "your sister talks about you an awful lot."

lynn watches as amelia smiles at his lie. she had told him her name eight minutes ago and that was literally all he knew about her. the group moves inside and lynn sits in between harry and amelia with her parents on the other side of her sister.

leaning her head against harry's shoulder, she whispers so only he can hear her. "what? no hot and steamy texts that need your constant attention?"

harry hums, "probably. left my phone in the car though. wanted all my attention to be on lane's dance recital."

"jane," lynn corrects. "her name is jane."

"same thing," he rests his hand on lynn's knee, squeezing just once. "now relax, blondie. we have an hour of 'jazztastical fun'," harry underlines the words on the program they were handed at the door with his finger as he speaks.

"that's a stupid word," lynn leans back in her chair, harry's hand still resting on her knee.

"looks like we can finally agree on something."

she wasn't sure what she was expecting 'jazztastical' meant, but surely, it wasn't supposed to be this boring. being in one of the youngest classes, jane was one of the first groups to perform, leaving another five groups to follow after.

lynn usually left the second jane's group was finished, meeting her in the parking lot with a bouquet of flowers and her favorite chocolate afterward. this time she brought harry, and she was going to make him sit through every last second. it was only fair. she's sat through two of his family dinners.

the second family dinner wasn't near as bad as the first. although, this one only consisted of marianne and gemma (and as soon as they left, jackie). marianne brought expensive wine that gemma said paired exceptionally well with the pastries lynn had gifted them.

harry had cooked for them, and it was actually good, just like their dinner conversation. the whole event was a lot more relaxing without john's presence and lynn couldn't help but wonder if that was a common occurrence in the styles' household.

when they meet jane backstage after the recital, she's disappointed to see lynn without her flowers and her usual chocolate bar. and of course, because she's five, she makes it well known to everyone in the tiny room.

"no hershey's?" she looks up at her sister through her thick eyelashes, and god, was lynn done for.

so, because she's lynn, she offers to take her for ice cream across the street. harry doesn't seem entirely against the idea, but he doesn't seem too thrilled either. maybe he had a date with jackie that he needed to get back for. the thought of that makes lynn want to offer to drop jane back at her parents' house and amelia at her friends' just to make him even later.

so she does.

harry and jane both get mint chip ice cream and surprisingly jane actually likes it this time. she couldn't tell if she was pretending because harry liked it, but the girl wasn't complaining so she wasn't too worried.

"are you lynn's first boyfriend, harry?" jane says around a spoonful of her green ice cream.

harry clears his throat and amelia nudges her little sister, "she had one when you were a baby, janey"

"your recital was so good, jane." she rushes to change the subject, and lynn feels her face growing hot because she didn't realize amelia remembered anything about her last serious boyfriend. they never talked about him. "i'm so proud of you."

"ive honestly never seen a better pirouette," harry says, and lynn watches as her sister's face lights up.

"i practiced really good because miss tina said i looked sloppy."

"it looked great, janey. i wish i was half as good as you when i was a dancer," he smiles so warmly at the girl, lynn thinks it might melt all of the ice cream sitting on the table.

"what?" jane throws her hands up in the air and screams so loudly that a little bit of ice cream flies from her mouth. "i didn't know boys dance."

"aiden?" amelia says. "he's in your class, jane. you see him every day."

"oh yeah," jane turns her attention back to her ice cream, and lynn notices she's just eating the chocolate pieces out.

when they drop jane off, she insists on showing harry her entire barbie collection which consists of a total of 68 dolls. whoever said you couldn't buy a child's love clearly has never met kathleen.

lynn leans against the doorframe of her little sister's playroom and watches as harry moves a little doll around while jane's laughing the kind of laugh that is filled with so much happiness it hurts your stomach a little.

and lynn wonders this is the side of harry that jackie gets. the one that has her going to sleep with sore cheeks just from smiling so hard all day. lynn knows that she's not the most approachable, and usually, she's rarely anything but cold, but she can't help but wonder why harry didn't like her.

"harrrrryyyyyy," the girl whines. "dance with me."

"janeyyyyy," he mimics. "i can't. i haven't danced in a few years."

"that's okay. i'll teach you again," she takes his hand, and lynn expects harry to shake her off and decline once again. but, he doesn't. he takes her hand and lets her lead. and lynn stays hidden in the shadows, watching every giggle fall from jane's mouth earn a grin so big from harry, she thinks they might be warmer than luke's sunshine smiles.

peter invites them to stay for dinner, and lynn was about to decline when harry speaks for her and says they would love to stay. apparently, kathleen had spent hours in the kitchen, which was more time than lynn had seen her cooking throughout her entire life combined. peter had said they do big family meals like this once a week, and something deep inside of lynn twists. it was like her father's words tried to erase every night she sat at the breakfast bar alone, eating a kid cuisine that elena had made for her before going out with her friends.

she feels like she's watching this entire dinner play out from a spectator's standpoint. she wants to scream and yell that this isn't them. this is an act that her parents are putting on, and she has a reason to resent them. she really does. she wants to grab harry by the shoulders and shake him. beg him to see right through them because she didn't want to be made out as being the hateful firstborn who does anything to spite her loving parents.

instead, she twirls the spaghetti around her fork and takes another sip of her wine.

"i'm sorry," harry says to her once they're on the way back to his apartment. it was late. the sun had set hours ago, and the only thing lighting up her car were the street lights they passed every few meters.

lynn hums and keeps her eyes on the road because she's not really sure what harry's apologizing for, and she doesn't think she can handle a backhanded remark right now. spending time with her parents took almost everything out of her.

"i blew off your sister's first recital because kids don't like me and i didn't want..."

his voice trails off, and lynn can't hold back the eye roll.

"it's okay to say you didn't want to go."

"to disappoint you," harry leans his head against the window as he speaks, avoiding any possible eye contact with her. "i didn't want to disappoint you. or them. i don't know... probably all three of you all. i was scared."

"jane really likes you, harry. amelia, too. you don't have to be scared around us."

"yeah?"

"yeah," the silence that falls around them is almost comforting in a way, and lynn almost doesn't want to break it but it feels right. "and you are so good with them. especially jane."

she watches the way he smiles to himself in the reflection of the window. the silence is back and lynn thinks it deserves to stay after a day like today. harry closes his eyes, only for a second before opening them again and offering lynn a bed to crash in because he's seen her yawn twice.

and really, who is lynn to say no?

1 JULY 2018

they have their third styles' family dinner at harry's parents' house. he spent nearly the entire drive over there on the phone with his dad, begging him to treat lynn with an ounce of respect. in the end, they weren't allowed to talk about college, jobs, promotions, or income.

the gesture surprised lynn if she was being honest. after the first dinner, she didn't really expect harry to stand up for her at all. and it's not like he needed to. she was perfectly okay with doing it herself.

they remain in silence for nearly the entire drive. nothing but the sound of rain hitting the car could be heard. she wasn't sure if she should thank him for speaking with his dad, or if he was doing it out of guilt after what lynn had witnessed when she got to harry's apartment.

she had walked in on harry knuckles deep inside of jackie, and turned right back around and walked out without saying a word. she took the elevator down and paced around the hallway for a second before sending harry a text to let him know she was outside. she wasn't sure if they knew she saw them, but when harry got into the car with pink cheeks and stuttered over his words, her suspicions were confirmed.

"i was thinking," harry breaks the silence. "you can choose the music for the whole ride. my apology for what you saw earlier."

"i'll play whatever i want," lynn glares at him. "you're in my car."

"damn okay," harry raises his hands like lynn's got a gun to his head. "now i see what jackie means."

"what's that supposed to mean?"

he shakes his head. "said you hadn't gotten laid in a while and you'd probably be uptight all night."

the way lynn swerves when the words leave his mouth lets him know that maybe what jackie said should have been kept between just them.

lynn doesn't end up responding, and really, she shouldn't have to. because jackie knew the real reason she hasn't slept with anyone in ages and she can't help but wonder if she shared that with harry, too.

"i'm sensing you're mad at me," harry says.

"congratulations! you know how to read social cues," lynn rolls her eyes, and the car goes silent again.

when they get there, marianne was in the kitchen preparing dinner while john was relaxing in the living room. lynn could say a thousand horrible things about her own father, but when kathleen was up and contributing to the household, peter was, too.

"lynn, so nice to see you," john smiles at her, but makes no move to get up from the couch. "mari said you brought some lovely pastries last time. i was hoping you'd do the same this time."

"sorry," lynn says. "didn't have time to stop today."

the conversation dies right there as john doesn't bother to reply, and lynn takes it as as sign to go offer her help to marianne. she wasn't the best cook but certainly she would be able to chop an onion.

and maybe she was wrong. because marianne hands her a cutting board along with a knife and a few different vegetables. she slices one carrot and cubes a single potato before the woman puts her hand on her shoulder and asks if she would mind helping harry set the table.

there were only four of them, and they were having soup. setting the table was not a two-person job.

marianne's phone rings while she's trying to take a selfie with the two to send to gemma and she accidentally answers it. an older woman pops up on the screen, and lynn guesses it to be harry's grandmother.

"mom," marianne turns around so it's only her in the frame. she's smiling so brightly, but her tone is a little off. "is everything alright?"

"i just had some free time and i thought i'd give you a call," the older woman says. lynn moves behind marianne to finish setting the table. "is that gemma back there? put her on. i've missed my favorite grandchild."

"that's harry's girlfriend, mom."

"oh... he's there?" the old woman's demeanor completely. she went from sounding so incredibly warm to sounding ice cold with the sourest expression on her face in a matter of seconds. when marianne says yes, the older woman hangs up the call.

"harry..." anne looks up from her phone to look harry who hasn't moved from the spot in front of her.

"it's alright."

"i didn't mean to answer," she says. "i would never do that."

"really, it's okay," he offers her a warm smile, but lynn can tell that it doesn't really reach his eyes. at least not the way it did when he was dancing with jane.

harry excuses himself outside and lynn can't help but to follow when he doesn't return a few minutes later. she finds him sitting on one of the outdoor couches marianne and john have on their back porch. there's an overhang, but the porch isn't entirely closed in, so she's certain he's getting a little damp.

"hey," she leans over the back of the couch. "you alright?"

"hm?" he turns his head ever so slightly to see who it was. "yeah. i'm fine."

"yeah?" because it looks like you've been crying, she wants to say. "you sure?"

"yeah," he leans his face against her hand that's resting on the couch.

so lynn moves it to his cheek, and then his hair, and then to his shoulders, and she doesn't really know why she ends up massaging nearly every part of harry she can reach, but she does. because harry's sad and something really, really deep inside of her wants to make it better.

the way he leans into her touch is so soft, so unlike him. or maybe it is like him. lynn doesn't know. whatever he gave her was surface level and she's certain the most she'll ever get out of him is his favorite color.

"ah, you guys compliment each other so well," marianne's voice comes through the cracked back door. lynn feels her face burn at being caught. and also because how long have they been out there? "i don't want to interrupt, but dinner's on the table."

"thank you," harry says when it's just them outside. it's quiet, and he's following his mom inside before she even has a chance to respond.

dinner is less painful than expected. john follows all of the conversation guidelines he agreed to. except for once, when he made a sly comment about getting a college education. lynn would've made a slight deal about it, but harry had been nearly silent the whole dinner. the only sounds that came from him were the occasional hums of agreement and the occasional scraping of his spoon against the ceramic bowl. she thinks an argument with his father might be just what he needs to set him over the edge.

marianne surprises them with homemade brownies, and lynn ends up eating harry's for him because he said he didn't feel well and she didn't want to hurt the woman's feelings. and also they were extremely good.

when they leave, lynn has the leftovers in her hands, and harry carries the weight of the million 'i'm sorry's that his mom threw at him before they walked out of the door.

"are you up for a little drive?" lynn asks once they're both in the car. harry's putting his shoes on her dash, and she decides that she can let it slide tonight. just this once.

"where to?"

"no where in particular."

"i feel like this is going to lead to my murder," he reclines the seat and leans back, eyes closing.

"ha ha," her voice is monotone."i just," and she knows she shouldn't be prodding, but lynn couldn't help it. she's never seen harry act like that in the entire month she's known him. " i saw the way your demeanor changed after that call with your grandmother."

"lynn-"

"i know. it's not my place. i'm not asking you to tell me. we can sit in silence, or you can put music on. i'm not picky." she looks over at harry. "driving around is what used to help me."

"okay," he says. "but can we get tea or something?'

"sure," lynn opens her maps to see starbucks is the only coffee shop still open and she apologizes for it, but harry assures her that it's okay. starbucks tea was his favorite.

when they get to the drive-thru, lynn's annoyed to see that there's not a single tea menu listed on the board. she asks for a green tea, and the barista replies, asking if she was looking for the emperor's cloud or the jade citrus mint.

"i'll have a honey citrus mint," harry says. "i think you'd like the mint majesty. it's caffeine free, too."

"yeah? okay," she orders the two teas and harry insists on paying because it was his idea and really, she couldn't complain about free tea.

they drive in silence only for a few minutes before harry reaches for her phone to put on some music. he shuffles one of the 1975's albums. lynn really wasn't sure which one it was because she never listens to them, but it wasn't bad. and neither was her tea. in fact, it was good. better than good even. she loved it. lynn would be lying if she said she wasn't curious as to how harry knew she'd like it.

"are you sure you like your tea?" lynn says over a song change. "you've barely touched it, and i don't mind trading with you."

"i know. i used to get it whenever i was sick." his thumb traces the lid as he speaks. "it's more of a comfort thing i guess."

harry's sitting with his hang hanging low almost like it was too heavy for him to hold up. he's either looking at his feet or his face is pressed against the window. seeing him like this makes lynn finally crack, "are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"when my grandmother called my mom today," his voice was scratchy, and he pauses. lynn's not sure if he was clearing his throat or on the verge of tears. "it was the first time i've heard her voice in a year. she doesn't really like me."

"does your stellar attitude have something to do with it?" it was meant to be a joke but harry seemed to find no amusement in it.

"no, it's because i loved a boy."

she laughs a little because harry was the textbook definition of a straight male. besides the fact that he's probably slept with half of the female population, his attitude gave it away. lynn looks over at him expecting a joking smile to be sat on his lips, only she's met with the most stone-cold expression she's ever seen on harry's face.

"oh," she clears her throat and sets her tea in the cup holder. she wasn't expecting harry to be so honest with her. "well, your grandma fucking sucks for that."

"you really think so?"

"i do. i also think that you shouldn't try and change yourself because of your family's shitty opinions... i'm referring to the whole jackie thing if that wasn't obvious."

"wise words, lynn, and your reference was very obvious...but i also like women," he holds his hands in front of his mouth like someone had just told him some life-altering secret. "i know. shocking."

"i read a book in my gender studies class called compulsory heterosexuality. maybe you just think you do because that's what society tells you."

"i am extremely confident when it comes to my attraction to women," he has a small smile on his lips. "would you like a demonstration?"

"and there's the harry i know," she smiles at him, and he only stares at her. "what?"

"i don't think i've ever seen you genuinely smile," lynn wants to say the same about him, but that would be a lie because she's seen him smile with nearly everyone but her.

"yeah, yeah," she waves him off. "if you ever need to vent about your grandmother, i'm all ears. and for the small price of another mint majesty tea, i can even pretend like it never happened afterward."

"you know me too well," he says. "thank you for tonight."

"any time."

"do you think maybe i could sleep at yours?" he asks.

lynn's immediate response is to say no, but she doesn't. she lets a few moments pass and then settles for an "okay, but consider this your warning."

4 JULY 2018

when lynn warns harry about her place, he expects it to be a little messy. clothes thrown around the room, an unmade bed, and perhaps a spider or two lurking in the corner. or maybe it was in a busy neighborhood with lots and lots of loud traffic.

it's neither. lynn's studio apartment is located in a nice, gated apartment complex, far away from any busy street with lots of noisy cars. it's cluttered, but also extremely clean. it smells like freshly washed sheets that were hung on a beach to dry, but also like warm vanilla (which was also how her hands smelled when he pressed his face into them).

there's books laying on a desk in the corner, each one with a dog-eared page near the end. two half-empty mugs sat in her sink, and there was a bouquet of wilting flowers sitting in the middle of the counter. drawings and paintings from jane were stuck on her refrigerator with alphabet magnets, and pictures of her sisters hung front and center.

her bed was in the corner of the room. it was unmade but still looked clean if that made sense. you could tell the sheets were frequently washed and didn't have an ecosystem growing in between one of the layers.

her duvet cover was white, but the blush pink sheets poked out from underneath. and there was a stuffed bear that sat against one of the pillows that had a little too much wear to be amelia's or jane's.

the whole apartment was nothing like what harry imagined lynn was like underneath that cold, hard front she put up. he expected her apartment to be sterile feeling with little to no signs of life. he imagined it to be bigger and practically unused. but this was different. it felt like a home.

he doesn't know what lynn's warning was for until he's wearing her clothes and laying under the blankets that sat on top of some kind of rolled up mattress that she pulled out of a closet.

lynn pulls a key off of her nightstand, and walks over to the door where harry sees the four deadbolts lined up. she locks every single one of them, and then gets into bed, gripping the key in her hand.

"should i be scared?" harry had asked. he doesn't remember the area on the drive in, but certainly there's not enough crime to warrant four locks on the door.

"no," was all she said before rolling over, back facing him. "goodnight, harry."

he so badly wanted to ask what that was about, but he doesn't get the chance because when he wakes up, lynn's gone. nothing but a note stating he has to show up to her family's fourth of july party in return for her hospitality the night prior.

harry could say she's slept at his twice before and he's willing to call it even, but he kind of wants to hang out with her sisters again. so, he puts the note in his pocket, and steals one of her hoodies before calling an uber back to his.

he wasn't really sure what exactly consisted of a family picnic because growing up, the fourth of july meant sparklers and staying up past his bedtime and that was it. there was no family get togethers, and only on special occasions were they allowed to go into town to watch the fireworks.

so harry googles it, and decides to bring a side dish along with jackie. really, she caught harry as he was walking out of his front door, and harry's not one to turn down an environmentally friendly car pool.

"this is my first adams' family picnic," jackie says on the drive over. "silas always raves about them, but i've skipped them so much. lynn's stopped inviting me."

"she didn't invite you?"

jackie shakes her head. "honestly, i'm not surprised. she's been so forgetful recently," she takes his hand and presses her lips to his knuckle. "but, im happy to get to spend some time with you."

"yeah," harry says before thinking. he was okay with people thinking he was in an open relationship, but he wasn't entirely sure if his or lynn's family fit into that category of people. "actually, jackie, i don't know if we should in front of lynn's family."

the girl mumbles something under her breath and looks out the window.

when they get there, lynn's not answering her phone, so he follows jackie through the side gate into the adams' backyard. he wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn't lynn's entire extended family.

"harry, i'm so glad you could make it." kathleen seems to appear out of nowhere and hugs him. she kisses both of his cheeks and then moves to jackie and does the same to the girl. "and jackie, it's so nice to see you. it's been forever."

"it has, miss kathy," jackie grins. "thank you for having me."

"you know you're welcome anytime. and you, too, harry. you must be pretty special to lynn if she's kept you around this long."

"she's pretty special to me, too." harry smiles to hide the way his entire body cringes at the words, and hopes kathleen doesn't notice. he felt so awkward and out of place, and he didn't realize just how much effort lynn put into this whole thing. she was the one who usually took the lead and guided him through these conversations with her parents, and he felt he was a little too far in over his head without her.

what if he said the wrong thing and their parents found out everything was fake? he'd quite literally have to off himself if anyone found out that he was playing pretend with a girl his mom had set him up with at his big age of twenty one. that would be the worst thing to ever happen to him. even worse than the make shift intervention.

"how about we grab a drink?" jackie asks. her brow's raised and she has a smile on her face. harry thinks he'll need quite a few drinks to stomach this party, so he nods and follows her to the coolers.

a hour or two later, harry's stumbling through the sliding glass door that leads to the house. he's not really sure how much time has passed, but he's certain of two things.

1: he really needed to find a bathroom

2: one more drink and he would be borderline obliterated

jackie's behind him, wiping her wet feet on the mat outside. they had been sitting with their feet in the pool, sharing drinks supplied by peter and kathleen and sipping little pink whitney shooters jackie kept in her purse "for emergencies".

the two run into lynn in her parents' kitchen after leaving the bathroom. she was leaning over the counter, pouring some powder into a very expensive looking kitchen aid. silas, who harry didn't expect, was standing behind her with his hand on her lower back.

"hey you two," jackie draws the attention of the pair, her words slurring together.

"oh, jackie," lynn doesn't bother to turn around but harry can see her glance at silas. her voice is so monotone, and she doesn't even try to hide her lack of enthusiasm. "glad you could make it."

"figured you just forgot to text me," jackie raises her brows, and then a little quieter she says, "that seems to be a common occurrence lately."

silence floods the room for a second before silas steps away, extending his had to harry. "i'm silas," he says. "it's nice to finally meet you. lynn always has nice things to say."

jackie laughs loudly at this and harry feels so incredibly awkward. obviously there was some unresolved tension in the group, and perhaps he shouldn't have let jackie carpool with him after all.

"i could say the same," harry shakes his hand, and goddamn, did he have a grip. if silas squeezed any harder, harry thinks there wouldn't be a bone in his hand left unbroken.

"i hope so. she shouldn't have a bad word to say," silas's voice is so cool and even as he walks back over to lynn, pulling her hair from her shoulders. "had an accident a few years ago."

harry looks to see lynn smiling one of those rare, warm smiles she gave him that night in her car, but this time her smile's for silas. "resulted in a very unfortunate bob."

"hmm," jackie hums next to him. "wasn't as bad as your bang era."

harry clears his throat when he sees the very noticeable grown out bangs framing lynn's face. "i um-," he rocks back and forth on his feet, the pink whitney and beer bubbling up in his throat. "i made a pasta salad, but i think i left it on my counter. i'm going to-"

"what the fuck is going on with you, jackie?" silas turns around and has his back resting on the counter. his arms are crossed in front of him and he watches as lynn leans into him, her hand resting on his chest as she tries to whisper something to him. "lynn, no. she should go."

no one says anything, and harry cannot stop looking at the way silas stands behind lynn with his arm now wrapped around her, holding her against him like she needed some kind of protection.

"silas is right," lynn's voice is soft. "i'll pay for your uber, but you really should go. you're drunk."

"you're both crazy. i'm not drunk."

"we're crazy?" silas steps toward her. "jackie, you're the one who's been fucking lynn's boyfriend."

harry waits for one of the girls to correct silas because harry was lynn's fake boyfriend, but neither do, and harry can feel the cold sweat forming as the realization hits. jackie thought it was all real.

he looks up at lynn, and the look on her face was enough to make harry feel like he's been punched in the stomach, and he can't believe he was the cause of it. he wouldn't let things with jackie go as far as they did if he had known.

harry doesn't say anything when silas walks jackie out. honestly, all harry could think about was lynn and the thousands of ways he needed to apologize to her. maybe it was all the drinks, but he felt so, so guilty.

she's turned away from him, her attention back on whatever she was baking. "do you need any help, lynn?"

"i think you've done enough." as the words leave her mouth, he doesn't feel so bad anymore.. sure, he slept with jackie, but he always assumed she knew about their arrangement just like silas did. there were plenty of opportunities for lynn to tell him that she didn't and that the two seeing each other made her uncomfortable, but she never did. he wasn't going to take the blame for something he didn't know about.

"and what have i done exactly?" she starts pouring the batter into cupcake tins, and ignores his words. "it's okay to say you want me all to yourself, blondie."

"in your dreams, harry." she turns around finally, licking the spoon in a way that has harry's jaw going a little slack. "go do something. you're bothering me."

he hums for a second with his finger tapping his chin like he was actually pondering it, "i don't think i will."

"silas is outside. you could go see how many of my friends you can get to sleep with you."

"i'll think about it. he's not really my type."

"i thought you could always appreciate a good body," harry can't help it when he cracks a little smile.

it's quiet for a beat, and lynn goes to put her cupcakes in the oven. she's wearing a pair of jeans that fit her in all the right ways and when she bends down to slide the pan in, harry can't help himself. "why do you think i'm still sitting here?"

he hears lynn scoff, "i'm not sure what's more unappealing. your personality or the way you always seem to reek of a three day old hangover."

"not true. your father said i smelled lovely when i was sandwiched between him and your mother last night."

"i'll make sure to ask them about it when we're all having lunch," she stands with her back against the oven, now facing him. "maybe we can get the whole extended family's input?"

harry shakes his head and sighs. he leans against the breakfast bar, slouching over counter a bit. "i thought we were going to be more civil with each other, lynn,"

"you think fucking my best friend was going to have me kissing the ground you walk on?"

"how was i supposed to know you didn't tell her?" his arms are crossed in front of him. "you have silas all over you like a goddamn blanket and you expect jackie to think you're in love with me? come on, lynn."

"that's right, harry. blame everyone but yourself," she moves so she's opposite harry, palms smacking the granite counter. "have you been drinking?"

"yes?"

her eyes narrow. "you know, i'm starting to think your grandma was onto something when she stopped speaking to you."

harry sucks in a breath and he feels like the wind's been knocked out of him. he's drunk and there's tears pooling in his eyes, but he can't look away from her. lynn's staring at him with the coldest stare. like she meant every word she said.

"go fuck yourself, lynn." he flicks her off and turns on the balls of his feet, walking back out the sliding glass door. regret comes seeping over him because god, did he want to go home. he really shouldn't have had that much to drink.

he decides on going to sit in his car. he'd sober up and then goes to his parents. listening to a lecture from his dad would surely be better than sitting here and having to act like he wants to be anywhere near lynn. he was so incredibly stupid for thinking that a pointless car drive and a cup of tea was going to change anything about the relationship they had already established.

harry was so good at pretending to be someone he wasn't. he always tried to come off as someone who was always calm and kept himself together. he was confident in just the right ways, and everyone he met loved him. or at least what they saw of him.

there were plenty of people on campus who would say hi to him if they had passed each other in a hallway. they were friendly, not friends. and that was the perfect way to put it. he held everyone he met at an arm's length away.

harry spent years perfecting this stupid act he put on for nearly everyone he met, so he doesn't really understand why lynn seems to be the only person in the world that doesn't fall for it.

"harry!" he looks over to see jane sitting on the raft in a pool, a juice box in one hand and a popsicle in the other. "come push me around."

harry walks over to the edge of the pool, crouching down to be eye level with her. "well, aren't you bossy?"

she laughs and kicks her feet and it's so contagious, he can't help but smile. he doesn't realize the girls' grandmother is with them until she speaks from one of the lounge chairs, her face hiding behind a magazine.

"takes after her sister. that's why she has no friends."

harry's heart jumps in his throat when he sees the little girl start blinking rapidly through her pink flamingo sunglasses. so, he does the only logical thing he can think of, and gets in the pool with his tshirt on and sunglasses in his hair.

when he comes up, jane's peering over the arm of the floatie with a smile that's so big, harry decides he can look past the wet cotton sticking to his skin. "alright, sunflower. tell me where you want to go."

"sunflower? i'm not sunflower! i'm jane!"

"but, you're always so bright and happy, janey," harry laughs. "like a sunflower."

"mmm, okay," and then she offers him a bite of her popsicle which he would have declined in any other situation, but he did not want to see the little girl cry today.

he pushes jane around the pool like he's her personal servant for what feels like forever. she loved asking to go in to the deep end where harry could barely touch. the water would go up to his ears and he'd act like standing on his tip-toes was the most strenuous activity ever. her laugh drowned out every huff and puff her grandmother made, and harry felt like he could finally breathe when she got up and went somewhere else after asking harry if he could watch the little girl.

"how long can you stay under there?" jane says. "go under and i'll count."

and so harry does, and when he comes up, jane's at twenty seven and lynn's standing over him with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"are you fucking kidding me?" her voice is quiet yet there's so much anger in every word she says. harry doesn't even know what he's done wrong. "you're embarrassing me. get some dry clothes on and act like the grown adult you are."

"lynn, i-"

she leaves before he can even ask what's going on, and when he turns around jane's looking at him with big eyes and her hands clasped together under her chin. "can we please play mermaids, harry?"

"of course, sunflower."

peter comes to collect jane later. it was time to eat and he had made her a plate. he offers to make harry one, too, for keeping jane busy while "the adults had fun" (as if he wasn't an adult himself). harry politely declines, and instead takes a seat in a lounge chair, wanting to do nothing more than to dry off.

and to also end whatever the fuck this thing he was doing with lynn had turned in to. they were supposed to be in a fake relationship in order to help stop their borderline insane mothers from meddling in their love lives and instead, harry was surrounded by fifty people he didn't know while lynn was god knows where. probably inside somewhere with silas's hands all over her.

it didn't make sense. why would she even bother to invite harry here when she all planned on doing was staying as far away from him as she could while leaving him to fend for himself. he knew five people here if you included her sisters and her grandmother that he had met briefly at the pool. he didn't even know her name yet he would go as far as to say he hated her for what she said around jane.

"hey, man," silas is sitting at the end of his lounge chair. he's got a pile of neatly folded clothes in his hand that he's holding out for harry. "i've got a change of clothes for you and dinner's ready if you're interested."

harry holds up his hand. "thanks, but i think i'll actually be going. you can tell lynn that this is done."

"listen," silas clears his throat. "lynn is my best friend, and i love her, but she was wrong for not telling you that jackie didn't know."

"you don't have to try to side with me or try to be my friend, silas," harry blinks. "or whatever you're trying to do really. i'm okay with you pretending i don't exist. just like lynn does."

"i'm not going to pretend you don't exist, harry. you two can talk when she wakes up from her nap." silas reaches out with the clothes again, and harry takes them. "meet me in the kitchen when you're ready. i got this new beer from the brewery in town you should try."

silas leaves and harry sits there for a second because what the fuck just happened? he half expected silas to rip his head off and call him a few nasty names before kicking him out of the party, and the other half thought the guy was just going to punch him in the face.

harry debates on calling it a night and going to his apartment instead, but a drink would be nice, especially if it was on silas's dime. so he changes in the bathroom and then meets silas in the kitchen where he has a two plates made and set in front of two cans of some kind of cherry pie cider on the breakfast bar.

"wow, silas," harry says. "are you wining and dining me?"

the guy laughs, face buried in the refrigerator. when he turns around, his arms are full of different condiments and he closes the door with his foot. "these stupid parties used to be so overwhelming for me. i used to always eat in here alone, just so i could have some peace and quiet."

"why are you doing this?" they're sitting next to each other now. silas stops eating, and wipes his mouth with a napkin before turning to harry.

"because you remind me of myself, and i know how hard these things were for me when lynn first started inviting me."

"It's..." harry doesn't really know how to explain how he's feeling, so he turns his attention to the pasta salad that was probably a hundred times better than the one sitting on his kitchen counter right now. "i don't know."

"a lot?"

harry nods. "i just don't think i'm a very social person."

"cheers to that," silas raises his can. "just because you and lynn aren't really together doesn't mean you should feel uncomfortable here." harry thinks if he responds, he'll end up crying. so he doesn't. instead he pushes his food around on the plate, appetite gone.

"pete asked me to start a fire afterwards if you wouldn't mind helping." silas continues, and harry nods.

when they're finished, the two boys go outside with a new cider in hand to where the fire pit was and start the fire that lynn's father had asked for. really, harry started it while silas sat and watched. he didn't mind though, harry was in eagle scouts growing up and building fires was probably the only thing he was good at.

when the sun begins to set, lynn's family moves few by few from the patio and pool area to sit around the fire. silas introduces harry to some of lynn's extended family members, and he starts talking to her aunt cece. she introduces him to her wife like it was nothing. and really, it shouldn't have been a big deal or anything. harry was just used to the judgmental stares and comments made by his family. it never really crossed his mind that entire families could be so accepting.

when his grandmother found out he was dating a boy, she refused to come to any family function he was at. the same with his aunt, uncle, and cousins. the two didn't want their kids around someone like harry.

jane squeezes between the two to sit next to harry on the bench, and she rests her head against his arm. kathleen's sitting across from them, and a few minutes later lynn (and silas of course) sit next to her.

"it seems like you've made a friend," kathy says.

"best friend," jane corrects. she sits up and smacks her hands on her lap. "nana said i didn't have any friends."

"what?" lynn's voice comes from across the fire. "when did she say that?"

"at the pool," jane's grinning. "but i know she was just joking with me. harry said he was my best friend when we were playing mermaids.

harry feels his face warm at her confession. "and i meant it, janey."

the little girl smiles at him in a way that makes it impossible not to smile back.

"we need to have a best friend tea party on saturday. with lots of sunflowers." she says, and then she sighs. "mom you said i could have chocolate if i ate all of my salad and i did."

the way her train of thought changes so quickly makes harry laugh.

i'll get you some, jane," lynn stands up from her spot and harry's quick to do the same and say he'll join her.

"lynn," he calls her name once they get inside. she's a few steps ahead of him and makes no move to answer.

"lynn," he tries again. "can we talk, please?"

she turns to look at him when they're both in the pantry. "there's nothing to talk about, harry." she bends down to get something on the bottom shelf, ignoring him once again.

"there is," he says. "because i don't want to do this anymore."

she tilts her head. "do what?"

"this," his hand is moving between them. "whatever this is. us. i can't do this anymore."

she rolls her eyes at this. "you can only pretend when it benefits you. got it."

"that's not-" his voice breaks, and he's been trying so hard to hold in everything all day. it all just feels too much, and he shamelessly wipes the tears as they fall. "do you not hear the way you talk to me? why am i always in the wrong?"

"sleeping with my friend and being so drunk you're swimming around in your clothes doesn't seem wrong to you?" she faces him with her arms crossed in front of her.

"what? that's not what happened."

"right," she rolls her eyes again and goes back to collecting what she needs. "this act is pathetic by the way."

harry doesn't understand how they even got to this point. he was hoping they'd have a little break up. he'd go back outside and say goodbye to jane, and maybe silas because being around him wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, and then he'd go home.

she turns her attention back to whatever she's been trying to reach for the last few minutes. harry's eyes follow her hand to see a box of graham crackers pushed all the way to the back of the shelf before reaching up to push them into her reach. he wasn't much taller than her but the extra few inches helped.

"your grandmother said jane was annoying and bossy," he feels his throat burn as he speaks and decides to leave out the part where she said that she was just like her sister. "i saw her face when she heard it, and i panicked. i didn't want her to think about it for another second, so i jumped in."

it's so quiet, harry can hear the way lynn swallows at his words. she says nothing though, so he decides to keep going. "you know that one phrase someone said to you, and maybe they didn't mean it, but it still sits in your head? i didn't want that to be hers. i'm sorry for embarrassing you, lynn."

"it hit a little too close to home for you, yeah?" lynn says, realization written all over her face.

"the hurt that comes with hearing someone you admire and love so much say those things about you..." fresh, hot tears are sliding down his face. "i'm trying really hard not to be mad at you because maybe you don't get it, but what you said earlier-"

"i know. it was horrible," she drops the smores ingredients on the floor so she can wrap her arms around him. "god, i'm horrible."

"did you mean it? what you said?"

"when we were in the car, yes," she pulls back so she's looking at him. her hands are still clasped behind him, fingers gently brushing against the nape of his neck. "i meant every word i said that night. but today, you brought jackie, and i didn't want her here. the things she said, and the fact that you two were sleeping with each other...i took it out on you when i shouldn't have. im sorry."

"i didn't know that she thought-" harry doesn't really know why he's sobbing so hard, but he can't stop. the rest of his sentence is stuck in his throat.

"i know," her hand cradles the back of harry's head, softly guiding his face into her shoulder. "i am so, so sorry."

they stand in the pantry for a little while. harry's face is pressed against her neck, and her hands are rubbing his back. she's gently rocking them side to side and harry feels a little sick for letting himself melt into her so easily. he's crying because of her, yet part of him knows he'd let lynn make him feel the way she did today a hundred times over if it meant she'd hold him so close that he could smell the vanilla on her skin.

"what i told you that night, it's not something i usually share," he says, voice a little scratchy. "i really don't want it brought up ever again."

"it won't be. i promise."

harry steps back, palms pressed to his eyes. "i'm sorry for crying this much. i just need a second."

"you have no reason to apologize," lynn's bending down to pick up the items she dropped. "i really am so sorry, harry."

"i know you are. it's okay," harry takes a deep breath and then grabs the chocolate bars from her, holding them in the air. "i think we've kept jane waiting long enough." he reaches for lynn's hand before opening the pantry door for the two. when they step out, peter's standing in the kitchen, staring at them. he's got a beer in his hand, and harry can tell by the way his eyes are glassed over that he wasn't really tuned in on their conversation.

lynn doesn't even acknowledge her father's presence. instead, she wraps herself around harry's arm and pulls him outside with her.

he roasts jane's marshmallow with lynn sitting on his knees, and after hearing harry say he likes his burnt, she decides that she does, too. which makes everything easier for harry and everything harder for silas who took on the chore of building the actual s'more.

when they're finished, lynn leans back against harry's chest, voice soft, "do you think we could be okay, or is tonight it for us?"

he looks over to see jane sitting on silas's lap, her hands and now silas's shirt covered in sticky marshmallow and decides that he could tolerate lynn's mood swings if it meant getting to experience this kind of normalcy again. honestly, today wasn't really normal. it was messy and chaotic and everything that comes with having a family this big, but harry misses the crazy family reunions and loud birthday dinners that came with his own family and maybe holiday picnics like this could fill that void.

"i think we could be okay again," the intensity of his voice matches her, and he can feel her relax into him when he speaks.

the group moves to the park where lynn and harry first met to watch the fireworks put on by the neighborhood. halfway there, jane starts whining about her legs hurting and that's how harry ends up with her on his shoulders.

marianne and john are there when they get there, and they're sitting on a blanket and talking to gemma and drew. harry can't remember the last time his parents came to the event, and he can't help but wonder if that was because they just never invited him.

amelia joins them, too, leaving her group of friends. she takes jane from harry, and silas follows them, leaving only harry and lynn to share the blanket she had brought.

when the fireworks start, she's sitting next to harry with her head on his shoulder and her arm wrapped around his. her fingers are brushing against his knuckles, and when she leans back to look at harry to see if he's enjoying it, he's already looking at her.

his free hand reaches for her face before he dips his head down and kisses her. if she were to ask about it later, harry would say it was because both of their families were around. not because he wanted to.

(he kind of did.)

#harry #enemies to friends to lovers #enemies to lovers #harry styles fluff #harry styles imagine #harry styles one shot #harry styles x oc #harry's house #fine line #dadrry #harry styles #harry styes x original character #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles smut #harry styles au #harry styles fanfic #harry styles writing #harry styles fic rec

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hlficlibrary · 1 year

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✤ Historical Fics ✤

A series of posts with the top five fics of each category by kudos plus five more hidden gems from that category! Remember to leave kudos and a comment on the fics you enjoyed to show your appreciation! You can find our other recs here.

- Top 5 H/L Fics -

1️⃣ Here In The Afterglow by fondleeds / @harrybridgers (NR, 88k)

“If you hadn’t noticed, I don’t have many friends,” Louis whispers, the blossom of insecurity in his stomach unfurling and clawing its way into his throat.

Harry is silent for a long time, and then he speaks; a soft, slow uncurl that makes Louis’ stomach shake. “I’ll be your friend.”

1970’s AU. In a tiny town in Idaho, Louis’ life is changed forever by the arrival of a curious stranger.

2️⃣ Chasing Empty Spaces by Lis / @domestic-harry (E, 79k)

The year is 1934 and Harry Styles was to inherent the largest tobacco firm in the south. His parents have picked out the “perfect” girl for him to marry and he has the privilege of receiving the highest education possible. The problem was, Harry hadn’t realized he didn’t actually want any part of that future until he met a mechanic named, Louis Tomlinson.

3️⃣ And down the long and silent street by whimsicule (M, 86k)

The year is 1881 and if you’re alone in this world you might as well be dead, because starving dogs have no mercy.

Or: Wherein Louis and Harry are on the opposite ends of the social ladder, but their paths still cross on the filthy streets Louis calls his home. The odds are staked against them from the beginning, and even more when Louis' past finally catches up with him.

4️⃣ A Rose, By Any Other Name by iwillpaintasongforlou / @canonlarry (E, 10k)

“I don’t understand, Mr. Tomlinson,” Harry says quietly.

“You don’t have to understand, sweetheart.” Louis reaches over and runs his thumb across Harry’s cheekbone, watching the boy’s breathing pause as he dares not move beneath the touch of this strange, imposing man. “All you need to know is that you work for me now, and that I’m going to keep you safe from all the bad people in this city, you hear?”

Louis Tomlinson is the head of New York City's mafia, and Harry is the beautiful boy from Texas who falls in with the wrong crowd (which turns out to be the right crowd).

5️⃣ Paint The Sky With Stars by kiwikero / @icanhazzalou (M, 62k)

On 10 April 1912, Harry Styles boards the finest ship the world has ever seen. Still grieving the death of their mother, he and his sister are being sent to America to live with a callous uncle who cares more about his business connections than family. Harry prepares himself for a long, disappointing voyage alone in his stateroom.

Louis Tomlinson has borrowed and saved, and finally has enough to purchase a Third Class ticket to America. With all of his belongings in a single ruck sack, he boards the Titanic filled with hope for a brighter future. Never one to sit still, he can’t resist exploring the massive ship, and soon goes sneaking into First Class in a stolen steward’s uniform.

By a twist of fate, Louis finds himself in Harry’s stateroom, entranced by the most attractive man he’s ever laid eyes on. He keeps returning day after day, even if he doesn’t understand what it is about Harry that continues pulling him in. That’s all right; Louis has a week to figure it out, and Harry is plenty willing to help.

Except they don’t have a week. They have four days. Because on 15 April, their entire world will be turned upside down.

Or, the historically accurate Titanic AU with a happy ending.

HIDDEN GEMS:

💎 After Dark, After Light by QuickedWeen / @becomeawendybird (E, 71k)

Harry Styles is the laird of Clan Edwards who is just trying to keep his clan afloat when they get word that the Mackenzies have been cutting a swath through the Midlands and beyond, and their sights are set on the northern Highlands next. In an attempt to garner extra protection for his clan, Harry sets out to mend his father's past wrongs and ally with their neighbors to the west, Clan Sutherland.

Louis Tomlinson is the mysterious commander of the Sutherland army sent back with Harry on orders from his laird to help shore up Clan Edwards' defenses. As the winter draws nearer by the day, the two are thrown together to prepare for the invasion that they expect as soon as the ground thaws.

💎 fondre ton absence by @scrunchyharry (T, 41k)

Harry had never really given much thought to the future. He preferred to let life steer him forward and to follow in the footsteps of Louis, his best friend from as far as his memory went, his lover, his everything. Louis knew better than he did what was good for him.

It changed drastically when Louis was ripped away from him, drafted and sent to the front to fight in a war that Harry had always been sure would never reach him. Too young and too sickly to follow, Harry was left on his own for the first time in his life.

When he thought things could not possibly get worse, Louis went missing at the Somme and was declared dead. While everyone buried and mourned him, Harry never moved on. If Louis were dead, he was sure that he would know it. Their lives were too entwined, he would know if half of his heart had died.

Determined to find Louis, Harry did everything he could in his quest to be reunited with him, except prepare for the state Louis might be in.

He did not prepare for the harsh truth he would have to face: was love possible without memories?

💎 You Smiled by @taggiecb (G, 9k)

Just then, the man looks up, and catches Harry's eye. Harry freezes, feeling as though he's the one trapped. The man doesn't smile, just watches Harry watch him, until finally he lifts his eyebrows in question, and Harry somehow manages to release himself from the spell that he feels he's under.

It's 1758 and on the eve of a battle with the French, Captain Harry Styles of the British army has just begun his appointment as a prison warden in Louisbourgh, Nova Scotia. Harry prepares himself and his guards for their prisoners of war, but nothing could have prepared him for the sight of the most beautiful man he has ever seen- who is now his prisoner.

💎 Under Electric Candlelight by @littleroverlouis (E, 5k)

Well we drank champagne and danced all night Under electric candlelight She picked me up and sat me on her knee And said little boy won't you come home with me?

💎 nobody knows like me by enbyharry / @non-binharry (G, 3k)

Harry does his best to cope with a secret life in the summer of '74.

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gh0stlyfixation · 1 year

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A match made

Paring: goddess Melinoe x Severus Snape

Summary: Albus has searched for the perfect help to aid in the war with the dark lord, only to find out she and Severus are soulmates.

I’ve have SEVER writers block and I’m on a Harry Potter binge and it’s inspired me to write but literally only for Severus and Lucius because they have OCCUPIED my mind and I apologize, so here👀 (also, I know this will flop but I needed to get this idea of of my head)

“I found help, a very powerful being,” Albus says, he’s vague, almost suspiciously vague and it makes Snape squint his eyes. “She is blood-related to Hades and Persephone,” Albus says.

Snape eyes him, “How related?”

“She is the daughter.” He confirmed

“She’s the goddess, princess of the underworld?” Snape says uneasily.

“Precisely, powerful, strong, brilliant, and beautiful. She’s agreed to help us. With her, we are powerful, unstoppable.” Albus.

“It’s the deal with the devil essentially!” Snape snaps.

“So it seems,” an unfamiliar bored voice says. Snape turns around and sees a woman checking her nails. His breath hitched as he sees her, he was being pulled towards her and the birthmark on his side is throbbing. Her long blond hair, almost white, longer than his, her eyes black, and she wore a red long-sleeve dress. Her gaze meets his and she feels the pull Snape feels soulmates. Her birthmark on the back of her neck burns as well.

“This is Melinoe, the goddess of Ghost,” Albus states, slightly weary of her.

“Severus, pleasure.” He says holding his hand out. The goddess connects her hand to his, and a bright flash of light is shown signifying that the soulmates have met. Albus is beside himself witnessing this miracle.

“I thought all these years, I’d never find my soulmate,” Melanie says quietly. Her usual personality has left her. She isn’t brave at this moment, she’s nervous. Nervous that he will reject the idea of her. Who wouldn’t? We deals with the dead.

“I as well.” He says breathlessly. His fears are washed away. He isn’t worried about he who shall not be named. He isn't afraid of his future because she is here. She calms him in a way he’s never felt.

Albus watches the two, unaware of what he brought together. He’s happy to finally see Severus in a state he’s never seen, contentment and calm, something he hasn’t felt in years.

“Albus tells me you’ve been marked by him?” Melinoe says with a hint of disdain.

“I was young and looking for the attention of some sort. It’s one of my biggest regrets-,” Severus starts.

“Which is why he came to me, to keep him safe so long he gives me intel. He hasn’t proven me wrong, he’s loyal.” Albus clears Severus quickly.

Severus was also worried he would be rejected by her and why wouldn’t he be? He’s a servant of the dark lord, a grumpy man, with a weird nose. “I don’t care honestly, just want to be sure I’m not with a traitor and if Albus trusts you then I see no problem trusting you as well Severus.” She says stepping closer to him, “I hope you accept this bond, my parents would be happy to hear the news.” She speaks again.

Severus sighs in relief, she accepted him, “I hope they will be.” He tells her with a smile, one he didn’t have to force.

“As much as I love seeing this, we have a business to discuss,” Albus says, interrupting their happiness.

#severus x you #severus snape #severus snape x reader #severus snape x you #Severus Snape x goddess #goddess #hogwarts houses #hogwarts au

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drarryspecificrecs · 2 years

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2022.09 ~ Top 9 longest fics posted on AO3

1. The Journal of Regulus Arcturus Black by gokioh [G, 141k]

►Draco didn't want to leave his home and denounce the Malfoy family name. But with the threat of the Dark Lord's rise at the end of Fourth Year, he had no choice in the matter. With the help of his mother and father, Draco takes on the name of his godfather, Black, and starts to live as a Neutral Party. But how neutral can one really be with the threat of war?

2. Calico Skies by @fate-and-folly [E, 134k]

►With his family’s name and misdeeds laying heavily upon him, Draco Malfoy returns to Hogwarts for a torturous eighth year. He finds himself unrequitedly in love with Harry Potter and at odds with everyone around him, even the bricks. While navigating the post-war world, he is forced to decide both who he is and what he wants.

3. Eight Days A Week by @romaine2424 [E, 121k]

►Yes, Harry's a Trainee-Auror and Draco's a Healer-in-Training after the war. Yes, Harry eventually moves into 12 Grimmauld Place. And, yes, attraction happens between Harry and Draco and they fall in love, but then there's more. Draco is now free from Voldemort, free from fear of going to Azkaban, free from his Father's beliefs, and free to be the person, the witch, the woman she always felt she should be. And for Harry, it’s time to lose the shackles of his childhood and discover who he really is and what’s truly important in life.

4. Dead End - Petrified by @prototype-up77 [M, 115k]

►While Harry discovers traces of an intruder who seems to follow him, a new wave of mysterious murders overruns the country. As he is attacked by a vampire, it's too late to realize the connection between the events. How long can you hold the upper hand in a battle against your own nature?

5. We Raise Ourselves From the Ashes by @myaulophobia [E, 93k]

►Draco Malfoy is up to something and Harry Potter needs to find out what. The only problem is that when he follows Draco to confront him, he notices how broken the other boy looks and offers to help him instead. Hogwarts, decides that both boys need help, and sends them somewhere they can actually make a difference. The 31st of October, 1981.

6. The Silent Howl by @random-gay-writer [E, 79k]

►After a terrible accident, everyone's lives change drastically, none more so than Draco Malfoy. Time away does not heal all wounds but perhaps time back can mend them and form new bonds. Love in all forms comes to those who deserve it.

7. Bad Habits by No_One_Special_01289 [E, 70k]

►Circles can be tiring. They have no end. But sometimes, the path is set for a reason, as anything outside the circle is even worse than what's within. Harry is running in circles with Draco Malfoy, and no matter how hard he tries, he can't escape.

8. How to Overcome Pride and Prejudice in Eight Weeks by @trash-tears [T, 69k]

►After four years of working together as rookie Aurors, a major case falls onto the desk of Harry and Draco’s cubicle. When they end up in a Pride and Prejudice book club on the tail of their suspect, both men get more than they bargained for: The legendary Jane Austen’s depiction of character draws out an awkward secret Draco’s been nursing for the past four years, and forces Harry to face the realities of his failing relationship with someone else. [...]

9. Dear Scorpius Draco Malfoy by Grace_28 [T, 64k]

►The summer before his seventh year, Scorpius Draco Malfoy finds a letter from his papa, Harry Potter. When confronting his parents, he uncovers many truths about his parents and their choices during the war, including how his papa managed to achieve the impossible: coming back from the dead.

—

※ Word count: 1k ~ 15k

※ Word count: 15k ~ 40k

The Beginning of All Wisdom by @maeglinyedi [E, 24k]

Leaves of Wire (Vol 1) by thatsthefrailtyofgenius [M, 39k]

A Powerful Warrior by Relevant_Peach [M, 38k]

Smoke and Sweets by BiscuitBrunch [E, 21k]

A Worrisome State of Affairs by LacyFae [G, 16k]

—

Ongoing Fest/Exchange

※ Fics would be listed elsewhere.

Harry/Draco Reverse Bang 2022 | @harrydracobang

HP Drizzle Fest 2022 | @hpdrizzle

Kill Your Darlings 2022 - HP MCD Fest | @hp-mcd-fest

#drarry #drarry fanfic #drarry fic rec #harry potter #draco malfoy #monthly review #2022

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seriouslysam8 · 5 months

Note

I have a little mini challenge for you and you can’t veto it!

Stick the following Brumous couples with someone else other than who they’re paired with (you can’t use someone who is dead):

Harry x Ginny

Ron x Demelza (I know it’s endgame)

Sirius x Tegan AND Sirius x Marlene (you can put Sirius with any of them)

Remus x Tonks

Arthur x Molly

Andy x Ted

You made this unnecessarily hard by banning dead people. I am in my right mind to ignore this rule. 🤣🤣🤣

First up, the easy ones.

Harry/Ron: There is at least one universe in which these two are together. You cannot change my mind.

Ginny/Demelza: Again, there is one universe these two are together. There has to be a universe where you are just getting it on with your bestie. You can't change my mind.

Tonks/Sutton: She is so sunshiny that she needs a slightly grumpy man. While Sutton isn't self-deprecating like Remus, he's not happy-go-lucky either. Plus, he's older than her and she digs older men.

Andy/Hugh Slughorn: Andy and Ted are soul mates, right? So, the only way she's not with Ted is if she followed in the Black family footsteps and was a good little pureblood girl like Narcissa. Who better than a pureblood from the Sacred 28 who isn't a raging blood purist but wildly successful? IF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW. If you don't, well, then you haven't read all my stories. 😂😂😂😂

Arthur/Random Muggle Girl: I could totally see Arthur meeting some Muggle girl and falling head over heels in love with her. He'd be FASCINATED by everything. She'd find him endearing.

Now, onto the hard ones.

Sirius: He's hard in my mind. My first thought was, of course, James, because if any of them dated in that group it would be James/Sirius and NOT Sirius/Remus. But you said no one dead. I could see him getting with some random Muggle girl to stick it in his parents' faces.

Tegan: She's hard as well because her entire schtick in Brumous is that she can't move on from David and she's just a serial dater. I can't see her dating any Auror because it would remind her too much of David. Being an Auror, I could see her becoming close to some lawyers. So, I'll pair her with Magnus Shacklebolt who is only a year younger than her.

Marlene: I want to just say Charlie because if you know you know, but that seems like such a cop-out answer and we all know about hot girl Christmas on here. I could see her dating an Auror because of her family connection to Aurors. She'd know a lot of them thanks to her dad and brother. I could see her dating someone like Axel Lowe who is charismatic and friendly.

Remus: I know you said no one but seriously... no one. Remus is a major commitment-phobe. The only reason he even had a relationship with Tonks was because she was fucking in-love and wouldn't give up. She wasn't about ready to let him wallow either. So, I'm breaking the rules and saying I legit cannot see Remus with anyone except for Tonks. He'd die alone.

Molly: I think Molly would have married a pureblood, not because she's a purist or anything but just because the Prewett family is a part of the Sacred 28 and it seems like something Aunt Muriel would advocate for. I don't think it'd be any DE line, but perhaps an Abbott or Longbottom or a Macmillan.

Ted: He obviously likes the mysterious girls. I think Andromeda probably had an air of mysteriousness about her. Proper and gorgeous and tall. Yet, there was a soft side to her and she laughed in a way he never expected. So, it couldn't be anyone in Hufflepuff or even Ravenclaw. I could see him either getting with another Slytherin girl from a prominent family but not a blood purist because he reeks forbidden love or I could see him being with a Gryffindor who was fierce and fiery.

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dramioneasks · 9 months

Text

HP FESTS: Dreomione Fest (Part 2)

Dreomione Fest 2023:

What Strange Bedfellows We Make by Forgive_Me_Severus - E, WIP - Three and a half years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Hermione Granger finds herself angry, bitter, and missing her left leg. Having become disenchanted with the Order of the Phoenix - and Kingsley Shacklebolt's frustrating unwillingness to tell her anything - the feelings only increase when she's ordered to act as companion for the Order's most important spy, Draco Malfoy. But what she will discover while at a remote safe house nestled comfortably in a Scottish Highlands forest will change her life forever.

Accidents Corporeal and Copulative by Art_emis - E, 6 chapters - Hermione is hanging the washing, Draco is out for an evening stroll and Theo, well… he’s been left to his Arithmancy in favor of a more hands on equation that needs solving.An unplanned romp in the fresh linens leads to reminiscing over the triad’s first time skinny dipping and an even more creative reenactment.

Written in the Stars by SarahFraser - E, WIP - A five-year relationship between Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy end in heartbreak after Draco's engagement to Astoria Greengrass hits the news. With her life in shambles, Hermione is trying to figure out what she needs to do next, when on the eve of his wedding, Draco shows up at her house. After giving into her heart once more, Hermione flees to France the next morning after seeing Draco and Astoria's wedding picture.Fifteen years later, there is an attack by a group of Dark Wizards in Paris while Scorpius Malfoy is there vacationing with his mother. Being a squib, the teenage boy is defenseless in the face of danger but is save from a stray spell by Lyra Granger, a girl with wild white curls and looks eerily like him. Upon being taken into protective custody by the French Aurors, the two teens are stuck waiting for their parents. When Scorpius's father and his husband, Theo Nott, arrive they are shocked to see Hermione picking up her daughter.The pieces are put together and quickly the wizards realise that Hermione isn't as dead as they had thought she was, and when she'd left England, she'd taken something of Draco's with her.

Changeling child by PenNameUnknown - G, WIP - It had started with trying to convince her sister to flee with her son and his friend should anything happen to her.But then the boys made a friend and it was much better for them to rebel and not be underfoot.Only now she's kidnapped a severely neglected Muggle girl and hoping Severus will forgive her.Rating and tags subject to change. Will warn you in advance

Constellations of Secrets by Ceilidhchaos - E, WIP - Hermione, Theo and Draco kept their relationship and family secret for more than ten years, but it is finally revealed after they are discovered by Hermione's former best friend Harry Potter. After eliciting a Wizard's Vow from Harry Potter to treat all students at Hogwarts fairly regardless of House, Draco, Theo and Hermione finally agree to allow Lyra, their eldest daughter, to attend Hogwarts. Four years later, Lyra is dating James Sirius and Paige Parkinson-Zabini in a triad of her own. Her little brother Scorpius has also fallen for a Potter. The Weasleys don't take this well.

Until My Soul Is Washed Anew by sobsinashell - M, WIP - For all his life, Theodore Nott has been plagued with nightmares and strange dreams. As the second Wizarding War continues to take over the country, these dreams begin to make connections with reality to reveal some of the darkest secrets known to wizarding kind.

The Four Fs by ThornedHuntress - E, WIP - Every living creature is driven by biological urges colloquially known as the Four Fs. Fighting. Feeding. Fucking. And… Flying?It’s no secret that Hermione Granger has never been a particular fan of Quidditch. But when the Derbyshire Dragons offer her a position as the team’s healer, in return for a blank check for her research, she’s not about to let the attentions of one man derail her, let alone two. No matter how tempting they may be.

In Our Power by babyKay61822 - E, WIP - The war had ended. Draco and Theo were happy. The world was safe and the heros had emerged victorious. That was, until the Golden Girl began fading from view, disappearing from society, only to turn up at St. Mungos bloody, bruised and broken.The boys decided they would never let her feel that pain again. Not if they could help it. And the only way to fix it was to change her life. They would have to start from the beginning of the end.

Protect Them, Protect Her by chococrepe - not rated, WIP - This story takes place during the book of ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’.Hermione J. Granger found herself caught up in a regrettable situation. Overwhelmed by stress, she made an unfortunate choice to indulge in alcohol during a social gathering hosted by her dentist parents. In a disoriented state, she unintentionally wandered into the bustling streets of Muggle London. Eventually, she was taken to a hotel, where she later awakened to unfamiliar desires, leading her to engage in intimate encounters with both Draco L. Malfoy and Theodore T. Nott. But that night was just the beginning of more, the three of them now hold a secret, a secret that can not ever escape.

the StarChild by AuroraNyx - E, WIP - no summary

Invitations by RoseDeVents - E, WIP - ~You are cordially invitedto read a story aboutHermione Granger's soul bondto two men who are not Ronald Weasley.It all finally makes senseto Theodore Nott and Draco Malfoywho have been quietly pining for hersince they were children.RSVP 'Yes' to a soul bond storythat no one saw coming– except the person who wrote the prompt –written for Dreomione Fest 2023.~

Alexandrite Trio by PenNameUnknown - not rated, WIP - A very different trio is formed when Draco and Theo rescue a crying witch from the troll.

I'll do anything you say (if you say it with your hands) by nyquilsquirrel - M, one-shot - Hermione has a date. Well, not if Theo and Draco have a say in the matter.

Oblivion by Sniper_Jade - M, WIP - When the Wizengamot imprisoned Draco Malfoy he thought they would have thrown away the key. It certainly felt like it after five years in Azkaban with the cold seeping into his bones as though he had never had a warm day in his life.He never expected Hermione Granger to show up with an impossible proposition that could change it all.No one expects a suicide mission to the moon.

A New Start by ghanima77 - T, 5 chapters - Left weak and without magic after the war, Hermione is sent to the Fernwood Institute to convalesce alone for her remaining days, or so she thinks. She soon discovers that she won't be quite so alone, and opportunity is plentiful. Now she just has to be brave enough to take a chance.

Spice Up Your Life by starboygrove - M, WIP - Hermione is tasked with overseeing the Muggle Studies education of the only returning Slytherin students for their 8th year at Hogwarts; with her new responsibility comes an unexpected outing in Muggle London, one that will change all of their lives forever.

It Was Mine First by MirabelleCherry - E, WIP - Starting a new department was never something Hermione had considered, her activist tendencies thoroughly devoted to helping House Elves and other magical creatures, but when Harry absently spoke of the horrors he had been raised in, a spark formed and she hadn't been able to ignore it. No child should ever have to go through that, and if she had her way, they wouldn’t.

The Catalogue by pomegranate_seed - E, WIP - So many beautiful women.No. Not women.Cows.Pretty little hucow wives looking for their forever home.

Just Rent a Daddy When You Need Help... or two? by Mariana_Monteverde - T, one-shot - It all started back at Hogwarts, but it was necessary for a little girl to learn to fly, for three Unspeakables to find themselves again.

CHAOS from the Ashes by girl_friday13 - M, WIP - Six years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Head Investigator and Death Eater Theodore Nott discovers an odd device while interrogating a Muggle suspected of aiding the Order of the Phoenix.No one knows how the Order of the Phoenix managed to regroup in the years since the Dark Lord took over all of Britain, but Theo suspects this “smartphone” might provide him with some answers.That is, if he can fully infiltrate the forum known as “The CHAOS Network.”To do that, he’s going to have to cozy up to the person he knows to be responsible for the Network’s origins, the user known as “the1withthehair.”Aka. Hermione Granger.

Next Time Around by ObsessivelyReading - M, WIP - It's 12 years after the war and Draco, Hermione, and Theo are happily married. Until the letters start coming. Draco and Theo have been getting letters for months being blackmailed and threatened, being told their relationship needs to end. They don't tell anyone, not even each other as they try and figure out who is threatening them and how they can stay together. After an attack at the ministry almost claims Theo and Hermione, Draco decides to take matters into his own hands. He will do anything to protect them, even if it means leaving them.Even after giving into their demands, the outcome is not one anyone was expecting. Will this be their chance to start over?

Don't Wait Up by slytherindiaries - E, one-shot - The clink of the door unlocking has relief flooding her veins. He’s here. He made it.The bedroom door opens and Draco stands in the doorway, taking in the scene. His eyes are wide as they land on Hermione and slide over to his—former, presumably—best friend.“Theodore.” Draco tsks, shaking his head slowly as if disappointed. “You started without me.”“Draco, what—what are you talking about?” Hermione’s pulse is racing, the dam of her emotions threatening to break just under the surface. “Theo—he—he’s trying to—to—”Her husband laughs cruelly, a sound she hasn’t heard from him since their years at Hogwarts. It’s mocking, vicious. “Oh, baby. You thought I would come save you?”

Draco Malfoy and the War on Polyester by AlaskaDiGioia - E, one-shot - Ron accuses Hermione of having an affair with Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott for the last time. She's a single witch and can do whoever she wants.

Afternoon Repose by oceanxpoppy - E, one-shot - Hermione lets her mind drift peacefully under her husbands' careful attention.orHermione, Draco, and Theo enjoy the afternoon on the first day of their honeymoon. PWP.

Loving the Death's Heirs by LadyBlack3 - E, WIP - Some people would call her life boring, but that was changing very quickly. Who could have foreseen Hermione would be sitting in her kitchen at half past six in the morning, working on her puzzle with one of the most famous British drummers of the decade, while his band is threatened by a stalker turned deadly adversary? Let the chase begin. If only she knew how to safeguard her heart with three rock stars in her home..

The Time is Now by ChelsieWhitlock - E, one-shot - Hermione has been waiting, watching as life passes her by, until it's almost too late. She seizes that famous courage, and walks right up to Theo and Draco to shoot her shot, and is pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Draco and Theo have an existing relationship, but are excited to have her join in the fun.

(all I know since yesterday is) everything has changed by AuroraNyx - E, WIP - Hermione wakes up a Tuesday morning & everything seems normal. It's not until she floos into the Ministry of Magic to start her work day that the chaos begins.Is everyone in the Ministry just thinking about sex all day long? And since when have Draco Malfoy & Theodore Nott thought those kind of things ABOUT HER?!?!

Finding the Gryffindor Princess by EmilieJane - E, 7 chapters - *inspired from the film Anastasia*In exile, Draco Malfoy and Theo Nott stumble upon a woman with an uncanny likeliness to one missing Hermione Granger... but she has no memory of being a witch.The Ministry is offering a one million galleon reward for finding the lost Gryffindor princess and, in turn, the restoration of the Malfoy and Nott family name.They just need her to come back to Britain.Easier said than done.

Consequences of Meddling With Time by PenNameUnknown - E, WIP - The war is lost. The Order whittled down to three members who, out of desperation, attempted to run into the past to save their world's future.They just didn't expect to be quite so young. Or the consequences they faced for doing so. The biggest of them being surviving being forced into divination. But the plan is clear. One way or another, the Dark Lord would be mortal before he went for the Potters if he was not dead already.Note: I am taking certain liberties understandably.

Eleanor by SarahFraser - E, 12 chapters - Following the war, Theo Nott was struggling to find a place for himself in England. After sitting his NEWTs with Draco Malfoy in the summer of 1998, Theo found himself accepted to a Charms Mastery program in America. It sounded like a dream come true. The only problem? Draco was on probation for his part in the war and unable to leave the country for four years. Seeking refuge away from the prying eyes of the wizarding world at a club in muggle London to celebrate his last night in England, Theo finds himself having a wild hookup with a random sexy muggle girl. Only, she isn't some random girl, and she most certainly isn't a muggle.Four years later, Theo is back from America, and Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger have a daughter. Who for some reason has his eyes...

A Dream Breaking by Ceilidhchaos - E, WIP - no summary

Death Becomes Us by swoonbaby - E, WIP - Hermione Granger is dead. Draco would know, he was there when it happened. She was killed during the Battle of Hogwarts over twenty years prior and her body was burned along with all the others. He knows this to be true.So why, then, does he find himself standing in a tavern in Ireland staring at a woman that is unmistakably Hermione Granger? A woman, he might add, that doesn't look a day over eighteen.Perhaps he wasn't the only one that met his death and lived to tell the tale.

Forsaken by KiraAnn (Know_It_All_2008) - E, WIP - Hermione's been taken as a prisoner of war. The Dark Lord gifts her to Draco and Theo as a present for services rendered.This is a Dead Dove; please read the tags.

meeting mr and mrs granger by riddikulus_puff - M, 2 chapters - Draco Malfoy, Theodore Nott, and Hermione Granger had been dating as a triad for almost over a year at this point and the boys had yet to meet Hermione's infamously strict mother and father. There was such a high spike of anxiety for the three of them regarding meeting the parents and Hermione really didn't want to put her boys through that pain-filled anxiety and nerves. The three of them had felt the same when properly meeting Draco's mother and father to announce that they were a couple, and had felt a similar feeling when meeting Theodore's abusive father before his death in Azkaban prison. Hermione was anxiously unsure whether her parents would even accept the fact that she was dating two young men instead of just the normal one-loving partner. The pain and worry for the young woman was Hermione's father, Richard Granger. The triad wasn't ready for this but it was happening, they could do nothing to stop the upcoming dinner party that the three had been invited to. Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott were finally going to be meeting Mr and Mrs Granger.

Ours by Draco_is_daddy66 - E, 2 chapters - When Harry dies in the forbidden forest the members of the Order of the Phoenix are captured and held prisoner at Malfoy manor. The men are quickly killed, and after a year the women are divided among the Dark Lords' most loyal, Draco and Theo will only accept one witch, Hermione Granger. When the dark lord declares that the men who own women must breed them, Draco and Theo are more than happy to breed their good girl.

Lattes of Love by nissasxnotes - G, WIP - Hermione Granger dreads the cafe opening at The Book Nook each summer. She's been dealing with frat boys who show up late and don't put in any effort for the past few summers. She already knows this summer will be the same.However, this summer, the two boys hired show up early on their first day, taking Hermione by surprise. And as she gets to know them, she learns they might be different from all the others before them.

Dragon Con '19 by swoonbaby - M, WIP - When Draco comes across a colourful advert for the upcoming "Dragon Con", a brilliant idea is born.What better birthday gift to give the witch of his dreams than tickets to a convention for dragonologists in America? Educational and fun? Hermione will be thrilled! And if the reservation his secretary made was in a muggle hotel, then so be it, they would manage.He was most excited for the parade, as the brochure advertised, though how they intended to have a parade of dragons in the middle of a major muggle city was a mystery to him.But who in Salazar's name is this David Tennant bloke that Hermione professed to be in love with? Why does Theo have a bright green unitard in his luggage? And what exactly is a Targary-whatever and why do they think he looks like one?

This fest is ongoing.

#dreomione fest #fests/exchanges/challenges #triad: draco x hermione x theo #dramione #theomione

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