@luminescenc1e cont. from here

MOST NIGHTS SLEEP EVADES HER.

Hermione would toss and turn and huff, with eyes squeezed shut as she desperately tried to will herself to turn off her brain and go the bloody hell to sleep. Usually it took the exhaustion that came with the early hours of the morning before she managed to get her wish. And even then it was haunted by nightmares. Phantom shadows in the recesses of her mind that hungered to reach out and snatch her, the face of those that had been lost, frozen in the shock of death. Some nights, she doesn't even bother to try, preferring to sit by the fireplace with a book and read until she went cross-eyed and the words became jumbled before slipping away altogether as unconsciousness would take her.

She's thankful to Professor McGonagall for having the foresight to stick the few returning students of her year into their own little wing of the castle, understanding that perhaps they would be battling demons that it's best to shield the younger students from, or that privacy may be their greatest solace. It meant the common room was quiet more often than not, especially at this late hour.

Hermione grabs for her book and a knit throw blanket, tossing it around her shoulders before heading for the comfort of the blazing fire. Only, an empty common room is not what she's met with, and she seems to be frozen in place as she stares at the back of a familiar platinum head.

"I might've taken you up on that but I don't think it's actually me you're offering that to."

[ 𝐆𝐀𝐙𝐄 ] ― sender and receiver lock eyes across the room / for narcissa from lucius (: - @luminescenc1e

It wasn't unlike them to host things in the manor, especially when Draco had been away at school. She always held an air of confidence around these important people of power and played the role of devoted and doting wife proudly. There was nothing she loved more than talking her husband and her son up, especially if it meant that it helped them in the long run. She lifted her head when she and her husband locked eyes from across the room, raising an eyebrow in acknowledgement and quickly excusing herself from the women she had been talking to. She sauntered over to him, her blonde curls that framed her face bouncing as she walked. Narcissa rested her hand on his arm as she approached him, letting him know that she was there before carefully slipping her arm into his. "Excuse us for a moment, gentlemen. "

And she easily guided him away from the conversation they had been having. She glanced over at them and let out a soft sigh before peering up at Lucius. "Did you actually need a rescue, or did you miss me that much, darling?"

@luminescenc1e

Two months after 'meeting' Aleksander, Alina found herself residing in his home in Os Alta. The Omega had never been to the city before and found herself longing for Os Kervo. Having lived nearly all her life in Keramzin, Alina had quickly taken to the ability to go to the shore whenever she wished while in Os Kervo. Now, so far from it, she couldn't help but compare her current location to Kermazin.

Although, perhaps the comparison wasn't totally fair; her intended mate's residence far outshone the rundown children's home that she'd grown up in.

Staying with Aleksander wasn't as bad as she thought it might be, although she would hardly admit such a thing to him. Their mating loomed in the corner of her mind yet, up until recently, she'd been able to focus on the positives. For one, she was given access to a study where she could curl up before the fire with a good book and an even better glass of wine. Alina could imagine spending many a winter night tucked beneath a blanket, basking in the warmth from the hearth. But, perhaps best of all, was the studio she spent much of her time in.

That afternoon found Alina in her favorite spot before one of the large windows, using the natural light afforded by the sunny day. Her fingers grasped a stick of charcoal as she sketched an image from memory: the peaceful meadow that she'd spent most of her free time with Mal as children.

An all too familiar scent drifted toward her, heralding the arrival of the Alpha it belonged to. Her stomach churned, though not in dread, as she continued to sketch. Her heat was supposed to begin next week, making her more susceptible to the pull she felt toward Aleksander. She was sure he was aware of what lay ahead, either from the shift in her own scent or from the information he'd gathered before their meeting in the airport terminal.

"Good morning," she said, looking toward the door when she heard footsteps pause.

Alina shifted on her stool to face him, fingers still grasping her charcoal.

[Starter for @luminescenc1e.]

It was far. Too. Bloody. Early. And these chambers far too bloody cold for the borrowed finery in which she was dressed. The Cardinal’s servants came in each morning to raise the fire, but the meeting was far earlier than that and the night’s chill remained. None of which was any fault of the person currently arriving, but that wasn't going to protect them from the grumble of her tone.

A Musketeer, most likely. Or some other poor soul with a sword roped into this scheme, much as she had been. It was also apparently going to be just the one, and she wasn’t sure if she should greet that with doubt or disbelief - although as she turned to look, disbelief took on another tone. Of all the men in the Garrison who might have been chosen to find her in this predicament ... was this happenstance, she wondered, or did the Cardinal know they'd met before? Thera took a breath, erred on the side of caution just in case.

"Good morning. My name is Therese Landsend ...” Richelieu shot her a look and she sighed. “Currently under the guise of Alisanne Orleans.”

The Cardinal cleared his throat; “The real Madame Orleans is about to undertake a journey as part of our ... negotiations toward Spain. Unfortunately, there are elements who mean to prevent it. You two,” He nodded toward the pair of them, “are to travel as decoys. Simple enough?”

continued from here with @luminescenc1e

"I don't understand why you didn't stay at Hogwarts for Easter hols," Theo said. "We have our OWLs in less than a month. You could have just told your parents you needed to stay at school and focus on studying." Though perhaps that wouldn't have worked with Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson. Theo had always gotten the impression that they were more concerned with their daughter's marriage prospects than her academic performance.

More fool them. Pansy was an intelligent girl, and ambitious, too, like any Slytherin worth his or her salt. She had the potential to be so much more than a homemaker, so much more than a pretty, silent ornament on the arm of some man who planned to be the next Minister for Magic.

For her part, Theo had gone home for the holiday, but only because she knew that she would be able to study at home, too, using the Nott family's extensive library. And it had been good to see her father, whom she always missed terribly while she was away at school. Unlike poor Pansy, Theo had an excellent relationship with her one remaining parent, and she considered her father to be her best friend.

Adjusting the pillows on her own bed, she settled into a more comfortable position and then said, "I haven't got any gossip, really. You know me -- my head's been buried in books and exam notes for months now. But my boyfriend did tell me that the Weasley girl and her boyfriend -- you know, Corner, that prat in Ravenclaw? -- have split up. Over Quidditch, of all things. I can't imagine caring about Quidditch so much that it interferes with someone's personal relationships."

~ @luminescenc1e || PROMENADE! from ginny (: || sender and receiver to share a walk in the garden. ~

Harry smiled softly as they walked through the garden, enjoying the feel of the sunshine on his skin. "I know it's not much to look at yet but -" He gave Ginny a sheepish smile. He'd recently bought the Potter cottage and had started working on rebuilding it. He'd wanted something good to come from everything - He didn't want the house to be standing in ruins, it deserved to have positive memories attached to it, not just the nightmares that'd happened there. "Here - Look -" He reached to take Ginny's hand, leading her down to the bottom of the garden. "I started here -" His lips lifted into a smile, showing her the lilies he'd planted. "And then, over there I'm going to have roses." He kept hold of her hand as he led her to the bed of soil that he'd already cleared.

@luminescenc1e asked: “You’re snapping. Headache again?” / from xaden (: high pain tolerance starters

Immediately does guilt wash over Violet at the callout, the tips of her middle and pointer fingers pressing to knead at both temples as she sucked in a breath. She hadn’t even realized how testy she’d been towards the shadow wielder until he’d said something, meanwhile the intense throbbing in her head was worsening by the second.

“Yes,” she confessed in a huff of breath, the sigh slipping from betwixt her lips as she finally turned to level her gaze at him, an apologetic glint softening her stare. “It’s been almost a full week of these damned headaches, meanwhile Tairn and Andarna are both being temperamental, which makes it worse.” She could close that mental Archives door she’d crafted to shield herself from their disgruntled emotions, but she hadn’t wanted to risk completely closing herself off from either of the dragons. She didn’t like being disconnected from them — it made her feel vulnerable. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you,” came the official apology as she pushed away from the wall. “I’m going to get some water. Maybe it’s just dehydration. Or maybe some fresh air will help. Anything is better than being locked up in here.”

for @luminescenc1e, with love. ♡

aro had known that edward thirsted for this human like no other.

the young vampire was still just a babe, compared to an elder vampire like himself, so he did not think much of it. throughout the centuries, he had come upon many singers. many humans that held such delicious, tentalising blood. a siren song, which sung him into temptation. he had never been the best at resisting temptations, even as a mortal. but he had underestimated the power of isabella's blood, for being so near her now, he could taste its deliciousness.

it was thick in the air, and became painfully obvious when fear increased her heartrate. he was lulled by the rhythmic sound it made, as she was the only beating heart in the room, and he was so keenly attuned to everything about her. the elder vampire licks his lips, the hunger so very obvious on his features. it was a shame, having to kill a vampire with such a promising talent such as edward, but he had broken one of their cardinal rules. he watched, in silence, as his execution took place. that is, until she began crying, begging.

begging for edward's life. it was fascinating. she intrigued him like no other. he had been alive for over three thousand years, and he could hardly remember the last time an ordinary mortal had intrigued him so. ❝ you would lay down your life, for a soulless monster? ❞ oh, she would. it was clear. she was blindly in love. he smiled, finding it endearing. even now, he can still be touched by the memory of human emotions, even if they are just a distant memory to him. still, rules are rules... ah, but then she says those magic words... i'll do anything. aro looks at her different, then.

he steps into her personal space again, breathing in her deliciously tentalising scent. ❝ anything? ❞ the word is whispered with a tone even a virgin could understand. and yes, he is all too aware of the fact she is a virgin. not only through edward's memories, but he could smell it on her. it was so obvious, the poor thing was riddled by teenage hormones, desperate to be touched by her boyfriend who was too afraid of breaking her. aro swallowed thickly, his fangs on show, the venom in his mouth a bitter reminder of how hungry he is.

❝ very well, isabella. i accept your preposition. ❞

it took him no time at all to clap his hands together, that friendly smile back on his face as if he wasn't about to murder edward just a few moments prior. ❝ edward and alice both get to live and return to their home. no harm done, after all. isn't that wonderful? i do love a happy ending. ❞ edward could be heard protesting, fighting with all his might against felix. but he couldn't overwhelm him. aro wasn't worried. he beckoned jane with a hand, whispering instructions in her ear. she was to take isabella away, to his personal chambers.

❝ alice, my dear, you are welcome to stay for as long as you wish. you, as well, edward, though i imagine it is best you leave for now. do not squander the second chance you have been given by your ex-girlfriend, my boy. it would be a shame. ❞

he wanted it made clear he wouldn't hesitate to kill edward, should he prove himself a problem. for now, he would stick to his word. after all, isabella had offered herself in exchange for edward. oh, he was so excited. it was as clear as daylight, as he returned to his throne, feeling his brothers' eyes upon him. caius looked displeased, then again, didn't he always? aro watched isabella leave, accompanied by jane. he took a deep breath in, enjoying her lingering scent.

tonight, he would not feed with his brothers, but rather, he'd taste the sweetest blood that he had come upon in over a millenium.

@luminescenc1e gets a starter from Esme

The last few weeks had been a strange adjustment. Carlisle had explained that her human memories would quickly fade, and she hadn't been particularly worried about that - there was only one thing she wished to remember; her baby son.

The face of her baby was already changing in her mind: it seemed more like years than just the few short weeks it had been since she held his tiny body in her arms. Each time she tried to recall him, other unpleasant memories surfaced of her husband. Charles shoving her so hard against the wall that she split her head open, Charles threatening her with a knife against her throat, Charles pulling out chunks of her hair.

She was so distracted by reliving the horror of her human life that she did not hear Edward quietly entering the room.

Ten years.

How had it been that long already? A whole decade since Voldemort had been struck down right in front of them all, little more than an army of children finally bringing the Dark Lord to his knees, and losing so much along the way.

This anniversary was a complicated time for even the best of them, Cho was sure. For her, it mostly brought with it flashes of Cedric, reminders of the boy she'd lost to Voldemort's hand before she fully had a chance to have him rising back up no matter where she turned.

Even so. Cho, at least, was already a public figure - had actually signed up to be one at that, unlike Harry - so when news had spread of an anniversary article on the survivors being in the works, she figured it didn't hurt to toss her hat into the ring. There was no keeping Harry's little trio out of the limelight, that much she understood all too well, especially when she and Harry's brief and messy relationship was likely at least half the reason they wanted her here at all. Still... Maybe she could spare some of the rest of her old classmates, that might need the peace of mind more than she did.

She could do this.

At least, she thought she could - until she walked into the first meeting and saw who, exactly, awaited her on the other side of that table.

"Parkinson. You have got to be kidding me," Cho sneered. The girl had made a point of making her life hell, especially after Cedric's death. Had spent the crux of the war on the wrong damn side. No way was Cho putting her story into her hands, not without thinking twice about it first. Three or four times over, even. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just walk right back out that door." // @luminescenc1e + plotted starter!

@luminescenc1e cont. from here

IT'S NOT AS IF THE ATTENTION HE GARNERS IS NEW. From the very moment he had stepped foot in the Great Hall he had been the name on every girls' lips, his name doodled into many notebooks in feminine loops with floating hearts drawn around it. Even before she'd acknowledged her own attraction to him, she had noticed it, had rolled her eyes and scoffed at the schoolgirl antics, all the while ignoring the brewing jealousy that grew hot in her veins.

Now it had increased tenfold. Hermione is hardly one for public displays of affection, but not being able to lay any kind of public claim to him while watching other girls fuss and fawn over him was infuriating. Even if it's for her own protection as he'd told her countless times, even if he was breaking his own rules by sitting with her as she studied.

Not even the familiar, warm weight of his hand on her thigh is enough to drag her from her ire (which is saying something considering the way her heart races every time he puts his hands on her). "That's different. My friends don't want to shag me," she protests, glaring daggers in the direction of the Slytherin girls so intensely one might think she were trying to nonverbally avada them.

Instead, she goes for something a little different, muttering the incantation beneath her breath and executing the swish of her wand beneath the table. The effect is immediate, loud screeching coming from the girls as a large, hairy spider crawls from beneath the stacks of parchment on the desk in front of them. The girls jump up, clinging to each other and scrambling away from the creepy crawlie. The commotion is plenty enough to gain the attention of Madam Pince and Hermione quickly erases the spider from existence as quickly as she had conjured it, watching as the stern librarian chases the girls out of the library with various hexes for making a ruckus in her sacred space. Satisfied with her work, she looks back at Draco, faux innocence plastered on her face. "There. Much better."

@luminescenc1e

Slowly Alina became aware of her surroundings. A fire was crackling in the hearth, the noise punctuated by low whispering. Her head ached fiercely, worse than the migraines of her younger years that had kept her in the dark girl’s dormitory for hours.

Alina’s fingers tentatively moved over the blanket that was draped over her. The quality was good, far better than anything she’d been given in the First Army. Without a doubt she must be at the Little Palace.

Slowly her eyes opened to the sight of her suite in the Little Palace. The familiar surroundings put her at ease although they couldn’t answer the question that consumed her thoughts.

Alina made to sit up and was quickly halted by one of the whispering healers. The other hastily left the room while she was coaxed back onto her pillows. “What happened to me?” she asked, voice coming out raspy and unused. The healer, one Alina didn’t recognize, helped her sip from a glass of water. “There was an accident,” he said vaguely. “You were in bad shape.”

She gave a dry chuckle, one that earned a wince from the soreness in her ribs, at the lackluster response. “Did Zoya toss me in the training yard again?” she asked, looking toward the healer for some hint of an answer. The man seemed nervous and opted not to respond.

Alina’s stomach sank with worry. Something felt off.

@luminescenc1e sent : “   I merely look forward to working together, to furthering the excellence of your work. ” from klaus .

" right , my work , " it sounded so tedious coming from the man's mouth , but caroline bit back her smile with a nod , parroting the other . there was an urge to push back , say that her work was nothing but a hobby -- to undermine her abilities of making things look pretty when they need to be . organizing events was something the blonde enjoyed doing , the excitement of getting every little detail in order and watching it play out was worth it , but there's that inkling of doubt especially when it comes to other women's hobbies she overhears them talking about. caroline's been planning parties since she was old enough to play with string and wrapped parchment into the shape of a flower . sometimes things come full circle , like caroline's love for flowers becoming apparent since it's spring , and she's holding a bouquet that didn't quite fit the color scheme for the founder's party that was to be on in four nights.

caroline realizes that the other was busy, and probably has many others to attend to when talking about his business in mystic falls . " you can take some of it with you , if you'd like . " a not so subtle way to show her attraction towards the man , because caroline is cheeky and he's made her heart flutter all too many times with that accent of his , even before advancing to be partners with making sure his building looked just right to show off his art pieces .

handing klaus a small bouquet ( from her much larger bouquet in hand ) of purple lilac conjoined with purple carnations . she's careful not to prick her fingers on the thorns , gently smoothing out the petals in case her rustling had effected them too much .

" i look forward to seeing you again. we can discuss more ... work related activities . " face dusted with pink , caroline shifts her weight from one (heeled) foot to the other.

☎️ 𝙶𝙷𝙾𝚂𝚃𝙱𝚄𝚂𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚂, 𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝙳𝙾 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝚆𝙰𝙽𝚃? || i was never cut out for a job like this. / from ray (: || @luminescenc1e

❝ I wouldn't worry. The likelihood of this escalating to a Gozer-like threat to the planet is very slim. ❞

HE'D NEVER BEEN THE MOST SKILLED WHEN IT CAME TO OFFERING REASSURANCE. Ironically enough, that role tended to be taken up by Ray, his innate excitement and passion having proven to provide a surprising amount of inspiration whenever the team were in the thick of it (with the occasional contribution offered by Peter, usually whenever he was sure that he was finally beginning the descent into insanity), so to witness the optimist himself undergo a brief lapse in confidence was, however inevitable it was from a statistical perspective, still did well to fan the spark of concern in his own psyche.

GRANTED, RAY HAD AMPLE REASON TO BE NERVOUS. After all, when they'd last encountered The Collectors (a Class VI cadre of demons who, when summoned, could permanently abduct whoever their summoner wanted them to, at the cost of the summoner's own sanity), they'd had to fight their way out of a completely different dimension, their return to New York having been met with the news that, in the eyes of their peers, they'd been gone for several months, in comparison with the mere hours they'd been confined for. Thus, news of their potential return had not been met with much enthusiasm. Regardless, in his own eyes, the team had bested them before. There was no reason why they couldn't best them again.

HM. Interesting. Perhaps it was his turn to assume the role of optimist.

❝ We'll always have each other's backs. You know that. Still, if you'd rather stay here with Janine for the time being, that's fine. Your well-being is important. ❞

~ @luminescenc1e || ❝I don’t like the way they’re looking at you ❞ / from ginny for harry (: ~

Harry had to admit, he was oblivious when it came to that sort of thing. Mostly because he'd gotten so used to people staring at him over the years that it usually didn't register with him anymore. He just ignored it and assumed that they were staring because they had some ill informed opinion about him. "Probably waiting to see if I'll turn into a snake or something equally as ridiculous." His lips twitched with amusement, turning in his seat to look at the girls that Ginny had nodded towards.

"Merlin, they really are staring, aren't they?" He muttered through his teeth, giving a polite smile, accompanied by a half wave. "Quick, act like we're talking about something serious so that they don't come over." A pause. "Can you cry on cue? That would be helpful." His expression was playful as he looked to Ginny.

continued from here with @luminescenc1e

Theo was equally happy to know that she would soon be out of Hogwarts, though she wasn't so naive as to think that she would be escaping her surname's new, unsavory reputation. It was going to be a struggle to break into her chosen field now, even if she did achieve her goal of scoring Os on all of her NEWTs. Still, that was no reason not to study hard and do her very best. She certainly wasn't going to give up at the first stumbling block.

"You can have solitude with two," she said. "After all, we've been outcasts together for the entire year, haven't we? You, me, and Pansy."

In truth, Pansy and Draco both had it worse than Theo. After all, Draco had let Death Eaters into the castle back in their sixth year, and Pansy had publicly advocated handing Harry over to the Dark Lord during the Battle of Hogwarts. Compared to that, Theo was simply a Death Eater's daughter. But that was enough for her to be shunned by most of the school, even if she didn't attract quite as much vitriol as her two closest friends.

Had things been different, they might have been a quintet, joined by Vince and Greg. But Vince was dead, burned to ash by Fiendfyre, and Greg was in Azkaban for his cooperation with the Death Eaters. There had been no Harry Potter to advocate for a more lenient sentence for him the way Potter had advocated for Draco not to be punished.