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#reg: i will burn them.

jamesisasimp · 2 years

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Okay but an AU where the Black family mafia is burned down in a house fire on New Years Eve while Regulus was out fetching his brother from the pub with his three lowlife friends. The brothers come back to find their family and their empire gone, and their faces on every wanted poster in the city - not to mention that, without their family's protection, all the people they've done wrong to want revenge.

Regulus will turn eighteen in a year, and then he'll be old enough to travel out of the country with Sirius, but until then they need to stay with his friends in their safehouse. The hotel used to be Barty's father's, but he slipped something into his tea and now it's a safe haven for the criminals with nowhere else to go where he runs the bar. Remus grew up in a sacrificial cult that he escaped during a police raid, and because of his involvement and years without proper meals and medical treatment, his options are numbered and his wallet can barely sustain how deadly ill he's fallen. James used to be rich, he really did, but then he gambled it all away trying to get richer and impress Lily Evans, then his parents kicked him out and he used to last of his funds to pay for Remus's medication - he's completely broke.

They're barely getting by and they're surviving mostly because no one knows they're there. And they're about to adopt the two most sought after criminals in all of London. They can't say no, how could they? They're in love with them.

#i want to write this so bad but i know i don't have the talent to do it justice #like sirius following remus to work and helping pay for his medicines #to make up for letting them stay #and the slow burn of reg watching james work in the garden in the spring #to coming home from work sweaty in the summer #to sitting by the fire and eating popcorn balls with him in the autumn #to finally kissing on christmas eve #two days before reg and sirius are supposed to leave forever #like???#i need #jegulus #starchaser #wolfstar

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my-castles-crumbling · 2 months

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bar - @jegulus-microfic - word count: 645 - NSFW (detailed descriptions of sexual dancing but not actual sex) - sorry for flooding your inbox today, @jegulus-microfic, I really like this prompt!

"Make Regulus blush."

That had been James's dare from Dorcas.

But Regulus was a fortress. He didn't react to anything. James had been trying for months. He'd flirted, complimented, annoyed, and instigated.

The only reason he hadn't given up was because of Marlene. 'Cas says that Reg likes you back. You just have to break through his....er...walls.'

So he continued to try. But Regulus continued to reject him. He had a plan tonight, though.

Sirius had snuck off with Remus so he wasn't about to get reprimanded for resorting to desperate measures. Which he was going to do. Because these were definitely desperate times. Meaning, James was desperate for Regulus.

So he stood from his spot in their circle of friends and moved in front of Regulus. "Any rules?" he asked lightly, looking at Regulus.

"No," Dorcas answered, while Regulus wrinkled his nose and said, "No touching."

"Alright," James nodded, conjuring a chair and gesturing for Regulus to sit.

The other boy sat gingerly, looking up at him with a bored expression that said 'do your worst.'

Then, waving his wand, James made music begin.

Of course, he was not a trained professional. He'd never given a lap dance in his life, actually. But he had a feeling that didn't matter. Because as soon as the music began, a suggestive bass line filling the room, Regulus looked nervous.

"Sure this is okay?" James asked and he stepped closer.

"No touching," Regulus repeated, quieter, now.

"Sure."

Instead, James slowly circled the chair, before coming around to the front again. Grinning slightly, he straddled Regulus, never allowing their legs to touch, gripping the bar of the back of the chair behind Regulus's head for balance, before slowly guiding himself down and in.

It was difficult. James thanked Merlin for his Quidditch training, as his thighs burned from the position. But, leaning closer and allowing his face and chest to move just centimeters way from Regulus, thrusting his hips with the music, he realized it was worth it. Because it was working.

The air was becoming hot and Regulus's breath was hitching. James felt the tension rolling off of both of them in waves.

Wolf whistles sounded from around them as Regulus began to squirm, accidentally causing their legs to brush.

"I can stop, love," James murmured into his ear, knowing he couldn't do much else without actually touching Regulus.

But Regulus met his eyes and tilted his chin up slightly before spreading his own knees just a little, making their legs touch again. "Go on," he muttered. "I won't blush even if you touch me."

Grinning at the challenge, James sat fully in his lap, now, earning screams from the circle, but focusing on Regulus's face. He looked like he was concentrating, his lip between his teeth and his eyes staring across the room. "Distracted?" James asked quietly, slowly allowing his weight to pull their bodies together deliciously.

"No," Regulus grunted, still staring off.

James ran his hands up Regulus's chest and thrust just slightly, earning a shiver from the other boy. "And now, love?"

"No."

Someone in the circle whistled again and everyone was chattering and giggling.

He bit at the earlobe in front of him before mouthing down Regulus's neck. The smallest moan was detectible only through vibration, and James smiled into the pale skin in front of him. "Blushing now?"

"N-no."

But James knew he was lying. Because it was clear from the hardness poking into his inner thigh that Regulus was very distracted. So he whispered again, "Your cock seems to disagree."

Regulus let out a louder groan this time, throwing his head back a bit, and James looked triumphantly at his skin, a beautiful blush forming there. "We'll pick this up later, love," he murmured into Regulus's ear, kissing his neck lightly before standing up and facing Dorcas.

"I win."

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emlovessid · 4 months

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@jegulus-microfic january 2, fire, 254 words

“What the fuck, James?” Regulus yells, bursting into the break room. “Why did I just get called into a meeting with Frank for him to tell me that you’re resigning?”

He’d known this was coming, has been on edge since his own meeting with Frank that morning, but is still unprepared for the anger burning like fire in Regulus’ eyes.

“I’m not resigning, I’m being transferred,” James says calmly.

“Transferred? We’ve been partners for six years, James. We’re a team,” Regulus says, the anger dropping from his voice until it’s just, hurt. “One night together and that’s it? You just want to throw that all away?”

James is on his feet before Regulus has even finished his sentence, crossing the distance between them until they’re standing toe to toe. James is slow and deliberate as he raises his hands to cup Regulus’ face, giving him time to pull away if he wants to. He doesn’t.

“It wasn’t just one night for me, Reg. Surely you must know it meant so much more than that. At least it did for me,” he says quietly, running a thumb across Regulus’ cheek, before adding, “Our job is to protect Evan.”

“And that’s what we do. We’re damn good at it,” Regulus interrupts, voice barely above a whisper.

“If there’s danger, our job is supposed to be to jump in front of Evan.”

“That’s always been the job, what’s changed?”

“Because now I know that I wouldn’t jump in front of Evan. I’d jump in front of you.”

#vampire academy fans where you at #they're both bodyguards if that wasn't obvious #jegulus #jegulus fic #marauders #sometimes i write things

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vanderilnde · 3 months

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simon riley/f!reader

warnings: simon is an amputee, implied alcoholism, implied painkiller addiction

Johnny forces Simon to a veterans support group. The latter is less than pleased with the idea—that is, of course, until a little birdy catches Simon’s eye.

—

Simon smells you before he sees you.

However, it's been five months since his honourable discharge, and he's a dead man walking, so he supposes the same could be said for him.

It's the roasting stench of pungent malt. Permeating through the froth of his balaclava and burning his nostrils. He canters his head to the side, sweeping the basement with his hackles raised.

"What's your name?" Comes from the front of the room, scotching Simon's thoughts, to which he mumbles, "Simon."

A peal of "Hi Simon," ripples through the basement, and he cringes.

He was rotting in his flat when Johnny visited. Against everything, it was a sweet respite—seeing his face after so long. He filled him in on what he'd missed, though technically, that isn't allowed anymore. Simon isn't SAS. The only thing connecting him to the military now is his pension, sapped into streaming sites and grocery deliver apps.

He supposes Johnny saw his overripe, threadbare balaclava. Saw a spread of painkillers rooted on every surface. Saw the progress of Simon’s leg, how it ripened from a necrosed nub into an alloy, fused with the silicone of his prosthetic that is two shades too dark for his skin. Then, Johnny forced him here.

"I can't come—veteran's only, but my cousin used ta go to one of 'ese," Johnny said, "it'll do you good."

It's a room with various breeds of military personnel. All at various ranks. Extensions of themselves in crutches and wheelchairs; regressions of them in eyepatches and arm-casts.

The man says, "Well, you’re late. We’re almost finished here."

Simon blindly nods. He can smell you again. Pervasive ethanol and barbed impurities, swirling around his head. He finds a chair too small for him and sits down, heeding how it wanes under his weight.

The man starts talking again. But for Simon, the voice turns to filaments. Droned out and greyscale against his impaired senses. Fermented sorghum burns his eyes as Simon sweeps his head to the side, catching a glint of light winking back at him.

He finally sees you.

Simon finds himself back in the jungle, in the middle of an operation. Sweaty and damp and dewy between clement leaves as he eyes down an X-ray.

Your eyes hold the same sentiment of intimidation. They’re red-rimmed with veiny scythes but bore a glimmer bespoken for the stars. Your hard stare inspires a flare in Simon’s heart. Something so off-putting that it drills itself into his bones and burns the sealant in his prosthetic.

You part your lips. They have a forgone softness to them, now cut and peeled in different corners, akin to the ruins of Babylon. Vodka sticks to the roof of your mouth as you dart out your tongue, wetting your lips.

"See that guy over there?"

Marginally, Simon flinches. Your voice is softer than anticipated. Softer than your rotgut scent and your strands of silage hair.

He follows the streamline of your gaze. To an underdeveloped man sitting with his back hunched, eyes puffy, across the room.

"He's here 'cause he got home and caught his girlfriend fucking another bloke," a wheeze collapses your sentence, "isn't that hilarious?"

Simon stares at him. Then he hangs his head, staring at his leg. He sees his prosthetic jut out and distort the denim of his jeans, and, in spite of himself, Simon chuckles. It is hilarious.

"He calls it traumatic," you slouch in your seat, "try seeing your mate get blown to pieces."

Simon is quiet. But that doesn't off-put you, because you're leaning in closer and examining his mask.

"What branch were you?"

He keeps his eyes locked on the opposite wall. "Parachute reg."

"Battalion?"

"... Third."

You narrow your eyes. "So, Special Air Service."

He expels a loose laugh. Scratches the scruff of his neck. "Sure."

"Could've just said that," you frown, “I was SRR, so we might’ve crossed paths.”

Simon hitches his eyes up, chancing another glance at you.

You don't look SRR. But again, Simon doesn't look SAS.

He grunts, “How the mighty’ve fallen, eh?”

A lukewarm chuckle escapes you. “Yeah.”

The sound of your laugh inspires warmth in Simon’s belly. He doesn’t know what to say, but he knows he wants to say something. He feels a chord to keep the conversation going; to not disappoint you.

Simon feels like Icarus flying too close to the sun.

“Why’d you leave?” He says, leaning a little closer.

“You’re never supposed to ask that,” you murmur, “but I like you, so I’ll bite. OTH. Got nicked in Bulford for radical interrogation tactics. Whatever that shit means.”

Simon grunts. His cadence offers a hint of condolence, but you just laugh. “I’m glad to be out of there. And you? Why are you here?”

“C4 explosion,” he grumbles, “honourable discharge.”

You hum. “Goody two shoes.”

A waspish blush dominates the furrows of Simon’s crows feet. He brokenly mumbles under his breath, embarrassed, preening under your gaze.

His rebuttal idles at the threshold of his mouth. It collapses on his tongue when you stand up, fishing cigarette from your breast pocket.

“I’m going,” you say, “will I see you next week?”

Simon’s neck twitches and rockets into a nod. Immediately, he is looking forward to next week. He believes a byproduct of second-hand drinking has vitiated him, as when you walk away, hips swaying, Simon feels drunk.

As Simon sits stupefied, left without a heart as you’d taken his on your way out, he curses to himself.

Simon didn’t get your name.

#simon riley x reader #simon ghost x reader #cod x reader #simon ghost riley #simon riley #cod mw2 #simon ghost x you #simon writing #writing #veteran!simon

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bellaxisworld · 2 months

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february 16 @jegulus-microfic prompt: tear. word count: 759

Regulus had been receiving love notes and love letters and letters of admiration from peers since fourth year when he’d come back to school with short hair and a mean look. He thought people simply admired him in a way that resembled desiring what you can never have—because he would never be theirs, and they would never be his. He was his own, whole entity without needing the validation of a romantic love.

That was, he thought this until he bumped into James Potter in the halls of his sixth year, and James went from boy-next-door to someone from Regulus’ very own fantasies.

Regulus’ brain quickly became a ball pit of thoughts about James Potter and James alone. He thought about James constantly, and he thought he was fucking ill. How could he let this happen? He was possessed by the divine being that was James.

And James wasn’t leaving Regulus alone.

It was bad enough that Regulus couldn’t avoid him in his own head, but now James was popping up everywhere. He made himself present wherever Regulus was, and it was driving him mad.

Because James was stunning, and Regulus was obsessed. He wanted James to push him up against a wall and kiss him senseless. He wanted to kick James and for James to look back at him with a gleam in his pretty, pretty brown eyes. He wanted James to wrap his arms around him and whisper sweet nothings in his ear(his arms were big and just the sight of them made Regulus weak in the knees). He wanted James, and James, and James and James and James and then everything was about James. Regulus wanted James.

And then James Potter began flirting with him.

It was subtle, at first. Just a cocky smirk when they talked, and a glance down at his lips. Then he made suggestive comments, calling Regulus pretty, and Regulus went to his dorm to bury his blushing face in a pillow. Then there was the arm touch, and that time Regulus stuttered on his words and dropped his books. James Potter made him a mess.

It didn’t help that when James knelt to pick up his books for him, he looked up at Regulus with big eyes and said this isn’t exactly how I pictured getting on my knees for you for the first time.

Then James got enough courage to ask Regulus out on a date, and Regulus was helpless. He said yes, acting reluctant, but he was sure James knew how desperate he was for him.

So, they were dating—and Regulus learned how very possessive James Potter was over the things he cared about, and he could not be more pleased about being included in that category. Regulus was profoundly and deeply happy with James, and he knew James owned him, heart, body, and soul, through and through, claimed by James Potter. Regulus would never complain about the possessive side of James, because it meant James was just as territorial over Regulus as he was over James. Mutually beneficial satisfaction.

James was sitting with Regulus during breakfast at the Slytherin table, and back-for-scheduled-programming, an owl dropped by with many pink and white and gold love letters and notes, addressed to one Regulus Black.

Regulus sighed and picked up his wand to incendio them when James’ hand snapped out to capture them. James looked shocked as he flicked through them, mystified by the sheer amount of admiration Reg received daily.

“You get these everyday?” he asked.

“Yes,” Regulus said. “I get rid of all of them.”

James scoffed, a mischief and fire lighting up his eyes. “Crazy,” he muttered, tearing up every single letter and scattering the scraps. “I’m going to tear up every one you get.”

Regulus rolled his eyes. “They’re stupid and silly notes, nothing to go crazy over—”

“Regulus,” James said, voice steady but firm. He turned Regulus’ face by grabbing his chin, forcing him to look him in the eyes. James’ gaze was burning, and his jaw was set. He looked fierce like that, and Regulus felt overly warm. “You’re going to bring them to me and I’m going to tear up every single one. Understood?”

Regulus nodded, looking at him a bit dumbly.James smirked and fell forward, capturing and devouring Regulus in a kiss that was too obscene for the breakfast setting. He was making a statement, right there in the Great Hall in front of everyone. Regulus melted into him, mumbling against his lips, “Yeah, yes, please tear them up.”

find the full collection of february microfic prompts on ao3: february, i'm yours.

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soreddieforit · 6 days

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Regulus skin gets pink easily

holy fuck holy fuck holy fuck. why have i never thought of this before. you're a genius nonnie.

james finds it so endearing. loves when reg takes a shower and his shoulders and chest flush pink from the heat of the water. it's a look that only james gets to see--regulus soft and tender and at home. loves how his whole body is always a bit rosy in the summer, sunburn never quite fading into a tan like james'. or how he can make the tips of reg's ears burn red when he calls him his boyfriend in front of anyone. james throws around "and my boyfriend will have a black coffee," to the barista at the coffee shop, or a "let me introduce you to my lovely boyfriend," to a new friend, and regulus has to fight against his whole body turning a pleased shade of red.

but as sweet as it is, its also startlingly hot. like how james doesn't even have to try to paint his ass in handprints. a firm hand and a few slaps is all james needs to have reg's ass mottled red and starting to purple. its a heady feeling, to see regulus' cheeks burn, when someone asks him about the red marks that circle the base of his wrists, knowing that they came from the chafe of james' tie binding them. especially delicious when he wraps his hand around regulus' throat and applies just enough pressure to cut the flow of air, so he can leave a beautiful imprint of his hand there.

#mail #jegulus #regulus black #james potter

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thebestofoneshots · 22 days

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Gilded Constellations | (wolfstar x reader)

Series Masterlist | Previous episode

Pairing: Wolfstar x Reader Word Count: 8.8 K Warnings: None Prompt: In which you meet Sirius' real parents and go on a Christmas shopping spree. This IS a Wolfstar x reader fic, but it's incredibly slow burn. They won't start all dating each other until we're very deep into the story, but I promise the long wait will be worth it. Proofread by lovely: @aremuslupinsimp

Chapter 41: Urban Adventure

Wednesday, December 23rd

Sirius and you stayed by each other’s side until you arrived at the station and walked out of the train next to each other. On the platform, many students were smiling as they greeted their parents. You saw your boyfriend look at some of the scenes apprehensively, almost bitterly. That had been something Sirius had never gotten to do, at least never with his cold parents.

There were some couples kissing each other goodbye, while some kids held their heads up, trying to see above other people’s heads to find their families already waiting for them. You didn’t bother looking for yours, you had told them you’d be taking the floo from Diagon, and that you’d be hanging out with some friends. You had gotten money on the response letter, a small enough fortune for you to buy as many gifts as you pleased, and a note that said something about them not getting home until late on the 23rd due to a work dinner that they’d be attending.

Your father had sent you a separate letter with even more money, so you could spend as much as you pleased on your Christmas present. He had also sent a key to a vault in Gringotts inside that same envelope, saying that that was your 17th birthday present and that he thought giving it to you ahead of time would be clever, in case you wanted to save the money from your gift. He mentioned something about your vault already being filled with Galleons and some other family relics he thought you’d like, that he had originally moved it there because he needed to make space on the family vault but that you could take and squander as you pleased. Whatever was in the vault now, you could keep it as yours.

You had been pretty pleased when you read that letter, although, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t curious about what exactly your father needed to make space for in the family vault. Regardless, you had been so busy that day, preparing for the moon, that you didn’t have much time to ponder about it.

You saw Nina hugging a round, older-looking lady who had the exact same hair and nose, you instantly knew it was her mother. You also spotted some of your other friends here and there, some greeting their parents, some others saying goodbye to their friends. Walburga showed up at the station too, she was wearing a long dark coat and walked past Sirius like she hadn’t even seen him. Sirius’ expression turned sombre as he too pretended not to have seen her at all. You had pretty much recoiled from her and into Sirius the moment she so much as walked your way and he placed an arm around your waist.

“Ignore her,” he told you simply. “She’s just a bitch.”

You turned to him, he couldn’t even hide the sour expression on his face, he’d told you about the night he’d escaped with the Potters, it had been absolutely dreadful and Walburga had never seemed more horrifying to you than she did when he told you the story. And since then, you had also found out about the veritaserum she had used on Reg, and even if she looked as stunning and put together as ever, you could see the monster hidden behind her elegant features as clear as day.

You had been thinking of how Sirius’ hand tightened around your waist when you saw Sirius’ expression switch completely, you directed your attention towards his line of sight, and you instantly knew why he’d cheered up so suddenly. A slim lady who must have been in her fifties was walking towards him with open arms. She had a warm and welcoming expression, rosy cheeks and the most contagious smile you’d ever seen, only battled perhaps by who you instantly knew was her son, James Potter.

She had short, neatly trimmed hair, and there was a small unruly curl falling over her forehead. “Sirius!” she said with a smile, “Look at you, I’d swear you’ve grown a few inches since I last saw you.” She had her hands around the boy’s face now and was looking at him affectionately, exactly like you would expect a mother to greet her son after not seeing him for months. You couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Sirius was smiling happily as he greeted her, standing tall and proud as she mentioned her height and when she added, almost in a whisper, “And you’ve gotten more handsome too,” he even sent her a cheeky wink.

You smiled brightly as you saw the interaction, almost mirroring the expression of the man in front of you, who looked just as happy as he stared at his wife greeting Sirius. He had a mop of black hair that seemed to have no trimming –now you knew where James had gotten it from– with a few streaks of white in sections and sunshine-bright hazel eyes. He looked slightly younger than the woman and had the same venturesome expression James had. There was no doubt about it, James Potter was completely and irrefutably, their child.

“And this beautiful lady must be this Vixen you boys keep telling me about in your letters,” she said with a smile.

“Nice to meet you, madam,” you said as you extended your hand, but she pulled you into a hug instead. If you thought Sirius had no sense of personal space, he was absolutely nothing compared to Euphemia Potter, but she had such a warm, honest and open aura, that you accepted her hug gladly, in fact, the shudder you had felt earlier when Walburga passed you by was completely forgotten the moment she embraced you as if she has some sort of calming superpower or something.

“Please, call me Effie,” she said as she pulled back from you. “I’ve gotten a bunch of letters about you, even from Remus,” she told you with a smile. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

The man from behind, who had dragged Sirius into yet another hug as Effie spoke, turned to you with a smile. “Fleamont Potter,” he said as he extended his hand for you to shake, “but please just call me Monty, Mr. Potter was my father.”

You smiled and shook the man’s hand, he was as tall as James, although he was rather thinner. You remembered James telling you it was his mom who taught him how to ride a broom and you thought it made absolute sense that she looked like the sporty one in the family instead of Monty. “My mother’s a big fan of yours,” you said. “She’s been using Sleekeazy since it was released.”

Monty smiled at that, “Send her my greetings,” he said.

“Do you know by any chance where James has gone off to?” Effie asked, looking at both you and Sirius. You exchanged glances, both of you had a pretty good idea of where he might have been, but you couldn’t exactly tell his parents that he was most likely –still– snogging Lily somewhere in the carriages.

“No idea,” you said as you looked around, pretending to look for him. “He said anything to you?” you asked Sirius who shook his head.

Effie huffed and then shook her head as if to change the subject., “Where will you spend Christmas, darling?”

You shrugged, “At home, I suppose… Mom and Dad haven’t talked much about their plans for this Christmas, why?”

“Oh nothing, we were just going to invite you on behalf of James and Sirius, I’m sure they’d both love to have you with us. If not on Christmas day, you are more than welcome to come over whenever you please, we’ll leave the floo open for you during the entire break,” She said with a smile.

“I think the boys are already planning to invite everyone over sometime for the New Year’s celebration anyway,” Fleamont added.

“That would be lovely,” you said with a smile. “That way you won’t have to miss me as much,” you said as you turned to Sirius with a teasing smile, he scoffed in return.

“You mean, you won’t miss me,” he sassed back, you shoved him lightly, and while still lost in each other's gazes, you completely missed Effie’s knowing smirk and Monty’s proud smile. Because of course, he was proud, ever since they had taken in Sirius, they considered him as their own, and frankly, he had been worried about his playboy personality. Not because he considered it inherently bad, but rather because he knew Sirius was doing it to piss his parents off by ruining his reputation even further, and because he was still trying to lick love out of knives, after having been starved of it throughout most of his childhood.

Monty and Effie had vowed to make him feel loved and cared for, and they knew their friends were doing a great deal for Sirius as well, but they feared it not to be enough. The boy was still looking for love in the wrong places. But seeing him with you, teasing each other playfully, instantly told them that perhaps, Sirius’ need for love, would finally be fulfilled and he would no longer have to lick it off of knives, but rather he would be able to enjoy being fed silver spoonfuls of love by those he cared for so much.

“You are definitely not telling my parents about my grades are you?” James asked as he placed both of his hands around you and Sirius, looking at both of his parents with a smile.

You turned to him only to realise there was still some of Lily’s lipstick on his mouth and you turned to the side, pointing at a corner of the station, “Is that an Eagle Owl?” you improvised. And thankfully, both of James’ parents turned, and you threw a look at Sirius who decided to follow up while you used your thumb to wipe the smeared lipstick off his face.

“Oi, what–”

“Shut up,” you whispered as you continued, “Your hair is messy enough, you really want your parents to figure out you were snogging earlier?”

He gave you a worried look and you raised your eyebrows knowingly. Finishing the cleanup and then turning his head to look at the place you had pointed at earlier. Poor James was being manhandled and didn’t even complain about it because he knew how much help you’d been. Both you and Sirius, he might have had the best train ride of his life.

“I must have gotten it wrong,” you said then with a shrug, “Sorry,” you added sheepishly, and Sirius had to hide the smirk threatening to grow on his face.

Then James pretty much jumped from his spot, shuffling in between you and Sirius and reaching to give his mom a tight hug, even lifting her slightly.

“Oh darling, you’re very energetic today, aren’t you?” she asked as he let her down, and it was almost impossibly hard for you and Sirius not to laugh after exchanging a knowing glance.

He then hugged his father warmly and turned to Sirius and you with that same dumb smile as before, if you thought James was a goner for Lily before they started dating…

“We’re walking to a friend’s house and taking the floo home from there,” Effie explained.

“Will your parents come and pick you up, would you like us to wait with you?” Monty offered kindly.

“Oh, no,” you said honestly as you looked to the side, there was a rather disproving glance from Effie that made you feel a little self-conscious. “No, don’t worry, I’m– they’ve sent me some cash, I’ll walk to Diagon with some friends and take the Knight Bus home, Mum and Dad are renting an apartment close to the Ministry of Magic.”

“The Knight Bus?!?” Monty asked scandalised, not because it was a bad method of transportation or because of the pure bIood bias against it, but rather because he knew the driver and he was reckless.

“Which friends?” Sirius asked with a frown. “We’re your friends.”

You threw him a side glance, “Beth, Tom and I decided to get together to buy some gifts.”

“And you are planning to walk all the way to Diagon?” Effie asked.

“Well it’s too early to fly, and I don’t think any of us brought our brooms,” you added as you looked around trying to spot either Tom or Beth.

Monty tutted, “Do you want us to apparate you there?” he asked.

“I wouldn’t want to be an inconvenience, I’m sure James and Sirius are tired and want to get home–”

“Nah, let them take you on a ride,” James said casually.

You smiled after that, “If it truly is no bother…”

“It’s settled then,” Effie said with a clap and an air of finality. “Find your friends, we’ll wait for you here, darling.”

You nodded and smiled, walking around the station to try and find Tom and Beth, Sirius and James both walking alongside. Beth was the easiest to find, she was talking with Mary and Marlene and you took the chance to hug the two other girls goodbye and wish them a fantastic Christmas.

“You know where Tom is?” you asked the redhead and she sighed.

“With Minho, I believe still inside the train.”

“Oh fantastic, we can go look for them,” James said with a smile and you threw Sirius a glance, he instantly knew what you meant, and he had promised he would keep what he knew a secret, even from James, so he improvised.

“Actually, why don’t we go back to your parents with Beth, Vix can find Tom and we buy some snacks to stock up your house’s pantry for the New Year’s reunion…”

“Yeah, go ahead, I’m sure it won’t take long to find them both,” you said with a smile. Beth threw you a wary look and you sent her a reassuring smile. She knew you knew about Tom and Minho, she didn’t know Sirius knew as well, but she was sure you wouldn’t have told him without Tom or Minho’s permission and therefore decided to ask you about it later.

You parted ways and bumped into a rather tall brunette girl, “I’m sorry,” you said politely, but the girl had turned to you with the grimmest expression you had ever seen. You were taken aback by her reaction and took a step back as you reached for your wand inside your pocket, not because you wanted to use it against her but because you thought she might want to use hers against you.

Although… she smelled different. Almost like–

“Petunia!” you heard Lily’s voice from the side, and you turned to look at your friend almost in shock.

Petunia as in, her sister Petunia?!?

Lily ran straight to hug the disagreeable-looking girl and you let your wand fall back into your pocket as you pulled your hand out to greet the girl. You smiled politely, genuinely interested in meeting Petunia. Lily had told you something about the girl not responding to her letters, but she also told you that she was in her last year of high school and she was really busy as she attempted to apply for a Typewriting course in London, whatever the hell that might be.

Petunia looked at your hand disdainfully and shook it with a very annoyed look. “Nice to meet you,” you said with a smile as you gave her your name.

“Petunia Evans,” she replied simply and then turned to her sister as if exasperated. “Are you ready?”

You turned to Lily who had the face of someone who wanted to excuse her sister and pulled her trunk behind her. You walked closer to her and pulled her into a much warmer hug than the one Petunia had given her, making sure to pass your hand over the back of her hair, which she hadn’t quite managed to get together after making out with James, “You have so much shit to tell me,” you whispered into her ear. “Prongs was absolutely panicked when he fled from you.”

Lily turned red and giggled, “Merlin, please!” she said in an admonishing tone, and you just smiled teasingly at her. As you pulled apart you noticed Petunia’s look of disdain hardened.

Good, she better fucking appreciate her amazing sister, you thought as you send her an equally hard look.

Lily seemed to be able to sense the tension because she spoke again, “Where’s mom and dad?” She asked Petunia.

“Didn’t make it,” she responded, perhaps that is why she was so angry. “And since they know I will be coming to London soon, they asked me to pick you up. Crossing that stupid wall was dreadful,” she added as she shuddered, placing both hands around herself.

How could Lily have such a dreadful –you used her very own words– Sister?

“Have a safe trip home,” you told Lily with a genuine smile. “Merry Christmas,” you added, giving a quick nod towards the taller girl and pulling Lily into another hug. “Don’t let her bring your spirits down, and write me all the details of the train,” you added just to tease her a little further, pulling back from the hug and giving her a knowing smirk that made her go red again.

“Petunia,” you added, you were sure the way you said her name sounded as disdainful as the look she gave you in return and then walked inside the train.

“Your friend is–” Petunia started.

“Amazing?” Lily interrupted her before she said something that would annoy her, “I know.” Petunia didn’t press further.

As you walked inside the train you started looking through the compartments to try and find Tom and Minho. “Love birds?” you joked. There was no one else there according to the student counter near the entrance, “Come on, we must go,” you added.

You were about to open the doors of one of the bathrooms when the one right behind you opened wide and out came Tom and Minho, both slightly breathless. You smiled knowingly at the two of them and Minho blushed a little more. His ears became almost completely red. Tom, on the other hand, only returned the look you’d given him.

“Sorry to interrupt your –talk–,” you improvised, and Minho was thankful you hadn’t called it what it was. He was not used to people knowing what he was up to, let alone who he was up to it with. “But the Potters offered to apparate us in Diagon and they’re waiting outside for us,” you explained, looking at Tom.

“You and your angelic little face,” Tom said as he shook his head. “I’ve studied here for years and I’ve never been offered a ride by the Potters.”

“Your parents have always come to pick you up,” Minho responded. The three of you were walking together towards the entrance, and halfway out Minho raised one of his hands to pull his satchel and threw Tom’s backpack his way.

“Thanks, Luv,” Tom said simply and you would have sworn Minho’s ears were getting red again.

By the time you were all out of the train, Minho gave the two of you a short goodbye hug and disappeared into the swarms of students. Tom looked at you and smiled.

“What?” you asked.

He shrugged, “I heard you were alone with Sirius in the Marauder’s cart.”

You smiled as you shook your head and elbowed him lightly, “I was… Until Prongs decided he needed a SexEd class and invaded us.”

“Oh, I would have bet on Remus joining you in a threesome first…”

“You what?!? We didn’t have a threesome! He asked Sirius questions.”

“Oh well then,” he said with a shrug. Bet’s still on. “Wouldn’t have judged you at all, James is–”

“James is what?” Minho, who seemed to have shown up out of nowhere, asked.

Tom looked panicked for only a second before composing. “Really good at quidditch,” he said, “really good captain too.” Minho frowned. “Not as good as you, of course.”

“Hmph,” you said playfully. “That’s your house’s captain, you're talking about Tom.”

Then Minho gave you a teasing wink and cleared his throat, “You have my pen,” he said as he pulled a small silver and green fountain pen from Tom’s front shirt pocket.

“And here I thought you’d let me keep it as a souvenir.”

Minho laughed at that, “Merry Christmas to the two loveliest Gryffindors I know,” he added before turning around again. He no longer had his bag and you assumed he’d probably left it with his house elves or something.

“But I’m the loveliest,” Tom said with a smile.

“Yeah sure,” Minho said casually, as if he hadn’t been pining for Tom before the two of them got together. You just smiled, Tom’s self-assured personality could be intimidating to anyone, especially with someone as reserved as Minho, but it was nice to see that he wouldn’t let himself be teased without ever teasing him back. They really were an adorable couple.

After Minho left –for the second time– it didn’t take much for the two of you to find the Potters again, Beth was having a really amicable conversation with Effie while James, Sirius and Monty caught up on how the boys had been doing in school.

Effie smiled the moment she saw you and the boy walking by your side, “Thomas Harrow,” she said with a bright smile. “You are the spitting image of your father!”

Tom smiled politely at that, “Thank you, madam, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Just call me Effie,” she said with a smile and looked at him curiously. “The resemblance is uncanny, isn’t it Monty?” she said as she turned to her husband who nodded. “Tom was on the quidditch team with me in my Hogwarts years.”

“You played quidditch?” you asked with a surprised smile. “James, you never told me your mom was cooler than you,” you teased, James gave you a huff in response and Effie’s smile widened.

Who would have thought all it would take to charm Effie Potter was Tom and Vixen?

“I was a seeker, like James,” Effie said. “Runs in the family.”

“Bet your little redheaded children will also be seekers,” Sirius teased and Effie turned to James with a surprised smile.

“Is this about that Evans girl again?” she asked.

James slapped Sirius on the side and then turned to his mom with a smile, “Didn’t I mention to you in a letter we went on a date last month?”

Effie gasped at that and shook her head. “You did not! Even Sirius told me when he started dating this lovely girl,” she added as she placed a gentle hand on your shoulder.

“You did?” you asked, turning to Sirius with a surprised frown and he shrugged in response.

“Of course he did!” Effie responded. “Can’t believe you’d leave me out, perhaps we’re getting old, Monty.”

“Maaaaaa,” James complained.

“Well, I think you don’t look a day over 25, Effie,” Sirius said with a sly smile.

“Definitely,” Tom agreed.

“You could be James’ older sister,” Beth added.

Effie smiled as she shook her head, a dramatic air in her voice that reminded you much more of Sirius than it did of James, “All of your friends like me better than you do.”

“That’s not true, Ma,” James insisted and dragged Effie into a hug. As she was being hugged, she looked at you, Tom and Beth with a sly smile and then gave you a short wink before returning her face to that fake grieving one from earlier.

“Ready for Diagon?” Monty asked as he looked at the three of you and you nodded.

“Better go now before it’s too dark,” you said as you looked at the big watch near the end of the platform.

“Indeed,” Effie said as she pulled back from James’ bear hug. “I think it’s better if we take one by one, to reduce the risk of splinching.“ The three of you nodded in agreement. “Monty, how about you take little Tom and I take darling Beth first?”

Monty nodded and walked towards Tom who instantly offered his hand. Beth did the same and just before they disappeared, Effie gave Sirius a small wink and mouthed, “So you can say goodbye properly.”

“Woah,” you said as she disappeared. “Not even sure why I tried to cover for the lipstick smear on your face, Prongs, I feel like Effie would have just cheered you on…”

James huffed and shook his head, “At least you didn’t straight up out me,” he added, looking at Sirius.

“Mate, you ramble to her every time you catch a snitch in practice, how would I know you didn’t tell her about Lily?”

“Common sense?” He asked. Sirius gave him a stern look and he just huffed again. “I’ll go look at the train or something.”

“So he can actually take a hint,” you said as you saw James turn around and walk a few steps to the side.

“I heard that,” he responded and you just laughed in return.

“Love you, Jamie!” You said simply.

“If you’re gonna snog her, Sirius, you better–”

You didn’t even hear the rest of James’ rant, Sirius had pulled you by the shoulders and turned the two of you around, pressing you against one of the walls and planting a proper goodbye kiss on your lips.

You kissed back just as greedily. It had been some time since you had kissed each other like that, and you would be lying if you said you didn’t enjoy every second of it. Even if, as you pulled away from his minty breath and soft lips you were slightly dazed. Sirius smirked as he pressed a soft, quick kiss to your lips, “You’re definitely going to miss me more.”

Terrible choice of words, really. Two could play this game, you thought as you dragged your hand to the back of his neck and pulled on his hair lightly, dragging soft kisses through his jaw and down to that particular spot in his neck that made him overly vocal and you rejoiced when you realised he was trying –and kinda failing– to stifle a groan.

In hindsight, kissing him like that in the middle of the station might not have been the most appropriate move, but even if you got some disdainful looks your way, the wall he had pushed you against was hidden enough and all people could really see, was two pairs of Gryffindors kind of snogging in the back.

Sirius and you had equally competitive personalities, and neither of you would let the other win without competing properly, and in this case, the competition just happened to be about kisses. And you were most definitely at least one point above as you pulled back from his neck, giving the small bruise you’d purposefully caused a quick, wet kiss and then rubbing your thumb over the area with a little smirk.

“There, so you’re reminded of me–”“ you looked up at him through your lashes, biting your lips to try and keep your smile from going bigger “–when you’re missing me more.”

Sirius opened his mouth in amusement and you were sure he was about to make another move since you felt his hand threaten to inch down from your waist when Effie apparated again and you pulled Sirius into an innocent hug instead.

She smiled as she spotted the two of you and tilted her head to the side just a little. “Merry Christmas, Puppy,” you said as you pulled away from the hug with a sly –insanely fox-like– smile.

“Merry Christmas, Starshine,” he responded, his hand still around your shoulders. Effie couldn’t help but smile at the adoring look Sirius had given you. James had approached you then and you finally pulled apart to give him a hug, much shorter in comparison to the one you’d given Sirius, but just as tight.

“Merry Christmas, Prongsie,” you said. “Take care of Pads for me, will you?”

“Of course,” he said with a bright smile, and then a little louder, “I’ll keep him entertained so he doesn’t miss you as much.” Sirius rolled his eyes and pushed James lightly and the two of you snickered at his expense. “Try to keep yourself alive without us.”

You gasped at that, “You know, my close encounters have significantly increased since I met the marauders, so I’d say stepping away might actually give me better chances of that.”

James shook his head with a smile and you gave him a short wink before walking next to Effie. She offered you her hand and you took a deep breath. “You get apparation-sick?” she asked you politely.

“No,” you said honestly, even if that didn’t make you feel particularly at ease. You had apparated with Dumbledore a couple more times after that first class and you had managed to keep all those awful memories at bay by concentrating a lot. And you had been reading a book about Occlumency on the train before you fell asleep, but two things were making you nervous: you had never apparated such a lengthy distance since that moon, and you really didn’t want to give Effie access to your mind. Not because you didn’t trust her, you honestly thought she was lovely, but rather, because of how lovely she was.

If she figured out what had happened that night, she may not actually understand why you had to keep it a secret. Something told you that, even if she had just met you, Effie would be more than ready to fight for your well-being and for what she thought was right. And while someone like her on your corner might be an excellent idea, you weren’t ready to relive that night again.

“I’m just feeling a little drowsy after the train ride,” you lied, you weren’t sure if she believed you but she went with it anyway, you closed the distance between the two of you and linked your arm to hers.

“See you in a second boys,” she said and suddenly the two of you were in Diagon. Tom and Beth right in front of you.

You turned to her with a bright smile, “Thank you very much, Effie,” you said. “I hope you have a fantastic Christmas.”

“I’m sure we will,” she said with a smile.

“Merry Christmas,” added Monty as she took his wife’s hand and the two of them disappeared.

The moment they were gone Beth pulled her list out and you all walked towards the first store: Flourish and Blotts, where you bought the very first gifts of the night, a book about History of Magic, but written by a muggle-born that you thought Lily would find fascinating, a romance book about mermaids that you were sure Nina would adore, a book about and a copy of one of the overdue books from the library Remus always kept on his bag. Beth also bought a gift for Lily there –a bookmarker– and you gave it an absolute passing nod when she showed it to you, still a little insecure on whether it was a good idea to have it or not. Tom bought like 5 different books for Minho because he wasn’t sure which one he would like best and even when both you and Beth told him he was exaggerating, he shrugged it off and decided he would buy them anyway.

He regretted his decision when you walked inside Quality Quidditch Supplies, and he also thought every single thing inside the store would be perfect for Minho. At least this time around he actually listened and he only bought a Tutshill Tornadoes stationery set that included a mug with the seeker of the team –Minho’s celebrity crush–, a keychain and a notebook with their logo. You already felt bad about the poor Owl that would have to carry it all but he told you that he’d add a levitating charm on them.

“You don’t mind Min will ogle at his crush whenever he has a drink?” Beth teased.

“Not at all,” Tom said with a shrug. “I’m way hotter anyway.”

Beth and you had thrown each other a look, Tom wasn’t lying, he had good looks and he was damn confident about them, not to say the guy on the mug wasn’t attractive. If anything, you’d both reached to the conclusion that Minho had pretty good taste in men.

Beth and you had both bought your gifts for James and Marlene there. She’d gotten Marlene a stunning pair of beater gloves and you’d gotten her a matching pair of goggles and headband for sweatier days.

For James, she’d bought some anti-rain spray for his broom and goggles, and you’d gotten him a small snitch keychain that you thought was adorable, you saw a beater bat and you got that one for Sirius and when you spotted the hoops and were about to get them for yourself Beth took them from your hands and told you that you’d see it again in Christmas. You also got a broom polish set for James and a small pin that said “Captain” which was more of a joke gift than an actual gift but the opportunity was too good to pass up.

Tom bought a keychain for his father and when you remembered Effie had also been a seeker you decided to take another one of those cute snitch ones for her. You were sure she’d love to match with James. You also wanted to get something for Minho and in the end, decided to get him a very elegant-looking copy of Quidditch Through the Ages with annotations from Reyansh Atwal, the same seeker on his mug.

“Oh, that’s brilliant, switch with me?” Tom tried to convince you as you all walked towards the register.

“No way in hell,” you said with a smug smile. “You already have like 5 books for him, and your stationary set.”

“But that is annotated by Reyanash!” Tom complained.

“Sucks to be you, I’m a great gift buyer,” you replied with a smile. “I’m sure Minho’ll love all of your gifts, more than this one even,” you reassured as you moved and handed the money to the old man across the counter. “He’ll love them because it’s you who gave them to him.”

“She’s right, young man,” the old wizard interceded. “I’ve had hundreds of books and trinkets, and I’ve cherished none of them as much as the ones Orlo gifted me.” There was an odd, longing-like look on his gaze that instantly told you that he missed that Orlo of his dearly. You wondered if the old man, like you and Tom, had peculiar preferences in regards of love.

After that, you went to get some delicious ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Parlour since you knew he closed soon and the young owner Florean, gifted Beth a free icecream for being the customer number 100th of the day… although, both you and Tom suspected it was because he had developed a mini crush on her, that suspicion only grew when he asked if he could write her. Beth had laughed merrily and played dumb, not offering the man her address but thanking him for the free treat.

Your next stop was Obscurus Books, where you found adorable pocket editions of a bunch of different wizarding world classics and you decided to buy one for each of the members of the reading club, including Nina who would now get double presents. And since you felt rather guilty about that, you decided to buy a few other books and trinkets for the other members you were really close to. You thought Nox, Neil and Todd would rather like the fantasy books you’d gotten them, and “The Book of Terrible Jokes'' you'd picked for Comet seemed to be right up her alley, be it due to irony or because she would genuinely make fun of how bad those jokes would be.

You had also spotted a “Magical Chess Strategy” book there and after consulting with Tom in secret –who confirmed that Beth definitely didn’t have a copy of that one– you decided to add it to the bunch of books you already carried.

At Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment, you found the perfect set of medical instruments for beginner Medwitched and you got it for Mary, alongside a beautiful golden and red set of Gobstones that you thought would go perfectly with Peter’s collection. You found a circle tin with his favourite cookies and decided to buy that as well.

You got a watch for your father and a simple but elegant necklace for your mom, some sweets for the rest of the members of the quidditch team, a book about photography for Alex, and a small fountain pen –similar to the one Minho had recovered from Tom’s pocket earlier– for Nightshade, a matching one for McGonagall, Merlin knows she deserves the world for dealing with all of your bullshit, and some small packs of chocolate for the rest of the teacher’s that you’d hand out at the beginning of the year.

After you paid there, you all walked out and took a seat near a bench, you were looking at your parchment and writing down everything that you’d gotten.

“You got Sirius a Keychain?” Beth asked incredulously, especially as she looked at James’ gift, even Peter had gotten a nicer lot.

“Oh, I’m actually planning to get Sirius some non-magical gifts,” you said as you finished annotating everything and called Barnaby over with a whistle. You performed a simple levitating spell and sent him off with all the bags, “Do you guys have everything you were planning to get from Diagon?”

“Yeah,” Tom said, pretty satisfied with his haul.

“Me too,” Beth added as she checked her bags. Her family owl had also flown down to pick them all up and take them to her house, while Tom just placed everything inside his bag, like Remus, he had also added an undetectable extension charm to it. You thought perhaps it would be useful to do the same to your own bag, even if your trunk, which you had left back at Hogwarts, already had one of those.

Then Tom pulled a list out of his pockets and unfolded it carefully, a smile appearing on his lips as he showed it to the two of you, he seemed incredibly proud of it.

But Beth frowned, “How are– Tom did you get a map of London?”

He seemed taken aback by the question. Of course, the three of you knew how to navigate Diagon perfectly, and you certainly knew how to use the muggle underground, provided that you had an idea of where to go, but Tom’s list didn’t even have addresses, just the names of the stores and what you could find in them.

Beth sighed, “How are we going to get there?”

“We could ask around?” Tom offered.

“If I remember properly,” you said. “There’s a small bookshop a few blocks from here –on the muggle side– and they have to have maps there, right?”

“You think?” Beth asked. You shrugged in response.

“Well, off to an adventure!” Tom said as he started his march towards the brick wall that would take you to Muggle London.

You and Beth gave each other a look and after shrugging at each other, followed Tom all the way to the outside. There you took the lead, walking the few blocks and straight lines until you found “Daunt Books.”

A small smile drew itself on your lips as you looked at the shop, you were pretty proud you had found your way there, without a map and using nothing but the bits of things you remembered from 5 months ago when you had taken the exact same path but backwards.

It was in Daunt Books where you had found the copy of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” that you had gifted Remus among other very interesting muggle books, and you were rather eager to get back inside, you were sure you’d find other books there. The three of you walked inside the store and a small bell rang as the door opened to let you in.

There was a young woman sitting across the book counter flipping through some pages of a book as she tried to keep a diverted and amused smile away from her face. She looked up from her book slowly, as if she didn’t want to stop reading and then looked at the three of you with a smile. “Welcome to Daunt Books, may I help you with anything?”

“We’re looking for some maps,” replied Beth politely and approached her, Tom followed swiftly and they started talking with her, you were sure Tom had put on his winning smile and was asking the lady to help him mark some of the stores he’d picked on the map –at least the ones that weren’t already on them– but you were far too distracted by a pile of books near the back to really pay attention to the conversation.

You leaned down to examine some of the books and found the most fascinating little display with rows of stunning, leather-bound books from a “classic collection”. The Picture of Dorian Grey was there and next to it was a series of other books, some you’d heard of and some that were completely new to you. You grabbed onto one with a dark green cover and read “Frankenstein”, the tragic tale of the creature and the monster that created it. You grabbed onto it, and then onto a bunch of other books, some you’d read and thought Remus would love, and some you hadn’t but seemed right up his alley. Including a copy of “The Chronicles of Narnia” for Regulus. You had read the book and throughout the entirety of it, you’d thought of the Winter Witch as Walburga, he’d probably think it was funny when you told him about it. By the time you turned to the next row of books, you already had about 7 books in your hands.

And then you saw it, near the back, there was a display of magazines and the absolute perfect gift for Sirius. You walked over to it and then pulled it from the shelf, it was a thick book, made out of magazine paper and it said “The Legends of this Decade”. There was an open version on display and you flipped through some of the pages. There was a section dedicated to the Beatles, another one to Queen, one for David Bowie, a very long special dedicated to the Rolling Stones and there were even smaller, 2-page sections dedicated to up-and-coming celebrities and groups like Bon Jovi (who you hadn’t heard of), Boston and Kansas (American rock bands of which you actually owned a few tapes you’d gotten back in the summer).

You didn’t even continue flipping about and instantly took one of the wrapped books along with a special edition magazine dedicated to Bowie –whom Sirius adored–, a science magazine for Remus, and one that detailed the lives of the ABBA girls for Mary who seemed to really like the band. For a second you considered that perhaps you were going overboard with the gifts, and then you checked the money bag you’d gotten for Christmas and realised how freaking much you actually had left. So you thought, fuck it, and went straight to the counter with all the things in hand. You opted to not actually make the conversion of pounds to galleons and decided to just roll with it.

The pretty girl gave you an approving look as she packed your stuff in a very nice paper bag with the logo of the store on the front section and you felt a little bit of pride at that. Of course, taste in books was relative, and there were books for everyone, but this girl worked at a bookshop, she must have read hundreds of books and if she considered your selection good, then it had to count for something, right?

Tom and Beth thanked her for her help with the map and after a polite goodbye, you all left the store. “She was super nice!” Beth said, “I didn’t know muggles were so nice!”

“Some of them are, some of them aren’t, just like wizards,” you said with a shrug and took out a bag of jelly slugs from your backpack and offered them some.

“But she was delightful! If I wasn’t already dating someone…” Tom said as he grabbed one and placed it in his mouth. “She helped us mark all the stores on the map and even gave us a mini route so we could visit them all before they closed.”

Beth nodded in agreement, as she too munched on a jelly slug, “And she even gave us some other recommendations.”

“And her number,” Tom chimed. “Although, I must say I suspect she was more into Beth than she was into me.” Beth laughed and playfully hit Tom in the arm. You could easily tell they were really close, perhaps as close as you and James, or you as Remus were. “Oh here,” Tom said sometime later as he pulled the two of you into the underground.

You had walked for hours and hours in London, you had used their bright red buses and even taken a cab, but you had never ventured into the underground. You thought it would take too much time and you enjoyed walking past stores and seeing the muggles doing their day to day so you stayed over the ground.

But the minute you walked down those stairs you were absolutely fascinated by it, you had heard from the people in New York that the subway was dirty and had rats and, overall very many negative things, and while you hadn’t heard muggles explicitly hate on the London’s underground, you hadn’t heard them praise it either. Seeing now, in real life, made you think that perhaps those New Yorkers were exaggerating. There was a small group of people signing in one of the corners and many of them commuting around.

It took the three of you at least a few minutes to figure out how to use the vending machine to get your tickets, but once you did, you all walked towards the train that the girl from the store had advised you to take with very accomplished smiles on your faces.

After that, you visited a few other stores, some, where you bought some things, some, where you didn’t actually get anything. Tom dragged the two of you into Carnaby Chic Boutique and somehow persuaded you to buy some interesting muggle fashion items that he thought looked incredible on the two of you, he also got himself some clothes, and by the end of that little expedition, you might have been the most fashionable squad back in the school –as long as you were talking muggle fashion and not wizard fashion.

Then you went into a Vinyl shop, the one Daunt Books girl said would be open pretty late so she’d left it at the end of the short trip and you ended up splurging there too. You got all the new stuff from your favourites and Sirius’. You also got some chiller jazz and blues songs, since you had discovered Remus liked to listen to those while studying and you found them oddly comforting as well and you thought he might appreciate them.

You bought a few empty cassettes and a thing that would allow you to record some songs into them and make your own playlist, you were crossing your fingers it would work in your house (with all the magical interferences and such) but you got a pair of headphones. In case it didn’t, you would just walk with it –after charming it so it wasn’t as heavy– to the small café a few blocks from your apartment and record there.

You saw some band shirts in the stores and also got a few of those, one for you with a really cool Pink Floyd logo (thought you bought it big enough in case Sirius ever wanted to borrow it), one for Lily with John Lennon (she had admitted that she’d had a crush on him back in 3rd grade), another Bowie shirt for Sirius (this one was technically a Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars shirt but it had Bowie on the front) since he seemed to love the one Andromeda had gotten him, and then a Sex Pistols one for Remus. Now you weren’t sure if he liked the Sex Pistols that much, but the idea of Remus Lupin walking around with a shirt that had “Sex Pistols” written in bold around the castle was too hilarious to pass up, especially with the wizards who had absolutely no clue that they were actually a band.

After paying, the three of you walked outside of the incredible store and into the night. The sun had disappeared a while ago but it was certainly colder now than when you entered the shop.

Beth sighed, her hands filled with as many bags as you as she sat down on a nearby bench. “I guess that’s it for today, isn’t it?”

“I think so,” you agreed.

“I’ll call the Knight Bus,” offered Tom as he looked around to make sure there were no muggles around and lifted his wand up to the sky.

You walked next to Beth and sat there, leaning your head on her shoulder, as you waited. Then you saw a small light blink in the distance, and then all the lights to a store you hadn’t paid attention to earlier were on. There was a big green sign illuminated by the faint light of a yellowish lamp that read “L. Cornelissen & Son Art Supply Store”. You gasped, “I must go!”

“What?” Asked Beth as she turned her gaze towards the direction of yours. “You want to go to an art store?”

“I have to,” you said. “To get something for Sirius.”

“For Sirius?” Asked Tom with a frown and you nodded in response. Then the bus showed up. “You already have like 4 other gifts for Sirius.”

You made a mental note of how much you’d bought for him and decided correcting Tom was absolutely unnecessary, “Yes but… You don’t get it. It’s like you saw an all-Thubshill Tornados shop and deliberately ignored it, without even checking it out.”

“I had no idea Sirius was into art…” Beth mumbles.

“Kids, are you getting on the bus or what?” a young pudgy guy asked as he held out a few tickets.

“They will,” you said pointing at them. “I’m staying. I’ll call again when I require the lift.”

“It might take a while, Sweets, we’re taking some people a little further out of town tonight and we’re pretty packed,” he added, he had a very strong Irish accent, that you would have perhaps considered nice if it hadn’t been so squeaky.

“It’s fine, I’ll stay,” you said with a smile. “Home’s not that far from here anyway,” you added.

Tom shook his head in disapproval and Beth spoke, “I really think it’s a terrible idea.”

“As if I hadn’t walked around London at night before guys,” you huffed. “It’ll be alright, I promise. I’ll um… send Barnaby over as soon as I’m home. Or I could even fire-call you if you’re really worried about it.”

Beth nodded reluctantly and pulled onto Tom who looked a lot less convinced, “Slysprite, just get on you have enough gifts alrea”

“We’re not gonna argue this one out,” you said with an air of determination. “And I’m very stubborn. I could win an argument, even against you.”

Tom huffed as he tilted his head to the side, clearly unsatisfied with the turn of events. “You’ll firecall me, swear.”

You nodded, “Swear!”

“Time to go!” the conductor said as he urged your friends to get on by pushing them lightly and shut the door. “Take care, Miss!”

“Thanks,” you said with a small smile as the bus sped out into the street.

You instantly remembered your first trip on the Knight Bus and almost felt sorry that you wouldn’t be there to see your friends’ reactions to it. You wondered if they had gotten the hot chocolate and if Beth would be mad if it fell on her white coat.

Alas, it was time to get to the shop.

Series Masterlist | Next Chapter

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A/N: Badum tss… “How many pure-blood wizards does it take to navigate muggle London properly?” Now, I've left you on a bit of a cliffhanger, haven't I? Hope you liked this chapter, it's a cute and fun thing before things get dark. Love, Lils xx

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spinderella-umbrella · 29 days

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@jegulus-microfic | 27-03; Birthday | 373 words

“Happy birthday Reg,”

James has followed him through the library, coming up behind him and whispering in his ear. He wasn’t sneaky, and Regulus shuddered uncomfortably at the breath on his neck.

Regulus slams the tome he was flicking through closed and replaces it into the shelf, unimpressed at both the nickname and the public familiarity. He whirls around to see James with a stupid smile on his face and his hand behind his back.

“What do you want?” Regulus snaps, raising his chin so he could peer down his nose at James.

He didn’t need to look around to see if anyone could see them. He’s led James here intentionally— but even if someone happens upon them, it will look like what it is. An altercation. Because if James has the gall to have a gift behind his back, Regulus is going to kill him.

“I got you something.” James says the dreaded words.

He feels the fire of frustration burning behind his eyes, and he’s sure if anyone other than James freakin Potter was in front of him, they’d cower.

James just pulls his hand from behind his back and holds up a leather bound journal.

“I noticed you were near the end of yours, so it’s practical, and, you would have had to get a new one anyway, and well, I liked picking it out for you.” He rambles, and Regulus surprises himself by reaching out and taking it, turning it over in his hands.

It’s nice. Really nice. The binding looks hand done, the leather work is precise and shows skill. He unwinds the tie, opening the book to feel the pages— textured hand made paper cut so precisely that there was a clean edge on the pages, just like Regulus liked.

He… loves it. Dammit.

Regulus glances up at James, who is turning red from holding his breath. Why does he even like this moron?

“Breathe, idiot.” Regulus says, rolling his eyes.

James lets out a breath and grins, and okay. That smile might have a little bit to do with it.

“Thank you.” He says quietly, genuinely, before nodding goodbye and walking away. He’ll thank him properly the next time he gets him in a broom closet.

#marauders #maraudersfanfiction #Jegulus #marauders era #regulus black #marauders fanfiction #James potter #yes I’m aware it’s James’ birthday today #but this is what came out of my tired brain sooooo

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xjustakay · 2 months

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✺ (3/2) ✺ @jegulus-microfic prompt: pool — 925 words

Regulus is sure he’s being unbearably obvious, but he’s three drinks past the point of maintaining his usual carefulness.

He hadn’t even wanted to come to this stupid ‘goodbye’ party. It was Sirius’ idea —a ‘send off’ even though all he’s doing is moving out of his and James’ place to move in with Remus instead. Any excuse for the lot of them to be obnoxious with their friends, evidently.

All of Regulus’ own friends have abandoned him. Pandora is glued to Lily’s side. Dorcas is chatting with Mary, Alice, and Frank. Barty and Evan made an appearance for free booze before mysteriously disappearing somewhere they probably shouldn’t be in a home that’s not theirs.

The point is, they’ve all left Regulus alone. Alone and just shy of fully drunk, staring glassy-eyed across the room. Or, rather, at a specific someone that’s there.

James and Marlene are on opposite sides of the pool table in the corner. They’ve been playing for the last twenty minutes, and Regulus has been watching from where he leans against the wall a handful of feet away for every one of them.

He’s gone seemingly unnoticed until he catches McKinnon’s eye as she steps out of James’ way so he can line up a shot.

She quirks one light brow at him, the corner of her mouth ticking upward. She says something to James, but Regulus can’t hear it between the music, chatter, and distance between them.

When his eyes land on James again, they widen a fraction. Because James —half-bent over the table’s edge with his pool cue stick poised perfectly— is already looking back, a knowing grin stretched across his face. He doesn’t look away even as he takes his next shot.

It really shouldn’t be so attractive. It should not make Regulus feel like his knees can’t do their job suddenly, like there’s warmth pooling low in his stomach.

And yet.

God damn it.

He needs to be more drunk. Immediately.

The issue with needing another drink is that he’d have to walk right by the pool table in order to get to the kitchen. He could make a break for it, maybe. Could take the long way around the back of the two couches, slink past people who he’s otherwise avoided up until this point.

James must have won the current game with his shot, if the way Marlene playfully punches at his shoulder is any indication. It offers Regulus an opening a moment later; Marlene is putting up her own stick, walking away to find her girlfriend, and James is distracted recollecting the balls from the pockets they’d sunk into to rerack them in the center of the table.

Regulus hurries, he does. He intentionally tries to be as fast as he can without calling too much attention to himself. Still, it doesn’t end up being enough.

“Do you want to play with me, Reg?” James calls over to him.

Regulus freezes, eyes widening slightly once again before he does his best to school his features. He swivels James’ direction, met with a smirk immediately. James knows exactly what he’s just said, it’s clear by the smug look on his face.

“What?” He wants to be embarrassed by the way the single syllable squeaks out his mouth, but. Three drinks too many, and all.

“Do you want to play with me?” Mischief shines bright in hazel eyes that flicker down then back up over where Regulus stands. When Regulus fails to be able to make his brain function enough to form words, James sweeps a hand toward the table in front of him. “Have you ever played pool before?”

“Yeah, I do— Have. I have.” Regulus grimaces faintly. That damn smirk has him squeezing his hands into fists at his sides. “Sirius showed me once. Doesn’t really interest me much.”

“No?” James cocks his head to the side, his amusement unrelenting. “Weird. I just thought since you were watching so intently you must be interested.”

Regulus’ cheeks burn and he prays momentarily for the floor to open up and swallow him whole. “I wasn’t watching you.”

James’ lips twitch further. “Didn’t say you were.”

“Well… good,” Regulus huffs. He goes to continue on his way to the kitchen, but doesn’t make it far.

“It’d be alright if you were.” James stares levelly at him when Regulus freezes a second time and slowly turns back to him. “Interested, I mean.”

Now, Regulus is on his way to drunk, yes, which maybe has shattered his inhibitions or his ability to think quite straight, but he’s definitely not stupid. He knows the game has changed, like the flip of a switch. It’s not pool that they’re talking about anymore, just like that.

Eyeing James carefully, Regulus braves a step nearer to the edge of the table that stands between them.

“And if I was?” He asks.

James sets his cue stick aside and comes around the end of the pool table. Regulus’ head tilts back a little as he comes close enough for the difference in their heights to be apparent. He hates that even that makes him feel something he’d typically ignore.

One hand pressed into the table’s edge closest to Regulus’ hip, James lets his gaze dart over his face, his lips curling upward again. Regulus feels the quickened beat of his heart in his throat, even as he lifts one dark brow in further question.

James smiles at him, bright, easy, and far, far too lovely. “Works out for me, seeing as I’m interested, too.”

#jegulus #jegulus microfic #starchaser #sunseeker #microfic’ing to fight writers block heyyy lol #also i had a Vision of james playing pool that made me want to bite something so here we are #they’re silly and flirty and i love them #kay’s microfics #kay’s writing

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sadnymi · 22 days

Text

「 ✦ The masked boy. ✦ 」

regulus black x reader x barty crouch jr

Summary: following Regulus to what I expected to be a harmless party turned into a night of hidden desires and whispered secrets. Just to meet the masked stranger who seems to know more of me than I expected .

Words: 3,5k

Going to the party was undoubtedly a risky decision, but the allure of secrecy and adventure pulled me in. I overheard Regulus discussing it, and despite Pandora, bless her sensible soul warning of potential trouble, curiosity, that insatiable beast, had her claws firmly sunk into my insides. Ignoring her dire pronouncements, I transformed into a shadow the moment Pandora had fallen asleep Sneaking out I followed Regulus carefully, staying hidden until we reached a mysterious secret door within Hogwarts.

The door creaked open a sliver, revealing two hulking figures clad in black. Their imposing stature and steely gazes instantly confirmed my worst suspicions – this was no ordinary gathering. Fear, cold and sharp, snaked its way through me as one of them addressed Regulus in a low, gravelly voice.

"Who is this?" he rumbled, his gaze fixed on me with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.

Regulus, his back momentarily turned, whirled around at the sound of the question. His face, usually a canvas of bored indifference, contorted into a mask of surprise and, dare I say, a hint of… fear? Our eyes met, and in that fleeting moment, I saw my own panic reflected back at me.

He recovered quickly, however, mustering a semblance of nonchalance. "She's with me," he declared, his voice a touch too loud to be entirely convincing. He strode towards me, a forced casualness in his gait, and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper, a hint of desperation clinging to the words.

Once inside, the doors clanged shut with a finality that echoed my growing unease. Regulus whirled on me, his green eyes flashing with fury. "What in Merlin's beard, Y/N, were you thinking?" he hissed, his voice barely a whisper above a growl.

Shame burned hot on my cheeks."I… I followed you," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. "I was curious, . I just wanted to see I’m so sorry reg …"

He threw his hands up in exasperation. "Curious ? This isn't some harmless gathering, Y/N! You have no idea what you've just gotten yourself into!" The anger in his voice was laced with a hint of fear, a chilling realization that sent shivers down my spine.

The gravity of the situation sank in as I realized the potential consequences of my impulsive decision. Regulus's protective instincts were in full force, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for putting him in a difficult position.

bravado I'd mustered to follow Regulus evaporated, replaced by a tremor that ran through my limbs. Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring the dimly lit chamber.

"I-I'm so sorry, Reg," I stammered, my voice choked with a mix of fear and remorse. "I had no idea… I shouldn't have followed you."

He sighed, the anger momentarily replaced by a weary resignation. "Hey," he said, his voice softening as he reached out to brush a stray tear from my cheek. "Don't cry. It's alright. We'll figure this out , Just… stay close, okay?"

He reached for a nearby table, his hand snagging two ornate masks. The intricate designs, fashioned from a material that shimmered faintly in the low light, were a stark contrast to the rough stone walls surrounding us.

"Put this on," he instructed, handing me one.

As I took the mask, a wave of self-consciousness washed over me. My baby blue sweater and jeans felt utterly out of place amidst the air of clandestine secrecy.

"I… I didn't know there was a dress code," I mumbled, feeling foolish.

He let out a humorless chuckle, the sound devoid of mirth. "There isn't, exactly.There's more to this than a dress code, sweetheart,"

then his voice dropped to a low murmur, laced with a seriousness that sent shivers down my spine. "Don't talk to anyone inside. And whatever you do, Y/N, never, ever reveal your name. Understand ?"

Shame burned in my throat, hotter than any fiery Goblet of Fire. I nodded mutely, the weight of my recklessness pressing down on me.

"Good," he said, his voice a touch softer. "Now, stay by my side. We'll get through this."

His words, laced with a newfound protectiveness, offered a sliver of comfort amidst the swirling vortex of fear and regret. With the mask obscuring my features, I clung to him.

With a newfound resolve, we ventured deeper into the hidden chamber. The air grew thick with the stench of sweat, spilled ale, and a musky perfume that hung heavy in the air.

The sight that greeted me upon entering the main hall was enough to make my eyes widen in shock. Bodies, clad in various states of undress, writhed and swayed to the pulsating rhythm of an unseen band. Laughter, tinged with a hint of hysteria, echoed through the cavernous space.

Instinctively, I raised a hand to my mouth, stifling a gasp.

"Y/N, sweetheart," Regulus hissed, his voice tight with urgency, "if we're going to survive this, you need to feign normalcy."

I lowered my hand hastily, trying to avert my gaze from the two scantily clad figures who brushed past me, their movements more suggestive than celebratory.

"Reg," I whispered, my voice barely audible above the din, "what is this place? Why isn't anyone wearing any clothes?"

Regulus offered a wry smile. "Perhaps you were right about the dress code here," he said, his voice laced with a dark humor.

"Is this some sort of… secret society?" I pressed, trying to quell the rising panic within me. His silence spoke volumes.

"Does this have anything to do with your new tattoo?" I ventured, the question tumbling out before I could stop it.

Regulus' lips stretched into a tight smile as he politely greeted a scantily clad woman who offered us flagons of an unknown, steaming beverage. With a practiced flick of his wrist, he disposed of the drinks once the woman had sashayed away.

"Don't consume anything offered here, Y/N,Not food, not drink. Understood" he murmured, his voice low and urgent. "Just stay close, and whatever you do, don't draw attention to yourself."

Guilt gnawed at me as Regulus navigated the throng of pulsating bodies, his hand a constant presence on my arm.

"Listen closely, sweetheart," he murmured, his voice a soothing balm amidst the cacophony.

"After the clock strikes the hour, I can't stay by your side any longer. I have… business to attend to. However, there's a hidden staircase leading to the rooftop. Go there, and you'll be safe. Once I'm done with what brought me here, I'll find you. Don't be afraid, Y/N. I promise you'll be alright I won’t let anything happen to you ."

He reached out, his touch surprisingly gentle as he brushed a stray strand of hair from my face. "And what about you, Reg? Will you be alright?"

He offered a smile, a gesture that felt more strained than comforting. "I'll handle myself, sweetheart. Just remember everything I told you: silence and anonymity are the keys . Don't speak to anyone, and for Merlin's sake, never reveal your name. Now, go."

His voice, laced with urgency, left no room for argument. I followed his gaze to the ornately carved clock dominating the far wall. The hands were inching closer to the ominous hour. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat echoing the approaching chimes.

Regulus squeezed my hand once, a silent promise of reunion, before melting back into the throng. Taking a deep breath, I found the hidden staircase tucked away in a darkened corner and ascended, each step taking me further away from the revelry and closer to the safety of the night.

Emerging onto the rooftop, I was greeted by a breathtaking vista. The moon, a luminous pearl in the inky expanse, cast an ethereal glow over the sleeping castle. Hogwarts, usually a source of comfort, seemed alien in this context, a silent sentinel against the backdrop of the forbidden revelry below.

I pulled my knees to my chest, the cool night air stealing the heat from my flushed cheeks. Fear, a potent cocktail of adrenaline and unease, churned in my gut. But amidst the turmoil, a flicker of hope remained. Regulus had promised.

The passage of time blurred on the rooftop. Every rustle of wind, every creak of the ancient castle, sent a jolt of fear through me. How long had I been waiting? An hour? Two? It felt like an eternity.

A soft voice, barely a whisper, shattered the silence. "Nice sweater "

I gasped, whirling around to find a stranger standing behind me.

This wasn't supposed to happen. My sole purpose was to wait for Regulus, I whirled around, my gaze falling on a tall figure shrouded in shadow. An ornate mask, similar to the one Regulus had provided, hiding his eyes , leaving only a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes , and a smirk in his lips

Silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken tension. Perhaps, I thought, if I remained quiet, he would simply melt back into the darkness, a fleeting apparition.

"Are you mute, darling?" The stranger's voice, dripping with a sardonic lilt, shattered the fragile hope , I opened my mouth shocked by the rudeness of his words

"That's a cruel thing to say," I retorted, my voice barely above a whisper, yet laced with a defiance born of desperation. Although his face remained half hidden, I could sense the widening of his smile, a predator relishing the chase.

"So you do talk," he chuckled, taking a step closer. I instinctively scooted back, the cool stone pressing against my spine.

"I know who you are, darling," he continued, his voice a low murmur that sent shivers cascading down my spine. Panic, a cold serpent, coiled itself around my heart. Don't look at him, don't look at him, a mantra echoed in my mind. He's bluffing.

But he didn't stop there. He sank down onto the rooftop ledge beside me, completely ignoring the disdainful glare I shot his way.

"What are you doing here, sweet Y/N?" he cooed, his voice dripping with a false sweetness. "Isn't it a little past your bedtime?"

Denial, a flimsy shield, crumbled in the face of his unwavering gaze. "I'm not Y/N," I stammered, a desperate attempt at subterfuge that even my own ears recognized as transparent.

A slow smile, devoid of genuine amusement, stretched across his masked face. "Such a shame," he drawled,The way his eyes, though obscured by the mask, seemed to gleam with perverse enjoyment sent a tremor of unease through me.

Panic, a cold hand constricting my throat, threatened to erupt. "What do you want?" I blurted, my voice barely above a choked whisper.

He feigned surprise, raising his hands in a theatrical display of innocence. "Merely indulging in a bit of curiosity," he purred, his tone dripping with saccharine sweetness."What brings the Ravenclaw princess to this clandestine gathering?"

Ravenclaw princess? A flicker of confusion momentarily pierced the fog of fear. Was that what they were calling me?

"I told you, I'm not her," I insisted, defiance flickering in my voice. Yet, a new question gnawed at me. Who was this masked figure? A sliver of recognition tugged at the edges of my memory, a feeling that his eyes, obscured as they were, held a strange familiarity.

Determined not to reveal my identity, I turned away, my gaze seeking solace in the cool serenity of the moon. "I won't tell you who I am," I declared, my voice regaining a semblance of control.

"Oh?" he countered, a playful smirk evident in the way his voice rose at the end.

"Fine, I'll just descend and inform those… formidable gentlemen guarding the entrance about the unidentified young lady gracing the rooftop with her presence."

Panic, a primal urge, surged through me. I lunged forward, grabbing his wrist with both hands.

"No! Please, don't do that!" The words tumbled out in a torrent, a desperate plea born of fear.

He chuckled softly, the sound sending a jolt through me. "Relax, darling," he murmured, his voice surprisingly gentle as he captured my hands in his.

"You won’t tell them , would you?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

He shook his head, a ghost of a smile lingering on his lips."If I wanted to expose you, I would have done so already. I was messing with you "

"Alright," I mumbled, staring at our hands intertwined. "Can you release my wrists now?"

He held my gaze for a moment, a playful glint in his masked eyes. "Why, darling? They seem perfectly content nestled in mine." A smirk danced on his lips as he finally released his grip. My hands felt strangely empty without the warmth of his touch.

My cheeks burned. The playful endearment shouldn't have sent a spark of warmth through me, especially coming from a stranger.

"So, you won't reveal your name," he stated, more an observation than a question.

I shook my head, a mix of defiance and fear swirling within me.

"Fine," he murmured, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. However, his tone suggested otherwise. This wasn't over.

Desperate to shift the focus, I blurted, "Who are you?"

He chuckled softly. "You can't hide your identity and expect the same courtesy, darling."

Darling …. this word again , sent a jolt through me. Why did it sound so...pleasant coming from him?

"But," he continued, a playful glint in his eyes, "we can play a game, wouldn't you agree?"

I hesitated. The entire situation felt precarious, yet a strange sense of intrigue battled with my apprehension. Finally, with a sigh of resignation, I conceded, "okay ."

A triumphant grin spread across his face. "Good girl ," he said, his voice dripping with a hint of satisfaction. "The rules are simple: we ask each other questions, and truthful answers are mandatory."

A knot of apprehension tightened in my stomach. This was a bad idea, a terribly bad idea. Yet, before I could voice my second thoughts, I found myself nodding in agreement.

"good ," he murmured, his amusement evident even in the darkness. "You can ask first."

I wracked my brain for a safe question, something that wouldn't reveal too much about myself. Finally, I settled on, "What house are you in?"

He smiled, a genuine one this time. "An easy one to start with. Ravenclaw, at your service."

Surprise washed over me. We were from the same house? Could it be someone I knew? A classmate, perhaps?

"Your turn," I reminded him

"Do you have a crush on our Regulus?" he inquired, the question laced with a hint of amusement.

My cheeks burned anew. "Of course not!" I spluttered, indignation coloring my voice. "Regulus is my best friend. We practically grew up together."

Immediately, I regretted my outburst. It had been a stupid mistake, revealing too much about myself and confirming his suspicions.

He merely chuckled, the sound devoid of genuine humor. "Easy, darling," he soothed, the endearment sending shivers down my spine. "It was just a question."

"A pointless one," I muttered, trying to regain my composure. My mind raced, searching for a way to deflect suspicion. "Are you a good student?"

"The smartest ," he declared with unwavering confidence.

I scoffed playfully. "Reg is the smartest one," I stated, defending my friend with a touch of pride.

He raised an eyebrow. "Is he?"

"Definitely," I confirmed, a pang of something akin to longing tugging at my heart I wanted to say reg and a certain someone else with beautiful eyes and messy hair who I try not to think so much about right now

He smirked, his gaze locking onto mine. "What are you thinking about, darling? You're blushing again."

"Is that a question?" I stammered, desperately trying to appear nonchalant.

"Indeed," he replied, his voice firm. "And remember, honesty is key."

Panic clawed at my throat. Why was everything so difficult? How did I always manage to get myself into such precarious situations?

"I was thinking about... my actual crush," I blurted out, the confession tumbling from my lips before I could stop myself.

He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with a curiosity that both terrified and intrigued me. "Yeah ? , and who might that lucky guy be?"

"That's not your turn to ask” I declared, surprised at my own boldness. A small spark of defiance flickered within me.

"very well ," he responded easily, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Your turn then, darling. Let's hear your question."

"Do you know Barty Crouch?" I ventured, my voice barely above a whisper.

He chuckled, a sound both familiar and unsettling. "Certainly, I do."

Thankfully, he hadn't inquired about my reason for asking.

"Your turn," I said

His gaze, intense and unreadable behind the mask, held mine for a beat too long. "Why are you cloaking yourself in secrecy? And I don't simply refer to this clandestine rooftop rendezvou , why are you hiding ."

"I'm not…" I stammered, the truth a bitter pill to swallow. "I'm not hiding."

He raised an eyebrow, skepticism etched on his features. "One might argue otherwise. You blend into the background, a shadow amongst your friends. You downplay your own brilliance, mentioning Regulus's intellect but conveniently neglecting your own place amongst Hogwarts' finest minds."

I remained speechless, a truth I hadn't even acknowledged myself starkly laid bare before me. No one had ever taken an interest in the quiet, observant girl I was.

The mask did little to hide the intensity of his gaze. The silence stretched, thick with unspoken understanding. Finally, I confessed, a weight lifting from my chest as the words tumbled out.

"I don't think I have anything interesting to offer. It's simpler to fade into the background. That's why I followed Reg today. Even though we're friends, they all see me ….. so innocent to handle such talks I wanted to prove something, to show them there's more to me than meets the eye."

Exhaling a shaky breath, I realized the truth in my own words. This wasn't just about Regulus or a forbidden gathering. It was about yearning to be seen, to be acknowledged for who I truly was.

A surge of defiance, quickly extinguished by the realization of my exposed identity, prompted a flippant question. With a brittle smile, I challenged, "my turn. When was your first official date?"

He chuckled, a low rumble that sent a shiver down my spine. "Does having sex in the storage room count as a date?"

Heat flooded my cheeks, and the words tumbled out before I could stop them. "No, God, no!" I exclaimed, horrified by the image his words conjured.

"Ah, so minus the sex then," he interjected, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "In that case, I can't say there have been any."

Desperate to escape the awkward territory of his past, I blurted out, "Your turn."

His lips curved into a knowing smile. He brushed a stray strand of hair from my face, the touch sending a jolt through me. "So, it's Barty, is it?"

Panic seized me. "What?" My voice barely escaped my lips.

"Your actual crush , Y/N," he continued, his voice a husky murmur. "Is it Barty?"

I cursed my own body's reaction as a blush crept up my neck. Breathlessly, I managed, "My turn."

"Certainly," he replied, his voice smooth as velvet. "Will you tell him?"

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a husky murmur. "Fear not, darling. Your secret's safe with me."

My breath hitched. We were impossibly close now, his touch sending shivers down my spine. His fingers lingered on my jawline, sending a spark of awareness igniting within me.

His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Now," he began, his finger tracing the outline of my lower lip, "are those lips as innocent as they seem?"

A shiver ran down my spine as his touch lingered. My eyes fluttered shut, a soft moan threatening to escape my lips. His words sent a blush scorching my cheeks. Did he think I was… inexperienced?

Shamefacedly, I nodded, unable to meet his gaze.

He brushed a feather-light kiss against my jaw, his touch sending shivers cascading down my arms. I inhaled sharply, my eyes still closed.

"And if I kissed you," he murmured, his voice sending shivers down my spine, "would you let me ?"

My head swayed, mesmerized by his closeness. I found myself nodding again, feeling a complete loss of control.

And then, his lips were on mine. Soft and warm, they moved against mine in a slow, intoxicating dance. His hands found their way to my neck, pulling me closer. The kiss was hungry, desperate, as if he was starved for my touch.

He broke the kiss for a moment, his eyes searching mine, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. Then, he was back, the kiss this time filled with a raw hunger.

We broke apart, gasping for air, foreheads resting against each other. The world spun, the only reality is the warmth of his body pressed against mine.

"Y/N," a voice split the moment .

I ripped myself away, panic and shame flooding my cheeks , I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. Regulus stood frozen in the doorway, his face a mask of fury. The weight of embarrassment settled on my chest, suffocating me.

"Reg, I—" I stammered, but he cut me off.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Crouch?" he roared, his eyes blazing with anger.

My gaze darted between them, finally settled to the boy beside me, only to find him smirking.

The realization hit me like a physical blow. I had just kissed Barty Crouch.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

#barty crouch jr #barty crouch junior #barty crouch jr x reader #barty crouch jr imagine #barty x regulus #regulus black x reader #regulus black imagine #regulus black #regulus black x y/n #fluff imagines #slytherin boys x you #slytherin boys x reader #slytherin boys #masterlist #the maruaders #harry potter

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cringe-but-proud · 3 months

Note

Ok you may get annoyed with me because I will continue to ask for fics about reg BECAUSE YOU WRITE HIM SO WELL LIKE AHHHHH anyway if you want me to stop please tell me :)

Anyway back to the point so I was wondering if you could do a fic where reader and reg are dating and there in the common room maybe reading together or in the dorms just cuddling or anything you can think of and like Barty and Evan come into the room and they just see reg being all soft and stuff and maybe tease him about it, it’s up to you how you want to finish it :)

Regulus black, white boy of the millennium.

Regulus black x gn!Reader

A/n: HE ☹️☹️☹️ My requests are open 😼

It had been a long day.

Regulus had gone to quidditch practice in the morning, and then had taken 3 tests during the school day. It all left him feeling burnt out and tired.

He entered the common room, fighting the urge to throw his bag to the side and flop down on to the nearest sofa. And then he saw you.

That was all it took to have him relax. He walked over to the small couch that you were sitting on in the corner of the common room.

Once he was in front of you, he wordlessly put down his bag and sat next to you, resting his head on your shoulder with a sigh.

"Hey, Regs." You said with a chuckle. "Rough day?"

"Mhm."

"Anything serious?" You asked.

"Not really."

"Well, I'm still sorry you had a rough day." You said as you wrapped your arms around him, pulling him closer. You felt him relax against you and sigh contently.

"S'okay." He mumbled as he closed his eyes. He could definitely fall asleep like this.

About an hour passed, in which you and regulus continued to cuddle.

You were playing with his hair while talking about a movie you'd watched recently, and Regulus' eyes were closed as he silently listened to your voice.

His blissful moment was interrupted by two far more annoying voices.

"Someone's looking comfortable."

Regulus opened his eyes, even though he already knew who was in front of him.

Barty and Evan stood in front of him, obviously holding back laughter.

Regulus groaned and buried his face into your neck. "Piss off." He mumbled.

"Yeah, it's a bit hard to take you seriously when you're all snuggled up, mate." Evan chuckled.

Regulus felt his face burn with embarrassment. Of course, he wasn't embarrassed to be with you. He just wasn't used to other people seeing this side of him.

"Do you idiots need something?" You asked with a playful roll of your eyes.

"Yes, actually." Barty said. "Your boyfriend promised to help us two idiots study for our transfiguration test tomorrow."

Regulus sighed in frustration. He'd promised to do that yesterday. Before he knew this day would be exhausting. "I-"

"You promised." Evan said before Regulus could ditch the two.

Regulus groaned. "Okay, fine." He begrudgingly gave in. "You two go to the library, I'll catch up."

"Will you?" Barty asked with narrowed eyes.

"Yes! Just give me a minute, Gods."

Barty and Evan snickered, giving quick goodbyes before walking away. Regulus could hear them loudly laughing as they exited the common room.

"They're assholes." He mumbled to you.

You chuckled. "Yeah. But, it's affectionate." You said, rubbing his back softly.

"I should ditch them."

"Very tempting. But, no."

Regulus sighed. He knew you were right, but he wasn't happy about it. He sat up and stretched his arms above his head before turning to you. "Give me a kiss before I go?"

You smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

He smiled softly and got up, grabbing his bag. "We'll hang out after dinner?" He suggested.

"Definitely." You replied.

Regulus finally made it to the library and sat at the table where Barty and Regulus were waiting for him.

"Took you long enough, lover boy." Barty chuckled.

"Shut up. You should be glad I didn't bail on you two." Regulus said as he pulled a few textbooks from his bag. "Now can we stop wasting time and get this over with?"

Barty rolled his eyes. "Fine."

...

"So, are we invited to the wedding?"

"Shut up!"

#x reader #fanfiction #regulus black x reader #regulus x reader #regulus black fanfiction #marauders x reader #marauders fanfiction

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zagreuses-art · 6 months

Text

The fine Rank and File (or at least the rank) of the Ankh Morpork city watch! I've been figuring out my designs for them, and I wanted to put them in a lineup to see how they look beside one another. makes you realize how ridiculous the height difference between some of them is

[ID: three digital drawings of the Watch members, against a police lineup background with height marks and an ankh morpork city watch watermark and logo. The featured members are in order of height: Detritus, Dorfl, Carrot, Angua. then Reg Shoe, Visit, Colon, and Vimes. finally, Nobby, Cheery, Buggy Swires and Wee Mad Arthur. they are all wearing variations on the watch uniform of brass colored armor, chainmaille, leather boots or sandals, and a skirt of studded leather straps. end ID]

more detailed description of the designs under the cut

First drawing: standing at over 8 feet is Dorfl. He is a grey-green troll with a very muscled top heavy build, patches of moss on his skin, and angular features. He is wearing oversized armor with pauldrons, one with sergeant's stripes painted on it, and scale mail underneath. the Piece Maker (a siege weapon crossbow) is strapped to his back. second, standing at 7 foot 4 inches is Dorfl, a reddish Golem made out of patchwork clay, with a overall gingerbread man look, and glowing red eyes. he is only wearing a breastplate, and he has his sergeant's stripes painted on his arm. Third at 6 foot 6 inches is Carrot. He is a redheaded white human, with a sturdy build, round face, and a cheerful smile. he has a captains pip pin in the collar of his shirt and his armor is visibly shinier than all the other's. fourth at 6 foot 2 inches is Angua. she is a white human with lots of very light blonde hair and slightly pointed ears. Her armor has straps at the shoulder rather than being one piece, and she is wearing her badge on a collar. (end of first drawing)

Second drawing: first, standing at 6 ish feet is Reg Shoe. He is a green zombie with a hunched posture and several missing chunks and lines of stitching visible, most noticeably the right half of his mouth has no lips, exposing his teeth. he wearing a tattered and patched flow-y white shirt under his armor, which is also the strap style, and there is a red ribbon in his long-ish dirty blonde hair. second at 5 foot 9 inches is constable Visit. He is a brown skinned human, with slicked back 80's business guy hair and a slightly strained smile. He is wearing a very crisp white shirt under his armor as well as khaki pants and a Omnian turtle necklace. he is clutching a bundle of pamphlets. Third at 5 foot 6 inches is Colon. He is a white human with a heavy-set build, a mustache, and a large bald spot. his armor has sculpted muscles in it and he is wearing sandals. Fourth at barely 5 foot 4 inches is Vimes. He is a white human with messy greying brown hair, and a five o-clock shadow, he looks a bit like house era Hugh Laurie. along with his armor he is wearing a red cloak and a sword. (end of second drawing)

Third Drawing: First, standing at 4 foot nothing, is Nobby Nobbs. he is a white-ish human with vitiligo spots, several suspiciously red or green patches of skin, and very scruffy black hair and a five o-clock shadow. he is smoking a cigarette and has several dog ends behind his ear. he has managed to tarnish his armor. second, at 3 foot 4 inches is Cheery. She is a white dwarf with a stocky build, blonde hair and a blond, braided beard. she has some burns on her arms, ears, and forehead, and is missing her eyebrows. she has a full lentgh leather skirt rather than pants. third, at 7 inches is Buggy Swires. he is a brown skinned Gnome, with grey hair and pointed ears. he is not wearing armor, but instead a rain cloak. next to him is his pigeon, which carries his badge and is a foot tall. Finally, at 4 inches, is Wee Mad Arthur. he is a blue nac mac feegle with red hair. he is in a watch uniform with a kilt, and is carrying his badge like a shield on his back, unlike the others he has a dynamic aggressive stance, rather than standing straight up. (end of third picture)

background of all drawings: a lineup height marker background, with the initials AM (ankh) CW and the city seal in the top right corner. the city seal is two hippos on a shield, with a tower between them. they are in shades of copper or bronze, as is the overall color palate of the drawings. (end of ID)

#discworld #gnu terry pratchett #Samuel vimes #nobby nobbs #angua von uberwald #cheery littlebottom #carrot ironfoundersson #reg shoe #detritus #dorfl #visit the infidel with explanatory pamphlets #buggy swires #wee mad arthur #I think i went a little too hard making vimes look like hugh laurie but the idea wouldnt leave my mind #I went full squeaky clean evangelist for visit #and gay french revolutionary for reg #happiest with dorfl he looks exactly how i imagine #also next time ill give angua more hair i swear

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