Chapter Text
2 am - Wolfstar - 362 words
Remus rolls over in bed, looking at the glowing screen on his bedside table. 2 am . He hasn’t got a wink of sleep all night, and he doubt he will as the hours tick by. Yawning, he stretches before getting out of bed and grabbing a book. If he’s going to be up all night, he might as well be productive.
As reaches the door, not wanting to turn the light on and wake his roommates up, Sirius’ voice from behind startles him. “Where are you going so late?” he whispers.
Remus turns to see Sirius tiptoeing to his bed from the bathroom. He smiles softly at the usually immaculate hair that’s now a complete mess, and the toothpaste stain on his old faded T-Rex top. He would consider himself the luckiest person in the world if he could wake up to this every morning. Well, he does. Just not in the way he wants. And who could blame Sirius? Who would ever want a monster like him?
“Couldn’t sleep. Going to the common room to read.”
“Want some company?”
“No, no. You go back to sleep, I’m fine on my own.”
Sirius rolls his eyes. “Merlin, Moons. You don’t have to be alone all the time, you know? Come on,” he crosses the room and opens the door, “let’s go before we wake the others up. You know Pete is evil reincarnate when woken up in the middle of the night.”
Remus chuckles, and follows Sirius down the stairs, slumping down on a sofa by the fireplace. This is the best time of the day to be in the common room in Remus’ opinion - everyone is asleep, and it’s just so quiet. Peaceful.
Sirius lies down on the sofa, placing his head in Remus’ lap. He tenses for just a moment, surprised, before realising that this is just Sirius being Sirius. There’s nothing more to it. Purely platonic, at least it is to him.
Opening his book, Remus starts absentmindedly stroking his friend’s hair.
“Moony?”
“Hm.”
“I love you,” he murmurs.
Remus squeezes his eyes shut. Purely platonic. “I love you too, Pads. You have no idea.”
Bad Idea - Jegulus - 348 words
Sirius has had a lot of bad ideas in his lifetime, but this has got to be in the top five. It’s bad enough he dragged him to the Gryffindor common room, claiming Regulus needs to get to know his friends better. Now he wants to play Never Have I Ever? He’s a moron; Regulus has so many stories from their childhood he could use against him.
“I’ll start,” Peter says. “Never have I ever…got so drunk I slept in clothes covered in my own vomit.”
“We’re targeting people already?” James asks before taking a sip from his glass. Oh, how he knows how to pick them. His boyfriend done that? Gross.
A few more rounds later, Regulus has only drank once (obviously everyone drank when Lily said, “Never have I ever done drugs.”)
“Never have I ever kissed someone in this room,” Marlene smiles mischievously, looking towards Mary, “more than once.”
Regulus inhales, no one knows about him and James. Not yet. They’re waiting for his relationship with Sirius to get stronger after everything their parents put them through. He sees Lily, Mary, Sirius and Remus all drink. Then James.
Now’s as good a time as ever to tell everyone.
“What?” Sirius screams. “Who?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Of course it matters! I want to know who has kissed my baby brother, more than once!”
Regulus’ eyes flick to James, noticing his nervousness. But Sirius saw, turning to his best friend. “How could you?”
“I’m sorry we didn’t tell you,” he rambles. “But we didn’t want you to react badly. We want you to be supportive of us. I love him, Pads.”
“You love him?”
“You love me?”
James’ cheeks turn crimson as he remembers Regulus is in the room with them. “Um, yeah. Yeah, I love you, Reg.”
“Oh, okay. I do too.”
“You do?”
Regulus nods and James crosses the circle, kissing him like there’s no tomorrow. It breaks too soon, courtesy of Sirius’ gagging.
“I do not like this,” his brother interjects, “but if you’re happy…”
“We are,” he assures him.
“I need another drink.”
Electric - Dorlene - 293 words
A knock on the front door gets Dorcas’ attention, opening it to see a woman with short, choppy blonde hair and tattoos all over her arms.
“I’m Marlene Mckinnon. I’m here about the electrics.”
Dorcas’ mind goes blank; she has never seen a more gorgeous person before in her life, and she’s entranced by her mere presence.
“Hello?” she snaps Dorcas out of her daze. “Am I at the right flat?”
“Yes, sorry,” she steps out the way to let the electrician in. “The power went out last night, but not for my neighbours so it’s not a power cut or anything.”
Marlene gets to work, looking at the box Dorcas is too afraid to go near herself, for fear of accidentally blowing up the whole building. She watches as the woman performs her magic, flexing muscles causing Dorcas’ heart to race, until the light bulb flickers on above their heads.
“All done.”
“Thank you,” she says. “Would you like a cuppa?”
“I really shouldn’t…I’ve got other jobs today.”
“Oh, okay.”
They stand in awkward silence for a moment, neither of them wanting her to leave just yet, before Marlene finally speaks. “I guess I could use a break.”
Dorcas smiles and leads her guest to the kitchen, preparing their drinks while making small talk. Sitting down opposite Marlene, she can’t help getting lost in her deep brown eyes. Admittedly, the conversation was a bit stilted at first, but they were laughing and chatting comfortably in no time. Dorcas can’t remember the last time she was this happy. And clearly, Marlene feels the same, giving Dorcas her number without her having to ask and briefly kissing her cheek before she leaves.
Well, she certainly didn’t expect her Tuesday morning to go like that.
Cleopatra - Marylily - 311 words
Doing the finishing touches of her hair and makeup, Lily steps back, observing her reflection in the mirror. Deeming her appearance satisfactory, she knocks on the bathroom door. “Mary! Hurry up, we’re going to be late.”
“Just a minute!” she shouts through the door.
Lily sits on her bed, knowing that her friend would, in fact, be longer than a minute, and flips through a magazine.
“What do you think?” Mary asks ten minutes later.
Looking up, her breath hitches as she lays her eyes on the most gorgeous woman ever, with a baby pink dress hugging her curves perfectly. Lily feared she might be in love with her best friend for a while now; this definitely solidified that. All she can think about is ditching their friend’s birthday party and making out in their dorm instead.
“Well?”
“You look…stunning,” Lily murmurs. “Beautiful, like Cleopatra .”
Mary chuckles nervously. “I mean, I look good, but not that good.”
She stands up, crossing the room so she can look her in the eyes as she says, “You are the most beautiful person I have ever had the fortune of seeing.”
“Then you clearly haven’t looked in a mirror before,” Mary whispers, “because you are the most beautiful person.”
Slowly, tentatively, they inch closer together until their lips touch, electricity shooting through her body at the sensation. Mary’s hand rests on her waist, drawing her closer as Lily throws her arms around her neck.
The door slams open, Marlene exclaiming, “What’s taking you two so long?”, causing the kiss to break. “Yes! Peter owes me five galleons. Go continue being gay now. See ya!”
As the door closes behind her, the pair of them burst out laughing, before Lily seizes Mary’s lips in a brief kiss, who lets out a wonderful sound in surprise, and pulls away, smiling as she goes to the party.
Chapter - Wolfstar - 278 words
“One more chapter ! Please,” five-year old Harry begs from underneath his covers.
“It’s late, Haz,” Remus says softly, “you need to sleep.”
“Please,” he repeats, tears threatening to fall.
“Moony…” Sirius murmurs, “One more chapter won’t hurt, right? Look at how upset he is.”
Remus sighs. “Fine,” and mutters under his breath at Harry’s elation, “You’re just like your mother.”
His husband looks at him, smiling sadly. “Lily would have loved reading him bedtime stories.”
“And James would have loved watching them, thinking about how lucky he is that was his life.”
Sirius chuckles, “He would’ve been great at doing all the silly voices of the characters.”
“Yeah, he would…”
Remus picks up the book on the bed, flicking to the next page to read to the child next to him before he himself starts crying. As much as he loves Harry and being a parent, it shouldn’t be like this . Harry deserves to grow up with James and Lily, not as an orphan, only having a year with them. They deserve to be able to raise their son together. Not Remus. Not Sirius. They should be Harry’s uncles. So should Peter. They could have had it all, if it weren’t for that traitor. How different life would be if there was no war, no Voldemort.
But there’s no point thinking about that now. He can’t change the past, as much as he wishes he could. Remus just needs to focus on Harry, and giving him the childhood he and Sirius never had. Harry is going to grow up knowing just how loved he is, and how much his parents loved him. Remus will make sure of it.
Nightlight - Wolfstar - 297 words
Sirius has dreamt of this from the moment he learnt about this school; his first night at Hogwarts. He has been so excited to get out of that house and learn magic and just be himself. He didn’t expect the castle to be so beautiful. He didn’t expect to meet such amazing people, and share a dorm with them. But what he didn’t expect the most was feeling homesick. Despite their complicated relationship, Sirius still loves his parents, and fears he always will. His baby brother, Regulus, is the one he misses the most. His best friend. His partner in crime. The most important person to him. As he stares at the ceiling from his new four-poster, the guilt of leaving him behind is finally starting to settle in. And he misses him already - he can’t wait three months until the Christmas holidays to see him again. He just can’t.
“Sirius?” someone whispers.
He quickly scrubs at his face, wiping all evidence of tears away, and emerges slightly from under the duvet. “Yeah?”
“Are you okay?” Remus asks.
“I’m fine.” Remus tilts his head slightly, and Sirius sighs, “I’m just a little homesick, that’s all.”
Remus digs in trunk and returns to his side holding a nightlight, putting it on his bedside table and turning it on. “It comforts me when I’m sad,” he explains, and turns to go to his own bed.
“Remus?” He turns around. “Will you, um…can you sleep with me tonight? It’s something I do with my brother sometimes, and it helps.”
He smiles softly, and Sirius moves over to give him space as he gets under the cover.
“Goodnight, Sirius.”
“Night, Remus.”
Maybe, with his friends, the bad feelings will pass. Hopefully. But still, he can’t wait to hug Reggie again.
Terribly - Jegulus - 327 words
Regulus reads and rereads the letter clutched in his hands, unable to decipher the multitude of emotions he’s feeling.
His face remaining emotionless, Regulus looks up as James knocks on his bedroom door, instantly able to tell something’s wrong. “What’s that?”
“A letter,” he explains, monotone, “from my parents.”
“Ignore it. They can’t tell you what to do anymore, you left.”
Regulus looks down at the parchment, his eyes landing on a specific sentence: Please come home son, your father and I miss you terribly . He knows leaving that house with Sirius was the right thing to do, but, deep down, he still loves his parents. No matter how many insults and punishments they give, or how often they’d just ignore his needs, at the end of the day, they’re still his parents. They still mean the world to him. Regulus wants to kill them for everything they have done to him and his brother, and wants to hug them so tight they can barely breathe, never letting go. He wants to go back in time to convince them to be better, do better, but also knows he wouldn’t be the person he is today without them. He’s desperate to go running back to that house, to the only way of living he has ever known, but is going to stay at the Potters, with his brother and boyfriend. With a truly happy, loving family. The thing he has longed for ever since he learned that how their parents treat them is not normal.
James sits on the bed next to him, throwing his arm over Regulus’ shoulder, and he rests his head against his boyfriend. Inhaling his scent, feeling his warmth, Regulus feels at peace. A feeling he has never known until he met James. Leaving his family was hard, and it probably always will be, but it’ll be worth it for moments like this. For feeling loved and cherished. For being happy. For being free.
War - Jily - 424 words - TW: Major and minor character death
James isn’t naive; he knew from the start that fighting in a war - even if he was on the ‘right’ side - would be hard. He anticipated the sleepless nights, the near misses and unspeakable horrors. He just didn’t think those horrors would happen to them. To his friends, joyful and so full of life during their school years, now barely able to muster a smile. To members of the Order, who he has learned to trust and genuinely care about despite their situation, where trust is something that can get you killed.
The death’s of Fabian and Gideon Prewett were the first, but certainly not the last, that really impacted him. He couldn’t sleep properly for weeks after he found out.
Marlene Mckinnon, his childhood best friend, was killed by Death Eaters. Marls. The person he played with as a child, running through the nearby muggle park with Peter, too young to know how their life would plan out. The person he trained with for Quidditch, and could have made it pro. The person who unknowingly taught him how to love fearlessly.
Sometimes James wonders what’s the point in fighting anymore. It’s clear how the Death Eaters are winning, and he cannot bear to lose another friend. But then his wonderful wife enters the room, and he remembers he’s doing this not just for her, but everyone like her. For those muggles and muggleborns who are discriminated against and murdered because of their blood.
He has even more to lose now than ever before. His son. His son, who Voldemort wants to kill because of a prophecy that may or may not be about him.
Despite everything, James has vowed to keep the pair of them happy, not allowing the darkness to dim their lights. He goes all out for Halloween this year - decorations and costumes and tonnes of sweets, all bought over by Peter a few days ago. Peter, who agreed to visit them tonight.
A knock on the front door alerts him to his presence. Except, the door blows open as he excitedly runs down the stairs to greet his friend, his smile instantly replaced by fear. He barely has enough time to shout, “Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!” before he’s falling to the ground, his last thought being that he couldn’t protect his family, guilt coursing through him at the memory of making Peter their secret keeper instead of Sirius, like they initially planned. Oh, Peter, what have you done?
Innocent - Black Brothers, Jegulus - 321 words
“I hate you!” Sirius screams at his brother.
“I didn’t do anything, I swear!” Regulus counters. “I’m innocent !”
James walks over to Remus, whose looking exasperated at the brothers' antics while trying to do his homework, and sits down at the table opposite him, whispering, “What’s going on? Do I need to intervene?”
“Don’t bother,” he sighs, “it’s nothing serious; they’re just being dramatic, as always.”
“For the last time, I did not steal your liquorice wand!” Regulus declares.
James chuckles; for a moment, he genuinely thought all the progress the two of them have made over the last few months was coming crashing down. But it’s just brothers being brothers he supposes.
“Let me smell your breath then,” Sirius says. “I bet it will smell of liquorice.”
“Piss off, you’re not smelling my breath. That’s weird.”
“Just admit you stole it then!”
“But that would be a lie.”
“Okay,” James gets up, deciding to finally put the entire common room out of their misery. “Sirius, if Regulus says he didn’t take it, he didn’t.”
“You’re just saying that ‘cause he’s your boyfriend,” he sulks.
“And you’re my best friend, your point?” Sirius looks away, unable to come up with a response. “Look, I’ll buy you another one next time we go to Honeydukes, okay?”
“That’s not the point.”
“I know, but is your relationship with your brother really worth one sweet?”
Regulus looks smug as Sirius mutters, “No.”
James takes his boyfriend’s hand, leading them to his dorm so the brothers can cool down a bit. “Did you actually eat it? His liquorice wand?”
“James,” he places his hand over his heart, feigning offence, “do you not trust me? Your own boyfriend?”
“Regulus,” he says pointedly.
“Of course I ate it, and it was so worth it. His reaction was hilarious.”
James laughs and kisses his forehead, thanking his lucky stars that this wonderful, albeit slightly unhinged, man is his.
Vow - Jegulus - 305 words - CW: Angst
“I’m sorry, James,” Regulus whispers, his voice wobbling slightly, “You know I can’t leave. You saw what happened to Sirius when he left, it’ll only be worse for me. They have no more spares.”
“But you’re more than that,” his boyfriend protests. “You’re more than a spare. You are more than your blood. Come to mine, please.”
“I can’t.”
The tears streaming down James’ face seem to slow as his expression hardens. “Can’t? Or won’t?”
“What do you want me to say?” he walks to the edge of the Astronomy tower, looking at night sky instead of the pain he is causing one of the most important people to him. “That I’m selfish? That I’m cruel and just like them? I’m scared, James,” Regulus’ voice breaks. “I don’t want to die; I have to get the mark. You can’t stop me.”
“We can protect you…”
“Not from the Unbreakable Vow .”
James gasps. “No. No no no. Please tell me you didn’t. Reg…” he reaches out to him, but Regulus steps back, just out of his reach.
“It’s too late for me. But not for you. You will live such an amazing life, I know it. It just…won’t have me in it.”
“I don’t want any life without you.”
“I know. I’m so sorry for all this.” Regulus closes the gap between them, savouring every moment as their lips connect for the last time. “I love you. I always will.” He looks into the hazel eyes that have captivated him from the moment they first met, slyly lifting his wand to James’ head, and mutters, “Obliviate,” before quickly running away, not wanting to confuse the man anymore than necessary.
This is for the best, he reminds himself. James will be better off without ever having known him. He will be happy. That’s all Regulus wants really.
Pathetic - Rosekiller - 189 words - Somewhat NSFW
“Rosieee,” Barty whines. “Are you done yet? I’m sooo bored.”
Evan sighs for the hundredth time in the last twenty minutes, not looking up from the books and parchment sprawled across his bed. “The more you interrupt me, the longer I’m gonna take.”
“But I have nothing to do.”
“You could do your homework.”
“Pfft, that’s boring. I’ll do it the morning it’s due.” Barty jumps on Evan’s bed, choosing to ignore the eye roll at that statement, “Come on, have some fun.”
“I’m busy.”
He smirks, knowing just how to get on his ‘friend’s’ nerves. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you were such a swot.”
Evan grabs Barty’s shirt, pulling him so their faces are barely an inch apart, hissing, “You are pathetic , you know that?”
“Only for you, Rosie.”
Their lips crash together, desperate and needy, Evan taking everything Barty offers and more. Neither of them notices the clatter of books falling to the floor as Evan pins him to the bed.
Looking into his eyes, Evan mutters, “I hate you.”
“Prove it,” Barty dares, and Merlin, Evan doesn’t do anything by half, that’s for sure.
Sparks - Wolfstar - 311 words
“Sirius,” Remus sighs as his friend starts sucking on his neck, “what are we doing?”
“What do you mean?” he murmurs against his skin.
“This. Us. Sneaking around in broom cupboards and kissing when no one else is around.”
Sirius pulls back, eyebrows furrowing. “Do you not want to do this anymore?” he asks, dejected. “It’s totally fine if so. I don’t want to do anything you’re uncomfortable with, Moony.”
“That’s the opposite of what I want.”
“Then…what do you want?”
Taking a deep breath, Remus decides to be brave for once in his life and to admit his feelings, feelings he’s had for such a long time that it’s becoming almost painful to keep secret. “I want you, all of you. Not just in secret, not kissing as ‘friends’. I want more than that. I want you .”
Sirius’ breath hitches at his confession, and Remus looks away from his beautifully grey eyes. He gently grabs his jaw, tilting his head to look back at him. “Moony…” he starts. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear you say that.”
“What?”
“I want you too. So much, it’s honestly kind of pathetic. I could give Prongs a run for his money with his obsession with Evans,” Sirius says. “Point is, every time we touch, we kiss, every time I so much as look at you, I feel sparks in my stomach. I tried to suppress it because I didn’t want to ruin our friendship, and you know what my mother is like…”
“You want me? Really?”
Sirius chuckles. “We really need to work on your self-esteem, but yes, I really do want you.”
Remus leans down, pulling him in by the waist as their lips crash together. He should really listen to the Gryffindor in him more often, being brave has its perks, especially when it leads to this.
Enchanted - Marylily - 260 words
Lily knocks on the bedroom door that she and her girlfriend are sharing for the weekend at the Potter manor. “Mary, are you ready?”
The door swings open and Mary steps into the hallway, her long legs shown by the slit in the side of the lilac dress she’s wearing. Lily stares, utterly awestruck at how this stunning woman is hers. Rich brown meets emerald green as they lock eyes, smiling as they take the other in.
Mary gently takes hold of Lily’s waist, pulling her in to a slow, tender kiss. Her lips trail down Lily’s jaw, murmuring into her ear, “You look gorgeous, Flower.”
“So do you,” she breathes. “God, I’m so lucky to have met you. Enchanted , even.”
“You certainly put a spell on me, with your freckles and incredible hair, your nerdiness and the little snort when you laugh.”
Blushing, Lily reluctantly steps out of her girlfriend’s grasp, taking her hand as they descend the stairs, entering the garden that is buzzing with anticipation.
“Considering how long it took them to get together,” Mary starts, “I’m surprised Remus and Sirius are the first to get married.”
“Just think, this could be us soon,” Lily says without thinking.
Mary comes to a stop. “Really? You want to get married?”
“Um…” she hesitates, torn between not wanting to scare Mary away, but also wanting to be honest. “One day, yeah.”
“One day,” Mary repeats. Lily anxiously waits what feels like a lifetime for her to grin. Mary leads them to their seats, muttering under her breath, "One day.”
Decade - Wolfstar - 240 words
Remus is bombarded with the comforting aroma of spices when he opens the front door, stepping into the warm house from the winter chill. He hangs his coat up and enters the dining room to find his husband setting the table, decorated with red roses and candles.
Remus hugs him from behind, murmuring, “I love you.”
Sirius turns around, softly touching their lips together. “I love you. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
“You know you didn’t have to do all this,” he says. “We’ve been married for a decade .”
“Yeah, the best decade of my life,” Sirius smiles. “I want to show you just how much I love you. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve been together, you deserve to know just how special you are to me.”
“And you decided to do that by cooking?”
Sirius playfully swats at his arm, “Piss off, my cooking isn’t that bad.”
“Remember when you broke the oven when you attempted to make my birthday cake last year?”
“That was just the once.” Remus opens his mouth to protest and give more examples of why Sirius Lupin-Black should not be allowed in the kitchen, but is interrupted. “Besides, I didn’t cook. I got a takeaway. You’re favourite.”
He kisses his forehead. “Thank you, sweetheart.”
“And do you want to know the best part?” Sirius asks.
“What?”
“Your mum is looking after Teddy tonight.” He smirks, “We’ve got the house to ourselves for the entire night.”
Antique - Dorlene - 287 words - Implied Smut
Typically, Dorcas isn’t nervous to bring her dates back home. She’s confident in her abilities; she knows just how to make women feel good. And she is not insecure about her body, despite the few people who have tried to make her feel so in the past. But as she unlocks the front door, Dorcas is perplexed by the fast beating of her heart in her chest. This is only their first date, but she has never got on with anyone as well as she does with Marlene so soon after meeting.
Dorcas smiles fondly at her date as she looks around the flat she is proud to call hers, both bold and classy in its decoration. But right now, she couldn’t care less about the room they’re standing in, not when Marlene’s brown eyes are wide with awe and choppy blonde hair framing her face so beautifully.
“Your place is beautiful.” She chuckles, walking over to a vase on the table, running her fingers over the elaborate design, “But this thing is ugly, what is it doing in such a stylish flat?”
“Be careful, it’s antique ,” Dorcas replies. “It was my grandmother’s, before she died.”
“Oh.”
Dorcas gently reaches for the hand on the vase, which she must admit is rather ugly, but she loves it regardless. She pulls Marlene closer to her, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “You didn’t come here to look at my flat though, did you?”
Marlene smirks, “Not at all,” and presses their lips together, backing Dorcas up until she’s against the wall. “This has been the best date,” she murmurs between gasps.
Dorcas pulls away, leading the woman to her bedroom. “And it’s only going to get better.”
Fate - Wolfstar - 356 words
Growing up with a family like his, it’s difficult for Sirius to believe in fate . Why would he endure all that because of the universe? It never made sense to him how some people believe that things are meant to happen to them, that their life is pre-determined.
Looking back now, he feels as though some things are destined to happen. Being sorted into Gryffindor. Sharing a dorm with James, Remus and Peter. Finding a loving family with them. He must admit, if it wasn’t for those three, he probably wouldn’t have had the guts to leave his blood family. He would have died in that house.
But he left. It was hard - a part of him still loves his family, and was terrified of the potential judgement from his peers. But it was worth it to be so happy with the Potters.
The thing is, gazing into amber eyes under the crescent moonlight, or memorising every freckle on Remus’ sleeping face, makes it impossible not to believe in fate . The moon and the stars . Shining together, bright despite the darkness and terrible hand life has dealt them both. There are so many reasons why Sirius should curse the universe for everything it has put them through, but if enduring all that pain leads him here, in love with the most wonderful person in the world, there is no question as to whether he would change a thing if given the chance. Sirius would go through hell and back just to be held by his boyfriend one more time.
He’s petrified of just how much he loves Remus, but for once, he’s going to have faith. This will work out. They will be happy and grow old together, mocking each other for their greying hair and wrinkles, while absolutely adoring every sign of their ageing bodies, because it means they made it. And they will make it. They’re only sixteen, but Sirius knows this relationship is for life. Remus is the one. His person. A lifetime of being together is too short. With every reincarnation, they will find each other again. They are fated to.
Fireworks - Dorlene - 251 words
Marlene has never been happier, people cheering all around her, congratulating her on Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup. Voices chatter from every direction of the common room, music blasting in her eardrums. People push up against her, the room never having been so crowded before.
Despite the love and attention she receives from her housemates, there’s only one person she wants to see right now. Marlene spins around when someone taps her shoulder, and immediately embraces her girlfriend. Dorcas takes her hand and leads her out the common room and away from the chaos of the party.
“Congratulations,” Dorcas smiles as they walk through the dark castle.
“I thought you said you wouldn’t talk to me ever again if you lost,” she jokes.
“Yeah, well, there is only one person I would ever accept losing to. Besides, you played really well, you deserve the win.”
Marlene stops walking, and pushes Dorcas against the wall, their lips colliding passionately, fitting together perfectly.
“Come on,” Dorcas pants when they part, leading Marlene outside. “We’re going to miss it.”
“Miss what?”
A loud bang draws Marlene’s attention to the night sky, now illuminated by red and gold sparkles.
“Did you do this?” she asks, awestruck at the trouble she must have gone through to pull this off.
“Yeah.”
Holding hands, Marlene rests her head against Dorcas’ shoulder, watching the fireworks together. “I love you,” she murmurs, afraid her girlfriend didn’t hear her confession over the celebration.
“I love you,” Dorcas replies, kissing her head.
Lips - Marylily - 288 words
Lily always thought it was normal to find her female friends attractive, and feel deep hatred for their partners. She thought good friends constantly have the urge to be as close together as possible. She genuinely believed everyone fantasised about kissing their best friends.
At least, that was before Remus explained to her the difference between finding someone attractive, and being attracted to them. Since then, her mind has been a whirlwind of emotions as she came to terms with not only the fact that she is gay, but also in love with her best friend. Mary. The straightest woman she has ever met, who has boys falling over themselves trying to impress her, and a new boyfriend each week. Now she knows why Remus is so miserable around Sirius half the time.
Heels clicking behind her, Lily hears Mary exit the bathroom before she sees her, swearing her heart skips a beat as she spins around to face her.
“Too much?” she asks, as Lily is unable to tear her gaze away from her lips , painted the boldest shade of red, as beautiful as a Valentine’s rose.
“You look stunning,” she breathes. “Where, um, where are you going?”
“Sirius is taking me to Hogsmeade,” Mary explains as she fixes her hair.
“Oh.” Lily fights back tears as she watches her friend get ready for a date that’s not with her, calling out, “Have fun,” as she heads towards the common room when she’s ready. Wiping a lone tear from her cheek, Lily grabs a box hidden under her bed containing her emergency store of chocolates and goes to find Remus, who’s no doubt in a similar state of despair. They can drown their sorrows in chocolate together.
Crumbling - Jegulus - 289 words
Regulus has spent his entire life building walls around himself, keeping everyone out to protect himself. Save him from the heartbreak of inevitably being screwed over in some way. But it’s getting harder and harder to pretend that James doesn’t have an effect on him. When he makes Regulus laugh after a bad day, and allows him to vent about it. Or when he actually pays attention to what he says when ranting about his favourite things. The way he gives him his jumper when Regulus shivers without him even having to ask.
James is kind and respectful and a bit of an arse at times, but that’s what makes him so interesting. This happy, smiling boy, that shines brighter than the sun itself, is flawed. James isn’t perfect, and Regulus finds comfort in the fact that even the most seemingly put together people are human too.
Sitting in the Astronomy tower, listening to James talk about his Quidditch practice today, gesturing widely as he explains, Regulus feels his resolve start to come crumbling down.
“What?” James asks, tilting his head slightly as he smiles at the way Regulus is very obviously staring at him.
“I’m just…thinking.”
“About what?”
“How much I want to kiss you right now.”
James’ breath hitches, and whispers, “Do you really mean that?”
Regulus swallows his fear. “Yes.”
Beaming, he moves closer to him, a calloused hand cradling Regulus’ cheek. They move as one, closing the gap between them until their lips brush together. Maybe he can finally let his guard down with this man, who loves people with such passion. Someone Regulus is beginning to trust not to hurt him. He just hopes his falling walls don’t crush him on the way down.
Briefcase - Rosekiller - 361 words
Dropping his briefcase on the floor almost as soon as he enters the house, Barty cracks his spine - sore from sitting at a desk all day - and flops onto the sofa with a sigh. He severely regrets following in his father's footsteps, going to work feels like torture to him. With the same monotonous routine every day. Doing something he absolutely hates. Closing his eyes, Barty allows himself to dream of what could have been.
The glare from the yellow lamp post outside wakes him up, and he checks his watch to find that it is one am. He grunts as he enters the kitchen, wincing when the light flickers on, only to see that there is no food in the fridge. Cereal, it is, he thinks, grabbing a box of Cheerios to eat in bed. Barty strips out of his suit and jumps when he turns around, spilling cereal on the floor.
“Who the hell are you?” he asks the man currently sitting in his bed, reading one of his books.
“Let’s just say I am your worst nightmare.”
“You don’t look like my father to me,” Barty retorts, earning a raised eyebrow from the stranger. “Tell me who you are or I’ll call the police.”
“I don’t think you’ll do that,” he murmurs, turning the page.
“Why’s that?”
“I’ve been watching you for some time,” he states nonchalantly, as if that isn’t the creepiest thing someone has ever said to Barty, before he finally looks up at him, electric blue eyes piercing into his soul. “You’re just like me, Barty. You’re bored with your life. You crave that adventure. That danger.”
“You don’t know me,” he whispers weakly.
The man stands up, crossing the room so that they are eye level. “I think I know you better than you know yourself.” He walks towards the bedroom door, leaving Barty utterly dumbstruck, unable to move. “Same time tomorrow?” he asks, and leaves without an answer. He knows that Barty wouldn’t call the police tomorrow; he’s intrigued by this man and what he may be offering. What exactly is it he is offering? He’ll find out tomorrow, he supposes.
Organ - Pandalily - 239 words
“Hey, you left your scarf- what the bloody hell are those?” Lily asks incredulously, staring wide-eyed at glass jars on the shelf. She knew Pandora was weird, but as she enters her dorm for the first time, she realises just how severely she underestimated her girlfriend.
“Oh, they’re just some organs I’ve collected, mostly from the animals Evan dissected once he was done with them,” she replies nonchalantly, as if what the twins do is perfectly normal. But what is normal? a voice in her head says.
“You…have body parts on display in your room?”
“Yes.” Pandora closes the textbook she was reading and gets up from her bed, crossing the room to stand in front of Lily. “Does it freak you out?”
“What? No. Why would it freak me out?” she very obviously lies, her voice increasing in pitch with every syllable uttered.
“Because I have been told it is weird and creepy. My dorm mates are not a fan of my…hobbies.”
“Well, I certainly didn’t expect this, and I do think it’s a little weird, but it doesn’t freak me out per se,” Lily admits. “As long as it makes you happy.”
Pandora smiles dreamily, causing Lily’s heart to flutter. She looks ethereal, like a literal angel. “It does make me happy.”
Lily takes hold of her waist, pulling her in to kiss this wonderfully weird woman, and thanks the universe that she can call Pandora hers.
Dragons - Jegulus - 370 words
Regulus does not know how he ended up here. One minute he was gazing up at the night sky, next he was listening to James Potter of all people talking utter nonsense next to him. Not really paying much attention to what he is saying, too lost in the way the moonlight reflects in his hazel eyes. The few sentences he catches means he learns a lot about the boy he has always hated. Like the fact that he pretends his favourite colour is red, when it actually is yellow. James has always loved Quidditch, ever since he got his first training broom on his third birthday, and wants to go pro. If he could be any magical creature, he’d be a dragon . And that he wants a love like what his parents have.
Regulus has always resented him, for always being so happy, for stealing his brother from him. But the more he gets to know him, the more he realises that his happy-go-lucky nature is actually just a facade. James has insecurities and flaws just like any other human being. And, quite frankly, that makes him seem even more attractive than the perfect person he portrays himself to be. Which Regulus didn’t think was possible, with his endearingly unruly hair, huge biceps from years of Quidditch training and charming smile.
The sun starts to rise by the time they finally leave the Astronomy tower. “This was fun,” James whispers as they walk through the corridors together.
“It actually was.”
“You sound surprised,” he says. “I’ll have you know I’m great company.”
“I would have laughed in your face if you said that to me a few hours ago.”
James smiles and stops walking. “Well, this is me,” he indicates to the staircase leading to Gryffindor tower. “I- um…” his cheeks tinge red as he struggles to get his words out. “Would you like to…do this again sometime? Like on purpose, not just running into you by accident.”
“I would like that,” he answers nonchalantly, though he is absolutely freaking out inside. The beam on James’ face causes his heart to skip a beat, and Regulus knows he’s screwed. There’s no way he won’t fall in love with him.
Pride - Wolfstar - 261 words
Remus rolls his eyes as Sirius talks enthusiastically about how ‘wonderful’ his date with Emma was - which is a total lie, but he has a reputation to uphold.
“What’s up with you, Moons?” Sirius asks. “Jealous you can’t get a girl yourself?”
He glowers at him. “I could get a girl if I wanted to.”
“Oh, so that’s why you’ve been single for as long as I’ve known you.”
“At least I don’t go out with every single girl that asks,” Remus retorts. “At least I have some dignity. Some pride .”
Sirius scoffs. “I do have dignity. And I don’t out with every girl.”
“Could’ve fooled me.” Remus gets up from the table, abandoning his half-eaten dinner. “I’m going to the library.”
“Hey, Remus, wait!” he calls out, but Remus doesn’t look back as he exits the Great Hall. “What was that all about?” It’s not like it’s near the full moon; he can’t blame the wolf for his attitude.
“Mate…” James sighs.
“You know something, don’t you? What’s going on with Moony? Is he okay?”
“He’s…Remus, he’ll get through this.”
“Through what?” When James looks down, poking at his mashed potatoes, Sirius adds, “We tell each other everything, Prongs.”
“I know. And you have no idea how badly I want to tell you, but it’s not my secret to tell.”
Sirius deflates, knowing he’d do the same if the roles were reversed. He abruptly stands up, muttering, “I’m going to the library.” He has to find him. He has to know what is going on with his best friend.
Professional - Wolfstar - 409 words - Part 2 of Pride
Remus sighs as Sirius sits opposite him at the table he is currently pretending to study at - he can’t focus on anything but Sirius and his perfect date earlier. He hates how upset he gets when his friend is happy, and single, and free to do whatever he pleases. But years of unrequited feelings for him is starting to take its toll.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Sirius asks.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Bullshit,” he snaps. “You are being a total arse and I want to know why.”
“Maybe I’m just tired of hearing you constantly talk about the girls you date.”
“You are jealous, aren’t you?” Remus swallows, not looking up from his book, terrified his feelings are written all over his face. “If you fancy Emma, you could have just said. I wouldn’t have gone out with her if I knew you liked her.”
He chuckles. “You couldn’t be more wrong, Sirius.”
“Then what is it?” When Remus doesn’t speak, he continues, “You are being a professional dick right now, you know that? Just tell be what’s up, or was the Sorting Hat wrong to place you in Gryffindor, coward.”
“I’m not a coward.”
“Prove it.”
“I’m jealous of Emma,” he confesses before he could think it through.
“Of Emma? Why?”
Remus slams his book shut, startling some nearby students and stands up. “You’re smart, figure it out.”
He’s barely a few feet out the library when Sirius catches up to him. “I have a theory, but I don’t want to be wrong.”
“What’s the theory then?”
“You don’t fancy Emma, you fancy…me?” Remus’ silence is answer enough. “Moony…do you want to know why I go on so many dates?”
“Not particularly.”
“Because I want to get over you.”
Remus abruptly stops. “What?”
“I like you, Remus. But I didn’t think you liked me too.”
He laughs. “I’ve been mental about you since third year.”
“That long? How did I not notice?”
“To be fair, I didn’t notice you liked me too.”
“Guess we’re both idiots then.” Sirius’ cold hand tentatively takes hold of Remus’ warm one. “Did you want to go to Hogsmeade with me next time?”
“Are you serious? Don’t you dare,” Remus says when he can tell what overused joke Sirius was about to make.
“Yes, I’m serious. There’s no one I want to go on a date with more than you.”
“I feel the same.”
Moth - Jegulus - 332 words
Regulus knows he should stop, that it is far too dangerous if they get caught by the wrong people. But James is the sun, and Regulus is a moth drawn to his flame. It doesn’t matter that he’ll get burnt, not when he feels his warmth. James knows exactly how to make him laugh when he needs it. He lets Regulus rant about his favourite things or how annoying Barty and Evan were that day. And he enjoys hearing all about James’ day too. But nothing compares to the warmth of just being in his arms, breathing in his scent and having never felt safer.
All good things must come to an end. Hands trembling, he climbs the stairs to the Astronomy tower to find James silently watching the night sky, blissfully unaware of what Regulus is about to do.
“Hey,” James smiles at him when he hears his footsteps, then frowns at the emotionless mask on his face. “Bad day?”
“We can’t do this anymore, Potter,” he states coldly.
A litany of emotions flick over James’ face in just a few moments, before his face settles on fear, and whispers, “Do what?”
“This,” Regulus gestures between the two of them. “Us. We’re over.”
He hates how apathetic he sounds while he breaks both his and James’ heart. But it has to be done; it’s what’s best for both of them.
“What? Why?”
Regulus squeezes his eyes shut and takes a deep breath before rolling his left sleeve up, unable to hide his flinch at the hitch in James’ breath. “We’re on opposite sides of a war, that’s why.”
“You could always-”
“No, I can’t.” He rolls his sleeve down and takes a step back. “Goodbye, James,” he mutters, and basically runs out the tower, not slowing down until he reaches his dorm. Only then he allows himself to break, casting a silencing charm around his bed before sobbing into his pillow. It’s what’s best for them. It’s what’s best for James.
Careful - Nobleflower - 399 words
Alice is careful to not get caught. Not get caught sneaking out of the common room past curfew or staring at the Slytherin table during meal times. She’s mindful of what she says to her friends, and always has an excuse as to why she takes forever to leave the changing room after Quidditch practice.
This is exhausting, constantly being so vigilant. But it’s worth it if she can be with Narcissa. Alice understands the risks they are both taking in being together, yet they do it anyway. Ever since she saw Narcissa playing Quidditch alone on the pitch, and explains to her after that her parents didn’t allow her to join the Slytherin team because it’s ‘unladylike’, Alice has been unable to get her out of her mind since. The more she thought about her, the more she noticed her in a crowd. Alice saw the way her eyes lit up when watching Quidditch, and the way she’d tie her hair back in frustration when studying a particularly hard topic.
They ended up flying together after Alice’s practices, and got to know each other better. Then, one day in the changing room, Narcissa kissed her. Just on the cheek. Alice made the next move, gently placing her lips on Narcissa’s, and hasn’t been able to keep her hands off her since.
It is difficult, keeping their relationship a secret. But neither of them knows what would happen if Cissa’s parents found out, but one thing is for sure: it would not be good.
“Hey,” Alice says as she enters the changing room, noticing how down Narcissa seems despite the emotionless mask on her face. “What’s wrong?”
She pats the bench she’s on, and Alice sits down next to her. “I wanted you to hear this from me, but you won’t like it.”
“Okay…”
“I’m to marry Lucius Malfoy at the end of the school year,” she states, apathetic.
“No. No, you can’t.”
“I have to.”
“We can…we can run away together. Just me and you, we will be happy together, Cissa.”
Narcissa inhales. “I want to be with you, but if I have to choose between you and my family, I choose them.”
“But…” Alice begs, tears threatening to fall, “I love you.”
She closes her eyes as Narcissa places a tender kiss to her forehead. “I love you too.” And when she opens them, Narcissa is gone.
Ours - Pandalily - 238 words
Pandora always thought the best thing to be theirs was their relationship. Just Lily ranting to her about her current books, or how annoying her boys are. Waking her up at five am to watch the sunrise, and having her tangled red hair rest against Pandora’s shoulder almost immediately after as she fell asleep. Helping Lily with her studying so she can get the best grade possible, not that she needed help, just some reassurance that she can, in fact, do it. Going to sleep and waking up next to the same person each day, hopefully for the rest of their life.
She didn’t expect anything more from her girlfriend. Then they moved in together. Got married. Bought a house. They are living the dream life, and Pandora couldn’t be happier.
Or she thought she couldn’t be, until the night that changed everything. Lily was lying in a hospital bed, utterly exhausted from the day's events. Even when screaming in pain, sweat covering every inch of her body, she was the most beautiful person Pandora has ever seen.
A baby starts crying from across the room, and she rushes over to him, gently picking him up before he can wake his mother. “Shh, Harry, it’s okay,” Pandora murmurs, and he soon settles down in her arms. Looking down at his face, she smiles at their son, “You are without a doubt the best thing to ever be ours .”
Mailbox - Jegulus - 331 words
Effie sighs as she looks out the front window, sipping her coffee as she watches her son check the mailbox for a letter containing a declaration of love, disappointment clear on his face. He sent a letter to his crush of six years, and is desperately waiting for a response. She doesn’t have the heart to tell him that it’s almost been a month, and they go to the same school. Lily would have confessed to him already if she felt the same way.
Light footsteps sound behind her, and she turns to face the boy who was brave enough to leave his family with his brother, and come to the Potters for safety. Regulus’ expression is emotionless as he gazes outside.
“Tell him how you feel,” Effie says softly.
“I…don’t know what you mean.”
“I think you do.” She lets out a breath. “James is one of the smartest people I know, but he’s so dumb about things like this.”
Regulus hesitates before his curiosity takes over the fear of being found out. “Things like what?”
“Like when a really attractive young man likes him,” she states matter of factly.
He stutters as he tries to deny that statement, but finds it fruitless. “He probably doesn’t even like guys,” Regulus mutters. “And even if he did, he would never like me.”
Effie places a hand on his shoulder. “Regulus, you are far too hard on yourself. You left your family and all the awful things they believe. You have a fresh start here, take advantage of it. I’m sure if you give him the chance, James would like you just as much, if not more than you like him.”
The front door slams closed, and an overly cheery James enters the living room. “Good morning!” But she knows her son, she knows it’s a facade.
Effie smiles at Regulus, and takes her coffee outside with her, enjoying the cool summer air as the boys hopefully sort things out between them.
Heaven - Quillkiller - 226 words
All her life, Bellatrix never believed she deserved good things. She’s a Black; she deserves power and respect from those beneath her. But she never gets what she wants, she’s never allowed to merely desire something her parents disapprove of.
She has no idea how this happened, but Bellatrix has found herself in empty classrooms or broom closets on more than one occasion, and she’s never alone. The moments where soft, warm skin is pressed against hers, the fierce, dominating crash of lips, make her feel more than she has in her entire life. Rita hasn’t run when Bellatrix’s behaviour seemed to confirm that the ‘Black family madness’ is more than just a rumour. In fact, she actively seeks her out, despite her obvious increasing insanity. Rita is unlike anyone she has ever met in the most wonderful way possible.
Pinning the blonde against the stone wall, Bellatrix thinks that maybe muggle’s beliefs are not total crap after all. As she meets her gaze, she feels as though heaven really does exist, right here with this woman. Grief consumes her for a brief moment as she is reminded that this cannot continue for much longer. Not when her parents, and the Dark Lord, would never approve of it. But Bellatrix seizes Rita’s lips in her own, deciding that for now, she will remain in this bliss.