Amor

Mon, 14 Nov 2005 20:50:52 GMT

Title: Sentimental Magic
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Summary: There was no guarantee that Draco wouldn’t be poisoning his dinner later that night.
A/N: For jux_ta_pose
Rating: PG

The moment Ron caught sight of the box, having just arrived home from work, he knew there was going to be trouble. Clutching briefly at his hair as a desperate man might, he couldn’t quite prevent a muttered ‘fuck’ from escaping his lips as the apartment door closed behind him.

Draco was sitting on the couch, quill in hand, having the air of being completely absorbed in one of his curious number puzzles but Ron was quite sure that he’d been waiting for him for some time now.

A fleeting succession of options ran through his mind. Ron really didn’t want to ask, not yet, and so he could check his owls, feed the fish, put away the groceries and start dinner or talk to Draco. The latter was an inevitable, unpleasant prospect but since he’d done the shopping this week, it wasn’t his turn to deal with food.

However there was no guarantee that Draco wouldn’t be poisoning his dinner later that night.

Ron inwardly sighed and deposited his bags down next to the couch.

‘What are you doing?’

Draco didn’t look up. ‘Are you stupid or blind, Weasley? What does it look like I’m doing?’

There was a dangerous edge to his words that Ron hadn’t heard in what seemed an age ago, not since Hogwarts. It was the tone he would use right before pulling out his wand and hexing Ron with it.

‘Looks like you had nothing to do today and decided to go through my personal stuff,’ replied Ron as calmly as he could. It was bullshit though, they both knew it since neither had ever been capable of disguising anger towards the other.

‘I didn’t purposefully go nosing around.’

They both looked at the box sitting innocently between them.

‘I didn’t touch it,’ said Draco.

‘But you know what’s inside,’ accused Ron. ‘What were you doing in the back of my closet?’

‘I was cleaning.’

‘Liar. You never clean.’

Draco scowled. ‘And of course I know what’s in the damn box, it bloody well reeks. I’d have to be a right idiot or a muggle, or Longbottom, not to smell all the fucking sentimental magic pouring off it.’

Ron flushed. Taking a moment to formulate an appropriate answer, he sat down on the couch, kicked off his shoes and propped his feet up on the coffee table just because it would annoy the blond.

‘Move your fucking feet off the table, Weasley, or you’ll never walk again.’

Ron occasionally wondered why he’d given up women for Draco, when sometimes it was just the same. He left his feet where they were. Ron was, after all, a true Gryffindor and they were courageous (and stupid, Draco often added).

‘You’ve got no right to be shitty at me.’

Draco stood up. ‘No right?’

‘Look, let’s not pretend we don’t have pasts, ok?’ Ron snapped back. ‘Call me naïve, but I thought perhaps we’d dealt with all of that.’

‘Yeah, Ron, but the difference between you and me is that I’m not still living in it!’

He wasn’t sure whether he would have been more surprised if Draco had punched him in the face (after all he’d done that a few times before). Then again it was true that truth tended to hurt; while he couldn’t say that Draco was completely right in this case, he wasn’t completely wrong either.

Ron wasn’t the kind to let things go without a struggle. In a way, the box was the physical manifestation of that part of his personality. He didn’t like having his weaknesses laid out in the open any more than Draco did, although Malfoys knew how to hide theirs and Ron had never learnt the secret.

However, flaws aside, he probably owed Draco an explanation.

‘Open it.’

‘Fuck, Ron, you’re such a-what?’

‘Open it, if you want to that badly.’

Draco stalked out of the apartment, the slamming of the door echoing in his wake.

‘It’s all right,’ Ron told the two goldfishes who were opening and shutting their small, pouty lips in alarm. ‘He’ll calm down, eh?’

Jacob and Constance stared at him uncomprehendingly, and Ron couldn’t help feeling quite alone. He’d so been looking forward to sex and not having to cook dinner.

After he’d finished the dishes and put half a lasagne in the oven to keep warm, it was late and he could barely keep both eyes open. Swearing to never speak to the bastard again if he came home drunk, Ron decided to call it a night and climbed gratefully into their bed.
*

He half expected to be woken up at some ridiculous hour of the morning, but Ron slept on until long after the sun had risen. Shuffling into the lounge, he was alarmed to see Draco cross-legged on the couch, surrounded by scatterings of ribbon, parchment and a dozen other of Ron’s dearest possessions. A lifetime’s worth of heartache, and Draco had chosen to uncover it.

‘Did you sleep at all last night?’

He ignored Ron’s question, instead holding up the empty box. ‘None of his stuff was in here.’

Ron idly scratched the back of his head and took a seat next to Draco. ‘What did you think you would find?’

‘I don’t know, maybe disgusting love letters, like these ones from Granger?’

Ron shook his head and laughed.

‘I guess,’ Draco said, picking up a miniature teddy bear wearing an orange scarf and hat, ‘your memories of him would hardly fit in this box.’

‘I, uh, got a birthday card from Harry yesterday.’

Draco raised an eyebrow but didn’t look at him. ‘A little early. Has he been gone that long?’

Five years. Sometimes it felt like ten or twenty, thought Ron, but didn’t say it out loud.

‘He’s coming back for my birthday next week. Back to stay.’

There was a long silence. Ron rubbed his thumbs nervously together until Draco finally said in an odd, expressionless voice, ‘I see.’

Ron stood up and disappeared in to the bedroom. He returned a moment later with another box, identical to the one Draco had unearthed. All those mementos, gifts and messages from his previous loves lying in the very depths of his wardrobe. He’d pretty much forgotten they were there until seeing Draco with it yesterday.

‘Now open that one.’

Draco, curious, obliged him. Inside were the tickets from the first Chudley Cannons match Draco had taken him to and the muggle ballet which Ron had hated every second of. All the ridiculous notes Draco had Owled to him whenever he was bored at work (which was often) that tended to make Ron’s blood run hot and resulted in the loss of his concentration for the rest of the day.

Draco fished out a couple of twigs. ‘What the hell are these?’

He coloured a little. ‘Remember last Christmas at the burrow, when we made that snowman for Bill’s kids?’

There were a dozen or so other pointless objects like that which he’d collected and treasured over the course of their unexpected relationship. Draco stared at him in awe, looking a little like he wanted to laugh.

‘You’re such a fucking sentimental idiot. But you can keep my mother’s handkerchief if you want, even though I’ve been looking everywhere for that damn thing.’

Ron shrugged. ‘Harry…he left me a long time ago. It was what he needed, and I couldn’t ask him to stay. Not when he was suffering like that. I still love him, I always have. But I don’t want him, if that was what you were wondering.’

‘You don’t want him anymore,’ Draco corrected.

‘No,’ he agreed. ‘I don’t.’

Draco clasped either side of Ron’s face and kissed him, deep and hard the way he liked it best, the way he’d done the first time at Padma Patil’s twenty fourth, effectively turning Ron’s world upside down when he’d thought he would never feel much of anything again.

‘I love you, even though you are an idiot,’ Draco muttered.

‘Is that right?’ Ron grinned, pulling at the buttons on his boyfriend’s shirt. ‘Because I kind of suspected as much.’

OMGZ I Wrote Baudecest :S

Thu, 03 Nov 2005 04:02:45 GMT

Title: What It Means
Rating: PG
Summary: He thought that perhaps it better described one’s sense of being in the right place, more specifically, home. A sense of family.
Link: here

Sun, 01 May 2005 06:28:21 GMT

Title: Unlike
Pairing: Zacharias/Lavender
Rating: G

Zacharias disliked public displays of affection, which Lavender thought was amusing. They often took walks together in the park, meandering up and down the paths side-by-side, but never touching.

He turned up his nose at the ducks splashing happily in the pond, the squealing children on the swing sets and the couple sitting closely on the bench, hands clasped and smiling at each other. Lavender called them sweet, Zacharias sniffed disdainfully and called them a number of other things not nearly so sweet.

Exasperated, she shoved him towards a tree and told him to shut up, and he didn’t seem to mind much when she leant in and kissed the smirk from his half-curved lips.

Sun, 01 May 2005 06:26:10 GMT

Title: Seeing
Pairing: Harry/Parvati
Rating: G

The day Parvati lost all faith in Divination was the day she gazed into a crystal ball to predict her own future and found Harry Potter.

Lavender especially was quite upset about what happened next. No one else understood either, and Parvati had to invent all kinds of curious excuses. A little like the lies she used to make up for Professor Trelawney, only this time she no longer believed in her own words.

Even Hermione, who needed to understand everything, couldn’t figure it out. It was her though, who received the most truthful answer.

‘Well, I know why I dropped Divination,’ she reflected, one late night after Parvati was too damn tired to lie convincingly. ‘But why did you? It was your best subject, after all…’

‘It’s only about seeing the things you want to see,’ said Parvati shortly, and disappeared again behind her magazine.

Sun, 01 May 2005 06:20:10 GMT

Title: Precious
Summary: Parvati hated how Padma was always right.
Rating: G

Padma had said, ‘Draco’s parents aren’t nice, are they?’ when they’d visited Malfoy Manor last week. Parvati had liked the pretty house and the nice cakes and she thought Mrs Malfoy was almost as elegant and beautiful as Mama. She thought Padma was stupid, but Mama had told Papa in a pleased voice that Padma was ‘so perceptive’.

Parvati figured out that perceptive must be a grown-up word for perfect. Well, Padma may have been perfect but she didn’t know everything, and what Padma didn’t know was that all her precious dolls no longer had their heads.

But Parvati knew.

Sun, 01 May 2005 06:06:37 GMT

Title: A Little Late
Pairing: Harry/Parvati
Summary: Parvati's got her dates mixed up.
Rating: PG

Harry didn’t expect for the door to suddenly swing open the moment he arrived home. Parvati stood on the other side, sparkle-eyed and prettily flushed, wearing only a lacy red bra and black skirt.

‘Harry!’ she squealed delightedly, throwing herself in his arms.

‘You’ve been drinking,’ he observed.

‘I’m allowed to!’ she insisted. ‘Silly boy; it’s St Patrick’s Day.’

‘St Patrick’s Day was a week ago.’

‘I don‘t like you,’ pouted Parvati.

‘It’s hard to take you seriously when you’re wearing so little…’

‘Bastard,’ she murmured, sliding a wicked tongue between the curve of his half-smile. ‘Seriously take this, then.’

Sun, 01 May 2005 05:59:07 GMT

Title: Watching
Summary: The Gryffindor boys like to share.
Rating: R
Warning: Slash, perversion

Seamus had been called a bit of a stalker on more than one occasion. He supposed that it gave him a bit of a reputation but in comparison with all the other stories out there, he thought that slight matter rather paled into insignificance. Certainly the bulk of Hogwarts students were just wishing he would stalk them down.

‘You know you’re truly creepy right, mate?’ Ron was standing with his arms folded, looking intrigued and useless at hiding it.

Without turning around, the blond only shook his head and grinned. ‘You’re going to have to do better than that if you want in, Ronald.’

He came up and stood so very close, breath warm and sweeping down the back of Seamus’s collar. Ron knew, dammit, how incredibly ticklish that was and Seamus tried hard not to squirm. The redhead’s low chuckles were sexy, sexy…hand busy unfastening the buttons of his robes and beginning to slide under right there.

With his other hand, Ron grabbed the magicked binoculars before they fell to the floor.

‘Shit, the Ravenclaw showers-?’ he almost cried, sounding choked.

Seamus let out an incoherent moaning sort of noise when Ron, hard and hot, couldn’t help but grind into the curve of his arse. Padma was a damn fool. For Merlin’s sake, the boy had sent her flowers and she still said no. Not that Seamus would have cared for a dozen long-stemmed, red roses, but he knew girls went loopy over that kind of rubbish.

For a Ravenclaw, Seamus reflected, Padma was really quite astonishingly dim.

Sun, 01 May 2005 05:56:03 GMT

Title: Scarlet
Pairing: Ginny/Tom
Summary: I’ve tried telling myself that I don’t need this. I don’t need you.
Rating: PG

It’s alright now.

We’re all alone, you and I. There is nothing that will touch us here. There’s powerful magic in the chamber, ancient, and no one else knows.

It’s so quiet, so silent, you say.

Isn’t it beautiful?

I can hear nothing but the sound of your voice. Not just here but in my mind, all the time. Lines of ink as you pour out your darkest thoughts; those ribbons of self-doubt that twist from the page and entwine in my own. I think I’m losing my memory, Tom. I think I’m going mad.

You take my hands between yours.

You’re so cold, you whisper.

You’re always so warm. You are burning in the night, but I light the torches anyway. Too dark, you tell me, and so I light them for you.

All I see is red. Your hair; ruby, copper, gold. It flickers in the light, a river of fire running through my cold, cold fingers.

I’ve tried telling myself that I don’t need this. I don’t need you.

You will not remember it, I know. You never remember, I always make sure of that. It’s too much of a risk, and I can’t lose you.

You understand don’t you, Ginny? My Persephone, my Ginevra.

My past, present and future.

Sun, 01 May 2005 05:49:52 GMT

Title: Ask
Summary: Ron considers it revenge for all those years of torment.
Rating: PG
Warning: Slash

There’s a spot right there, Ron knows, a hollow between the shoulder and chest that can make Draco do anything Ron wants him to do. He just has to slowly lick, suck or dig his fingers into the smooth flesh there, and the Slytherin is practically begging him not to stop, powerless to refuse any of Ron’s demands.

Ron considers it revenge for all those years of torment; the insults, name-calling, hexes and bruises on his body that Draco has given him. It’s not manipulative, not like he’s ever asked Draco to do anything he doesn’t really want to do.

Sometimes he’s thought about it, though. Once, pressing his lips and driving the tip of his tongue into that spot, feeling Draco trembling beneath him. That one time, Ron had murmured quietly in his ear, ‘Don’t ever leave me’, but his words were lost in the wake of Draco’s moans.

Sun, 01 May 2005 05:37:25 GMT

Title: Summer at The Burrow
Pairing: Ron/Hermione
Summary: Because she knew, and Ron knew-although he’d never admit it in a million years-that neither of them were going to talk about the real reason for his permanent bad mood.
Category: Humour, romance
Rating: G

The day was scorching, and Ron lay on top of his bed covers with his hands behind his head and watched the bright orange surrounding him shift and change, one picture blurring into the next. It was almost too much to bear, this suffocating heat, and he wondered idly how anyone could breathe in these conditions, let alone take part in any kind of physical activity.

The swung open, and Ginny bounced cheerfully into the room with what Ron considered an indecent absence of clothing, but he couldn’t work up the energy to mention it.

‘You’re pathetic,’ she cried, coming and taking a seat beside him.

Ron grunted.

‘Really,’ Ginny continued, shaking his arm vigorously in what was probably an attempt in getting a reaction out of him. ‘Are you going to lie here like a lump all summer?’

‘Yes,’ said Ron mulishly, pushing her away.

‘Budge over,’ Ginny ordered.

He reluctantly moved aside as his sister put up her feet-shoes and all-on the bed. Mrs Weasley would have a fit if she’d seen it.

‘So what’s the problem, big brother?’

‘You are my problem,’ grumbled Ron irritably, ‘you’re not leaving me alone.’

‘Obviously something is wrong,’ said Ginny accusingly, ignoring him. ‘You’ve been cooped up in here for days. Mum’s getting worried.’

‘I’m fine,’ he replied shortly. ‘What does she want me to do, run around and play with you? I’m not eight anymore.’

‘Really? Well you’re sulking like an eight year old right now.’

‘I’m not sulking.’

‘Then what would you call this?’ demanded Ginny.

‘Relaxing,’ said Ron. ‘It’s the holidays, right? That’s
what people do, isn’t it?’

‘Sure, Ron. Call it what you want, you sulker.’

‘Gin,’ said Ron in a pained voice. ‘Please go away.’

‘Would you pay me to go away?’

‘GINNY!’ Ron sat up angrily. ‘Piss off!’

Ginny slid off the bed, looking rather as if she wanted to laugh at him and Ron was growing rather pink in the face. Because she knew, and Ron knew-although he’d never admit it in a million years-that neither of them were going to talk about the real reason for his permanent bad mood.

‘Alright, alright. I’m going,’ said Ginny, pausing to send him a dirty look from the doorway. ‘I only came in to pass on a message, anyway.’

‘What message?’

‘You’ve got a visitor waiting in the kitchen,’ she told him, and disappeared before he could ask any further questions about it.

‘Who on Earth…?’ Ron got up slowly to his feet, muttering aloud to himself. It seemed an age since he’d ventured downstairs (in actual fact, he’d been down for breakfast that morning. Depressed and lethargic he may be, but food was food) and his legs were prickling from pins and needles.

Voices drifted up the stairs; familiar laughter that caused him to stop dead in his tracks. He ran the rest of the way and arrived breathlessly in the hallway before reminding himself to slow down and walk like a normal person. Ron casually entered the kitchen.

She looked up and caught his eye, her face lighting up with a smile.

‘Ron!’

‘Hermione…?’ Ron was watching as if he couldn’t quite believe that she was really there. ‘You’re supposed to be in Bulgaria…’

He didn’t see it happening very often, but Ron swore he could detect a faint flushing of his best friend’s cheeks.

Then again, it might have just been the heat. Yes, that was most likely it.

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Nothing,’ said Ron, letting the topic slide because it was easier that way. ‘Are you staying?’

‘I hope so,’ Hermione replied, ‘because I did bring my things.’

‘Don’t be silly, Ron,’ scolded Mrs Weasley, although she seemed quite pleased. ‘Of course Hermione is going to spend time with us. Have your bags been taken upstairs, dear?’

‘Not yet,’ said Ginny, who had been watching all the time while setting the dining table.

‘I’ll get them,’ offered Ron.

‘No, I’ll do it,’ Hermione protested, jumping off her stool and following him out into the corridor.

‘Don’t worry, it’s fine-’

‘I’m perfectly capable of carrying my own luggage, Ron-’

‘Hermione, how many books do you have in here…?’

‘Oh, honestly, not that many…’

‘Well, well,’ said Mrs Weasley quietly, as she and Ginny listened from where they were still standing in the kitchen. ‘Ron suddenly seems a lot more lively, doesn’t he?’

Ginny stifled a laugh; perhaps it wasn’t going to be such a sulky summer after all.

Sun, 01 May 2005 05:34:55 GMT

Title: Christmas Morning at Number Twelve
Pairing: Sirius/Remus
Summary: A memory lights up in his mind, long forgotten, mistletoe by the fire in the empty, early hours of the Gryffindor common room. Sirius always loved the holidays.
Category: Romance, humour
Rating: PG
Warning: Slash

Silver sunlight filtering through the slit in the curtains, dust motes dancing in the musky glow. Remus stirs, eyes fluttering open reluctantly. It takes him a moment to get a hold on his surroundings, here in this darkened room on this rumpled bed next to his sleeping best friend who is lying spread eagled and tangled in sheets.

It’s all too surreal.

Sirius shifts in an agitated way, like a dog having a bad dream, moaning quietly. Remus can’t feel his fingers and toes for the cold, and gives a violent tug on the sheets. Sirius jerks suddenly awake and sits up, panting, wide-eyed.

‘What-what?!’

‘Shh! Sirius, it’s fine, shh, I’m here. It’s alright.’ Remus takes hold of his shoulders and pulls Sirius in, trying to soothe him with words. He’d forgotten how easy it was to get Sirius into a panic nowadays.

‘I didn’t-It-I’m sorry-’

‘Shh, it’s okay,’ Remus says softly.

‘I’m sorry…’ Sirius repeats, as his quick breathing slows down to normal. Remus can feel the steadying of his pulse under his warm skin. They stay still, forehead to forehead, Remus’s arms holding steady to keep him from trembling anymore.

‘I’m a pain, aren’t I?’ Sirius asks quietly, his breath brushing across Remus’s cheek.

Remus meets his gaze. ‘Yes,’ he agrees. ‘You are. Especially at night when you hog all the blankets.’

Sirius gives a ghostly grin. ‘If you slept with clothes on, Moony, maybe you wouldn’t get so cold.’

‘Well, you’re the one who keeps insisting I take them off,’ Remus counters.

Sirius laughs; the sound rings in his ears and Remus smiles into his shoulder. Sirius wraps them both with the sheets and they huddle closer in the centre of it all.

‘We should stay all morning,’ says Sirius.

‘Can’t,’ Remus reminds him. ‘It’s Christmas.’

Sirius’s face lights up like a child’s. ‘Oh yeah, I completely forgot. Harry’s here!’

‘And the Weasleys.’

‘We’re visiting Arthur today.’

‘I know.’

‘Do you think Harry will like his present?’

‘I think Harry would like anything you gave him,’ replies Remus truthfully.

‘We can put up decorations,’ says Sirius happily.

‘Oh Merlin,’ Remus groans. ‘You’re going to make us sing, aren’t you?’

‘Come on, Moony, where’s your Christmas spirit?’

A memory lights up in his mind, long forgotten, mistletoe by the fire in the empty, early hours of the Gryffindor common room. Sirius always loved the holidays.

‘With you,’ Remus says quietly. ‘It’s always with you.’

‘Then you’ll have to stay with me all day,’ Sirius orders, ‘and you can start by helping with breakfast.’

‘Helping,’ he scoffs. ‘Cooking it, you mean.’

‘You cook, I’ll watch,’ Sirius agrees. ‘Go on, now.’

‘Don’t order me about, you prat. Besides, I’ve haven’t got anything on, remember?’

‘I don’t mind,’ says Sirius.

Remus leans forwards and nips the end of his nose, slightly red from the chill. Sirius tilts his head and meets him with a warm, inviting kiss.

‘Happy Christmas, Padfoot.’

‘I reckon it’ll be a good one, Moony,’ Sirius grins.

Sun, 01 May 2005 05:06:44 GMT

Title: Second Best
Pairing: Draco/Dean, Dean/Seamus
Summary: Maybe he didn’t love Draco but love, like art, was overrated anyway.
Category: Angst
Rating: PG
Warning: Slash

Draco Malfoy had the most beautifully proportioned body Dean had ever seen. He would have liked to try painting it sometime, the strong, sure outline of lean limbs, perfect cream skin and the shadows in his slate grey eyes. Instead Dean used his mind as a canvas, taking care to memorise every breathtaking stroke, every nuance and tint. But when compared to the real thing, these images would barely have been worth a second glance.

His mental portfolio contained dozens, or probably hundreds of Dracos drawn against different backgrounds from different angles and in different light settings. His real portfolio contained none. It was filled with likenesses of the people who were dearest to him; friends and family. Never any strangers, and never Draco.

Mostly the pictures were of Seamus, he noticed now.

Dean flipped through the pages and tried to summon any feelings of regret, of resentment or sadness. He suspected that the propensity to care had been burnt out of him long ago. Draco was a lot the same, he reckoned.

Dean never would have thought quiet Blaise Zabini to be Draco’s type. Dean would have had to be seriously ignorant not to notice certain similarities personality-wise between himself and Blaise. Sometimes, while he watched Draco sleeping in their bed tracing the elegant arc of his back with his eyes, Dean had to wonder.

In any case it didn’t matter, because he wasn’t going to hurt Draco like Blaise had and that was the one important difference between them. And Dean did care about Draco. The ex-Slytherin had definitely changed since their Hogwarts days. Still a snarky bastard, especially in the mornings, but changed.

They’d met inevitably for the first time after the war at a wedding. Dean recalled vaguely that during the fight against You-Know-Who Draco had fought on their side, but he didn’t like to remember much about the war. It had been Hermione’s wedding, and of course Draco had been invited since it was his oldest friend marrying her. Dean was surprised, but they made the perfect couple, Blaise and Hermione.

A week later he ran into Draco at a bar, they talked a bit and things kind of spiralled from there.

Maybe he didn’t love Draco but love, like art, was overrated anyway.

Dean hadn’t sketched or painted anything in a long time.

The apartment was quiet; he was home alone. Flipping through old pictures and older memories. Twenty four was hardly an age at which to begin lamenting the loss of youth, but as he studied a muggle photograph showing his best friend’s sunny face gazing wistfully at Lavender Brown when they’d been sixteen, Dean felt old.

He thought of Seamus back at school, liked by everyone because he was funny and easy to be around. He was so stubborn and lacked imagination but that had never mattered because Dean was patient and artistic enough for both of them.

‘At least I’m better-looking,’ Seamus used to insist, which wasn’t really true but he had slept with a lot more girls. Guys, too.

For a while at least, until Dean had asked him to stop.

‘But why?’ Seamus had grinned. ‘It’s so much fun.’
‘Because,’ Dean replied with a raised an eyebrow. ‘You’re in love with me.’
After a lengthy pause he’d remarked, ‘I didn’t think you’d ever get around to noticing.’
‘Well, I did.’
‘Oh.’
‘So?’
‘So what?’
‘Are you going to stop now?’ Dean sounded merely curious, but he had no doubts the other boy would see right through his indifferent tone.
‘I suppose,’ Seamus said with a sigh, ‘you’re going to have to convince me.’

Dean closed the folder. An irrational part of him wanted to set all the pictures on fire, in the hopes that all his memories might be thrown out with the ashes.

The photo remained in his hand. Dean imagined Seamus laughing and telling him that he’d always been the sentimental one, anyway.

Sun, 01 May 2005 05:03:33 GMT

Title: Envy
Pairing: Lavender/G!Blaise
Summary: Blaise has always loathed the colour purple.
Category: Angst
Rating: PG
Warning: Femmeslash
Disclaimer: Song lyrics from 'She Will Be Loved' by Maroon 5

(Envy)

There are colours here that she’s never noticed before, slight traces of copper-brown wreathed in golden light. The silken strands are burning, set aflame by the afternoon sun and she runs nail-bitten fingers through it, pulling savagely.

The sunlight is bright all around but she feels cold right through, the tips of her fingers and toes numb. Not frozen; the sensation is dulling as if her limbs are no longer present and Lavender imagines drifting in a nothingness that goes on forever.

Slowly, she twists her hair into a tight plait and tucks away loose wisps. The girl in the mirror with the brown eyes and stardust-freckled nose looks decidedly unimpressed.

On the vanity, countless bottles and tubs of creams, lotions and scents are arrayed. Lavender has her make-up and perfume carefully aligned on one side with her prized jewellery box; moisturisers, skincare and hair care and accessories sit neatly beside them.

She has always been neat and orderly, unlike Parvati, whose glittering amethyst earrings are now lying carelessly on the surface of her dressing table. Lavender resists the urge to throw them out the window. Instead, she returns the items to their rightful home amongst Parvati’s other haphazardly scattered belongings.
*

Blaise has always loathed the colour purple. She hates all shades of it; amethyst, mauve, lilac, plum. Once, as a little girl, she threw her lavender dress right into the fire, an expensive Christmas present from Paris. Her mother screamed and called her an ungrateful bitch and her father didn’t speak to her mother for a week.

(Look for the girl with the broken smile,
Ask her if she wants to stay a while.)

She remembered experiencing a perverse pleasure in watching the silken material helplessly tossed against angry, licking flames.
*

Ginny Weasley must find it strange that Lavender watches her all the time, if she even notices at all. Ginny is a streak of flaming colour everywhere she goes; Lavender envies the way everyone around her appears as faded shades of black and white.

And there’s Ginny, flickering, deafening orange and reds in the midst of all that grey.

*

Parvati’s got this way of flicking her hair and smiling at you like you’re the only person in the whole wide world who matters. Whenever she catches her best friend’s eye in class to share a silent joke, it’s as if something inside Lavender clicks rightly into place.

Once upon a time there lived a beautiful princess by the name of Parvati…

No.

No, that isn’t quite right, she thinks.

This is not a fairy tale, after all.

(Tap on my window, knock on my door.
I want to make you feel beautiful.)

*

‘You’re so obvious,’ scoffs Blaise.
‘I don’t like her, if that’s what you mean,’ says Lavender.
‘It is,’ she replies, ‘you’re a shit liar, really.’
‘She’s pretty, is all.’
‘Pretty? You think?’
Lavender watches her disinterested expression in the mirror as Blaise continues to brush her shining hair. Cascading, dark waves; not like Ginny or Parvati’s straight, waterfall locks.
‘Yeah, she’s pretty.’
‘Maybe…’ says Blaise thoughtfully, putting down the brush. ‘I wouldn’t call her beautiful, though.’
‘No,’ agrees Lavender, ‘I wouldn’t either.’

*

Blaise is undeniably beautiful. Long silken hair and lips ruby red as pomegranates, all sinister wit and allure. It’s a dangerous beauty, but captivating nonetheless and Lavender cannot help but admire. She craves it, wants it for herself, but since that is impossible she’ll take the closest she can get.

Lavender drinks in beauty with all the senses she possesses, breathes in the faint, intoxicating scent of Blaise and savouring the feel of smooth skin beneath her fingers.

Blaise watches her from beneath fine sweeping lashes, dark amusement in her cherry-black eyes.

Sun, 01 May 2005 04:58:29 GMT

Title: Tangible
Pairing: Ginny/Cho, Cho/Cedric
Summary: It seems to Ginny that Cho Chang is the perfect witch with the perfect life. But when Cho can barely convince herself that she’s really living, it isn’t much of an ideal existence.
Category: Angst
Rating: PG
Warning: Femmeslash

On the morning that Cho Chang wakes up and suddenly realises that she is now seventeen years old, she is terrified. It isn’t the morning of her birthday, in fact that was weeks ago, but this is the first time it has really occurred to her. Seventeen years.
She is engulfed by the idea of her own presence, and clutches at the sheets to make sure of it. The white material is concrete, tangible in her clenched fists and as long as she is holding something real it must mean that she, too, is genuine. That she has not suddenly faded into the night, never to return to her own world.
This is where I belong, Cho thinks furiously. The sheets are reassuring; they agree. She exhales, slowly, then concentrates on breathing in again. As if memorising the simple action, in case she forgets how later.
Breathe in, breathe out, fingers relax and release the bed sheet.
Act calm, think calm thoughts.
But the fear stays with her for the rest of the day, sinister and lurking.
*
There are dreams that Cho has, in which Cedric comes back to visit her from the afterlife. She’s never really told anyone about it, because they don’t seem important. And anyway, it’s none of their business.
Sometimes he sidles into her sleep, and she doesn’t notice that he was there at all until she wakes up.
The dream Cedric is not the same as the real Cedric was. Occasionally when he visits he brings her gifts, and tells her things that make perfect sense at the time but later appear obscure.
We’re changed, sweetheart. He said that once, holding strands of her long, dark hair between his fingers. We are changed.
In her dreams, she never thinks to ask him what he is doing there, or why he brings the gifts.
In her dreams, Cho is haunted by shadows that convince her she isn’t quite real.
*
It’s hard to act happy when you’re anything but. Cho used to be really good at it, so brilliant that she could fool even herself. She knew she was well-liked by many of the students, she knew she was sweet and smart and envied.
These days, Cho doesn’t really give a shit.
She hasn’t become bitter or cynical about it. She isn’t angry or depressed or suicidal.
More than anything, she feels lost.
People would say that she’s going through a confusing time, that this is part of growing up. It doesn’t seem as if it’s the beginning of her life. Cho thinks of herself as approaching an end, without ever having lived the moments leading up to that point.
Seventh year at Hogwarts should be the best of your school career. At least, that is what all her classmates have been saying. It is early on in the term, but already they are struggling under a heavy load of homework. Plus, she has her Prefect duties. And being a senior representative, she is required to partake in the training programme, aimed at helping new fifth year prefects.
When Cho had discovered that she would be mentoring Ginny Weasley, she was slightly apprehensive about the arrangement. Not because she disliked Ginny; on the contrary Cho thought she was clever, a talented flyer, and also extremely pretty. It was just that they had never really had a proper conversation together. Then there was also the fact that Cho used to date Ginny’s ex Michael. And Ginny was very good friends with Harry Potter.
It was highly possible that things could be a little tense between them.
*
They meet at the Council room, where all the Prefects’ rounds begin.
‘Hi.’
‘Hi,’ Ginny replies.
‘I’m supposed to show you the patrol route today.’
‘I know.’
‘Oh. Good,’ says Cho. ‘Well…should we start?’
‘I don’t mind.’
Ginny’s manner is cold throughout the entire tour. Cho explains that the patrol routes are regularly changed, and that each week a different pair of prefects are put on duty. Meetings with the entire council are held fortnightly, and on the alternate weeks prefects from the same Houses will gather to discuss issues related specifically to their House. Prefects may also sign up to tutor younger students in their specialty subjects, and are often asked to help with organised events: Quidditch, Hallowe’en and Christmas celebrations, Balls, parties, student clubs. Ginny listens attentively, but never comments.
When they finish the tour, Cho says awkwardly, ‘Well, that’s all, I guess. So I’ll see you next week?’
‘Yeah.’
‘Right. Thanks Ginny. I’ve got to go, you have a good day.’
A pause, then Ginny replies, ‘you, too.’
As they part and head in opposite directions, Cho wonders what on earth she has gotten herself into. She hopes their next meeting might go better, but she’s incredibly doubtful about it.
Once a week each pair chooses an activity to do together, in order to allow for bonding time. Studying in the library is a popular choice for most of the prefects, Cho says that maybe they could try it.
‘Okay,’ says Ginny, ‘if you want.’
Ginny is never late. They meet, say hello, sit down at the same table and study separately. Not a word is said until the hour is over, when Cho glances at the clock on the wall, says it’s time and wishes Ginny goodnight. Ginny never smiles, but she says goodbye every time without hesitation.
*
On the fourth week, things fall apart.
Cedric visits Cho again, and tells her she doesn’t seem happy.
‘I’m not happy,’ she tells him. ‘I don’t care anymore.’
‘Come with me,’ says Cedric and then Cho falls out of the dream, but it glitters on the very edge of her consciousness.
Come with me. She remembers the first time he asked her out to Hogsmeade, a tempting invitation.
Come with me…
As the day drags on, Cho is worn out trying not to think about it. In Arithmancy, all of her calculations turn out wrong, her ice sculpture refuses to transfigure into a real swan and attempting a perfect end point in Potions seems impossible, apparently she can’t measure out Armadillo bile accurately even though they’ve been doing it since fourth year.
Ginny doesn’t arrive at the library on time.
‘Where have you been?’ asks Cho irritably. ‘You’re over fifty minutes late.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Ginny sits down at the table and opens her Charms text book.
Cho is still standing. ‘Are you always this rude?’
The redhead doesn’t even glance up. ‘I said I was sorry.’
‘Oh yeah, and I really believe that.’
‘Not my problem if you don’t.’
‘Then what is your problem, Ginny?’
‘I don’t have one.’
‘Well there must be something because you’re acting like a bitch with PMS and a permanent hangover!’ Cho hisses.
Ginny slams her book shut and stands up, red-faced and furious. ‘That is so unbelievably rich coming from you!’
Cho folds her arms, raises an eyebrow and says nothing.
‘You pretentious, self-centred cow!’ Ginny snarls. ‘Everyone thinks you’re so bloody perfect, but you’re just a superficial, conniving slut!’
‘What have I ever done to you?’
‘You betrayed all of the DA! How could you do it? How? Harry trusted you!’
Cho flinches.
‘Did you know, for so long, I wanted to be like you,’ Ginny admits. ‘Until I realised what a fake you are. There’s nothing special about you after all.’
Cho glances at the clock on the wall. ‘Hour’s up.’
They silently stare at each other for a moment, until Cho turns to leave.
‘Goodnight, Ginny,’ she says, without looking back.
*
Cedric blends in and out of her dreams in the days that follow. He brings her another gift.
‘Close your eyes,’ he orders, ‘and hold out your hands.’
Cho obeys, and a vague part of her mind recalls the last time he really said those things to her. On their three month anniversary she’d received a beautiful silver and garnet necklace in a small ribboned box.
‘Okay,’ says Cedric and Cho opens her eyes and finds herself holding a Snitch. It gleams golden in her hands; the wings unfold and flutter once, twice, and take flight.
Cho doesn’t really expect Ginny to show up to their next meeting, but she appears at the correct time and carries a defiant look.
Cho smiles.
‘It’s such a nice day. Grab your gear; I’ll meet you out on the pitch,’ she says, before walking out of the library to go and find her own broom.
*
She’s already soaring high above the goal posts when Ginny reaches the Quidditch pitch, clutching a brand new Nimbus. A moment later, leaping nimbly off her broom as she lands, her black hair swings from her shoulder and catches the sunlight in silver glints.
‘Listen, Cho,’ Ginny begins, before the other girl abruptly cuts her off.
‘Don’t worry about it.’
‘No,’ replies Ginny firmly. ‘I’m sorry for the things I said to you. That’s not to say I didn’t mean some of them, but I shouldn’t have…it was unfair of me. I’m sorry.’
‘I know,’ says Cho. ‘You’re not the first person to ever call me a bitch, Ginny.’
‘I’m not?’ asks Ginny, looking puzzled. Cho laughs.
‘Why, are you surprised?’
‘I…I’m not sure. I thought it was just me,’ she reflects. ‘Everyone loves you.’
‘No they don’t.’
Ginny doesn’t answer, and Cho thinks it’s best to steer away from the subject.
‘I brought Quaffles, I thought we could do some shooting. Aren’t you going for Chaser this year?’
‘Yeah, but I thought you were a Seeker.’
‘I have many secret talents,’ Cho grins.
‘Maybe,’ Ginny replies, kicking off with her Nimbus, ‘but I’ll still kick your ass.’
They end up spending over an hour outside together. It’s not until the sun finally sets and the sky begins to darken that Cho suggests they return back to the castle, and Ginny reluctantly follows.
*
The next few weeks the weather isn’t fine enough for them to take out their brooms. While light rain patters on to the pitch, they stay inside the warmth of the library poring over textbooks and half-finished essays. Neither speak much still, but occasionally the silence is punctuated by Ginny asking a brief question about her Charms homework, or Cho commenting on something trivial like the difficulty of Protean charms which leads on to an in-depth discussion about the differences of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws.
‘Well not every single person in my House is spectacularly clever,’ Cho explains.
‘Unlike with my House, you mean,’ smirks Ginny.
‘There’s a difference between smart and smart-ass,’ Cho retorts. ‘However, Ravenclaws are generally all hardworking.’
‘Hard out, you mean.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with that.’
‘No,’ agrees Ginny, ‘except when they can’t shut up about all the work they’ve been doing.’
‘Like Hermione Granger, you mean,’ says Cho coolly.
‘She isn’t as bad as Marietta,’ snaps Ginny.
‘Oh really?’
‘Yes.’
‘…Well, actually you’re right, now that you mention it. She never stops talking about all the studying she’s doing; the other girls hate it.’
‘Why are you friends with her? Seriously. She’s quite horrible, you know.’
‘And I’m not?’ Cho raises an eyebrow questioningly. To her great surprise, Ginny averts her eyes and blushes down at her lap. She’s too pretty, Cho decides uncomfortably, watching the pink staining across her pale cheeks.
‘No, but you’re worse than horrible, Marietta’s much too nice for you,’ Ginny giggles, looking back up.
Cho chucks a rolled up parchment at her head and Ginny retaliates by scribbling all over a corner of Cho’s neat essay. Cho gives a shriek of dismay and pushes all of Ginny’s books off the table; Ginny mimics the offence with all of Cho’s books and soon they’re attempting to draw on each other’s faces with large black quills, disrupting most of the students around them.
‘Get out! Out!’ screeches Madame Pince, coming after them at disturbing speed. ‘Ten points from Ravenclaw and Gryffindor! I expected better than first-year behaviour from prefects of this school!’
Ginny and Cho, giggling madly, gather their things and flee from the library as quickly as they can.
*
The next two meetings are spent on the Quidditch pitch, and on the third week Cho invites Ginny on a picnic by the lake instead. Ginny agrees, and they devour strawberry tarts and Danish pastries with their feet dangling in cool, lapping water.
The colours streaked across the sky while the sun is setting are reflected in the tints of Ginny’s flaming hair, and Cho feels content to sit and talk with her. Ginny plays with Snitch that shimmers in the golden light. Cho wonders about it.
We are changed.
She is overwhelmed by the impulse to hitch up her skirt and dance across the glowing water, and it swirls deliciously around her legs as Ginny calls out to her. Then they’re running, parting waves, peals of laughter ringing clear and echoing across the lake.
Suddenly the water drags too much and Cho falls, but Ginny screams and pulls her back up. She is dripping wet and tears of laughter are streaming down both their faces. Ginny is clasping Cho, keeping her from drowning; neither of them can stop laughing. Before her mind catches up with her, Cho is closing the minor space between them and drinking the laughter from Ginny’s open lips.
Soft, so soft, the merest trace of red strawberries on her tongue before Ginny draws back and stumbles.
She slips under the surface.
Ginny emerges a second later, gasping for air. Now they are equally soaked through, speechless with mirth; Cho is holding Ginny, and Ginny is laughing and holding her back. The Snitch is hovering just above them, beating its tiny wings against the breeze and on the bank of the lake Cedric watches them, smiling.
And he knows, better than anyone else, that Cho would rather burn before she fades away.

Sun, 01 May 2005 04:50:56 GMT

Title: All I Ever Wanted
Pairing: Draco/Ginny
Summary: He had it all, and now he has nothing. Draco Malfoy can’t believe some of the stupid things he’s done in his life, and now he’ll never be able to make things right.
Category: Angst, romance
Rating: PG

I had never really imagined my life would end in the way it did. It was a little humiliating really. My death was like a joke. One of those awful, horrible jokes that you feel just a little guilty laughing about. I once heard about a Muggle who was killed by a cheese sandwich. That’s right, a cheese sandwich. Ridiculous, I know. The story had me in tears; it had seemed so hilarious at the time.
So here I am. Or rather, here I’m not. I suspect I’ve been dead for quite a while, I don’t really know. Time goes by strangely now, dancing around in loops and circles until it makes me feel dizzy and disorientated. Seconds can seem as long as eternity, yet weeks often pass so quickly I don’t realise.
They’ve put up a little memorial for me. Here, down by the lake. A little golden plaque at the base of my favourite tree. Draco Malfoy, Slytherin. That is all it says. Three little words to sum up my entire existence.
That’s all I ever was to most people, and all I’ll ever be from now on.
‘Well, Malfoy,’ says a voice unexpectedly, making me jump.
I turn to find Potter standing there staring past me with that familiarly vacant expression, hands casually tucked into his pockets. ‘You always were a stupid git.’
Great. ‘Cheers, Potter,’ I reply sarcastically. He doesn’t react. Of course he wouldn’t.
‘And a slimy, rotten, conceited one too.’
I might as well let him go on. Hell, I don’t really have any other choice.
‘But I don’t think you deserved this.’
He’s right. I didn’t. Who would?
‘I hope you’re okay now anyway, wherever you are.’
‘I’m not, but thanks for the concern, Potty,’ I answer glumly.
He bends down and lays something small and glittering on the golden plaque. It takes a moment for me to realise what he’s put down, perhaps because I wasn’t expecting it.
Potter’s handed me the Snitch.
‘You were a pretty decent rival.’
‘I wasn’t really,’ I tell him.
‘I’ll miss beating you,’ he adds. ‘Goodbye, Malfoy.’
And with that he leaves, hands still tucked away in his pockets, casually strolling away. I know he’ll never come back again.
‘Have a nice life, Potter.’

I wait a little longer. That’s all I seem to be doing lately. Waiting. I wait for them to come, sitting on the edge of this branch. I’ve got all the time in the world. Who will be next, I wonder?
Another voice speaks below me, but this time it’s unfamiliar. A man, leaning casually against the trunk.
‘Waiting for something, young Malfoy?’ he asks lightly.
‘Who are you?’ I say, jumping down so we’re level.
‘Sirius,’ he replies, staring out across the lake. ‘Sirius Black.’
‘What are you doing here?’
‘I should be the one asking you that question,’ says Sirius.
‘I don’t know,’ I frown at him.
‘Well, you shouldn’t dwell on it for too long,’ he tells me.
I have no idea what he’s talking about. ‘Dwell on what?’
‘Your unfinished business.’
Unfinished business? What unfinished business?
‘That’s why you’re here, isn’t it?’
That made me think a bit. Perhaps I did have some unfinished business, and that’s why I was waiting here. Because I’m pretty sure I’m not a ghost. I’ve played the moment over in my head countless times already, I know the mistakes I’ve made. I used to believe it was possible to live your life without regrets but I know now that’s not true. It’s impossible to never be sorry for the mistakes you’ve made unless you couldn’t care less about anyone.
I never told Ginny about my plans to join the Death Eaters. Not when I was convinced it was something I had to do, and yet if she had asked me not to I wouldn’t have been able to say no.
After my initiation, after the Dark Lord had burnt his mark into my skin, I stood before my father in his study.
‘You have done well, Draco,’ he said.
‘Thank you Father.’
He rose from behind his desk. ‘But you are also a fool.’
I lifted my head in surprise.
‘I know about you and the Weasley girl. Did you truly believe that I wouldn’t find out?’ he asked imperiously. ‘Do you love her?’
I couldn’t bring myself to answer, fear held my tongue in her icy-fingered grip.
‘She is your weakness, Draco, your Achilles’ heel. The Dark Lord does not deserve to have servants who are vulnerable. You must overcome this weakness.’
‘Yes Father.’
‘Then kill her,’ he said.
There was a long silence. It must have looked like I was having some sort of internal struggle with myself, but I wasn’t. The decision had already been made for me a long time ago. I had no choice, because I’d already made mine and I should have picked left at the fork instead.
‘No,’ I said. ‘I can’t.’
Lucius shook his head. ‘Then you are useless to me. I am very disappointed, Draco.’
And he pulled out his wand and aimed the killing curse at me.
My father had always said life is like a game.
He had won our battle, and I had lost everything.

So here I am. Waiting to settle my unfinished business.
One moment I’m standing there, silently staring out onto the lake with Sirius, and suddenly there she is walking towards us. In her hand she holds a single red rose, and she places it gently across the plaque at the foot of tree next to Potter’s Snitch.
The dying rays of sunlight fall onto her hair, a sheet of shining red and copper strands. I want so badly to touch her. To reach out and feel her silky hair between my fingers. Tell her I’m sorry. She’s all I ever wanted, this girl. This fiery, uncultured, Potty-worshipper who given the chance had managed to turn my whole world upside-down in a matter of seconds.
I hear a soft whistle coming from Sirius.
‘Nice catch,’ he says appreciatively. ‘Since when did Ginny Weasley fancy evil gits like you?’
‘Shut up,’ I snap.
Ginny stands up then and glares at the plaque.
‘Rot in hell, Malfoy,’ she spits angrily, ‘you fucking bastard!’
I feel like somebody’s just punched me right in the guts. Ginny turns on her heel and stalks off, blazing hair rippling in the wind.
Sirius chokes on laughter and almost falls out of his branch. ‘That’s what your unfinished business was? Waiting to get dumped?’
I can’t answer him. I can’t say anything. I can only watch the one person I loved walking away, filled with rage. She despised me. And the terrible thing was, how could I blame her for it?
‘GINNY!’ I yell, running after her. ‘GINNY! WAIT!’
Surprisingly, she stops. It’s so unexpected that I don’t have time to slow down and I accidentally run straight through her. It was the strangest feeling. Ginny shudders and collapses onto her knees on the ground.
‘How could you, Draco?’ she whispers. Silent, burning tears are streaming down her face, and she won’t stop shivering, even though it‘s not dark yet. ‘How could you just leave me?’
‘I can’t. That’s why I’m still here,’ I point out, cursing irony.
But it’s a lie. I’ve already left her.
I take her by the shoulders. Her skin feels like ice, or maybe it‘s just my own hands. ‘I’m sorry Ginny.’
She looks straight into my eyes.
‘Draco?’ Ginny asks faintly.
My heart stops. Well, it would have, if I still had one. A thousand questions run through my mind, as we stare at each other, stunned. Can she see me? Can she hear me speaking?
‘Draco….? Are you there….?’
So she can’t see me. But I think she can feel me. In a way.
‘I’m here,’ I say quietly. ‘I’m sorry for everything, Gin.’
‘I know you’re sorry,’ she tells the wind. ‘Please don’t go. You can’t leave me, please, I love you…’
But I have to go. Sirius is standing beside me again.
‘Time to leave, mate,’ he says.
Ginny’s eyes are shut tight. She’s stopped shivering for now. I lean over and brush my lips softly across her forehead. I’m dying to kiss her for real.
‘I love you, Ginny.’
Then I let her go.

I think my business is finished here. Sirius is taking me to a different place now. He won’t tell me much about it, but I don’t reckon it’ll be so bad. Besides, I’ve got some other unfinished business to settle there.
I’m looking forward to seeing my father again.

Sun, 01 May 2005 04:46:29 GMT

Title: A Fair Idea
Pairing: Ron/Hermione, Draco/Hermione, Draco/Ginny
Summary: Draco + BLONDE!Hermione = double the fun? Telescopes, tantrums, and Britney Spears (sort of...). And did I mention that Hermione is blonde?
Category: Humour(ish)
Rating: G
Warning: Insanity. Crack fic, possibly.

Lavender and Parvati stared at each other in horror.
‘What have we done?’ Lavender gasped.
Parvati shook her head dazedly as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing. It was too late. There was no going back now.
At that moment, Ginny Weasley burst in through the door to the sixth year girls’ dormitory.
‘Hey Hermione, I was just wondering if I could borrow your-’ Ginny stopped mid-sentence as she took in the scene. Her jaw dropped and she screamed.
It was a high-pitched, terrifying shriek that reverberated all around Gryffindor tower. So abrupt and piercing that it made poor old Crookshanks to cower in fright and caused Seamus Finnegan to suddenly drop his pants. “Accidentally” in front of all his innocent and unsuspecting room mates.
‘Good god, Finnegan!’ howled Ron. ‘Nobody needs to see that!’
‘Did anyone else hear screaming?’ asked Harry, ignoring Seamus who was wriggling back into his boxers in the most unattractive way. ‘We should go check it out.’
The others agreed readily enough, being the courageous, gallant Gryffindors they were. Harry bravely led the way down the winding staircase and into the common room.
‘What’s going on here?’ Harry asked Colin Creevey. Over the years, Colin had rather grown out of his gawky loser phase. Now he was the Hot Photographer Guy who was never without his camera, which he mostly used to take photos of the prettiest witches in Hogwarts. His wall was covered in gorgeous, pouting girls wearing very little; the Patil twins, Cho Chang’s younger sister Meiling, Natalie McDonald, Orla Quirke, Fleur Delacour’s English cousins and Ginny Weasley (although everyone was super careful not to tell Ron about it). Even Blaise Zabini didn’t mind having her photo on Colin’s wall-it was a bit of an honour really.
‘No idea,’ said Colin. ‘Apparently the screaming was coming from the girl’s dormitories.’
‘Probably just a stupid spider in Parvati Patil’s bed,’ snorted Dean Thomas.
Ron went red.
‘OI!’ he snapped loudly, making them all jump. ‘They’re freaky little shits, alright?’
‘Okay Ron, just calm down,’ said Harry coolly. Dean was looking nonplussed. ‘I wonder what’s going on up there.’
All of a sudden, they heard footsteps descending the staircase. Ginny appeared, looking visibly shaken. The Gryffindor boys gathered eagerly around, wanting to know what was going on.
‘Gin!’ cried Ron, getting there first. ‘What’s the matter? Is everyone alright?’
He had grabbed both of her shoulders with his hands, and she stared numbly at him with a shell-shocked expression.
‘H-Hermione!’ gasped Ginny tearfully. ‘She’s….she’s gone over to the Dark side!’
Ron jerked backwards in alarm, straight onto his best friend’s foot.
‘Ow, fuck Ron!’ mumbled Harry irritably. ‘That really hurt…’
‘What?’ yelled Ron. ‘Ginny? What are you talking about?’
Ginny burst into loud, heart-wrenching sobs, ‘N-Now sh-she’s s-soooooo m-much prettier than ME!’
*
Hermione observed herself in the mirror complacently. She felt quite calm, despite everything. In fact, she was feeling quite liberated.
‘It suits you,’ said Parvati, who was brushing Hermione’s hair. Her long, dead straight and completely BLONDE hair. ‘You look amazing.’
‘I do….’ agreed Hermione. ‘The whole thing is giving me a bit of a buzz, actually.’
And it was. Hermione could hear pleasant ringing sounds echoing about her head, making her feel very light and floaty. But the feeling soon stopped when she realised mid-brush that she still hadn't finished her potions essay.
‘Sorry Parvati, do you mind? I've got to get this assignment done’ she said briskly, getting up to grab her textbooks.
Parvati rolled her eyes. ‘Isn’t it due Tuesday?’
‘So?’
‘Well, it’s only Thursday today.’
‘What’s your point?’
Parvati sighed and put down the hairbrush. ‘Nice to see you haven’t changed,’ she said sarcastically, leaving the room.
Sunlight danced in through the windows, illuminating the silky, golden locks falling straight past her slender shoulders. Hermione smiled; a smile that showed off all her pearly white teeth.
‘Why would I be any different?'
*
After Ginny had run off through the portrait hole, bawling her eyes out, Harry and Ron had decided that whatever the fuss had been about, it wasn’t anything very important. Besides, it was time for lunch. They decided to go down to the Great Hall and since Hermione was nowhere to be found, they went alone.
They hadn’t been eating for very long when someone entered the Hall. The Gryffindors had all gone silent, staring at the newcomer. Dean Thomas knocked over his goblet onto the floor with a loud clank.
‘Oh my god!’ he breathed, eyes wide and goggling. ‘Don’t look now, but I think Britney Spears just walked into the room!’
No one bothered to ask him who Britney Spears was. Colin’s camera was clicking and snapping away feverishly.
‘Please stop,’ hissed Hermione, flushing red as she walked past him down the aisle. She made her way quickly over to where Harry was seated.
'Hermione?' he asked faintly when she had arrived.
Hermione smiled and sat down. Ignoring the stares coming from the rest of the school, she turned to face Ron, who was gaping at her in disbelief.
‘Could you please pass me the peas?’
*
Draco Malfoy sneered down at his plate.
‘Eat up, Draco,’ said Blaise warningly.
He smirked. ‘Yes, mother.’
Blaise sighed. ‘Shut up. You need your vegetables.’
Draco rolled his eyes, but he grudgingly dug a fork into the green, mushy pile of peas. Blaise could be a real bitch when she got mad, and she’d been extremely edgy all week.
He was just contemplating pulling out his wand and aiming a good Evanesce spell at the peas on his plate, when a commotion coming from the Gryffindors distracted him. Stupid scar-head Potter had probably fainted again. He was such a drama queen.
‘Flaming Merlin!’ gasped Blaise, dropping her fork in surprise.
‘Watch it!’ snapped Draco. The dirty fork had fallen just inches away from his newly pressed sleeve.
‘Draco,’ said Blaise, slapping him on the arm. ‘Look over there. Tell me…..has Hermione Granger gone blonde?’
He scoffed. ‘That’s not funny Blaise. You know perfectly well I’m the only blonde worth looking at in this du-’
Draco stopped mid-sentence. Walking towards the Gryffindor table was the mud blood Granger, with half the school staring after her. She was the most gorgeous creature he had ever laid eyes on. And she was blonde.
Draco seethed. Draco fumed. This was an absolute catastrophe. NOBODY had the right to steal his limelight. He stalked over to the Gryffindor table before Blaise could stop him.
‘You little bitch!’ he spat at Granger.
Hermione looked up in surprise. By now, every one of the students in the Great Hall was watching with bated breath. The teachers were wondering if they should step in. Nah, they decided, shrugging at each other. Hogwarts hadn’t seen a good, decent bitchfight in at least fifty years, and this one was promising to turn out scandalous.
‘Excuse me?’ said Hermione angrily. ‘What are you on about, Malfoy?’
Draco spluttered, gesturing wildly. ‘You know perfectly well! This! This! You’ve gone blonde!’
Hermione blushed. She twirled a strand of her golden hair nervously. ‘Do you like it?’
Harry’s jaw dropped and Ron looked incensed. Draco was taken aback.
‘Hermione!’ cried Harry. ‘What are you doing? Don’t talk to him.'
‘I can talk to whomever I please, Harry,’ answered Hermione coldly. She turned back to Draco, who was staring at her appraisingly. He wasn’t really sure what to say.
‘I don’t know,’ he answered finally. ‘It does add a certain extra-something.’
Hermione beamed, and fluttered her lashes. Ron almost fell off his chair. Malfoy saw him and smirked. A vague plan was starting to form in his evil, twisted, Slytherin mind.
‘So…fancy a snog then, Granger?’
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that vague.
‘Look Malfoy! Just piss off!’ exclaimed Harry. He was growing extremely alarmed at the look on Ron’s face, and even more so at Hermione’s behaviour. Perhaps the fumes from the hair dye had muddled up her logic. Not that Lavender and Parvati had used any dye...Harry was just too unimaginative to consider other slightly more magical and mess-free ways of altering natural hair colours.
Hermione shrugged and stood up. ‘Why not. I’ve got nothing better to do.’
‘Hermione…’ said Ron weakly. ‘What are you doing?’
She smiled at him pitifully. ‘Something I should have done a long time ago, Ron.’
‘Right on, Granger,’ Malfoy smirked. ‘I’m blonde and you’re blonde. You know it’s going to be double the fun.'
Harry and Ron stared open-mouthed at them.
'Here's a knut, Weasley,' said Malfoy irritably, throwing a coin at Ron. 'Why don't you go owl all the women you've ever slept with, and then bring me back the change.'
They sauntered off together, Malfoy’s arm around Hermione’s shoulder. Everyone started pinching themselves and each other, checking to see whether they were truly not dreaming. Blaise watched Draco leave in disgust and Crabbe and Goyle were looking dumbstruck. Ron just stared at the knut in his hand.
*
As Draco and Hermione reached the staircase, Ginny Weasley appeared. She almost tripped and stumbled the rest of the way down when she saw them. Her eyes widened dramatically and her bottom lip trembled.
‘I HATE YOU!’ she raged at them suddenly, and without bothering to further expand on that point she stormed back up the stairs, weeping hysterically.
Draco was utterly perplexed. ‘What was that about?’
‘I have no idea,' she answered cluelessly.
‘Well, it’s not like I care anyway,’ he shrugged, leading her away. ‘By the way, the Astronomy Tower’s free tonight.’
Hermione gave him her sweetest smile. ‘Well that’s where we’re going then, isn’t it?’
*
Ron stared gloomily out the window. The other Gryffindors had long ago realised it would be best just to leave him alone. Harry, showing uncharacteristic concern for someone other than himself, Hagrid or Sirius, was sitting across the room discussing the situation with Parvati and Lavender.
‘Poor darling,’ said Lavender tearfully. ‘That must have been terrible.’
‘Do you think he’ll be alright?’ asked Harry in a low voice.
Parvati bit her lip. ‘I don’t know……broken hearts need time to mend. And sometimes they may never fully recover…’
‘Are you sure there’s not some sort of spell to make him…I dunno…stop moping about so much?’
Lavender and Parvati both looked at him scornfully.
‘No,’ sniffed Lavender. ‘There isn’t. Just let him mope. He needs to heal.’
Ginny entered through the portrait hole, and came to sit down next to them, puffy eyed and tousle-haired.
‘Oh, sweetie!’ said Parvati sympathetically, giving her a sisterly hug. ‘You poor, poor baby.’
‘I can’t believe she’d do this to you, that absolute cow!’ wailed Lavender, flinging her arms around Ginny. Parvati followed suit and Harry, alarmed, backed as far away as the couch would allow.
‘Ginny….what?’ he asked faintly.
‘I saw them coming up the stairs,’ said Ginny. She didn’t seem to realise that both Parvati and Lavender were still clutching her like their long-lost child.
‘Who?’
‘Hermione and Malfoy!’ snapped Lavender irritably. ‘Oooh…I could just slap her!’
‘But….what does Ginny have to do with anything? I thought it was just-’ said Harry confusedly.
‘I have to not be here,’ said Ginny suddenly, and she moved away over to where Ron was sitting.
‘But….’ cried Harry desperately. ‘I don’t understand….’
‘Don’t you know?’ asked Parvati in surprise. ‘I thought everyone except Ron knew.’
‘Knew what?’
‘Malfoy,’ said Lavender. ‘Ginny’s crazy about him. Everybody knows he’s off-limits. Well, at least to the Gryffindor girls.’
‘Yeah, otherwise I would have snagged him ages ago,’ said Parvati, modestly inspecting at her nails. ‘Apparently, Hermione didn’t get the message.’
Harry was gob smacked. ‘Malfoy? Really? You think he’s hot?
‘Oh come on,’ said Parvati, rolling her eyes. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve never pictured him naked.’
‘Well,’ answered Harry, thinking carefully about it.
‘The point is,’ Lavender interrupted. ‘We now hate Hermione.’
'Well,' said Harry, still thinking about it. 'Well, well, well.'
*
‘Hey Ron,’ greeted Ginny, sitting down glumly next to her brother. Ron didn’t reply. ‘You okay?’
He continued to gaze blankly out the window.
‘Ron?’ she asked. ‘Hello? Earth to Ron….come in Ronald Weasley!’
Nothing. Ginny sighed.
‘Ron, a million galleons just fell into your trunk.’
Still no reply.
‘Voldemort’s back.’
Ron didn’t even blink, and she had said You-Know-Who’s name. This was serious.
‘Ron, I’m in love with Malfoy.’
‘Okay,’ said Ron gloomily. Ginny fell off the window seat. Ron didn’t notice. Either he was dangerously unhinged or...perhaps he thought she was just joking.
Colin Creevey burst in to the common room, gasping. It was the most excited anyone had ever seen him since fourth year.
‘Harry! Ron!’ he gasped, wheezing slightly...but very sexily so.
Harry looked up. Ron didn’t.
‘It’s Malfoy!’ cried Colin with fervour. ‘He’s hanging off a TELESCOPE up on the ASTRONOMY TOWER! Come and see!’
The Gryffindors, including Ron who had jolted out of his irksome stupor, all rushed out of the portrait hole outside into the grounds. They squinted up at the sky and saw indeed, to their amazement, a dark figure dangling precariously off one of Professor Sinistra’s extra-long telescopes by the neck of his robes. And standing safely on the balcony beside him was Hermione Granger, wand outstretched, her newly pale, golden hair blowing in the wind.
‘You bitch!’ Malfoy was screaming. ‘I’ll get you for this you crazy, demented, flipping mad mudblood!’
‘Yeah, yeah,’ said Hermione in a bored voice. ‘Save it, Ferret-boy.’
Draco’s eyes filled with angry tears despite himself. ‘I don't believe this. I thought you loved me….’
'I don't love you!' Hermione choked in surprise. ‘You are one seriously deluded rodent, Malfoy.'
‘But…’ he protested. ‘You and me….we’re the same sort! You’re blonde….I can relate to that.’
‘Well relate it to my ass, Malfoy. You’re a shallow prick and Ginny doesn’t deserve you.’
‘What?’ yelped Draco. ‘What’s Weasley got to do with anything?’
‘Quite a lot, surprisingly,’ answered Hermione.
‘Why are you doing this, Granger?’ he asked her unhappily, and he sounded so sad that Hermione almost felt sorry for him.
‘Revenge, mostly.’
‘For what?’
‘For what?’ cried Hermione. ‘Are you kidding me? For making my life miserable! For making Ron and Harry’s lives miserable! You’re a terrible person and you treat other people like dirt! And you cheat at Quidditch!’
‘Well yeah,’ he agreed brightly. ‘But you have to admit, that song I composed for the Weasel king last year……exemplary piece of poetry, that was.’
‘It’s not funny!’ said Hermione indignantly. ‘It really hurt Ron’s feelings, you know…’
Draco snorted inappropriately. ‘You like him, don’t you?’
Hermione blanched. ‘W-what?’
‘You. Like. Him,’ sneered Malfoy. ‘It’s so obvious.’
‘We’re friends,’ said Hermione, as calmly as possible.
‘Granger and Weasel sitting in a tree….eff-you-see-kay-I-N-G!’ sang Malfoy gleefully.
‘Shut up!’ she said through gritted teeth, holding up her wand again threateningly. Malfoy stopped singing quickly and glared his Avada Kedavra glare.
*
Down on the castle lawns, the Gryffindors were all gathered excitedly.
‘What’s going on up there?’ wailed Ginny.
Ron was watching anxiously. ‘Do you think Hermione’s alright?’
‘I think Hermione’s got it pretty much under control,’ said Harry.
‘She’s gone barmy!’ said Ginny fearfully. ‘Malfoy could fall and die from there!’
‘Who cares,’ said Ron.
*
Hermione looked down over the railing of the balcony and smiled.
‘Have a nice fall Malfoy,’ she said.
‘No, please don’t!’ cried Draco. ‘I’m sorry I called you a Mudblood! I’ll never do it again, I promise! Just don’t let me go; I’m too sexy to die!’
But Hermione waved her wand and the telescope promptly tipped downwards, letting him go. The Gryffindors froze, staring helplessly as Draco plummeted down the castle walls, hurtling past turrets and towers so fast that he appeared a blur from below. Ginny started to run.
She pulled out her wand and cried furiously the first spell that came into her head.
‘Wingardium Leviosa!’
Draco stopped falling abruptly, but drifted down to hover three inches above the ground. The students watching breathed a sigh of relief.
‘Bugger,’ Ron muttered. ‘So close!’
*
Draco looked about him in surprise. He was alive! Before he could marvel about it any further, he was knocked painfully to the ground from behind.
‘Sorry!’ cried a voice, and Draco got up and brushed himself off irritably. Ginny Weasley was standing before him, her brilliant copper hair flying in wisps across her flushed face. She brushed them away nervously, blushing even redder. Well, stack me, thought Draco. She was quite pretty, really.
The rest of the school was now surging out into the grounds, wondering what all the commotion on the lawns was about. Ginny stood about watching Draco curiously as he tried to put things in perspective. Recent events had obviously left him mixed-up and traumatised, she calculated.
Draco glanced upwards towards the tower. Granger had disappeared. He was furious. How dare she humiliate him in front of all these people? In front of his arch-nemesis, for Merlin’s sake, fucking Harry “The-Boy-Who-Loved-Attention” Potter. Actually, he was surprised the bloody sod hadn’t passed out yet. But just then he glanced over towards the Gryffindors, and sure enough, Potter was clutching his scar and moaning loudly. The others were all gathered around him anxiously. Draco was disgusted.
*
In actual fact, Harry’s scar was not hurting. Ron had accidentally bashed him on the head in his haste to get to Hermione, who had left the Astronomy tower and was making her way towards them.
He arrived in front of her, breathless and wide-eyed.
‘Oh Ron!’ She cried, and flung herself into his arms, sobbing. ‘I’m so sorry! I didn’t want to go off with Malfoy. It’s just….I had an idea....but I couldn't tell anyone and it was so-'
‘Hermione,’ said Ron helplessly. ‘It’s okay…. Please don’t cry…it’s alright.’
Hermione disentangled herself and smiled shakily, a smile that made Ron’s stomach flip unexpectedly. ‘I’m sorry…I don’t mean to scare you.’
Ron’s ears went pink. ‘No…I’m not scared of you.’
Hermione laughed and dried her eyes with the sleeves of her robes.
‘Hermione…’ he said in a strangled voice. ‘I…um…’
‘Yes?’
By this time Ron’s face was decidedly the same colour as his hair and he was fidgeting nervously. He looked so adorable that Hermione was tempted to laugh.
Instead, she reached for his hand and squeezed it, smiling. Ron looked up at her in surprise, and grinned back.
‘Hermione,’ he said. ‘You’re not going to hang me over the Astronomy tower, are you?’
Hermione laughed and stood up on her tip-toes to give him a brief, sweet kiss.
‘That depends,’ she answered lightly. ‘On what you really think about my hair. Go on, give me your honest opinion.’
Ron smirked. ‘That’s easy.’
‘Oh really?’
‘Yeah. Keep it blonde.’
Hermione laughed and shook her head. ‘Where’s Harry?’ she asked, suddenly remembering.
‘Whoops. I think I accidentally injured him before…’ he said hastily, turning around to look for his best friend.
‘Ron!’ she scolded, as Harry came walking up to them.
‘Hey Hermione,’ he grinned. ‘Great show.’
‘Thanks Harry,’ she said, smiling back. ‘How’s Malfoy?’
Harry snorted. ‘Busy, I think.’
They all looked over to where Draco was standing with Ginny. Ron turned even redder than before.
‘I’M GONNA KILL THAT BASTARD!’ he howled, and Hermione and Harry had to suddenly grab hold of either side of his robes to stop him storming over.
*
Draco saw the Weasel and Granger talking by the castle entrance, and he was livid. They were going to pay for this. They were going to suffer horrrible, horrible deaths, most likely prolonged and extremely painful.
As Draco turned back towards Ginny, another devious plan started to form in his evil, twisted, Slytherin mind.
Before he knew it, Draco had pulled her towards him and his mouth was over hers in a hot, fiery kiss. And before she knew it, Ginny had slipped her arms about his shoulders and was kissing him back, shutting out Ron's furious howls echoing across the castle grounds.
Ah, thought Draco. Revenge was truly sweet.

Sun, 01 May 2005 04:40:58 GMT

Title: Parvati Presents
Pairing: Harry/Parvati, Draco/Ginny
Summary: Harry finds Parvati in the faerie garden, Ginny wears Slytherin and Draco is wittily sexy. Interesting Christmas gifts are exchanged. (Set in the Parvati Prevails universe, but not part of the story.)
Category: Romance, humour
Rating: PG
Warning: Fluff, fluff, fluffy fluff

Parvati watched her breath rising in misted plumes, swirling into the morning air. Winter became the garden; icicles sparkled crystal against the backdrop of snow and the dew necklaces criss-crossed her vision in a dazzling web. She shivered; it was certainly beautiful and she would have liked to stay out here all day if it wasn’t for the extreme cold and the mince pies waiting back for her in the Great Hall.

‘You’re an idiot. You know that, right?’

Parvati swivelled around. ‘I’m reminded by people at least twice a day, but you should know that I forget things easily.’

Harry gave her a funny half-grin; he was wearing a dark cloak today, providing an easy contrast to the white snow all around him. Parvati noticed the green of his eyes was especially startling in this weather, but shortly after having made this observation she decided wisely not to dwell on it.

‘I know,’ he said. Parvati, who was thinking about other things (NOT the colour of Harry’s eyes), was momentarily confused. Well, Lavender would say that she was perpetually confused, but that’s besides the point here.

‘What?’ she asked, as Harry stepped closer and smiled disarmingly.

‘You’ve forgotten your cloak.’

He was right, of course; that was the reason her teeth were chattering so badly.

‘It’s lucky you’re here, then. I’ll just borrow yours.’

‘Hey!’ Harry cried, taken by surprise as Parvati reached out to clutch the collar of his robes with both her hands. She began undoing the buckles of the cloak and then blinked up at him innocently.

‘You don’t mind, do you, Harry? It’s really cold.’

Harry blushed, she could see the slight colour stained on his cheeks and when he answered his voice was husky, ‘No, it’s fine.’

Damn. He knew, the bastard. Parvati felt her face burning, and suddenly it didn’t feel so cold anymore.

Her fingers dropped. Hurt flashed across Harry’s eyes, along with uncertainty and awkwardness. She saw it plainly, and felt a slight twinge of guilt.

‘Um, forget it.’ Parvati drew back. ‘We should go inside now, anyway.’

‘If you want,’ agreed Harry, and they walked back to the castle in silence, footsteps echoing in time.

*
Parvati loved exchanging gifts on Christmas morning, just to see the delighted faces as people tore into their carefully-wrapped presents. This year, just to be annoying, Parvati had all of hers covered with shiny gold and scarlet wrapping; a subscription to Witch Weekly for Delphi, an engraved bracelet for Lavender and a range of curl-control hair care products for Hermione.

In the common room Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys were opening their packages of customary Weasley jumpers and home-made treats. Parvati caught sight of the silver and green scarf tied around Ginny’s neck and wasn’t impressed.

‘You should learn to be a bit more subtle, Draco,’ she said to him later that day.

‘Jealous, Patil?’ smirked Draco.

‘You can screw over whomever you like. I’d just prefer if it wasn‘t one of my friends,’ she answered dryly. ‘One of these days, Ron Weasley is going to kill you, and I’m certainly not going to be sorry.’

‘You should really see someone about these jealousy issues. They’re ruining your life.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Potter,’ said Draco, and Parvati scowled.

‘What about him?’

Draco gave her a derisive look. ‘I should have known someone who was stupid enough to fall for him would be this thick.’

‘This doesn’t have anything to do with you!’

‘I know, I was just kidding about the jealousy thing.’

‘I meant it’s none of your business, Draco. And what, now you’re being serious about relationships all of a sudden?’ she asked sceptically.

‘Serious is boring, but a guy can’t be wittily sexy all the time. Well, not the witty part, anyway.’

‘You’re a git, Malfoy,’ said Parvati.

‘And you, Princess, are a coward.’

‘Don’t pretend like you know me so well.’

Draco smiled as he turned to leave, ‘If you want.’

‘Why does everyone keep saying that? I don’t know what I want,’ Parvati muttered sulkily to the empty hallway.

*
It was a while after everyone else had gone to bed that Harry reappeared in the common room to find Parvati sitting by the fire.

‘Couldn’t get to sleep?’ he asked.

‘Yeah.’

‘Can I join you?’

Parvati smiled. ‘Do you even have to ask?’

Harry sat down on the rug in front of the fireplace next to her. The dying flames danced over the coals, the room was comfortably warm.

‘So did you have a good day?’

‘Yeah, it’s nice staying at school for a change,’ Parvati told him. ‘You know, you still haven’t given me my present.’

‘I’m waiting for the right time, I think,’ said Harry.

‘Christmas is almost over.’

They both looked up to see the clock, and noticed something else above them.

‘Mistletoe,’ murmured Harry.

Parvati’s head was spinning even as she leant in. Kissing Harry was soft, then hard but slow and laced with a subtle sweetness that was addictive. So much that she was close to whimpering in his mouth. Kissing Harry was something she could definitely get used to.

‘Was that my present?’ he asked, forehead resting against hers. His eyes seemed much darker in the firelight, almost dangerous. Sometimes she forgot just exactly who Harry Potter was.

‘Yes, and I hope you appreciate it. It was rather expensive.’

Harry’s lips quirked into that smile that made Parvati want to taste them again. ‘How much did it cost you?’

‘More than you’d think.’

‘Ah,’ said Harry. ‘I do actually have something to give you.’

Parvati laughed. ‘You shouldn’t have.’

‘Yes, I should have. Otherwise you wouldn’t have let it go for the rest of the year.’

‘Probably. Here, I’ll swap you.’ She took the small green box out of Harry’s hands and gave him her gift.

‘For me?’ he asked.

‘No, actually it’s for Ron, I just wanted you to hold it,’ said Parvati dryly, opening the green box. Inside was a silver brooch in the shape of a fairie, with a pearl enamel skirt and crystals glittering on her delicate wings. ‘Oh wow…’

‘Is it okay?’

‘I love it…Harry, where did you get this?’

He looked a bit embarrassed. ‘Er, well the thing is…I wasn’t sure what you wanted so I asked Lavender to help me. She said brooches were in, or something, and that you’d like it.’

‘And here I was thinking you really had taste, after all.’

Harry grinned. ‘No, not really.’

‘Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome.’

They looked at each other. Parvati raised an eyebrow.

‘Aren’t you going to open yours?’

Harry undid the red ribbon and gold wrapping. ‘A necklace?’

‘It’s not a necklace, it’s an amulet. Put it on.’

He obeyed, looking quizzical. The pendant was fairly unremarkable, a plain silver disk with the Hogwarts crest engraved on it.

‘You wouldn’t mind taking my new brooch and putting in the dorm with all my other presents, would you?’

‘Okay,’ said Harry. ‘Wait, but you know I can’t get up the stairs…’

She smirked. ‘Try.’

Harry placed a foot gingerly on the girls’ staircase, and climbed. When he was halfway up, nothing had happened yet.

‘You mean this-? Anyone who wears this can-?’

‘Yes,’ she answered. ‘But it’s not an invitation. I just thought it would be easier if you didn’t have to use your Firebolt if you wanted to talk to me. Or Hermione, or Ginny or something. Just don’t let anybody know you have it, because you’re definitely not supposed to.’

‘Where did it come from?’

‘There’s only four in existence, one for each House. Padma confiscated one off a third year boy in her house who was using it to throw stink bombs at the girls while they were sleeping and I asked if I could have it. The other three are apparently in Filch’s possession, but that probably means one of the Weasley twins still has one…’

‘Or they gave it to Ron,’ Harry decided. ‘I guess that’s the one thing he wouldn’t tell me about.’

‘I guess.’

Parvati yawned and stretched. ‘I’d better get to sleep, then.’

‘Hey…are you sure you want me to have this?’

Parvati leaned over and kissed the side of Harry’s cheek. She was certain that kissing him on the lips would have been a mistake; she might not manage to stop the whole night.

‘I’m sure,’ she grinned. ‘Happy Christmas, Harry.’

Sun, 01 May 2005 04:36:37 GMT

Title: Making Up For It
Pairing: Harry/Parvati, Ron/Draco
Summary: Parvati can’t stop crying, Draco can’t get a break, and Ron wears nothing but a towel the whole time. Valentine’s is a really crappy day. Except for Ron wearing nothing but a towel the whole time.
Category: Romance, humour
Rating: PG
Warning: Language, serious fluff

‘I think Harry’s cheating on me.’
The door slammed with bone-shaking intensity, rattling the hinges and causing Ron to leap around in surprise, almost dropping the towel that he’d just wrapped around his waist after a shower.
‘SHIT! Parvati! Don’t you ever knock?’
‘No,’ snarled the dark-haired girl.
Ron registered her stormy expression, and of course the angry door slam and decided that maybe this wasn’t the time for a privacy lecture. Although this was his apartment after all, and she really had no right…
Inwardly, he sighed. For fuck’s sake. Women.
He was about to speak again, when the door suddenly swung open.
‘Well, this is a crappy end to a crappy day,’ drawled a familiar voice coming into the room. ‘After taking shit from useless, underqualified gits all day, I come home to find my boyfriend being seduced by some airhead tart.’
Parvati whirled around and burst into loud, wracking sobs on Draco’s shoulder.
‘Hey, I was only joking, Goddess,’ said Draco, a slight hint of amusement in his tone. ‘You’re not an airhead.’
The pitch and volume of Parvati’s crying increased by a considerable amount.
‘Yes, I aaaaam!’ she wailed.
‘What’s wrong?’ Draco mouthed silently over at Ron.
The redhead shrugged back. ‘Um, why don’t you guys move to the lounge? I’ll get dressed and be right out in a moment.’
Draco’s answer to this was a frighteningly commanding glare. Translated, Ron knew this to mean: ‘Don’t you DARE leave me alone with her for even a second, you prat, or we are NOT having sex tonight.’
For Parvati’s sake, he purred, ‘No keep the towel on, I like it.’
‘All right, you perverted bastard,’ Ron muttered, giving in.
While Parvati sat howling on their couch, Ron and Draco ran around for items of comfort. Tissues, ice cream, tissues, chocolate, tissues, Draco’s stuffed basilisk (which he’d kept since childhood and only shared in times of extreme need. Everyone who knew about the toy had at some point been thoroughly blackmailed and threatened to never ever, ever speak of its existence) and some toilet paper because Ron suspected that eventually, Parvati would get through all the tissue boxes they had in the apartment.
‘But how do you know for sure?’ inquired Ron tentatively.
‘I just know!’ cried Parvati. ‘Come on, admit it; you’d be able to tell straight away if Draco was sleeping with someone else!’
Ron visibly froze.
‘NOT that it would ever happen,’ interrupted Draco irritably.
‘Or I’d kill him, and without a wand, too,’ added Ron, so casually that it sent shivers down the Slytherin’s spine.
‘He’s busy all the time!’
‘That’s not new, Parvati, Harry’s always been busy. You know his job takes up a lot of time.’
‘He ignores me.’
‘When?’
‘He’s always distracted, never listens properly to anything I say. I hardly ever see him anymore! It’s like he’s forgotten that I ever existed.’
‘Yes, but-’
‘I know he’s lying to me about things, as well!’ Parvati’s voice was on the verge of hysterical. ‘I asked him the other night what he was doing in his study and he said: “Oh, nothing”, when I knew, I knew that he’d been on the phone to someone.’
‘Did you trace the line afterwards?’ asked Draco.
‘Yes. Whoever he was calling had their location blocked.’
‘See, this is why privacy is a good thing,’ muttered Ron, very quietly. He was growing quite uncomfortable and annoyed; his towel was still a bit damp from his shower and it wasn’t an altogether pleasant feeling.
‘I think you’re over-thinking this a bit,’ said Draco. ‘Potter wouldn’t cheat on you. He’s a fucking Gryffindor, come on. Supposed to be loyal and all that, remember?’
‘Malfoy, Hufflepuffs can be cheating bastards,’ Parvati pointed out.
‘Zacharias. Once. He’s probably the only one in the entire history of Hogwarts. And come on, you’ve got to admit - I’m pretty irresistible.’
‘Justin was devastated,’ Ron scowled.
‘Jealous,’ said Draco knowingly. ‘He wanted me, too.’

A little while later, Ron and Draco managed to convene for a few seconds in the sanctuary of the kitchen.
‘She’s been at this for hours!’ complained Draco.
‘I know. It’s like Cho Chang all over again,’ said Ron hollowly.
‘What?’
‘Nothing. Harry likes making girls cry, I think.’
‘Well, can he make them stop crying?’
‘I don’t think so. But who can?’
‘Good point.’ Draco pouted. ‘You know I love her, but she’s ruining our Valentine’s day.’
‘Fuck,’ swore Ron, looking aghast.
‘What? Oh…don’t tell me you forgot?’ hissed Draco viciously.
He squirmed. ‘I’ll make it up to you, I promise.’
‘Fuckwit. You’d better. As a start, why don’t you try getting Parvati to shut the hell up? She’s driving me insane.’
Ron thought fast.
‘Hand me the vodka.’

‘All these years,’ Parvati’s head lolled slightly against Ron’s, in a similar way to the words that tumbled from her mouth, slurring into each other. ‘I’m shuch an idiot…you know, Harry never lovoed me as mush as I lovoed him…’
‘You’re drunk,’ Draco told her severely. ‘And that’s definitely not true.’
‘Harry’s crazy about you, he’s always been,’ agreed Ron. Although it was a bit of a lie, he was hoping that Parvati was too inebriated to realise.
She wasn’t, it seemed. ‘He broke my heart oncesh before, I’d be a fool to leddim break id again…’
‘Parvati, you’re not a fool…’ said Ron. ‘Not all the time, anyway.’
Silence.
‘Parvati…?’

‘I think she’s fallen asleep…’
Ron and Draco both looked up, startled at having failed to notice an intruder earlier. Harry looked tired and displeased.
‘Fallen unconscious, more like.’ Ron gently eased Parvati off him; she murmured a bit but didn’t wake up.
‘I thought she’d be here with you guys. Thanks for looking after her, by the way,’ said Harry.
‘You’re welcome,’ Draco replied tartly. ‘Please don’t let it happen again, or I might have to strangle her.’
Harry bent down to the couch to gather Parvati into his arms; she curled into his chest, clutching onto the front of his shirt with both hands.
‘You’re not really…with anyone else, are you?’ asked Ron suddenly.
Harry locked eyes with his best friend. ‘You think I would? Honestly?’
‘No! Of course not, I mean…’ Ron awkwardly ruffled the fiery hair on the back of his head. ‘I was just…checking.’
‘Right,’ said Harry, and apparated home.
‘He’ll get over it,’ Draco offered unsympathetically.
‘Yeah, I know. I still feel bad.’
‘So you should. Now, didn’t you say you’d make it up to me for forgetting today?’
Ron’s heart sank. ‘Draco, I…’
‘…You’re really tired.’
‘Are you mad?’ Ron felt truly wretched, but at this point he could barely keep his eyes open.
A pause. He reached up to tug harshly on a curling, downy strand of Ron’s hair that was nestling out of place on his forehead. Things like that always bothered Draco.
‘No. I’m exhausted, too. Let’s get some sleep.’
Ron smiled wearily. ‘You know I lovoe you, Malfoy.’
‘Shut up, Weasley.’

The first thing Parvati did the next morning was to wake up and wish she had died instead. When Harry appeared with breakfast on a tray, she opened her eyes and groaned.
‘Good morning,’ he greeted shortly. ‘Awake now?’
‘It is not a good morning. And yes, unfortunately,’ Parvati replied hoarsely. ‘Tell me, did I happen to swallow a dead rat and bang my head repeatedly into a saucepan last night? Because it sure feels like it.’
Harry handed her a goblet off the tray; the liquid inside bubbled a suspicious-looking colour.
‘It’s green…’ she croaked.
‘Drink.’
Unwillingly, Parvati took a long sip. The potion tasted vile but despite wanting to throw it all up again, she determinedly swallowed down the last traces. She felt instantly better, any symptoms of a hangover disappearing with a final gulp of the miraculous potion.
‘That stuff is amazing!’ she gasped.
‘Snape’s new recipe,’ said Harry. Then without warning, he suddenly asked, ‘You think I’m sleeping with someone else?’
Parvati struggled for the right answer.
‘You’re not denying it,’ she accused.
‘Will you let me explain-’
‘Let you explain!’ exploded Parvati, standing up and looking furious. She noticed that Harry had changed her into pyjamas last night, the white ones with red polka dots, and for some reason this only incensed her further. ‘You admit it! What else is there to explain?’
Harry grabbed her by the hand disapparated before Parvati could protest.

She stumbled away from him when they arrived, nearly tripping over on the polished, hard floors.
‘Where are we?’
‘The Ministry of Magic,’ he informed.
‘The Ministry of Magic?’
‘Yes.’
‘How exactly did we apparate directly inside the Ministry of Magic?’
‘I thought it would be easier,’ said Harry, which of course clarified nothing.
‘Okay, we’re not married, we don’t need a divorce, I am in my pyjamas so WHY are we in the Ministry of Magic?’ demanded Parvati.
Harry indicated the only door that was visible in the empty corridor, right at the end of it next to where they stood. ‘Why don’t you go in and find out?’
She gazed at him solemnly. ‘I don’t trust you.’
‘Fine,’ Harry sighed with resignation.
She might not have acknowledged it at the time, but Parvati was bitterly disappointed that he’d given up so easily.
She wasn’t expecting him to add afterwards, ‘I’ll open the door for you, then.’
Curiosity killed the cat, Padma was fond of saying, especially to her sister. But Parvati had never been afraid of dying, and was unfortunate enough to be eternally curious. However, whatever she was expecting to see as she stepped through the solitary door wasn’t even close to the truth she’d feared.
Images. Dozens, hundreds, all of them stretching on for what seemed like forever, flickering in a myriad of dazzling colours. Scene after scene flashed before her eyes like an endless 3D film.
She was encircled by memories: Harry, fourteen years of age and asking Parvati to the Yule Ball - on their first date, at an outrageously expensive restaurant trying dishes that they couldn’t even pronounce the name of, all because he’d wanted to impress her so much - swapping presents with the Weasleys at Christmas - sixteen, facing each other in a duel as they prepared for the last fight against Voldemort - Parvati, daring Harry to strip and run into the sea in the depth of the night when there was no one else to see but the stars - the very first time, at a party and they couldn’t get their clothes off fast enough -
Parvati had to close her eyes for a moment.
‘I meant to show you last night,’ said Harry.
‘How…how did you do all this?’
‘I had help from some of the other Aurors. Unspeakables too; they have an awful lot of power around here.’
‘You don’t say…and…what? How-?’
‘-Does it work? A bit like a Pensieve. We’ve been working on it for a while, I’m sorry that I haven’t had a lot of time lately. I was hoping this would make up for it.’
Parvati cringed. ‘I’m an idiot, aren’t I?’
‘Yes.’ Harry half-smiled then. ‘But you make up my whole world.’
‘And here was me thinking you weren’t a romantic…’
He leant down on one knee. ‘You walked away from me once before; I’d be a fool to let you walk away from me again.’
Parvati couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled from her lips. But then again, she’d always been terrible at hiding her feelings.
‘But you don’t have a ring for me!’ she exclaimed in mock outrage.
‘You said I had no sense of style!’ Harry protested. ‘I thought you’d prefer to pick out your own. It was either that, or let Draco choose and seeing as he always wears that hideous Malfoy signet ring, I figured letting you decide was the best way to go.’
‘That was wise of you.’
‘So…will you marry me, Parvati?’
He waited patiently for the giggles to subside.
‘Yes,’ she said finally.

Sun, 01 May 2005 04:29:51 GMT

Title: Filthy Living
Pairing: Ron/Draco, Harry/Parvati
Summary: Draco returns home to a surprise from Ron one night.
Category: Humour
Rating: R
Warning: Slash, language

‘Here’s your washing, Princess,’ snarled Ron, dumping an armful of freshly laundered shirts onto the unmade bed.
Draco, in the act of pulling on his socks, looked round. ‘The only clean things in this dump.’
Ron sighed, shifted a few shirts and flopped down on the mattress. He’d known from the beginning that the two of them keeping an orderly abode would be impossible. Ron couldn’t exactly be described as organised and Draco, who’d always had house elves to tidy up after him, was even worse. Inevitably, their shared flat constantly looked as if a small tornado had just hit.
‘Look at this place,’ Draco scoffed. ‘We’re living like fucking paupers.’
‘That’s one way of putting it,’ said Ron in an undertone.
‘Where the hell is my left shoe?’ raged Draco, storming into the living room.
Warily, Ron followed to find him kicking around magazines and empty takeaway cartons from the previous night’s dinner. It was one of those mornings.
‘Where the fuck is it?’
Ron moved towards the coffee table. He had a vague hunch…
Six seconds later he emerged with the missing shoe.
‘How did that happen? I didn’t put it there last night,’ Draco insisted angrily.
‘Draco,’ said Ron, eyebrows raised. ‘Do you remember last night?’
Straight after Draco arrived home they’d half stripped on the couch before managing to stumble into the bedroom. In fact, it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence; Ron was still finding his missing clothing in the oddest places.
‘Oh, right,’ Draco conceded.
Ron smirked. ‘Come here.’
Surprisingly, Draco obeyed. Ron straightened his tie and smoothed the shoulders of his robes but didn’t dare touch Draco’s hair. It was perfect anyway.
‘You smell good,’ murmured Ron.
‘That makes one of us.’ His lip quirked up on one side.
‘Shut up. I don’t have to go to work; I can smell as much as I want.’
‘Fucking Quidditch players. And so you get paid millions to do shit all every week.’
Draco knew perfectly well that Ron trained six days a week, and ridiculous hours at that. Both of them were also aware that compared to Draco’s salary, the amount that a Beater made was nothing, even if he was the best in the League.
‘Mm,’ agreed Ron distractedly.
‘You should really get dressed,’ swallowed Draco. Ron, who’d had the luxury of a sleep-in, was still in his boxers, leaving rather deliciously exposed a lean chest, taut stomach and burnished red trail snaking down from his belly. Practically begging Draco to follow it. ‘Brush your teeth, for Merlin’s sake. Take a shower.’
‘Care to join me?’
‘Tease.’ Draco pulled away. ‘I’d never find my shoes again. It’s already eight-thirty.’
‘S’pose.’
Reluctantly, but quickly in case his common sense gave out in the presence of a half-naked Ron Weasley, Draco gathered his things. Although as he reached the door, he stopped to turn back.
‘Is anyone coming over tonight?’
The state of the apartment was nowhere near fit for entertaining guests and yet that didn’t seem to faze the usual crowd who tended to drop by frequently and unannounced. Harry, Parvati, Blaise, Ginny, Hermione and Pansy were the most welcome with Fred and George being the least. Luckily, the twins didn’t have too much spare time or Ron and Draco might have considered moving to another country. Honestly, it was truly disturbing how much his brothers needed to know about his sex life...
Ron absently rubbed his torso in thought. ‘No, don’t think so…’
‘Good. Don’t let them,’ said Draco, and slammed the door shut.

When he reached home that night, Draco froze in the doorway.
Ron, coming in and seeing his horrified face, started smiling.
‘I tidied up a bit,’ he said.
‘A bit?’ echoed Draco. ‘I thought a burglar had stolen all our stuff.’
‘Yeah well…there was a hell of a lot of it lying around.’
‘Ah…’
‘What, you preferred it the other way?’
‘No, it’s good. Just shocking.’ Draco grinned. ‘So where’s dinner, honey?’
‘Fuck off,’ was Ron’s reply. ‘I’m not bloody cooking, after cleaning all day.’
At that moment a knock sounded at the door.
‘Hellooo! Open up! It’s your two most favourite ever people in the world!’ sang Parvati.
Silence. Draco and Ron looked helplessly at each other.
‘Guys?' Silence. And then, ‘I think they’re probably screwing,’ said Parvati in a loud mock-whisper.
‘Parvati!’ Harry’s voice sounded muffled and horrified.
There was giggling, and more knocking after that.
‘Aw, come on guys,’ Parvati pleaded.
‘We bought Indian,’ Harry enticed.
‘Duh.’
‘No, not you, Parvati-the food.’
A brief pause, until Draco called out suspiciously, ‘Homemade?’
‘As if!’ laughed Parvati. ‘I’m offended that you even asked.’
‘Thank Merlin,’ said Ron. ‘I don’t ever plan on eating her cooking.’
‘Shall we?’ asked Draco.
Ron hesitated. It was a tough choice…
His stomach grumbled loudly, making the decision for him. Draco rolled his eyes and opened the door.
‘Evening, beautiful,’ greeted Parvati cheerfully as she and Harry entered the room. Suddenly and simultaneously, the smiles vanished from their faces.
‘Did we step into the wrong place?’ exclaimed Harry, awed.
‘Omigod!’ cried Parvati. ‘Did you guys get robbed?’
Ron turned to Draco, and sighed as if in defeat. ‘I’m never cleaning this apartment again.’

Later, after Harry and Parvati had left, Ron was comfortably spread out on the couch with an empty glass of wine in hand and Draco curled up snugly beside him.
‘You know,’ Draco purred in his ear. ‘I still haven’t thanked you for tidying up around here.’
Ron smiled. Perhaps after all these years, his mother’s nagging was finally paying off.

Sun, 01 May 2005 04:25:55 GMT

Title: Notice
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Summary: But the shocking part of that realisation, the part which really scares him, is that Ron suspects he knows Draco is a mistake, and he couldn’t care less.
Category: Angst
Rating: PG
Warning: Slash, language

A spell, hastily uttered, and he hears the door lock and close. Then hands are pushing his back into the wall, pulling at the fabric of his shirt.
‘Wait…wait!’
‘What?’
‘If anyone comes in here-’
‘Just shut up, they won’t-’
‘-I’ll kill you, Malfoy.’
A sneer. ‘You’ve been saying that for years.’
‘I mean it.’
‘Well, if you insist-’ Draco hisses, letting Ron’s shirt fall to the floor, ‘why don’t you fuck me first?’
‘No,’ Ron stops his hand from wandering further down. ‘You go.’
Draco raises an eyebrow. ‘You want to watch me strip, Weasley? My, how kinky.’
Ron’s face twists into a look close to disgust. ‘I’d say we’re both in this for the kink factor, Draco, so let’s try to keep the mocking down to a minimum, shall we?’
Wordlessly, in the tense silence, Draco unbuttons and tosses his school robes aside. Something else, something hard and small like metal falls from a pocket and clatters across the floor, catching the light.
It’s an earring, Ron notices, a semi-translucent, cream-coloured pearl with a butterfly attached. He has a sudden feeling of déjà vu...
But then the next moment Draco is kissing him, kissing hard and deep until it hurts, and Ron forgets what he was trying to remember.

The next day, Christmas holidays officially begin and he’s back home. At the Burrow with his family, with Harry and away from school it all feels so strange and surreal.
It all feels so lonely.
And Ron tries not to think too hard about it. It’s hard, without classes, Quidditch and hundreds of other students as a distraction, it’s like waking from a dream.
He’s starting to realise now.
What have I done?
But the shocking part of that realisation, the part which really scares him, is that Ron suspects he knows Draco is a mistake, and he couldn’t care less.
‘Ron?’ Harry is looking at him curiously. ‘Are you feeling all right?’
‘Yeah, fine. Why?’
They’re sitting in the lounge, playing Chess next to the fire while waiting for Mrs Weasley to announce dinner time.
‘You just seem quiet.’
‘That’s because I’m thinking about my moves.’ Ron places a finger on a black Castle. ‘You should try it sometime, Harry. Might help you win once in a while.’
‘I meant lately, you idiot. You’re not talking much; just thought maybe something was bothering you.’
‘No, I-’
At that point Ginny enters the room, looking flushed and annoyed.
‘Where have you been? Outside?’ asks Ron.
‘No, I was tidying my room.’
‘What? And you finished? I thought it would have taken you ten years at least to clean up that place.’
‘Ha ha,’ says Ginny, unimpressed. ‘I think I’ve lost my earring, the butterfly was really loose…must have fallen out and I didn’t notice.’
‘Sorry,’ Harry apologises, ‘I haven’t seen any earrings. What does it look like?’
‘It’s a pe-’
‘Pearl-’ interrupts Ron. ‘Your pearl earrings.’
‘How did you know?’ She stares at him in surprise.
Ron takes the finger off the Castle; his hand is trembling. He is going to be sick any second now.
‘You think I don’t notice things about my sister?’
Ginny shrugs and offers him a slight smile.
‘Well, you never used to, did you?’

Sun, 01 May 2005 04:21:30 GMT

Title: Just So You Know
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Summary: Draco’s chosen the side he wants to fight on and Ron can’t convince him that he’s making the worst mistake of his life. Turns out some things you just have to figure out for yourself.
Category: Angst
Rating: R
Warning: Slash, language, songfic
Disclaimer: Lyrics from 'Only One' by Yellowcard

Broken
This fragile thing now

He couldn’t understand it. There was a reason this had happened, yet he couldn’t remember why.
It was a mistake. A mistake. Malfoys don’t make mistakes, but Draco knew there was something wrong. He could still feel it burning, on and underneath his very skin and he wondered, was this the mistake or the punishment?
Forever seemed a long time to pay.
No one had said it would hurt this much. Not even Lucius, the bastard, who had stood and watched them brand him, the spoilt, arrogant son whom he’d never laid a hand on his entire life. And he’d remained as silent as the grave his wife now lay six feet deep in.
Well that was fine, because Draco didn’t need Lucius anyway. He didn’t know what he needed, but it sure wasn’t a mother who was gone and a father who no longer cared for anything.
So what was he left with then?

And I can’t
I can’t pick up the pieces
And I’ve thrown my words all around
But I can’t
I can’t give you a reason

Voices drifted across the early evening air, honeysuckle and laughter in the twilight. Sooner or later; in the end we all have to go. Was this what you were supposed to do? Laugh in the face of death, and scorn its absurd predictability?
This was a strange war that evoked strange events. Here he was, a Malfoy, a servant of the Dark Lord. Crossing enemy lines, but he’d done that a long time ago. Strange events, indeed.
Draco brought his hand up and knocked. Seconds later hurried footsteps, and the door flew open. Flaming red hair, an all too familiar sight, but Ginny Weasley was smiling at him instead. She must have been expecting someone else though, because a moment later her expression turned much darker.
‘What the hell do you think you’re doing here, Malfoy?’

I feel so broken up
And I give up
Just want to tell you so you know

The second to last night at Hogwarts, there was a party in Gryffindor tower. The day before had been the Leavers’ Ball, but even then they were still celebrating. It was strange, Ron thought as he watched his friends and housemates dancing or talking and hugging each other; Parvati Patil was in tears already.
‘I can’t believe it, in two days we’re not going to be here together anymore,’ she sighed, fingers entwined in Harry’s.
Ron couldn‘t believe it either.
‘It’s weird, huh?’ agreed Harry. ‘I remember coming here so clearly, doesn’t seem that long ago. Remember Ron?’
‘Corned beef,’ said Ron.
Harry grinned. ‘And Neville had lost his toad on that first day, hadn‘t he?’
‘Sunshine daisies, butter mallow-’ Hermione broke off, laughing, as Ron hit her with a cushion.
‘I’m really going to miss it here,’ said Neville wistfully, and they all looked at each other, Gryffindors attempting brave smiles all round.

The last night, all the students were worn out from packing and celebrating. While his dorm mates fell asleep, Ron lay in his bed staring at the ceiling with open eyes. When he was certain that no one else was no longer awake, Ron grabbed his cloak and slipped quietly away. He didn’t bother with the invisibility cloak; why worry about detentions when you were leaving for good the next day anyway?

Draco was sitting, eyes shut tight, head resting against the cool stone edge of the fountain, pale throat exposed to the moonlight. Ron was overwhelmed by a sudden desire to run his tongue along the smooth skin, to feel the involuntary shudder from Draco beneath him.
It was a good thing he held himself back from doing so, because he needed to stay calm and collected if he was going to get anywhere. Last time….the last time, shocked and angry, he’d truly lost it.
‘You can’t be fucking serious!’
‘I am.’
‘Don’t. You don’t have to do it, Malfoy…You can’t.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because it’s fucking suicide, that’s why, you daft shit!’
‘It doesn’t matter. I don’t care.’
‘Well I do!’
Draco had gone silent then, watching him with an icy grey glare. Empty. This was not the Draco Malfoy he knew anymore, the spoilt, attention-seeking, conceited git he’d hated for so long. In many ways, Ron still disliked Draco, although this was now tangled with many other less apparent emotions.

Here I go
Scream my lungs out and try to get to you

‘If you think I’m going to sleep with you, you’re madly deluded,’ said Draco, without looking at him.
‘You still think it’s about that, do you?’ Ron asked coldly.
‘I thought you never wanted to see me again.’
Ron shrugged. ‘So? I lied.’
‘Whatever happened to Gryffindor honour?’
‘Slytherin myth.’
‘No shit,’ said Draco. ‘Nobody believed it anyway.’
‘Actually, I gave it up a long time ago.’
They stared at each other, Gryffindor to Slytherin, Weasley to Malfoy, lover to lover.
‘Please don‘t do it,’ said Ron.
‘It’s my life,’ Draco pointed out.
And Ron couldn’t really argue with that, could he?

You are my only one

Ginny looked as if she might hex him any moment.
‘He doesn’t want to see you,’ she snarled.
‘He’s lying,’ stated Draco.
‘No, he isn’t. Look, just piss off alright? Haven’t you already done enough?’
‘I have a question, then.’
Ginny sighed. ‘What is it?’
‘Will you promise to ask? Swear you’ll tell him?’
Ginny stared at the sky wearily. ‘You’re a worthless prat, did you know that?’
‘Just ask Ron,’ said Draco. ‘Ask him why I’m here.’
‘And?’
‘And he’ll know. He always knows.’

There’s just no one that gets me like you do
You are my only
My only one

‘Who was that, Ginny?’ asked Mrs Weasley as her daughter returned to help with dishing out the dessert.
‘Saleswitch,’ lied Ginny.
She took her seat next to Ron, who was listening in on a conversation between Harry and Bill.
‘There was someone at the door for you,’ she told him quietly.
‘What?’ said Ron.
‘Malfoy…’ she felt him tensing up beside her. ‘I think he’s gone.’
Ginny waited for Ron to answer, and when he didn’t she was forced to continue uncertainly.
‘I don’t know what he wants.’
More silence.
‘He said…to ask you something. I didn’t understand, it was strange…’

Made my mistakes
Let you down
And I can’t
I can’t hold on for too long

Quiet. The only time Ron recollected Draco ever shutting up was during sex, and he often teased him about it although secretly Ron was pleased because if Draco couldn’t string together a proper sentence it meant that he was in a seriously disoriented state of mind. Which was exactly how Ron preferred him.
While their breathing slowed, limbs still locked and light blond hair tickling his bare shoulder, Ron’s heart began to return to its ordinary pace. In these moments, he often found himself fantasising about telling somebody. Just to see their reaction. What would Hermione have said, if he’d accidentally let it slip? Would Harry never speak to him again? If Lavender or Parvati found out, the whole entire school would know in mere hours. The notion was truly terrifying.
And yet…
Ron never mentioned the possibility of everyone discovering that…them…whatever it was they had, because Draco would most likely call him a delusional fuck for it, and maybe he was one after all.
‘Draco?’
‘Fuck off, Weasley,’ Draco murmured, curled up beside him. Ron told himself firmly that he didn’t enjoy it, but displays of affection from Draco were rare (aside from the obvious, but that could hardly be termed ‘affectionate’).
‘Done that,’ Ron smirked.
‘You think you’re funny, don’t you?’
‘Actually, yes.’
‘Well, that confirms my theory that you don’t really think after all.’
‘Think you’re clever, don’t you?’
‘I know I’m clever, Ron.’
‘And that confirms my theory that you’re a conceited, stubborn, irrational git who can never face up to the truth.’
‘Like you care.’
‘I don’t. That’s the worrying part,’ Ron reflected. ‘Why am I even here?’
‘You love me,’ said Draco.
They’d stared at each other for a long moment, both of them surprised and silent. Then Ron leaned in, brushed his lips slowly across Draco’s, an answer threatening to spill from the tip of his tongue.

Ran my whole life in the ground
And I can’t; I cant get up when you’re gone.
Something’s breaking up-
I feel like giving up.

I won’t walk out until you know.

‘What was it?’ Ron asked Ginny. ‘What did he say to you?’
Her brow furrowed as she replied in a bemused voice, ‘Well I asked him what he was doing here, and he said you’d know why.’
Ron had turned a deathly pale, and Ginny regretted not having hexed Malfoy and then shutting the door in his face.
‘Ron…’
Her brother stood up. The faces of his family turned towards him, curious and waiting.
‘Where are you going Ron?’ demanded Mrs Weasley. ‘We’re just about to start.’
‘Bathroom,’ replied Ron. ‘I’ll be right back.’
Ginny watched him disappear into the house. It was all right, if Ron wasn’t going out there to murder Malfoy, she’d do it herself.

Here I go,
Scream my lungs out
And try to get to you,
You are my only one.

Ron stormed up to Draco and roughly grabbed at his wrist, then shoving the material of his sleeve upwards.
‘So you actually did it,’ he snarled, disgusted.
Draco shrugged.
‘Why are you here?’ asked Ron.
‘I thought you’d know,’ he said.
‘Well I fucking don’t, Malfoy!’ yelled Ron. ‘I don’t know what the fuck you’re thinking anymore!’
‘Then I’ll tell you.’
‘I don’t want to know.’
‘Then why are you here?’ Draco pointed out.
‘Because this is my bloody house, and you can’t be here so fuck the hell off, Draco!’
‘No.’
‘I won’t say it again.’
‘Then don’t.’ And then Draco stepped forward and kissed him, hard, hungrily, like he couldn’t taste enough of Ron which was true because he never could and this was a kiss he’d remember always, bitter in the dying light of a sweet summer’s day. When they broke apart he was dizzy and breathless from it.

I let go,
There’s just no one that gets me
Like you do
You are my only,
My only one.

‘You git,’ gasped Ron.
Although he was tired, kicked and broken, Draco managed a defiant smirk. ‘You love me.’
‘You’re lucky,’ Ron said, trying to sound angry but not quite succeeding at it. ‘I’d hex you, but my wand isn’t with me.’
‘I know,’ Draco told him, leaning in for another kiss. ‘I’m the luckiest guy in the world.’
And there was no denying any of that, thought Ron as he kissed Draco back.

Sun, 01 May 2005 04:13:48 GMT

Title: By Your Side
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Summary: Ron talks, but Draco does not listen. If love is hope, then maybe it’s enough after all.
Category: Angst
Rating: PG
Warning: Slash

You lie so still. Each day you lie, and pale a little more against the stark white sheets. I’m scared that one day you’ll fade altogether, and I won’t be able to find you anymore.

They do not see. They do not ask what is the matter, because they are so certain of their own understanding. We have won, but how many of us have lost? Padma, Neville, Hannah, Luna, Seamus, Snape, the names go on. And the ones left behind, there is nothing they can do.

I cannot let you leave me. But do I have a choice? They say that I died for you, but you are dying because what they say is true. My very presence feeds the guilt rising inside of you, and yet I can’t walk away. My own selfishness binds me to you. I need you. Death knows no shame.

And you love me that much; so you will fade.

Fade like me.

No, not like me. I went from your world in a blazing inferno, the hero I always wanted to be, and you will melt into mine like ice slowly waning in a water glass. It will be neither a quick nor remarkable departure, only a quiet and inevitable one. And isn’t it silly to be afraid of death, when you’re already dead?

You never used to sleep much at night, now you don’t sleep at all. I spend days at your bedside, I’ve lost count of how many have passed. I watch you staring at the sky. Looking for me, maybe? If you could hear it, I would tell you that I’m right here, you dolt.
Listen to me.
Get up. Brush your hair.
Put on your designer, custom-made robes and saunter into the Great Hall like you own the place. People will notice, they always do.
Smile, after you offer a scathing insult to anyone and everyone who crosses your path.

Smile like you know this is where you belong. Don’t look for me across the room, I won’t be there. I will be sitting beside you, at the head of the Slytherin table, just as I have always wanted to do. I want to shake you and make you do all of those things; I want to live, I want you back.

I don’t know what it is you want. I’ve learnt to shut out your thoughts. It’s better if I don’t hear what you’re thinking, I can’t stand it anymore. In the beginning I would listen, try to make sense of it all, as if that would bring us closer together until I remembered that madmen don’t make sense.

Perhaps it would have been kinder to let him kill you. Perhaps I should have lived instead. The uncertainty haunts me. Harry has borne the gift all his life. He has beaten it, but I do not know whether you are able to achieve the same. I can only hope now. Hope that you will remember not that I died for you, Draco, but that I lived for you.

I wait, and wonder if you will do the same.

Sun, 01 May 2005 04:10:35 GMT

Title: Amor
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Summary: And Ron had always imagined love would be sweet.
Category: Angst, romance
Rating: R
Warning: Slash, language

It was the warmest morning they had had all winter, and Ron stood beside the great lake and watched the dawn bleeding into the sky. It was early; far too early for anyone else to be up and he revelled in the silence of his own company for once. As a rule, Ron generally preferred to be around crowds, but it wasn’t often that he was allowed to be truly alone with just his own thoughts.
Inevitably, he knew the moment would pass and before long he’d be back with his friends and classmates. But his solitary ramble was interrupted sooner than Ron had anticipated by the arrival of a certain blond Slytherin.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘Nothing,’ said Ron honestly. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I come here every morning,’ snapped Draco. ‘Where’s your precious Potter?’
‘He’s not mine.’
‘If I didn’t know any better…’ he sneered.
Ron stared at him, mystified. ‘What are you on about?’
‘Well, the way you follow each other around like love-sick puppy dogs is obvious enough, wouldn’t you think?’
Ron knew that he and Harry spent a lot of time together, but even so he wondered whether Malfoy had completely lost the plot.
‘Are you jealous?’ he asked, bewildered and amused all at once.
‘Jealous?’ Draco laughed hollowly. ‘Now what in the world would make you think that, Weasley?’
‘We’re just friends, Harry and I,’ said Ron. And then he paused, because what he knew the next words that would be coming out of his mouth would not go down well with the blond boy. ‘Don’t bring him into this.’
It was funny, really. Ron had always thought that he was the one with the quick temper, but Draco was often the one to turn angry first and Ron was forced to be the one to calm him down, not the other way around as it was with Hermione or Harry.
‘You’re my friend, too,’ Ron ventured. What the hell, he was feeling brave this morning. The fresh air must have messed up to his common sense.
‘Your friend?’ spat Draco. ‘Do all you friends suck your cock and fuck you from behind in broom closets, Ronald?’
Draco was getting that terrible look in his grey eyes now, they glittered dangerously and Ron’s fists clenched at his sides, his cheeks colouring. No, he wouldn’t hit Draco, but he was sorely tempted because at any moment the Slytherin was going to sock him one if he carried on. That kind of fighting never worked out well anyway; they’d end up on top of one another in the worst way possible. In fact…all their fights ended up in pretty much the same fashion, one way or another.
The thought made him smirk. ‘I do love it when you talk dirty, darling.’
This turned out to be the mistake he was waiting to make. Before Ron knew what was happening, Draco had tackled him to the ground and had even managed to punch him once or twice before Ron had the sense to use his arms to cover his face in self-defence.
It hurt, and he wanted to laugh.

‘You fucking bastard-!’
Ron blinked. It took a moment for him to realise that Draco’s last comment was not directed to him.
‘-Let go of me, Potter!’
Harry had pulled Draco off his best friend and was now standing between them, holding Draco in a secure death grip.
‘Harry, it’s okay, you can let him go,’ gasped Ron, getting up and trying not to wince-he was fairly sure his jaw was broken now. Harry looked uncertain.
‘Are you deaf, Potter?’ snarled Draco, struggling madly.
‘Harry, stop it!’ cried Ron. Harry let go, but it was probably more from surprise than anything else.
‘Leave it, Malfoy,’ said Ron quickly, careful to keep his tone blank. Draco looked as if he might whip out his wand and hex them both, but to Ron’s utter amazement he only turned on his heel and left.
Ron dusted grass off his robes, to avoid having to look at Harry. He wasn’t sure exactly how he was going to explain this one.
‘Ron?’ asked Harry, confused. ‘What’s going on?’
It was a fair question, really. Ron supposed that you could say they had an arrangement between them. What exactly the terms of this agreement were, neither of them knew.
They were enemies, everyone knew that. If people ever discovered the whole truth, it would probably scar them all for life.
‘Who cares what they think?’ Draco had snarled, pinning Ron’s arms at his sides so that they were nose to nose and pressed up against the classroom wall.
‘You care,’ Ron had accused him. ‘Don’t lie. You can’t fool me.’
‘No,’ smirked Draco after a moment, his long fingers working the zip of Ron’s pants. ‘But I can make you forget about it.’
He was bloody infuriating. Not that Ron was complaining at the time…he never complained. Ever. But sometimes he did want to strangle that elegant, smooth throat; just one quick squeeze to wipe the superior smirk off his perfect face. He’d always loved to hate Draco, quite honestly, and things hadn’t really changed in that respect. Or perhaps now he hated loving him.
Ron wasn’t sure if there was a difference any more.
It was, to put it simply, complicated.
‘Ron?’
‘It was nothing,’ muttered Ron, heading back towards the castle. ‘Malfoy’s a jerk, that’s all.’
Thankfully, Harry dropped the subject and didn’t bring it up again. Although Ron could tell his friend was thinking about it all day and Harry was much quicker on the uptake than him.
Ron decided to ignore the concerned looks Harry was giving him at the breakfast table. Instead, his eyes wandered towards the Slytherin table and met Draco’s steady gaze.
How he managed to always look so irritatingly beautiful, Ron would never know. It bugged him tremendously. He wanted desperately to mess up that perfect blond hair a bit, to dig his fingernails into Draco’s silky, hard chest and leave angry scarlet bite marks along the lines of his pale, jutting hip bones.
Idiot. Look away.
He wondered how no one had noticed it yet, the way he watched Draco Malfoy like this all day, all the time. Perhaps he had been hatefully glaring at the Slytherin table for so long that people had gotten used to it. Ron desperately hoped so.

In Potions that day, Draco amused himself by knocking his flask of armadillo bile into Ron’s cauldron accidentally on purpose. His potion turned from a perfect shade of pale pink to utterly clear and there was no fixing it. Everyone saw what had happened, and naturally Snape deducted ten points off Gryffindor, declaring loudly and not for the last time that Ron was a complete and utter waste of his time. Which wasn’t exactly true; Snape would never have allowed him into his class again if he hadn’t passed his OWLs with surprisingly good marks.
Everyone was expecting Ron to jump up and make a big fuss, yelling at Snape and rightly accusing Malfoy. And it was true, he did play along most of the time. But not today. Draco was acting like the spoilt brat he really was and so Ron calmly tipped out his ruined potion down the sink and said nothing. Hermione’s eyes were filled with angry tears, and Harry looked particularly murderous.
Ron wished, not for the first time, that he could explain.
‘You will stay after class, Mr Weasley,’ snarled Snape, ‘and perform the set task once more. If you can’t get it right this time, I don’t ever want to see you in my class again!’
At that moment the bell rang. Students deposited their potions on Snape’s front desk and filed out of the dungeons. Harry and Hermione were one of the last ones to leave, keeping Ron company for as long as they were allowed. He was grateful, but…well, it wasn’t as if they were never going to see each other again or anything.
‘Will you be alright?’ asked Hermione anxiously.
‘Yeah, fine.’ He grimaced. ‘Try and get it over with as quickly as possible.’
‘Probably the best plan, mate,’ said Harry grimly.
‘Mm,’ agreed Ron.
‘Potter. Granger. Class has been dismissed. Get out of my sight,’ barked Snape from behind them.
‘See you guys later then,’ said Ron.
‘Alright.’ Harry gathered his books and bag and Hermione pecked him on the cheek before they left together.
When Ron turned back to his things dreading the next hour or so alone with Snape, he instead found himself facing Draco.
‘What are you still doing here?’ Ron asked warily.
‘I’m doing extra-credit research,’ Draco drawled.
Ron frowned. ‘Your cauldron’s already packed up.’
Draco’s smirk turned distinctly evil. ‘Not that kind of extra-credit.’
‘Where’s Snape?’
‘Gone. Asked me to lock up afterwards and make sure you didn’t blow the whole place up.’
‘Right,’ said Ron. ‘Whatever.’
Draco’s eyebrows rose incredulously. ‘Was that just a rejection? Ouch. Slighted by a Weasley. Seems I’ve sunk to all new lows.’
Draco was keeping his cool this time, just a little flirty…cautious, even. Ye gods, thought Ron wryly, he must be wanting it bad.
‘Seems you have,’ Ron observed dully. ‘And if you don’t mind, I’ve got a potion to make.’
‘No you don’t.’
Ron looked up in surprise, just in time to see Draco toss him a tiny glass bottle containing liquid of a very faint pink colour. Ron caught it by reflex, stunned.
‘I filled up two,’ he said. ‘It’s perfect.’
Ron set the potion down on the table carefully. It was the first apology of sorts he had received from Draco. Trust him to get something in return out of it, too.
He took the first step, then Draco the second and before he knew it they had met in the middle, getting tangled in arms and lips and far too much regulation black uniform.
‘Robes off, Weasley,’ purred Draco; Ron breathed in sharply as those deft fingers moved to the front of his pants.
He leaned in and kissed him, felt Draco’s hot lips part willingly and almost helplessly under his command. He ran his hands through Draco’s sleek hair, and felt the silken, silver-blond strands over his skin. He pulled back and grinned when he saw how dishevelled Draco looked; tousled hair, silver eyes blazing. With only half the usual amount of clothes on and panting ever so slightly.
It was sickening. Absolutely pathetic. How much Ron wanted this, wanted him. Now and today and tomorrow, forever. The realisation was making him feel dizzy and weak at the knees-or maybe that was just the unbearably delicious sensation of Draco’s hot tongue sliding his way down Ron’s chest.
‘Draco?’
‘Mmm?’ A slight nip of sharp white teeth just below his navel. Ron forced himself to focus.
‘Do you love me?’
A pause. Draco, kneeling before him on the cold dungeon floor, looked up and their eyes locked.
‘I told you, didn't I?’ he said, ‘I’ve reached all new lows.’
On top of everything, Ron decided, it was also disgusting how one simple insult from a Malfoy could make him feel this deliriously happy.
‘You’re just saying that to get into my pants,’ he accused.
‘Shut up, Weasley. It’s working, isn’t it?’

Stop Flirting With Me

Sat, 30 Apr 2005 23:36:38 GMT

Harry Potter: chapter fics

Title: Parvati Prevails
Pairing: Parvati/Draco, Harry/Parvati
Summary: Your best friend is an utter idiot. Your teachers don’t understand the significance of sporting trendy and exotic hair accessories. Your dream guy is a complete prick, not to mention slightly twisted and evil. Your sister is smart. Really, really smart. And Blaise Zabini wants to beat you up. But life is still bearable because, after all, you are the prettiest witch in your year. Oh, no wait. That’s Padma…
Category: Humour, romance
Link: http://www.astronomytower.org/authorLinks/A_Linz/Parvati_Prevails/

Harry Potter: one-shots

Title: Amor
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Summary: And Ron had always imagined love would be sweet.
Category: Angst, romance
Warning: Slash, language
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/607.html#cutid1

Title: By Your Side
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Summary: Ron talks, but Draco does not listen. If love is hope, then maybe it’s enough after all.
Category: Angst
Warning: Slash
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/796.html#cutid1

Title: Just So You Know
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Summary: Draco’s chosen the side he wants to fight on and Ron can’t convince him that he’s making the worst mistake of his life. Turns out some things you just have to figure out for yourself.
Category: Angst
Warning: Slash, language
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/1046.html#cutid1

Title: Notice
Pairing: Ron/Draco
Summary: But the shocking part of that realisation, the part which really scares him, is that Ron suspects he knows Draco is a mistake, and he couldn’t care less.
Category: Angst
Warning: Slash, language
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/1533.html#cutid1

Title: Filthy Living
Pairing: Ron/Draco, Harry/Parvati
Summary: Draco returns home to a surprise from Ron one night.
Category: Humour
Warning: Slash, language
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/1773.html#cutid1

Title: Making Up For It
Pairing: Harry/Parvati, Ron/Draco
Summary: Parvati can’t stop crying, Draco can’t get a break, and Ron wears nothing but a towel the whole time. Valentine’s is a really crappy day. Except for Ron wearing nothing but a towel the whole time.
Category: Humour, romance
Warning: Language, Over-fluffiness
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/1793.html#cutid1

Title: Parvati Presents
Pairing: Harry/Parvati, Draco/Ginny
Summary: Harry finds Parvati in the faerie garden, Ginny wears Slytherin and Draco is wittily sexy. Interesting Christmas gifts are exchanged. (Set in the Parvati Prevails universe, but not part of the story.)
Category: Romance, humour
Warning: Fluff, fluff, fluffy fluff
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/2067.html#cutid1

Title: A Fair Idea
Pairing: Ron/Hermione, Draco/Hermione, Draco/Ginny
Summary: Draco + BLONDE!Hermione = double the fun? Telescopes, tantrums, and Britney Spears (sort of...). And did I mention that Hermione is blonde?
Category: Humour(ish)
Warning: Insanity. Crackfic, possibly.
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/2428.html#cutid1

Title: All I Ever Wanted
Pairing: Draco/Ginny
Summary: He had it all, and now he has nothing. Draco Malfoy can’t believe some of the stupid things he’s done in his life, and now he’ll never be able to make things right.
Category: Angst, romance
Warning: Um...it was my first ever fic?
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/2768.html#cutid1

Title: Tangible
Pairing: Ginny/Cho, Cho/Cedric
Summary: It seems to Ginny that Cho Chang is the perfect witch with the perfect life. But when Cho can barely convince herself that she’s really living, it isn’t much of an ideal existence.
Category: Angst
Warning: Femmeslash
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/2935.html#cutid1

Title: Envy
Pairing: Lavender/G!Blaise
Summary: Blaise has always loathed the colour purple.
Category: Angst
Warning: Femmeslash
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/3196.html#cutid1

Title: Second Best
Pairing: Draco/Dean, Dean/Seamus
Summary: Maybe he didn’t love Draco but love, like art, was overrated anyway.
Category: Angst
Warning: Slash
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/3507.html#cutid1

Order of the Phoenix- missing scenes

Title: Christmas Morning at Number Twelve
Pairing: Sirius/Remus
Summary: A memory lights up in his mind, long forgotten, mistletoe by the fire in the empty, early hours of the Gryffindor common room. Sirius always loved the holidays.
Category: Romance, humour
Warning: Slash
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/3605.html#cutid1

Title: Summer at The Burrow
Pairing: Ron/Hermione
Summary: Ginny slid off the bed, looking rather as if she wanted to laugh at him and Ron was growing rather pink in the face. Because she knew, and Ron knew-although he’d never admit it in a million years-that neither of them were going to talk about the real reason for his permanent bad mood.
Category: Humour, romance
Warning:
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/4008.html

Harry Potter: drabbles

Title: Ask
Pairing/Character: Ron/Draco
Summary: Ron considers it revenge for all those years of torment.
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/4306.html#cutid1

Title: Scarlet
Pairing/Character: Ginny/Tom Riddle
Summary: I’ve tried telling myself that I don’t need this. I don’t need you.
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/4369.html#cutid1

Title: Watching
Pairing/Character: Ron/Seamus, Ron/Padma
Summary: The Gryffindor boys like to share.
Warning: Slash, perversion
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/4773.html#cutid1

Title: A Little Late
Pairing/Character: Harry/Parvati
Summary: ‘It’s hard to take you seriously when you’re wearing so little…’
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/4922.html#cutid1

Title: Precious
Pairing/Character: Parvati
Summary: Parvati hated how Padma was always right.
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/5193.html#cutid1

Title: Seeing
Pairing/Character: Harry/Parvati
Summary: The day Parvati lost all faith in Divination was the day she gazed into a crystal ball to predict her own future and found Harry Potter.
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/5388.html#cutid1

Title: Unlike
Pairing/Character: Zacharias/Lavender
Summary: Zacharias disliked public displays of affection...
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/5852.html

A Series of Unfortunate Events: one-shots

Title: What It Means
Pairing/Character: Violet/Klaus
Summary: He thought that perhaps it better described one’s sense of being in the right place, more specifically, home. A sense of family.
Link: http://www.livejournal.com/users/voloamortuus/5921.html

CSI: one-shots

Title: A Pony Named Igor
Pairing/Character: Nick/Sara
Summary: Sara has been certain for quite some time now that life only ever gets harder as you go along.
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2571828/1/

Title: Conversation
Pairing/Character: Nick/Sara
Summary: Sara is lonely and Nick doesn't believe in interlab relationships. Phone conversations spark some pretty interesting revelations.
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2494171/1/

Title: Drive
Pairing/Character: Nick/Sara
Summary: Nick takes Sara out for coffee. Or tries to, anyway.
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2467881/1/

Title: Lucky In Las Vegas
Pairing/Character: Nick/Sara
Summary: He couldn’t remember anymore why he was going through all this trouble, except that it seemed to be something that Sara had set her sights on and he knew how terrible she was at letting things go.
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2463432/1/

Title: Normal Would Be Nice
Pairing/Character: Nick/Sara
Summary: Nick just can't keep his eyes off her.
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2463417/1/