Latest Posts by pintobean-army - Page 5

Chapter Eight... Home, Again.

Has no one ever told you not to rifle through old attics? Has no one ever told you that if you find old vintage rings that seem to have a mind of their own, the one thing you should definitely not do is to wear them? Well maybe they have, but it’s October 31st and you’re in desperate need of good accessories. And as such the next thing you know, there is a man named Yoongi in your bedroom and he insists that you’ve just married the King of the Otherworld.

▶ t/w: murder, fighting, cannibalism, vomiting just gross stuff cause there's mermaids involved, angst, drowning, burning someone to death, mature audiences that are not squeamish advised

▶ word count: 5.0k

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You grow vaguely aware of someone’s comforting caresses on your back as the world teeters from left to right and you can’t. Stop. Projecting. Everything out. The calming patter encourages not to keep anything down, says it’s going to make it worse but how could it possibly get any worse after everything you just saw.

When you finally slump, having given it all with some discontent you see not Yoongi by your side but Jimin and it’s not the world that’s swaying but just the boat. You groan wincing at the dour taste in your mouth, letting your damp forehead rest on the wooden edge. At this rate you’ll develop aquaphobia. Jimin scrunches the sleeve of his silk shirt, wiping away the cold sweat.

“It’s not long until the palace,” he mutters meant to comfort you but if anything it has the opposite effect.

Yoongi is there, you know he is and you don’t have the slightest clue of how to react anymore. You feel everything. All and every emotion humanity has vollectively ever felt rages through you and you want to baw like a child at the face of such monumental anguish. You hate him and you love him, you want to kill him, strangle him to repay at least some of the pain he put you through and you want to cradle him in your arms, whispering how you forgive him because it’s Yoongi and if souls were true then you were made of one.

You gasp for breath when your lungs begin to burn. No matter how much oxygen you pull in, it’s not enough. The sense of asphyxiation puts you in a chokehold of primal fear and you begin to trash around, clawing at your throat.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s okay,” Jimin tries to pacify your panic but doing so he puts his hands on both sides of your cheeks and it reminds you so starkly of how Yoongi held you both in his madness and health, that you choke even harder. Quickly, Jimin unhands you, timidly resting his fingers instead on your knees - a relatively safe zone.

“Is this okay?” he asks nervously, echoing your panic. Slowly you climb down from the terror, gasping in and out with your eyes closed. If only you would see darkness and not Yoongi passed out on the floor with his face mauled open. Tentatively still trembling but no longer fearing that you would die (again that is), you open your eyes. The air is cold and damp, fog rolling over the surface of the canal. Jimin is there, eyebrows scrunched up in worry, searching for any signs of distress on your face of which there was plenty. At least, he’s no longer blue meaning whatever drug had coursed through you had been successfully exorcised.

“Why would you ever use such a thing,” you mutter, running a clammy hand through your hair. They’re all knotted.

“I don’t feel the effects as harshly as you. It seems your prolonged residence in human work has distanced you from certain fae benefits.”

You hadn’t even thought of how technically you weren’t even human. Humans after all didn’t revert to infancy after dying. But that’s not what causes you to pull your head up from the safe haven of your thighs, to nail Jimin down with an astonished glare.

“You know? How much do you know?!”

He looks guiltily to the side, wetting his dry lips.

“Uh… sort of everything? It’s a bit awkward to explain, I’m your - ” he blushes bright pink, reminding you of his hair when he came to the orphanage all those years ago.

“What?” you push on and if possible he flushes even more.

“I guess you could say I’m your fan,” he mumbles, drumming his fingers energetically against your kneecap. “You probably don’t recall it but I come from Nyavena, nymph faction, and you’re quite popular there.”

Maybe if you rattled your brain enough, you could faintly remember some bits of fragments about a certain food shortage that you once helped to fix but that was also the time your brother was sent to dungeons, so Nyavena and its problems had escaped your viewing focus.

“I also did my dissertation on you, so I had to dig up a lot of old documents and court stories that Yoongi probably wouldn’t like to know about.”

At the mention of his name, you recoil, feeling that crushing hold, grip around your heart once more.

“Nymphs have universities?...” you quietly wonder, desperate to distract yourself from the imminent descent.

“Gotta get our education somewhere,” Jimin remarks with a light chuckle. You can’t produce your own.

“Is that why you didn’t tell me when I was little?” you ask and he falls sombre

“I...” he stammers, running through his dishevelled hair. “Well, how was I supposed to tell you all this?” he gestures vaguely around and you notice that the boat is in fact steering on its own.

“You were only eight years old then, it’s not a story you tell a kid. But mostly and please, please, do not relay this to Yoongi,” you gaze at him blankly while Jimin struggles to get the words out, his tapping increasing in speed.

“I love Yoongi like a brother, I really do but what you both had or have is just too damn tragic.”

“Who is he to presume on such things?” a sharp voice hisses in your ear though you can’t tell who does it belong to - the King, Yoongi or you.

“If I would tell you who you were or what that ring is, it… it would haunt you. Even if you wouldn’t take it, I don’t think one could ever forget about it. When I read about your...death,” he grimaced, “ I felt really sorry for you and I didn’t want for the history to repeat itself.”

“So the story about Vegas?”

Jimin chuckled self-consciously.

“Oh, a complete lie. I popped by your school’s party and trust me I had enough. I went home pretty soon after that, mulled around my parents' house and then returned back to Yoongi.”

“What did you say to him?”

“Said that I found you as promised and left you a note to read when you’re old enough.”

“That’s why when Yoongi came - ” you begin and Jimin finishes.

“- he thought that you’d forgiven him and I guess were ready to get hitched after the world’s longest engagement.”

You sink deep in thought, recalling that Halloween night.

“I’ve come to take you home, Your Majesty.”

Not a disinterested title but a childhood nickname, a very Yoongi way of saying -

“Let’s get married, baby” or whatever went through his mind that moment.

“Last time I saw him,” you start with a croak in your throat.

A quick cough. Continue.

You don’t want to but what choice there really was.

“He was not in a good...state.”

“A soft way of saying he was five miles out of his mind.”

Could you comprehend what amusement was right now, you’d at least smirk at Jimin’s honesty but the wound was still too raw to be covered up with humour.

“Is he...alright now?”

Jimin ponders for a long time, so long it makes you worried.

“He’s not... he doesn’t throw fits anymore, he doesn’t abuse his power. After you...left, Joon made him seek counselling.”

“Joon?”

“Namjoon, current Court Secretary.”

Oh, you remember him. The bespectacled man by the well.

“He’s trying. He’s been trying so hard. I don’t make any excuses for his behaviour in the past but I have nothing bad to say about him now.”

“Hmm…” is all you can reply.

“Jin and I were most worried about your return,” Jimin admits quietly, “your...departure shocked him so much, I guess it forced him to revert back to some sanity but we were worried that if you were around, he’d fall back into old habits.”

“You’re saying I make him crazy?” you don’t ask out of defensiveness or insult but out of genuine curiosity. No matter how hard you toss or turn, every decision seems wrong. Leaving Yoongi is similar to trying to cut out your liver using a nail file but you couldn't just run up to him like an eager puppy, yapping “of course I forgive you, I don’t care that I died and was made an orphan because of you.”

That’s not how this worked, did it? You had your hurt and he had his.

“I’m not saying that! You’re both very complicated people who love each other very much, any idiot can see that,” Jimin replies, shrugging, “but the baggage you both have is quite heavy and the whole idea of soulmates -”

Every hair on the back of your neck stands up at once.

“What is that?” rips out of you before your natural senses actually received the message of danger.

The water that previously had been smooth is boiling now, but it’s not really boiling. Something is just swimming very fast after your boat. Chasing it down.

A pair of white, lidless eyes poke through the water surface, narrowing you down with a contemptuous glare. Suddenly a smell of rotting fish overclouds your mind.

“Jimin!”

Yoongi felt sick coming back here, to the throne room. These four walls held his grief, his pain and madness. He used to think that if he shut the doors tight enough, he’d be able to seal it away, finally control the poison that seeped from him. It was but a naive hope. He still feels sick when he leaves the room and when he closes his eyes he still sees you disappearing down the well and it didn’t matter whether he was here or at the end of the world. That moment ran deeper than the scar carved on his face.

He shook his head and let the blaring bells of the court grip him into a new alarm. Below him, the first defence line was already caught in a vicious struggle. The problem with the city canals was that they ran everywhere, forcing the soldiers to divert their attention to at least three other places. Merfolk couldn’t get far on the ground, the ability to briefly grow limbs had been bred out for most of them since their exile to Western waters but they could jump. Flinching, Yoongi saw how one of them propelled herself out of the water, unhinging her jaw making her head go backwards with a speed that no one around had even the inkling to run. The unlucky guard was thrown on the pavement and dragged in water before being mauled to pieces all in the span of a second. The court was gripped with wet, squelching sounds as merfolk ate their comrades, occasionally gurgling back undigested parts and hurling them at the remaining fighters.

“Where’s Hoseok?” he growled at Taehyung who was readying a spear.

“I don’t know, I can't find him anywhere.”

That’s just what Yoongi needed.

Your hands stink from the force with which you wack the merman off the boat. Despite Jimin pushing your boat along, using his own created breeze, they are fast. You clutch the oar with a peculiar mix of horrendous rage and paralyzing dread, whipping around the small circle of the boat, trying to somehow predict where they will spring next.

But the space is small and unbalanced. One careless step and you’re dead. A sharp hacking pulls you to the left. Claws gripping the wooden edge, a mermaid hauls their body through the water surface, mouth spread wide open so hard their eyes literally move back and you’re forced to stare down a row of rotting jagged teeth. With no hesitation whatsoever you force your screaming muscles to work and bash the head of the attacker. Black blood spills over your oar as their webbed hands grow limp and release the boat.

“Just a little bit,” Jimin shouts, keeping his eyes on the approaching palace.

There are lights and screams coming from there but it’s still better than being crowded by clawing monsters on a single plank of wood. Seeing the approach to relative safety, they start ramming into the boat, swaying it dangerously close to tipping over. You push to poke one of them but they rip the oar away from your hands. No weapon left and judging from how hard Jimin was panting he would run out of energy any time soon.

You sink underneath the slab of stone that guides the water canal into the inner court. Your feet can barely find the balance anymore. When you came out, you had to jump or risk being dragged into the water. The jump is awkward, not leaping simply away but also somehow upwards. Jimin jumps first almost gracefully and you follow after him, the boat immediately being turned upside down. You already land on your chest against the floor when you’re sharply hauled backwards, claws tearing off the skin at your ankle.

Jimin shouts after you as your nails scrape against the smooth stone trying to hold onto something, anything. The merman who has your leg unhinges his jaw, intending to make you a quick meal. You can see someone’s fingers stuck in his teeth. Then you suddenly slip free and the merman is impaled straight down his mouth with a silver spear. Shivering and distantly screaming you haul yourself backwards and Jimin helps you up.

The court is faring no better and while you’re out of the lion's den you’re now facing a wolf. All around there are mermaids springing like sharks out the water, picking off the Imperial knights at a rapid pace. Sometimes they miscalculate the jump and writhe on the ground where they are slaughtered but even you can see that the tide was in their favour.

“Hello again,” Taehyung greets you pleasantly, loading an arrow into a crossbow and shooting into the eye of a nearby attacker. “Had a good walk?”

He smiles at you nicely, as a classmate would in a hallway, but the side of his face is smeared with black blood and his eyes have double brown pupils.

You don’t reply to anything and he continues just as gently even when he lodges an arrow into the hand of the mermaid and kicks her straight off the ground and into the water.

“Jimin, would you be so kind as to escort her to a more civil place? Our Majesty, really shouldn’t be seeing this.”

Jimin nods grimly, dragging you quickly away as you haphazardly dodge bows and stray attacks. You look back at Taehyung and he waves cheerfully at you and without looking, pulls an arrow from his quiver and stabs a sneaking mermaid through their ear. You retch.

The scent of rot is everywhere and remembering all the horrible things that happened here makes you think that this place is more than just cursed, it’s hell.

“I need to find Yoongi,” you shout over the battle noises and Jimin curses as one mermaid glides over your head, nearly missing the target. “I just want to know he’s alive.”

“Of course, he’s fine ________,” Jimin yells back, not unkindly but you can see that he’s worried you both won’t make it to the palace. And even if you do, the outlook right now was grim. “He’s the King, we all protect him with our lives.”

But those lives are running out, swallowed whole down the throats of the mermaids and then vomited back. You can barely stand.

Jimin does manage to haul you right to the Imperial doors but he is tripped down a flight of stairs. A mermaid, choking as she is out of the water and injured, hisses and starts dragging Jimin closer to her, unsheathing her long teeth to bite his head off. The palace is illuminated by a few torches and you, wavering underneath its weight, push the flame against the mermaid's spine. The tortured scream it lets out is horrifying and crying you have to remind yourself that if you let go Jimin could die, when it stops screaming you let go of the torch and unceremoniously vomit all over the stairs. The scent of the burnt corpse invades your nostrils.

As you look up, through the many spears and weapons you notice a man on a black horse. He’s wielding a longsword and on his head sits the imperial crown, the same one that was used to carve up his face. Yoongi looks like Death itself, clad in black armour, it’s glistening as it catches the roaring flame of the Imperial torches nestled against the palace walls. He slashes and hacks with wild abandon and the knights follow him suit, inspired to fight for their lives, inspired to give their lives for their Emperor. Their (perhaps) Mad King. Yoongi’s horse, Holly, the one you fed many apples trudging away from Brary, turns around to kick the attackers with his hind legs and doing so puts you and Yoongi directly in each other’s sight.

He knows you know.

You can see it from the way he closes his eyes in pain and regret.

And because of it he doesn’t see the biggest mermaid yet launching in a murderous rage and knocking him off Holly, his sword clanging against the ground as it falls from his hand.

You run.

You just run.

You don’t feel fear or anything. It’s like what you see is not even real. You yourself are not even real. Just a body moving without its mind. You drop down and slide right between Yoongi and the mermaid at just the exact moment when she lets her claws fall down, slashing towards Yoongi’s neck.

You close your eyes, hoping that this time he won’t mourn you to another suicide attempt.

You can hear him breathe beneath you and you focus on that sound, wanting to hear it when you die. You don’t want to end up like her, the other you that had died alone, atop of a strange world, broken and abandoned. But the pain doesn’t come and neither does death, what comes are Yoongi’s arms wrapped around your stomach in a tight hug. You crack open one of your eyes and see the mermaid struggling on the ground, a few meters away.

In your mind, you’re back in your kitchen. With Yoongi’s hand around yours as the large knife sways in your birch wallpaper. You look down on the ring and it glistens as it hadn’t even before, ferociously like a protective beacon.

You and Yoongi scramble up as the large mermaid crawls forward, clamping her jaws shut like you’ve seen alligators do. You both grasp around Yoongi’s sword, the one that you now know your brother had gifted him for good luck when the previous Emperor was usurped. You allow yourself the weakness of looking at him only to find that he is looking back at you. Tears are running down his face as he tugs your fingers tightly against the sword hilt. You know he knows you know. Neither of you know the answer of how to fix this, of how to live with the trauma you caused each other, or how you could learn to love again, anew. But you decide you’ll learn, you’ll find the answers because this was your life and all that mattered was that you and Yoongi were happy, not how happy it might make others.

You clasp his fingers back, trying to mutely express your new foundings.

“I’LL KILL YOU!” the mermaid snarls, advancing further but you and Yoongi, hands entwined on the sword, strike her down before she can fulfil her threat. As you near their face, you can recognize that stench.

“Stupid thing,” she had hissed, “you should have stayed away."

But how can one mermaid know who you were, where you came from and where you were originally from?...

You look into the white eyes and the snarls and you finally grasp that one detail that was mulled in the backdrop of your mind.

Bodies don’t fall without jumping. You had stood here, in this palace courtyard, atop of the well, meaning to jump but you hadn't jumped didn’t you. You fell backwards, tugged by an unknown force that had sprung up and was hidden from the sight of the approaching court.

With that notion, you drive the sword through her heart without any straying remorse.

The mermaids howl all around, trashing in the water. Their dead comrade had been a bigger and better fighter than any of them, undoubtedly you had just executed their leader but it doesn’t make them lose their spirits, it enrages them to a degree they abandon all preservation. Heedlessly, they leap out of the water, push themselves against blades, scream until the ears of the bystanders start bleeding.

Yoongi grips your elbow and drags you to the safety of the palace where the burnt mermaid lay. There’s no Jimin around and you pray that he is safe. Your exit is cut off by a dripping man, his hair is red and he has a distinct, kind face despite the fact that he was drenched in black blood.

“They’ve taken the palace,” he screams, “they used the plumbing to get inside, it’s not safe, Yoongi.

“Hoseok, gather Taehyung and the rest, push back, away from the canals,” Yoongi orders. His grip on your arms is so strong, it starts tingling. You don’t mind, in fact, you relish this small reminder that you’re both still alive.

Yoongi looks around in panic. There was no exit. Wherever the sight landed, there were intruders and falling knights. He whimpered, desperately trying to seek some escape and then his gaze landed on the well.

You understood him the moment the thought nestled in his head.

“No, no, please, I don’t want to go!”

You plead but Yoongi turns a deaf ear, dragging you towards it, across the bodies of his subjects and of his enemies.

“Please Yoongi, I don’t want to go, please, I love you, you idiot, I don’t want to leave you!”

His expression wrenches in torment as he mutely sobs yet he doesn’t stop and when you come next to the mouth of the water well, you feel a cold dread crawl through your skin. You capture his dirtied face in your palms, mimicking his favourite gesture and even through his misery he nuzzles into your hands, almost on an instinct.

“Please, I love you, don’t abandon me,” you beg and press a kiss on his lips. He responds gently, not clawing, not tearing, not demanding anything, just echoing the movement of your lips so tenderly as though he thought it was a dream.

“I love you,” he says, voice barely above a whisper, “I’ll love you forever and after that.”

You hook your hand around his neck and the chain that was hidden underneath his armour plops out of their confines, revealing the same golden ring, glowing bright on your hand.

He presses his forehead onto yours, breathing deep and before you can beg anymore pushes you right down the well.

You fall, down, down and down, seeing Yoongi’s ghastly, tortured grimace watch after you until you breach the surface of the worlds and he disappears. The void between separate realities is filled with many things. None of them make any sense, they’re nightmarish and sick, but even so you feel alone. You fall and fall and fall until it finally breaks and you hit the hard, cold ground, rolling through the Hell Mouth.

You pant.

There is only silence.

The air is cold and the night is dark and there are stars twinkling above you.

No screams, no slaughter, no Yoongi.

You become still, unable to move or do anything as the horrid realization of your whereabouts settle in.

You were back home.

You look down on the ground. Your hand is empty.

The ring that had hugged your finger so tight, you thought no one could ever remove it, is laying away, partially hidden underneath brown leaves.

You reach towards it and the glimmer in its searing brown stone that reminds you of the colour of Yoongi’s eyes begins to shudder until it dies down entirely

“Was this uh… decoration?” Maeve asks kindly as she wretches the lodged kitchen knife from your wall. You don’t respond, choosing to pick up the Galadriel dress that was still on your floor.

Time ran differently in the Otherworld as you realized and the week that you spent with Yoongi was but one hour in the human world.

You returned back home the same night you left, as if you hadn’t just lived two different lives as two different and yet somehow the same women. You had stumbled and fainted in Bill Sandyman’s yard, the one whose daughter was still probably gasping underneath some vampire’s warm mouth. The intoxicated horde that you had partied with was admitted into the one hospital that Sallington had and bucking underneath the weight of many drunken students, no one paid any attention to the nature of your injuries.

When Maeve came to collect you with her green Moskvitch she had joked that of course only you could stumble upon more trouble in the comfort of your own home, but you hadn’t listened to her, merely wrapping around your arms around her neck, trying to delude your brain into thinking that it was Yoongi who you held onto.

She grew suspicious but seeing the morose, heartbroken expression she didn’t press further on it.

The week that followed wasn’t even the worst. Neither the week after that. Maeve stayed with you, trying to comfort you to the best of her abilities while remaining completely oblivious. The week after that you saw Lucia stray home and so you could corner her for some answers. She didn’t know that there even was an attack, she had been sleeping for the most part of it, recovering after the Long Ball.

The worst came in the summer as you began to lose hope that Yoongi will find a way back to you. You had tried, numerous times in a single day and those days after another, you had tried to crawl back to the Otherworld but the Hell Mouth remained a simple tree, and its carving revealed only moist, dark soil and not a bridge between the worlds.

The ring didn’t glow for a single day and no matter how hard you tried it slipped away from your finger. You resolved to wear it around your neck, like Yoongi had. And time moved forward.

Maeve was offered a job outside of Sallington and you encouraged her to go. You were wallowing, sinking in depression that no one could understand and you feared to explain, feared to confine her because of your own selfishness. So you let her go, towards a better life and she left like a beautiful bird, migrating to a better weather. She lived her life as she should.

No other resident of Sallington of which there were far more than you presumed, could open the gateway either. It was entirely shut and you were all left to maroon on top of your own world of normalcy.

The spring came and the summer came and then finally Halloween of the next year came. You were excited. You thought, he had come for you the last Halloween, maybe he would this time. He loved you, he would come.

Yoongi didn’t come.

But he still loved you, right?

He was still alive.

Right?

Halloween came and left. Just a single memory of you sitting soulless in your lonely kitchen watching a single, orange candle in the shape of the pumpkin melting away. You had made dinner for two that night. Yoongi could be hungry when he came to see you.

He didn’t come.

And then there came winter. Christmas. Coating Sallington in white blanket of comfort. Of course it being Sallington it resembled a Swedish crime drama and one would expect more to see Krampus on the roof rather than Santa nevertheless the people made it lovely. Carols, eggnog, family.

You sitting alone, on a snow covered porch, breath etching white clouds into the night air.

You had learned to fake cheer quite well for Maeve who couldn’t make it back home this year. You thanked for her gifts and received a happy thank you for the ones you’d given her. The phone call ended and you let the smile slip away from your face as you stared blankly into the outskirt of the forest.

Quietly you entered Ms Witterman’s children’s home and lay in your bed, the Christmas lights twinkling softly behind your closed eyes.

CREEEEEEEEEK.

Unmistakable.

The creek of your bedroom floor underneath the sole of an unknown intruder.

You didn’t open your eyes. This could be a dream and your heart would shatter if and when you woke up. You better hoped it was a robber, you’d know how to deal with that.

Your bed dipped behind you as cold arms wrapped tentatively around your waist, someone's nose nuzzling softly in your neck. You swallowed your tears, heart pounding in exhilaration and in fear that this was just another one of your delusions, conjuring a happy ending where there wasn’t one.

You reach to touch his hands and eagerly he intertwines your fingers in his.

This was real.

“Sorry for being late, Your Majesty,” Yoongi whispered in your ear.

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Waaaahhhhh thanks to everyone for reading it, it flourished from a small idea to a big world that I've grown very fond of. Please don't be a silent reader and I hope you enjoyed this roller coaster of emotions.

- Sora.

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beauty [georgenotfound]

pairing: georgenotfound x f!reader

pronouns: she/her

synopsis: you, a simple student from beauxbatons, are selected to represent your school and spend a year at hogwarts for the duration of the triwizard tournament. you simply happen to meet someone who makes it all the more interesting.

wc: 8.2k

a/n: six months of hiatus later, this is an idea i've wanted to do for awhile. truthfully feeling a bit rusty in the writing department so apologies if it's not my best :)

tw: n/a

beauxbatons academy of magic; the epitome of beauty, grace, and elegance. they prided themselves on reflecting nothing less than such.

many disregarded the magical abilities of a witch or wizard graduating from the school, claiming their focus lay elsewhere. they believed etiquette classes and dancing lessons were an absolute waste and that your time spent away at the academy could be better spent delving into the more magic-based classes.

you disagreed. from the moment you’d arrived, there was a certain beauty to the school those wizards would never experience. the balance of poise and punctuation you were taught was a phenomenal tool many lacked, and would forever lack. you never questioned your school’s curriculum, not even once. beauxbatons would forever be your home away from home.

the sun had barely peaked over the high points of the campus castle when you’d begun your venture to the dining hall in the early hours of the morning. you bid good morning to those you passed, a smile dawning on your features. you sat in your regular seat, greeting your tablemates before the hall fell silent and your attention was brought to the headmistress.

madame maxime’s heels clicked against the pristine white tiles of the dining hall as she made her way to the podium, smiling coyly at her students. “good morning, students!” she greeted, her smile growing as the sea of faces before her reciprocated the greeting.

“today is a historical moment for our school. this year, beauxbatons academy of magic has been selected as one of the three schools to compete in the triwizard tournament, a dangerous series of tasks in which one student will prosper and be deemed the triwizard champion! this is an excellent opportunity for our school, and a group of you will be selected to travel to hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry alongside myself to represent our school.” she announced, earning a collective gasp from the student body.

as someone who spent a large portion of their free-time in the grand library your school had to offer, you’d read all about the notoriously deadly triwizard tournament. a cold chill ran down your spine as you recalled the treacherous events of the past tournaments.

despite the anxiety coursing through your veins, you couldn’t help your curiosity. though you’d never want to participate in the event itself, you had to admit, it was an opportunity of a lifetime. the tournament hadn’t run in over two centuries due to its sheer danger, and it wasn’t likely that you’d have this opportunity again. besides, visiting another school was practically unheard of, and you wanted to experience that yourself.

“anyone interested in participating in the triwizard tournament should come to me in the coming days, as we will be busy in our preparation for the journey to scotland, i expect only those who wish to represent our school well will come forward.” she announced, and you frowned slightly as the students began their applause. you joined in half-heartedly, sighing to yourself. you could only dream of being in attendance.

for the remainder of the evening following the announcement of the triwizard tournament, there wasn’t a nook or cranny you could find to escape the excited whispers about the competition. if you’d thought your school was notorious for gossip before, you were certainly mistaken. everyone seemed to argue about who would be the better champion had it been an inter-school event, though no one seemed all that phased by the impending death risk looming over their heads.

the next few days passed the same as usual, you travelled to your lessons, scribbling notes and working diligently, and spending your evenings studying in the library. nothing out of the ordinary, besides the incessant chatter about hogwarts and what the tournament had in store. it wasn’t that you disliked the topic, more that it made you bitter knowing you weren’t going to witness it at all.

after a long week, you were ready to curl up in bed with a book and relax. however, just as you were leaving your last class, your professor called you over as your classmates filed out of the room. nervously, you made your way over, smiling hopefully. “yes, professor?” you asked, quietly.

“the headmistress has requested to see you, y/n. you’d best head there now.” she waved you off, and you felt the colour drain from your face as you nodded wordlessly, thanking her under your breath as you quickly made your way to her office. you wracked your brain for any reason you may have been summoned, but ultimately came up with nothing. you didn’t have to think too long, as before you knew it, you were stood in front of the large, white doors.

you raised a shaky fist, knocking once, twice. you heard shuffling around, before the door in front of you opened, glancing over to see madame maxime with her wand out, flicking it gently to close the door behind you. “ah, y/n! thank you for coming! please, have a seat.” she gestured in front of her desk, and you smiled nervously as you dropped into a small curtsy before doing so, ensuring your posture was nothing short of perfection as you settled into the seat.

“as you know, y/n, our school has been selected for the triwizard tournament, and we are looking for top candidates to represent our school.” she began, and you nodded, hesitantly, silently urging her to continue. “yes, yes. you are one of the brightest witches in your year, y/n. without a doubt, you are an ideal candidate to represent our school, and i’d like for you to join us.”

never once in all your years at the school had you slipped in your manners, but at her proposal, you froze. “me?” you managed, “but i am not even seventeen, i won’t be able to compete in the tournament.”

“i am aware of that, however, you have exceeded in all of your classes during your academic years. your grades are exquisite, and you’ve even taken up assisting some of the younger students in their classes, without any prompting to do so, simply out of the kindness in your heart. we may only have one champion representing our school, but we expect all of the candidates we bring to hold the utmost poise and demonstrate the strengths of our school. it is entirely your decision, of course, but if you’d like to accompany us on the journey, you are more than welcome.” she explained, and you wanted to burst into tears. you fought it however, opting for a bright smile instead.

“i’d be honoured to accompany you, madame. thank you for this opportunity.” you beamed, and she nodded, composed as ever. you swore you could see the ends of her lips tugged upwards slightly, though she’d never admit it if they were.

“of course, y/n. i do hope you haven’t unpacked all of your belongings for the term just yet, as we leave in two days time.” with that, she dismissed you, and you curtsied once more before excusing yourself. you quickly made your way back to your dorm, eager to pack and to write to your parents about the wonderful news.

the following days passed in a blur. you had managed to pack all your things quickly due to magic, and before you knew it, you were placing your trunks in the carriage and climbing inside with the other girls from your school. despite popular belief, most students at your school were very kind, and didn’t care about social hierarchies. you listened to them launch into the kinds of things they would spend the winnings on and the glory of being the ultimate champion, mesmerized by their words.

as you silently listened to the conversation, your gaze travelled out the window of the airborne carriage, dancing across the beautiful shimmering lakes and seemingly endless green fields you passed over. the view from the sky was truly breathtaking, and you soaked in every minute as best you could.

a long journey later, the infamous hogwarts castle could be seen on the horizon and you could hardly contain the excitement coursing through your veins. finally, you joined in on the excited whispers of your companions, eager to land and explore your new surroundings. you watched the abraxans slowly made their descent, and you cringed as they only narrowly missed a few heads. you thanked merlin the carriage was enchanted for a smooth ride, as you were sure had it not been, you would not have enjoyed the trip nearly as much.

you and the other representatives from your school lined up single file and were ushered inside by the staff, preparing you for your grand entrance. your gaze wandered curiously to the boys standing behind you, assuming they were the competitors of durmstrang. your attention was snapped back by your headmistress guiding you in front of the grand doors of the dining hall. you could vaguely hear the voice of the hogwarts’ headmaster, introducing your arrival.

you plastered on a charming smile as the doors opened, gracefully moving in time with your classmates as you’d been taught. you could hear the faint whispers and gasps of adoration as you made your way down the aisle, and the cheers when the enchanted butterflies were released. it was your favourite aspect of the routine. as you all reached the end, you all gracefully bowed, earning an abundance of cheers and hollers.

you moved off to the side, watching with raised brows as the boys you observed earlier entered, the numerous staffs they carried banging loudly against the wooden flooring and nearly making you jump out of your skin. a shudder ran through you at the power they exuded, mentally noting to keep your distance.

professor dumbledore, as they called him, made a few more announcements, before dismissing all students for the night. you happily made your way back to the carriage, exhausted by the day’s travel and eager to see what tomorrow would bring.

the next morning, you were all given the option of where to sit, and you all agreed on sitting at the table wearing blue ties. there was really no particular reason why, other than the fact that they seemed to be the most calm of the bunch. you all sat at the end of the large table, speaking quietly amongst yourselves.

you felt a presence sitting on your other side, but you hardly paid any mind, knowing the table was likely crowded with your occupancy. deep into a conversation about the tournament, you missed the boy next to you clumsily knocking over his glass and squeaked in surprise when a cold liquid landed on your skirt.

spinning in your seat, you turned to give the boy a piece of mind when you froze in a moment of shock. next to you sat the prettiest boy you were sure you’d ever seen. with deep brown eyes and beautiful brown locks that beautifully complimented his pale skin, you were mesmerized.

sure, there were tons of conventionally attractive men at beauxbatons, many of which you’d found to be cute at one point or another, but none could even start to compare to the boy in front of you.

“oh my- i’m so sorry.” he stumbled, panic visible in his wide eyes. a notable pink tint dusted over his cheeks, quickly pulling out his wand and muttering a spell under his breath. the damp patch began to disappear, and he offered you an embarrassed smile when it completely dried.

“it’s quite alright.” you spoke softly, offering him a kind smile. he relaxed, his shoulders slouching in relief when his eyes met your own and saw the sincerity behind them. you giggled, unable to help yourself at his adorable reaction.

he flushed, looking at you shyly. “what are you laughing at?” he asked, hesitantly. you shook your head, composing yourself.

“nevermind, don’t fret over it. my name is y/n.” you introduced, offering him your hand. he stared at it for a moment, before awkwardly grabbing and shaking it. you’d expected him to kiss the top of your hand, but you supposed the customs here were slightly different than those at your school, so you masked your shock with a small nod, retracting your hand.

he cleared his throat, running a hand through his messy locks. “uh, i’m george.” he muttered, and your first thought was that the name suited him well.

“it’s lovely to meet you, george.” you spoke gently, noting his still-embarrassed expression. you paused, offering him a cheeky grin. “even if that meant having a drink spilled on my lap.”

your teasing tone seemed to take him off guard, laughing at his dumbfounded expression. a tap on your shoulder pulled you from your thoughts, noticing everyone from your school was leaving for the day. you stood, following them without another word. feeling his eyes trailing behind you, you turned, shooting him a wink before you disappeared into the crowd of students.

when the time for dinner came, you couldn’t help the smile on your face when you caught sight of the beautiful boy. “good evening, george.” you greeted, showing off your brilliant smile. “may i sit?” he looked a bit surprised, but nodded nonetheless, gesturing for you to sit. you lowered yourself onto the bench, smiling. “how was your day?”

“it was good,” he mumbled, a tinge of uncertainty visible in his eyes. you tilted your head in confusion, frowning slightly.

“is everything alright?” you asked worriedly, and upon seeing his quizzical expression, you sighed. “you’re looking at me strangely.” you explained, and he mumbled an apology, sheepishly.

“sorry, i guess i’m just surprised you’re speaking to me.” he admitted, and you frowned.

“why would i not want to speak with you?” you questioned, and he shrugged shyly, not really having an answer.

“the first interaction we had was me spilling water all over your skirt.” he stated blatantly, and you blinked as you processed his words, bursting into laughter.

“maybe so. but you’ve piqued my interest.” you spoke nonchalantly, as if your heart wasn’t pounding at an alarming speed. you swore you’d never seen anything cuter than george with his cheeks turned a bright shade of pink.

your conversation was interrupted as the food appeared on the table, and you happily began to fill your plate. george copied your actions, silently. “so, care to explain the different uniforms?” you asked, and george raised a brow at you, when you gestured towards his tie. his eyes lit up in realization, and he swallowed the food in his mouth before answering.

you hung onto every word he spoke, thoroughly interested in the concept of hogwarts’ houses. beauxbaton had their own house system, but it was nothing like the one used here. your houses were primarily for sleeping arrangements, but the way george spoke of it, how they had classes with their houses and competed for a house cup, seemed to make for a very divided system. it was fascinating.

“so you have four different quidditch teams at the school?” you questioned, and george nodded.

“each house has its own proper team. we play each other throughout the school year, so there’s almost always an upcoming match to keep everyone excited.” he stated, pausing. “well, with the exception of this year, i suppose. all quidditch was cancelled due to the tournament.”

“i’m sorry, that must be quite disappointing, seeing as you had no warning prior to your arrival at school” you hummed, and george shrugged, taking a bite.

“it’s really not that bad. i could use the time to focus on my studies, anyways.” he shrugged, taking a bite. “the tournament provides a good amount of entertainment, as well.”

you agreed, reaching for another serving when a loud boom echoed through the great hall, making you jump in your seat. glancing around, you watched as the durmstrang and fellow beauxbatons students searched for the sound, though none of the hogwarts students seemed fazed. feeling a tap on your shoulder, you turned to george, who wordlessly pointed upwards.

following his finger, you gasped as you saw the imagery of a lightning storm forming above, suddenly realizing the boom sounded an awful lot like a clap of thunder. your mouth formed a small ‘o’ in amazement, watching the clouds dance around one another.

“enchanted ceiling.” george explained, and you nodded, too stunned to speak.

“this school is full of surprises, i will say that.” you muttered, finally pulling your gaze from the magnificent image above. “i’m eager to see what else lies in this castle.”

george turned to you then, hesitating before sighing. “if you ever want someone to show you around, i wouldn’t mind.” he mumbled, and you’d barely heard him, turning to him in surprise. “of course, there’s no pressure.” he added, sheepishly.

“really? you’d do that?” you asked, a hopeful sparkle glimmering in your eyes. george chuckled, shaking his head.

“i wouldn’t mind. not at all” he smiled softly, and you had to refrain from throwing your arms around the boy.

“that sounds wonderful, george! when were you free?” you beamed, deflating slightly as he stood from his seat. as quick as your disappointment came however, it was quick to be replaced as he offered you a hand.

“how about now?” he smiled, and you brightened, placing your hand in his and allowing him to pull you to your feet. rather than letting go of your hand, he kept it tightly clasped in his as he pulled you into the sea of students leaving the dining hall. you felt heat rise to your cheeks, but said nothing.

“was there anywhere you wanted to go in particular?” he asked, tugging you aside and out of the crowd as he awaited your response. you paused, pondering momentarily before shrugging.

“show me your favourite place.” you replied, softly. george’s expression changed slightly, taken aback by your answer. he turned away, slightly embarrassed as he thought about where to take you. he nodded to himself as he settled on a place in mind, leading you up the grand staircase.

you walked along the corridors, hand still in george’s own as you absorbed everything you could on your journey. you were surprised to learn hogwarts was decorated thoroughly, with magical portraits lining every wall. george had explained to you that certain portraits acted as doors to rooms scattered around the castle, like the common rooms.

finally, he came to a stop. you would’ve kept walking, had you not been holding his hand. you turned to him curiously, glancing around and seeing no indication of your whereabouts. “what is this place?” you asked, curiously.

“this is the library. um, you told me to show you my favourite place. this is it.” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. a wave of emotions passed through you, and in the spur of the moment, you threw your arms around george. you were quick to release him, barely processing your actions and giving him no time to do so either.

“this is brilliant, george!” you gushed, all but dragging him to the large doors. you instantly fell silent as you stepped foot into the rustic sanctuary, your gaze hungrily exploring the new area in sheer wonder.

the hogwarts library was a stark contrast to the polished white and gold accented walls the beauxbatons library had to offer, but this was much warmer and welcoming.

“it’s wonderful.” you breathed, fully enamoured by the sight in front of you. george heaved a sigh of relief, gesturing for you to follow him. he opted to spend the evening showing you around the various sections, even recommending some of his favourite books the library had to offer.

the coming weeks passed in a blur. the champions were announced, and the school was live with chatter about the upcoming tasks. you could feel the tension growing with each passing day, everyone eager to see the champions in action, and eager to see their schools represented.

after that day in the library, you and george had made a routine for yourselves. after dinner each day, he’d show you around the castle.

some evenings the pair of you could be found in the library, others were spent in the astronomy tower (which he’d told you was another favourite of his), and then there were the instances where you two would simply wander the corridors until your feet hurt, exploring.

george was very quickly becoming your favourite part of hogwarts.

the day of the first task had arrived much quicker after that. classes had been completely cleared for the day, and you proceeded to breakfast as usual. you had to admit, though you anxiously awaited the task, terrified of what it could be, you were just as excited as everyone else.

“good morning, george.” you greeted, lowering yourself onto the bench next to him. he offered you a kind smile, muttering a small good morning in return. breakfast flew by, the chatter of the task loud in the air, and before you knew it, a large crowd began making their way out of the hall, presumably to find good seats for the task.

“george!” a voice called, drawing both of your attentions away from one another. two boys made their way over, and you glanced them up and down.

one was shorter with brown hair, a shade much lighter than georges, and soft green eyes. the other, taller boy had dirty blonde hair and piercing green eyes. you noted their different ties, the first having a tie made of red and gold and the latter having one of green and silver, very different from george’s own blue tie.

“dream. sapnap.” george greeted, reaching out a hand to fist-bump his friends. you moved your lips into a small ‘o’ shape, recognizing the names from george’s many stories.

the taller one shot you a curious glance, his eyes shamelessly looking you up and down, sizing you up. you wanted to shrink under his gaze, but you held your prime posture and offered him a smile instead. he returned the smile, relaxing. “who’s this george?

“y/n.” you introduced, shaking his hand. he offered you a bright smile, before the shorter one offered you a hand to shake as well. you settled back in your seat, tensing at the next words to leave the tall blonde’s lips.

“is this the girl you’re always talking about and that you keep ditching our plans to see?” he teased, earning a smack on the arm from george in retaliation, while you felt the heat creeping up your cheeks, shooting george a quizzical look.

“shut up, dream!” george groaned. he not only talked about you, but he’d cancelled plans for you too? he hadn’t told you that, though the more you thought about it, it made sense. you had spent almost every night together since your arrival, and suddenly, you felt a tinge of guilt.

“can you two stop being idiots? we told karl we’d meet him at the edge of the forbidden forest so we could watch the task together. remember?” sapnap huffed, then turned to you with a smirk. “you’re welcome to join us y/n! the more the merrier!” he invited, causing george to choke on his pumpkin juice.

“that’s a brilliant idea, sapnap. it’ll give us an opportunity to get to know you!” dream exclaimed, and you hesitated, glancing at george. the tips of his ears and cheeks had tinted a bright pink, and you couldn’t help the small smile gracing your lips.

“i wouldn’t want to intrude.” you shook your head softly, “it seems i’ve stolen him away far too much recently.” you spoke softly. dream and sapnap shook their heads, brushing you off and insisting you come. meanwhile, george had a deep frown present on his face.

“you’ve stolen me away? please, it’s more like you saved me. these two are unbearable sometimes.” george groaned, and you giggled at dream and sapnap’s noises of complaint.

sapnap opened his mouth to retaliate, at the same time dream looked at his watch. his eyes flew wide open, grabbing sapnap by the arm, already beginning to walk away. “there’s no pressure, of course, y/n. but if you want to, we’d love to have you watch the task with us. george, we’re already late to meet karl so we’re going to go, but we’ll save you both a seat!” he called, before hurriedly dragging a whining sapnap away from the pair of you.

silence followed, and george shifted, catching your attention. “you know, i really do mean it.” he started, sincerely. “i spend time with you because i want to. dream and sapnap have no idea what they’re talking about.“

you flashed a charming smile, reaching out and placing your hand on top of his. “thank you, george.” you whispered, and he reddened under your genuine gaze.

“we’d better get going, or we’re going to miss the task.” george stood, and you opened your mouth to hesitate, but he simply wasn’t having it. “you’re sitting with us, and that’s final.” he announced, pausing. “unless, of course, you don’t want to.” he added, sheepishly.

“i’d love to sit with you, george. your friends seem lovely.”

the first task had been extremely intense, starting the tournament off strong. though exciting as you expected, the task was just as anxiety-inducing, knowing something could go wrong at any given moment and someone could get seriously hurt. you definitely enjoyed the show, but you were relieved knowing there was a decent time period between the first and second tasks.

along with this break came the most exciting event of the tournament (at least in your opinion), the ceremonial yule ball. you’d read all about the glorious dance, excitedly writing to your mother and asking her to start searching for a dress for the occasion the moment you’d found out you were going to hogwarts.

at that time, you’d expected you’d be attending the event alone, seeing as most of the girls you’d come with could find dates within minutes if they tried. sure, it may not be as fun going alone, but you would have found a way to make it worthwhile. now, things had changed, and you had a certain someone in mind that you hoped was going to ask you.

as the date grew nearer, however, george still had shown no intention of asking you at all, and you were beginning to lose hope. you were so sure he had reciprocated the feelings you harbored for him, but now you were beginning to doubt that certainty. perhaps you’d read too much into your time with george, catching feelings while he saw you as nothing more than a friend.

not knowing what to do, you somehow found yourself outside of dream’s class, due to be let out any minute now. after formally meeting while watching the first task, you’d become quite close with george’s friends. you got along best with dream in particular, and you knew you could trust him. besides, no one knew george like he did.

dream stepped out, his distinct wheeze echoing through the halls. his eyes caught yours, and he bid his housemates goodbye before making his way over to you, throwing an arm over your shoulder. “hey, y/n!” he greeted, joyfully.

“hey, dream.” you mumbled, forcing a smile. immediately, he sensed something was wrong, releasing you with a small frown.

“are you alright? do you want me to help you find george?” he asked softly, and you shook your head, worrying him further.

“no, i’m okay.” you smiled reassuringly, rubbing the back of your neck nervously. “actually, i was looking for you.” you stumbled, and he tilted his head in confusion, gesturing for you to continue. “it’s about george. the yule ball is coming up, as you know, and...” you trailed off, tucking a stray hair behind your ear. dream breathed a sigh of relief.

“oh, that’s all this is about? merlin, y/n, you had me worried for a second there!” dream exclaimed, dramatically throwing a hand over his heart. you shrugged sheepishly, causing him to shake his head with a huff. “does this have anything to do with you being his date to the yule ball?” he asked. you chewed anxiously on your lip, nodding.

“it’s just, he seemed interested, but he hasn’t even tried to ask! i don’t know if he’s even considered it. maybe he has, and maybe he’s decided he would rather not attend with me.” you sighed, fighting the stinging of tears threatening to spill. dream pulled you into a tight embrace.

“trust me, y/n. i don’t think he’d ever even think about going with anyone else.” dream replied, quietly. you pulled back, searching for any sign of dishonesty in his eyes, finding nothing. a small, hopeful smile tugged at your lips, thanking him and heading back to the carriage for the night.

once you were out of sight, dream frowned, heading directly for the library in search of his clueless best friend.

he found george exactly where he’d expected to, furiously writing on a scrap of parchment at his usual table. dream sauntered over, slamming his hands against the wood of the table. george jumped, eyes shooting daggers at his friend as he just barely managed to catch the ink threatening to spill and ruin his essay.

“i hate you.” george muttered, glancing around to ensure madam pince was nowhere to be seen. he failed to notice dream’s expression of pure disappointment.

“you haven’t asked y/n to be your date to the ball yet? why not?” dream demanded, and george froze, dropping the quill gripped tightly in his palm in shock.

“be quiet, would you?!” george shushed, frantically looking for a sign of the librarian, ready to be kicked out at any given moment.

“answer me. why haven’t you asked?” dream repeated quietly, ensuring george caught sight of the exaggerated eye roll he performed.

“i don’t know.” george sheepishly mumbled. his eyes were trained on the parchment in front of him, unable to look his best friend in the eye.

dream groaned, running a frustrated hand through his messy hair. “you better get on it, george. she’s waiting for you.” he muttered, and george’s attention peaked, his brown orbs shooting up to meet dream’s green ones.

“what? how do you know?” george questioned, forgetting momentarily of their whereabouts. a harsh shushing came from his right, and he jumped once more, smiling guiltily at pince as he sunk further into his seat under her piercing gaze.

“i’m not blind, george. just ask already, she won’t say no. but she also won’t wait forever, and you can’t ask her to.” dream rolled his eyes, and before george could argue further, he swept out of the room, leaving the brunette alone with his thoughts and an unfinished essay.

when george had asked you to meet at his ‘second favourite spot’ after a long day of classes, you didn’t think anything of it. you walked up the astronomy tower steps, and smiled at the figure standing on the balcony overlooking the hogwarts grounds. you slowly walked over, tapping his shoulder gently “hi.” you mumbled, and he spun around, smiling down at you brightly.

“hi.” he repeated, stepping aside so you could stand next to him. you did so, leaning on the balcony as you fixated on the glorious landscape, just as beautiful as the first time he’d brought you up here. you stood in silence for a few short minutes, before you turned your head to see george already looking at you with an unidentifiable expression.

“why are you looking at me like that?” you asked, tone teasing, causing george to redden.

“there’s something i’ve been meaning to ask you.” he mumbled, reaching for the back of his neck. your heart picked up speed, swallowing as you tried not to get your hopes up.

“you can ask me anything, george. you know that.” you smiled kindly, and george took a deep breath.

“i was wondering if you’d like to maybe go to the yule ball with me.” he rushed, “and i’m not much of a dancer, but i’m willing to try, for you.” he quickly added, fumbling over his words. you blinked, taking a moment to process his words before you smiled brightly.

you threw your arms around his neck, embracing him. “of course, george. i’d love to go to the ball with you.” you muttered, and george heaved a sigh of relief, wrapping his arms around you tightly.

pulling away slightly, both of you were smiling like idiots. a crazy idea came to mind, and you grinned. “what?” george questioned, tilting his head in confusion.

“you’ve shown me so much. now let me show you how to dance.” you offered, and george was visibly hesitant. “i’ve taken lessons since i was six years old, george. i help teach the first years at my school. i’ll take it slow, promise.” you spoke softly, and he sighed, nodding.

you gently grabbed his hands, placing one on your waist and clasping the other in your hand. step by step, you taught him the moves, and though he clumsily stumbled around and the pair of you looked ridiculous, you’d had more fun than you had in a long time.

it became your new routine, leading up to the ball. every evening, if you weren’t studying, you were up in the astronomy tower, practicing. george was determined to not make a fool of himself at the ball. “dream will never let me live it down.” he claimed, though you weren’t entirely convinced of his reasoning.

still, you didn’t need an excuse. you adored practicing with him, more than you cared to admit. you had a feeling you would forever treasure those late nights spent dancing the night away in the astronomy tower.

finally came the day of the yule ball, and you were simply a wreck. the beauxbatons carriage had never seen such chaos, usually prim and proper. however, the excitement and nerves of the ball were in the air, and it seemed everyone was frantically running around trying to find things and prepare for the night ahead. yourself included.

your mother had sent you a gorgeous dress, along with a matching tie george could wear with his dress robes you’d given to him earlier that week. you didn’t plan on seeing him until the night’s festivities, the hecticness all too familiar from the many balls you’d attended at your own school. madame maxime had made arrangements to have meals delivered to the carriage for the occasion, and you were grateful you didn’t have to leave until you were fully dressed.

hours of preparation and excitement later, the group of you (with the exception of fleur, who had left early to meet with the other champions) made your way to the great hall. it was the only place in hogwarts you trusted yourself to find on your own, having been so many times. you were grateful they chose to host the event somewhere so easily accessible.

you watched as students branched off from their friends in search for their dates, opting to do the same. you scanned the outside area for a familiar face, frowning when you were unsuccessful. it was well possible they’d already headed into the great hall, you figured.

“distraught already? the night hasn’t even begun.” a familiar voice teased, and you spun around, startled. you shot dream a playful glare, rolling your eyes.

“oh really? just when i thought i’d head back to my chambers for the night.” you pouted, and dream chuckled, flicking his gaze up and down your styled figure.

“you clean up nice.” he pointed out, smirking. “i hope you know george will absolutely lose it when he sees you.”

you scoffed, waving him off. “shut up, dream. and for the record, you don’t look too bad yourself.” you smiled, and he nodded in thanks, his gaze travelling past you as his smile grew.

“alright, that’s my cue. i’ll see you later, y/n.” he waved, and before you could question him, someone cleared their throat behind you. you spun, your dress flaring slightly as you met the gaze of the familiar brown eyes you’ve come to adore.

“i- wow.” george breathed, speechless. “you look.. amazing. i mean, you always look amazing, of course, but you just-” he sputtered, and you placed a comforting hand on his arm, smiling gratefully.

“thank you, george. you look quite amazing yourself.” you teased, offering your arm to him. “shall we head in?” you asked, and he nodded, slipping his arm through your own before leading you into the hall.

you gasped as your gaze fell upon the great hall. you hardly recognized the room. frost lined every wall, creating unique designs as far as the eye could see. a faint flurry of cold flakes fell gently from the enchanted ceiling, creating the perfect element of a peaceful winter’s night. the flames lining the hall had been coloured blue, and it all tied together beautifully with the large christmas trees situated at the end of the hall.

george gently tugged you in the direction of your friends, greeting them all with kind smiles and compliments. the sound of the doors opening caught your attention, and you all cheered as the champions and their dates entered the hall with pride. they began the traditional first dance, and you sighed dreamily as you watched them gracefully sway across the floor.

after a round of applause, a second slow song was started, and various couples began to pile onto the dance floor, joining the champions. “may i have this dance?” george asked, startling you. you laughed quietly at yourself, placing your hand in his outstretched one.

“i would love to.” you answered, allowing him to lead you to the dance floor. without instruction, george placed his hands as you’d taught him, and you mimicked his actions. you moved to lead but george shook his head, stopping you.

“allow me.” he mumbled, and you paused, glancing over his determined features. you relaxed in his grip, nodding for him to proceed. you knew how hard he’d practiced for this. he started slow, as if testing the waters, before he grew more comfortable and sped up, meeting the pace of the lively room around him.

with his lip pulled tightly in his teeth, a look of concentration etched on his pale face, you couldn’t believe how lucky you were to be here with him. “what?” he mumbled, clearly amused by your sudden giddiness.

“nothing.” you brushed it off, a noise of surprise escaping you as he suddenly lifted you in the air, in time with the other couples in the room. you weren’t sure where the sudden confidence came from, but you weren’t complaining.

“mhm.” he hummed, a look of disbelief in his eyes. you chuckled, allowing him to spin you out and back into his arms.

“would you believe me if i said i was thinking about how magnificent you are?” you asked, catching him off guard. he nearly stumbled, but quickly caught himself and narrowly missed stepping on your foot.

“you can’t just say things like that while i’m trying not to step on your feet.” he rolled his eyes, and you burst into giggles, prompting george to as well. as your laughter died down, the song came to an end, a slower one taking its place.

your movements slowed, george readjusting his position and pulling you tighter against him. you danced silently, his eyes gazing deeply into your own. you saw nothing but adoration in his eyes, and it made your heart flutter.

this wasn’t your first time dancing with a boy you liked. far from it. countless balls and formals hosted by your school meant that you’d been exposed to several situations in which you’d been asked to dance. you’d felt special every time, flattered that out of all the girls in the room, they’d choose you.

this was different.

in all of hogwarts, out of all of the visiting and prior attending students, george chose you. out of hundreds of choices, he had eyes for you, and only you. he made you feel special in a way no other boy could. his skin against yours sent shockwaves through your body, electric to the touch.

and you loved every second of it.

you weren’t sure how long you danced with george, each song bleeding into the next and blending together. you watched couples leave and join in around you continuously, but you never broke apart. you two were entranced in each other, completely oblivious to the world around you. however, you were merely human, and the exhaustion was catching up to you.

as the last song came to a close, you slowly pulled back from george. stepping out of his grip, you dropped into a curtsy. you glanced up to meet george’s confused eyes, flashing him a cheeky grin. “thank you for the dance, good sir. it was a pleasure.” you attempted a terrible british accent. you both giggled, slightly delirious from the adrenaline high.

to your surprise, george dropped into a bow, grabbing your hand and placing a soft kiss on your knuckles. “trust me, m’lady. the pleasure was all mine.” he said smoothly, his smirk never faltering. though his intentions were playful, you couldn’t help but swoon at his words.

the number of bodies in the room mixed with the way george was making you feel had you fanning your face, attempting to cool down. “do you want to go get some air?” he offered, and you nodded, lacing your hand in his as he pulled you out of the ballroom.

he brought you out to the nearest courtyard, and you gratefully soaked in the cool breeze. the low howl of the wind was a nice contrast to the lively chatter of the great hall, grateful for the moment of peace.

“how has your night been so far?” george’s soft voice cut through the silent night, and you flashed him a smile.

“brilliant, thanks to you.” you responded, truthfully. george reddened at your words, smiling bashfully.

“i’m really glad to hear that.” he mumbled, eyes peering up at the starry sky. when his gaze trailed back down, you were already looking at him.

“and how has yours been?” you prompted, taking a step closer to him with a sultry smile. he gulped at your sudden proximity, but made no move to put any distance between the two of you.

“far better than i could’ve ever imagined.” he whispered. you were close enough now that you could feel his warm breath fanning against your face as he spoke, your eyes flickering to sneak a peek at his lips.

reaching out his hand, he gently tucked away a stray strand of hair blowing tirelessly in the wind out of your face. his eyes trailed over the soft curves of your face, and you leaned into his hand slightly as he moved it to cup your cheek.

a moment of silence passed, with the two of you simply drinking in each other’s features. “can i kiss you?” he mumbled, and you nodded eagerly, meeting him halfway as he leaned forward. your lips barely brushed against each other, the touch feather-light.

you relished in the feeling of his lips against yours, slowly adding more pressure to the kiss as your confidence grew. you moved your hands to rest against george’s chest as his moved to your hips, tugging you closer and kissing you deeper.

it wasn’t perfect, far from it, but it was so indescribably george, and that was more than enough. all the pent up feelings and unspoken words were poured out into your searing kiss, filled with passion and longing.

pulling away for air, you leaned your forehead against his own, smiling like an idiot. “i’ve waited so long to do that.” george admitted, and you nodded, agreeing.

“so have i.” you joked, and he grinned, running a thumb along your cheekbone in a gentle caress.

“i suppose we should probably get back before the others start worrying, right?” he whispered, and you grinned mischievously.

“i think they can wait a little longer.” you mumbled, pulling him to meet your lips once more.

you returned to the hall, hand in hand as you easily found dream and sapnap standing off to the side of the room, chatting with their dates. dream was the first to spot the pair of you, greeting you eagerly. he raised a brow at your entwined hands and giddy expressions, eyeing you curiously.

“good makeout session?” dream teased, causing sapnap to fake a gag. you and george exchanged a knowing look, causing dream’s face to drop into one of shock. “wait, actually?”

you shrugged, leaning into your date happily. “ugh, you two are so gross.” sapnap groaned, earning a smack to his arm from dream. “ouch! what? they are!” he whined, and the slytherin rolled his eyes. the two girls they were with giggled at his childish response.

“well i think they’re adorable.” sapnap’s date cooed, and sapnap feigned a look of hurt, gasping dramatically.

“what about me! i’m adorable!” he pouted, and she burst into laughter, causing his lips to quirk up into a proud grin. you smiled at the sight, turning your attention back to george, who was invested in small talk with dream.

the group of you chatted for a while, before you recognized the opening of one of your favourite songs. you excitedly tugged on george’s sleeve, flashing your best pleading eyes. he chuckled, excusing the two of you as he guided you back to the dance floor. dream and sapnap followed his lead, inviting their dates to dance alongside you.

hours later, the ball had dwindled to a noticeably smaller crowd, as most of the younger students had left for their common rooms for the night. you and george had taken a break to acquire some refreshments, seated at one of the many tables littering the hall.

“i don’t know how much more dancing i can handle.” you groaned, glaring at the heels you wore. they complimented your dress beautifully, but after dancing in them for several hours, you were beginning to loathe the pair of shoes.

“do you want me to walk you back to the carriage?” he offered, though you didn’t miss the flash of disappointment in his expression he desperately tried to mask.

“i don’t want this night to end yet.” you admitted, and he smiled, offering you a hand.

“then let’s go somewhere.” he said excitedly, pulling you from your seat. you both bid your friends goodnight before you allowed him to lead you out of the ballroom. you didn’t question him, simply trusting him to take you wherever his heart desired.

you soon found yourself at the bottom of the astronomy tower, beginning your ascent up the familiar steps. you both wordlessly headed to the balcony, lowering yourselves into a sitting position as you fell into a comfortable silence. you let your head fall on his shoulder, feeling him tense under you momentarily, quickly relaxing and resting his head against yours.

a cold breeze brushed past, sending a shiver coursing through your body. george must’ve noticed as he was quick to remove his robe and tug it over your shoulders. “you don’t have to-” you started, but he was quick to cut you off.

“i know. just let me.” he mumbled, and your breath hitched as you noticed his loosened tie and crinkled dress shirt. the wind gently blew his hair, causing a few strands to dance wildly in the breeze.  at that moment, george looked ethereal.

“you really do look beautiful tonight.” he spoke softly. your eyes met, and it was then you realized that as you had been admiring him, he had been doing the same to you. you smiled, moving forward and capturing his lips in another kiss.

pulling away, you leaned back into george’s side. he happily placed his arm around you, holding you tight as you both gazed up at the stars.

“hey george?” you asked, quietly. he hummed, alerting you that he was listening as he carded a hand through your hair. “what’s going to happen when i go back home?”

george’s breath hitched, pulling away to look at you with a sad expression. “i don’t know.” he answered honestly, and you frowned.

“you’ll write?” you asked hopefully.

“of course.” he replied, without hesitation. “i’d rather not think about it, though. let’s just enjoy the time we have together, yeah?” he prompted. you nodded, curling back into his side and sighing in content.

“yeah, okay.” you mumbled, tucking your head into the crook of his neck. your eyes began to feel heavy, and with the comforting weight of his arm around you and the warmth of his body against yours, you were quickly eased into a light slumber.

you didn’t know what the future held for you and george, but you each only had one more year of school before you graduated. for him, you were willing to wait. a year wasn’t awful, and you’d keep in contact throughout the year. honestly, you’d wait decades if he asked, if it meant the two of you would be together in the end. luckily for you, that wasn’t the case.

however, george was right, of course. there was no sense dwelling on the dreaded day until it arrived. so for now, you’d make the most of your time left at hogwarts, with the boy you’d come to love.

taglist: @esylwen @cherios @mcytmushroom @sabinanotfound

*send me an ask if you wish to be added!*

soft field

Archedium by Reza Afshar

distant castles

wait pause hold on go back rewind WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED

the colors of winter

good morning!

green prince

02 | SLEIGH RIDE WITH YOU

12 DAYS OF TECHNOMAS | au!techno

. ˚₊ 🪀꒱ multiple au!techno x gn!reader

━━━ . ˚₊ ꒱ by DREAMWVRLD

summary: 12 days, 12 fics. celebrate the festive season with everybody’s favourite piglin hybrid, and tumblr’s c!techno writer.

‘series masterlist’ | ‘taglist’

chapter summary: nobody can shift prince technoblade’s heartless ways, until a servant he’d never bothered learning the name of shows him how to care.

word count: 5.6k

warnings: mentions of family death, orphan!reader.

. ˚₊ 🪀꒱ a/n: technomas day 2! just wanted to say a quick thanks to my new beta reader team, none of this would have been possible without them <333

KINGDOMS were meant to thrive by their community— Each and every individual devoting their lives for the greater good of working to build up their nation.

It was a simple notion that everybody was aware of, and for the most part, followed. But how can a kingdom survive when its ruler’s demands are just impossible to adhere to?

That’s what it felt like under Prince Technoblade’s jurisdiction, and every passing day it seemed his palace grew colder due to his lack of heart.

Keep reading

Art by Thomi

㋡🥀

I see these ghosts and I feel so identified with not fitting in anywhere. By Katherine Blower Illustrator Designer.

Every time we see an artist or a work of art, let us thank them for giving us a piece of their heart. By Eliienkind on Instagram.

So beautiful was our love, that when people saw us walking past, we were love and art in person. By Anastasia Trusova on Instagram.

Libby Frame on Instagram / Tumblr / Patreon

↳  𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 ღ

↳ 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞!

he’s just sitting there looking fine and pretty

a dream come true: series masterlist

Pairing: Dream / Clay x f!reader

Summary: [Modern Cinderella!AU] He’s the heir to one of the world’s biggest gaming conglomerates, and you’re a simple maid trying to pay your way through college. Can I make it any more obvious?

Warnings: minor cursing, mentions of alcohol

Current Word Count: 43.6k 

A/N: this was a request turned passion project that i put a lot of time and care into making. as of september 8th, 2021, this story is completed!

chapter i: once upon a time…

  ↳  “a charity ball?” | 4.6k

chapter ii: two fairy godmothers

  ↳  "no peeking!” | 2.4k

chapter iii: to the ball

  ↳  “your voice is beautiful.” | 5.6k

chapter iv: interlude

  ↳  “it was an honest mistake.” | 2.6k

chapter v: encore waltz

  ↳  "can you play chopsticks?” | 4.0k

chapter vi: wishful thinking

  ↳  "you want him, don’t you?” | 3.3k

chapter vii: the stroke of midnight

  ↳  "please look at me.” | 5.2k

chapter viii: shattered glass

  ↳  "i want to meet her for real, this time.” | 5.0k

chapter ix: runaway carriage

  ↳  "until we meet again?” | 3.8k

chapter x: a perfect fit

  ↳  "i choose you.” | 3.2k

chapter xi: happily ever after

  ↳  "thank you for chasing after me.” | 3.9k

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