weep for yourself, my man

Albus Severus Potter || 17 || Sixth Year || Gyffindor Weep for yourself, my man, You'll never be what is in your heart Weep, little lion man, You're not as brave as you were at the start Rate yourself and rake yourself Take all the courage you have left And waste it on fixing all the problems that you made in your own head

[albuspott-blog]

albus&jake||macho talk

[jakezabini]

  Jake quirked an eyebrow in silent acceptance and settled into an armchair with his mug of tea. He watched Albus carefully, suddenly aware of just how young he was. For all he was a legal adult, he was still a boy. He hadn’t loved and lost and sacrificed, not in the way that transformed someone. Here he was, trying so hard to be the man he was convinced he needed to be, but it was so obvious how young he was. Young in a way Rose wasn’t, for all she was months younger. None of that meant that Jake respected him less. 

Jake’s first response was to cock his head to the side. This wasn’t the back-off-or-else speech he’d been expecting. Admittedly, this was just the preamble, the disclaimer. There was more to come. “I’m not one of them,” he interjected softly. “I admire and respect Rose and her temper, but I don’t find it funny. Though I have to admit, I’ve never been on the receiving end of one of her hexes. I’m not stupid enough to put myself in that position.” 

He resumed his silent observation, watching Albus prepare himself. Here was the back-off-or-else portion. Here was where Jake, the supposed philandering older guy who didn’t actually care about Rose was exposed by Albus’s monologue as the dog he was. Here was where he ran away with his tail between his legs. 

But since Jake wasn’t the philandering older guy, Albus wasn’t going to get what he expected. But he came at it from such an unexpected angle that a bark of laughter exploded from his lips before Jake could contain it. “You think I don’t know that?” he asked, chuckling slightly. “If it wasn’t painfully obvious to anyone who knew anything about your family, which I do, Rose made that quite clear when we started dating. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m just one person who loves her—you all are a whole village who feels just the same way. I fucking envy that.”

"As for a clever way to tell you family—well, I’m working on it. There’s no universe where they react well, particularly not her father, but I have to trust her and the fact that they love her enough not to disinherit her on the spot. And if they do, well, as previously mentioned, it’s family first. I’ve told her that I won’t allow her to choose me over her family." He paused for a chuckle. "As you can imagine, that didn’t exactly go over well. Rose Weasley is not allowed to do things. She just does them.”

[albuspott-blog]

"Erm- well, good. I guess. Rosie... Rosie means everything to me. To us, the family I mean. She's basically the epitome of Weasley. Everyone loves Rosie 'cept Victoire, but she doesn't like anyone really. 'Cept me." He found himself observing the other man closely. Zabini was totally the guy Rose would fall for, handsome and cocky. Reminded him a bit of Scorpius, but a better version. Jake was so blindingly in love with Rose that nothing would change that. He ran his hand through his hair and pulled on the ends slightly, what now?

"Well I can give you a bunch of tips and tricks. Uncle Ron will do anything for food. Casually bring lunch to his office once a week. Gradually up the ante and bring him sweets with lunch. He'll eat anything, I'm not even kidding. I've seen him down haggis after he just threw up. The man is like a human vacuum. My dad's just about as protective of Rosie as her own father is. He takes his godfather role very seriously. Dad isn't as easy to butter up. He doesn't like compliments but he does secretly enjoy really good liquor. The darker the better. You have to kiss ass, which might be uncomfortable for you and your Slytherin nature but you have to do it."

"As for the rest of my family... There isn't a good way to handle all of them at once. It's kind of like the first time you jump into a pool or lake in the summer, you just have to get it over with. Aunt Hermione won't be bad, but I'm sure.. Other people will be. Ron will still be pissed but the bomb will have less of a radius if you kiss his ass. Anyway, you shouldn't be worried. Rose will always find a way to have her cake and eat it too. You have to remember who she is at all times, though. She is special, the daughter of two of the most celebrated wizards of all time. She's like royalty, but doesn't act like it. She abhors the idea, but she should be treated as such." 

He sighed and finally took a seat across from Jake. "Tell me about yourself, mate. I'd like to know more about you, so I can make some judgments on how my family will be most like to kill you."

[albuspott-blog]

albus&katie||love me tender

[callmekt]

  Katie chuckled, knocking her heels together. “Actually, I dressed for utility tonight. A bit soggy for stilettos, you know. But I suppose I can sit,” she said, soft smile on her lips. She tucked her calves under her delicately, spreading her skirt across her knees nervously. Why were things never natural between them? It felt like there was so much unsaid that they couldn’t get out in the open—she couldn’t admit how she felt and it was holding them back.

The candles were nice, though she would have preferred florals. They reminded her of winter, her least favorite season. A season of indoors and no sun and cold—she was born and bred in the south of Spain. She didn’t do winter. But they reminded her of the Burrow too, a place she felt more at home at than the official palace in Madrid. And now it would remind her of Albus. 

Suddenly salted caramel was her favorite scent in the world.

Katie selected a truffle carefully, a sugar encrusted one that reminded her of a pearl. She loved pearls. They were of the sea, just like she was. She’d always thought that as much as she loved her animagus form, the air was never quite where she belonged. It was better than having her feet on the ground, but nothing like the ocean. A dolphin wouldn’t exactly be practical, however. 

She glanced up through the fringe of her eyelashes, trying to gauge where Albus was this evening. His eyes were so green, holding an intensity that both thrilled and terrified her. She shivered slightly under his observation, more out of nervousness than discomfort. She didn’t feel at place in her skin—this wasn’t her life. No one had emotions that intense centered on her. Rose, yes. Rose drew people in. She was vivacious and electric and commanded attention. Katie was quiet. Drawn in. Secretive. She faded into the background because that’s where she liked it. But Albus saw her as the star of her life, not some supporting character. If only she could be the girl he thought she was. 

If she was Rose, this is where she would kiss him or profess her feelings. Make a move. Something. Anything. But she wasn’t Rose, she was Katie. So she just murmured ”Fine.”She wrung the hem of her skirt without thinking. “Studying for exams, you know. Been busy with that.” Her voice was soft, tentative. She was afraid that if she spoke too loudly, the moment would shatter and life would return with its painful clarity. She never wanted this evening to end. 

[albuspott-blog]

Albus nodded silently, he had been studying quite a bit as well. Not as much as Rose- honestly she hadn't put down the books in three weeks, but he still tried. For the life of him he could not wrap his mind around the useless shite they learned about in Care of Magical Creatures, though he would never tell Hagrid that. He certainly never had to study for potions or DADA, those things came naturally to him. An O would be wonderful in both potions and DADA so he wouldn't have a problem getting into the Unspeakables program. 'Course he had to do well in things like charms and transfiguration as well.

This- all of this conversation- was pointless. None of this rattling on about small talk mattered in the end but he had made his point with the setup he had created for her. If she wanted this- if this was to be two sided- she would have to come out and say it. He was uncomfortable enough as it is, didn't need to throw feelings into the mix without knowing how they would be returned. He was tired, really fucking tired of everything. Tired of Rose having a better relationship (even if it wasn't a healthy one) than him. He was tired of working his arse off for Katie without her giving him one hint to what she wanted. 

This, all of this, was for her. She obviously knew it, but was acting completely normal. What else did she want from him? It was... Annoying as hell. His life was completely unraveling for her and she had no idea. Weren't guys supposed to be the thick ones? 'Course he was more perceptive than most, certainly not from his father. She was acting so thick but he would not, under any circumstances initiate anything. This was his second grand show of affection and he was running out of ideas. He needed her to say something, because he was so sick of guessing what was going on in that head of hers.

He surveyed her silently, urging her to say something. His face was a perfectly blank mask, hiding all of the feelings that had been bottled up for far too long. He was daring her to do whatever it was she had to; if she had to say 'Albus, I don't fancy you' then so be it. He was a big boy and could deal with it. 

[kendrecklamar-deactivated201602]

I was kind of guided into acting by my mom, and as a kid, I did it for fun. It was just a way to get out of school. But then I grew this great passion for film and really appreciated the position that I was in, and I was like, “I’m going to start acting.” I started doing roles and working with people that I really respected and became passionate about the art form of acting. And I’m still trying to figure it out. Still learning, you know?

[albuspott-blog]

albus&katie||love me tender

[callmekt]

  Very few people thought of Albus Potter as cute. Fit, yes, seriously attractive, yes, charming, of course. But rarely cute. But here he was, standing on the edge of the lake, death grip on a bouquet of spanish roses, looking like he was about to empty his stomach. 

It was adorable.

Maybe Katie was finally convinced. Maybe he had finally proved that he could be serious, that he actually did want it- her. Maybe she was just terrified that she wanted the same. Maybe she was standing on the edge of an abyss, completely unsure of how long it would take to reach the bottom once she finally broke and hurled herself off the cliff. Maybe she’d just keep falling forever. Maybe he’d never let her crash.

She ducked her chin in embarrassment, hiding behind her hair. Thank Merlin she’d left it down. “Thank you,” she murmured, still unable to meet his eyes. As he continued to babble about Victoire, she was again glad for the shield her heaps of hair provided—she sure as hell didn’t want him to think she was laughing at him. 

But it was so cute.

"I don’t— Just thank you." She didn’t know what to say. What do you even say to that? “Yeah I do, thanks for noticing?” Not exactly what she was going for. Katie bit her lip, buying time.

She couldn’t help but laugh once she sipped the wine. “Did you pick this out yourself?” she asked, realizing in her pause how insulting it sounded. “Not that it’s bad, that’s not what I mean at all, it’s just,” she giggled. “Did you realize you’d gotten wine from my Abuelo’s winery, or is it just an accident? I have a bottle of this in my trunk. Not my all time favorite, but good.”

Fuck me. Here she was, on her grand romantic gesture, talking about wine.

[albuspott-blog]

"I knew, yeah. I asked Rosie about it and she told me that your family has a winery. I thought it would be- erm- nice. Remind you of home." He blushed, cursing his mother's genes. Why did his face have to betray him? Why couldn't he act like a normal sodding boy? And charm her like he could do for everyone else. What the hell was she doing to him? 

He shuffled his feet and nodded towards the canopy. "Fancy a seat? I dunno about you but I chose some uncomfortable shoes in the name of fashion." With a wink he plopped himself on the right side of the big blanket he had laid out for them. Finally he was starting to warm up, feel more himself- more relaxed. He picked through the assorted candies he had brought before offering her a salted caramel Victoire had brought him back from France. It was one of his favourites and he hoped Katie liked it as well because this whole thing, it was done with her in mind. 

A chocolate covered blueberry truffle was calling his name, so he plucked it out of the basket and turned it over in his hand a few times before chewing it thoughtfully, trying to gather what he wanted to say to her. He didn't really need to say anything, he had done that before, she was the one who needed to either accept or deny his attentions. Typically he was good at reading people, but with Katie there were too many emotions involved. She was like a puzzle he couldn't solve, and it saddened him a bit- because he didn't know if she wanted to be solved. 

Mysteries were fun. Rose had especially thought so as she tried to unravel the one surrounding her best friend when they first met. So many things about Katie didn't make sense, and Al remembered it frustrating his best friend to no end. He thought Katie was just another girl, until she opened her mouth. When she did he didn't ever want her to stop, everything she said seemed to come alive when the words passed through her lips. She could talk about the bloody weather and make it sound wonderful, he remembered thinking so even back then.

He wanted to hear her come alive.

"How've you been?"

[albuspott-blog]

albus&jake||macho talk

[jakezabini]

  "Dragons on a fucking broomstick!" Jake’s fingers were in his mouth before he could process what had just happened. Just as he was sitting down for a cup of tea, his buzzer had gone off. He was living in a muggle flat so of course he had one and knew how to use it, but no one used it. The only muggles he knew were his elderly two-doors-down neighbors who dropped by for tea and brought him casseroles every few weeks. As far as they were concerned, he worked for the government. Which he did, so it wasn’t a lie. Just not theirs. 

His intense shock was why he simply replied with a “yes” to whoever-the-fuck-this-was (though he suspected it was one of Rose’s male cousins, which was better than one of Rose’s uncles but worse than a free pizza delivery) rather than think of a retort. 

Someone, probably a overly protective someone had tracked him down. He palmed his wand from where it sat on his end table. After all, almost all of Rose’s family was of age and they practically had diplomatic immunity. You couldn’t be too careful when it came to a Weasley in a temper. He’d learned that the hard way.

A smirk played across his lips at the memory.

Jake opened the door and looked his visitor up and down. “Potter,” he nodded, careful to not let any of the emotions he was feeling—annoyance, wariness, a little scorn, and lingering confusion—into his voice. “Do come in. Tea?” 

Jake wasn’t about to let this somewhat punky kid get to him. After all, they both had Rose’s well-being at the top of their list of priorities. Where Albus saw an adversary, Jake saw a potential ally for when he and Rose came clean. The support of Rose’s best friend could make all the difference.

[albuspott-blog]

There was a very good chance that Al would say something he would regret, but he faced the situation and stood there, blinking once before saying, "I'd rather stand, thanks." It was the principal of the situation, he had to be in control of this talk. He regretted that he even had to do this talk. His dad and Uncle Ron should have been the ones carrying through with this madness. It would be more intimidating anyway, but he knew that wouldn't happen yet. 

He had hopes for the future, but he would have to do for now.

So he stood there, aware of the wand in the right front pocket of his jeans, and crossed his arms. "Look, I don't want to do this anymore than you want to. Actually- if Rose knew I was here she'd be furious, and I don't particularly enjoy making her mad. I know some people think Rose is funny when she's angry, but they've never been on the receiving end of her hexes. But I have to warn you," 

He took a deep breath and launched into the speech. 

"If you love Rose you have to love her family. And you have to know what you're getting into. You're getting into a lifetime of Weasley- Potters. We aren't an easy group to handle, I promise you. Also, if you hurt Rose you will have multiple highly celebrated war heroes with their wands at your throat. And you have to think of a clever way to announce your relationship and make sure that none of my relatives hex your or have heart attacks." 

There was a lot more he had to say, but he wanted to give him a chance to respond or bow out. 

[albuspott-blog]

albus&katie||love me tender

[callmekt]

  Did the heroines in those cheesy romances know, like she knew, what awaited them when the rugged love interest asked them to meet them at some picturesque location in the evening? They always seemed so surprised. Maybe they lived in a universe without cheesy romances to instruct them in such things. For she knew with a solid certainty that Albus was waiting by the lake ready to do… something to prove how much he cared.

What does one wear to a grand romantic gesture? 

A wardrobe that could house a small family and Kattie had absolutely nothing to wear. Well, nothing that met her standards at least. She had plenty she could wear, dozens of outfits strewn across the dormitory. The rational side of her knew she was deflecting, focusing all of her pent up anxiety on something in her control—an outfit—rather than worry about whatever the Idiot had planned.

She ended up selecting a jumper, soft skirt, and an old pair of riding boots. It may have been June, but Scotland hadn’t fully realized it yet. It had rained all day and the night was… brisk.

She spent the walk down to the lake was nerve-wracking. She was excited and worried and so nervous and- Merlin she was going to bloody hurl. She pushed down the impulse, wringing the hem of her skirt to steady herself before taking the final steps toward him.

"Hi."

[albuspott-blog]

Words fled him at that moment and part of him realized that Katie had been able to render him speechless which only a handful of people in his life had been able to accomplish. His mouth gaped in an unattractive fish like way as he took her in. She was always beautiful, but here- in the candlelight- she looked especially radiant. He cleared his throat and tried to shake himself out of his stupor. "You- you look wonderful." Internally he smacked himself. Real smooth, Al. Real smooth. He almost forgot the bouquet of Spanish roses hanging limp from his right hand. He offered them to her with a shy smile, feeling completely out of his element. There had never been a girl he had wanted to give roses to, or act like a Nancy- boy around until Katie.

"They're erm- Spanish roses." He blushed furiously and nodded towards the setup. "I hope you like it- I had to have Victoire help. She's good with this stuff. I've always blamed it on her French side but she says she has a knack for it. I think she's full of shite though I'd never tell her that, she's a bit sensitive- I'm rambling aren't I?" He shook his head and busied himself in pouring them both glasses of wine. "Yeah. I- I dunno. I wanted to do something nice for you, because you deserve it."

That was it, he let himself open up to her. And he knew that it would't be the first time she would get to see him for what he really was. He was Albus Potter, of course, but he was more than the cheeky bastard the Hogwarts population had made him out to be. He was more than a guy who just wanted to get into her pants. He wanted to make her smile, more than anything in the world. He wanted to be the only person to do grand romantic gestures for her. He wanted to fall in love with her, and he knew it would be easy to do. 

[rosenymphadora]

  You’re dead. So fucking dead. I’m telling Aunt Gin about-

[albuspott-blog]

About what Rose? You have some nerve threatening me. You're the one in a secret relationship, and it's not been your only one. Remember when you fucked a professor? I do too.

[rosenymphadora]

  You lost them, didn’t you? YOU LITTLE SHITFACE THOSE WERE GENUINE DRAGON LEATHER! THEY ARE WORTH MORE THAN YOUR SORRY ARSE! SCORPIUS MALFOY BOUGHT THEM FOR ME FOR MY 17TH. HE PROBABLY DROPPED 100 GALLEONS ON THOSE!

[albuspott-blog]

Erm- 100 galleons? 

[rosenymphadora]

ALBUS-!

Where the fuck did you put my gloves?

[albuspott-blog]

Calm down Rosie, honestly. You're completely mental. There's no need to get your wand in a knot.

[cutecouplesinlovekissing]

[albuspott-blog]

albus&katie||love me tender

Albus was good with women. They were attracted to his good looks and charm, and normally they fell for him quickly and completely. Typically he would chuck them after that, but this time it was different. He was the one who fell for a girl he wasn't entirely sure wanted a relationship with him. The tables were completely turned. This helpless feeling was completely new to him, being rejected was not an option. He had sunk as low as to owl Victoire asking advice on how to woo a girl. He couldn't go to Rose because not only would she not be of any help, but she'd also take the Mick and he wasn't up for it. This was serious, this was operation 'Get Katie Sawyer At All Costs: Even If It Meant His Man Card.'

He knew there was a spot next to the Black Lake that was completely covered in wildflowers, that would be the perfect place to set up his spot. Per Victoire's advice he had wine, floating candles, a nice canopy with a blanket laid neatly beneath it. He even had cookies and chocolates of every kind. She was a princess, and he was determined to prove that he was worthy of her affections. He had owled her earlier telling her to come to the spot around 8:30. Nervously he glanced down at his watch; there was still fifteen minutes. He made sure he had everything set up properly, including his attire. He had ordered a muggle suit out of a catalog just for the occasion, he thought she would appreciate the gesture. 

His palms were sweating and his hands were shaking, suddenly the whole setup seemed wrong somehow. She was used to wining and dining in a castle. Would she think this lackluster? Would she think he was just trying to get into her pants? Would she not believe him? He was close to just Avada-ing himself before he saw a figure in the distance. It was too late, he'd just have to suck it up and take her disappointment, which he was sure was to come. 

[albuspott-blog]

albus&jake||macho talk

Albus Potter was a lot of things. Loud, obnoxious, outgoing, and a pain in the arse. He was also over protective of just about everyone in his family.  Obviously Rosie didn't need protecting, she could handle whatever came her way- but Albus still felt the burning need to defend her against all harms. Especially those who came in the suave Slytherin forms. He hadn't met Jake yet, but from what he had heard he was a bit of a git. Though Rose loved him, it was a complicated relationship. They fought but they made up immediately afterwards. In all honesty they reminded him of Ron and Hermione.

Lily had managed to get him the address to Jake's flat, which was in a fairly normal part of town which surprised him. He buzzed the apartment and boldly stated he was "Albus Potter here to see the wanker, Zabini." It was practically his job to scare the pants off of Zabini because none of his older, scarier, War Hero relatives could know about him just yet. And plus, Al was the best at DADA, next to Rose of course. And even if he didn't want to be an Auror like his father. Plus, he wasn't afraid of Auror which put him at an advantage next to Jake.

In all honesty, he just wanted to get to know the bloke. Rose seemed serious about him. That didn't say much, but it said something. He had never known her to take any of her relationships lightly, even the one night stands with the guys she fancied. She always ended up attached and responsible for them. That's why he was worried, because they were both too attached to each other. Even if Rose was of age and could get married, he didn't want her to rush into things, and wanted to make sure Zabini wouldn't pressure her. No matter how solid Rose was, she was still easily influenced. 

He stood up a little straighter when he was let in, and proceeded to knock on the apartment door, with a dull apprehension budding in his chest.

[hellyeahmalemodels-deactivated2]

[albuspott-blog]

hellyeahmalemodels:

James Marsden for Gap.

[callmekt]

Look What You've Done • Katie and Albus • Future Week

[callmekt]

  Katie sighed, attempting to run a hand through her fringe; the oatmeal stopped that. She couldn’t be mad at him for this, not really. Because she did know. She knew just how hard it was. She saw Rose even less than he did, and she hadn’t seen Regan in—Merlin, that had been before the twins. She didn’t have anyone anymore; her sisters were dead, her parents were dead, Nico was living in the US with his wife and sons. She was an ocean away from her best friends and basically all the family she had left. All she had were her galas and projects—and her kids, of course. And Albus. Al was her rock.

It’d been hard. She’d worked so long, so hard to become a healer. It’d been three years of hard work and training and sleepless nights studying. She and Albus almost hadn’t survived—the training for Unspeakables was even more rigorous than Healers, or Aurors for that matter. The three of them had been more stressed in those years than they had in all their time in Hogwarts. They’d been young and stressed and living in London, staying up until all hours every night. Sometimes Jake had joined them, but mostly the three of them just lived in their little bubble.

Things had been looking so great—Al had just started working in the Department, she’d gotten a job at St. Mungo’s, and Rose had joined the force and was already showing up Aurors three times her age. Then she’d gotten the call, completely out of the blue. Her father was dead—she hadn’t even gotten to leave Barcelona after the funeral before the completely unsurprising news of her mother’s death reached her. She’d inherited two weeks before her twenty-first birthday. She was heartbroken; Nico, left in her care, was only seven. She hadn’t expected Al to follow her, but he did. 

So she knew, she really did. Katie knew how hard things were on her husband; she had always been a bit of a loner, able to survive on her own because she’d learned how to. But Al, Al needed people. He needed his people. She couldn’t begrudge him that. She closed the distance between them slowly, placing her palms on either cheek. “Shhh, it’s okay, I forgive you,” she said, smiling at him. She would never stop being thankful that their heights were within an inch of each other—no matter what Rose said, height differences were a pain in the arse. 

"And yes, Rosie owled, you can read it for yourself if you want," she said, trailing her hands down from his cheeks to wrap her arms around his neck. "No boyfriend, but apparently there’s a boy in Ravenclaw who’s sweet on her. She’s not sure if she feels the same way, but he’s quite cute and knows quite a bit about European quidditch, always the way to get to her heart. His name is Owen Corner—you remember Beau, don’t you?—and he is, according to our daughter, the consummate gentleman. I’d expect nothing less from Beau’s son, I’m sure he has impeccable manners. And if he was a Slytherin, that would be perfectly alright because we don’t have antiquated views on house alliances anymore, hmm?” Katie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Now do these gifts of Lily’s explode like the last ones? Because Harry is already acting far too much like you for my taste."

[albuspott-blog]

He was so incredibly relieved that she wasn't mad. His shoulders sagged slightly but he still managed to keep himself upright. Never in his career had he been so completely drained of all energy. It was like he was being pulled in a million different directions with no clear indication of which needed him the most. He knew that his wife needed him, but he also knew she did fine on her own. The kids were in good hands with her. "Thank you." He mumbled, kissing her cheek gently. "I brought you something. It's small, don't get excited, but..." With a flourish he pulled out a packet of Bertie Botts. They weren't as common in Spain as they were in England, and he knew Katie loved sweets. 

The first month in Spain had been hell. Every night he was there he missed his family, missed the food, missed the atmosphere of London. Still not a day went by when he didn't miss the food, but it got easier. He was able to owl all of his family and most of them took time to visit at least once every few months. With the amount of Weasleys and Potters, there was always someone who had a free minute to Portkey over for an evening. (And subsequently mooch off of the hospitality of a royal family).

"Her best mate is a Slytherin. But I still don't trust the male Slytherins. Look at Zabini, bloody wanker he is. Went and got Rose pregnant and all. I would be terrified to see Lily's male Slytherin counterpart. I do remember Beau, though vaguely. I swear to Merlin, if he lays one hand on my Rosie uninvited I will personally cut off his junk. I think that Rosie's goal should be to focus on her studies and get a nice job after Hogwarts. I don't want some sodding Slytherin spawn to ruin it for her. In fact: I won't let it. She will not be allowed to date. Ever. Until she's forty."

It was the principal of the situation. Albus had cradled Rosie in his arms, tears streaming down his face as she squealed and squrimed. They had been so young, it had seemed, with a whole lot of future in front of them. He remembered holding that little bundle and thinking I'm royally fucked. The irony of the phrase was not lost upon him, of course. This little girl has my heart in her hands and she doesn't even know it.  Of course, Rosie was smart enough to learn it eventually. She could get anything she wanted from him and he couldn't say no. It was not a word he liked using in direction of any of his children, actually.

"I don't think these ones do. Lily told me she sent a box of... Condiums? To our dear Rosie. For some reason she laughed a lot when she told me. I have no idea what they are but they're probably dangerous." He pulled out four neatly tied boxes from his pockets. "She told me they were dragon figurines, modeled after some of her favorites from the reserve. One of them's purple. I thought Leesh would like that. One of them sparkles and glitters like a diamond, which would go to Cassia because you know how much she likes sparkles. The last two are identical, I didn't want her to start a war between the twins."

[starefantasisedroolrepeat]

[callmekt]

Look What You've Done • Katie and Albus • Future Week

Katie was furious. The twins had been up since five that morning, sick, she still had oatmeal in her hair from breakfast that morning, at least thirteen hours ago at this point, and Merlin damn it Albus was supposed to have been home hours ago. She was too tired and frustrated and—fucking Merlin she was horny—to deal with the fact that his Portkey had arrived alone and all she’d gotten was a bloody note saying that he’d be back “later.”

A less confident woman might suspect an affair. Perhaps a more reasonable woman. But if Katie knew anything, it was that that was not the explanation. Albus wouldn’t do that. She knew that not in the the trite, naive way so many women did, never suspecting what was going on under their noses. No, that was not what was going on here. She didn’t know what had possessed him to prolong his three-bloody-week absence by staying in London for another twelve hours, the reasons for which she simply couldn’t fathom. 

The kids were in bed, she’d returned Rosie’s owl about Easter holidays, and Katie was halfway through a bottle of wine. She supposed she should shower, but the bathroom was so far away from her current nest on the sofa and, besides, the dried clump of cereal lodged in her hair would be nice and shocking when Albus finally decided to grace her with his presence. He could be so obnoxious at times. Even after almost twenty years together—though things had been a bit rocky in the first year or two—sometimes she just couldn’t quite figure out what was going through that boy’s head. Because, despite being almost forty and graying slightly at the temples (though he’d deny it to anyone that asked and spelled the hairs darker each morning), he was still an overgrown man-child. Katie feared what Harry would be as an adult. Leesh already too far too much after her father (carefully ignoring just how much Rosie took after herself) for Katie’s comfort.

The thud of his arrival was the only thing to drive Katie from her comfortable seat in front of the fire. She strode into their foyer, arms crossed across her chest, forgotten wine glass cradled in her hand. She wanted to badly to be mad, to retain her frustration and rage at the fact that he’d kept her waiting for so long. Frustration that he could leave for three weeks, leave children and country and duty behind and just return to the place she’d called home for a decade. It didn’t seem so long ago, but it had been fifteen years since she’d spent more than a day or two in Britain. She’d wanted to lecture him, to explain calmly or not-so-calmly exactly why she was so mad at him but Merlin she’d missed him and he was looking so perfectly ruffled and fit and she hadn’t seen him in three weeks and all she wanted to do was kiss him.

But she restrained herself, raising a single eyebrow slowly. “Where have you been?” she asked, voice quiet. 

[albuspott-blog]

Al was bloody exhausted. 

As the Unspeakable liason between the Spanish and British Ministries, his job drained him of everything he had. Every thought, feeling, move, and bit of energy went into keeping the two ministries alligned. The trip had- admittedly- been partly for pleasure, but the other part had been an awful lot of work and honestly the only thing he wanted at that moment was to see his kids and then take a nap. Not that he didn't want to see Katie, he did, but he wanted her to be lying next to him so he could hold her while he slept for a bit. The look on her face ripped away any possibility of that happening. He took a deep breath and tried to piece all of his jumbled thoughts.

"I was with Rose for a few hours. You know how hard it is for me to be away from my family. I've hardly seen her at all, no matter how many days I'm in London. She's always busy and so am I and she's my best friend. I just wanted to sit down and ask how my godchildren are. She asked the same and we had a drink. Besides holidays I barely get to see my family anymore, Katie. I miss them. I thought you might understand that." Right, jump on the defensive train. She was obviously in a mood and that wouldn't help things at all.

"How're the girls? And Harry? Are they alright? Has my Rosie owled recently? She better not have a boyfriend. Merlin's balls, I remember what I was like at sixteen.. Shite you don't think... She's smarter than to go for some horny bastard, right? Maybe I should owl the school, make sure she's not associating with any Slytherins... Merlin's balls..." He hoped his tangent would make her forget her anger. It probably wouldn't, but he took his chances. "All I want to do right now is lay in bed with you and the girls and Harry. I've missed you all so much, please. Just give me that. I've brought them gifts from Rose. And Lils sent some things with me as well."

[albuspott-blog]

katie&albus | i wanna be yours

[callmekt]

  Katie bit her lip and hugged herself, mind cycling furiously through all the reasons for his sudden avoidance of her. Had she been that bad? He’d seemed to be enjoying himself, but the nasty little voice in her head wouldn’t leave her alone. It’s Albus Potter, it whispered, sneakily undermining her trust in him. He’d enjoy that amount of heavy petting with a doorknob. He’d- she broke off that dangerous train of thought before it could send her reeling into something she didn’t want to make Albus witness, at least not yet. 

And in that horrible part of her brain, his words were simply confirmation of how undesirable she was to him. She knew she wasn’t a lot, speaking objectively. Too skinny, with too much hair and the face of a twelve-year-old. She had no chest, no arse, no curves of which to speak. Just jutting bones. He was used to girls with tits bigger than their necks, not… well, not girls like her. So it was no wonder he wanted to stop. She was inexperienced and disappointing. Katie’s hands flew to her temples, her whole body rocking gently from side to side in an attempt to physically clear her mind of those thoughts. They were dangerous and terrifying and wrong, but they felt so real in that moment. 

All of a sudden Albus’ arms were around her and her heart rate was slowing, her thoughts weren’t quite so frenzied and rapid, and her breaths were nowhere near as shallow as they’d been moments before. She took a few steadying breaths and then tried a smile. It was a bit weaker than she’d have liked. “I-” she choked. Clearing her throat to try again, she looked up at him with wide eyes. “I’m sorry, Albus, I’m so sorry, I just… I can’t, this is all happening so fast and it feels so good and I’m losing my head and I’m not a kind of girl who lose’s her head. I keep my head all the time, when I’m drunk, when I’m exhausted—I always have a hold my my thoughts and that you, this, can make me lose it so fast is terrifying and thrilling and I can’t afford to lose my head.” Katie gulped air, having not breathed much during her tirade. 

A thought struck her. “What if,” she said slowly, biting her lip again, “what if, while we take things slow, we keep this,” she paused again, gaze flicking from his eyes to his lips and back up. “We keep it a secret. Like spies or something, undercover. Not that I’m ashamed or anything, but until we’re sure this is going to work—not that I think it won’t, just, you know, a precaution—we just don’t tell anyone. Not Rose, not any of our friends… no one. I mean, all that sneaking around, the thrill of almost being caught, it’s got to be kind of hot, right?”

[albuspott-blog]

"No- it's alright Katie. I understand." And he did, he wanted things to work and his normal pace wouldn't lead to anything good. She was far more moral than he was and he wanted to keep her that way. She deserved to be fawned over and taken out on silly dates. He wanted to learn what she liked to do, what her favorite kind of tea was, what her fondest memory was. All of the mushy stuff that could possibly be, he wanted it. 

Then she dropped the bomb. 

Albus was never good with secrets. Rose was the one who liked keeping things to herself. He had always seen secrets as well- dirty. He had always told Rose everything, and she told him everything. His family didn't keep secrets from each other, that's just not how they were. And he wasn't sure he was comfortable with that because he had never seen a secret relationship that worked out well. Rose had had a few, with professors and other boys that she didn't want her mum and dad finding out about, but they hadn't lasted. 

"Er- Listen... I..." He had to formulate his thoughts carefully. It was obvious enough to him that she was scared. That was something he understood well enough, he felt it himself. But he didn't want to hide under some false bravado. That just wasn't him. "I don't like secrets. Never have. If you don't want this- us- I'm fine with it. I'll let you go and walk away. I promise you'll never be bothered by me again." And he would, Albus was ever a man true to his word.

"But I'd like to make things work. As a couple. Together. Because I don't.. I think the world should know that we're together. I feel like... That's how a couple should be. They should be screaming it from the rooftops. And I've never wanted to do that with any girl before." Until you.