I hope you warm up to me

[golden-hearted-gil]

Gilderoy normally wasn’t the type to interrupt others while working, but Marlowe had help with their booth, so would it really be so bad if he asked to steal her for a bit? Spending time at the festival had been thoroughly enjoyable thus far, he had to admit. Particularly getting to roam all of the booths and see what each had to offer, that was his favorite part. The nature pavilion was most interesting, and not just because it was run by a good friend. Walking over to find Marlowe, Gilderoy gave her his most charismatic smile. “Are you too busy to come get a drink with me? If you insist on working, then may I ask instead for a tour?”

@marloweprewett

[elvanity]

Location: the nature pavilion Who: OPEN!

“I–Oh wow,” Emma breathed, eyes wide as she stood mere feet a dark, horse-like skeletal creature with wings folded into its sides. “That’s a thestral, isn’t it?” Though there were people nearby, she wasn’t speaking to anyone in particular. She’d never seen one before. She’d known they’d existed – everyone who went to Hogwarts did – but she hadn’t been one of the unlucky children who could see them. And now she could. A wave of something rolled over her at the realization which she shrugged off. In that moment, she didn’t want to interrogate when that had changed. Instead, she took a step closer, slowly raising her hand. The thestral stepped forward to meet her, butting its nose into her hand. An excited squeak escaped. Emma looked over her shoulder, meeting someone’s gaze. “Can you see it too?” 

[golden-hearted-gil]

.

Gilderoy made it a habit within his career to research quite a variety of magical creatures as well as magical places. After all, he wrote books for a living. One had to have knowledge to write knowledge, he always thought. Among his studies, he’d been able to get research a variety of ways, through reading about them, stories he overheard, and some he’d even studied in person. Thestrals, however, had always been one that he never got the misfortune of seeing. Though he’d heard they were beautiful creatures in a symbolic sort of way, he had never seen one physically. It was hard to miss, though, when he noticed another was interacting with seemingly nothing. Gilderoy offered a small smile, perhaps out of sympathy, before approaching. “No, I’ve never been able to see one,” he answered truthfully. 

Gilderoy wasn’t sure whether to say that was unfortunate or not. On one hand, he felt badly for those who did see them. On another, he felt a bit envious and guilty for feeling that way. Of course, he knew what it meant when someone was able to see them, and though he did not wish that on anyone, his curiosity had always gotten the better of him in times like these. “What do they look like?”

[golden-hearted-gil]

@missmary​

Gilderoy was in desperate need of a holiday. And, since Ambrose was going to be gone for two weeks, what better time than now? Frankly, Gilderoy was missing his muggle life lately. Having magic was nice, but sometimes it was even better to be able to take a break and escape everything. He’d sent Mary an owl explaining to pack her bags, but of course, as vague as he had been, he was sure that she would want more of an explanation. Deciding to explain himself in person, Gilderoy grabbed his luggage that he’d already packed, and headed to her flat. Waiting for her to answer the door, Gil had sat his case down, leaning against it patiently. 

“I was starting to think perhaps you didn’t think I was serious,” he teased with a grin when she finally greeted him. “Did you get my letter?”

[golden-hearted-gil]

ambrxsse​:

.

Ambrose loved seeing Gil like this. Before moving to England, he couldn’t even remember the last time that he let a lover sleep in and wake up his bed. He rarely had the chance back home. And it was certainly wasn’t his wife who stopped sleeping in the same room as him years ago. Gilderoy slowly moved his head and kissed his palm. His lips were just as soft as the rays of sun that woke Ambrose up this morning. He smiled. “Well, aren’t you the cheeky one?” He’s been using that word more and more during his time here.

He expected a lot more resistance. Ambrose knew that Gil loves his witty remarks, and he’s definitely not safe from them in the morning. But surprisingly, the young man complied. Maybe it’s because of the smell of pancakes and butter wafting through the air. “Okay,” he replied, glad that Gil conceded. “I don’t want our breakfast to get cold. Reheating them just won’t make it the same.“ Ambrose readjusted himself while Gil sat up. He smiled before shaking his head. “No. I don’t have any urgent matters to attend to today. At least not yet. And no, you aren’t forgetting something.” Ambrose handed Gil his coffee before reaching for his. “I actually just want to talk to you about something.”

.

When Gilderoy was tired, there was virtually no telling what would come out of his mouth next. He blamed that on his mother, since she too never liked to be woken up earlier than necessary. Of course, when they were younger she had always hid her displeasure, but as soon as they were old enough to gain a bit of independence, it soon became clear that she valued her sleep. “I like to think so,” he replied to the comment. 

Now that he was properly sat up and awake, -for the most part anyway- he could appreciate the breakfast that Ambrose had made for them fully. Everything smelled delicious, which made it worth the while, getting up earlier. Reheated meals never tasted as good, he was right about that. Reaching for the coffee, he gratefully accepted it and took a sip. The warmth was inviting, not too hot, as he liked it. His interest was piqued however, when Ambrose mentioned needing to talk to him about something. “Uh oh... what have I done?” He asked it in a manner that gave the impression he was partially joking, though he hoped that it wasn’t something serious that he had done and Ambrose was upset. He didn’t think so, given how he was woken up this morning, but there was always the chance.

[golden-hearted-gil]

gwenlockhart​:

…

“I am,” she shrugged.  There was no point in getting riled up when someone pointed out facts.  Somehow Gideon had managed to get all the height, but she got all of the personality, so it was just fine by her.  “but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re a bloody giant.”  

As soon as the water stopped she wrung out her shirt oh his floor, giving him a look as she did.  “I seem to remember you starting the water bit of this exercise.  So you can absolutely blame yourself if the kitchen ends up with an inch of water in it, you nerd.”  She rolled her eyes as the sugar dripped in her hair.  “Well now I’m just as sweet on the outside as I am on the inside.”  She bent over, shaking the sugar out of her hair.  “Okay, can we just end this,” she chuckled.  “before I have to make you cry.”

...

Gilderoy shrugged. He quite liked how tall he was, even if Gwen poked fun at him for it. It was something that didn’t really seem to bother either of them anymore, which he enjoyed. “At least I can reach top shelves.” 

“Only after you got food in my hair!” he shouted back, defensively. If Gwen hadn’t shown up at all unannounced, this wouldn’t have been happening in the first place. Really, as much as he loved his sister, she could be highly annoying and knew how to push his buttons. He was just glad that they seemed to have moved the conversation from her seeing him with Ambrose at the festival. Summoning towels from his bathroom, he threw one at her way before taking the second to dry off himself. For a moment, he considered snapping back with a witty remark. However, he really would have preferred not to trash his flat, so he withheld. “You’re helping me dry the floors, I hope you know that,” he insisted.

[golden-hearted-gil]

ambrxsse​:

. 

Ambrose smiled when he heard Gilderoy’s raspy voice, almost sounding broken after hours of not using it. His hand reached for Gil’s hair so that he could run his fingers through his hair. “Just long enough to cook,” he answered. Gil hasn’t seen the tray yet, but surely he could smell it right? “Can you smell it?” Pancakes, bacon, and eggs, and a cup of coffee for them both. He waved at the tray so that it floats over their bed. “Cause if you can’t, I’ll have to get you checked.”

“Are you going to get up?” he asked. He didn’t want to place the tray down only for Gil to knock something over once he sits up. “If you want to lie down some more, you could do that later. After we break fast.” Ambrose adjusted his seat so that the tray could hover between them. “Do you have anything planned for today?”

With Ambrose running his fingers through Gil’s hair, he almost didn’t want to get up at all. It was apparent though that breakfast was already made, and as comfy as he was under the covers, he didn’t want the food to go to waste. “Mmhmm...” he hummed, moving his cheek toward the man’s hand. He tipped his head just enough to press a kiss to the man’s palm, sighing. “You could check me just fine, but I promise, I’m alright.”

For a split second, Gilderoy truly contemplated answering no, and not even as a sassy remark, but as a truthful statement. However, he knew that he should, and therefore, nodded very slowly. “In just a minute, mmhmm...” Once Ambrose moved out of the way, Gilderoy rolled over and sat himself up, still wrapped in the covers. His hair was a mess, he was sure, and he was still very sleepy, but he hoped that coffee and some good food would wake him up more. “Just to work on my book, but that could wait, if you wanted to do something. I’m not forgetting something, am I?”

[ambrxsse-blog]

where: Ambrose’s Manor who: Ambrose Kennedy and Gilderoy Lockhart ( @golden-hearted-gil )

Since Ambrose wanted to spend the weekend alone with Gilderoy in the manor, he decided to give the help a few days off. They needed it, he said. There was at least some truth in it. Because in the week that’s about to follow, it would only be them present in the manor. And as always, Ambrose feels that there’s a lot more work to be done.

That’s also why he woke up early that morning. Way before Gilderoy usually wakes up. He made both of them pancakes as well as a pot of hot coffee. After arranging their breakfast on a flat metal tray, Ambrose charmed it to follow him back to his room so that he could wake the young man.

His return still hadn’t woke the young man so Ambrose gingerly sat beside Gilderoy and gave him a gentle shake. “Wake up, Gil. I made breakfast.”

[golden-hearted-gil]

.

Gilderoy was usually a morning person. He sometimes liked to wake up early just before the sun was rising so that he could prepare breakfast, tea, and have a bit of peace and quiet while the thought about what he wanted to write that day. It was a very serene experience, usually, and he quite enjoyed getting up early enough to watch the sun rise. But other times, if the night before was eventful enough that he stayed up later than he usually would, he enjoyed getting to sleep in. 

Usually a light sleeper, this morning he was surprised to be woken up by Ambrose, who, when Gilderoy finally opened his eyes, looked as though he’d been up for a while. It wasn’t long before this fact was confirmed as Ambrose mentioned making breakfast. Humming softly, Gil looked up at him and smiled. “Good morning...” His voice was slightly groggy, having just woken up. “How long have you been up?”

[golden-hearted-gil]

gwenlockhart​:

…

It was a fair point.  Maybe she could manufacture some illegal substances, but that didn’t mean she would be good at selling them.  Nor did she think her idea of dirty dancing would appeal to the masses, although some vine loving, tree huggers might find it quite nice.  She would keep her clothes on though – her lady bits weren’t for mass consumption.  “People would think you were a cop or an auror,” she nodded in agreement.  “or working for one.  You have that good guy innocent thing going for you.  Although, don’t worry, you don’t have to convince me otherwise.  I’ve been there for a handful of your more demonic moments.  Think the Swing Set Rumble of ‘72 if you need a memory refresher.”

She snorted, knowing he was right but not willing to admit that to him.  “Okay, well I think I’m going to have to do it now.  If you don't’ see me for the next six years just know that I’m perfectly fine.  Just training for my World Cup debut.”

“For what it’s worth, and admittedly, probably not very much, I hadn’t been aiming for your hair.  I was shooting for your left shoulder.  It’s your own fault you’re freakishly tall.”  When he spun around and sprayed her with water she shrieked, turning so that her back was facing him.  She waited just a moment before turning around, spraying her own stream of water at him through her wand.  She ducked behind his kitchen island so his water could only reach a small bit of her.  “I could do this all day, Gilly!”

...

“Maybe you’re just short,” he quipped back. Gilderoy wasn’t interested in where she had been aiming, only where she’d ended up getting it. How she had managed that at all was beyond him since she was supposedly aiming lower than where she hit. Given that she was so much shorter than him, it should have been easier to reach. “Oh, sorry, I hadn’t been aiming to actually hit you, just pretend,” he lied, poking fun at her lame excuse. 

When Gwen took her wand out and fired a stream of water at him, Gilderoy dodged most of it, though getting splashed with the bits he hadn’t managed to escape. “If you flood my flat you’re never coming over again,” he warned her, putting the nozzle to the sink down and taking his own wand out. Carefully and quietly, he flicked his wand at the small container of sugar that was on the counter. A simple swish and flick and it was levitating it over her head in a matter of seconds. He turned his wand so that the jar tipped onto it’s side, slowly pouring some out. 

“Don’t mind me, just thought I would sweeten a sour situation,” he smirked. He didn’t allow the whole thing to pour out, of course, as it would be rude and a waste of perfectly good sugar. However it was just enough to be noticeable, and bury in her hair.

[golden-hearted-gil]

lenanemitz​:

…

“I live with my brother.”  She didn’t often offer information about her personal life, but Gilderoy made it easier.  There was something about him that made him easy to talk to.  “He means well but he is a bit of a slob,” she admitted with a small laugh.  “I find myself trailing after his dirty socks and empty tea mugs quite frequently.  It can be an irritation but –” she paused, hoping she wasn’t making it too deep of a conversation between casual friends.  “it can always be nice to have the reminder that I’m not alone, if that makes sense?”  It didn’t really matter if it made sense, she supposed, but she hoped that it did.

Her eyes lit up at the thought of a longer book.  The possibility of more words excited her, especially ones she could see before others and translate to make more accessible.  “Traveling is always a nice job perk.  Any idea of where you might like to visit?”

“Oh um,” she put her bag down on the table and pulled her hair back into a ponytail so that she could see better to work.  “only if you’re having anything.  I’m not picky.”  She broke into a small smile at the mention of his sister.  It sounded like she’d get along great with her brother.  

...

No matter how hard he tried, Gilderoy knew that his tendency to leave clutter about still got the better of him at times. He blamed it on the fact that he was far too focused on what he was doing to worry about cleaning, but really he hadn’t known why it happened so frequently. Then again, he’d always heard growing up that the most creative people were the messiest. Perhaps it had to do with the scattered thoughts that always ran through their heads. Even if his flat was messy, he always knew where everything was. “I think that’s quite nice,” Gilderoy smiled softly. “It would be strange for me to live with someone and not ever see the proof. It’s strange to me even when I see my place entirely clean,” he chuckled. There was always a tiny bit of clutter at least, no matter how hard he tried. It couldn’t be helped. 

The topic of traveling excited him, and though Gilderoy had many ideas of places he wanted to go, he hardly knew which would be first. “Anywhere and everywhere,” he answered selfishly with a bit of a chuckle. “I guess France would be one of the easier ones, but I don’t know where I would go first if I could. I guess I’ll have to think more about it, narrow down my choices.”

Being half blood, Gilderoy tended to keep more muggle snacks in his flat than wizarding ones. Looking through the cupboards, he found some pretzels and crackers, as well as a package of cookies. “Well, it looks like these are our best sack options. I also have iced tea in the fridge.” Grabbing the pitcher, he carefully pulled it out and set it on the counter, waving his wand so that two glasses would float themselves down by his side to pour them each some.

[golden-hearted-gil]

ambrxsse​:

.

Ambrose wholeheartedly believed Gilderoy when he said that the only reason he bid on the woman was their shared past doing charity work. But it’s far too fun to mess with Gil given his current state. He’ll let the young man’s thoughts run wild for now. “I’m sure that’s all to it…” Ambrose murmured. His tone was far from convincing. Meanwhile, Ambrose preferred not to divulge his own relationship with the person he just placed a bid on. While he was having fun making Gil uncomfortable, telling him how Noah Ollivander was the first person he slept with in London would be going too far.

He heard Gilderoy call him from their table but Ambrose didn’t look back. Wanting for the young man to follow, he kept walking and simply waited for Gil to catch up. He didn’t even let him get to the bar. Gil reached for his arm, successfully making Ambrose stop in his tracks. “That’s quite all right, darling.” Ambrose let the pet name slip, confident enough that they were far from everyone’s earshot. “But I wanted a drink for myself.” Ambrose smiled once again as Gil practically told him that he wanted them to go. “Oh? Are you sure that you just don’t want me to bid on anyone else?”

...

Gilderoy fully understood that he had no reason to be annoyed by the fact that Ambrose was acting so nonchalantly when he had specifically said everything was fine. However, that didn’t mean that he was going to accept that so easily. Obviously, Gil was bothered, even if he hadn’t admitted it, which made it all the more irritating that Ambrose seemed to be ignoring it now. Whatever it was he wanted or needed in that moment, he was unsure. Was it reassurance? Possibly, though there was a gut feeling that told him it was more than that. More than just reassurance that Ambrose’s bid meant nothing. 

That was the most annoying part, he thought. Not knowing how to accurately portray his feelings and needs in that moment. He could deny all he wanted that he wasn’t bothered, but the fact that Ambrose’s attention was on someone else, mixed with the forbiddance to act on the fact that they were together left Gilderoy feeling a bit frustrated and needy. 

He caught the slip that Ambrose made as he followed him, the pet name stopping him in his tracks only for a brief second. “Tha- well, fine,” he huffed, shaking his head. “That doesn’t change my mind, though.” He didn’t care if Ambrose drank or not, and that wasn’t something he could prevent. However, he did still want to leave. When the older man called him out, Gil broke eye contact with him, looking all around the both of them, anywhere to avoid his gaze as he denied it. “I don’t care if you bid on other people,” he mumbled, the words coming out only half true. No one else was around, so there were no eyes on them. Taking the opportunity he saw, Gilderoy grabbed the front of the man’s blazer, swiftly pulling down and inward to get his attention. Slowly, his eyes met Ambrose’s again before whispering, “but I really think we should go.”

[golden-hearted-gil]

lenanemitz​:

…

Gilderoy’s flat was quite nice.  Most of the boys she knew were messy in a way that was a bit dirty.  Gilderoy’s home had never been anything more than a touch cluttered.  It was clear he tried to keep his space tidy though, and that was something she could appreciate considering she lived with her brother who was at least forty percent human tornado.  She shook her head, stepping around him and into the living room.  “I think it looks quite nice in here,” she offered him a small smile.  “maybe it looks a bit lived in, but can it really be a home if it’s purely spotless all the time?  I like it.”  Maybe that was her way of explaining away the fact that her bedroom was a bit cluttered at the moment as well.  She wasn’t messy, she was just alive… or trying to be, anyway.

Her eyes lit up at the thought of new ideas.  That was one of her favorite things about working with Gilderoy Lockhart.  His books were infinitely underrated.  She highly doubted that there weren’t portions that weren’t over-exaggerated, embellished, or flat out fabrications.  But he had a way with words that drew the reader in.  Translating his books had been a far greater challenge, for that reason, than any of the soulless paperwork for the Ministry had ever been.  But the challenge was what made it fun for her.  “So, it sounds like you are making progress?  That is something exciting.  A perfect reason to have gotten a bit cluttered.”

...

Gilderoy always appreciated when a home looked lived in. It meant that people had realistic expectations. While he tried to keep his own place as neat as possible, it did relieve him to hear that Lena thought it looked nice regardless. “That’s true, I agree with you there.” A bit of clutter here and there wasn’t so bad, he nodded. Besides, with his schedule, he wasn’t sure how he was able to keep his flat as clean as it was anyway. He was always working, it seemed, or if he wasn’t, these days he was in the company of some friends. 

The great thing about working with Lena was not only that she was very professional about her work, but she seemed to genuinely take an interest in the things he wrote about. Whereas his sister often liked to tease him about his books, Lena always told him what she thought clearly and confidently. The feedback was much appreciated, of course, and sometimes he even found small errors that he’d missed during their sessions. “I would say so, yes. I think this next novel will be a bit longer, and perhaps take a bit more time to truly capture what it is I’d like to write about. I always say first hand experience is better for the job, so I might need to start traveling more,” he mentioned casually with a chuckle. Perhaps he could talk to Ambrose about that, seeing as how they both mentioned their love for traveling to each other before. 

“Can I offer you anything to drink before we get started? Maybe a snack? My sister raided my pantry recently, so I’m not sure what I still have as I’ve yet to go shopping, but I’m sure there’s still something good around here.”

[golden-hearted-gil]

gwenlockhart​:

…

He could say it wouldn’t work on her as often as he wanted to, but she knew that it always did eventually.  Her little brother didn’t like being called a chicken.  It was a bit of a sore spot for her to poke at – not so painful that she felt guilty for pressing into it, but just enough sting for it to be amusing to her, as his sister.  “Okay, chicken,” she shot back casually.  “as long as it’s not going to ruffle your feathers or anything.”

She shrugged, figuring that she would reserve the right to go searching for something later.  At any rate, she was running low on toilet paper and she thought that she might steal a roll or two from Gilderoy instead of visiting the shops on her way back home.  “I might give that a go a bit later.”

“Bold,” she shrugged again, taking another bite of her cheesy puffs.  “perhaps.  But they’re all perfectly valid ways of making some extra money.  Valid and legal aren’t quite the same thing, are they?”  It just had to be effective to be valid in her eyes.  “Did you sell a kidney or something?  If you get kidney disease down the line don’t expect me to donate one of mine if you did.  I need it just in case I want to take up a professional football career, or something of the sort.”  She had never played football a day in her life, but you never know when the desire might strike.

Casually she walked back toward the kitchen and grabbed a squeeze bottle of ketchup from the door of the fridge.  Before Gilly could see what she had grabbed she turned and squeezed it in his direction, grinning wildly as an arch of red closed the distance between them and splatted in his hair.  She had been aiming for his shoulder, but it was his own fault that he was as tall as a building.

...

Gilderoy wasn’t sure if Gwen was just trying to get him to pull back, or if she really intended to seach his flat ceiling to floor. Either way, Gilderoy was sure that it would be a waste of time. No one else had been in his flat that day aside form her, and he had no intentions to invite anyone else over. Truthfully, he didn’t even expect to have company today, though he supposed it wasn’t entirely unwanted. It did make him happier that he and Gwen were getting along lately, which made putting up with her antics worth it. 

“I never said they weren’t, but they are just not my style.” Confessing that Ambrose gave him the money would mean he would have to admit that he in fact was with someone at the carnival, which he would continue to deny as long as he could. There wasn’t a good way that he could explain their relationship at the moment, and therefore, Gwen would have to forgive him for sheltering the information. “No, I didn’t sell a kidney. That’s quite harsh, though. You wouldn’t help me out if I were dying? I’m hurt,” Gil feigned a gasp, touching a hand to his chest. 

Snickering at the thought of Gwen playing sports, he shook his head. “Alright, then, that dream might be a bit too advanced, Gwen. But hey, that’s why they’re called dreams, isn’t it?” He was only joking, but there was a hint of teasing truth in there. 

“HEY! That is a serious low blow, Gwen, I didn’t get it in your hair!” Gil shouted, standing up quickly and rushing to the kitchen sink to rinse it out. Frantically running his fingers through it, he soaked his entire head in the basin until he was positive that it was out. Grabbing the nozzle, he pointed it to his sister and squeezed without thinking, soaking her shirt.

[golden-hearted-gil]

gwenlockhart​:

… 

It was like he didn’t know her at all.  She most certainly would not be quitting it, because as determined as he seemed to be hiding it, she had absolutely seen him with a cute, older looking man with hair that reminded her a lot like the bark of an elm tree.  It was very nice, and she sort of wanted to run her hands through it in a completely platonic way, of course.  Gilly deserved nice things too, she wouldn’t try to steal his man.

She didn’t think he would, but if he did that was fine.  He might best her in this particular battle, but he was declaring a war he wouldn’t win.  She just smiled and shrugged, almost hoping that he would be bold enough.  “Wow, I didn’t take you for a chicken,” she egged him on.

“I will,” she shrugged,  not particularly caring.  That was what brothers were for, right?  If Rabastan didn’t show up she would call Gilderoy.  His chicken arms weren’t exactly optimal for lifting bags of fertilizer, but she could do that bit.  “Your book is delightful, just maybe not pull eighteen galleons out of a drawer like it’s nothing delightful.  Are you sure?  Are you making the drugs?  Are you like – did you take up a gig at that dirty dancing place?  No, you can’t dance that’s ridiculous.  Did you murder mum and sell all her jewelry?  Did you –” she stopped short as the glob of pudding hit her forehead.  “Are you sure you want to do this?”  She warned him, struggling to hide her laughter.

...

Gilderoy was not a chicken, but that didn’t seem to stop Gwen from calling him one most chances she got to. “I seem to remember you using that exact phrase more than once. It’s not going to work, this time,” he warned her, shaking his head. As much as he agreed that he was not a chicken, her implying he was one this go around wasn’t worth arguing, because he had planned to take her challenge. 

Rolling his eyes at the comment, Gilderoy nodded. “I’m absolutely positive. You can search the place if you don’t believe me, but I promise, you won’t find anyone or anything suspicious and out of the ordinary.” While he didn’t love the idea of her snooping around his flat, he felt like maybe it would get her off of his case about Ambrose. After all, the times that they had been together, were at Ambrose’s place, not his own. It wasn’t that he didn’t want the man to come to his flat, but for now, it just made things easier if Gilderoy were the one leaving. “What? No! You’re being rather bold with your assumptions, now, eh? No one has died, I’m not selling drugs, and I don’t have anyone hiding in my flat. And no to the dancing, too,” he added quickly, so that she wouldn’t think that was a possibility. 

“You started it,” he shrugged, licking the spoon as his eyes locked onto hers. “I couldn’t just do nothing. I’m not chicken after all.”

[golden-hearted-gil]

ambrxsse​:

.

Ambrose didn’t even attempt to repeat what Gilderoy said. What good would that do? Besides, he wasn’t trying to fight the young man. It was quite the opposite, in fact. He just wanted him to see it from his point of view. Ambrose was keenly aware of how he must sound as if he’s defending his marriage. In reality, he was only defending himself. He wouldn’t call his situation a problem. Not entirely. And when people try to tell him that his ‘problem’ has a very simple solution, he can’t help but feel like they were belittling his intellect.

He shook his head sadly. Maybe Gilderoy was far too young to understand. Far too hopeful and optimistic. It would only guarantee him pain in the future. The sooner he sees the world for what it is, the better, and yet… A part of Ambrose wanted to protect that side of Gilderoy too. “It’s not my view, my dear Gilderoy. It’s the view of everyone else around me.” Because at the end of the day, they lived in a world that didn’t care about what they think. It only matters what everyone else thinks.

Even after all that, Gilderoy chose to put his faith in Ambrose. The young man’s hopefulness in turn gave him hope. Ambrose knew that Gil was far from convinced, but at least, it was a step in the right direction. He reached for the other’s hands again. “I know I don’t have your heart yet. But I promise you, I will try my best to earn it.”

...

Gilderoy didn’t want to have this conversation now. It was only going to make things more awkward and he didn’t want to fight. Perhaps he wasn’t thinking it through clearly enough, since his emotions were in a whirlwind at the moment, having just learned about the fact that Ambrose was married. Never mind the state of the marriage, just the fact that it existed complicated things. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel, seeing a married man, but it didn’t feel great at the moment. Was he wrong to want to continue such a relationship? Not that they were in one, or that anything was defined. There were relations, however, and lines had been crossed that couldn’t be erased. 

There was something in his head telling him this felt like a mistake, especially since he was sure that he had probably offended the man by how he reacted. For a moment he contemplated just getting up and leaving after saying that he believed the other, but then Ambrose had reached for his hands again, which calmed him down. He didn’t pull away, and this time, his eyes lifted to meet the other man’s. “That’s not going to be so easy. But... and I mean this genuinely, I would like to see you try.”

[lenanemitz]

@golden-hearted-gil​

She never expected to develop a real sort of friendship with Gilderoy Lockhart.  It had been a means to an end, a way to make money as she tried to find her way.  But the house they spent together, huddled over his first book and the manuscript for his second book connected them in a way she couldn’t have anticipated.  

Nearly a year and a half had passed since that first day, and, while she wouldn’t say she had found a fast friend in Gilderoy (nearly entirely due to her own hesitations), she knew he was a true one.  

At some point work had become one part business and three parts sleepover minus the overnight bits, at least it was what she remembered a sleepover may have been like.  And so she showed up with her bag of translation tools and a tray of brownies that were definitely store bought.  She had transferred them over to a baking pan in the hopes of passing them off as homemade.  “Hello.  I hope today still works for you,” she smiled softly as he opened up the door to his apartment.

[golden-hearted-gil]

...

Sometimes it was so easy for Gilderoy to forget just how many friends he had made over the years through connections. Of course, when you were looking to get places in life, you needed to know people. The more people you knew, the more opportunities would be presented to you. And thus, when he had seen Lena’s advertisement for a translator several moons ago, he jumped on the opportunity. What neither of them were expecting was how well they not only worked together, but got along. 

It was only recently that he’d finished the latest outline of his most recent book, and since it was ready for publishing, he wanted to get a jump start at the translations, which was why he’d called Lena. When she arrived, Gilderoy was in the middle of cleaning up the lounge of his flat so that they would have a place to work. He supposed the kitchen would suffice too, but that was always practically spotless. The lounge however was where he had his late night creative bursts, and would often be found the next morning with mugs of left over tea, scattered papers, quills and bottles of ink. Thankfully, he’d just about finished when she knocked. 

“Of course, today works fine,” he smiled, stepping aside to let her in. “Don’t let the state of my flat convince you otherwise. I’m just about done picking up, but last night I couldn’t sleep, so I started writing down ideas, and, well... It got the better of me.”

[golden-hearted-gil]

ambrxsse​:

.

Ambrose suppressed the smile that was threatening to form on his lips. Gilderoy looked almost adorable if not downright childish. Jealousy apparently was a good look on the young man. Or was that only Ambrose’s amusement from the whole ordeal talking? Even though Gilderoy looked like he was fairly close to throwing a tantrum, Ambrose chose to not say a word. “If you’re sure…” 

Gilderoy might have muttered it under his breath but Ambrose still caught it. “Maybe so… Given that you even placed your bids on someone, I assume you’re finding it all quite entertaining,” Ambrose drawled on, with amusement still clear on his face. “Judging from the number of people still left to be auctioned off, I’m guessing it will still be a while.” A cruel thought came to him. Ambrose just couldn’t help himself. “Why don’t I get both of us drinks? You could just stay here. That way, you can bid on the people you want.” He didn’t even let Gil respond. Ambrose simply walked away and headed towards the bar.

...

Even though he didn’t address the problem directly, Gilderoy had a feeling that Ambrose knew exactly what he was feeling at the moment. Something about the way that he was smiling a bit too much and the look of enjoyment on his face made Gil feel even more ridiculous. He opened his mouth, ready to say that it wasn’t the same, but wasn’t it? Really, Ambrose hadn’t done anything differently than Gilderoy had, other than bid on a man. “We’ve done charity work together in the past, that’s the only reason,” he huffed silently, looking away so that the casual half eyeroll was to himself. 

A while. That could mean a lot of different things, Gilderoy thought to himself. Before he realized it, Ambrose was talking about leaving to get them drinks. There wasn’t even time for him to object before the other was up and leaving, which made Gilderoy’s cheeks flush. “Hang on!” Gilderoy followed the other toward the bar, but he knew that there was very little he could actually do here to get the other man’s attention. They were supposed to be attending the carnival casually together, keeping a low profile. Unfortunately, that was becoming increasingly harder to do, it seemed. “I don’t recall asking for a drink,” he protested, placing his hand briefly on the man’s arm before pulling it away. “There’s no one else I’m interested in seeing go on. I’d be fine if we left.”

[golden-hearted-gil]

ambrxsse​:

.

It wasn’t that Gilderoy wasn’t allowed to bid on anyone. If he asked, Ambrose wouldn’t have minded at all. If he had asked. Telling Gilderoy that the person he just bid on was a personal friend of his wife was fun and all, but he decided that it could be a lot more fun to see Gil’s reaction if he got a taste of his own medicine.

“Are you sure?” Ambrose asked, there was the slightest hint of amusement on his face. “Cause it sure doesn’t seem like it.”  Whether the young man knew it himself or not, he was jealous. Having categorized many of Gil’s expressions before, Ambrose has gotten well-acquainted with Gil’s various sides. But this was an entirely new one that Ambrose is excited to explore. “Are you not having fun? You can tell me, you know?”

...

Gilderoy couldn’t possibly have been more uncomfortable with the confrontation. It was bad enough that he was feeling even the slightest hint of jealousy, but the fact that Ambrose was calling him out on it irked him even more. Did he even have a right to be jealous? That was a question for another day, he supposed. It was childish, sure, but still, it was a feeling that he couldn’t just turn off and on with his own free will. “I’m sure,” he responded, crossing his arms over his chest. 

The carnival had been a lot of fun, that wasn’t the issue. Gil had been having a splendid time, actually, until now. The fact that he had no control over the emotion mixed with the fact that he didn’t want Ambrose to know —and he obviously did— was making it hard to admit that he was still having fun, however. “No, I am, this night has been quite entertaining. Maybe a little too entertaining...” he said the last bit under his breath, his eyes off to the side. Shifting in his chair, Gilderoy huffed quietly, looking at his watch. “How much longer do you reckon the auction is?”