It was nice to have some time away from the routine of everyday life, a few days away to restore sanity. That kind of thing, you know?
You had chosen to visit a static campsite, one with a wooden hut, kitted out for self-catering. You had booked to stay there for 5 nights, and discovered that the closest town had a small problem with witches. Nothing life-threatening, just a territory thing between a few witches. Easily sorted upon your intervention a few days into your stay. It was also nice that you had browsed an antique shop and found some nifty treasures, a couple of books to add to the library at the bunker as well as a few pieces of decor that are going to look really cute in your room.
The journey back to the bunker was also nice, not much traffic to argue with and the weather was pretty decent making for an easy drive.
However, the site of Baby caked in mud and grass and...whatever that stuff turns out to be sat in plain view of all to see when you parked your car was...shocking. Dean never liked to see his beloved vehicle this dirty.
There was also a pungent smell wafting in the breeze from the direction the Impala sat which was honestly making you feel sick!
Hurrying away from the smell with your bags, you shut the door with a bit more force than intended but as long as that smell stayed outside that is all that matters! Taking the stairs slowly, watching your feet as you went, making sure you didn’t trip - you had valuables after all - it wasn’t until the last few steps approached that you could see mud.
Dark splodges of mud in the shape of boot prints and drag marks, directing the gaze further into the bunker. With horror, you realised that there is mud over the stairs you had just walked down as well - two of your bags had been marked but that was easily dusted off.
What nearly gave you a heart attack though...Castiel appearing in front of you...looking as though he had bathed in a mud bath out in the forest after a very heavy downpour.
Before Castiel could ask the question he was no doubt readying to speak, before you could regain your coherent thoughts, your older brothers walk into view. One freshly bathed and the other still wearing jeans that were originally blue in colour but nor more a...dirty brown...the muddy water had obviously soaked into the material and was now drying.
...”What the hell happened whilst I was gone?”
“Hey! You’re back! Wekcome home! Sorry about the mess-”
“It was Dean’s idea! I had nothing to do with it and-”
“Anyone home?” You called from the other room, knowing that Molly would be busy preparing dinner as you walked through the front door.
Molly bustled out of the kitchen, the smell of fresh dough still clinging to her clothes and hands as she rushed to engulf you in a warm hug. “Hello, dear, how are you?”
“I’m good, thanks Molly.”
“Are you sure? Charlie said that you had an appointment with the Healer?”
“I did. Just a check up for an injury I sustained earlier in the week. Everything is fine.”
“Oh that is good. Come through, Charlie is in his room. You’re the only two here at the moment. Arthur and I will be picking the younger ones from the train station later and Bill should be arriving some time before Arthur and I are to return.”
Molly returned to the kitchen as you made your way up the stairs to the childhood bedroom of your husband.
“Hi Charlie.” You called as you opened the door quickly. As Charlie jumped off his bed and strode towards you, he reached out a hand and closed the door behind you, “hi gorgeous. How did the appointment go?”
“It went well. Lil’ Charlie Boy is healthy and growing splendidly.”
This can be read alone but there is a previous part which, if you read that one first, this one will make a lot more sense.
ENJOY!
Commander Pike liked to believe he and Mr. Spock had developed a good business relationship. He also liked to believe he knew Spock well from the time the Vulcan was a cadet under the Commander's wing. He knew nothing of Vulcan relationships but he was certain that the rare touches and the constant glances and the undivided attention he saw between Mr. Spock and Y/N meant that they were in love with one another.
Pike was aware of the bullying Spock received due to the fact he is a minority and vastly different to the humans he is exposed to on a daily basis when he first came to Starfleet and he does not know what Spock's life was like when he was on his home planet, even with the small glimpses Y/N provided into their lives on Vulcan, he didn't have the full picture.
As an outsider to their relationship, it was obvious to his wise eyes the love and protection that the two Vulcans have for one another.
"Are you well, Commander?"
Pike lifted his head from the PADD he was working on, realising that he had lost himself to his thoughts and had forgotten he was in the cafeteria. Spock was stood across from him, his own PADD tucked under his arm and a tray of food - a tray packed with a variety of food - held steady in his grip.
"I am well thank you, Mr. Spock, please have a seat."
"Thank you, Commander." As Spock set the tray down on the table and gripped the PADD in his hand, Pike looked around the room to try and find the female Vulcan who had been close at Spock's side since her arrival.
Returning his gaze in front of him, the size of Spock's food tray was hard to miss. An assortment of foods was spread over every surface, creating a painting of abstract colours. "Are you hungry, Spock?" The Commander choked on his own breath as he tried to smother the chuckle about to erupt from his chest.
Spock blinked as his gaze levelled with the Commander's. "No, Commander. At the suggestion of one of Y/N's friends, she has requested a selection of food to try whilst she is here." What Pike had failed to notice beforehand was that Spock had actually carried two trays. Spock slid a second tray to the side and began to separate the food between the trays.
He had placed all of the food onto the top tray and stacked a second one underneath, therefore making it much easier for him to carry. Pike mentally smacked himself for assuming Spock wouldn't have thought of that.
"Where is Y/N?"
"She is with a group of females she has befriended." Spock tapped on his PADD, two precise taps. "Y/N has just entered the cafeteria."
Pike's eyebrows skyrocketed into his hairline, "how do you know? There is a lot of noise in here." He, of course, knowing that Spock had sensitive hearing, didn't think that the Vulcan male would be able to distinguish specific sounds over the babble of voices filling the hall.
"It does not matter how loud a place is." Spock began to explain, the facts rolling off his tongue without effort, "Vulcan instincts are heightened when mated. I can hear her my T'hy'la as if she is standing at my side."
Pike's head tilted ever so slightly to the left as his mind registered the foreign word. "What does T-la mean?"
"Did you mean to say T'hy'la, Commander?" Pike looked over Spock's shoulder to see Y/N approach the bench to sit on Spock's left. Spock slid the tray filled with the most food over in front of Y/N and she did not hesitate to begin tasting the flavours. "The closest translation into your language is spouse. I like this, what is it?"
Spock looked up from his work on his PADD to look at the food Y/N held in her palm, "that is a grape, Y/N."
Vulcan, before now, was the only planet you had ever been on.
Now you were standing on the second planet in your life all because of an invitation you received from a Commander Pike.
As you walked off the shuttle which had transported you from Vulcan to Earth, the sights and sounds astounded your senses as you gazed at everything in wonder.
“Y/N?”
You turned your head to the side in the direction the voice came from as they called your name, to find a male human standing a respectable distance away from you. You nodded your head once and made your way closer to him.
“It is nice to meet you, Y/N.” He began, a smile on his face, “I am Commander Pike, I am to escort to Starfleet.”
“Greetings, Commander.” You politely replied, not one to ignore etiquette, delighted also that he was educated in Vulcan customs to not offer his hand in a human hand shake upon introduction. “I thank you for your guidance upon my first visit to your planet.”
“You’re welcome, Y/N. This way, Mr Spock is currently in class at the moment, would you like me to show you around or would you prefer I take you to where your quarters are for your stay?”
You stepped beside him as he began walking, “if it does not remove you from your scheduled tasks, I am interested in knowing more.”
Commander Pike was pleasant company during the tour which he smartly used to navigate you to your quarters where you’ll be staying and then ending the tour at Spock’s classroom where he was finishing a lecture.
“Does Mr Spock know you have arrived, Y/N?” Commander Pike questioned as you both stood outside the room as to not interrupt.
“I am uncertain. Communication has been irregular due to a difference in time.”
“I understand.” He smirked as he queried, “you must have missed him. I believe you are a mated pair, are you not?”
Spock had provided you with a very detailed description of how human behaviour is and after spending a lot of time with his human mother, Amanda, you were glad that you understood human behaviour enough not to show a reaction. “I am aware of a human phrase that is oddly fitting in this circumstance.”
“Which is?”
“Distance makes the heart grow fonder?”
“That’s the phrase and I know why you find it applicable.” He chuckled in good humour.
With your preparations of human interactions, you were glad to find that Spock’s analysis was sound enough that you can follow it, even now as you make your own memories.
This was of course, uncharted territory for you.
As you stood with Commander Pike a little longer, students began to file out of the hall. Some not giving you a first glance, others averting their gaze when they met the stern eyes of the Commander.
When the majority of students had left and only a few remained in the hall, Commander Pike lead you inside and once more, you scanned everything within. Adjusting quickly to the vast differences between planets and species.
From across the room, Spock turns his head in your direction from where he was speaking with a student. He quickly turns back to the student, supposedly to dismiss them, before he walks over to you and Commander Pike.
“Y/N.”
“Spock.”
“Thank you for showing my ...wife... around Starfleet, Commander.” Spock acknowledged of Commander Pike.
“You’re welcome. I’ll leave you two to it. It was a pleasure to meet you, Y/N.” He said before he departed.
“You as well, Commander. Thank you for your time.” The Commander smiled before he walked away.
You turned to face Spock as he stepped closer to you. Neither of you spoke for awhile, merely appreciating being in the same vicinity as the other for the first time in a long time.
“We shall return to our quarters for the evening, my love. Meditation will help you to acclimatise to Earth better.”
Draco Malfoy has no regrets about the relationship he has with you. Especially as the War has only just ended.
Your heart pounded in your ears as you watched with bated breath at the intensity of the fight between your current worst nightmare and your classmate.
Words had been shared between the two adversaries but you were overly engaged in fighting for your life to be really interested in what the two males were actually saying to one another. Only catching glimpses of them as you twisted and contorted in your grim dance.
As you faced your newest opponent, duelling aggressive spells towards them, not allowing them a moment to attack you, waves of powerful magic reached you, overpowering you; crippling all sense of movement as it compelled you to turn to its epicentre in wonder; in horror. In hope.
Harry Potter.
Survivor.
Victor.
Returning to your body from the shock, you turned to your side and cast a spell to your opponent who didn’t even realise what had happened to him, still gravely focused on the fall of his Master. If you hadn’t have been in the battle, the sound his skull made as it connected with the floor, would have made you cringe and sick to your stomach.
Looking around the room, what was once the immaculately gorgeous Great Hall, your ears ringing, you started to tend to the injured. You prepared yourself with studying medical journals and shadowing Madame Pomfrey for this very reason. You had basic medic skills, considering who you were friends with and with the threat of war, at the time, becoming all the more real, you studied more and for longer.
During the time it took, from the first break of sunlight to the Hall being cast in a golden hue, you had tended to a range of injuries. As small as disinfecting cuts to something as painful as wrapping broken ribs.
Hermione and Ginny had made their way over to you both to seek medical treatment and to make sure you were alright. The younger ginger had hugged you tightly, when you had wrapped her wrist securely in bandage, burying her head into your neck for comfort and to bawl her sorrows out; Hermione huddled close to the pair of you, offering her support with a gentle hand rubbing Ginny’s back.
The three of you stood there for a while. Basking in the peace and emotional comfort of each other. Long enough for Ginny to wipe her eyes and gather her wits once more, before taking a deep breath and headed over to her family.
Hermione stayed with you, her arm hooked through yours, supporting each other as you observed the room. “Hey, ‘Mione?” You whispered, your strength was slowly depleting and the strain had made it difficult to talk at a normal level.
“Hmm?” She too was experiencing the drain of energy. Unable to really formulate a sentence without effort.
Both of you standing with your weight balanced against the other.
“Are you and Ron together now?”
She snorted, emotions were taught and laughter was a foreign concept at the moment but a small twitch of her lips gave way to the beginnings of a smile, “yeah, I think so.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah.”
“I told you so.”
“Oh, Y/N.” Hermione drawled, a small smile now on her lips. “What about you and Draco?”
Your response was a small shrug, worry tightening its chains around your heart as you admitted, “I haven’t seen him since before all...this.”
“If it helps, I think I can see him across the room.” Your eyes darted over everyone in the Hall which was thoroughly packed with people. Quickly, your eyes landed on a strikingly blonde head of hair in the direction Hermione had gestured to.
From this distance you observed, scanning his body, as much of it as you could from where you were, for any obvious injuries and wounds. With a deep breath that exhaled as a heavy sigh, you couldn’t see anything.
“Go to him.” Was the quiet prompt you received in your ear. A quick glance back to Hermione, ensuring she would be okay, she pushed you on.
Your feet wouldn’t run as your steps were already heavy from exhaustion.
No one stopped you as you passed them, nor did you want them to.
Your tired brain could only focus on its task, getting to Draco. Cheering your limbs to keep moving. You were nearly there.
Narcissa met your gaze, a fleeting smile gracing her lips as she watched you approach before putting her hand on her son’s shoulder and encouraging him to look up.
His eyes lit up in a blaze of renowned emotion and his body rocketed up from where he was sat, rushing to wrap you up in a tight embrace.
Your arms wrapped themselves around his neck, holding him in place. His own had secured themselves around your waist and along your back.
You were embracing each other so tightly, so securely that for a moment, no one could tell what was Draco and what was you.
With a hiccup, Draco lifted his head, gently resting his forehead against yours, your noses brushing and eyes locked together. A lone tear fell down your cheek as Draco took a deep breath to steady himself, “I love you.”
A smile bloomed on your face, “as I love you. No regrets, Draco. None.” Declared with finality from your soul, sealed with a kiss.
A promise for the both of you that no matter what happened in the past, what had only just stopped happening, and what will happen, will be done because neither one of you would carry regrets into your future together.
It was not an immediate fix. No one overcomes the turmoil of a War overnight.
It was a promise between the two of you, only.
One that would help you both to heal. To move on. To grow and to mature.
“I don’t know but it looks like we’re gonna be stuck here for a while.”
“In the Shrieking Shack? If I die, I’m going to haunt your ass.”
The pair of you sat in silence for awhile, cast in the last rays of the sun as it set. You weren’t supposed to be in the same room as Remus as his transformation begins but the door had been sealed shut and the window lead to a long fall you didn’t want to partake in. Especially if it meant more than a broken ankle when you hit the ground.
The plan, originally, was to be on the lower levels of the shack in your animagus form long before Remus changed.
Yet, here you are, stuck in the same room as him with Sirius, James and Peter on the other side of the door.
“Are we supposed to confess our love now or something because that’s the impression I’m getting from being locked in here with you. Not that I’m complaining about being with you, Remus, but their timing could have been better.”
Another bout of silence occurred and it made you uncomfortable because he hadn’t made a peep.
You turned in what you was certain is his direction, uncertain as the room was cast into darkness. You couldn’t immediately place his outline so softly called his name.
A whimper of pain was your reply and it led you straight to him.
You carefully made your way over to him, kneeling on the floor once you felt you were close enough to crawl the remaining distance into his arms as he sat on the floor, curling in on himself to cope with the spasms of pain.
You wrapped his arms around your waist and snuggled into his torso once he relaxed from the most recent spasm he suffered, allowing him to grip you and not himself. He was only wrapped in a thick blanket so it was easy for him to rip into his skin whereas he had to go through the three layers you were wearing before he even came close to your skin.
“Can I confess my love to you now?” Remus whispered in your ear. Squeezing you tighter in his arms, feeling braver than usual to be able to have this conversation with you.
“Only if you accept mine.” You whispered in return, afraid to speak any louder and break the sweet atmosphere surrounding you. He whimpered and smothered the scream that erupted from his lungs into your shoulder and gripped you tighter as the pain worsened and you knew that his transformation would be soon upon him. “You’ll be okay, handsome.” You soothed, running your hands through his hair and down his back. “I’ll be right here with you.”
You held onto him for a while longer until his grip loosened and he slumped against the wall as the rest of his energy drained and the full moon took a hold of him.
This would be the first time you watched him change and it was three parts fascinating, seven parts traumatising.
“I love you, Remus.” You said as you backed out of his reach and changed into your animagus form.
Once he stabilised as the wolf, he was just perched on his hind legs, sniffing around before inching closer to you. Still sniffing.
He was still sniffing even as he shoved his nose into your side. You assumed he was trying to get as much of your scent as he could but you didn’t feel threatened so you stayed where you were and let him do his thing. Even if his breath was tickling you.
You don’t know how long you were like that for before you felt a tingling sensation and realised that Werewolf Remus had wormed his way around you, curling his much larger form around yours and you realised that he was purring.
This was unusual but since you had never been close to him as a Werewolf without the presence of your male friends and since you had established feelings for one another, you could work with this.
It’s going to make the coming full moons more interesting now that you realised that Werewolf Remus wants to keep you close.
Charlie brings you home to the Burrow for Christmas.
Warnings: it’s a long one. Eenie, teenie, tiny mention of smut. Lots of love thrown around.
ENJOY!
It was your time to stand guard in the watch tower which conveniently overlooks the entire dragon sanctuary: from the campus with the cafeteria and housing for those staying in the sanctuary; every enclosure for the dragons, occupied and not; to the forest where certain dragons were allowed to roam. Under supervision, of course.
Several days had gone by since the last incident which required the watch tower to signal everyone to red alert. A Peruvian Vipertooth had gotten free from its enclosure the first day it arrived in Romania and everyone had to go onto red alert. Even though she was a sweet-tempered lady, any of the other dragons could have sent her into a rampage causing injury to those who were unfortunate to be harmed by her venom.
As one of her handlers, you and the rest of your team managed to coax her back into her enclosure with ease, with a little help from her favourite snack and she’s been content ever since. None of the other dragons had gotten excited neither so that was a plus.
You were a little sad that you would be leaving for a time to enjoy Christmas back in Britain. Though a smile lit your face as you caught sight of your boyfriend, Charlie Weasley, talking to a group of interns; leading them around the enclosures.
He had arranged, quite awhile ago, for the two of you to go back to his home, The Burrow, for Christmas. The both of you had received a joint letter from his mum expressing her joy that her son was coming home for Christmas and that she looked forward to meeting you.
“Hey, Y/N.” You turned around to look at your colleague as they walked over to the magically encrypted schedule planner on the wall of the tower, “you can sign off here, but the c.m.o. wants to see you before you leave.”
“Hey, no problem, thanks. Will I see you when I get back from England or?” You politely asked as you wrote on the planner the time you signed off, who replaced you on shift and ticked no to say that no incidents happened under your watch.
“Probably not. Have a nice time with the in-laws, Y/N!”
“Will do! See you later, Kit!”
“Hey, babe.” You heard Charlie say from behind you as he walked into your shared bedroom where you were just packing last minute items. “Do we have everything?”
He walked up to you and lazily slid his arm around your waist; kissing your lips when you turned your face to him. “We’re ready to go, love.”
“Brilliant.” He slung one of the bags over his shoulder and held the other in one hand whilst holding you close in his other. “Trust me?” He whispered, as he looked at you, worry clouding his eyes.
No question, “always, Charlie.” Punctuating the statement by kissing his lips with force, conveying your feelings through the contact.
You smiled at each other as you pulled away and then you were taken into a side-along as Charlie escorted you to The Burrow.
Not too long later, the humble, teetering levels of Charlie’s childhood home appeared in front of you. As you took in the quirky look of the outside of the house, a smile blossomed on your face. “Oh, Charlie,” you whispered in awe. “I love it.”
“That’s good,” he laughed,” because I wouldn’t have been able to continue this relationship otherwise.”
“Yeah? You weren’t worth it anyway.” You quipped back before heading towards the front door, laughing as you went.
Charlie caught up with you as the front door opened and an older gentleman appeared in the doorway. He shared many features with Charlie like the dusting of freckles and the startling red hair. “Hi Dad, Merry Christmas.” Charlie greeted.
“Come on in, your mother is in the kitchen. Is this, Y/N?”
“Dad, this is Y/N.” Charlie introduced, “my favourite person in the world, my li-”
You put your hand over Charlie’s mouth to stop his rant before holding your other hand out to Mr Weasley. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr Weasley. Thank you for allowing me into your home.”
Mr Weasley smiled at the pair of you, returning you hand shake, “it’s nice to meet you too, and please call me Arthur.”
“Let them in already, Arthur!” A voice shouted from further inside the house.
Arthur chuckled before ushering you both in, “I’ll take your bags upstairs to your room, you’ll be sharing with Percy, if that’s okay?”
“Yeah that’s fine. Come on, Y/N, I’ll introduce you to Mum.” Charlie took your hand after passing your bags over to his Dad.
We found his Mum, as Arthur said, in the kitchen. She too shared the same features as Charlie and it was easy to see where he got his polite, charming personality. “Hi! You must be, Y/N? Aren’t you gorgeous! Look at you!” She cooed, effectively making you blush a brilliant shade of red before hugging the ever-loving stuffing out of you.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Weasley.” You said as she released you from her hold, still blushing.
“Please call me Molly, dear.” She took Charlie into her arms in the same manner she had you. “Charlie, my boy, look at you!” She pulled back to look at him because she hadn’t seen him in so long, but quickly pulled him back into a hug.
“Hi Mum.” He chuckled, hugging his Mum with just as much force. “Where is everyone?”
“They’re all in the back garden. Go out and join them if you’d like, I will call when the table has been set.”
Without complaint, Charlie laced your fingers together in a secure grip and led you through the house to the back door then outside where his siblings had started a quidditch game.
Those were some fond memories you love to look back on regularly and you still wear your first ever Weasley jumper even though Molly made you many others. You never wore any of your Weasley jumpers when working with the dragons because you didn’t want them to be damaged because you loved them so much.
Even though you had your own, Charlie never complained when you borrowed his. Especially when that was all you wore with the exception of course to the ornate ring proudly worn on your finger of your left hand.
