This year, we’re doing something different: Ship Week has a theme! This year’s theme is “The Love Languages”- out of the 7 days total, 5 have a Love Language, and the challenge is to incorporate that theme into your piece! Have fun creating!!
ALRIGHT! HPHM Ship Week 2025 has officially drawn to a close, and what a success it was!!
I want to give a huge shoutout to our participants.
To @anachriva - your talent in shading, anatomy and details is just so utterly incredible. It’s truly awe-inspiring, and it’s truly a level of talent so many hope to achieve. The diversity in your pieces are incredible as well.
To @chaoslunaire - I have fallen so utterly in love with your depictions of Tonks and Tulip. Truly. So rarely do you see someone capture a romantic dynamic as realistically and so tangible, but you manage it perfectly in every single piece you write. I think I’ll be rereading your pieces for months.
To @danceworshipper - I adore how well you characterize each character you write. I can go on about Oliver & Isla a different day, but you write each and every pairing so well- and the dynamics of each character feel so real, it’s as though I’m watching a movie. I always look forward to every piece you post.
To @helenadurazzo - Huge kudos to the level of detail you incorporate in every single piece you write. The affection, the care, the dialogue, the energy, the joy- it’s all so palpable in every piece you create. You truly have such a talent for writing.
And to @aleapple1216 - I commend you on your incredible talent in coloring as well as your understanding of lighting and anatomy. Each of your pieces are so captivating in their details- the hands, the hair, the expressions- all of it. Your work is so beautifully done.
THANK YOU SO SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED!!! Information on HPHMtember will be released in the next few days- and I sincerely hope to see you all again next year!!
warning for fighting, insults and profanity. Disclaimer: This is in no way meant to be hateful against the character of Charlie Weasley- I do really love him. It is simply an in-universe retelling of the reaction to his line- “Have we ever really been safe with the danger MC brings around?”
Merula goes looking for Salem and hearing about their fight with Charlie in early sixth year.
Merula knocked cautiously on the door to the artifact room.
She’d been searching for Salem for several minutes, ever since she’d heard yelling in the courtyard and stumbled upon Penny and Farhan holding Loki back as she screamed insults at Charlie, a furious look of rage on her face.
“What in the bloody hell is going on here?” Merula had questioned, utterly bewildered. It wasn’t uncommon to see Loki pissed off, but never had she seen that anger directed at a friend of Loki’s. Charlie looked a bit scared, but also angry.
“This pendejo insulted Salem ‘n Thalia!” Loki cried angrily, struggling against the two holding her back. “He put the blame on ‘em fer all the danger o’ the vaults, and ‘e’s got the cheek ter be upset ‘cause we got angry an’ defensive o’ ‘em!”
“Am I wrong?” Charlie spat back almost reflexively, quickly flinching as Loki writhed particularly violently at that. “We keep getting into danger and they’re the common denominator!”
“Cierra la maldita boca!” Loki roared, barely held back by the two. “You fucking apologize! They’ve been riskin’ their safety an’ lives t’stop those vaults, an’ you ‘have the audacity t’blame ‘em fer the danger? Que te folle un pez!!”
Merula felt anger swell up inside her as well, and a rare, small wave of approval at the sight of Ben’s face contorted in rage at Charlie. “Wait- then where’s Salem?”
“They ran off!” Penny panted, trying to tighten her grip around Loki. “Towards the main hall? I believe? Can you go find them, they were crying!”
Merula swallowed down the intense rage she felt at that, staring menacingly at Charlie. She gave a silent nod of approval to Loki, almost telepathically communicating “fuck him up for me” before turning on her heels and running towards the main hall.
Merula whipped her head around for any sign of the metamorphmagus, before catching a glimpse of a shadowy hallway that she knew led to the artifact room. It was something known almost exclusively by all of those within their social sphere/involved somehow in the vaults, and with it being close to class time, Merula figured that’d be the first place Salem would’ve hidden.
She was proven right as she approached the door and heard very muffled sounds of crying. Trying to swallow down her scorching anger, Merula opened the door and quickly closed it behind her before looking at Salem.
The witch was a mess- blue eyes wide, face tear streaked, hair messy and no longer bright and colorful, instead now a dull brown. Salem wiped furiously at their face in embarrassment.
“Wha’s you doin’ ‘ere?” Salem sniffed, still wiping tears to little success. Merula kneeled down and grasped Salem’s cheeks in their hands, pulling them to meet her eyes.
“Why else would I be here? My girlfriend’s upset!” Merula remarked, trying to tone down her anger as much as possible. She knew how sensitive Salem was to tones. “I can’t just let you suffer in silence. You didn’t let me do that all summer, remember? You kept dragging me places and cheering me up. I wanted to return the favor.”
Salem whimpered as more tears fell. “Ah, Charlie- what he said wasn’t wrong at all! Thalia and meself kept pokin’ around those vaults, an’ everyone’s been in a right pickle ‘cause of it! You got tortured! All 'cause of me!” They covered their face with their hands as another sob wracked their body. “I keep causin' danger, I just keep makin' it worse, y'know? Yous would all be safer keepin' yer distance from me!”
Merula moved instinctively and pulled Salem into a tight hug, pressing a kiss to their cheek before pulling them closer. “Now you know that’s not true. What is it you kept telling me? It was my anxiety talking so much, convincing me things were worse than they were? That’s what your brain’s doing right now!” Merula pulled away just enough to hold Salem’s face firmly in front of their own. “We’re all safer with you and Thalia working on those damn vaults! God knows them damn professors don’t do a bloody thing about ‘em! Beatrice got out ‘cause of you! Jacob got out ‘cause of you! Remember!?”
Salem sobbed into Merula’s hands.
“Naw naw - I’m just - it’s all me own fault! If we hadn’t poked into those bleedin' vaults-“
“They still would’ve opened!!” Merula cried, pulling Salem once again into a tighter hug. “They still would’ve opened. Matter of fact is, those bleedin’ vaults were destined to reopen, and you and your buddies are the only ones doing anything about it! Don’t listen to that daft bastard, he doesn’t know a damn thing!”
Salem let out another sob, but shifted as they wrapped their arms around Merula, leaning deep into the hug as if it was their lifeline. “Youse- ye really think tha'?” They asked, voice trembling, laced with sorrow and palpable anxiety.
Merula tightened her grip around Salem. “Of course I do. Look, who was it that believed in me in the first place? Who insisted I could be good? Who was it who stayed with me that whole summer after fifth year, barely leaving me alone to ensure I was alrigh’? It was you, Salem. You’d never hurt anyone on purpose, ever. I know that better than anyone, I think.” Merula pressed a kiss to Salem’s forehead. “You’re so much kinder than you think you are. Honestly, I dunno how I got so blessed to have met you. I committed so many sins that I never thought they’d be repaid with anything but suffering- but then I met you. You are the kindest person I’ve ever known. And I’ve seen you run into danger just to protect others. That bastard doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Hell, you helped protect him in the bloody vaults!”
Salem sniffled- not quite a full sob, but something akin to a wet laugh escaped their mouth. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Don’t listen to him. You’re one of the most selfless people I know.”
Salem sniffled again and dug their head into Merula’s shoulder, relishing the comfort and smell of their girlfriend so close. The two then just sat in silence for a good while, enjoying each other’s company.
“Thank you.” Salem finally mustered, pressing a kiss to Merula’s cheek. “I dunno wha' I'd do wit'out ya.”
Merula gave a proud smile and hugged Salem tighter. “Same here.”
Samara and Rowan fix a potion together early on in fourth year. Unfortunately, they’re both easily flustered messes.
“You all may commence your potion-making.” Snape declared to the room of students, all watching with bated breath as he’d explained that day’s potion to them.
Samara already had her book flipped to the correct page, writing little notes as usual in the empty spaces and margins around the text. Samara had studied the Calming Draught plenty of times before, in his many, many hours of scouring books in the Hogwarts Library since their very first day at the school.
Rowan sat next to them, her eyes also fixated on the chalkboard of instructions. Rowan had also jotted down a couple notes- Salem had made a quiet remark about how in sync the two were as they both wrote down notes at the same time. Samara tried to push that thought down before it could fluster him, hoping their cheeks hadn’t flushed pink.
As soon as Snape had spoken those words, he pointed at Samara’s table to be the first to get the potion ingredients. Samara didn’t bother trying to rush to the table, letting Salem, Loki and the others both get there first before grabbing some for themself and returning to their seat.
“Alright, now what’s the first step?” Rowan asked- not out of curiosity, but to test Samara’s knowledge. It was something they both loved to do, being fellow nerds/intellectuals, and Samara picked up on it immediately.
“Ye measure th’ ingredients.” Samara responded matter-of-factly, grabbing some peppermint to begin measuring. “‘N’ whit’s the second step?”
“You crush the crocodile's heart until it’s a fine paste.” Rowan responded reflexively, nodding his head almost in a small sense of pride.
“Aye. Why dinnae ye hand me th’ crocodile heart?” Samara remarked, reaching over. “Ah kin crush it while ye measure th’ other ingredients.”
“Alright!”
The two of them both got to work, too absorbed in it to pay much attention to the other six students at their table. Samara and Rowan, having now been friends for over two years, tended to work as a well-oiled machine when working on assignments together.
It gave Samara a slight bit of pause as they realized how truly in sync she and Rowan were- and that thought turned into a little bubbling pot in his brain. Samara pushed it down down down- it was Potions class, not free time to let his thoughts wander. He struggled enough with that outside of class, anyways.
“You got it simmering?” Rowan questioned, as Samara stirred the ingredients together. The potion was already starting to develop a slight blue-ish color.
“Aye.” Samara replied, stirring the pot gently in a clockwise direction. Before even realizing, their eyes locked with Rowan’s for a brief moment- until they both quickly looked away. Samara hoped no one saw the slight pink on her cheeks.
Samara just barely shook her head. This wasn’t the time to be getting so lost in thought- especially over their lab partner. Though, they were more than that. They were good friends, classmates, and study buddies. Rowan was one of very few people Samara felt wholly comfortable around- which was a rarity in it of itself.
Still, some part of him couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at Rowan’s similarly slightly flushed face. Samara gripped the stirrer and they flicked their eyes to stare at the potion- anywhere but Rowan’s face, as beautiful as it was.
The two continued to work in silence, until their potion turned a beautiful blue and they presented it to Snape, who gave them each a few house points for being the first ones done.
“Wanna help me clean up?” Rowan posited as the two walked back to their station.
“Aye.” Samara nodded. “Tis a wee bit mah mess anyways.”
Samara started gathering the leftover ingredients while Rowan washed out the pot. As they both went to grab something, their hands met- and time seemed to stop for just a moment, long enough for them to meet each other’s eyes again before blushing.
Samara turned away before anyone could notice their flushed face. He couldn’t help it- something about being around Rowan just made her so easily flustered, feeling like a young schoolgirl with a puppy crush. It sucked at times- why do I feel this way, this isn't the time, I need to focus on school only- but as Samara briefly glanced at Rowan again and caught his beautiful brown eyes, a small part of Samara decided that it wasn’t all that bad. If they had to be easily flustered in order to be around Rowan so much- it was just something they’d have to deal with.
