It's been fun.
Is there a single well-adjusted character in my entire story?!
(checks notes)
It doesn't seem likely. *sigh*
I had a sudden outpouring of inspiration. I have the next chapter well in hand as well. (which isn't saying much seeing how short they are)
Title: My Dreams, My Brother, Trouble.
Universe: Harry Potter AU
Rated: T (so far)
Pairing: JP/HP, onesided SS/HP
Summary: James loves Harry.
James studies Harry as they walk toward the Hogwarts Express. Harry was ignoring what had happened that day in Diagon Alley. However, Harry acted as was perfectly proper for the first time in his life.
He had finally locked his bedroom door.
James had been delighted. It had been so useless, the defiance so futile. He had knocked, and Harry had let him in as though it had never been locked in the first place.
A smile comes to James’ face as he remembers Harry’s look of half fear and half excitement. James does not like that Harry is not a virgin, but he is smug that Harry could recognize him now as having a hunger much like Lucius.
Lucius is in the way. The Potter heir scowls as he remembers how Lucius had hurt him. He had been prepared to hate Lucius because he just knows that Harry had slept with that blond narcissist. However, it wouldn’t do to act badly in front of Harry in a public place. Lucius had put an end to the dilemma by acting badly first, and James now had a publicly acceptable reason to act up with little reprimand from Harry.
Despite his humiliation at the hands of Malfoy, James is quite pleased with how his birthday trip had gone. The kiss with Harry had been the cherry on top of a Fortescue’s sundae. James had pulled slightly back so as not to make Harry flee and spent the last five months on comparatively good behavior to the relief of the servants and house elves. After all, if you cornered your prey, you were likely to get bitten. James had no intention of being “bitten” by Harry if it wasn’t going to be pleasurably.
After hauling his trunk into a compartment, James kisses Harry’s cheek, ignores Harry’s flinch, and runs off to look for a friend to waste some time away from Harry with. He crashes into a boy but, after giving him a short measuring glance (poor, ugly, faintly greasy, unworthy), continues on to look in the compartments in the back. Harry had told him that all the troublemakers met in the back.
---
“Severus, You are so selfish!”
Severus Snape cringes at the memory of Lily’s, his best friend’s, ire. They had another argument about her sister Petunia. Severus thought her a selfish, jealous bitch and that Lily would be better off without her. Lily, however, insisted on sticking by “Pet” though Petunia often hurled abuse at Snape and, with increasing frequency, Lily. Severus had insisted on Lily cutting ties with Petunia as she was only holding Lily back. Lily had proclaimed that she would always stand by her sister and to abandon her for personal gain would be selfish. Then, she had told Severus that he was selfish.
Really! It was her well-being he was watching out for! Of course, he would apologize because he liked Lily and didn’t want their friendship to suffer. She is his only friend after all. He should probably be looking for her compartment so that this matter could be resolved before they left the train. It wouldn’t be at all auspicious to step into the school with harsh feelings between them. Severus shakes himself out of his thought and turns around-
And then, there is a rough surface against his face, and he is aching along his torso and cheek. He is stunned for a moment before realizing that someone must have run into him and sits up to give the culprit a piece of his mind.
The culprit is a handsome young boy his age who barely spares Severus a second glance beyond the first contemptuous sneer before continuing to hurtle down the corridor. Severus huffs indignantly and hears a gentle chuckle. He whirls around indignantly to give the new victim a piece of his mind.
This culprit is an older student with long, wavy hair and eyes that are prettier and greener than even Lily’s. He is watching the rude boy running away with a soft, indulgent smile before he speaks in a light, gentle voice. “He’s a little self-absorbed,” he sighs, “but he isn’t really a bad boy.”
Severus gives a little jump and warily eyes the upperclassman. He talked the way Severus’ mother used to before Tobias Snape beat it out of her for being “hoity” so that meant that he was probably a pureblood. Severus keeps his mouth shut and head down. A hand comes to rest gently on Severus’ head and that kind voice continues, “But that is no reason for rudeness, so I would like to apologize to you for my younger brother’s lack of manners. I will speak to him about this.”
Severus looks up in astonishment. Perhaps he did not know that Severus was not a pureblood. He keeps silent and merely nods.
“I am Harry Potter.”
Faced with kindness that even Lily denied him, Severus trembles. How awful will it be when he is rejected for being a halfblood? His unpolished accent will give him away, just as his family name will.
His hesitation does not go unnoticed. Harry smiles and asks, “First in the family to go to Hogwarts?”
Severus stubbornly sticks out his jaw as he answers, “No, my mother went.” Harry nods and doesn’t mention his father, and Severus loves him instantly for this and follows him to a compartment, completely forgetting about Lily.
Inside the compartment, there is a posse of the rich and privileged. They are all beautiful and full of sneering hauteur. Severus clutches at his secondhand robes and shuffles back, but Harry lays a gentle, reassuring hand on his back.
“Providing protection to the pathetic poor? You grow more charitable by the day.”
The one who had just spoken was a blonde who was almost certainly the wealthiest and most important in the compartment. Harry just smiles and says chidingly, “Now, Lucius, hold that razor you call a tongue for a moment. I’m thinking of sponsoring him.”
(checks notes)
It doesn't seem likely. *sigh*
I had a sudden outpouring of inspiration. I have the next chapter well in hand as well. (which isn't saying much seeing how short they are)
Title: My Dreams, My Brother, Trouble.
Universe: Harry Potter AU
Rated: T (so far)
Pairing: JP/HP, onesided SS/HP
Summary: James loves Harry.
James studies Harry as they walk toward the Hogwarts Express. Harry was ignoring what had happened that day in Diagon Alley. However, Harry acted as was perfectly proper for the first time in his life.
He had finally locked his bedroom door.
James had been delighted. It had been so useless, the defiance so futile. He had knocked, and Harry had let him in as though it had never been locked in the first place.
A smile comes to James’ face as he remembers Harry’s look of half fear and half excitement. James does not like that Harry is not a virgin, but he is smug that Harry could recognize him now as having a hunger much like Lucius.
Lucius is in the way. The Potter heir scowls as he remembers how Lucius had hurt him. He had been prepared to hate Lucius because he just knows that Harry had slept with that blond narcissist. However, it wouldn’t do to act badly in front of Harry in a public place. Lucius had put an end to the dilemma by acting badly first, and James now had a publicly acceptable reason to act up with little reprimand from Harry.
Despite his humiliation at the hands of Malfoy, James is quite pleased with how his birthday trip had gone. The kiss with Harry had been the cherry on top of a Fortescue’s sundae. James had pulled slightly back so as not to make Harry flee and spent the last five months on comparatively good behavior to the relief of the servants and house elves. After all, if you cornered your prey, you were likely to get bitten. James had no intention of being “bitten” by Harry if it wasn’t going to be pleasurably.
After hauling his trunk into a compartment, James kisses Harry’s cheek, ignores Harry’s flinch, and runs off to look for a friend to waste some time away from Harry with. He crashes into a boy but, after giving him a short measuring glance (poor, ugly, faintly greasy, unworthy), continues on to look in the compartments in the back. Harry had told him that all the troublemakers met in the back.
---
“Severus, You are so selfish!”
Severus Snape cringes at the memory of Lily’s, his best friend’s, ire. They had another argument about her sister Petunia. Severus thought her a selfish, jealous bitch and that Lily would be better off without her. Lily, however, insisted on sticking by “Pet” though Petunia often hurled abuse at Snape and, with increasing frequency, Lily. Severus had insisted on Lily cutting ties with Petunia as she was only holding Lily back. Lily had proclaimed that she would always stand by her sister and to abandon her for personal gain would be selfish. Then, she had told Severus that he was selfish.
Really! It was her well-being he was watching out for! Of course, he would apologize because he liked Lily and didn’t want their friendship to suffer. She is his only friend after all. He should probably be looking for her compartment so that this matter could be resolved before they left the train. It wouldn’t be at all auspicious to step into the school with harsh feelings between them. Severus shakes himself out of his thought and turns around-
And then, there is a rough surface against his face, and he is aching along his torso and cheek. He is stunned for a moment before realizing that someone must have run into him and sits up to give the culprit a piece of his mind.
The culprit is a handsome young boy his age who barely spares Severus a second glance beyond the first contemptuous sneer before continuing to hurtle down the corridor. Severus huffs indignantly and hears a gentle chuckle. He whirls around indignantly to give the new victim a piece of his mind.
This culprit is an older student with long, wavy hair and eyes that are prettier and greener than even Lily’s. He is watching the rude boy running away with a soft, indulgent smile before he speaks in a light, gentle voice. “He’s a little self-absorbed,” he sighs, “but he isn’t really a bad boy.”
Severus gives a little jump and warily eyes the upperclassman. He talked the way Severus’ mother used to before Tobias Snape beat it out of her for being “hoity” so that meant that he was probably a pureblood. Severus keeps his mouth shut and head down. A hand comes to rest gently on Severus’ head and that kind voice continues, “But that is no reason for rudeness, so I would like to apologize to you for my younger brother’s lack of manners. I will speak to him about this.”
Severus looks up in astonishment. Perhaps he did not know that Severus was not a pureblood. He keeps silent and merely nods.
“I am Harry Potter.”
Faced with kindness that even Lily denied him, Severus trembles. How awful will it be when he is rejected for being a halfblood? His unpolished accent will give him away, just as his family name will.
His hesitation does not go unnoticed. Harry smiles and asks, “First in the family to go to Hogwarts?”
Severus stubbornly sticks out his jaw as he answers, “No, my mother went.” Harry nods and doesn’t mention his father, and Severus loves him instantly for this and follows him to a compartment, completely forgetting about Lily.
Inside the compartment, there is a posse of the rich and privileged. They are all beautiful and full of sneering hauteur. Severus clutches at his secondhand robes and shuffles back, but Harry lays a gentle, reassuring hand on his back.
“Providing protection to the pathetic poor? You grow more charitable by the day.”
The one who had just spoken was a blonde who was almost certainly the wealthiest and most important in the compartment. Harry just smiles and says chidingly, “Now, Lucius, hold that razor you call a tongue for a moment. I’m thinking of sponsoring him.”