Weekly Drabble Challenge - A Thousand Words: Love - Results

[mugglemathdork]

Yay! Aren't we excited? A picture prompt! And the Ebil One found an awesome picture for this week:

Love comes from the most unexpected places [Taken by woolloomooloosky of Flickr]

Of course, the catch!
The Catch: No canon pairings.

The following form must be used when submitting your drabble responses to this post -

[B]Name:[/B]
[B]House:[/B]
[B]Title:[/B]
[B]Warnings:[/B]
[B]Word Count:[/B]
[B]Pairing:[/B]
[B]Author's Notes:[/B] 

Winners will be awarded 15, 10, and 5 points respectively.

All drabbles must be less than 500 words; All standard grammar rules, and MNFF submissions guidelines apply.

The challenge will be up for a week, and be closed exactly a week later (September 14th).

All questions should be referred to the Question Corner - Do not post questions here. Only drabbles!

Not So New Anymore for the Weekly Challenges:
Due to a major lack of quality drabbles being submitted to the weeklies, Gato Loco will require that some real thoughtful, original submissions be posted from this moment on or you'll end up like this woman here. That's your one and only warning! XD


Other than that...have fun!

~Ebil One

[mudbloodproud]

Name: mudbloodproud
House:Hufflepuff
Title: Because of Another Red Heart
Warnings: AU
Word Count: 500
Pairing: Lily/Snape
Authors Notes: In this story, only James died. Lily survived as did Harry though Voldemort was still destroyed. I am going to develop this into a full story, so the details are still a bit sketchy.

“Harry, come back away from the water, honey.” Lily moved quickly across the beach as she spoke. She knew her four year old son would not listen to her. He had no fear of anything.

As she scooped him up into her arms, she was momentarily struck by his resemblance to his father. The pain shot through her like a lance. Even after almost three years, her breathe still caught in her throat and tears pooled in her eyes when she thought about James.

“Mama, drink?” Harry asked.

“Of course, sweetie, let’s go up there and see what we can find.” Lily pointed to the boardwalk as she spoke.

When she reached the wooden planks, she set Harry onto his feet and took his hand in hers as she walked up.

She was halfway up the walkway when she spotted a red heart carved into the railing. Though the names were not the same ones she remembered, she was struck by the similarities of a heart carved long ago and far away by someone else.

“Lily, come see what I did,” Severus called to Lily who was standing on the beach watching the waves as they crashed to shore.

“What did you do?” she asked as she approached him.

Severus Snape pointed down at the red heart he had carved with his wand into the wood. On each side of the heart were their names.

Lily glanced nervously around. “Sev, you know we are not supposed to do magic outside school. And with all these Muggles around. What if someone had seen you?”

“Lily, I was careful. No one saw me. I doubt the Ministry is going to investigate something so small. Not with everything else they have going on.” He smiled at her.

“Now our names are together forever. Just like we will be, right?” Severus asked, his nervousness at her answer evident in his voice.

Lily was saved from answering by her mother calling them for dinner.

“Mama!” Harry’s insistent voice broke through her memories.

Turning away from the shape of the heart, she began walking again. She knew Severus was teaching at Hogwarts. She wondered if she should try to see him. Would he see her? Was she ready for that?

She wondered what he would do if she showed up on his doorstep. Would he be welcoming or would he close the door in her face?

She glanced down at Harry, then up at the sky. Silently, she asked for James to understand. She needed to know if the peace she felt while thinking about Severus was more than just a childhood memory or if there could be something more.

***

Two hours later, she was standing alone outside the house on Spinner’s End. She had left Harry with Remus, not telling him why, of course.

Quickly before she could change her mind, she knocked on the door.

As the door opened, the man standing there gasped, “Lily?”

Smiling, she said simply, “Can I come in?”

[MissyQuill]

Name: Sammy
House: Gryffindor
Title: Untitled (I am just uncreative like that)
Warnings: AU and a little 'adult' language.
Word Count: 439
Pairing: Well, it will turn into a Dramione later but shush, don't tell anyone!
Authors Notes: This is non canon in the way that Hermione is breaking it off with Ron and Dramione in the way that I, being the all powerful author who is working on a Dramione (of which this is a little part of), know that she will end up with Draco.

“Hermione, are you trying to break your neck climbing all the way up here – and one day before the wedding, too?”

“No, Ron, I don’t have a particular wish to die, not after all the things we lived through.”

“Then why in Merlin’s name did you call me here in the middle of the night?”

“I – just needed to talk to you.”

“Well, couldn’t it have waited till morning? Don’t blame me if I fall asleep during the vows tomorrow.”

“That’s not funny, Ronald.”

“I was only joking, Hermione. Now, what was it you wanted to tell me?”

“Ron, I… I don’t know how to really say this. I – I don’t feel ready. There, I’ve said it.”

“Ready for what?”

“The wedding, of course. I mean, you really are a wonderful person, and I really loved you –”

“Loved?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Hermione, are you sure this isn’t a case of those wedding nerves you women are always talking about? I mean, I'm pretty nervous too at the thought of getting married, but I –”

“No, Ron. It’s not that I am not ready to marry. It’s just that I’m not ready to marry you. I sound like a bi*ch, but I can’t do this.”

“But why not? We’ve been together forever.”

“I know… But I just can’t, Ron.”

“I see.”

“Ron, you have every right to hate me. I wouldn’t blame you if you did because I deserve to be hated for what I’m doing. I just don’t want to be thinking, twenty years from now, about how my life would have been different.”

“I don’t hate you.”

“Really?”

“Well, maybe a little bit.”

“I’m really, really sorry. I wish there was another way.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“I guess I should go now. Goodbye, Ron. I don’t know when I'll see you again. I’m leaving the Burrow after this. I’ve left a note for your mum and Harry.”

“Where will you go?”

“I’ve got a place. I’ll probably be staying with Draco for a while until I can decide what to do.”

“You’re staying with Malfoy?”

“Ron!”

“Alright, I guess he’s not so bad.”

“So, erm, bye.”

“Wait, Hermione, what about the heart we carved on that boardwalk last Spring when we were at Aunty Muriel’s? You know she wanted to show it off at the wedding and tell the guests that we met because of her.”

“Erm, I’ll write to her and explain. And ask someone to remove it.”

“Don’t bother, I’ll tell her not to do anything stupid – as if that would work – just let it gather dust.”

“I really am sorry, Ron”

“Yeah, I know.”

[The Marauding Cupcake]

Name: Michelle/The Marauding Cupcake
House: Gryffindor
Title: One Fine Day
Warnings: blatant abuse of AU
Word Count: 472
Pairing: Remus/OC
Authors Notes: The pairing is a Muggle and Wizard. This is as AU and non-canon pairing as you could get – and I like it that way! >.<

I put the kettle on and adjust the heat on the stove. Looking at my husband kipped on the settee, I smile. Staring out the kitchen window, I’m taken back to a day very much like this one, many years ago.


Every day I took lunch on the pier as a break from the constant chatter and phone calls I dealt with as a receptionist. The monotony of uni courses and a spectacularly boring job left me craving my spare moments alone with my imagination. One had to believe that magic existed somewhere.

I’d lolled too long this particular afternoon and realised, after I raced back to the office, that I left the book I was reading on the railing. I grumbled, thankful only that it wasn’t one of my texts for class, but an old book I read for pleasure. None the less, it was one of my favourites and I found my self racing again after work, hoping it would still be where I left it.

As I reached the rail, I saw a man standing in the place I’d been earlier, also reading a book – my book! My shadow fell over him as I approached. He looked up and I saw that, contrary to my first impression, he seemed to be around the same age as me.

‘I’m sorry, but I believe that’s my book.’ I smiled, extending my hand. He squinted up at me for a moment and then slid the book behind his back.

‘I’m sorry, but how do I know this is your book?’ His eyes twinkled mischievously and if it weren’t for those eyes and handsome, warm smile, I’d have flown into a snit. As it was, I traced the heart carved in the wood between us as I tried to compose myself.

‘Well, it’s a book about Greek and Roman mythology and there was a page marker nestled around 116, or so.’

He drew the book out, verified the information I’d given him and held it out to me. ‘So, it would seem this is your book. I take it you're the Michelle whose name is on the inside cover, then?’ I nodded.

‘And you are?’

Curiously, he gazed at the book for a moment before answering. ‘Erm, you can call me “John”,’ he said, grinning oddly as if he was in on some inside joke.

‘Well, John, did you like the book? Are you interested in mythology?’

‘You could say I have a keen interest in a few of the stories...’


The kettle whistle shrills, tearing me out of my memories. I pour two cups of tea and take the book from the shelf. It’s the one that started it all, the one that finally brought magic into my life.

My husband stirs as I kiss his forehead.

‘Care for a cuppa, Remus?’

[eternalangel]

Name:eternalangel
House:Ravenclaw
Title:One-sided
Warnings:AU
Word Count:500
Pairing:Blaise Zabini/Ginny Weasley
Authors Notes: This is a depiction of how not all love is reciprocated, but also how it is still very powerful. I also couldn't figure out how to put a heart in the line at the end, so the word love is used instead. I hope this is okay since the picture had an actual heart.

The red of the sunset veined with slivers of gold seeped into the sand of the beach. Blaise Zabini leaned on the paint flaked gray railing of the pier, looking out at the endless sea. His mind couldn’t help but notice that the colors of the dying day look just like the colors of her hair.

Blaise scowled, trying to push her out of his mind. It had been quite a shock to him when he realized that he really liked Ginny Weasley.

He had always thought her to be pretty with her vibrant red hair and creamy pale skin, but lately Ginny Weasley had become the center of many boys’ attention. Zabini knew it wasn’t all about looks; she had an intelligence that was hard to not be enchanted with.

Blaise knew all about the power women could hold over men; he had seen his mother use this power many times on her many husbands, but Ginny wasn’t the same. She didn’t seek to control or seduce, and that was what attracted Blaise to her. Not that he would ever admit it.

Whenever he did pass her in the hall, he would act as if she never existed; if their eyes met, he would turn his away, but never fast enough before he saw the disdain in hers. She had no problem letting him know that she had a very low opinion of any Slytherin.

Blaise cursed silently under his breath, his grip on the gray railing tightening in anger. He was from the proud bloodline of powerful witches, his mother being the most accomplished of them all. His rare good looks had girls of many a pure-blood family pining over him, and his intelligence gave him the top grades of Slytherin.

So how did she, the blood traitor, have the audacity to look down on him? And why did he care? He gritted his teeth in annoyance with himself for forming an attachment to this girl, and yet his heart could not be swayed by this annoyance. He loved the way Ginny smiled when she was happy, and how she smelled like sunshine on a nice spring day. He loved the vibrant color of her hair that matched her fiery spirit.

Standing alone on a Muggle pier far from the eyes of any wizard, he was able to think of her, without worrying that people like his mother and Draco would ever know. And maybe this was the only place he could ever express his love for her. Blaise leaned down and picked up a rusty nail at his feet.

With the nail in hand, he began to etch all of his frustration, all his fascination and all his futility into the decaying wood of a place no wizard would ever see. When he was done, his statement blazed up at him:

BZ loves GW

Blaise stared at the proclamation for a moment, and then walked away, aware that his statement of love would only ever be one-sided.

[saveginny417]

Name: Juli/saveginny417
House:Hufflepuff
Title: There Is Laughter
Warnings: None
Word Count: 379
Pairings: Luna/Seamus
Author's Notes: Set sometime between September 1st and Christmas during DH, so both Luna and Seamus would still have been at Hogwarts. I wrote it so it fits canon events but not pairings. Yeah. Enjoy!

The bell tolls the end of Muggle Studies. Finally. This class was interesting before the war, before they started teaching us coercion and torture. I shove my stuff away as fast as I can and race for the door, wishing Dean were still here to complain with.

One thing they can only create, not stop, is hunger, and the mass of people heading for dinner is as big as it always is. I make my way to the Gryffindor table, when my path is blocked and I ram headfirst into whoever it is, falling down in the process.

“Sorry!” says a voice, and someone sticks out a hand to help me up. I look up at my saviour- and probably assailant- and find myself face to face with Luna Lovegood.

“Sorry, Seamus,” she says again. “I wasn’t paying attention; there was a herkelmeister my way.”

I nod, about to brush off the entire encounter, when something stops me. “What’s a herkelmeister?” I find myself asking.

Luna smiles at me. “Oh, it’s this evil spirit. It invades your mind and makes you think you’re somewhere entirely different, so you get caught off guard.”

“So technically, if you got attacked by one of these herkel-things, it would leave you thoroughly helpless?”

“It would.” She laughs. It’s a wonderful sound. Since they took over Hogwarts, no one laughs anymore.

No one except Luna.

She suddenly seems different to me. She’s not as Loony as she was painted all those years ago. I wonder how I’ve never noticed her beauty, her grace, her laughter. Perhaps a herkelmeister was in my way too.

“… and I’m sure you dislodged it when you walked into me, so thanks,” she continues, clearly unaware of my epiphany.

I stare at her, grinning madly. Then, on a random, wonderful impulse, I kiss her on the cheek and run away, all thought of dinner forgotten.

They thought they could kill happiness. They thought they could kill love. They thought they could destroy all that is good with the world and replace it with a cold, heartless land of ice.

They were wrong. There are still those who will fight, those who will win, and those who will laugh.

I am one of them. So is Luna.

There is laughter.

[Equinox Chick]

Name: Equinox Chick
House: Hufflepuff
Title: Love in the Office?
Warnings: None
Word Count: 496
Pairing: Mafalda Hopkirk and -well you'll see.
Authors Notes: I chose Mafalda Hopkirk because I always have great difficulty remembering exactly how to spell her name.

The two boys on the beach were chuckling as they buried their sleeping father in the sand. Their mother laughed indulgently at their daring. The oldest boy creeping carefully up the beach suddenly dropped a large clump of wet seaweed onto his father’s head. The man jumped up and chased after them. Squealing with delight they scampered over the sand until he caught up with them. He scooped them both into his arms and swung them round and round until they were giddy. Then he brought them squirming and giggling to their mother who was unpacking a large picnic basket.

The perfect family.

Mafalda Hopkirk watched this scene of domestic bliss and tried hard not to cry. Grasping the promenade rail tightly she tried to focus on a badly scratched heart in the wood – anything to stop her tears. Furtively she withdrew her wand and began to carve a far more intricate heart, colouring it a deep red.

“That should be me,” she whispered as she took one last look at the little family now tucking in to pumpkin pasties.

“I love you, Mafalda, but I’m a married man,” he would say.

“I can settle for crumbs, my darling, although I want so much more,” she would reply.

She had loved him for so long. Since that first day at the Ministry when he’d courteously held the lift door open for her then pressed the button for her floor. They were not working in the same department then, but she’d seen him often, usually in the lift or stepping out of a fireplace. Then, after two years in Education, Mafalda had transferred to his department as a junior clerk. In close proximity to him she found new things to love, his enthusiasm, his ideals even his absentmindedness.

“You have to think of your boys. I cannot tear their lives apart,” she would sob nobly into his manly chest.

“But, Mafalda, I cannot live without you!” he would declaim as he kissed her passionately.

On and on the voices echoed through her mind battering her bruised soul.



“Morning, Perkins.”

“Morning, Weasley. Good Holiday?”

“Lovely, thank-you. We had a marvellous time at the seaside.”

“How are those two scamps of yours?”enquired Perkins.

“Bill and Charlie? Great thank-you. Oh and guess what? Molly’s pregnant again!” Arthur's smile lit up the room.

“Hoping for a girl?”

“To be honest, Perkins, as long as the new one is healthy I really don’t mind. Although, between you and me, I think Molly would secretly like a girl,” whispered Arthur confidentially.

“Just have to keep at it, eh Weasley?” said Perkins roguishly.

Arthur turned reluctantly to his desk, expecting the usual muddle but was pleasantly surprised. His in-tray was empty, his desk polished and his copy of ‘Which Muggle Artefact?’ had been placed on his blotter. It looked in pristine condition.

"That new clerk is an absolute treasure," he said to himself. "Amalda? Malafda? Faldama? I really must learn her name."

[Hermoine Jean Granger]

Name: Hermoine Jean Granger
House: Ravenclaw!
Title: The Darkest Light
Warnings: Depression, mention of a character's death.
Word Count: 499!!
Pairing: Severus/Lily
Authors Notes: Gah! I wonder why everything I write becomes Dark/Angsty. I tried to write it as a happy story, but failed MISERABLY!! Once again, thanks goes to my lovely beta Azhure for editing and title help.

The dark room in the deserted house was illuminated by a single beam of light coming from the tip of a wand; it was as though the inhabitant wanted to be invisible. The black robes which were usually crisp and as good as new were tardy and dirty, giving an impression of negligence. The man seated on the old armchair was in grief. Tears weren’t flowing down his sharp features, as his grief was above petty tears, at least according to him. Maybe it was due to the shock, maybe he just couldn’t comprehend the fact till now.

Lily is dead. He kept repeating this to himself again and again, the words still seemingly unfamiliar to his mind. I caused her death, said a voice within him. He shut his eyes at the thought, trying to get rid of it.

After an hour or so of sitting on the chair numbly, he decided to go out from the dark room into the sunlit street, though his mind was completely filled with darkness which would never leave him alone.

Though his mind was completely blank, his legs somehow led him to a familiar place, a place where he had spent almost all his childhood watching Lily play, the Lily who was now dead. Pain seared through his heart once again, leaving a new trail of heartburn in the already mutilated heart of his.

He suddenly stopped midstride when he saw a familiar sight. The old oak tree on which he and Lily had spent many an afternoon discussing the wizarding world as young children was still there, towering over all the others. However, that was not what drew him to the sight; it was the rickety old bench just beneath it, unused and as dirty as ever.

“Severus, tell me about Hagrid again. He seems so fascinating and superhuman,” said Lily, her hair being blown about by the breeze.

“What else should I tell? He is huge, as huge as a giant, and is the Hogwarts groundskeeper,” said Severus, enraptured by her voice.

“All right, let’s do something else now,” said Lily, picking up a sharp-edged stone from the ground.

“Like what?”

“Let’s carve our names on this bench. It’ll be fun to do, and we can make our names stay there for ever,” said Lily, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

The thought came back to him vividly, and Severus went up to the bench. The layers of dust had obscured the carving, but on dusting the bench, he could see them clearly. The self-imposed wall of calm and collectedness broke at the sight; a tear fell down from his face and mingled with the dust.

He stared at it hard and long before whipping out his wand. Pointing his wand at the bench, he non-verbally made a red heart appear between the two words. Another non-verbal spell and he had ensured that the carving stayed there forever.

Then, feeling embarrassed, he strode off in the direction of his house.

[Azhure]

Name: Azhure
House: Ravenclaw
Title: Love Heart
Warnings: None - it's a miracle, isn't it? I can tell you that I was shocked!
Word Count: 498
Pairing: Sirius/Lily
Authors Notes: Okay, you have no idea how many ideas I had for this challenge... But I chose this one because... I don't really know. It's just the idea that jumped out the most, I suppose! Thank you so much to HJ for the title and helping me cut down the word count!

A harsh sea breeze whipped at his face as he leant against the wooden fence, gazing out to the ocean. Muggle children were running along the beach, laughing and screaming as they dodged the waves. Sirius Black smiled at their innocence, and laughed when one child was too slow and let out a high-pitched scream as the waves licked her feet.

“What are you laughing at?” Lily asked from beside him. Sirius looked at her and smiled.

“Just the children,” he said. Lily also smiled as she, too, watched the frolicking youngsters. Sirius looked down and noticed Lily’s hand resting on the fence. Should he reach out for it? Sirius had always harboured affection for Lily, but she was Prongs’ girlfriend. Throwing all his insecurities out to sea, Sirius reached for her hand. Lily looked up in surprise.

“Sirius?” she asked nervously. Sirius avoided her gaze, his hand warm where it touched hers. Suddenly, she pulled away with a pained expression. “We can’t, Sirius,” she stated, and Sirius knew there was no room for argument.

But when had Sirius Black followed the rules?

“Lily, let me explain.”

“No, Sirius. We can’t.” Lily’s face was red and Sirius wondered whether it was from anger or embarrassment.

The waves crashed against the rocks and the children screamed with joy once again. But Sirius didn’t smile. How could it have gone wrong so quickly?

Lily moved away from the fence and gave Sirius another pained look before disapparating suddenly. Sirius turned back to the sea, now gripping the fence tightly. Why did he always muck things up?

You’re a failure! echoed the words his parents had spat at him when he had left Grimmauld place for good. Sirius gripped the fence even tighter. The pain throbbed in his hand, but he did not let go, at least until he felt his skin start to tear. Ripping his hand away from the fence, he looked down. Something had been etched into the wood, by Muggles, no doubt. Two names, divided by a love heart. A lump rose in Sirius’ throat. Why was everyone else happy when he was miserable?

Down on the beach, the children laughed as if to prove his point.

He was a failure! He couldn’t even get the girl he wanted. At that moment, Sirius hated Prongs. Prongs always had it so easy; the loving parents, the beautiful girl and the stable home. Sirius had a sudden urge to go back to Prongs’ place and say that Lily had kissed him. A wave of determination washed through him. Yes, James will see what it’s like to feel pain!

But a second later, Sirius was disgusted with himself. Prongs didn’t ask for all that. It was just given to him. With a sigh, Sirius turned away from the fence and clenched his hand tightly. It stinged from gripping the fence so firmly, and he examined it.

A faint outline had been pressed into his hand.

It was a love heart.

~~Azhure~~

[Mistletoe]

Name: Mistletoe
House: Slytherin
Title: Your Addiction
Warnings: Slash, Implied Sexual Situations
Word Count: 500
Pairing: Remus/Sirius

The door clicked shut behind you as you scurried away from the glaring windows of the castle. This seemed to be the millionth time you had stolen James’ invisibility cloak so you could meet him in the shadows of the grounds. It was undeniable, you could not stay away even if you needed to. This was an addiction.

Not once had you not gone to the tree 100 paces from Hagrid’s hut into the forest. It would be dangerous not to go. You had hesitated, yes, as you heard him leave from the dormitory only moments before you. It was wrong. Peter might be awake, or worse, James. But it was your addiction; it was the only source of the true happiness you felt day to day, so you could not give it up.

As the dry autumn grass crunched under your sneakers, you made your way to your tree. His tree. The tree. Just as you passed Hagrid’s hut, a dark shape collided heavily with your side, knocking you to the ground. A dull ache crept up your side, but as soon as you realized who had tackled you, the ache was forgotten.

“What are you doing, Sirius?” you asked. There it was; the feeling of warm happiness, accompanied by a few butterflies, settling in your stomach. He rolled over onto his back so that he could stare up at the stars. He always found his constellation before he could concentrate on anything more than the endless black sky.

His finger danced lazily in the air before he muttered, “Ah, there it is—being sneaky tonight.”

“Sirius?” you whisper, the warmth of the back of his hand on yours electric. You could never shake the feeling of his skin on yours; it made memories of lust surface as easily as oil surfaced with water.

“Wha—Oh, right,” he replied, snapping you from your reminiscing. “I wanted to show you something I did.”

He stood up gingerly, grabbing your hand with the intent to help you up, but all it did was set your mind off on another tangent of thoughts. No one had ever made you lose control like this. That was the scary part of this addiction—your total loss of every intelligible thought that made you yourself.

Without even noticing (probably due to your rampant thoughts), Sirius had dragged you over to the forest. Letting go of your hand, he caused all thoughts to slide from mind, allowing you to shake yourself back to normal.

He picked what looked like an old piece of wood up from the ground.

“Look.” He lifted his wand, whispering, “Lumos.”

Carved on the face of the rotting wood were the initials ‘SB’ and ‘RL’, complete with a lopsided heart. Your chest thudded with heat as Sirius leaned in closer to you.

This was all too much. He was your addiction, your only safe haven that pushed you so far over the edge that you knew you could never live without it.

<33Kat