Its The Way I'll Read Any Of Them LMAOO I Love That We Have The Same Interests

its the way i'll read any of them LMAOO i love that we have the same interests

i've got burn out chapter 5, a gally fic, and a tasm!peter fic in my drafts. someone tell me why i should choose which one to focus on and not on the others 🔫😐

the new name is so cute !

thank you so much!! :)

will be updating the links on my masterpost and everything later tonight <3

could you maybe do cuddling hc’s with the dream smp boys that are comfortable with that? i just read ur story of karl painting the readers nails and it was so amazing!! <3 also, if it’s possible could i be 🌻 anon? also my pronouns are she/her if you needed them for the anon :)))

clearing out some old asks! this is so old HAHA but i don't really write hcs, sorry!

you've been added to the anon list though!! :)

do we like the new blog name or should i go back 🧍‍♀️

beauty [georgenotfound]

pairing: georgenotfound x f!reader

pronouns: she/her

synopsis: you, a simple student from beauxbatons, are selected to represent your school and spend a year at hogwarts for the duration of the triwizard tournament. you simply happen to meet someone who makes it all the more interesting.

wc: 8.2k

a/n: six months of hiatus later, this is an idea i've wanted to do for awhile. truthfully feeling a bit rusty in the writing department so apologies if it's not my best :)

tw: n/a

beauxbatons academy of magic; the epitome of beauty, grace, and elegance. they prided themselves on reflecting nothing less than such.

many disregarded the magical abilities of a witch or wizard graduating from the school, claiming their focus lay elsewhere. they believed etiquette classes and dancing lessons were an absolute waste and that your time spent away at the academy could be better spent delving into the more magic-based classes.

you disagreed. from the moment you’d arrived, there was a certain beauty to the school those wizards would never experience. the balance of poise and punctuation you were taught was a phenomenal tool many lacked, and would forever lack. you never questioned your school’s curriculum, not even once. beauxbatons would forever be your home away from home.

the sun had barely peaked over the high points of the campus castle when you’d begun your venture to the dining hall in the early hours of the morning. you bid good morning to those you passed, a smile dawning on your features. you sat in your regular seat, greeting your tablemates before the hall fell silent and your attention was brought to the headmistress.

madame maxime’s heels clicked against the pristine white tiles of the dining hall as she made her way to the podium, smiling coyly at her students. “good morning, students!” she greeted, her smile growing as the sea of faces before her reciprocated the greeting.

“today is a historical moment for our school. this year, beauxbatons academy of magic has been selected as one of the three schools to compete in the triwizard tournament, a dangerous series of tasks in which one student will prosper and be deemed the triwizard champion! this is an excellent opportunity for our school, and a group of you will be selected to travel to hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry alongside myself to represent our school.” she announced, earning a collective gasp from the student body.

as someone who spent a large portion of their free-time in the grand library your school had to offer, you’d read all about the notoriously deadly triwizard tournament. a cold chill ran down your spine as you recalled the treacherous events of the past tournaments.

despite the anxiety coursing through your veins, you couldn’t help your curiosity. though you’d never want to participate in the event itself, you had to admit, it was an opportunity of a lifetime. the tournament hadn’t run in over two centuries due to its sheer danger, and it wasn’t likely that you’d have this opportunity again. besides, visiting another school was practically unheard of, and you wanted to experience that yourself.

“anyone interested in participating in the triwizard tournament should come to me in the coming days, as we will be busy in our preparation for the journey to scotland, i expect only those who wish to represent our school well will come forward.” she announced, and you frowned slightly as the students began their applause. you joined in half-heartedly, sighing to yourself. you could only dream of being in attendance.

for the remainder of the evening following the announcement of the triwizard tournament, there wasn’t a nook or cranny you could find to escape the excited whispers about the competition. if you’d thought your school was notorious for gossip before, you were certainly mistaken. everyone seemed to argue about who would be the better champion had it been an inter-school event, though no one seemed all that phased by the impending death risk looming over their heads.

the next few days passed the same as usual, you travelled to your lessons, scribbling notes and working diligently, and spending your evenings studying in the library. nothing out of the ordinary, besides the incessant chatter about hogwarts and what the tournament had in store. it wasn’t that you disliked the topic, more that it made you bitter knowing you weren’t going to witness it at all.

after a long week, you were ready to curl up in bed with a book and relax. however, just as you were leaving your last class, your professor called you over as your classmates filed out of the room. nervously, you made your way over, smiling hopefully. “yes, professor?” you asked, quietly.

“the headmistress has requested to see you, y/n. you’d best head there now.” she waved you off, and you felt the colour drain from your face as you nodded wordlessly, thanking her under your breath as you quickly made your way to her office. you wracked your brain for any reason you may have been summoned, but ultimately came up with nothing. you didn’t have to think too long, as before you knew it, you were stood in front of the large, white doors.

you raised a shaky fist, knocking once, twice. you heard shuffling around, before the door in front of you opened, glancing over to see madame maxime with her wand out, flicking it gently to close the door behind you. “ah, y/n! thank you for coming! please, have a seat.” she gestured in front of her desk, and you smiled nervously as you dropped into a small curtsy before doing so, ensuring your posture was nothing short of perfection as you settled into the seat.

“as you know, y/n, our school has been selected for the triwizard tournament, and we are looking for top candidates to represent our school.” she began, and you nodded, hesitantly, silently urging her to continue. “yes, yes. you are one of the brightest witches in your year, y/n. without a doubt, you are an ideal candidate to represent our school, and i’d like for you to join us.”

never once in all your years at the school had you slipped in your manners, but at her proposal, you froze. “me?” you managed, “but i am not even seventeen, i won’t be able to compete in the tournament.”

“i am aware of that, however, you have exceeded in all of your classes during your academic years. your grades are exquisite, and you’ve even taken up assisting some of the younger students in their classes, without any prompting to do so, simply out of the kindness in your heart. we may only have one champion representing our school, but we expect all of the candidates we bring to hold the utmost poise and demonstrate the strengths of our school. it is entirely your decision, of course, but if you’d like to accompany us on the journey, you are more than welcome.” she explained, and you wanted to burst into tears. you fought it however, opting for a bright smile instead.

“i’d be honoured to accompany you, madame. thank you for this opportunity.” you beamed, and she nodded, composed as ever. you swore you could see the ends of her lips tugged upwards slightly, though she’d never admit it if they were.

“of course, y/n. i do hope you haven’t unpacked all of your belongings for the term just yet, as we leave in two days time.” with that, she dismissed you, and you curtsied once more before excusing yourself. you quickly made your way back to your dorm, eager to pack and to write to your parents about the wonderful news.

the following days passed in a blur. you had managed to pack all your things quickly due to magic, and before you knew it, you were placing your trunks in the carriage and climbing inside with the other girls from your school. despite popular belief, most students at your school were very kind, and didn’t care about social hierarchies. you listened to them launch into the kinds of things they would spend the winnings on and the glory of being the ultimate champion, mesmerized by their words.

as you silently listened to the conversation, your gaze travelled out the window of the airborne carriage, dancing across the beautiful shimmering lakes and seemingly endless green fields you passed over. the view from the sky was truly breathtaking, and you soaked in every minute as best you could.

a long journey later, the infamous hogwarts castle could be seen on the horizon and you could hardly contain the excitement coursing through your veins. finally, you joined in on the excited whispers of your companions, eager to land and explore your new surroundings. you watched the abraxans slowly made their descent, and you cringed as they only narrowly missed a few heads. you thanked merlin the carriage was enchanted for a smooth ride, as you were sure had it not been, you would not have enjoyed the trip nearly as much.

you and the other representatives from your school lined up single file and were ushered inside by the staff, preparing you for your grand entrance. your gaze wandered curiously to the boys standing behind you, assuming they were the competitors of durmstrang. your attention was snapped back by your headmistress guiding you in front of the grand doors of the dining hall. you could vaguely hear the voice of the hogwarts’ headmaster, introducing your arrival.

you plastered on a charming smile as the doors opened, gracefully moving in time with your classmates as you’d been taught. you could hear the faint whispers and gasps of adoration as you made your way down the aisle, and the cheers when the enchanted butterflies were released. it was your favourite aspect of the routine. as you all reached the end, you all gracefully bowed, earning an abundance of cheers and hollers.

you moved off to the side, watching with raised brows as the boys you observed earlier entered, the numerous staffs they carried banging loudly against the wooden flooring and nearly making you jump out of your skin. a shudder ran through you at the power they exuded, mentally noting to keep your distance.

professor dumbledore, as they called him, made a few more announcements, before dismissing all students for the night. you happily made your way back to the carriage, exhausted by the day’s travel and eager to see what tomorrow would bring.

the next morning, you were all given the option of where to sit, and you all agreed on sitting at the table wearing blue ties. there was really no particular reason why, other than the fact that they seemed to be the most calm of the bunch. you all sat at the end of the large table, speaking quietly amongst yourselves.

you felt a presence sitting on your other side, but you hardly paid any mind, knowing the table was likely crowded with your occupancy. deep into a conversation about the tournament, you missed the boy next to you clumsily knocking over his glass and squeaked in surprise when a cold liquid landed on your skirt.

spinning in your seat, you turned to give the boy a piece of mind when you froze in a moment of shock. next to you sat the prettiest boy you were sure you’d ever seen. with deep brown eyes and beautiful brown locks that beautifully complimented his pale skin, you were mesmerized.

sure, there were tons of conventionally attractive men at beauxbatons, many of which you’d found to be cute at one point or another, but none could even start to compare to the boy in front of you.

“oh my- i’m so sorry.” he stumbled, panic visible in his wide eyes. a notable pink tint dusted over his cheeks, quickly pulling out his wand and muttering a spell under his breath. the damp patch began to disappear, and he offered you an embarrassed smile when it completely dried.

“it’s quite alright.” you spoke softly, offering him a kind smile. he relaxed, his shoulders slouching in relief when his eyes met your own and saw the sincerity behind them. you giggled, unable to help yourself at his adorable reaction.

he flushed, looking at you shyly. “what are you laughing at?” he asked, hesitantly. you shook your head, composing yourself.

“nevermind, don’t fret over it. my name is y/n.” you introduced, offering him your hand. he stared at it for a moment, before awkwardly grabbing and shaking it. you’d expected him to kiss the top of your hand, but you supposed the customs here were slightly different than those at your school, so you masked your shock with a small nod, retracting your hand.

he cleared his throat, running a hand through his messy locks. “uh, i’m george.” he muttered, and your first thought was that the name suited him well.

“it’s lovely to meet you, george.” you spoke gently, noting his still-embarrassed expression. you paused, offering him a cheeky grin. “even if that meant having a drink spilled on my lap.”

your teasing tone seemed to take him off guard, laughing at his dumbfounded expression. a tap on your shoulder pulled you from your thoughts, noticing everyone from your school was leaving for the day. you stood, following them without another word. feeling his eyes trailing behind you, you turned, shooting him a wink before you disappeared into the crowd of students.

when the time for dinner came, you couldn’t help the smile on your face when you caught sight of the beautiful boy. “good evening, george.” you greeted, showing off your brilliant smile. “may i sit?” he looked a bit surprised, but nodded nonetheless, gesturing for you to sit. you lowered yourself onto the bench, smiling. “how was your day?”

“it was good,” he mumbled, a tinge of uncertainty visible in his eyes. you tilted your head in confusion, frowning slightly.

“is everything alright?” you asked worriedly, and upon seeing his quizzical expression, you sighed. “you’re looking at me strangely.” you explained, and he mumbled an apology, sheepishly.

“sorry, i guess i’m just surprised you’re speaking to me.” he admitted, and you frowned.

“why would i not want to speak with you?” you questioned, and he shrugged shyly, not really having an answer.

“the first interaction we had was me spilling water all over your skirt.” he stated blatantly, and you blinked as you processed his words, bursting into laughter.

“maybe so. but you’ve piqued my interest.” you spoke nonchalantly, as if your heart wasn’t pounding at an alarming speed. you swore you’d never seen anything cuter than george with his cheeks turned a bright shade of pink.

your conversation was interrupted as the food appeared on the table, and you happily began to fill your plate. george copied your actions, silently. “so, care to explain the different uniforms?” you asked, and george raised a brow at you, when you gestured towards his tie. his eyes lit up in realization, and he swallowed the food in his mouth before answering.

you hung onto every word he spoke, thoroughly interested in the concept of hogwarts’ houses. beauxbaton had their own house system, but it was nothing like the one used here. your houses were primarily for sleeping arrangements, but the way george spoke of it, how they had classes with their houses and competed for a house cup, seemed to make for a very divided system. it was fascinating.

“so you have four different quidditch teams at the school?” you questioned, and george nodded.

“each house has its own proper team. we play each other throughout the school year, so there’s almost always an upcoming match to keep everyone excited.” he stated, pausing. “well, with the exception of this year, i suppose. all quidditch was cancelled due to the tournament.”

“i’m sorry, that must be quite disappointing, seeing as you had no warning prior to your arrival at school” you hummed, and george shrugged, taking a bite.

“it’s really not that bad. i could use the time to focus on my studies, anyways.” he shrugged, taking a bite. “the tournament provides a good amount of entertainment, as well.”

you agreed, reaching for another serving when a loud boom echoed through the great hall, making you jump in your seat. glancing around, you watched as the durmstrang and fellow beauxbatons students searched for the sound, though none of the hogwarts students seemed fazed. feeling a tap on your shoulder, you turned to george, who wordlessly pointed upwards.

following his finger, you gasped as you saw the imagery of a lightning storm forming above, suddenly realizing the boom sounded an awful lot like a clap of thunder. your mouth formed a small ‘o’ in amazement, watching the clouds dance around one another.

“enchanted ceiling.” george explained, and you nodded, too stunned to speak.

“this school is full of surprises, i will say that.” you muttered, finally pulling your gaze from the magnificent image above. “i’m eager to see what else lies in this castle.”

george turned to you then, hesitating before sighing. “if you ever want someone to show you around, i wouldn’t mind.” he mumbled, and you’d barely heard him, turning to him in surprise. “of course, there’s no pressure.” he added, sheepishly.

“really? you’d do that?” you asked, a hopeful sparkle glimmering in your eyes. george chuckled, shaking his head.

“i wouldn’t mind. not at all” he smiled softly, and you had to refrain from throwing your arms around the boy.

“that sounds wonderful, george! when were you free?” you beamed, deflating slightly as he stood from his seat. as quick as your disappointment came however, it was quick to be replaced as he offered you a hand.

“how about now?” he smiled, and you brightened, placing your hand in his and allowing him to pull you to your feet. rather than letting go of your hand, he kept it tightly clasped in his as he pulled you into the sea of students leaving the dining hall. you felt heat rise to your cheeks, but said nothing.

“was there anywhere you wanted to go in particular?” he asked, tugging you aside and out of the crowd as he awaited your response. you paused, pondering momentarily before shrugging.

“show me your favourite place.” you replied, softly. george’s expression changed slightly, taken aback by your answer. he turned away, slightly embarrassed as he thought about where to take you. he nodded to himself as he settled on a place in mind, leading you up the grand staircase.

you walked along the corridors, hand still in george’s own as you absorbed everything you could on your journey. you were surprised to learn hogwarts was decorated thoroughly, with magical portraits lining every wall. george had explained to you that certain portraits acted as doors to rooms scattered around the castle, like the common rooms.

finally, he came to a stop. you would’ve kept walking, had you not been holding his hand. you turned to him curiously, glancing around and seeing no indication of your whereabouts. “what is this place?” you asked, curiously.

“this is the library. um, you told me to show you my favourite place. this is it.” he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. a wave of emotions passed through you, and in the spur of the moment, you threw your arms around george. you were quick to release him, barely processing your actions and giving him no time to do so either.

“this is brilliant, george!” you gushed, all but dragging him to the large doors. you instantly fell silent as you stepped foot into the rustic sanctuary, your gaze hungrily exploring the new area in sheer wonder.

the hogwarts library was a stark contrast to the polished white and gold accented walls the beauxbatons library had to offer, but this was much warmer and welcoming.

“it’s wonderful.” you breathed, fully enamoured by the sight in front of you. george heaved a sigh of relief, gesturing for you to follow him. he opted to spend the evening showing you around the various sections, even recommending some of his favourite books the library had to offer.

the coming weeks passed in a blur. the champions were announced, and the school was live with chatter about the upcoming tasks. you could feel the tension growing with each passing day, everyone eager to see the champions in action, and eager to see their schools represented.

after that day in the library, you and george had made a routine for yourselves. after dinner each day, he’d show you around the castle.

some evenings the pair of you could be found in the library, others were spent in the astronomy tower (which he’d told you was another favourite of his), and then there were the instances where you two would simply wander the corridors until your feet hurt, exploring.

george was very quickly becoming your favourite part of hogwarts.

the day of the first task had arrived much quicker after that. classes had been completely cleared for the day, and you proceeded to breakfast as usual. you had to admit, though you anxiously awaited the task, terrified of what it could be, you were just as excited as everyone else.

“good morning, george.” you greeted, lowering yourself onto the bench next to him. he offered you a kind smile, muttering a small good morning in return. breakfast flew by, the chatter of the task loud in the air, and before you knew it, a large crowd began making their way out of the hall, presumably to find good seats for the task.

“george!” a voice called, drawing both of your attentions away from one another. two boys made their way over, and you glanced them up and down.

one was shorter with brown hair, a shade much lighter than georges, and soft green eyes. the other, taller boy had dirty blonde hair and piercing green eyes. you noted their different ties, the first having a tie made of red and gold and the latter having one of green and silver, very different from george’s own blue tie.

“dream. sapnap.” george greeted, reaching out a hand to fist-bump his friends. you moved your lips into a small ‘o’ shape, recognizing the names from george’s many stories.

the taller one shot you a curious glance, his eyes shamelessly looking you up and down, sizing you up. you wanted to shrink under his gaze, but you held your prime posture and offered him a smile instead. he returned the smile, relaxing. “who’s this george?

“y/n.” you introduced, shaking his hand. he offered you a bright smile, before the shorter one offered you a hand to shake as well. you settled back in your seat, tensing at the next words to leave the tall blonde’s lips.

“is this the girl you’re always talking about and that you keep ditching our plans to see?” he teased, earning a smack on the arm from george in retaliation, while you felt the heat creeping up your cheeks, shooting george a quizzical look.

“shut up, dream!” george groaned. he not only talked about you, but he’d cancelled plans for you too? he hadn’t told you that, though the more you thought about it, it made sense. you had spent almost every night together since your arrival, and suddenly, you felt a tinge of guilt.

“can you two stop being idiots? we told karl we’d meet him at the edge of the forbidden forest so we could watch the task together. remember?” sapnap huffed, then turned to you with a smirk. “you’re welcome to join us y/n! the more the merrier!” he invited, causing george to choke on his pumpkin juice.

“that’s a brilliant idea, sapnap. it’ll give us an opportunity to get to know you!” dream exclaimed, and you hesitated, glancing at george. the tips of his ears and cheeks had tinted a bright pink, and you couldn’t help the small smile gracing your lips.

“i wouldn’t want to intrude.” you shook your head softly, “it seems i’ve stolen him away far too much recently.” you spoke softly. dream and sapnap shook their heads, brushing you off and insisting you come. meanwhile, george had a deep frown present on his face.

“you’ve stolen me away? please, it’s more like you saved me. these two are unbearable sometimes.” george groaned, and you giggled at dream and sapnap’s noises of complaint.

sapnap opened his mouth to retaliate, at the same time dream looked at his watch. his eyes flew wide open, grabbing sapnap by the arm, already beginning to walk away. “there’s no pressure, of course, y/n. but if you want to, we’d love to have you watch the task with us. george, we’re already late to meet karl so we’re going to go, but we’ll save you both a seat!” he called, before hurriedly dragging a whining sapnap away from the pair of you.

silence followed, and george shifted, catching your attention. “you know, i really do mean it.” he started, sincerely. “i spend time with you because i want to. dream and sapnap have no idea what they’re talking about.“

you flashed a charming smile, reaching out and placing your hand on top of his. “thank you, george.” you whispered, and he reddened under your genuine gaze.

“we’d better get going, or we’re going to miss the task.” george stood, and you opened your mouth to hesitate, but he simply wasn’t having it. “you’re sitting with us, and that’s final.” he announced, pausing. “unless, of course, you don’t want to.” he added, sheepishly.

“i’d love to sit with you, george. your friends seem lovely.”

the first task had been extremely intense, starting the tournament off strong. though exciting as you expected, the task was just as anxiety-inducing, knowing something could go wrong at any given moment and someone could get seriously hurt. you definitely enjoyed the show, but you were relieved knowing there was a decent time period between the first and second tasks.

along with this break came the most exciting event of the tournament (at least in your opinion), the ceremonial yule ball. you’d read all about the glorious dance, excitedly writing to your mother and asking her to start searching for a dress for the occasion the moment you’d found out you were going to hogwarts.

at that time, you’d expected you’d be attending the event alone, seeing as most of the girls you’d come with could find dates within minutes if they tried. sure, it may not be as fun going alone, but you would have found a way to make it worthwhile. now, things had changed, and you had a certain someone in mind that you hoped was going to ask you.

as the date grew nearer, however, george still had shown no intention of asking you at all, and you were beginning to lose hope. you were so sure he had reciprocated the feelings you harbored for him, but now you were beginning to doubt that certainty. perhaps you’d read too much into your time with george, catching feelings while he saw you as nothing more than a friend.

not knowing what to do, you somehow found yourself outside of dream’s class, due to be let out any minute now. after formally meeting while watching the first task, you’d become quite close with george’s friends. you got along best with dream in particular, and you knew you could trust him. besides, no one knew george like he did.

dream stepped out, his distinct wheeze echoing through the halls. his eyes caught yours, and he bid his housemates goodbye before making his way over to you, throwing an arm over your shoulder. “hey, y/n!” he greeted, joyfully.

“hey, dream.” you mumbled, forcing a smile. immediately, he sensed something was wrong, releasing you with a small frown.

“are you alright? do you want me to help you find george?” he asked softly, and you shook your head, worrying him further.

“no, i’m okay.” you smiled reassuringly, rubbing the back of your neck nervously. “actually, i was looking for you.” you stumbled, and he tilted his head in confusion, gesturing for you to continue. “it’s about george. the yule ball is coming up, as you know, and...” you trailed off, tucking a stray hair behind your ear. dream breathed a sigh of relief.

“oh, that’s all this is about? merlin, y/n, you had me worried for a second there!” dream exclaimed, dramatically throwing a hand over his heart. you shrugged sheepishly, causing him to shake his head with a huff. “does this have anything to do with you being his date to the yule ball?” he asked. you chewed anxiously on your lip, nodding.

“it’s just, he seemed interested, but he hasn’t even tried to ask! i don’t know if he’s even considered it. maybe he has, and maybe he’s decided he would rather not attend with me.” you sighed, fighting the stinging of tears threatening to spill. dream pulled you into a tight embrace.

“trust me, y/n. i don’t think he’d ever even think about going with anyone else.” dream replied, quietly. you pulled back, searching for any sign of dishonesty in his eyes, finding nothing. a small, hopeful smile tugged at your lips, thanking him and heading back to the carriage for the night.

once you were out of sight, dream frowned, heading directly for the library in search of his clueless best friend.

he found george exactly where he’d expected to, furiously writing on a scrap of parchment at his usual table. dream sauntered over, slamming his hands against the wood of the table. george jumped, eyes shooting daggers at his friend as he just barely managed to catch the ink threatening to spill and ruin his essay.

“i hate you.” george muttered, glancing around to ensure madam pince was nowhere to be seen. he failed to notice dream’s expression of pure disappointment.

“you haven’t asked y/n to be your date to the ball yet? why not?” dream demanded, and george froze, dropping the quill gripped tightly in his palm in shock.

“be quiet, would you?!” george shushed, frantically looking for a sign of the librarian, ready to be kicked out at any given moment.

“answer me. why haven’t you asked?” dream repeated quietly, ensuring george caught sight of the exaggerated eye roll he performed.

“i don’t know.” george sheepishly mumbled. his eyes were trained on the parchment in front of him, unable to look his best friend in the eye.

dream groaned, running a frustrated hand through his messy hair. “you better get on it, george. she’s waiting for you.” he muttered, and george’s attention peaked, his brown orbs shooting up to meet dream’s green ones.

“what? how do you know?” george questioned, forgetting momentarily of their whereabouts. a harsh shushing came from his right, and he jumped once more, smiling guiltily at pince as he sunk further into his seat under her piercing gaze.

“i’m not blind, george. just ask already, she won’t say no. but she also won’t wait forever, and you can’t ask her to.” dream rolled his eyes, and before george could argue further, he swept out of the room, leaving the brunette alone with his thoughts and an unfinished essay.

when george had asked you to meet at his ‘second favourite spot’ after a long day of classes, you didn’t think anything of it. you walked up the astronomy tower steps, and smiled at the figure standing on the balcony overlooking the hogwarts grounds. you slowly walked over, tapping his shoulder gently “hi.” you mumbled, and he spun around, smiling down at you brightly.

“hi.” he repeated, stepping aside so you could stand next to him. you did so, leaning on the balcony as you fixated on the glorious landscape, just as beautiful as the first time he’d brought you up here. you stood in silence for a few short minutes, before you turned your head to see george already looking at you with an unidentifiable expression.

“why are you looking at me like that?” you asked, tone teasing, causing george to redden.

“there’s something i’ve been meaning to ask you.” he mumbled, reaching for the back of his neck. your heart picked up speed, swallowing as you tried not to get your hopes up.

“you can ask me anything, george. you know that.” you smiled kindly, and george took a deep breath.

“i was wondering if you’d like to maybe go to the yule ball with me.” he rushed, “and i’m not much of a dancer, but i’m willing to try, for you.” he quickly added, fumbling over his words. you blinked, taking a moment to process his words before you smiled brightly.

you threw your arms around his neck, embracing him. “of course, george. i’d love to go to the ball with you.” you muttered, and george heaved a sigh of relief, wrapping his arms around you tightly.

pulling away slightly, both of you were smiling like idiots. a crazy idea came to mind, and you grinned. “what?” george questioned, tilting his head in confusion.

“you’ve shown me so much. now let me show you how to dance.” you offered, and george was visibly hesitant. “i’ve taken lessons since i was six years old, george. i help teach the first years at my school. i’ll take it slow, promise.” you spoke softly, and he sighed, nodding.

you gently grabbed his hands, placing one on your waist and clasping the other in your hand. step by step, you taught him the moves, and though he clumsily stumbled around and the pair of you looked ridiculous, you’d had more fun than you had in a long time.

it became your new routine, leading up to the ball. every evening, if you weren’t studying, you were up in the astronomy tower, practicing. george was determined to not make a fool of himself at the ball. “dream will never let me live it down.” he claimed, though you weren’t entirely convinced of his reasoning.

still, you didn’t need an excuse. you adored practicing with him, more than you cared to admit. you had a feeling you would forever treasure those late nights spent dancing the night away in the astronomy tower.

finally came the day of the yule ball, and you were simply a wreck. the beauxbatons carriage had never seen such chaos, usually prim and proper. however, the excitement and nerves of the ball were in the air, and it seemed everyone was frantically running around trying to find things and prepare for the night ahead. yourself included.

your mother had sent you a gorgeous dress, along with a matching tie george could wear with his dress robes you’d given to him earlier that week. you didn’t plan on seeing him until the night’s festivities, the hecticness all too familiar from the many balls you’d attended at your own school. madame maxime had made arrangements to have meals delivered to the carriage for the occasion, and you were grateful you didn’t have to leave until you were fully dressed.

hours of preparation and excitement later, the group of you (with the exception of fleur, who had left early to meet with the other champions) made your way to the great hall. it was the only place in hogwarts you trusted yourself to find on your own, having been so many times. you were grateful they chose to host the event somewhere so easily accessible.

you watched as students branched off from their friends in search for their dates, opting to do the same. you scanned the outside area for a familiar face, frowning when you were unsuccessful. it was well possible they’d already headed into the great hall, you figured.

“distraught already? the night hasn’t even begun.” a familiar voice teased, and you spun around, startled. you shot dream a playful glare, rolling your eyes.

“oh really? just when i thought i’d head back to my chambers for the night.” you pouted, and dream chuckled, flicking his gaze up and down your styled figure.

“you clean up nice.” he pointed out, smirking. “i hope you know george will absolutely lose it when he sees you.”

you scoffed, waving him off. “shut up, dream. and for the record, you don’t look too bad yourself.” you smiled, and he nodded in thanks, his gaze travelling past you as his smile grew.

“alright, that’s my cue. i’ll see you later, y/n.” he waved, and before you could question him, someone cleared their throat behind you. you spun, your dress flaring slightly as you met the gaze of the familiar brown eyes you’ve come to adore.

“i- wow.” george breathed, speechless. “you look.. amazing. i mean, you always look amazing, of course, but you just-” he sputtered, and you placed a comforting hand on his arm, smiling gratefully.

“thank you, george. you look quite amazing yourself.” you teased, offering your arm to him. “shall we head in?” you asked, and he nodded, slipping his arm through your own before leading you into the hall.

you gasped as your gaze fell upon the great hall. you hardly recognized the room. frost lined every wall, creating unique designs as far as the eye could see. a faint flurry of cold flakes fell gently from the enchanted ceiling, creating the perfect element of a peaceful winter’s night. the flames lining the hall had been coloured blue, and it all tied together beautifully with the large christmas trees situated at the end of the hall.

george gently tugged you in the direction of your friends, greeting them all with kind smiles and compliments. the sound of the doors opening caught your attention, and you all cheered as the champions and their dates entered the hall with pride. they began the traditional first dance, and you sighed dreamily as you watched them gracefully sway across the floor.

after a round of applause, a second slow song was started, and various couples began to pile onto the dance floor, joining the champions. “may i have this dance?” george asked, startling you. you laughed quietly at yourself, placing your hand in his outstretched one.

“i would love to.” you answered, allowing him to lead you to the dance floor. without instruction, george placed his hands as you’d taught him, and you mimicked his actions. you moved to lead but george shook his head, stopping you.

“allow me.” he mumbled, and you paused, glancing over his determined features. you relaxed in his grip, nodding for him to proceed. you knew how hard he’d practiced for this. he started slow, as if testing the waters, before he grew more comfortable and sped up, meeting the pace of the lively room around him.

with his lip pulled tightly in his teeth, a look of concentration etched on his pale face, you couldn’t believe how lucky you were to be here with him. “what?” he mumbled, clearly amused by your sudden giddiness.

“nothing.” you brushed it off, a noise of surprise escaping you as he suddenly lifted you in the air, in time with the other couples in the room. you weren’t sure where the sudden confidence came from, but you weren’t complaining.

“mhm.” he hummed, a look of disbelief in his eyes. you chuckled, allowing him to spin you out and back into his arms.

“would you believe me if i said i was thinking about how magnificent you are?” you asked, catching him off guard. he nearly stumbled, but quickly caught himself and narrowly missed stepping on your foot.

“you can’t just say things like that while i’m trying not to step on your feet.” he rolled his eyes, and you burst into giggles, prompting george to as well. as your laughter died down, the song came to an end, a slower one taking its place.

your movements slowed, george readjusting his position and pulling you tighter against him. you danced silently, his eyes gazing deeply into your own. you saw nothing but adoration in his eyes, and it made your heart flutter.

this wasn’t your first time dancing with a boy you liked. far from it. countless balls and formals hosted by your school meant that you’d been exposed to several situations in which you’d been asked to dance. you’d felt special every time, flattered that out of all the girls in the room, they’d choose you.

this was different.

in all of hogwarts, out of all of the visiting and prior attending students, george chose you. out of hundreds of choices, he had eyes for you, and only you. he made you feel special in a way no other boy could. his skin against yours sent shockwaves through your body, electric to the touch.

and you loved every second of it.

you weren’t sure how long you danced with george, each song bleeding into the next and blending together. you watched couples leave and join in around you continuously, but you never broke apart. you two were entranced in each other, completely oblivious to the world around you. however, you were merely human, and the exhaustion was catching up to you.

as the last song came to a close, you slowly pulled back from george. stepping out of his grip, you dropped into a curtsy. you glanced up to meet george’s confused eyes, flashing him a cheeky grin. “thank you for the dance, good sir. it was a pleasure.” you attempted a terrible british accent. you both giggled, slightly delirious from the adrenaline high.

to your surprise, george dropped into a bow, grabbing your hand and placing a soft kiss on your knuckles. “trust me, m’lady. the pleasure was all mine.” he said smoothly, his smirk never faltering. though his intentions were playful, you couldn’t help but swoon at his words.

the number of bodies in the room mixed with the way george was making you feel had you fanning your face, attempting to cool down. “do you want to go get some air?” he offered, and you nodded, lacing your hand in his as he pulled you out of the ballroom.

he brought you out to the nearest courtyard, and you gratefully soaked in the cool breeze. the low howl of the wind was a nice contrast to the lively chatter of the great hall, grateful for the moment of peace.

“how has your night been so far?” george’s soft voice cut through the silent night, and you flashed him a smile.

“brilliant, thanks to you.” you responded, truthfully. george reddened at your words, smiling bashfully.

“i’m really glad to hear that.” he mumbled, eyes peering up at the starry sky. when his gaze trailed back down, you were already looking at him.

“and how has yours been?” you prompted, taking a step closer to him with a sultry smile. he gulped at your sudden proximity, but made no move to put any distance between the two of you.

“far better than i could’ve ever imagined.” he whispered. you were close enough now that you could feel his warm breath fanning against your face as he spoke, your eyes flickering to sneak a peek at his lips.

reaching out his hand, he gently tucked away a stray strand of hair blowing tirelessly in the wind out of your face. his eyes trailed over the soft curves of your face, and you leaned into his hand slightly as he moved it to cup your cheek.

a moment of silence passed, with the two of you simply drinking in each other’s features. “can i kiss you?” he mumbled, and you nodded eagerly, meeting him halfway as he leaned forward. your lips barely brushed against each other, the touch feather-light.

you relished in the feeling of his lips against yours, slowly adding more pressure to the kiss as your confidence grew. you moved your hands to rest against george’s chest as his moved to your hips, tugging you closer and kissing you deeper.

it wasn’t perfect, far from it, but it was so indescribably george, and that was more than enough. all the pent up feelings and unspoken words were poured out into your searing kiss, filled with passion and longing.

pulling away for air, you leaned your forehead against his own, smiling like an idiot. “i’ve waited so long to do that.” george admitted, and you nodded, agreeing.

“so have i.” you joked, and he grinned, running a thumb along your cheekbone in a gentle caress.

“i suppose we should probably get back before the others start worrying, right?” he whispered, and you grinned mischievously.

“i think they can wait a little longer.” you mumbled, pulling him to meet your lips once more.

you returned to the hall, hand in hand as you easily found dream and sapnap standing off to the side of the room, chatting with their dates. dream was the first to spot the pair of you, greeting you eagerly. he raised a brow at your entwined hands and giddy expressions, eyeing you curiously.

“good makeout session?” dream teased, causing sapnap to fake a gag. you and george exchanged a knowing look, causing dream’s face to drop into one of shock. “wait, actually?”

you shrugged, leaning into your date happily. “ugh, you two are so gross.” sapnap groaned, earning a smack to his arm from dream. “ouch! what? they are!” he whined, and the slytherin rolled his eyes. the two girls they were with giggled at his childish response.

“well i think they’re adorable.” sapnap’s date cooed, and sapnap feigned a look of hurt, gasping dramatically.

“what about me! i’m adorable!” he pouted, and she burst into laughter, causing his lips to quirk up into a proud grin. you smiled at the sight, turning your attention back to george, who was invested in small talk with dream.

the group of you chatted for a while, before you recognized the opening of one of your favourite songs. you excitedly tugged on george’s sleeve, flashing your best pleading eyes. he chuckled, excusing the two of you as he guided you back to the dance floor. dream and sapnap followed his lead, inviting their dates to dance alongside you.

hours later, the ball had dwindled to a noticeably smaller crowd, as most of the younger students had left for their common rooms for the night. you and george had taken a break to acquire some refreshments, seated at one of the many tables littering the hall.

“i don’t know how much more dancing i can handle.” you groaned, glaring at the heels you wore. they complimented your dress beautifully, but after dancing in them for several hours, you were beginning to loathe the pair of shoes.

“do you want me to walk you back to the carriage?” he offered, though you didn’t miss the flash of disappointment in his expression he desperately tried to mask.

“i don’t want this night to end yet.” you admitted, and he smiled, offering you a hand.

“then let’s go somewhere.” he said excitedly, pulling you from your seat. you both bid your friends goodnight before you allowed him to lead you out of the ballroom. you didn’t question him, simply trusting him to take you wherever his heart desired.

you soon found yourself at the bottom of the astronomy tower, beginning your ascent up the familiar steps. you both wordlessly headed to the balcony, lowering yourselves into a sitting position as you fell into a comfortable silence. you let your head fall on his shoulder, feeling him tense under you momentarily, quickly relaxing and resting his head against yours.

a cold breeze brushed past, sending a shiver coursing through your body. george must’ve noticed as he was quick to remove his robe and tug it over your shoulders. “you don’t have to-” you started, but he was quick to cut you off.

“i know. just let me.” he mumbled, and your breath hitched as you noticed his loosened tie and crinkled dress shirt. the wind gently blew his hair, causing a few strands to dance wildly in the breeze.  at that moment, george looked ethereal.

“you really do look beautiful tonight.” he spoke softly. your eyes met, and it was then you realized that as you had been admiring him, he had been doing the same to you. you smiled, moving forward and capturing his lips in another kiss.

pulling away, you leaned back into george’s side. he happily placed his arm around you, holding you tight as you both gazed up at the stars.

“hey george?” you asked, quietly. he hummed, alerting you that he was listening as he carded a hand through your hair. “what’s going to happen when i go back home?”

george’s breath hitched, pulling away to look at you with a sad expression. “i don’t know.” he answered honestly, and you frowned.

“you’ll write?” you asked hopefully.

“of course.” he replied, without hesitation. “i’d rather not think about it, though. let’s just enjoy the time we have together, yeah?” he prompted. you nodded, curling back into his side and sighing in content.

“yeah, okay.” you mumbled, tucking your head into the crook of his neck. your eyes began to feel heavy, and with the comforting weight of his arm around you and the warmth of his body against yours, you were quickly eased into a light slumber.

you didn’t know what the future held for you and george, but you each only had one more year of school before you graduated. for him, you were willing to wait. a year wasn’t awful, and you’d keep in contact throughout the year. honestly, you’d wait decades if he asked, if it meant the two of you would be together in the end. luckily for you, that wasn’t the case.

however, george was right, of course. there was no sense dwelling on the dreaded day until it arrived. so for now, you’d make the most of your time left at hogwarts, with the boy you’d come to love.

taglist: @esylwen @cherios @mcytmushroom @sabinanotfound

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chapter one: alamort

pairing: c!dreamwastaken x fem!reader

description: having no sense of direction for two years, [name] finds a newfound interest in a certain blonde after accidentally being introduced to the world of illegal street racing.

word count: 4k

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The alleyways should’ve frightened [Name]. Rats infested the backlit street, people bent over certain areas to take something, most likely illegal, when they weren’t leering at her as she kept her eyes ahead of her. She swore she heard a few make a few comments about her hiding something underneath her sweater and pants.

[Name] should’ve been afraid of them. She should’ve walked faster, honestly. But she wasn’t. Hell, she even thought of trying to spark up a conversation with one of them as she made eye contact with a toothless man.

It would've been interesting to see how they reacted if someone like [Name]--who most definitely didn't look like she belong in the area with the way she looked around the street so curiously--had come up to them for the sake of a conversation. [Name] let the intruding thought die out as she remembered what Niki told her yesterday night.

Don't raise suspicion. Just park your bike a few streets down and walk. Eyes ahead.

"Eyes ahead." [Name] whispered to herself, as she pulled her hood over her head. She whispered to herself the directions Niki texted her. "Left on Jaques. Left on Orpheus."

Her eyes downcasted to the ground once turning on Jaques, remembering the warning about police cars hidden between buildings. Hands in her pockets, [Name] fiddled with her keys as she listened around.

Besides a few police sirens echoing all the way from downtown, it had been dead silent in the outskirts of the city. The majority of the streets had been abandoned, houses dilapidated or completely ruined to the point of unlivable standards. Only a few people kept around the areas like Jaques and Orpheus for all reasons but legal, which was exactly what [Name] was doing.

She watched around for any suspicious cars or people to pass by, standing next to the second lamp post in front of the broken red home like Niki had said, before eyeing her surroundings. Straight ahead, a broken road had started, almost looking empty had it not been for the fresh tire wheel tracks and overly loud music coming from that direction.

Not wasting any time, [Name] came into a jog, happy that she had chosen to wear jeans instead of her usual skirts and expensive pants. She followed the noise until it grew louder, the density of people growing in size as well. There wasn’t many to fill up a club, but there was definitely more than enough to start a party.

Cars lined up the broken street, some blasting music at unnatural levels. Others made their cars move up and down, side to side, as if it were dancing to the blaring music. Bodies mingled a little too close than necessary, dancing to whatever beat certain cars were giving off. [Name] made sure to dodge a few wandering hands as she did her best to look for a familiar set of pink.

Her eyes drifted over a few other cars, staring at the details some put into them. She could’ve stared at them for hours on end, had she not been to preoccupied trying to look for her friend. Passing her eyes over another car, [Name] didn’t bother taking notice of the pothole just below her next expected step.

She let out a quiet yelp, balancing herself by dropping a hand onto the car she was previously admiring. “Hey! Hands off!” A voice snapped, making [Name] look up. Her eyes singled in on a set of angry gray ones. A girl with blue streaked hair stomped her way over, eyes blazing as she still watched [Name]’s hands still settled on the car.

“Hands. Off. This car is worth more than your life. I swear people keep touching my car like they think they can afford it...” The girl with the blue streaks complained, looking over at the people behind her, snickering at the insult.

[Name] drew her hands waving up lazily, palms facing out in front of the girl. “Maybe next time, don’t pick near a pothole. It’s not our fault you picked a shitty parking spot.” She replied instead, anger shooting through her.

The girl’s mouth dropped open, offended. “Do you know who I am?”

“I’d rather not find out--” Was all [Name] could say before stopping herself, watching as the girl stomped over her way, giving [Name] a good view of her iridescent blue top and matching shorts. If they had been in a different situation, she would’ve complimented the girl for her sense of style.

If her face hadn’t been steaming red, [Name] was sure she would’ve fit right in if she were placed with a group of models. Instead, she had to deal with the girl shoving a manicured blue nail in her face, eyes blazing in anger. “Watch your mouth. I know my place around here and so should you.”

[Name] raised an eyebrow in question, pushing the girl’s finger away from her face as she spoke. “I’m sorry, did I miss a chapter or something? I only came here to watch a race go down, not fall into some turf war.”

“Are you intellectually lacking or something?”

Quite the opposite actually. [Name] thought to herself. “Takes one to know one.” Was what she settled with instead, smiling when she watched the girl’s mouth drop again.

“You--”

“Jenny, stop harassing people because you didn’t come early enough to snag a good parking spot.” A voice interrupted, making both girls stop their mouth off.

[Name] looked over to see a man with a mask walk up to them, green eyes tense as he walked up to them.

“It's Genie. Jean-ee.” The girl corrected, rolling her eyes at the taller male. “And it’s barely harassment if she almost did serious damage; she could’ve dented my car with how heavy her hands were when she fell.”

“Please, a fly could’ve done more damage.” [Name] muttered to herself quietly, levelling her gaze at Jenny/Genie, remembering only grabbing the car at the last second.

The masked man shot her a look, clearly hearing her, trying to look unamused, though the way his eyes shined with amusement was saying otherwise. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he led her away as he said one final time, “Don’t be so dramatic; I’ve seen you wipe out on the streets with better cars than that.”

They walked away, [Name] pulling herself off of his hand once they were far enough. “You must really have a death wish if you picked a fight with Jenny of all people.” The masked man said suddenly.

[Name] rolled her eyes. “She’s all bark, no bite. Trust me I met enough people like that to know the difference.” She replied. The familiar feeling of exhaustion waved over her as she remembered her overly boisterous university classmates trying to intimidate a fourteen year old [Name]. Was she really ready to deal with these types of people after six years?

“Well, she might be all bark but the people she’s connected with are definitely all bark.” The masked man countered. “Be lucky I caught up to her before she called anyone else in.”

Annoyance wavered around [Name]. Just who was this guy and why does he make it sound like she could’ve died over putting a hand on some psycho’s car? “I can handle myself just fine, thanks.”

“Clearly not. You looked like you wanted to stay there and argue.”

Observant. “I don’t back down to anyone.”

“You would if you were the bigger person.”

“Gee, thanks for the insult, stranger.” [Name] snapped, eyes blazing. The exhaustion wore out, [Name] solely focused on the masked man as she glared up at him. Only a few words he spoke towards her and most of them were insults.

Seeming to realize his harshness, the man sighed, pulling his hood down to reveal even more of his dark blonde hair, half of which had been tied back into a small bun in the middle of his head. Faintly, some streaks of neon green and purple could be seen on the underside of his tied up hair. Silver and black piercings lined along the masked man's ears, a single gold cuffed chain earring catching [Name]'s attention. Oddly, it looked familiar.

"Not really the thanks I'm looking for but I'll take it." The man said. He crossed his arms, eyes downcasted at her as if he were sizing her up. [Name] stiffened her back in response to his steely gaze. "You don't look like the type to be around here."

"Meaning?" [Name] asked. The man pointed to her clothes, which consisted of her baggy university sweater and even baggier jeans that were most likely her brother's. He motioned to the crowd around them, [Name] finally taking note of how everyone looked like they were dressed to go to what looked like a mix of a club and rave.

From the adrenaline of getting ready to have her hair pulled, [Name] finally realized even the man was dressed up.

He sported black sweatpants and hoodie that went over his head, only allowing a few strands of his dark blonde hair to peek out. Straps and pockets were placed across his hood, lined with green LED, causing his half hidden face to look like some villain from a Disney movie. From how intense his gaze was at Genie/Jenny, [Name] had no trouble believing the possibilities of him being one of them

"Well, no one really looks like they rolled out of bed around here." The man said, amused. Again with these insults…

"If I wasn't being obvious earlier, clearly this is my first time. No one exactly told me there was a dress code." [Name] snapped. She was irritated, mainly because of the man's biting words, but also because he noticed right away she had rolled out of bed. The helmet hair definitely didn't help if she was going to argue.

The man chuckled. “Well, next time you come back at least wear black.” He said, backing away to keep his eye contact with her before turning around to leave.

“Who said I’d come back after going through that mess?” [Name] called out.

“People always come back!” The man called back again. “Just watch the race and you’ll see why.”

With those words, the man disappeared into the crowd again, leaving [Name] confused as to what he meant by that. So far, [Name] had no reason to stay; she almost got into a fist fight and was rescued by a stranger who thoroughly insulted her fashion sense right after. How could the possibilities of watching a race change her mind completely?

[Name] hadn’t much time to ponder this thought, however, when a familiar flash of pink came barrelling towards her. “You’re here!” Niki said excitedly, smiling.

Niki seemed to blend right in with the crowd with her choice of clothing styles. She dressed similarly to the masked man--baggy hoodies and jogging pants with excessive pockets and straps--though it was all worn in the shade of her friend’s signature bubblegum pink.

Looping her arms through Niki’s, [Name] nearly sighed in relief at seeing a familiar face. They had known each other for years; Niki being the only friend of the few [Name] had who stuck around after she had started attending the university when she was fourteen.

Niki never treated [Name] like some artifact to behold the way everyone else did. [Name] was grateful for the moments when the pink haired girl came over for sleepovers and they acted the way they should have in those moments; like teenage girls. Even now, they still did.

“So where is she?” [Name] whispered to her friend, eyes passing over to multiple girls standing or walking around in the supposedly “vacant” area. Niki’s eyes passed over to a certain area.

“Blonde one, leaning on Dream’s car.” She noted, making [Name] turn her head to look at a girl with platinum blonde hair smiling up at the same masked man she had spoken earlier. Instinctively, [Name] let out a disgusted groan.

“Great, we have to pass by him?” [Name] asked her friend, who only looked back in confusion.

“Yeah is there a problem? We won’t even be talking to Dream… Unless you want to…?” Niki asked, sending out a teasing smile her way, to which she dismissed with an eyeroll.

“I’ve exchanged enough pleasantries with him for the night. Let’s just walk past them and get this over with.” [Name] said, making Niki smile as she put her arm around [Name]’s shoulder.

They pretended to whisper expletives to one another as they crossed the track, passing the masked man’s--Dream’s car in the process. If [Name] hadn’t been busy whispering to Niki about what happened earlier, she would have taken time to admire the car.

It was a Toyota Supra that was definitely customized to for Dream’s black and neon green color scheme, a few veins purple cutting through the RGB lights underneath his car. He hadn’t noticed them right away, too busy keeping his eyes on Niki’s ex and the handful of other girls surrounding him or leaning against his car.

By the time he had noticed [Name] and Niki, his green eyes zeroed in on the arm wrapped around [Name]’s shoulder. They made brief eye contact before [Name] brought her hand up to lace through Niki’s fingers. Dream’s only response was an eyebrow raise before turning his attention back to Niki’s ex, who seemed to be more encompassed on them instead.

“Is she looking?” Niki asked, eyes look straight ahead.

[Name] only nodded after passing a glance at the two blondes. “Definitely looking.”

A devious smile passed over Niki’s lips. “Good. I hope she stays curious all night. That’s what she gets for breaking up with me two weeks before the race.”

“You’re evil.” [Name] said, elbowing her, only receiving a friendly kiss to her cheek as a response. [Name] giggled as she noticed one of the racers, a man with a dark mullet, raise his eyebrows up in surprise. “You’re lucky Mom managed to convince me to get out of the house tonight. You would’ve been doing this sad little walk on your own if I chose not to come.”

Niki stuck her tongue out. “Like you wouldn’t come just out of curiosity even if you didn’t agree to the plan. Don’t act like I didn’t see you staring at my car whenever you over.”

In perfect time, they spotted Niki’s car, which had been at the very end of the makeshift track; a pink Honda Civic decked out with decals of a cartoon version of Niki on the driver’s side. On the passenger’s was a cherry blossom tree burning in pink fire. With the vehicle and driver being overly pink, it was hard to miss.

“Whoever can’t keep their eyes off your car must be a superhuman.” [Name] commented as she leaned in to see what had changed. Only the driver’s seat remained, the passenger’s seat wiped out from her best friend’s last race a few months back.

Instead of replacing the seat, Niki used it to make more room for the “extra help” that had her winning most of her races, whatever that meant. All [Name] could see was lines of tanks she could faintly recognize, noting that they were there to help Niki’s car pick up speed when needed.

“You should think of racing.” Niki said after [Name] leaned back against the hood of the car.

“I’m the most inept driver.”

“In a car, yeah.” Niki said, giving a smug grin at the scowl [Name] sent her way. “But I’ve seen you on your bike; you like the same thrill as me and everyone else on this track gets when we’re racing down the street.”

Leave it to Niki to read her like an open book. Of course [Name] found it thrilling; she hadn’t felt much besides stress after graduating. Her only means of breaking the boundaries of her emotional stunt was seeking universally dangerous thrills.

Most of it came from riding her bikes, drinking up the rush and excitement of the wind blowing through her. Other times it had been the prospect of feeling those fleeting moments of fear whenever she had found herself in confrontations like earlier with Jenny/Genie.

“I’d rather watch.” [Name] answered, finally honest. There had been a big difference between racing for fun and racing to win. From how intense the other racers were, [Name] wasn’t sure everyone else came for the same reasons Niki attended and participated in these races. If anything, [Name] suspected a few of them involved themselves in a few activities that went way past the boundaries of legality.

Niki rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say…” She said, voice trailing as she heard an alarm go off. Patting her shoulder, Niki motioned for the crowd. “The race is about to start. Usually, I’d have you sit in the car with me and race, but…”

Her cerulean eyes glazed over the mass of tanks lined up next to her seat. [Name] waved her hand, understanding what she meant. “Yeah, yeah. You better give me ten percent of your earnings for tonight for playing as your pretend girlfriend, though.”

“How about five plus a joy ride on this thing at some point.”

“Make it eight and we can switch vehicles to race instead.” [Name] countered, letting out a laugh as Niki gave an excited smile at the new deal. She shoved her shoulder. “Of course you’d do anything for a race.”

“They’re fun.” Niki responded, shrugging. “No go before you get run over.”

[Name] rolled her eyes, kicking herself off the pink car, walking away. Everyone else who hadn’t been participating was also leaving, saying final goodbyes to their friends (or in some people’s cases, randoms who came to flirt with them) as they made their way to the crowd. [Name] was almost coming toward the crowd when she heard a familiar voice.

“You two seem awfully close now.” Niki’s ex said, contempt laced through her voice as she looked at [Name] in pure disdain.

“Yvette. Nice to see you, too.” [Name] replied with the same amount of malice. Usually, [Name] and Niki never had issues with one another when it came to people they dated. Of course, there was disagreements throughout the years between them when it came to not liking previous partners, but usually they dealt with it on their own.

Still, that didn’t stop [Name]’s cynical happiness at the news that her best friend had been broken up with by one of the more nasty partners she’s met. Even if the timing of their break up had been a problem, seeing as it had been a few weeks before the race and Yvette was most definitely going to attend, [Name] was glad to hear that they were no longer involved with each other.

Tall, blonde, and just as pretty as Jenny/Genie, Yvette was the poster child for what [Name] dubbed a movie star mean girl. She had mistakened [Name] and Niki’s close friendship to have some type of romantic undertones to it during her time dating the pink haired girl over a year ago. She had done nearly everything to keep them away from one another--offering to go on trips during the weeks [Name] would leave her home, giving the wrong times for meet ups.

[Name] had only warned Niki a few months before after catching her swapping dates Niki marked on her phone about their scheduled meet ups at the mall or Val’s. After hearing her concerns, Niki had planned on talking to Yvette after practicing for the race; she had most definitely didn’t expect Yvette to suddenly dump her after realizing that [Name] had ousted her.

“For your information, we were always close.” [Name] corrected, not breaking her eye contact with the woman, even when they were nearly toe to toe with one another. [Name] ignored the slight pain on her neck as she strained to look up at Yvette.

Yvette scoffed, pushing her hair back, some of it brushing against [Name]’s face. She scrunched her nose, fighting the urge to suddenly sneeze. “You were practically all over her.” She snapped.

“I was comforting a friend because someone decided to drop because they panicked when they found out their little ruse.” [Name] snapped back, eyes flaring in irritation. She really had the nerve to act like she cared. “Sorry you couldn’t have a little puppet to have around; maybe find someone with an IQ of 2 to try to fall. That’s only one less from you.”

At this point, a crowd seemed to be forming, a few letting out a few laughs as they heard [Name]’s jab. Yvette, now steaming, reached forward, grabbing a hold of [Name]’s hair. “You little--”

“Okay, no fighting.” A voice commanded. Instantly, Yvette’s hands dropped from [Name]’s head, making her look up and meet a familiar glow of green LED’s again. Oh great…

“She started it.” Yvette accused, jabbing a thumb at [Name].

“Why am I getting a sense of deja vu.” [Name] whispered to herself sarcastically, glancing over at Dream’s steely stare. She only gave a shrug, not wanting to explain herself. “Like you’d even listen to what I have to say anyways.”

Dream raised an eyebrow at her response. “You can tell me during the race.”

“What?” [Name] asked him, her and even Yvette staring in shock as Dream grabbed her by her sleeve and dragged her to his sleek black car. “What the hell makes you think I’d get in a car with you? You might drive off and kill me for all I know.”

“Clearly I’ve been trying to make sure you don’t get killed and I’m doing that now by making sure you aren’t stuck waiting for Niki to come back for the next twenty minutes. Now get in.” Dream said as he entered his car. [Name], grumbling, settled in after making eye contact with Yvette, who looked like she wanted to kill her. Clearly, she wanted to be Dream’s passenger for tonight from the way she was practically spending the majority of her time before the race started talking to only him.

A sense of bitter satisfaction waved through [Name] as she sat herself in his car. The smell of apples and honey wafted through the car, catching [Name] off guard. Dream shot her a look of confusion when she leaned into the airvents for a moment. “What, surprised my car smells nice?”

“Well, yeah. I thought you were musty or something.” [Name] answered, making the man scoff.

“Maybe I should’ve left you to defend yourself over there.” He grumbled.

“You should’ve.” [Name] confirmed, ready to leave. She was only stopped when a count down could be heard.

“10… 9… 8…”

“Tell me, are you trying to die tonight? You seem to have fun provoking people.” Dream asked as he revved his car, seeming to respond to the other cars around them.

“Dying? Not really. Provoking, maybe.” [Name] said, eyes trained on the expanse of the road. It wasn’t even several miles for her to notice it lead right to the middle of the city, no doubt some streets were closed off by race organizers with how empty the intersection of the highway was.

“7… 6… 5…”

“Well, you make that pretty obvious.” He said. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the street, seeming to want to stay focused on the track. “I’m Dream by the way.”

“Niki told me who you are.” [Name] said. “I’m [Name].”

“4… 3… 2…”

[Name] held her breath, arms crossed over her stomach as her and Dream let an excited silence fall over them, waiting for the final number to be called.

“1! GO! GO! GO!”

Instantly, Dream’s car lurched forward, [Name] not having enough time to process anything as the momentum pushed her body back into Dream's black leather seats. Her hands instantly made its way to the door handles, hands gripping tight for dear life as the blonde man made difficult twists and turns on the street.

Currently, they were behind three other people--a car decked out in black and white, a cherry red Toyota Supra, and Niki's infamous pink car just up ahead. They constantly battled for first place, each car trying to outspeed the other while attempting to keep themselves from brushing up against one another.

They were so focused on one another, they hadn't even noticed Dream slowly making his way closer to the battling cars. [Name] watched as they halted their glaring contests with one another, staring at Dream as he slammed his foot harder on the gas. [Name] could only see a faint outline of Niki in the car, whose eyes were wide when she caught sight of [Name] in the passenger's seat.

For some reason she seemed more worried at the fact [Name] was part of the race over losing it. The two other racers, the man with the dark mullet and a brunette, didn't seem to be worried about being beaten to first place either.

"Shouldn't you slow down?" [Name] questioned, making Dream let out a laugh. "What?"

"Who tells someone to slow down during a race?" Dream asked. He glanced at his rearview mirror. "Tell me, did you think they were fighting over first place?"

[Name] shrugged. "I mean, who wouldn't. There's probably money being bet on this right?"

Dream nodded in confirmation. "Yeah there is but they all have something in common: they don't wanna take certain risks--a turn being too harsh, timing--small things that can eventually change you placement on a race." Motioning ahead of him, Dream spared a glance at [Name]. "In a few miles there's going to be a bridge scheduled to be going down; about five minutes actually."

[Name]'s eyes widened as she knew what he was talking about. The toll bridge that leads to the island the city is encased in opens and closes at certain times regardless if staff members are there to watch over it. With the speed Dream was going on at, they'd make it to the bridge in less than four minutes.

"You're going to cross before the bridge even connects." She stated, watching Dream nod in confirmation, smiling at the shock evident on [Name]'s face . "Are you crazy?"

"A little." Dream admitted playfully. "When I make this jump--"

"If you make this jump." [Name] corrected, rolling her eyes as Dream shot her a look, offended she'd doubt him. Of course she did. She just met the guy and he's already plotted her death.

"When I make this jump, " Dream said firmly, pausing to make eye contact with [Name], who refused to stare at him, opting to focus on the road to see how far they were from their assumed death spot. "There won't be an issue of who's going to make it to first place since they'll be delayed by the bridge going down."

"And how about the part where you don't make it and we plummet into the river?” [Name] suggested, eyes focused on the water just below them once they caught sight of the bridge. Instinctively, she grasped onto her arm rest, eyeing the bridge that had yet to lower.

“I told you we won’t.” Dream reassured, though from the way his eyes hardened, as if he just let reality set in after seeing how much the bridge was dwarfing his seemingly gigantic car, said otherwise.

“You’re not gonna stop are you?” [Name] asked as they speeded closer and closer to the bridge. Dream only replied by hitting his gas, causing them to go faster than they already were.

[Name] almost felt like throwing up, choosing to closer her eyes and turning away, focusing on the other racers close behind. From the looks of things Niki and the man with the dark mullet were battling it out with second place, not seeming to focus on Dream being in front of them anymore.

“At least go faster if you’re going to do this!” [Name] cried out. With the speed they were going and how much distance there was between the toll bridge, they’d fall straight through the space between.

“You might wanna hold onto something.” Dream advised, pressing a few buttons on his dash before putting both hands back on the wheel. [Name] could only grip tighter on her arm rest as Dream slammed his fingers on the two red buttons behind his wheel. Instantly, the car went faster at a significant speed, going faster than what the car should have been capable of.

[Name] let out a yelp as she looked out the window, realizing they weren’t anywhere near the ground and bridge was still a few inches from closing in and locking together. Dream let a whooping holler, laughing in excitement at his successful trick--definitely nothing like the guy she met before the race.

What seemed like minutes in the air was only seconds, making [Name] come back to reality as they crash landed. Her stomach dropped as she caught sight of some sparks at the front of his car. “That sounds expensive…” She said quietly.

“Eh, nothing the cash I get tonight can’t fix.” Dream said with a grin. He turned to her, looking smug. “Told you I’d make it. Look, we’re even ahead of everyone else.”

[Name] looked at his rearview mirror, realizing the other racers had yet to cross the bridge, not catching sight of them like they had moments before. Clearly, they had to slow down and possibly even stop until the bridge came completely down. She shook her head, body still shaking with adrenaline.

“Just drive.” Was all she managed to say, making the blonde only hum in satisfaction, continuing the race in silent with a shit-eating grin.

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