#sidepairing

‘Blaise seats himself on the well-worn couch, feeling as though he’s being grilled for a job interview as Tavi leans forward; her fawn brown eyes glint with mischievous intelligence. She drops her voice, the clatter of the pan and crockery masking her interrogation from Gus.

“Do you have romantic designs on Gus, Mr Blaise? She needs a nice, strong, reliable boyfriend – not a nasty, selfish one,” Tavi declares, peering critically at him.

“I– um– I’m generally considered to be a nice guy?” Blaise offers weakly, wondering if the kid is enjoying the fact he is blushing furiously. “Gussie– Gus told me she’s not interested in dating me, Miss Octavia.”

Tavi blows a raspberry. “Fffffft – Gus tells everyone that. She thinks I require more parenting than I really do, you know,” she pronounces authoritatively. “I love her, but she needs to get a life – even Mrs Green says so.”

“Mrs Green?” Blaise echoes, hoping to change the subject and perhaps shift the girl’s oddly wise eyes off his visage. “Is she your nanny? Governess?” he hedges, feeling slighted as Tavi roars with laughter, clapping her delicate hands onto her knees as her entire slender form vibrates with mirth.

“What’s so funny?” Gus calls. “You’re not harassing Mr Zabini, are you, Tavi?” she warns, momentarily ceasing stirring the heating milk.

“He asked if– if Mrs Green was my n–nanny! Or my governess!” Tavi howls. Blaise is aggrieved when Gussie also starts to snigger.

It’s a perfectly valid question, he crossly assures himself. It’s not that funny.

“Remind me to let Mrs Green know of her elevation in status tomorrow, Tavi,” Gus cackles. “Don’t make fun: Mr Zabini is not used to mixing with humble commoners, such as we are,” she drawls.

“No need to pout, Blaise: Mrs Green is our dear widowed neighbour – she minds Tavi when I’m at work. We’d be lost without her, isn’t that right, Kiddo?”.

“Gus! Don’t call me that – I’m almost eleven,” Tavi hisses, looking thoroughly scandalized at the term of endearment.

“Eleven?” Blaise parrots, trying to mask his shock at the girl’s true age. She looks so… little… though she talks and acts as though she’s forty going on eighty, he smiles to himself.

“Practically grown up – you’d better get a job and find your own place, huh?” Gus teases, before turning her attention to pouring the warmed milk into three mismatched, well-loved mugs.

“As if,” Tavi scoffs. “You’ll miss me like crazy when I leave for Hogwarts, Gus Gus.” Swinging her head back to Blaise, Tavi misses the tense, pensive look that crosses her sister’s face.

Something worrisome lurks behind that expression, Blaise muses…’

Like a Puzzle by littlepinkbow

Chapters 1/1, 22,859 words.

Summary:

When One Direction went their separate ways, Harry did what he had always wanted. He got married and started a family. Only, he didn’t realise that starting his family would mean losing his wife. In a few short minutes Harry felt like the world was taken away from him and given to him and there’s no real way to know how to feel on a day like that.

Being a single parent wasn’t so bad and Harry was certain he could do it, until he got an unexpected diagnosis for his daughter. While Zayn and Nick both thought Harry should reach out to the other boys, thought that Harry needed a deeper support system, Harry wasn’t willing to reach out to them. They had gone their separate ways and to Harry they had done that for a reason. He was doing just fine, really.

maps can be poems when you're on your own by suspendrs

Chapters 1/1, 18,974 words.

Summary:

“Harry, this is Louis, the guy I was telling you about,” Liam says. “Lou, this is Harry, my roommate.”

Harry looks up and locks eyes with Louis, who is very clearly drunk. Louis just giggles in surprise and claps a hand over his own mouth, widening his eyes at Harry comically.

“Nice to meet you,” Harry croaks, watching as Louis tucks himself more firmly into Liam’s side.

The Many Loves of Harry Styles by sleepysundays

Chapters 1/1, 2550 words.

Summary:

The many loves of Harry Style's life and the one that actually mattered.