Welcome to Until The End. We are a moderate Harry Potter role-playing site set in the Marauder's Era. Our plot is generally derived from details in the book, but as an AU site we do take liberties most anywhere we like. Those who died in the books can have a second chance at living, and those who lived are always at risk.
Tom Marvolo Riddle has long since disappeared and in his stead Lord Voldemort has risen, bringing a small army with him. The Ministry of Magic has thus far ignored the growing menace that is the Death Eaters and Albus Dumbledore has taken it upon himself to defend the wizarding community from an evil he knows is building. War is coming. Pick a side!
School's Out For Summer
The Hogwart's Express has pulled up to the station in King's Cross station and the summer holidays have officially begun. What mischeif will you get into in the warm summer sun?
*Coming Soon* - Summer Solstice Carnival
Travel by portkey to the biggest summer celebration in wizard society - The Summer Solstice Carnival! There will be food, games, prizes, fun and more!
Post by Elara Samain Sayre on Apr 29, 2020 14:13:16 GMT -8
[googlefont="La Belle Aurore"][googlefont="Old Standard TT"]
"No one calls you honey when you're sitting on a throne."
Elara on the other hand was immediately aware of the woman and whom she was. No amount of makeup could create nor conceal the elegant bone structure and strong exotic beauty of Julian's companion, Lara had been disconcerted by the woman's presence when they arrived, but the way Julian looked at Lyra removed the doubt in Lara's mind.
Julian had eyes for one woman and one woman only, that didn't mean that other women did not have eyes for Julian. Lara had seen it many times over his "Cassanova" career and would not have been surprised if Talia cared for the man who all too often liked to play hero, but just how clever and conniving was this woman? Was she a threat despite Julian's clear affection for her friend?
Lara was only too aware of what a woman could do - even to an innocent man.
She had pulled her own fair share of tricks, but that same mastery allowed her to keep her smile cordial and her tone polite without Lyra's prompting. "Of course." she agreed as Lyra explained, then turned her attention to the brunette, "It's a pleasure to meet you, formally."
When Nik remained silent Lara shot him a stinging hex under the table, but despite a muffled curse and glare the man was infuriatingly quiet. "You'll have to excuse him. He left his manners with his dinner coat." she said authoritatively, stamping disapproval over Nik's behavior.
Post by Talia Keshet Ahmad on Apr 29, 2020 20:15:00 GMT -8
Egypt?! Talia managed to keep herself from rolling her eyes and calling Julian’s idiot girlfriend some name she couldn’t possibly understand, but instead she gave a clearly strained smile and corrected, “Jordan, actually.” She turned her gaze to Julian and her smile softened to a more natural one. “Perhaps we ought to look into getting Farrah a private tutor instead of attending primary lessons here in the UK, I’d hate for her not to know basic geography.” Talia sat in the open chair next to Julian, ensuring their physical connection remained unbroken as she settled in at the table and allowed her attention to shift to the other members of their dinner party. The wizard was surly and silent, but the witch seemed chatty enough. Talia recognized her as the one who had stormed the dock upon their arrival and assaulted Julian, yet here she was, playing a friend. Interesting. “It is nice to see you again. I hope I am not intruding on your meal. Lyra was gracious enough to extend the invitation.” Her thumb stroked the side of Julian’s hand gently as she smiled.
Post by Julian Taranis Faust on Apr 29, 2020 20:38:10 GMT -8
[googlefont="La Belle Aurore"][googlefont="Old Standard TT"]
"Never again will I justify the scars because I loved the person holding the knife."
Clearing his throat over the awkward presence of his former mate he led Talia to a seat before taking his own between her and Lyra.
Julian was not blind. Talia was a beautiful woman and there had been more than one opportunity for romance between the pair, but Julian's heart never strayed. He simply wasn't the type. Lyra had him hooked through and through. At one time her possessive and yes obsessive feelings for him frightened him. He had loved obsessively and it had nearly killed him, and the thought of her loving his extremely flawed self was terrifying, but truthfully he was just as possessive and obsessive over her. He merely had a thin veneer of sophistication and a mockery of wisdom.
It was the sophistication that had caused him to lash out at the woman he loved and so called wisdom that saw him to the ends of the earth in a desperate attempt to keep her safe from him.
But he was home now, and he was moving forward.
Julian's lip twitched at Lyra's mishap, but rather than finding her uncouth or uneducated, he was enchanted by her. There were so many places he wanted to take her. For her wealth and status she had been remarkably stunted in her education - not for lack of intelligence or skill - but rather a rearing that was solely directed toward finding a husband.
Given independence and a chance to shine she absolutely thrived in the right setting. At the magazine she was downright brilliant and had a natural talent that was on the prodigy borderline of fashion trends. Not to mention how the witch could wield a wand in a duel. Lyra did not lack for skill, nor intelligence.
He was a little more surprised by Talia's slight - though he imagined she may have been testy at Lyra's mistake, all the same he moved forward.
Turning toward the blonde he lifted a hand to her cheek, eyes full of adoration, "Gracious, in many ways." he confirmed referring to Lyra's forgiveness and eager determination for reconciliation.
Post by Lyra Ophelia Nott on Apr 29, 2020 21:07:04 GMT -8
Lyra smiled and tucked into her wine as geographical faux pas was highlighted for the entire group. She chalked it up to foreign customs and a language barrier but she felt stupid for it nonetheless. There were all sorts of little countries scattered about. How was she to know each and every one of them? Later, when discussing the evening with Lara over a bowl of popcorn that only Lyra would be partaking in, she would bemoan that Jordan doesn’t sound like a real country anyway, but for now she swallowed her pride and let Talia exchange niceties with the table.
Julian’s hand on her cheek was electric and tilted her head into it. “Yes, yes.” She piped up, a broad smile on her face as her gaze scanned her friends. “You all love me. I am quite marvelous, I know. You’re all terribly lucky to have me.” She looked pointedly at Nik then took another sip of her wine. Her features softened after a moment. She couldn’t hold a grudge the way Nik could, not when it came to her friends. In school if another witch had wrong her even in the slightest of ways, Lyra could make the girl’s life a living hell, but she had always had a soft spot in her heart for her friends. And Nik was definitely one of her closest friends, so her heart was extra gooey for him. “Nik, I know Julian would love to hear about your recent travels.” Love was too strong of a word – Julian was more stubborn than a man had any right to be, but he had agreed to try to put their pasts behind them tonight. She looked over at Julian, her hand sliding onto his thigh. “You’re not the only traveler of the group, you know,” she remarked jovially to her beau as if his absence had simply been a planned holiday and not the total abandonment of everyone who had ever loved him.
Post by Nicholas Evander Malfoy on May 11, 2020 18:20:36 GMT -8
[googlefont="La Belle Aurore"][googlefont="Old Standard TT"]
"Take me to Church I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies."
They did love her. She was marvelous. And they were lucky to have her.
She had to realize that. The whole farce of dinner was for her benefit and they all knew it. Against odds she had wormed her way into each of their hearts and they would have moved heaven and earth to make her happy. Unfortunately none of them had ever learned how to play nice in the sandbox or share their toys.
It didn't matter that Lyra was a living breathing human being with thoughts and feelings as well as her own identity. She was important to them and in their twisted world you protected what was yours.
Julian broke her and almost took her away from all of them. Nik couldn't get past it. Maybe if Lyra weren't so fragile. If she were hard and had some sense of self preservation, then he could trust that she wouldn't follow Julian off a cliff again at the slightest bidding of dark chocolate eyes.
And were they all going to just ignore the goddess shaped elephant in the room making moon eyes and not so subtle jabs at what the woman clearly viewed as "competition".
His brow arched at the woman's semi-hostile comment as his tongue curled over his teeth in a light sneer. He spared a glance at Elara and knew he'd be lucky to survive whatever hex she had up her sleeve had he spoke his mind once Talia joined the table - instead he damn near chewed his tongue off to keep silent.
Nik turned a hard glare on Julian for an eighth of a second before the nauseating display between him and Lyra turned Nik's stomach. He wasn't touching that with a ten foot pole.
Then Lyra spoke to him directly and his jaw clenched, fortunately she returned to her cooing over Julian and Nik was spared the need to reply.
Post by Elara Samain Sayre on May 11, 2020 18:22:21 GMT -8
[googlefont="La Belle Aurore"][googlefont="Old Standard TT"]
"No one calls you honey when you're sitting on a throne."
Elara's expression never faltered. Her eyes were neutral and her lips were relaxed into a soft smile. She revealed nothing.
She took everything in. The insult. The possessive posture. The physical touching. The assumption of responsibility when it came to the woman's daughter.
The poor woman was desperate. She had to be desperate to ignore the raw rapture between the man she so clearly desired and the woman who clearly held his heart. To cling to a man who couldn't be bothered to be embarrassed by another woman clinging to him. Pathetic. All around really.
"She's the reason I suppose we're all here this evening." she said pleasantly. Neutrally. But between Julian's fawning and Nik's grumpy once overs it didn't need to be repeated - Lyra was marvelous. They were lucky to have her. And they loved her.
Post by Talia Keshet Ahmad on Oct 3, 2020 19:34:20 GMT -8
Talia ran her tongue over her teeth, ignoring the table as they fawned over Julian's idiot girlfriend. Leaning forward, Talia reached for her empty wineglass and pulled it closer to her, then in a soft tone said "Julian, darling, would you be a dear?" If she were going to make it through the evening being forced to watch the blonde throw herself ungracefully at the man sitting between them, she would do so with a little wine at the very least.
Post by Lyra Ophelia Nott on Oct 3, 2020 19:53:01 GMT -8
They had ordered and were halfway through the main course, and still Lyra had not managed to get a word out of Nik. She twisted her fingers in her lap as she listened to the conversation being had; dry and stiff, lacking the humor and fun they used to have together. Would they never get back to that place again? It was such a short period of time when they were all able to enjoy each other's company without some cold undertone. At first it was Nik's disapproval of Lyra, then Julian's insistence on keeping away from her. They only had a few months where they were all together, no one trying to secretly rip them away from one another, and then Julian left, but those few months of happiness were so glorious that Lyra would do whatever it took to get them back together. If she had to twist Nik's arm to arrange weekly dinner parties such as this one, then she was damn well ready to do it but Merlin's beard it would be so much easier if he would just give in already and stop acting like a baby.
Post by Julian Taranis Faust on Oct 6, 2020 22:01:48 GMT -8
[googlefont="La Belle Aurore"][googlefont="Old Standard TT"]
"Never again will I justify the scars because I loved the person holding the knife."
Julian surmised incorrectly that Talia's justified upset was due to the less than welcoming table - Nik mostly. When she asked for wine, he nodded quickly with a serene smile and poured her glass, then offered to fill the rest of the glasses, pausing slightly at Nik's.
When he gave nothing more than a surly raised brow, Julian felt it was safe to pour.
Truthfully he was on his best behavior tonight. Not that he would have sought out conflict in the first place. After Jordan, more conflict was the last thing Julian wanted. He wanted peace. He wanted happiness - Lyra's happiness. Her happiness brought him unimaginable peace - he wanted nothing more than to spoil her for the rest of their days, to see her face light up with laughter and joy.
Which is why he wanted this evening to run smooth. So far so good, as the group (absent Nik) fell into a light conversation - if Nik would only speak. Then again, it was probably best that he didn't knowing just how acerbic the man's tongue could be.
They were almost done with the main course - if they could just do dessert tonight could possibly be called a success. He leaned over to tell Lyra as much, letting her know that he was grateful she had organized the dinner.
Post by Nicholas Evander Malfoy on Oct 9, 2020 12:32:31 GMT -8
[googlefont="La Belle Aurore"][googlefont="Old Standard TT"]
"Take me to Church I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies."
Nik's jaw clenched so hard he swore a tooth would crack under the pressure. There wasn't enough alcohol in the world to drown out the mockery of the evening let alone the admittedly decent, yet ultimately bitter wine Julian had bought.
Nik needed something stronger, he needed a potion or some kind of obliviation to keep from ripping into the man across the table, at this point clawing his eyes out was beginning to seem viable.
Sure there were deep rooted psychological issues that were at play with Nik's emotions, but at the very heart of all things, he just felt powerless and that made him furious.
The happy couple across from him also made him furious. Julian didn't deserve her. Not that Nik deserved her either, but that was completely different. Nik wasn't after her. She was too innocent for him, she didn't know how to play the game, she wore her heart on her sleeve and Nik was careless sometimes. It'd be like a blender loving a puppy.
Nik was well aware of his flaws. His callousness was legendary. Malfoys were rather well known for their ability to peer down their nose at you and make you feel insignificant. Though he's generally been regarded as using the technique less frequently than the rest of his family - you had to first earn the man's notice - the rarity of his direct disapproval was tremendously disconcerting.
Not to Sam of course. The first time he used the expression on her she merely looked at him curiously. The second and last time, the brat had the audacity to imitate him. Her condescending scowls were now as perfect as his, if not more devastating when used on him.
Fuck. She was scowling at him now.
But whether it was the wine or the rest of the Godric-forsaken year, Nik couldn't bring himself to care. Any other time he might have cowed at that look, but the pain was too fresh and raw to contain. He glared at her in turn before looking away.
No Lyra wasn't for him. He'd do or say something wrong and she'd internalize it. Leaving your heart bare around any of them was just an invitation to have it lacerated. Julian was right before. He was toxic to people like her, they all were.
Post by Talia Keshet Ahmad on Oct 10, 2020 22:35:54 GMT -8
Talia noted the coldness between the men at the table, and the looks passed between the younger brunette and the surly wizard. Why on earth was Julian making such an effort with these people when they clearly wanted nothing to do with him? Aside from the witch's family fortune, Talia found nothing special in Julian's relationship with Elara. And though she didn't know much of anything about Nik yet, he wasn't even bothering with pretenses as far as her gentle hero was concerned. Lyra, at least, she understood. Julian was a man, and this blonde imbecile was practically trying to shag him right there in the middle of the restaurant. Any man would happily settle for a whore, and as a whore, Lyra was not short on wizards with whom she could bed. It would be far easier for Lyra to replace Julian than it would Talia. She'd had a plot in mind for a short while now and admittedly she was a little apprehensive about breaking Julian and his bird up, but after witnessing their relationship first hand Talia knew there was no real love to be lost here. It was obviously nothing more than lust, and if all Julian required was a shag whenever he liked, it was certainly an inexpensive price to pay for ensuring she and her daughter were cared for in this new country.
Meals were served and conversations were held, but still the tension was palpable. Talia might have even felt bad for the moronic blonde and all the effort she had apparently put into this evening if not for the fact that the visible division among the friends meant it would be all too easy for her to lure Julian away. She bid her time and chimed in when conversation was directed her way, or making remarks - mostly to herself - when the conversation veered where she could not follow. They were currently discussing an event they had attended together, some art exhibit or something of the like, which was completely impolite given Talia's presence and her inability to reminisce alongside them. Of course it came as no surprise that it was Julian's girlfriend who had brought up the topic without even recognizing the faux paus. Discussion continued as the pudding were placed in front of them and Talia was all too happy to tuck into her cake and ignore them for a moment. She moaned softly, a gentle smile forming. "Jules, love, you simply must try this. It is to die for." Taking a small bit on her fork, she offered it to Julian.
Post by Julian Taranis Faust on Jan 5, 2022 21:41:10 GMT -8
[googlefont="La Belle Aurore"][googlefont="Old Standard TT"]
"Never again will I justify the scars because I loved the person holding the knife."
Julian was a smart man, but even smart men could be fools given the right circumstances or all the wrong ones.
In time he'd likely have realized Talia's game, having been practically a professional Cassanova adept in creating scenarios to enrage jealous lovers, but currently, he was just trying to survive one of the tensest dinners he'd ever attended. Survive wasn't the right word, no he was trying harder than that. Unlike Nik who sat like a petulant child throwing a tantrum, Julian was navigating the landmines of the conversation trying desperately to give Lyra her special dinner night that she clearly was trying so hard for.
That's the only possible excuse he could have had for unconsciously taking the proffered bite of food that appeared in front of him. Well that, and the idea of being romantically involved with anyone other than the vivacious blonde next to him also seemed completely absurd to him. It was true that Talia and her daughter had become like family to Julian, and he would never abandon them. The familiarity didn't bother him and was, in fact, necessary when the circumstances were dire, and it truly didn't bother him now, but it had been a long while since he had been in the ever so curious public eye.
"We'll need to bring some home for Farrah. " he agreed happily still oblivious to the potential harm he'd done.
Post by Lyra Ophelia Nott on Jan 5, 2022 22:57:50 GMT -8
Lyra felt her shoulders relax and her breath flow a little easier as Julian leaned in and whispered in her ear. Her worries that Nik would spoil the evening, or any and all future evenings, with his pettiness was easily redirected as Julian spoke of his appreciation for her putting this evening on. "Of course," she said softly, raising a hand to his cheek and kissing him gently. She could have stayed there in that moment for the rest of the evening but Lyra was all too aware that the rest of her dinner guests were not fully on board with her rekindled relationship. She was certain Sam was only playing nice for the sake of their friendship, and Nik...well everyone in the bloody restaurant knew how Nik felt about this evening. Talia, on the other hand, didn't seem interested in being polite to anyone other than Julian but Lyra tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. She was new to their group, new to the country, and the only person she knew here was Julian. It made sense that she cling to him a little, Lyra reasoned, though she had to frequently remind herself of that logic to soothe her anxieties. It had been a great while since Lyra had felt as inept as she did tonight, between Talia's remarks through her broken English and the blunt manner in which the witch spoke to her. Julian by her side made for a sweet relief but soon dessert arrived and Talia and Julian were sharing pudding as if they were the couple. Lyra's mouth fell slightly as Julian remarked that they should bring some home for Talia's daughter, easily mistaken for loving parents to anyone passing by the table at that moment, but Lyra swallowed her breath and reminded herself that this behavior was probably common in the witch's homeland of Egypt or Jordan or wherever she was from. Lyra stared at her fork intently, curbing the desire to shove a bite of her own dessert in Julian's face in order to mark her territory like some sort of uncultured animal.
Post by Nicholas Evander Malfoy on Jan 6, 2022 0:39:23 GMT -8
[googlefont="La Belle Aurore"][googlefont="Old Standard TT"]
"Take me to Church I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies."
Suddenly Nik laughed, "Are you fucking kidding me?"
He laughed again while glancing between his dinner companions. This was a joke. It was surreal and Nik was far too sober which in turn made him even more put out by the situation and his laughter ended abruptly with his smile as he stared at them in turn, "Are" Sam "You" Lyra "Fucking" Talia and Julian who were sitting ridiculously close together, which was obviously necessary so she could feed him like a mewling babe, "kidding me?" he asked again not wanting or expecting an answer for what was clearly a charade of polite company. How could anyone have expected him to support this?
Tossing his napkin to the table having lost any semblance of an appetite in addition to his ability to carry on with any pretenses he stood up. He needed air after their display and Lyra's stunted reaction and moved toward the exit.
Post by Talia Keshet Ahmad on Jan 17, 2022 0:42:20 GMT -8
Talia was perfectly happy how the evening was turning out. She was learning a great many things from observing Julian's relationship dynamics, things she intended to use to her advantage. Julian's girlfriend was little more than an airhead, she would be easy to get rid of if Talia could ensure the right distraction. The sulking bloke was clearly at odds with the group, grunting and huffing like a petulant child being forced to apologize for something they did not believe was their fault. The only person Talia had not yet gleaned any insight into was the brunette, but Talia didn't believe her to be an issue.
Julian took the bait and tasted the dessert she'd offered him and promptly fell in line with the watchful caregiver she had learned him to be, suggesting they bring some home for her daughter. It was precisely this sort of thoughtfulness, along with his connections and fortune, that made him such an attractive potential partner. Farah would be safe in this country under the watchful eyes of Julian and herself. When the sulking oaf began to shout, Talia simply rested her fork on the edge of her plate and watched as he proceeded with his hysterics. The look he gave them all in turn was restrained fury, but the look he gave to Lyra was something else entirely. The gears in her mind began to turn as she waited silently for someone else at the table to speak, or better yet, state the evening over.