Fifty Things. [Harry Potter; 1sentence]
Having discovered the 1sentence community, I simply couldn't resist taking part in this challenge. The shorter you make the stories, the better chance there is of my actually finishing them, I suppose! So here's 50 1-sentence stories (...or maybe 50 sentence-long fragments of the same story, that's a better way to put it). They're all Frank/Remus. Whee.
Fandom: Harry Potter.
Pairing: Frank/Remus (and a touch of Frank/Alice and Remus/Sirius)
o1. comfort.
They’re too old for sleepovers, but Remus isn’t thinking about that anymore, because Frank’s fallen asleep in his arms and the tears have long since dried and Remus is more preoccupied with the fact that the feel of the other boy’s warm breath against his skin makes him shivery all over.
o2. kiss.
I’ve ruined everything is all he can think after he does it, until he sees the smile spread across the other boy’s face and all of a sudden they’re kissing again.
o3. soft.
He’s dozing pale and weak after his return from the safehouse, but he wakes at the feel of a gentle touch, smiles, whispers, “Hello Frank” without opening his eyes.
o4. pain.
It’s only a skinned knee, but Remus throws an arm around his friend’s shoulders and lets him lean all the way back to the school, because he knows very well what little tolerance Frank has for pain.
o5. potatoes.
They’re quarrelling; Remus keeps catching sight of Frank sullen and pouty at the Ravenclaw table and even though he’s determined not to feel guilty about this, the mashed potatoes he’s eating are suddenly heavy like cement in his mouth.
o6. rain.
Everything about the approach to the new school is ominous: the way the castle’s perched high on a hill, the little boats, the sheets of pouring rain; Frank is terrified until he feels the comforting press of Remus’s fingers twining in his own.
o7. chocolate.
“It’ll make you feel better,” says Remus, pressing the square of chocolate into Frank’s hand.
o8. happiness.
They are young and in love.
o9. telephone.
Spending an entire month in exile with his muggle relatives is like torture and every time he looks at the telephone, he longs to call a friend: James, Sirius, Frank.
1o. ears.
Neville has his father’s ears, thinks Remus, but he doesn’t share the observation because there’s no one to tell.
11. names.
Only Remus knows that it’s really short for ‘François’, the name being one of the few things the dashing French Auror that had so charmed Augusta Longbottom managed to leave behind for his only son.
12. sensual.
At this time of month Remus feels everything doubly, triply strong, like all his senses are fine-tuned; he can smell Frank from all the way across the room and it’s so distracting he imagines himself going crazy with wanting.
13. death.
Dedalus is writing Caradoc’s eulogy while Emmeline paces around swearing in French; Remus just sits on the edge of the sofa wondering if it’s going to be his eulogy next when Frank comes to sit next to him, pulls him into an awkward sort of hug.
14. sex.
Afterwards, all Frank can think is - why didn’t they think of doing this sooner?
15. touch.
Frank knows that Remus is just in the habit of touching people, that sometimes he can’t help it, but he can’t help feeling unsettled to see Remus sprawled laughing in the lap of Sirius Black.
16. weakness.
It’s been almost a month since Frank and Alice were moved to the long-term ward, and yet still Remus hasn’t found the strength to go visit them.
17. tears.
Maybe, thinks Remus, if he keeps kissing Frank they’ll both forget and it won’t be true; he twines his fingers in Frank’s golden hair and quiets the other boy’s sobs with his lips.
18. speed.
Tonight they’ll talk about it, but first there’s an eternity of classes to endure: double potions, charms, herbology.
19. wind.
He winds his body around his lover’s, shifts his hips and listens to him moan.
2o. freedom.
“It’s the most wonderful feeling in the world,” says Remus (thinking of dew-damp grass underfoot and the shining moonlight running through the wilds with your friends close beside and freedom); he doesn’t understand why Frank lapses into a sullen silence.
21. life.
Frank paces tight circles around the corridor outside the delivery room at St Mungos and Remus thinks that he hasn’t seen Frank this nervous since the wedding.
22. jealousy.
Frank sits at the quiet Ravenclaw table (where everyone hides behind their books), listens to the Gryffindors laughing and tries not to think about how he’s certainly been replaced.
23. hands.
He’s slept alone for five years but still wakes from dreams of the memory-touch of Frank Longbottom’s hands.
24. taste.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmurs, stroking his hand through Remus’s drab hair, running his fingers over the still-sharp scars; Remus smiles weakly, thinks Frank simply must have horrible taste.
25. devotion.
Because it’s the right thing to do said Frank; days after the engagement announcement, those words still echo in Remus’s brain and he wonders when Frank became so devoted to doing the right thing.
26. forever.
‘Now’ is never enough for Frank; he thinks in terms of ‘always’, ‘forever’ -- will you be here always, he pleads, will you love me forever until somehow Remus’s constant reassuring answers almost feel like lying.
27. blood.
“Don’t you want any,” Frank asks, offering the plate of bacon; Remus shakes his head and takes a piece of toast because meat tastes like blood tastes like the wolf.
28. sickness.
“Put it this way, Mr Lupin” says the nurse in a tired voice, “it’s more likely that they’d find a cure for your unfortunate malady.”
29. melody.
When he can’t sleep, he goes downstairs to play the piano - half-remembered fragments of Schubert melodies that always inexplicably emphasize his loneliness instead of distracting from it.
3o. star.
“Look,” breathes Frank, very close to his ear, “it’s a falling star, make a wish,” and even though Remus knows it’s no use, he squeezes his eyes closed and hopes.
31. home.
Returning to Hogwarts is like coming home, Remus thinks; he watches the students filing into the Great Hall and feels quite comfortable until he notices Neville, like the ghost of a memory.
32. confusion.
James is complaining about how girls don’t make sense, but Remus has never been confused by girls, just the way he suddenly can’t stop thinking about Frank Longbottom’s smile.
33. fear.
“Ravenclaw,” says the sorting hat and it is only the first time Remus will stand helplessly behind with no choice but to watch Frank go.
34. lightning/thunder.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” says Caradoc, launching into a scientific explanation of electrical storms; Frank can’t help thinking he prefers the way Remus would comfort him.
35. bonds.
“You may now kiss the bride,” intones the wizard; Frank does so, bending his head, catching his hand in the waves of Alice’s hair and Remus feels like dying.
36. market.
“Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?” Remus asks; he can’t breathe until Frank nods, yes.
37. technology.
Remus wraps his arms around Sirius, clinging as the motorbike takes off and some horrible part of him is hoping that Frank is watching, is jealous.
38. gift.
He comes to Neville’s christening but doesn’t stay to talk to anyone, only leaves behind something small and gift-wrapped because it’s the least he could do.
39. smile.
If he smiles, thinks Remus, everything’s going to be all-right.
4o. innocence.
“It’s not his fault,” pleads Remus, “it’s me that’s to blame,” and Frank turns away quickly so he won’t see the hurt in Alice’s eyes.
41. completion.
He is my everything, he thinks, drowsy and contented, reaching out and pulling his lover in close.
42. clouds.
Frank is in a good mood until his mother mentions that the Warringtons are coming around for tea and then it’s like the shifting away of the sun on a cloudy day as he’s overcome with panic, thinking only Alice.
43. sky.
He’s standing at the window watching the sunset and behind him Alice whispers “I’m sorry”; Frank doesn’t say a word, just turns around, gathers his new wife into his arms.
44. heaven.
A dozen funerals later and they’re both glad they’re not the ones who deliver the eulogies; they’re too tired to speak convincingly of heaven.
45. hell.
All that’s left is the ashes of burnt gardens, the trace of the Dark Mark in the sky, and the sound of Neville sobbing as Remus carries him away.
46. sun.
“We could run away,” breathes Frank, dreaming of the house he inherited in the south of France, all blues and golds and sunlit windows and having nothing better to do than stay in bed with your lover: no wars, no full moons, no pregnant wives, no worries.
47. moon.
Frank sits awake listening to something howling in the distance; just a dog, he tells himself, closing the shutters against the moonlight.
48. waves.
“I will,” Frank promises and only Remus notices the waver in his voice.
49. hair.
He notices the dog-hair scattered on Remus’s trousers, can’t explain why that seems oddly suspicious.
5o. supernova.
They bring him the news and he crumples, wishing for nothingness.
Fandom: Harry Potter.
Pairing: Frank/Remus (and a touch of Frank/Alice and Remus/Sirius)
o1. comfort.
They’re too old for sleepovers, but Remus isn’t thinking about that anymore, because Frank’s fallen asleep in his arms and the tears have long since dried and Remus is more preoccupied with the fact that the feel of the other boy’s warm breath against his skin makes him shivery all over.
o2. kiss.
I’ve ruined everything is all he can think after he does it, until he sees the smile spread across the other boy’s face and all of a sudden they’re kissing again.
o3. soft.
He’s dozing pale and weak after his return from the safehouse, but he wakes at the feel of a gentle touch, smiles, whispers, “Hello Frank” without opening his eyes.
o4. pain.
It’s only a skinned knee, but Remus throws an arm around his friend’s shoulders and lets him lean all the way back to the school, because he knows very well what little tolerance Frank has for pain.
o5. potatoes.
They’re quarrelling; Remus keeps catching sight of Frank sullen and pouty at the Ravenclaw table and even though he’s determined not to feel guilty about this, the mashed potatoes he’s eating are suddenly heavy like cement in his mouth.
o6. rain.
Everything about the approach to the new school is ominous: the way the castle’s perched high on a hill, the little boats, the sheets of pouring rain; Frank is terrified until he feels the comforting press of Remus’s fingers twining in his own.
o7. chocolate.
“It’ll make you feel better,” says Remus, pressing the square of chocolate into Frank’s hand.
o8. happiness.
They are young and in love.
o9. telephone.
Spending an entire month in exile with his muggle relatives is like torture and every time he looks at the telephone, he longs to call a friend: James, Sirius, Frank.
1o. ears.
Neville has his father’s ears, thinks Remus, but he doesn’t share the observation because there’s no one to tell.
11. names.
Only Remus knows that it’s really short for ‘François’, the name being one of the few things the dashing French Auror that had so charmed Augusta Longbottom managed to leave behind for his only son.
12. sensual.
At this time of month Remus feels everything doubly, triply strong, like all his senses are fine-tuned; he can smell Frank from all the way across the room and it’s so distracting he imagines himself going crazy with wanting.
13. death.
Dedalus is writing Caradoc’s eulogy while Emmeline paces around swearing in French; Remus just sits on the edge of the sofa wondering if it’s going to be his eulogy next when Frank comes to sit next to him, pulls him into an awkward sort of hug.
14. sex.
Afterwards, all Frank can think is - why didn’t they think of doing this sooner?
15. touch.
Frank knows that Remus is just in the habit of touching people, that sometimes he can’t help it, but he can’t help feeling unsettled to see Remus sprawled laughing in the lap of Sirius Black.
16. weakness.
It’s been almost a month since Frank and Alice were moved to the long-term ward, and yet still Remus hasn’t found the strength to go visit them.
17. tears.
Maybe, thinks Remus, if he keeps kissing Frank they’ll both forget and it won’t be true; he twines his fingers in Frank’s golden hair and quiets the other boy’s sobs with his lips.
18. speed.
Tonight they’ll talk about it, but first there’s an eternity of classes to endure: double potions, charms, herbology.
19. wind.
He winds his body around his lover’s, shifts his hips and listens to him moan.
2o. freedom.
“It’s the most wonderful feeling in the world,” says Remus (thinking of dew-damp grass underfoot and the shining moonlight running through the wilds with your friends close beside and freedom); he doesn’t understand why Frank lapses into a sullen silence.
21. life.
Frank paces tight circles around the corridor outside the delivery room at St Mungos and Remus thinks that he hasn’t seen Frank this nervous since the wedding.
22. jealousy.
Frank sits at the quiet Ravenclaw table (where everyone hides behind their books), listens to the Gryffindors laughing and tries not to think about how he’s certainly been replaced.
23. hands.
He’s slept alone for five years but still wakes from dreams of the memory-touch of Frank Longbottom’s hands.
24. taste.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmurs, stroking his hand through Remus’s drab hair, running his fingers over the still-sharp scars; Remus smiles weakly, thinks Frank simply must have horrible taste.
25. devotion.
Because it’s the right thing to do said Frank; days after the engagement announcement, those words still echo in Remus’s brain and he wonders when Frank became so devoted to doing the right thing.
26. forever.
‘Now’ is never enough for Frank; he thinks in terms of ‘always’, ‘forever’ -- will you be here always, he pleads, will you love me forever until somehow Remus’s constant reassuring answers almost feel like lying.
27. blood.
“Don’t you want any,” Frank asks, offering the plate of bacon; Remus shakes his head and takes a piece of toast because meat tastes like blood tastes like the wolf.
28. sickness.
“Put it this way, Mr Lupin” says the nurse in a tired voice, “it’s more likely that they’d find a cure for your unfortunate malady.”
29. melody.
When he can’t sleep, he goes downstairs to play the piano - half-remembered fragments of Schubert melodies that always inexplicably emphasize his loneliness instead of distracting from it.
3o. star.
“Look,” breathes Frank, very close to his ear, “it’s a falling star, make a wish,” and even though Remus knows it’s no use, he squeezes his eyes closed and hopes.
31. home.
Returning to Hogwarts is like coming home, Remus thinks; he watches the students filing into the Great Hall and feels quite comfortable until he notices Neville, like the ghost of a memory.
32. confusion.
James is complaining about how girls don’t make sense, but Remus has never been confused by girls, just the way he suddenly can’t stop thinking about Frank Longbottom’s smile.
33. fear.
“Ravenclaw,” says the sorting hat and it is only the first time Remus will stand helplessly behind with no choice but to watch Frank go.
34. lightning/thunder.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” says Caradoc, launching into a scientific explanation of electrical storms; Frank can’t help thinking he prefers the way Remus would comfort him.
35. bonds.
“You may now kiss the bride,” intones the wizard; Frank does so, bending his head, catching his hand in the waves of Alice’s hair and Remus feels like dying.
36. market.
“Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?” Remus asks; he can’t breathe until Frank nods, yes.
37. technology.
Remus wraps his arms around Sirius, clinging as the motorbike takes off and some horrible part of him is hoping that Frank is watching, is jealous.
38. gift.
He comes to Neville’s christening but doesn’t stay to talk to anyone, only leaves behind something small and gift-wrapped because it’s the least he could do.
39. smile.
If he smiles, thinks Remus, everything’s going to be all-right.
4o. innocence.
“It’s not his fault,” pleads Remus, “it’s me that’s to blame,” and Frank turns away quickly so he won’t see the hurt in Alice’s eyes.
41. completion.
He is my everything, he thinks, drowsy and contented, reaching out and pulling his lover in close.
42. clouds.
Frank is in a good mood until his mother mentions that the Warringtons are coming around for tea and then it’s like the shifting away of the sun on a cloudy day as he’s overcome with panic, thinking only Alice.
43. sky.
He’s standing at the window watching the sunset and behind him Alice whispers “I’m sorry”; Frank doesn’t say a word, just turns around, gathers his new wife into his arms.
44. heaven.
A dozen funerals later and they’re both glad they’re not the ones who deliver the eulogies; they’re too tired to speak convincingly of heaven.
45. hell.
All that’s left is the ashes of burnt gardens, the trace of the Dark Mark in the sky, and the sound of Neville sobbing as Remus carries him away.
46. sun.
“We could run away,” breathes Frank, dreaming of the house he inherited in the south of France, all blues and golds and sunlit windows and having nothing better to do than stay in bed with your lover: no wars, no full moons, no pregnant wives, no worries.
47. moon.
Frank sits awake listening to something howling in the distance; just a dog, he tells himself, closing the shutters against the moonlight.
48. waves.
“I will,” Frank promises and only Remus notices the waver in his voice.
49. hair.
He notices the dog-hair scattered on Remus’s trousers, can’t explain why that seems oddly suspicious.
5o. supernova.
They bring him the news and he crumples, wishing for nothingness.