To be with you, that's all I want ¦ Lulu

[Arlo Bletchley]

May 15th 2026


It was a strange night to begin with. He hadn't been all that hungry and all he wanted to do was slink off to the broom shed and hide away. Except there was some refurbishment bullshit going on with the house elves which had driven him out for at least a few days. He would probably swing by the kitchen later on this evening and get something if he was hungry. Or so his original line of thought had gone. He had began to make a move from his dorm to the Great Hall, when BRÍGH ENNIS O'DALAIGH and lily luna potter had intervened. He had never paid much attention to the girls in the year above, he knew they were nice enough. He knew enough to trust them. The others he wasn't so sure about, but he knew to trust them. He should have been move brave, he knew that. But it was difficult. The smoke and the sounds around him paired with the unknown smells; it was all so overwhelming. So unfamiliar and so frightening.

It had been a strike of pure luck that they had come across a group of students from the year below. They had been surely up to no good, but Arlo and the others didn't have time to process that. He didn't care. Georgie was with them and safe. That was all that mattered. He had his baby sister and he knew she was alive. They could get out, or so Brigh and the others seemed to think.

It wasn't difficult to follow the group blindly. He wasn't sure where it would leave them, but he just wanted out. He kept Georgie close as they moved through the fray. Head down, sister closeby and focused on just staying alive.

Eventually the smoke cleared and wherever route they had taken, it had spat them out at the edge of Hogsmeade. They had gotten out without so much as a cut or bruise marring their skin, but as he turned to asses the damage to the castle, he was sure he was one of the lucky ones. Hogwarts was burning. There'd be much worse of than him.

The group he'd been following seemed to converge with another group of Hogwarts students. So there was more survivors. Good. He looked through the crowd, not really processing what was happening or who he was seeing. He didn't know he had subconsciously been searching for a standout shock of lilac hair. He hadn't spoken to her in two, if not three months. Not since LUNA LACHESIS TRELAWNEY had crushed him with her vision. He hadn't been able to look at lulu anne blishwick the same since. Arlo had tried to play it cool, even if his heart had been completely crushed. He had cut himself off somewhat socially, keeping to himself was easier. He had put his head down and concentrated on his schoolwork and his training. Getting scouted was one step closer. Closer to making his dad happy. Closer to getting away and to a change.

Feeling a tug on his arm, he nodded and watched Georgie step away to some friends. Allowing it, now he knew they were safe. He could let his protective guard down a little, and breathe.

For the first time all night he felt himself exhale a breath he had been holding in whilst so on edge. Moving to the edge of the small street, he let himself collapse to sit on the kerb, and bury his head in his hands.

Finally able to breathe for the first time tonight.

[lulu anne blishwick]

Lulu had been sitting by the lake tucked near a cluster of bushes with headphones in her ears listening to sad girl music when she got the news. Or, more like noticed it looked like it was snowing...ash. Her eyes tore from the Witch Weekly magazine she had been aimlessly vandalizing with mustaches and other illicit illustrations her mother would swat her for.

As she pulled the buds out of her ears, she heard muffled screams in the distance. Her stomach dropped, immediately feeling weak out of fear as she remained frozen cross legged in the grass. The sky was dark with ash and smoke, accompanied by the setting sun appearing like a floating fireball. That was when she noticed the castle in the distance was on fire. It appeared to have been on fire for a while...

Shooting up to her feet, she took off toward the castle at full sprint, relieved to see her stupid brothers with a group of kids sitting in front of the castle, stunned. They seemed to have seen something horrible and were relieved to see her too. Normally, she didn't hug her brothers, but she yanked them into her arms and hugged them, hard, grateful that they were okay. People around her were injured and she didn't know what to do to help which overwhelmed her, she didn't want to stay near the castle. Lulu overheard a couple of students talk about making their way over to Hogsmeade, that sounded like a better idea than staying at the burning school..

Her decision was finally made when she heard more terrifying cries from the castle. Cries she would forevermore hear in her nightmares. The purple haired snake knew she couldn't help anyone but herself and she hated that fact. After her experience at the quidditch explosions, she was paralyzed with fear. People she loved and cared about ran through her mind. A specific big eared Gryffindor came to mind, which gave her a pang in her stomach. She couldn't believe she was thinking about him.

Lulu started for Hogsmeade, mortified that the Village also appeared like it was on fire. Smoke billowed from its stacked buildings, ash dancing in the sky above them. She wasn't sure what to do. Surely they weren't supposed to stay at either places. Lulu quickened her pace toward the village, arriving within record timing, and breathless. Everyone around her were crying and hugging, she was overwhelmed by the emotions surrounding her. Lulu's eyes frantically searched for those she knew.

Then she saw him. That jerky jerk Arlo Bletchley. The purple haired snake couldn't help that when she saw him sitting on the curb with his face in his hands that she was so incredibly grateful to see him. Her cheeks were stained with tears and she was out of breath, looking like hell as she collapsed on the curb next to him, "Oh, Arlo," she exhaled sadly, weeping softly as she was completely out of breath and shaking with panic. "I'm so relieved you made it out." Lulu said quickly, a floodgates of emotions hitting her as she saw him. Lulu swallowed hard, tears running down her face all over again as she dove into his arms to hug him tightly, praying in that moment that maybe he didn't still hate her guts for being a stupid slut.

Arlo Bletchley

[Arlo Bletchley]

As the smoke began to settle, so did Arlo's adrenaline. Whatever had been pumping through his body, pushing him forward to get out and to safety was now leaching away. It left him drained and sluggish. It felt like his brain was filled with cotton wool. Wordlessly he followed the directions of of the ministry wizards and seniors to clear the way, and after he had found somewhere to sit down, clutching a cup of coffee someone had thrusted at him to warm him up (probably Georgie, though he couldn't be sure in the fray of it all), he felt dead.

He had signed a sheet with his name, saying he was safe, and then had found refuge, parking himself on the edge of a kerb, back out of the way to decompress. The lukewarm coffee in the polystyrene cup now lay forgotten at his feet as his face was buried in his hands. Over and over in his mind he went over how he should have tried to be more proactive instead of following the group of sheep to safety. Logically yes it was more sensible to get to safety, but he was one of the seniors of the school, a Prefect; he should have been seen to be doing more. People would think him a coward. A cowardly lion who had blindly follow the sheep. Though what he didn't recognise was the protection and guidance he had offered to the younger students in his house and the others. Now he sat in a slump, feeling pretty tired and worthless.

When he heard Lulu's quiet voice cutting through the madness, it had been completely unexpected. He had heard very little from her in the last few months. He hadn't wanted to after LUNA LACHESIS TRELAWNEY 's vision of her and @friday . He had felt utterly betrayed, and had shut down whatever they had in an attempt to shield himself from anymore hurt. "Lu.." his hands dropped from his smoke smudged face and he took her in, watching her with glassy eyes. With a deep inhale, he paused, unsure of what to do next. When he noticed she was crying, streaks of her pale skin showing beneath the smudges of dust and smoke on her own face, he latched his top lip over his bottom uncomfortably.

Except he didn't have to decide what to do next. Lulu decided for them both by launching herself into his arms. His body gladly accepted the intimacy before his brain had time to catch up and think through what was happening. Quickly it moved to welcome her into his chest and envelop her into a comforting cuddle. His long legs stretched out in front of him on the road and he pulled her onto his lap to wrap himself around her. Burying his dirty face in her light hair, he inhaled slowly, enjoying the moment.

It was easier to forget and live in the solace they brought each other as he took in the smoky, muggy smell of her hair than come up with some words of response. It was impossible for his brain to process any words. He was still void of any energy and brainpower to formulate anything in reply to say to her, so instead he just showed her physical love and stayed wrapped around her in an attempt to shield her from what was going on in the moment, and cling on to some reassurance for himself now the world seemed to be going to shit around them.

lulu anne blishwick

[lulu anne blishwick]

Lulu was half expecting Arlo to push her away and tell her something along the lines of 'fuck off', but he didn't. Thank Merlin. As he reacted, pulling her into his lap, she noticed the stunned look on his face and glassy eyes. She didn't want to fathom what he and their classmates had seen in the castle; she saw enough bodies and heard enough screams and cries for help to traumatize her for life. Lulu never recovered mentally from the quidditch explosions, suffering from night terrors involving explosions and people dying, now sleep would be near impossible. 

For now, the purple haired snake took comfort of being enveloped by Arlo’s arms, melting into his touch and weeping harder, more due to his kindness now. Fuck, she didn't deserve his forgiveness after she decided to hurt him as a form of payback. She was so frustrated in herself but paralyzed from fear of what had just happened at Hogwarts. Lulu barely knew how to act. But relief washed over her from Arlo's gentle touch, following by wrapping her arms around him tightly as her body shook with sobs.

They were both quiet for a while. Only Merlin knows how long they sat on the curb of the smokey village. All she focused on was breathing, squeezing Arlo tightly, and listening to his heart beat. Lulu was afraid that any moment he may disappear from her grip. 

A shiver of sadness ran down her body as she attempted to steady her breathing. "I'm so sorry, Arlo." she choked out, weeping into his chest as tears streamed down her face. She wiped her tear-stained cheeks on her sleeve, not wishing to pull away from the comfort of Arlo's hold, but she had something she wanted to say. Lulu swallowed, knowing once she started, she'd be opening floodgates. Hell, she didn't know if this would be the last time she saw him. That thought made her incredibly sad. Her eyes attempted to meet his but looking at him only made her more of a blubbering baby. "I-I was such a selfish idiot and I hate myself for how I treated you and that entire situation. It wasn't right...I was-I was hurting and I guess that stupid phrase 'Hurt People, Hurt People' is true because I was trying to hurt you, but I regret it entirely, and wish I could take it all back." she said softly because she was ashamed in her antics. Tears streamed down her face, hating herself for bringing up their conflicts in a moment of solace between them but Arlo deserved an apology and so much more.

Arlo Bletchley