The Forbidden Forest

A seer is born in a catholic parish on an island in the North Irish sea and the marauders get their tea leaves read. James and Rho talk about art shows, world building, red flags in relationships, and c*ck and ball torture. You know, the usual nonsense.

The little prince is born. Rho and James are academic for five minutes and then everything devolves at an absolutely alarming pace.  cw: peripartum psychosis, substance induced psychosis, discussion of mental illness and pregnancy

Remus takes the Knight Bus Godric Hallow. Rho and James discuss writing styles, spoilers, and how much one should breath on their bonsais.

James fumbles through an ode to Rho for their 11 year anniversary as ducks and dogs make a ruckus in the background.

Two births and two deaths, and Walburga Black's story is told. Sirius is caught unawares. Rho and James talk about burnout, going back to school, changing professions in a pandemic and round out the evening with grindeldore, as is custom.

Remus shows Sirius the magic of the muggle world and Sirius discovers safety amidst toasters, lawn mowers, and motorcycles.  Rho and James try very hard to have a real discussion about the HP universe and geopolitics, but it invariably devolves into absolute nonsense about Grindledor and crack creature!fics. Listen at your own risk. 

Sirius Orion Black leaves Grimmauld Place. There's graffiti, Jack and Cricket, learning to jump turnstiles and finding his way to a poplar lined avenue with a yellow house and a red mailbox. We discuss all of these things, but we completely forgot to mention moaning Myrtle, who's re-introduced to Hogwarts in the beginning of this chapter. Whoops.

Remus is acquainted with death a second time. He's nostalgic and sad, and in the middle of all of that, he's found out and judged by a young pack of werewolves. Rho and James talk about James (mostly) and James's recent denials and revelations. 

Sirius Black is confronted with a whole manner of things, including his second invitation to Ishtar, whom Remus names Freya. Rho and James have their usual chat, and there's a lot of peeping in the background because we got ducklings!

Remus forgets he's a werewolf and then gets whomped by the willow. Rho and James get wildly off topic and discuss art, the creative process, and the statistical safety of aircrafts.

Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew make enemies of cats. Sirius and Lily are at odds, and Lily suffers consequences. Rho and James talk about scenes Rho almost wrote into the chapter, fandom, cats and getting old.

Remus has a gay panic and Sirius is a good friend. Rho and James talk about sex ed and breaking through writer's block.

Sirius Black retakes the Yuletide. Remus stays mad about it. Rho and James talk about the last six weeks, including Rho nearly dying and James getting back on SSRIs.

During their gruelling detention, the marauders find a mysterious room that may or may not enjoy Romeo and Juliet.  Rho and James are sunburnt and talk about the room of requirement and James's unnatural obsession with Shakespear from a very cold desert.  

It's my ten year anniversary with James, so I wrote a letter.

Sirius Black turns fourteen, the boys go for a midnight stroll to find rare algae, and Voldemort asks Dumbledore for a job. Rho and James talk about survival strategies, how circumstances shape our views, and, then, somehow, syphilis.

Remus tries to be a grown up while struggling to wrap his head around his new classes and Sirius's cryptic secret life. Rho and James discuss international wizarding politics, ethics in magic, and how differing societies might deal with muggles.

Sirius summers in Wales. Turner, Shunpike and Dowd get up to no good, and there's dragons in Snowdonia National Park. Rho and James talk about our hilarious dogs, living in the wilderness and the locality of magic.

Remus Lupin is a werewolf, and that's a fact he can't avoid forever. Rho and James talk about privilege, bigotry, and the nature of jealousy.

Sirius Black celebrates spring with the old gods. Rho and James discuss cults of power, demon horse birds, how they're gatvol with dissociative amnesia, and, of course, Dumbledore's pocket dimension.

Hope dies. Rho and James talk most impactful deaths of the series, what we'd turn into horcruxes and what wizarding afterlife might be like. We get cut off because we talk too much, and then don't notice. Eventually, demon horse birds show up.

Sirius Black is a beater. Rho and James talk about why teams are important and how jealously and hubris are perfectly human.

Remus Lupin is lost amid the chaos of a changing world. His mother says her own goodbye, his father seems to disappear into a bottle, and suddenly it's just him and the wolf left.  And the wolf got hungry.  Rho and James talk about the allegory of the wolf, HIV, eating disorders and the conundrum of Peter Pettigrew. 

Content Warning: Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Animal Abuse, Animal Death Sirius Black travels to the north of France over the Christmas holidays of his first year.  Rho and James talk about the frivolous, fantastical world that he travels between. 

We travel back in time to meet Remus Lupin as an eleven year old, just finding out that he's on his way to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. A sheltered boy, Remus is soon swept up into a completely different world, and finds himself struggling to make sense of how to keep his secrets and let in his newfound friends, particularly one Sirius Orion Black.  Afterwards, Rho and James discuss disordered eating and existing on the spectrum.

To make a Grim, you bury a live dog in a churchyard before any person is laid to rest there.  But first, he was a young man named Sirius Black. In chapter one, we meet our protagonists during their seventh year, frantic for some reprieve in the hidden parts of the forbidden forest.  Be warned, this whole chapter is a an angsty sex scene. Read it on AO3. Join our discussion on Facebook. 

10 Years Later. Rho and James wrote this on their honeymoon.

Lucius can't see thestrals. Draco hides in a cave. Luna and Greg become parents. Rho and James lament and rejoice at the last chapter and talk about redemption arcs, empathy, moral philosophy, and the normalisation of birth in our society.

THE DRAGON CHAPTER. 

Old, dark [blood] magic, only to be defeated by even stronger bonds of friendship and trust. And our aims are identical and our hearts open. Rho and James talk about forgiveness, acceptance, and safety at the near end of the series.

Neither of them drowns, but not everyone survives. In the wake of his grief, Harry finds himself back at Hogwarts. Rho and James talk about Draco's poshest possums draped decadently about his pockets. And, in the middle of all the laughing, talk a bit about death and being in recovery alongside people who die. 

Pansy Parkinson and Portrait!Dumbledore make appearances. Draco has unexpected and unwelcome visitors. James and Rho talk about death magic and Sirius and how much James dislikes Dumbledore.

Hestia and Flora. Fred and George. Teddy and no one. James cries and Rho talks about Harry finding solid ground. 

Draco gets oral sex. Rho and James talk writing sex scenes and fan-fiction versions of sex that contrast with mainstream pornography.

Harry is dreaming of a big, black dog. What could that mean?

A lot happens. Harry and Draco come to terms with being death omens. Harry names his thestral Fleabag. The discussion that follows is more Grindledore crack fic allusions and Rho avoiding all the self reflecting.

Harry delivers his finished memorial to Hogwarts. Luna breaks the news of moving meetings and her maternity leave. Harry and Draco are in a small argument, so it ends with Harry naked. Rho and James talk about Minnie McG, war memorials and sex.

Greg has a panicked announcement to make, Harry has a birthday dinner, Draco has an orgasm, and Hermione is confronted with systems of magic she can't wrap her head around. Afterwards, Rho makes James sweat some more talking about intimacy, and they climb atop their soapboxes to yell about their many feelings on witchcraft in an African context.

Harry does the work. Dennis relapses. Wolfstar. Rho and James talk relapse and recovery, world building and The born and die people.

Draco was dead. Or being kissed? One or the other. Rho and James talk about intimacy, and James does some unintentionally performative exhibitionist recovery work during the discussion. 

Harry struggles with moderating his desire, but takes Draco on a date anyway. It involves greenhouses, Indian food and a kiss! Rho and James talk a bit about creating a space of safety and the dynamic between the two of them.

Draco at the trial of Rudolphus Lestrange. Slytherin solidarity. Hiss hiss. Rho and James have an hour long discussion about everything. EVERYTHING. Severus Snape. Dumbledore. Death. Dementors as autonomous beings. Chemical castration. Recovery chips. You name it.

Harry gets into the more frustrating parts of recovery, and right before Draco sends him wizarding porn. Eventually, he makes his first public appearance at Lestrange's trial. Rho hates doing this discussion, but does it anyway. Because recovery is fucking like that.

Draco quits his job. It's glorious, but also terrifying. He heads to the Ministry of Magic to meet Auror Weasley and others testifying in the Lestrange trial. Rho and James have a very disjointed discussion on fandom, tagging, and other assorted things. You also get to hear about their fake honeymoon.

Hestia Carrow makes herself known. Harry grows through the pain and comes out as gay to Ron and Hermione. Rho and James talk about recovery as a whole person, the mirroring of Hestia and Draco and Hermione surrounded by NA pamphlets.

Draco tells his therapist he's having thestral-related hallucinations, meets Hermione in the bowels of the DoM, and finally flees to Luna's house. Eventually, he responds to Harry's letter. Rho and James are interrupted by the latest apocalyptic nightmare, a cricket, but find some time to talk about James's therapist and the Hermione / Draco friendship.

Harry celebrates one year sober. Rho and James chat about the new characters they're introducing.

Draco hates everything. He hates it. Luckily, Luna is a wonderful friend, and so are Neville and Greg. Rho and James talk about moderating who you spend time around in recovery, and touch on a few finer notes about having sober friends.

Harry insists on honesty and accountability at the Granger-Weasley's and starts meetings at Luna's. Rho and James talk recovery, group counselling, solidarity and mom!Ron.

Harry leaves the forest. No discussion here, we're apparating straight on into Chapter 43!

Draco leaves the forest. Rho and James sort of talk about it but mostly tell you some teasers about upcomming part three, Misunderstood Creatures as a way of avoiding dealing with this traumatic cliffhanger. (Sorry.)