love, theo | theodore nott

grocery store

Theo glanced at her for a moment before his eyes returned to the road. "Sounds like a baby name," he commented.

Aurora snickered. "A baby name?" For some reason he always had the oddest thoughts.

Theo merely shrugged. "Baby Asda."

Aurora shook her head as she laughed. "I am not naming my baby Asda."

"Why not?" Theo protested. It became even funnier because he seemed and sounded genuine.

"Seriously, Theo? I'm not naming my baby after a store!" Aurora exclaimed.

Theo bursted into laughter, then said, "I'll name my baby Asda then."

Aurora gasped. "Are we not having the same baby?"

Theo shrugged. He joked, "Asda's the deal breaker, darling. I'm sorry."

Aurora chuckled. This, being with Theo, all of it, was a blessing. It was incredible how ecstatic he made her feel.

Out of the sudden, she just blurted. "I'm naming my baby Annalise.".

Aurora didn't even know where it came from. She was still very young, having a child was a long way. But maybe it was how comfortable Theo made her, how sure she was of him, of them, that pushed her into thinking that having a child was an amazing idea.

"That's a beautiful name," Theo smiled. "Annalise Nott."

"Oh now we're having the same baby?"

"You don't want to? Okay, I'm sticking with baby Asda."

"No, Theo," "Of course I want to."

*

They arrived and Aurora took it upon herself to retrieve a basket. She came back to Theo, holding it in her hand, before he snatched it away from her.

Aurora scoffed. Theo eyed the basket and his surroundings. He was acquainted to a few muggle items, but not like this.

"What did we come here to get?" Aurora asked.

Theo sighed dramatically. "The experience," he stated, and walked into the store. Aurora followed after him, hiding her giggles.

He stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "I want fruit," he requested.

"Yeah?" Aurora replied as she tried to find the fruit section. "What kind of fruit?"

"Strawberries," he answered. And she was back at Hogwarts, at the lake where they had their picnic, and where Theo invented the stupid strawberry game. A strawberry for each person they've ever loved.

"Okay, lover boy," Aurora chuckled. They were walking together, side by side, laughing at random things Theo had never seen before.

Then an old couple approached them. They had gray hair, and were walking hand in hand. They seemed lovely, smiling, friendly looks on their faces. You could just tell when a person has a warm personality.

"What a handsome young couple!" the man exclaims.

"Have you just gotten married?" His wife asked.

It was a rather odd question. Aurora opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out, surprisingly. She just froze.

"Oh, no, we're not married yet," Theo answered, smiling.

Yet.

That one word rang through Aurora's head. Yet. The word, the way Theo said it so confidently with full certainty.

We're not married yet.

It makes her flutter just thinking about it.

Theo, as a husband.

Theo, as a dad.

To a baby whose name is certainly not Asda.

"Really?" The wife asked, as if she was surprised by the answer. "You two are just beaming!"

"We're really happy together," Theo said, then he looked at Aurora beside him. "Aren't we?"

She gulped. She wasn't used to encounters like this one. But she told the truth. The only answer. "Very happy. I feel so blessed."

"I still remember when we were both your age," the man told them. "We tied the knot young, and it was the best decision of our lives."

His wife giggled. "Until death do us part."

Aurora nodded. She was blown away by this. It sounded just like a fairytale. "That's very sweet," she complimented.

Theo grinned, now holding Aurora a little tighter. "You guys are so lovely. We wish you all the best in the world."

The couple smiled as they walked away. They exclaimed, "And to you both!"

"That was cool," Theo commented rather awkwardly. Aurora walked ahead of him.

"Yeah, it was," she answered. She was now in front of him, and he couldn't see her face. Aurora went to examine the strawberries, pick out the good ones. "So, strawberries!"

"Rory?" Theo called. He didn't like facing her back when he was about to talk about something serious.

Aurora turned, a small strawberry between her thumb and index finger. "Yeah?"

"You know, that whole marriage thing," Theo said, as he stepped closer towards her. "It didn't sound that bad, did it?"

Aurora cleared her throat, feeling the butterflies in her stomach. "No, not at all. It sounded great."

Theo stepped closer again, closing the distance between them. He whispered, "It got me thinking.."

Aurora's lips formed a small smile. "It got me thinking too."