The Deal I Made With Theodore Nott - NL x TN

32

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I let my fingertips glide against Theo's back. Every dip, scar, mole. I wanted to memorize it all. I wanted to remember him fully before he would be gone again. My bed would feel empty and my chest vacant, but at least I'd have this sweet memory to make up for the pain I will feel.

"I love you." I whispered before I rolled out of bed and made my way to the kitchen.

I should be soaking up every second I had with him, every moment before we had to go back to pretending we don't care deeply about one another. We'd go back to a world where he has to pretend to love some witch whose forced to stand behind him.

A world where id give anything to be the one beside him.

"Good morning."

"Shit you scared me!" I said as I clenched at my heart.
"Stop doing that!" I wanted to be mad at him but his morning voice was so tempting. When I turned towards him he was leaning against the wall, looking me up and down with dark eyes.

His pajama pants hung low on his hips and he was still shirtless. He walked towards me and I turned back to the tea kettle I was filling. Theo came up behind me, placing one hand delicately on my hip, dipping his thumb into the hem of my pants. His other hand exploring under my tshirt, lifting it slightly to reveal my stomach.

The coldness of the kitchen counter I pressed against, mixed with his large and chilled hands, sent a shiver up my spine. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up when his hot breath tickled my neck.

"T-tea?" I stuttered out. Pulling away from him slightly.

"Sure, four sugars." Theo stated. He lifted himself so he was sitting on the counter top now. Something Nan would never allow.

"Four?!" I laughed, pouring him a cup before grabbing the sugar.

"I like things sweet, just like you." He joked as he pinched my cheek playfully.

"Sure, but four sugars is a crime." I noted while handing him his tea cup. He took a sip and smiled contently at the flavor. Then he hopped off the counter and walked around the cottage, sipping the tea and grazing his fingers along items as he explored.

"Your home is so nice, I'm jealous." He noted quietly, stopping in front of a family photo.

"Jealous? Of Longbottom cottage? I figured your mansion would be much nicer than this small house." I wondered out loud as I stood beside him.

He had that look of melancholy again, his eyes locked on a photo of my parents holding me as a baby. The photo moved, showing my parents tossing me into the air as I giggled. Their smiles so wide it looked almost painful.

"My home is large, nice is not a word I would use to describe it. It's so cold, so empty." He sighed.
"They look happy, both of them. The only family picture I have back at home is a painting, not a smile in sight."

I reached for his hand, intertwining our fingers together. He squeezed gently, smiling at me.

"Oh! I have an idea!" I cheered, pulling him back up into my room.

I ripped into my closet, digging though my old junk for a present I had gotten for Christmas a few years ago.
"Ah here it is!" I said proudly as a held up a camera.

"A camera?" Theo questioned.

I smiled up at him.
"Yeah, a mix of a muggle one and a wizard one. This one prints them automatically but they can also move as well!" I stated excitedly.

"I don't want to take any pictures Neville." Theo said with a dull tone. He took a step back and put his hands up in defense.

I tossed the camera on the bed, taking both his hands in mine.
"Hey- that's okay we don't have to." I reassured him. Theo reached his hands towards my face, pulling me to stand on my toes to kiss him.

His lips felt so soft, so warm and comforting. I could kiss him for hours, getting lost in the euphoria it gave me touching him. Our kiss got deeper, and more passionate. Theo pressed me up against the wall behind me, his hand wrapped somewhere between my cheek and my neck.

His thumb traced the underside of my chin before gripping my throat harshly. I let out a whimper into Theo's mouth that neither of us expected. Theo pulled away with a proud smile while I did my best to hide my embarrassment.

"Do you like when I choke you love?"

"N-no." I lied, trying everything in my power to look into his eyes with a straight face.

"Damn so that little innocent shy persona you've put on for so long, it's just a cover up huh?" He chuckled.

"Shut up Theodore." I huffed, pushing passed him, he caught my wrist pulling me back so that I was pressed against him again.

"Make me." He challenged

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The rest of the day was spent like that, snogging, eating, sipping tea, chatting. It was perfect. I'd do anything to feel this way every day of my life.

That night Theo woke up screaming.

"It's okay, you're safe, your here with me." I spoke softly while rubbing comforting circles on his back.

"He was hurting you, and I couldn't save you." He said in a shaky voice, his face still buried in his hands.

"But it wasn't real, I'm here. I'm safe and so are you. I had nightmares every night since holidays began, I can give you some sleeping draught."

"What was plaguing your dreams?" Theo asked.

I laid back in the bed and Theo followed suit, we both rolled on our sides to face each other. Theo reached out, pulling me closer to him with his arm around me. We were so close we were practically touching noses, but it felt right,

"The same, you hurting and I'm just stuck watching, unable to help you. It was horrible, I stayed awake for three days once just to avoid seeing it." I explained.

Theo's hold on me tightened protectively.
"I won't let him hurt us Neville, I can't lose you.
I can't lose us."

"What about after holidays, what happens then?" I wondered out loud.

Theo tilted my chin up with his index finger and thumb, looking at me with his loving eyes that sparkled.
"I'm not turning my back on you again, you'll be in my life one way or another, I promise." He told me.

He fell asleep not long after that, finally finding peace in my arms.

I wasn't so lucky.

I lay awake, the weight of Theo sleeping on my chest was comforting but I couldn't help but hear the loud ticking of that invisible clock that lingered over me. I wanted to believe him, I wanted to believe things could be good but I wasn't certain. Theo's promise seemed so impossible.

I sat waiting for our time to run out once again.