TW: assault and violence
Kat woke up that morning feeling like a shell. Her emotions had gotten the best of her yesterday, therefore today was rough. Theo wasn't in the room when she woke, the sheets weren't even touched on his side. Normally she would feel bad about taking someone's bed but this was Theo, so she didn't care.
She wanted to shower but she needed to gather her things from the other room. Praying Theo wasn't home, she made her way out of the comfort of the empty bedroom. Her clothes from the previous day was still on, making her feel gross.
The air smelt of food, making her mouth water. Naturally she followed the scent. Poking her head in the large dinning room, she saw Theo bringing his mug up to his lips. When she caught his eye she groaned internally.
They stared at each other for a moment, both overcome with a sense of uncomfortableness. "You should eat." He said flatly, bringing his mug back to his mouth. She would kill for a cup of coffee or tea.
She said nothing, she just stood there finding a sudden fascination with her cuticles. He picked up on her uncomfortable energy so he cleared his throat before he spoke again. "Why don't you go have a shower then join me for breakfast?" He said with a huff.
"I don't know where anything is." Kat said quietly.
"Fucking Salazar - it's down the hall, third door on the left. Now hurry along." He responded, rolling his eyes.
Once Kat left the room, Theo buried his face in his hands. He began to wonder what he had gotten himself into. She obviously didn't want to be there but now she was stuck. He made her stuck. Well he didn't want her there either, so that meant they were both unhappy.
Liar - his subconscious thought.
No matter how pissed he was about the situation, he still felt bad about last night. She didn't do anything to make him snap in the first place, but Theo had a bad temper. She was clearly able to handle herself.
He could still feel where her hands rested on his chest and he hated it. He hated what she did to him, ever since their school years. However that is a story for a different time. He ran his fingers through the mop of curls on his head and let out a sigh.
Today wasn't the day he wanted to deal with this. He was still hungover from last night, whiskey was his vice. He didn't even go out with the guys, he merely sat behind the house with a bottle, ignoring her until she fell asleep.
When he saw her asleep on the library couch he felt bad, he knew he didn't tell her where to sleep. Theo took note of how his mess was cleaned up. Her bloody hand was wrapped in a towel and he wondered why she didn't fix it with her wand.
You're the reason she was hurt, his brain told him.
After taking her to the bedroom, he walked to the couch and slept there. He figured she didn't want to see him if she woke up in the middle of the night. Thankfully she was asleep so he could relocated her without protest.
When Kat re-emerged from the bathroom, she sat across from him. Her hair was air drying and she wore a simple t-shirt dress. He never understood muggle fashion but he liked it for the most part.
"I'm sorry I slept in your bed. I didn't know which room was mine-" She began but her statement confused him.
"Your room?"
"Yes, my room. I didn't want to go in any room that I wasn't suppose to." Kat said, trying to figure out why he was so confused.
"Katherine, we're married." He chuckled, which caused her to roll her eyes. "Don't remind me." She bit back.
"As I was saying, before you rudely interrupted, we're married. We share the same room, you don't have your own. It's ours. This home is your's as well, so you can enter any room you'd like." He said firmly, refusing to make eye contact with her.
The tension in the room was thick and unstable. It was like one of them could snap at any given moment, weather that be out of anger or sadness. Kat began to make her cup of tea, adding two lumps of sugar and just a splash of milk.
He watched her actions, waiting for her reply. "So does that mean I can go visit my friends?" She asked.
"Alright, there's clearly some things we need to get straightened out. Katherine you are not a prisoner here. You are free to come and go as you please. The floo is connected to The Burrow and I can arrange anywhere else you would need. Most of your things are already put away but feel free to change it. Fuck - I don't know Katherine, paint the bloody walls if you want. However just because we have to fuck doesn't mean you're trapped here." He said, rolling his eyes.
He seemed like he didn't want to be having this conversation but he was forcing himself to. The fact that he already had to floo connected to The Burrow was shocking to her but she didn't comment on it. Maybe he hated this just as much as she did. Maybe he wanted her to get out of the house so he wouldn't have to see her all the time.
"Well honestly it feels like I am trapped here. I was forced into a marriage with a death eater and now i'm expected to have his heir. Thank you for doing that this morning with the floo but that doesn't change things between us. I have no idea who you really are. What do you even do? Do you work? Should I expect you to bring other women home?" She asked furiously.
Her cup of tea shook in her hands and her skin felt clammy. Nothing would get her use to this feeling. Maybe she was being a little harsh but she didn't care. He surely didn't care when he was yelling at her about other witches last night.
"I prefer ex-death eater, love. You sure are feisty in the mornings, aren't you? To answer your question, I do work. Don't be surprised if i'm not home often." Theo ignored the other questions, not feeling the need to comment on such things.
"Yet you're home today." Kat grumbled. She finished off her piece of toast and sipped her tea.
"You have me all to yourself sweetheart." He said sarcastically.
"Lucky me." She rolled her eyes and began to wonder if she could get to the grapefruit spoon fast enough to gouge out her eyes. That way she wouldn't have to look at that stupid smirk on his face any longer.
"We have an event tonight that we are required to be at. Before you say no, remember I don't want to go either but it is required. A dress was already picked out for you to wear. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get some work done before tonight. I'll be in my office if you need me."
That was the last thing he said before he left the table. Kat didn't want to go but refused to protest. If he wants a show, she'll give him one.
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She spent the rest of her afternoon sending letters to The Burrow to let them know that she was okay and not to worry. Which wasn't a lie, she knew Theo wouldn't physically hurt her. Once she had finished she decided to start getting ready.
The dress was green, no surprise there.
Kat never wore much makeup but she wanted to give him a show. She chose a smokey eye look followed by a nude lip. She took her time applying the makeup in order to make sure it looks perfect. Also she needed to kill time.
Her hair was put up in a loose classy bun. A few strands of hair were pulled out to frame her face. She was in the bathroom when she heard Theo enter the room but he never opened the bathroom door. She assumed he was getting ready as well.
The dress was floor length with a slit that ran up her leg. The sleeves fell off her shoulders, exposing her tanned skin. The sweetheart neckline left little to the imagination but she felt pretty, confident.
The moment she walked out of the bathroom and Theo's head shot up to look at her from the end of the bed. He was already dressed in his black suit with green accent colors. His curls were tamed on the top of his head but still noticeable.
He looked good.
His eyes scanned her body, making her feel very exposed but she smiled to herself anyways. No matter who Theo really was it was nice having a little male attention. His eyebrows raised like he couldn't believe it was really her. He probably didn't recognize her unless she was crying or yelling.
He cleared his throat and stood up, running his hands through his perfectly laid hair. "You look...good." He said awkwardly.
"You clean up nice yourself." She whispered.
There they stood, taking in each other's presence or drinking each other in like water. He escorted her to the floo before he turned to her one last time. "Listen this place is a little rough but stay near me and you'll be okay. Don't talk to anybody, do you understand?"
Kat was confused but nodded her head anyway. She felt safe with Theo for some reason but she didn't understand why. He took her hand and placed it on his arm. Once the floo lit up green, they stepped inside.
The smell of the place alone could make someone puke but Theo looked unfazed. The stench of dark magic lingered in the air and suddenly she was aware of her surroundings. The place was crawling with old death eaters. Their blackened smiles made her skin crawl and suddenly she no longer felt safe.
She gripped Theo's arm tighter and he noticed, pulling her closer to him. The lights were dim, almost nonexistent. Alcohol was being served on platters, which Theo grabbed them both a glass. She gulped it down to calm her nerves and he handed her his cup without hesitation.
"Nott!" A gruff voice rang from behind them.
Theo led them both over to dark booth which was surrounded by unfamiliar men, except for one. She knew one man to be Draco Malfoy. The older man that called Theo stood up to shake his hand.
The man's skin was greasy and looked almost gray. Most of his teeth was rotted out of his mouth but that didn't stop his wicked grin from falling on Kat. She felt Theo's arm slide around her waist, pulling her close to him.
"And who's this pretty?" The man's voice gave her the same feeling as nails on a chalkboard.
"Kat."
"Katherine." They both said at the same time. She remembered Theo telling her not to speak to anyone but she didn't know that meant not answering a question that was directed towards her.
"A chatty bird, aren't you?" Then man shook his head in disapproval. "M'sorry you got one that talks back Theodore."
She felt nervous, like something bad was going to happen to her here.
Stay with Theo.
The music in the place was loud, the men had to shout to speak to each other. "I think it's a fair response considering you asked for her name." Said a voice from behind the man in front of her. She noticed it to be Draco that stood up for her.
He offer her a small smirk and a wink to let her know it was okay. Theo's grip loosened and she caught herself missing it. It felt safe. "I think Malfoy has an excellent point Graham. Maybe you should just back off a bit, yeah?" Theo said, anger edging his voice.
The guy backed off Theo but turned towards Kat. His face was close to hers' and Theo couldn't pull her closer to him. "Learn your place here pretty. Shame if someone had to put you there."
Before another word was muttered, Draco stepped in between them. "I think Theo was clear when he said back off." Graham walked away, knocking shoulders with Theo in the process. "How 'bout some drinks, yeah?" He said, ushering Theo and Kat to the seat beside him.
Time seemed to get away from them as they continued to drink the strange liquid that was offered. It tasted like gin but she couldn't be sure. Kat didn't say much unless Draco or Theo asked her a question. If it wasn't for them, she kept her head down.
Everyone was showing off their new wives, which made Kat wonder if that's why she was here in the first place. They were all feeling a bit drunk but she didn't mind, it made things a little more bearable. She heard Theo laugh for the first time and in her opinion it was a beautiful sound.
That was the alcohol talking for sure.
"Let's go dance." She whispered to Theo. He turned his head and looked at her with a smirk. Why was she finding him so hot right now? The feeling was mutual and he couldn't understand it. She saw Draco let out a chuckle but he said nothing.
Theo didn't say anything, he just stood up and offered his hand. She felt excited as he led her through the sweaty bodies, the stench in the air was no longer noticeable.
"What made you want to dance with me?" He asked, spinning her around so her back was to his front as they swayed. Her stomach fluttered and she didn't understand why. Theo liked having her close.
Kat blushed and hung her head but continued to sway. She felt like a school girl with a crush as she let out a small laugh. Theo wanted so desperately to hear it again. He was glad that she was having a good time, drunk or not.
"Don't go quiet on me now, love." His laugh vibrated on her back. She spun around to face him, his hands sliding to her lower back.
No matter the situation they were in, you couldn't stop basic human attraction. The tension was there and the alcohol wasn't helping either of their judgments. They both knew if they were sober, they wouldn't be here right now.
"Blame my boldness on the alcohol but isn't this what husband and wife are suppose to do?" She smirked and his eyes flashed an emotion she didn't recognize.
"You don't need alcohol to make you bold, you do just fine on your own. To answer your question, yes. Husband and wife are suppose to do a lot of things together." His lips were inches from hers, she could smell the gin. His cologne fogged her brain but she didn't want to escape.
"Like what?" She whispered, feeling the smallest touch of their lips together. Theo felt like his heart was going to burst from his chest, not understanding the new feeling his was developing. "Show me Theo." She added.
Her hands slid under his coat, feeling his hot skin through his shirt. His jaw clenched as she felt his hand go to the back of her neck. He hesitated for a moment before he pulled her to him roughly but she welcomed it. Their lips molding together.
Neither of them understood the feeling but they never wanted it to end. Theo's tongue slid against her bottom lip and she granted access almost immediately. Their tongues moved together, exploring the other's mouth as much as they could.
She let a low moan escape from the back of her throat and that was enough to make Theo snap. He was about to ask her if she wanted to go back home until the music stopped abruptly. He knew what was coming and she was going to hate him.
Kat furrowed her eyebrows but he was quick to cup both her cheeks in his hand and press a passionate kiss to her lips for the last time. He knew she would be furious after this.
The man that she came to know as Graham, took the stage. His wand was at his throat to make his voice be heard over the entire place. "I'm so sorry." She heard Theo whisper from beside her, which caused her stomach to drop.
"Can I have all the wives on stage at this time?"
"Theo, why am I required on stage?" She asked in a panic.
"I'm so sorry Kat." Is all he said before she was being pushed on stage by the other women.
It was the only time he called her Kat which confused her. Theo apologizing terrified her and it confused her because he was suppose to keep her safe. She didn't feel safe in this moment.
The women were lined up, some crying, some not showing emotion at all. It was like they were all prepared for this except her. Theo wanted to get her out before this happened but he was too late.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present the new addition to the pureblood community." People gasped in disgust but no one shouted. Kat felt humiliated as she stood up there being judged by the most disgusting people. Her eyes met Theo and she wanted to cry. He looked apologetic but she didn't care. Her gaze then fell to Draco and she felt a little better. At least he didn't snog her and lie to her at the same time. He motioned for her to take a deep breath, which she did.
"I know what you are all thinking but the answer is no. We will not let mudbloods or the unpure take over our side but they are nice to look at right?" He chuckled, walking towards Kat and standing behind her. His grimy hand came around her neck and held her face upright so people could view her.
"Katherine Nott. Mudblood. Gryffindor. Somewhat disobedient." He said shortly before moving on to the next. However not before he gripped her face harshly and pushed her towards the edge of the stage, signaling that her time was up.
She ran as fast as she could, ignoring Theo calling out for her. Once she was out of the crowd, she ran to the both they were sitting at and grabbed her purse. Draco was there, holding it out for her with a sympathetic look. "Tell Theo that i'm leaving please." She mumbled but it was too late.
"You are not going off on your own. Let's go talk about it." He said in a rush. Theo's eyes were pleading but she didn't care. He tried to reach out but she jerked away.
"Don't."
"Kat, please." He begged.
"No! Get off of me! You have no idea what that felt like. To stand up there with that man's grimy hands on me, your people judging and degrading my kind! I feel disgusting! I'm going home to gather my things, i'm staying at The Burrow tonight." Kat yelled.
Draco's body blocked anyone from seeing their private moment but that didn't stop people from trying to see what was going on. "Like hell you are!" He shouted back.
"Try and stop me." She said, brushing his shoulder and he let her go.
The air was cold as she stepped outside. She wasn't sure where she was but if she could just find a public floo, she could get to the Weasleys. Her tears where running down her face, she felt sick. The feeling of being presented like that made her want to hurl everything out of her stomach.
Being outside made Kat realize how bad it must have smelt in there. She was in an alley somewhere, maybe not the best idea but oh well. Better outside than in that disgusting place. Voldemort lost the war, yet they still act like worshiping him will get them somewhere. The DA won, they should be bowing down at people that were on the right side but they were too consumed in blood purism.
She would kill for a night in right now, back in her flat. She wanted to get out of this stupid dress and curl up crying. She needed a shower but first she had to find her way home. Footsteps made her realize maybe this wasn't such a good idea. She turned around but saw nothing.
Her pace quickened back towards where she came from. She was mad but leaving Theo wasn't a good plan. She could've asked Draco but she didn't know him well enough lately. The footsteps got closer but when she turned her head around, nothing.
She waited for a moment, hoping someone would come out and she could catch them in the act but nothing happened. Kat convinced herself that she was crazy and let out a breath that she had been holding. Turning around, she continued her walk.
Just as she was about to reach the handle for the old rusty door, her head was yanked back aggressively. The force was so strong, it felt like her hair was being pulled from her scalp. Letting out a loud disgruntled scream, a hand slammed over her mouth to muffle it.
Her dress caught hold of an exposed pipe, tearing the slit on the side more. She was pressed against the cold wet brick and finally was met with unfamiliar eyes. "Hello pretty, names Lewis."
Her tears fell down her face as she tried her hardest to wiggle free but his grip in her hair was too harsh. Another hand reached up to grab the strap on her dress, yanking it so hard that it snapped. Luckily the straps were off the shoulder so it didn't expose her any more than she already was.
Maybe if she said she was with Theo he would let her go. However fear caused her to go mute it seemed. His hand reached up to grab her face, tossing her head side to side, to get a better look at her. "What's your name pet?" He whispered, leaning into her neck.
He inhaled harshly. She wanted to gag at the idea of him smelling her. His hand removed itself from her face and traveled down, grabbing onto whatever he could touch first. "Please." She cried out in fear.
His tongue traced up her neck as his hand squeezed her breast harshly, causing her to let out a yelp. "You're a screamer, eh?" He chuckled, her purse was dropped somewhere, which held her wand. She let out a loud scream in hopes someone would here her but that seemed to fuel him.
A hand harshly made contact with her cheek and she bit her lip until she tasted iron. "Shut up you disgusting mudblood." His hand found the slit in her dress and he trailed his fingers up her thigh, grasping the side of her underwear.
He licked up her throat before he sank his teeth into the side of her shoulder. She let out an ear piercing scream as she felt his teeth in her flesh. Blood trickled down her dress as he pulled back, wiping his now bloody mouth.
Before he went further he asked her the question again. "What's your name."
"Katherine Nott." She cried out, making him freeze.
"Nott?" He looked terrified but before he could do anything else a fist came flying to his face.
"Yeah, Nott." Theo growled.
He didn't take time to look at her before he pounced on Lewis. His fist landed on the man's face repeatedly. The guy didn't even get a hit yet. Theo's eyes were black and full of rage. She wanted to step in but part of him wanted him dead, she felt guilty for that. She would've let Theo kill him.
She took off running, her hair now down and knotted on her one shoulder. The blood still ran down her dress but she needed help. Theo was too far gone to listen if she cried out. Before her body exited the alley, her body ran into another.
Draco.
His expression was worried as he took in her appearance. "Kat?" He questioned, taking off his coat to drape around her exposed chest.
"Theo - I can't...he's - in the alley." She sobbed. She didn't care that she sounded crazy. She pulled Draco by the arm until he was able to see what was happening. He took the que and ran over to pull Theo off.
"Theo!" Draco shouted, attempting to yank his friend off.
"He's dead Malfoy! I'll kill him, I swear!" He sounded deranged but she didn't blame him.
"I'll handle it! Right now you have to go! Take Kat home!" He said, still pulling at his friend.
"You're a dead man Lewis! Touch my wife and i'll kill you!" Theo screamed, sending another punch to the bloody man on the ground.
"LOOK AT HER!" Draco shouted.
Theo's manic gaze fell to Kat and his eyes began to focus more, like he was finally seeing her. He dropped Lewis and made his way over to her. Without warning he cupped her face and placed a kiss to her lips. It was short and sweet but it meant so much.
"It's okay, you're okay. I'm here." He cooed, making her tears falls more and more. "Let's go home." He whispered.
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The trip home was silent. Kat's tears had finally stopped but Theo's chest was still heaving up and down aggressively. She didn't say anything when they appeared in the house, she just walked straight to their room.
Her face hurt from the slap and her shoulder stung where Lewis sank his teeth in. The mirror in the room made her realize how damaged she looked in that moment. She cried silently to herself as her face was buried in her hands. How did she end up here?
"Kat?" Theo whispered, causing her to look up.
Theo's chest ached seeing her look so broken. He could've prevented this if he just followed her and let her go to The Burrow for the night. He said he would keep her safe and he didn't, he hated himself for it.
He looked over her body and felt his stomach turn. This is because of you, he thought. He should have never taken her to that stupid event and if it wasn't for his father, he wouldn't have.
"Kat, i'm so sorry." He choked out.
"Can you help me get ready for bed? I need to be unzipped." She said, sniffling. He nodded and walked towards her. The guilt made him want to hurl but this was about her, not him and he knew that.
She pulled her hair to the side, exposing the gruesome bite mark. He sucked in a harsh breath and he spun her around to get a better look. A flash of emotion ran across his eyes, causing his eyes to grow dark again. The same way they were when he hit Lewis.
"I'll kill him." He said roughly before grabbing his coat from the end of the bed, shrugging it on. Her blood ran cold and she even wanted it to happen but she couldn't let it.
"Theo no, you can't." She said, pulling at his coat.
"Katherine, this isn't up for discussion." He said, yanking his arm back.
"Please don't leave me. I need you tonight." She pleaded.
He turned around to run his hands through his hair, praying she didn't see the tears in his eyes. Once he composed himself he turned back to look at her wound, seeing the blood run down the front of her dress.
"My sweet girl, I am so sorry." He said again, cupping her tearstained cheeks.
"I'm sorry about the dress." She whispered, wincing as his fingers lightly touched the mark.
"I don't get a fuck about the dress and you certainly do not owe me an apology." He said as he stepped behind her to unzip her dress. the fabric fell to the floor, and he helped her step out.
She was standing in her strapless bra and underwear but he was respectful about it. He knew she was hurting and that pained him. "I know this is uncomfortable but did he..."
"No. You got there in time, he didn't touch me like that." She assured him. He was somewhat relieved but he knew he still touched her elsewhere. He couldn't get her scream out of his head. Theo had heard a lot of fucked up shit in his life but her scream was the worst. He never wanted to hear that sound again.
"Theo, can I ask you something?" She said, her voice breaking in the middle. "I know it's a lot to ask but-"
"Ask me." He said as he cleaned up the blood with his wand. He didn't touch the wound, he knew it was too sensitive right now.
"I don't want to remember his touch." She cried out.
"I can obliviate you." He said quietly. "No, that's not what I meant." She whispered. His front was pressed to her back still. He knew this was difficult but he needed her to be clear on what she wanted. "I promise, you can ask me anything." He assured her.
"Can you touch me? You know everywhere he did? I rather feel your touch." She choked out.
He was silent for a long time which caused embarrassment to flood her. She was about to tell him never mind until she felt his hand slid up the base of her neck to her scalp, rubbing where Lewis had nearly ripped her hair out. "Let's lay down okay?" He whispered.
She nodded her head as he led her to the bed. She lied back, watching him removed his blood cover suit, leaving his boxers on. He slid under the covers with her, sliding closer to her. She offered a small smile which he returned.
"I don't know exactly where he touched you, so I need you to show me. Guide my hands, can you do that?" He asked softly, she just nodded her head in response.
She took Theo's hand in her small one and began to guide it to thigh. He followed the action with his eyes, he had so much anger in his chest he felt like he may explode. How dare someone touch her. Even if they weren't super close he still needed to protect her.
Her hand was on his as she slid it up her bare thigh, stopping at the waistline of her underwear on her hip. She made his hand squeeze the area and he sucked in a breath. Normally this would turn him on but right now he was just so angry someone touched her in these places.
Their hands traveled up to her stomach to her chest. She paused under her breast to take a deep breath. "Are you alright? I can stop if you'd like." He whispered, staring into her brown eyes. The golden specks in them seemed to be dulled which made him sad for some reason.
"No, I just needed a moment. I'm okay now."
Her hand continued to guide him, making him squeeze her breast, lingering for just a moment. Theo notices every finger print, every scrape, or every blemish that Lewis had left behind. He wanted to kill him, he still could. Her hands began to shake so he took over.
He guided his hand to her woundless shoulder, rolling his thumb to ease the muscle. He then ventured to her throat, wrapping his hand around it but not squeezing. He saw the small bruise forming on her cheekbone, so he took a different approach. He leaned in to press a soft kiss to her cheek which caused her eyes to flutter close.
He continued to lightly trail his fingers over any exposed skin, making sure the only touch she would remember tonight was his or her own. "I will never let anyone hurt you again, do you understand me?" He said sternly.
"I know." She whispered.
Theo continued to touch every part of her. She dozed off not too long ago but he kept going. In some way he thought if he did it enough, it would erase what happened tonight but he knew that was false. Nothing would erase tonight, they both knew that. Nothing that happened today could be undone.
Not breakfast together.
Not seeing her in the dress for the first time.
Not their first kiss.
Not the fight.
Not the humiliation.
Not the assault.
And definitely not this moment.