She wasn't ready for this.
Clementine had been dead-set on keeping her distance from both Theo and Draco, yet they both had her right back into the fold. She just didn't know she would cave this easily.
It was Saturday, the day of Clementine's aforementioned date with Theo, and her nerves had taken over completely. She didn't want to complicate things between them because she liked having him around.
It was already tense enough with Draco accusing her of coming back to Hogwarts for Theo. She couldn't imagine what it would be like if they became a couple.
Clementine couldn't let Draco be right about her. He was almost always right. He wouldn't be right about this. She wouldn't let him. Clementine had her own reasons for coming back to Hogwarts, and it had nothing to do with either of them.
She had been in her office all morning watering the plant starts, of which there were many. Watering each individual plant was therapeutic in a way. It gave her time to compartmentalize her thoughts that were scrambled up in her head.
There was a knock at the door, and Clementine looked up to see Draco Malfoy standing idly in the doorway. His large frame took up the entire entryway, eclipsing any light that was coming through the hallway. The only light left was the dim glow of the sunlamps for the plants.
Despite the fact that it was the weekend, Draco was still dressed up nicely. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit with a white shirt underneath. He had neglected to wear the matching jacket, and Clementine could see the snake and skull through the thin fabric covering his arms. It was clear that it was a dark mark, identical to the one branded on Theo. It was yet another reminded of how closely the two men were bonded.
"Hi." Clementine greeted Draco quickly before returning to her task. She was happy to keep busy so she wouldn't get lost staring at him, "Your asphodel is already starting to grow. I'm still trying to source some hemlock. I needed to get it approved by McGonagall first, but since I've started the unit on poisonous and venomous plants with my seventh years it was prioritized."
"What about the thorned ichor?" Draco asked. He raised a brow and stared at her expectantly, despite knowing her reservations about the dangerous plant.
Clementine stood up straight and brushed the dirt off her hands to speak firmly, "I told you that's never going to happen. You're wasting your time and mine by asking me again."
"Have you noticed anyone acting strange?" Draco walked further into the room, and his towering presence made the office feel even smaller. "Any students who are just a bit off?"
"Not that I can recall." Clementine waved dismissively as she tried to ignore the fact that Draco was further encroaching on her personal space. She found his distrust of the students to be a bit ridiculous, "I still think you just misplaced it. Really Draco, you should be more careful with such things. It's bad enough to lose expensive potion ingredients, but something so dangerous is something else entirely. It—"
"I'm not going to stand here and be falsely accused losing lethal potion ingredients." Draco snapped, taking genuine offense.
"Take a seat, and I'll accuse you that way then." Clementine motioned towards her empty desk chair, refusing to entertain the thought. "Whether you've lost it or not, I'm not going to grow you more, so stop asking me."
Draco tensed, almost hesitant to speak as he clenched his jaw, "I guess I'll have to figure something else out then."
He turned to leave, but something stirring inside her made Clementine call out to him. "Malfoy, wait."
Draco stopped, his hand still on the door frame as he turned to look at her, his grey eyes looking like ice. He observed her carefully, waiting to see what she had to say.
"I never got to thank you the other day for that hangover potion in my tea." Clementine bit her lip. She had been dying to talk to him about it, but the two had not spoken since. "The students didn't give you a hard time, did they?"
"Only until I gave out a detention or two." Draco admitted. The tops of his cheeks flushed light pink. He cleared his throat and frowned, "But it didn't mean anything. Certainly not what the students were insinuating. I was just trying to be nice like you asked of me."
"Oh, most definitely not." Clementine fought the urge to smile. "They're just kids, what do they know?"
Clementine moved to walk past Draco, who was still partially blocking the door. He grabbed her by the wrist, spinning her around so her back hit the wall, and shut the door with his foot in one swift movement.
"Perhaps they might be on to something." He whispered, keeping Clementine pinned in place.
She felt her breath hitch as she looked up at him. His silver eyes were searching for any sign that he should stop, but it never came. Clementine gave the slightest of nods in acknowledgement, and it was all the encouragement he needed to go forward.
Draco ducked his head to meet Clementine's, their lips melding together into a kiss. She didn't hesitate to pull him closer to her, craving to feel every inch of him as her hands ran up and down his chest.
Draco's knee rose up between her legs, further locking her in place to keep her still. She squirmed between him and the wall, reaching up to grab his pale, golden locks in her hand. It was almost like spun gold. She'd forgotten how soft it was, smoother than silk between her fingers.
Draco's tongue darted out and swept across Clementine's bottom lip, begging for a better taste of her. There was no way to tell who wanted this more as they desperately clung to one another.
Clementine's lips parted, their tongues dancing together for the first time in years. She let Draco take the lead as he delved further into her mouth with a sense of controlled urgency. His hands roamed her body, reaching one underneath her shirt to caress her breasts while he continued to ravish her mouth with his own. He was always quite the multitasker.
"Draco—" Clementine whimpered as her body arched against his. She rolled her hips and he pressed further against her, their chests colliding.
"Say my name like that again and I won't be able to contain myself." He growled against her lips in warning.
Draco wrapped the fingers of his free hand up in Clementine's loose hair, gripping it tightly as he held her in place right where he wanted her. He pressed his lips to her throat, setting her skin on fire as a soft moan escaped her.
He paused when he caught sight of the lingering bruises Theo had left on her skin. They were faint, and barely visible except to his silver eyes. Draco didn't hesitate to cover the marks, replacing them with his own personal branding as he staked claim of her.
"Don't stop." Clementine begged as he sucked at her soft skin. She bucked her hips against his own, earning her a groan of pleasure from deep in his throat. "Please."
"I love it when you beg." Draco's soft purr sounded as smooth as silk before kissing her lips again.
Clementine met his lips with just as much fervor, and she could feel him smirking against her. He had known she would give in, and all it took was one cup of tea.
Draco kissed Clementine's jaw once.. twice... three times until he reached her ear, tickling her with his breath as he whispered lowly.
"I want you to think about this when you're on your date with Theo."
Clementine's mouth hung open in disbelief. She could barely process what Draco had said before he slipped out of her office. She scrambled to follow him, but found an empty hallway outside her door.
Who had even told him about the date? She had asked Theo to keep it quiet.
Clementine didn't have time to dwell on it. She was already running late for her date with Theo, and now she had to put herself back together.
"Where's that stupid mirror?" She muttered to herself as she tossed papers across her desk. She found it hidden underneath a textbook and whipped it up to look at her face.
Her face was flushed as she stared back at herself. Her hair was barely salvageable. She grabbed her wand and performed her favorite charm to make her hair fall back into place.
Clementine's lips still felt swollen, and she could taste Draco on her tongue as she walked to meet Theo at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop.
The building was a sickening shade of pink, and had an interior to match. The pink walls cast a warm glow over the witches and wizards who were crammed into tables and booths exchanging poetic words and lustful glances.
Theo stood up when he spotted Clementine, smiling broadly as she walked towards him. It was clear he had already ordered by the looks of the tea and sweets awaiting her arrival.
"Hi Professor." Vanessa giggled from her own table. She waved at Clementine, "I should have known you would come here with how much you enjoy a good cup of tea."
"Do you want me to issue you a detention, Vanessa?" Clementine shot back at the witch. "On a Saturday of all days?"
"Don't worry." Vanessa hummed, "Professor Malfoy already did."
"What was that about?" Theo's brows furrowed together.
"It's just Vanessa." Clementine rolled her eyes, taking the seat that Theo had pulled out for her. "She's one of my more... difficult students. That would be the best way to describe it."
"I've never heard of a Hufflepuff described as difficult." Theo mused.
"She's only in Hufflepuff because of her lineage." Clementine explained as pastries shaped like golden snitches whizzed past her head to another table. "She's the heir of Hufflepuff or something... I reckon she'd be in Slytherin otherwise."
"So just because she is a bit of a problem you think she would fit in with Slytherins?" Theo ran his tongue over his teeth and let out a low chuckle.
Clementine tilted her head the the side and a hint of a smile played at her lips, "Every Slytherin I've ever known has yet to prove me otherwise."
"Yeah," Theo nodded in agreement, "Zabini was always causing trouble."
"That's not how I remember it at all, actually." Clementine bit her lip as a giggle escaped between her teeth.
"Do you remember the last time we were here?" Theo leaned backwards in his seat. He stared at the woman sitting across from him. She was bathed in pink light from the tiffany lamps that hung like wisteria above their heads and the flush on her cheeks matched perfectly.
Clementine swirled the spoon in her hot cup of tea, letting the metal scrape the sides of the porcelain. She laughed and pushed her hair out of her face, "I remember Malfoy storming in and causing an absolute scene. I don't think I've ever been more embarrassed in my entire life."
Theo's face soured, "I don't want to talk about Malfoy right now."
She could feel the air in the room shift. The two had clearly not been getting along since her arrival, and she couldn't bear the heavy weight of responsibility it put on her shoulders. The animosity between them was her fault.
"Are you two not friends anymore?" Clementine had been dying to know the answer since she saw the two of them together. The three of them used to all be so close, but Theo and Draco were brothers.
"He's my best friend. We're practically family." Theo looked away angrily. His jaw flexed as he clenched his teeth. He took a deep breath to compose himself before looking back at Clementine, "But I'm more interested in you right now."
"Oh." Clementine watched as Theo intertwined their hands together. He ran his thumb across the back of her hand in a gentle back and forth motion. She looked back up at him and smiled, "What do you remember about that day then?"
"Just how beautiful you looked." Theo admitted. "You haven't changed at all."
"I like to think I have." Clementine shifted in her seat. The idea that she was still the same person she was at sixteen didn't sit right with her, "For the better, hopefully."
"You're still indecisive." Theo sipped at his tea. He had a knowing glint in his eyes that was much more serious than playful. "That hasn't changed."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Clementine let go of Theo's hand to grab her own teacup from its saucer. The hot liquid burned the back of her throat, but it wasn't as bad as the third degree she was anticipating from Theo.
"If you came back for Draco, you can just tell me." Theo's eyes had caught sight of her shirt that moved out of place. He couldn't stop staring at her neck and collarbone where Draco had left fresh marks on her skin.
"I didn't come back for him." Clementine argued. She could feel her shoulders tense and she quickly pulled her shirt back into place, "And despite what Draco thinks, I didn't come back for you either. I came back here for myself."
Theo's expression softened, but he still looked upset, "Look, Clem, I'm not saying you have to choose, but—"
Clementine cut him off, "It's not that easy. Theo... I have feelings for you... but I can't deny that there's still something there with Draco. I won't lie to you."
Theo swallowed hard and looked out the window at all of the witches and wizards walking by. His jaw clenched as he watched a couple walking hand in hand.
Silence fell between them. It felt heavy, almost like she was being buried underneath concrete.
"I think I should go." Theo muttered, his sharp tone cutting through the barrier. His chair scraped across the linoleum floor as he stood to leave.
"Theo, I'm sorry." Clementine stood to follow him.
Theo shook his head. He looked like he was fighting between reason and his own feelings in his head, "No, it's fine Clem. I'll be fine. I just need time to process. This was inevitable."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Clementine's voice raised an octave as she stared back at him. She could feel the eyes of all the patrons staring at them, almost as if she were a jester parading around for the court.
"You can't choose between us, I know that." Theo explained, "It's why you left the first time. But eventually you'll have to make that choice. I'm willing to fight for my chance just as much as he is, but neither of us will wait around forever."
"I never asked you to." Clementine's eyes stung.
"You didn't have to." Theo gave her a pained smile as he opened the door. The bell rang above his head as he stepped back onto the street, "It's just the way it is."
Clementine sniffled, standing there watching him disappear down the street. She dug into her purse and slammed a few galleons on the table before catching the eye of a few nosy students.
"If I hear any of you speaking about this your Hogsmeade privileges will be revoked for the rest of the year, is that clear?"
A few girls nodded in acknowledgement, but Vanessa's grin grew wide like a Cheshire Cat.
"Yes, Professor." Vanessa's voice rang out crystal clear. She had venom in her tongue.
Clementine resisted the urge to bite back, keeping any remaining semblance of professionalism that she could muster as she left the tea room.
"That was bloody humiliating." Clementine let out a groan of frustration. She kicked a pebble and watched it skip away.
She felt angry. The realization dawning on her that Draco had intended for the date to go wrong from the beginning. She had walked right into his trap and felt incredibly foolish for it.
"Everything alright, Clem?" Neville shuffled up to Clementine's side. He was holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand.
"Hardly." She scowled. "I've gone and screwed everything up with Theo."
"Ah, yes." Neville gave a nod of understanding, "Theo's a sensitive boy, but he'll come around."
"Maybe..." Clementine seemed doubtful. Neville hadn't seen the look in his eyes.
"Malfoy is rather sensitive too," Neville spoke omnisciently, "He just won't admit it to anyone, even himself."
"I remember." Clementine let out a breathy laugh as her cheeks flushed pink. Everyone knew about her predicament as if she had screamed it in the middle of the Great Hall feast.
"You'll figure things out." Neville nudged her assuringly, "Don't rush into anything, and you'll find your answer eventually."
"Are those flowers for Luna?" Clementine asked as she looked to admire the bouquet. She was ready to change the subject.
"What?" Neville looked down at the floral arrangement in his hand and back up to Clementine, "Uh, yeah. I thought I would surprise her."
"Is that Mountain-Laurel?" Clementine got a closer look at the pink and white flowers. "That's not a traditional flower for bouquets."
"I know they're poisonous, but Luna likes the look of them." Neville explained quickly, "As long as it's not ingested they're perfectly fine to keep around."
"Luna has always had peculiar tastes." Clementine looked at him doubtfully.
"Well, I— uh, I better get going." Neville seemed flustered all of a sudden, "I'll see you at work Monday, yeah?"
"I'll try not to be late again." Clementine joked. She watched as he crossed the street. She kept her eyes on him, catching when he ducked into an alleyway.
She knew Neville was up to something.
"Fuck it." She muttered. "I'm going to follow him."