Perfectly in Pieces

Chapter 59: Theo

The last chapter before epilogues. Ending it how we began, with Theo.

The epilogues of PIP are very much needed, and a lot is still to happen within them, but they will be different than the rest of PIP has been. This is the last full length POV chapter.

That being said, I want to thank you all for this journey you have joined me through. PIP started as a challenge placed on me for healing, and has turned into a community I never would have dreamed.

So thank you. Every single one of you who comments, reaches out, and leaves kudos or stars fill me with a validation I have never experienced before.

That being said, this chapter is once again long. Surprise, surprise. I hope you enjoy.

TW!! - Discussions of abuse, gore.

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He pulls out the box from his front pocket, only to find it empty.

"Come on..."

There is no way he smoked through a whole pack in the last few hours. No way. Gingersnap must have stolen a couple when he wasn't looking. Probably distracting him with her mouth while simultaneously stealing from him.

Because yes he was nervous, and overwhelmed, and every breath wasn't feeling like enough within his lungs, but a whole pack was excessive for him.

He digs into his left pocket as he struggles to keep up with the group.

Maybe I put some in this pocket before I basically died.
Can't seem to remember shit before all that, so maybe I did.
Please tell me I did...

His hand hits the bottom of his trouser pocket.

Empty.

"Shit."

"Here, Teddy."

A stick is placed in his line of sight. He knew the wicked witch stole some of them.

He grabs it quickly, and places it in between his lips as he lights it magically. Taking in the calming addiction.

He always smoked more when his nerves felt like they were at the surface of his skin. When his brain felt like it wanted to bounce right out of his own head. Like it is now.

"Thief. I knew that kiss earlier was longer for a reason." He says as he tries to steady the stick between his shaking lips.

Ginevra laughs, and adjusts his healing kit on her shoulder. Something she refuses to let him carry.

And she calls me the hoverer.

"You have been chain smoking all morning Theo, plus you have to put that out. Smoking isn't allowed in Ministry buildings." Hermione flips through the forms in her hands as they walk. Somehow having a conversation with him about his vices, double checking the many statements and contact information she and Minerva had been compiling since they helped her escape, and doing a better job at walking quickly with the rest of the people surrounding them than he is.

"Well unlike the lot of you, I am a bit worried about taking down one of the most powerful men in the wizarding world... again." He holds the stick out and exhales, but with the wind and their pace, it travels back and hits him in the face, making his eyes water.

"There is no need to worry Mr. Nott. With the information Ms. Granger and I have been gathering, along with support, memories, and Mr. Weasley speaking against his written testimony, Mr. Malfoy will be found not guilty. Now, come along. I believe my suspicions of Kingsley moving the trial earlier are correct."

"How do you know my brother will take back his testimony? The other day he was still convinced that he was right in his beliefs."

Their old professor hands Hermione a form, and gives Ginevra a knowing smile as she tilts her head to the approaching government building. "You all are not the only ones Kingsley has been using. I have full faith in your brother's character. He will do the right thing."

"He will." The statement comes from the right. From the group of old classmates who are also here for support. Padma is shaking her head back and forth as she pulls her robe around her tighter. Like she is trying to convince herself of what she is saying.

Theo hopes she is right. Not just for Draco's sake, but also for Hermione and Ginevra's. It was breaking both of them to see him on the opposing side of a battle they have been fighting. If he didn't side with them, if he held onto his denial, then that would truly be unforgivable.

If he changed his beliefs into an act this big, there was no reconciliation possible.

Hermione told them all about the conversation she had with him right before they helped her escape.

After his stay at St. Mungo's, Theo had complained and made a list of all the changes and improvements the healing center needed. So many outdated forms of healing. So many unneeded protocols. And not enough advanced wards around rooms that were supposed to keep patients in. (That one he made sure to keep to himself.)

But from what Hermione said, it seemed the notes from Draco had the effect she was hoping for. But Ron ran out of the room before she could be sure.

Their plan would be easier if Kingsley lost his support.

While the Minister might be the most powerful man, Ron was now the most popular. And popularity held a different kind of power.

They make it to the stairs, and start to climb up to the door.

"Here we go again. After this Teddy, I want to stay in bed for days." She reaches over, and takes the stick out of his mouth, and places it between her own.

"If our bed is still intact, you got yourself a deal, Gingersnap."

He hadn't been back to his rooms since before the Final Battle, but Ginevra went to get supplies and also to feed Hermione's hideous kneazle. She hasn't come out and said it yet, but he is quite aware of The Order's lack of care for items and places they were using.

His rooms were left a mess no doubt.

How a mess? That was yet to be seen.

They couldn't go back to his rooms after getting Hermione out of St. Mungo's. The Aurors surely searched there first. Instead, Blaise took them to one of Draco's family properties in Italy that his mother had purchased. It was a beautiful home. Not a manor at all like most of them grew up in. Smaller in size, but warmer in Theo's opinion. Not that any of them had been granted any time to enjoy the new location, or a world not in the midst of a war anymore.

Not when Draco needed their help.

Ginevra holds the cigarette out, and releases her exhale to the side as some of the group lines up to go through security.

Hermione stands, tapping her foot, watching the two of them with impatience as Theo waits for her to finish the cigarette.

His witch smirks, and then holds out the stick towards Hermione. "You can finish it. You look like you need it more than I do."

Hermione rolls her eyes, and pauses before reaching out, and sucking in the nicotine. She takes a long drag, closing her eyes as she holds it out of her mouth, and releases. Placing the stick in her hand as the line of people moves forward.

The evil witch still holds the stick so fucking wrong.
And she even has all of her fingers so there is no excuse at this point.

She catches Theo glaring at her hand, and giggles before pressing the stick against the wall to suffocate the end, then vanishes it.

They all push through security, and start to lead the group down to the designated courtroom Minerva had been able to locate.

"Let the information speak for itself. The less we say, the better."

They all nod their heads at their old professor as they start walking quickly.

Theo's heart is beating with every step. His body, fighting against him at this moment. Reminding him how much he hates conflict, and how he belongs underneath Gingersnap's cloak in the back of the line. Not in the front of the group.

But for his brother, he would do this.

And then, hopefully, never fucking again.

Like she knows how much he does not want to continue forward, he feels Ginevra's hand slipping into his as they walk.

They all turn a corner, and Theo stops as he sees Ron slumped against one of the walls in the hallway. With a bottle of alcohol in one hand, and a vial in another.

One of Theo's vials. He would recognize it anywhere because they are an absolute bitch to find. But their design to keep the potions from dripping off of the edge was superior to the others. So he had no qualms with importing them from the small apothecary in Switzerland anytime they were in stock.

Why does Ron have one of my vials?
Especially one that looks like it holds a memory?

The whole group behind them also stops as they take in the redhead on the floor.

He looks worse than ever before. Maybe he relapsed? If the bottle he is twirling back and forth in his hands was any indication, it seems he has.

What help was he going to be drunk? The git definitely lived up to Hermione's description of him in that state.

Hermione and Ginevra both start to move forward towards him, but Padma rushes past them both, and kneels down in front of the man. Looking not surprised at all by the situation. She had been the one Ginevra always conversed with to see how her brother's recovery was going.

She seemed to have the best handle on him, and the addiction. A thought she proves as she rests her hands over both of his. Making him finally look up and blink.

"Have you decided?" She whispers. Thumb moving up and down his pale and sweaty hands.

Ron lets out a deep breath as he looks between her eyes for a while before nodding softly, and handing her the bottle of alcohol.

She takes it quickly, and holds it against her chest like she is bracing for him to grab at it again at any moment.

Something Theo is sure she endured while trying to keep him sober.

But he doesn't.

Instead, Ron slowly stands up, Padma helping him along the way, and looks back meeting Hermione's eyes.

The two of them continue to look at one another for a few moments. A lot being said without anything being said at all.

"I believe you. And I'm sorry." The words are weak, yet powerful.

Hermione's shoulders jerk back, and her lips start quivering as he speaks.

"I really am so sorry 'Mione. I didn't... I didn't see it."

Ron squeezes his fingers around the vial as his gaze falls down to it.

What memory did he watch that would make him finally throw away everything he had been holding onto for months?

Theo looks over to McGonagall to see a knowing smile on her face.

There is no way.
She wouldn't have given him the mystery memory from Draco.
He wouldn't even tell me what the memory was. No way would he want Weasley to know.

"Thank you, Ron." Hermione's eyes are beginning to water, as his are as well.

"Have you watched this?" He holds out the vial in between them.

"No, I do not believe she has Mr. Weasley," Minerva says as she starts to walk forward.

Ron runs his hand over his face quickly, and nods as he turns to walk the other way. "They just started. These trials happen quickly so we should go."

They all follow him down the hallway until they are outside a set of large wooden doors.

"Is that the memory you gave to Minerva back when I first took you to the safe house?" Ginevra whispers into his ear.

"I think so. Draco never did tell me what it was."

Ron pauses for a moment, closing his eyes, and taking in a deep breath before moving to open the doors.

Hermione's hand is instantly wrapping around his as Draco comes into sight.

Holy shit...

He looks terrible. Even when Potter used that curse on him in 6th year, he didn't look as bad as he does now. Slumping low in his chair. Chest rising up and down with sharp movements that indicate some breathing issues. The picture of defeat.

Did you not think we would come for you brother? After everything you have done for all of us?

He is going to need murtlap, and bruise paste, and if Theo has to grow another fucking lung again he is going to...

Wait is that a tattoo? Did they mark him again against his will?!

"I recant my testimony."

Hermione and Ginevra's hands squeeze his as they listen to Ron changing everything.

For once something happening in their favor.

But his body was dispelling the words in the same way one would a sickness. Having to lean against the doorframe as they come out of him.

Looking like he is going to pass out.

"Ginny, he can't stay for this." Padma comes up beside them staring at Ron. Watching him try to smile at Hermione as she touches his nose.

Padma is looking at the man with obvious concern. As someone should be. Because Draco isn't the only one that looks like shit.

Theo pulls his healing kit off of Ginevra's shoulder, and searches the front pockets.

"Is he drunk?"

Padma shakes her head at his witch, and holds out the bottle of alcohol in her hands. "No he hasn't opened it, but... he is low Ginny. You can see it. He needs to be somewhere away from all this if we don't want him to relapse."

Theo grabs three vials, and holds them towards her. He made sure his healing kit was fully stocked before leaving.

"Here. These should help keep him calm, and help his nervous system. If you need more or anything different, let Ginevra know and I can make them."

She takes the vials into her hands as Ron turns, and starts walking back down the hall. Padma gives Theo, and the group a soft smile as she backpedals and moves next to him.

"I really want to drink Pads..." Ron stops, and watches her throw the bottle of alcohol into the nearest waste bin, before coming to stand beside him. She wraps one of her arms around him, and helps him move towards the exit.

"I know, I know you do. It's going to be okay."

She moves her hands to rub his upper back as he slumps his head onto her shoulder, right before they turn the corner.

"What the hell is shown in that memory..." Ginevra whispers.

Theo shrugs, honestly wondering the same thing. Whatever it was, he thinks he is glad it was enough to convince Ronald. That is, until Theo takes in the look on Draco's face as Minerva and Hermione start moving down towards the court floor, bringing a large Pensieve along with them.

Theo knows that look.

He can only think of one specific memory that would warrant that look.

Oh shit.
No, it couldn't be that one.

He drags Ginevra down with him. Trying to stay in front of the group. Watching Draco's face becoming angrier while also more fearful as the Aurors roughly pull him out of his chair. "Granger, no, please. I don't want you..."

"She will watch along with us, Mr. Malfoy."

His brother's face falls as the Aurors drag him up towards the Pensieve. His mouth opens and looks at the tiny old man, but he says nothing. He opens his mouth again, and again, but no words are coming out.

His chest hits off the edge of the Pensieve, and Hermione comes to stand on the other side, giving Draco a confused expression at how he is acting.

Theo can see his body start to shake as the memory is tipped into the bowl.

"Shit..." Theo says underneath his breath.

"Teddy, what is going on? Why does Malfoy look..."

"I'm sorry." Draco barely gets out before he is lowered.

As all of their heads dip into the bowl.

"Shit, shit, shit!"

It couldn't be the memory. The mistake. The one action Draco had done that drove him to almost killing himself multiple times over the six months she went missing. The one area Theo knew he destroyed himself with if he didn't keep it all occluded so far in his mind that he was numb to the event and the people involved.

Including what he had done to her.

Including his mother.

Including the event.

The moment he lost a war he had been fighting for years.

The moment he failed them both in his eyes.

Theo suspected that Draco had never come clean about the Battle of Hogwarts to Hermione.

Every time he brought it up to the scary blonde over the past couple of months, he always had an excuse at the ready for why he shouldn't be telling her.

'Her mind wasn't safe for that information.'

'She was carrying too much already.'

'If he told her, it would make it very clear how strongly he always felt for her, and she isn't even sure what they are to each other yet.'

'He was a coward.'

Always an excuse.

Theo could understand Draco's hesitancy to share with Hermione at the beginning. It would have been too much too fast. And he also could empathize with why Draco struggled to come clean about it all.

But the man was so bloody frustrating with his loathing. Creating so many more problems than needed. Because Theo knows, just as Draco does not blame him for his mother's death, Hermione will not blame him for what happened to her.

And Draco needs to hear that.

He needs to hear her forgive him more than anything in the world.

Even if they all believed no forgiveness was needed.

But the fear of the other possible reaction, the one Draco has convinced himself that he secretly deserves, has apparently kept him from ever sharing anything of actual relevance with the evil witch.

But while Theo believes Hermione needs to know the story, watching it for the first time, without any warning of what she is about to see, would not be his choice.

Maybe he is wrong. Maybe it was one of the other dozens of secrets the man has.

Theo walks over to stand beside Minerva glaring at Kingsley, who is making a very similar facial expression back.

"Is the memory of the Battle of Hogwarts?"

Please be wrong. Please be wrong...

Minerva breaks her silent war with Kingsley, and looks up at him. "Yes."

He slumps. "Fuck..."

"Language, Mr. Nott."

"How much?"

"The whole event."

"Double fuck..."

"Mr. Nott!"

"Shit, sorry. I mean, just, sorry."

Theo glances over to his two best friends again. Both, still under the Pensieve. She is seeing it. All of it.

This is not going to be good.

He squeezes his eyes shut as the black dots start appearing on the edges of his vision. No. He can't do this right now. He can't have a panic attack. They are both going to need him. Especially Draco.

A hand wraps around his forearm unexpectedly, and he jumps out of their grasp.

"Hey Theo, it's me. It's your Gingersnap. Here, sit down while we wait..."

Ginevra tries to move him over to a seat. Probably thinking about the healers suggestion to stay off of his right leg. The one his father's curse had traveled into the deepest. Like it was the first bloody time he had taken a curse from his father.

"I'm fine, I swear, but they aren't going to be."

He can't seem to make any of them understand that his body truly feels better than he remembers it feeling for a very long time.

There had been plenty of severe wounds and attacks he had not been knowledgeable enough to heal properly when he was younger. And those always hurt him as he grew up.

Always ached in some way or another.

But his body had felt that way ever since he reached the age to clearly articulate what pain was.

It was every breath.

Every move.

Every day.

And after a while, it just became what living felt like to him. What his normal was. Pain was normal. Pain wasn't actually pain anymore after so many years of the feeling. It was how continuing on felt like to him.

It was how living felt.

Or so he thought.

Up until he woke up in the healing center to the bright lights, and a searing pain so intense, breathing was no longer possible.

The quick idea of pain actually not being life, but being death, popping into his conscience before the world went dark once more.

Then waking up to the deadly pain again.

Then more black.

Then little images in his head. Of red hair, and hazel eyes, and second chances, and pinky promises.

Those were the only images he ever saw.

Even in the midst of the pain, they somehow overrode the feeling of death.

Thoughts of her.

Of the wicked witch currently manhandling him into a chair.

Clearly not believing what he had been continuously saying the last few days. How with the help of other healing trained hands, he had been able to transition his body into a healthier form than it had been in since he could remember.

Definitely before the fork.

"The healers said no long intervals of standing and..."

He grabs both of her hands in between his, and holds them together as he maneuvers around her.

"Ginevra, you have no idea what is about to happen. If she is watching what I think she is watching, they are going to need me to..."

The sound of Draco wrenching over the side of the Pensieve cuts him off.

Theo rushes over, and tries to get to Draco, but the group of Aurors start to raise their wands at him as he gets close.

He stops, and turns to see Hermione. Her head is up now, but staring down into the swirling liquid. Her face is soaking wet.

Shitfuckdamnitbloodyhell!

Draco throws up again, bending over the side of the bowl. The entire Pensieve is making groaning noises as his tremors travel from his body onto the object holding him upright.

Draco needs him.

Hermione needs him.

Theo digs into his healing kit, pulling out two calming draughts, and tries to walk forward again, but the Aurors raise their wands higher.

The fact that at least five fucking wands are being pointed at him, and his best friends are both moments away from possibly destroying themselves, has the black dots taking over more of his vision than the anxiety-inducing scene in front of him, and the weight starts to press harder on his chest.

"They... They aren't okay. Look. I need to give them this. To help them calm down. To..."

"Uhhh I am not going to make it home in time for dinner am I?" The old wizard is pulling his head out of the bowl, and yanking on his long white beard in frustration. He keeps muttering words under his breath as he steps down from the stool, and walks over to the table where Kingsley is sitting.

Draco falls to his knees at almost the same moment Hermione does. Both are unable to see one another anymore due to the large object between them.

He is still vomiting.

And she is still crying.

And I am standing here doing absolutely fucking nothing !

"Expecto Patronum!" A flash of blue comes out of the old wizard's wand, and forms into a small pot-bellied pig that snorts awaiting a message.

"My darling, I am so sorry, but I have been held up at work, and will not make it home for our celebratory meal. Please put a stasis charm on dinner as soon as you get this."

He flicks his wand, and the pig squeals out of the room.

"Judge Horace, I assure you that whatever the memory showed, it can easily be explained to..."

The judge raises his hand towards Kingsley, cutting him off with a loud whistle. A large white owl comes flying in, and lands on the table between them. He writes a quick note on the sheet of parchment, and seals it magically before handing it to the owl who quickly grabs it with its talons, and takes off out of the room.

"Bring him over, and clean up his mess." The old wizard gestures towards Draco as he places his glasses back on his nose.

The Aurors move to grab Draco by the shoulders which has him letting out a pained noise, but he still stands and follows. Keeping his head down to the ground as he walks. Taking him farther away from Theo, and one of many potions he desperately looks like he needs.

Look at me brother. This is not your fault! Stop telling yourself it is! Just wait, she will tell you.

As soon as the Aurors are out of his way, Theo runs over, and kneels down next to where Hermione is still sitting on the floor. Staring ahead of her. Eyes darting back and forth at a rapid speed, and tears silently continuing down her face.

Eyes that remind him of the other her. When she would switch.

She has been a lot better over the last couple of days. Fortifying and strengthening her mind with occlumency even without Draco there to help her. And she was also remembering things correctly. Slowly working through all the confusion and combinations.

Theo had told her story after story of the past couple of months. Letting her take the lead when a memory would surface. Trying to study the affects Voldemort had left on her mind.

But most of the time, she would sit and listen to him. Sometimes nodding in acknowledgment, writing down notes, or asking for breaks so she could catalog everything where it needed to go in her mind.

Her switches were also happening less. The only area that seemed to cause them to happen dealt with sexual matters.

Hermione had done this before. Theo knew she could do it again. Even if they were still trying to understand what the Dark Lord damaged.

But for now, her mind worked enough as she said. Enough to be able to help Draco. To get him out of this mess.

"Hermione, take this."

He holds the vial up to her mouth, and she listens.

"Are you okay?"

"He... He did..." A whimper breaks her voice, and she moves her hand to cover her mouth as she squeezes her eyes shut.

Please let me be right. Please see it...

Theo reaches out, and rubs her upper back a few times, hoping it helps calm her down like it had when they first found her.

"It was all for me."

She opens her eyes and looks directly into his, and he relaxes his shoulders at her words.

Thank Merlin, you brilliant evil witch.
You get it.
Now make the blonde throwing a temper tantrum get it as well.

"Minister, the memory I just observed, discredits your entire testimony that Draco Malfoy both fought and maliciously attacked members of The Order, Ms. McGonagall here being your main person of interest. And also makes your claim of his intent to capture, and use Ms. Granger for his own personal gain speculative at best." The judge rubs the bridge of his nose again, and scrunches his eyes as he massages the skin. "I have also called in the rest of the head judges of the Wizengamot, as I believe this case is more complex than it is being presented."

Theo helps Hermione to stand, and join the others near the table as Minerva places the stack of information they had been compiling down on the surface. She then gestures to Krum, who brings over a bag full of memory vials.

"Yes Judge Horace, it is a much more complex situation than the minutes-long private trial Mr. Malfoy here is being granted. As you will find within the statements and other gathered information Ms. Granger and I have been compiling since his arrest. This situation is much bigger than Mr. Malfoy. This is another example of Ministry negligence already beginning once again under this new authority."

"A Ms. Granger that by all accounts should be detained and placed back in St. Mungo's for her healing, correct Minister?"

Kingsley begins to shake his head in agreement towards the judge, but the action is abruptly stopped, and his face that never seems to showcase emotion, falters slightly.

He grimaces, quickly making eye contact with a smirking Draco, before looking back towards the older wizard.

Draco keeps smirking at the Minister like he is in on some secret. A secret that he thinks would help Hermione not be imprisoned within the healing center again.

"Ms. Granger is in charge of her own health as I see it."

The group of Aurors all visibly relax, and Hermione lets out a breath. They had a plan if Kingsley tried to pull that shit. McGonagall had form after form on legislation against health decisions being placed within the Ministry's control, and supported references by outsourced healers not within the ear of powerful men, that she was indeed not insane.

But the fact that the interim Minister was backing down before anything was needed was weird.

Something is off about this.

"More paperwork." The judge reaches for the forms Minerva placed as he lets out a sigh, and starts scanning them. Looking at the names of witnesses, and statements. "There is also the issue with Mr. Malfoy here confessing..."

He did what now?!

Theo's eyes jump to Draco who seems to have occluded everything behind his walls. His face is hard in a way that it always gets when he goes deep. His blinks are happening a bit slower than normal, and the spark in his eyes is dimmer.

Everything about him, that made him who he was, became less as it was caged in to protect himself from himself.

Why did he confess? Why would he willingly ever say that he hurt Hermione?

"Is the memory true Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes."

Draco still doesn't look up.

"Wha..." Theo covers Hermione's mouth with his hand, cutting off her voice. They need to let this play out. Not cut in right when this could possibly be made clear on its own.

The judge pushes his glasses up his nose. "Well, can you explain to me then..."

"How about we wait for the other members of the Wizengamot to arrive? The Aurors and I can place Mr. Malfoy back in his cell until then."

Kingsley gestures to the Aurors, and starts to stand. Too quickly in Theo's opinion. Something is up. He knew not trusting the man was a smart move on his part. Knew it from the moment he spoke to Ginevra out in the yard of the safe house.

"I am trying to get a clearer picture of what is exactly happening here so I can share why I called everyone back after work hours, Minister. And while yes, you hold some power, the Aurors answer to the Wizengamot first if need be. So, as I was asking, Mr. Malfoy, can you explain how the memory works into your confession?"

"Yes."

His answer is automatic. Dull. Said with a bit of a force behind it, like the syllables are pushed out of him.

They all wait for him to do what he just said, but he never opens his mouth to continue.

The judge groans and gestures towards Draco. "Well then, will you please continue?"

"Yes."

But he doesn't.

What the...
This isn't right.

"Can you please respond with a different word than yes?"

"Yes."

Theo hears Ginevra chuckle behind him.

But he is realizing this isn't Draco being a prick, although he wouldn't put it past him. Something else is going on.

"Then how does the memory make sense with your confession Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yes."

At this, the judge throws his hands up in the air, and slumps back in his chair. Hermione pulls herself out of his hands before he can stop her, and moves over to the table right in front of Draco.

"Someone has made it so you only respond a certain way to the judge haven't they?" She lowers her face to see his that is staring down at his lap. He doesn't look up to her. Because he has shut down. Theo can see all the signs.

"Ms. Granger, please do not speak within this closed trial of..."

Aurors come up behind her as Kingsley speaks over her. They grab her arms and start pulling her backwards away from the table.

"Look at the forms! Look and see..."

"That is enough, Ms. Granger! I..."

"Are all the questions on your forms for this trial yes or no questions?! Look just look!"

The judge sits up grumbling under his breath something about respect for elders, and whatnot as he looks over the few sheets Kingsley handed him.

"Judge, she has endured heavy mental manipulation. We cannot trust..."

"Yes, actually, they all are..." The old wizard scans them quickly, and his eyebrows pull together as he notices.

The man starts pulling at his beard again as he reads over the papers in front of him, and then scans the first few off of the stack brought by Minerva and Hermione.

"Aurors, if you would, please escort interim Minister Shacklebolt to one of the secured recess rooms, and also take Mr. Malfoy here back to his holding cell until the rest of the Wizengamot has come for this emergency proceeding."

Two of the Aurors move to Kingsley who is beginning to crack. Starting to struggle holding in everything as he looks at the first sign of the loss of his control. Hopefully one of many.

The three others pull Draco's chair back, and allow him to rise slowly on his own before walking him out of the room.

"Can we..?"

The judge groans at Theo's question, and stands to move to the first official who has entered the courtroom.

"After he is secured, you may. The cells are all heavily surveyed."

Hermione is right on their heels. Clearly frustrated with the way Draco is acting, and not helping in the slightest.

Theo looks back and finds Ginevra already reaching for his hand to start following after them. They are forced to stop outside a set of secured doors as they place Draco back into his cell.

"What is going on Theo?"

As they wait in the hallway, Theo whispers the very short version of what Hermione had witnessed to the witch.

Hermione paces back and forth in front of them the whole time. Twirling a curl around her finger, as her shoes clap against the tile with her frustrated steps.

"Merlin's saggy left tit... so he was... all the way back then?"

Theo scoffs and leans against the wall. "It has been happening since their first fight on that train back in 1st year."

The doors leading to the holding cell open to show the area was secured, and Hermione takes off.

The two of them try to keep up, until they enter a long hallway with cell after cell.

Theo jerks his hand out of Ginevra's hold, and stops abruptly in the hall.

Staring ahead.

Feeling his body respond against the drop in temperature.

The absence of light.

The damp air.

The dark stone walls that start feeling like they are going to collapse on him.

The left room...

It was all too similar. Too black. Too quiet.

His breathing starts to become harder and shallower.

He can't go into a space like this. Still, he can't. It takes him back to being on that floor, and left in conditions that were...

"Theo..."

He opens his eyes, he hadn't realized he closed, to see his Gingersnap standing in front of him. Holding out what she started to call his comfort cloak.

"Would it help if we used a Lumos spell, and you stood at the corner of the hall? That way you could see the exit at all times?"

"Maybe."

He wraps the cloak in his hands, as she says the spell, and her wand lights up the space. Theo's breathing becomes easier within seconds.

You are fine Theo. You are fine. She is here. There is a way out. You are not trapped.

He counts his breaths. In and out. Over and over again. Until the weight becomes manageable, and then takes her hand in his.

"Are you sure you are okay?"

He nods, and pulls her forward towards Draco's cell.

He needs his wounds and injuries taken care of. More than Theo needs to get back into open spaces with light.

As they turn the corner, and the guards go back to their posts, he sees Draco is plastered to the very back of the cell. The farthest place he can get from Hermione who is holding on to the bars of his cage.

"Draco, it's going to be okay. Minerva and I have been compiling so much evidence against him. And without Ron's testimony, and his being proved invalid, we are going to get you out of here okay? You will not be found guilty."

The blonde hidden in the shadows says nothing. Doesn't move or flinch. The only response being his uneven breaths.

His breathing has Theo worried. Last time he had witnessed breathing like this, Hermione was seconds away from death.

Theo walks over to Hermione, and starts pulling vials out of his bag. "Can you come over so I can see what is happening in your lungs? And I have some murtlap, and Essence of Dittany, and pain suppressant to help. Because you look like shit mate. I think I may look better than you finally."

He pulls out all the jars and raises his head to see Draco still hasn't moved.

Shit, he is deep.

"Draco, what are you doing? Everything is going to be okay. You are going to be free and..."

His scoff cuts off Hermione's words.

It is a cruel sound. Bitter and hard. A part of Draco that he usually fought against being, and succeeded most of the time nowadays. As long as he wasn't backed into a corner, or wasn't occluding too deeply.

Like he is now.

"Leave, Granger."

She flinches, and her mouth drops open slightly at his cold response. Hermione seems confused. Thrown off by his distant demeanor. But Theo isn't. He knows what he is doing, and why he is doing it.

He had put up with Draco being like this for six fucking months on and off as they searched for her. As the worst case scenarios played in his head. As he convinced himself she was dead. Even when they did find her, and learned the hell she had been going through, he had to force the blonde to occlude it all away to be able to be in her presence. Only letting his walls slip every now and again.

"What? No, why do you want me to leave? After everything I just saw, why would you want me to..."

"It is because of everything you just saw that I need you to leave. Now. Theo take her out of here."

Theo shakes his head, and rolls a couple of the vials through the bars towards the back corner where he is. Hoping he will take them. Of course the fussy dragon does not.

"Not in agreement, Draco, and you know it. I've been telling you since the beginning to tell her, and that she wouldn't blame you."

Hermione's eyes start to water for a moment, and she pulls her bottom lip into her mouth like Theo has learned was a sign that an ugly cry was more than likely about to happen. But before she makes a noise or a tear falls, her face changes. It turns into one he has seen before.

Oh bloody hell... here we go...

She squeezes her hands around the bars. "No. Like you told me, we didn't come all this way for you to give up now. To pull away from me now. It is too late for that and..."

"Stop talking."

"...And I am so sick of all the damn secrets Draco! I asked for no secrets months ago, and you promised to tell me when you could, yet you never told me everything you did for me. The truth of the Battle and..."

"Stop talking!"

"...The trust I had in you. Even before we fell in love. Even before you saved me, and..."

All three of them jump, and Theo instinctively pulls Hermione back into him at the sound of Draco's fists hitting off the bars above her head.

"I said stop fucking talking! I didn't save you, Granger! I ruined you! All of this, everything that was done to you, is my fucking fault!"

Anyone else, even Ginevra and himself would be stepping away at the man in front of them. At the raw anger and fury written all over his face as he spats the words with disdain.

But of course the evil witch Theo is trying to hold back doesn't. Instead, she lunges forward and raises her chin so her face is more aligned with his sneer. So close, Draco's short hard breaths are moving her curls.

"It was not your fault! You didn't have another choice, Draco!"

"That doesn't take away the pain from deciding, Granger! Of having to live with myself after doing something that... that maybe led him to you. That gave him the opportunity. That wasn't enough."

"What are you talking about? It was more than enough, it was everything! The war didn't end there because you told me how to escape. We are all standing here today because of that information you gave me."

Draco shakes his head, and lets out a bitter laugh towards the ceiling.

"The ends to the means do not make them any less prevalent! Just because we won this war, does that mean you shouldn't feel the pain of what you had to go through to get to this moment? So because we still breathe, that makes everything we have had to do okay? It is my fault. Everything that happened to you... I, I played a role in it all."

"You did not! You didn't Draco!" She moves her hands to rest over his. Grasping the bars so tightly as if they are the only things keeping him up. "You are not responsible for what Dolohov chose to do to me. You are responsible for staying true to what you promised me. You saved me, you found me, and..."

His hands shoot out, and grab the sides of her face, pulling it closer to his. Making her stand on her tiptoes to somehow keep balance with his tight grip on her head. Hermione lets out a slight noise as he pulls her face up to his. Stopping right before their noses touch one another.

"I did not fucking find you. I never found you. Theo found you. Theo healed you. Theo saved you. I made you cry, and switch, and fear me. And I should have let you." She whimpers again as Theo sees Draco's hand twitch, digging into her cheeks. He blinks, and all of a sudden, the anger disappears. Only leaving the guilt behind as his fingers let off in pressure, and he starts moving them up and down the reddened skin. No longer meeting her eyes. "I should have been less selfish with you and your ignorance."

The two stare at each other. As she starts to quickly work through what he just said.

What he admitted to. To the uncertainty of a future carrying everything that he did. How hard it is to keep breathing with guilt and regret always a part of you.

"We all have had to hurt, and break, and make hard decisions with one another Draco. You are not the only one. Every one of us has been forced to take pieces from each other to ensure we survived, even though all we have been fighting for was to stay whole. I chose alongside you to pay that cost. We all did as we fought together."

Hermione's hands move up to hold his, as Draco falls forward and rests his forehead against hers. Squeezing his eyes shut, and breathing harshly.

"But now you know Granger. It... I can't... I could keep my grief caged when it was mine alone to bare. But the knowledge of you knowing... It hurts to look at you. How am I supposed to live when I am unable to look at the person I love without it hurting?"

Theo sees a tear travel down the side of Hermione's face as she nods her head in acknowledgement. They all carry what Draco is expressing. They have all thought it one time or another over the past couple of years. How even if they won, it was no longer a personal victory. They would never be granted the same freedom from the past as others. Not after everything.

"We figure out the complexities of why it hurts, and we heal them as best we can. Slowly. Together. With time. With love becoming stronger than the hurt. Please let us become more than all of this. Please."

Draco doesn't say anything back or look at her, but he doesn't pull away as she pushes back a few strands of his hair.

Maybe he will take these now.

Theo digs into his healing kit, pulling out a pain suppressant first, and walking over to stand closer to them.

Hermione takes the vial from his hands, and uncorks the top to pour it down his throat.

"I, I never planned on how to live after this. With all this." He opens his mouth and swallows the potion before continuing to speak. "With what I had to do to you."

"Do you blame me for your mother's death?" Theo cuts in. His brother blinks his one eye, and looks taken aback.

"What?"

"Is it my fault your mother died?"

He already knows Draco's answer. He had told him time after time that he didn't blame Theo for not finding his mother before she was killed. That the blame fell entirely on the Dark Lord who cursed her to death for lying about Harry's demise.

But Theo's mind liked to lie to him. To blame him instead. Because now looking back, there are so many things he could have done differently, better, if he would have known. He should have moved quicker. Stopped his overwhelming fear that made him hide more than was needed. He could have looked harder. Been smarter about the battlefield.

Theo still berates himself over not thinking how Voldemort would keep her close after the family's failures at the manor not long before.

He should have thought about that.

He should have known.

He could have saved her.

Instead of finding her in the midst of one of the final curses destroying her body. Watching her slump to the ground. Him waiting, and wasting precious seconds that turned into minutes as the Death Eater forces moved back to the makeshift meeting tents before rushing to her. Turning her over and casting the diagnostic charm to see nothing. No pulse, no intake of air. Dead. Gone.

Death: 1 Theo: 1 at that point.

"Of course it isn't Theo."

"I still feel guilt over it. That and also beating the shit out of you Hermione." He hands Draco another potion, and casts a diagnostic charm onto his chest.

Okay, just a bruised rib. Thank Merlin. Growing Hermione's lung was my least favorite procedure I have done. Even worse than the pinky.

"I think of all the what if's over and over again sometimes. How I could have turned right instead of left. How I should have moved to her quicker, or hid less. Or punched you lighter. Or silently used backwards disillusionment charms to make wounds over you. Or..."

"I didn't even turn around after obliviating you, Hermione. If what happened to her is anyone's fault, it is mine, ferret. Not yours."

They all turn and face Ginevra who is rubbing back and forth against her chest. Theo can see her skin already flushing, even in the dim light of the Lumos spell.

"I ran without looking back once. Even though I knew you weren't going to make it. The only thing my mind was letting me focus on was Harry. Was getting to that safe house, and seeing that you were wrong, and that he was alive and breathing. I should have said no. We should have tried harder to fight them off. I should have been able to push past my shock and grief like you did Hermione, and been helpful. I shouldn't, I shouldn't have left you."

They all stare at the redhead as she slumps against the wall, and kicks the dirt with her shoes. It wasn't fair, all of the hard things they were put through. All to fight a war none of them really wanted to be a part of, but were forced to in one way or another.

"I obliviated, and lost my parents for the rest of my life. I stole their choice in the matter, and placed my wants before their freedom of choice. And I put you all in those positions. I did. One way or another. So the guilt is mine as well." She hands Draco another vial, before he finally looks up at her.

They stand looking at one another for a long time. Having some type of silent conversation Theo could not follow.

Her face tilts into a small smile, and she moves to push back his hair again, as he nods and swallows another potion. "I guess this war has made us all silver."

Hermione moves, and brings his mouth down to meet hers. Draco hesitates for a moment, face looking in pain, like he is trying to fight against something. But as she tilts to the side, he gives in. Following her movements by wrapping his arm around her waist, and pulling her as close as he can with the bars in between them.

About damn time.

"Now this looks more accurate. You two kissing between bars."

The pair are too busy snogging hard to join him in laughing at Ginevra's joke. But luckily, not hard enough to miss the sound of the door down the hallway opening. Hermione moves back first, and takes a few steps away from Draco to come stand next to him and Ginevra.

"You are going to be okay. We will save you. Like we always do."

The Aurors gesture for the three of them to leave before they transport Draco, and they start walking back to the courtroom.

He is going to be okay.

There is no way they could find him guilty.

The rest of the Wizengamot must have arrived if the increasing noise of voices was anything to be considered.

And from the sounds of it, things didn't seem to be going smoothly.

"There are over 400 pieces of parchment. 47 witnesses. Dozens of memories... I agree with Horace. We need to open an investigation into..."

"...He is the Malfoy heir. I feel like you all are forgetting that. Pureblood nobility. A nobility and way of life that has existed outside the war for centuries, and she is a Mud..."

"...We do not use language like that within my courtroom, Anagus. There is enough here by any account to re-evaluate and assess..."

The doors open, and the voices and heat from all of the new bodies now compacted in the room, hit Theo. Dozens of wizards and witches now sit in the chairs surrounding the open court floor arguing back and forth. Listening to no one and everyone at the same time. Minerva is sitting in the front. Rubbing her hand against her forehead at the chaos surrounding her.

But all of the voices stop as Draco is led back onto the court floor, and an adjacent door opens, bringing Kingsley into sight. The two men are sat in chairs facing one another, and Judge Horace is handed a piece of parchment from the man next to him. He scans the results and nods before coughing into his hand and rising.

And both of Theo's hands are grabbed at the same time. One shaking much more than the other. He looks over to Hermione who is staring at no one but Draco as the judge begins to speak.

"We have deemed by majority vote to open an investigation into the handling of Draco Malfoy's case against Hermione Granger..." The brunette lets out a noise, and Theo has to hold her up from buckling to the floor.

"...and also an investigation into the evidence brought forward of possible nefarious political and magical actions. Both investigations will start immediately. Until a verdict is reached, Mr. Malfoy will be placed on parole and under Auror watch. Mr. Shacklebolt will hold his title while being relieved of all responsibilities until he is found either guilty or not guilty..."

"Wait, what does that mean?" Ginevra asks, as Hermione begins to sob. Theo pulls her into his side, and wraps his arm around her to help her stay up.

It means that they will be reviewing everything. It means Draco was being granted a fair trial. It means Kingsley was about to be held responsible for actions he never thought would come to light.

It means you get to come home with us today brother.

Their old professor already told them that this would be the most likely outcome for today. The best outcome they could realistically hope for. There was so much to work through that the Wizengamot would have to open investigations into both areas that were tied together. And that would take time.

But time they had now. For the first time in a long time, attention could be given to areas other than doing what was needed to survive.

Minerva stands up as the judge continues to talk about more specifics. She rests her hand against Draco's good shoulder, and whispers into his ear something that he slightly acknowledges before she stands upright, and walks over to them.

"It will take some time for them to sort out the truth here, but he will be found not guilty."

Hermione nods her head, and pulls away from Theo's chest to wipe away her tears.

"As we discussed earlier, he must stay within house arrest until then, and has to go through the release process before leaving the building this evening."

"We will stay in my rooms for the night."

Minerva nods, and points out the back doors, as the Wizengamot sets up task forces and leaders within each investigation. "Second door down is where you will need to go to set that up. It is probably going to be a while before he is released and..."

"I'll stay and wait for him. You two go set up your rooms, Theo." Hermione says the words still facing Draco.

Theo notices that Kingsley now has the same posture as Draco. His shoulders are bent, and he staring at the ground before him. Trying to stay composed. More than likely searching his mind for some move he could take that would get him out of this mess.

The problem with Kingsley was he didn't expect all the little lies he made up his false reality with, to ever catch up with him. That he took so little from most people, that they didn't even notice what was missing, or what was the lie. It was war after all. And during war, it is very hard to work through what is criminal and what is survival.

Theo turns away from the last monster he hopes he has to deal with. The newspaper clipping that had referenced Alecto Carrows 'escape' still bounced around in his mind, but the prick in the chair would never say a word to him when it had been brought up. He hopes his suspicions are wrong.

"You sure you don't want us to stay and..."

"I'm sure. It'll be easier if you guys set up everything. Be ready with more healing materials when we get back too please."

Theo agrees with the evil witch's thought process, and gives her a half smile before turning to leave.

Ginevra smirks down at The Order leader and salutes him before grabbing his hand and following to help set up what Draco would need.

It turns out the judge was right. Theo keeps thinking this as he flips the 23rd sheet, and signs his name in binding magical ink who knows how many times.

Now Theo can honestly say he understands the old judge's begrudged attitude toward paperwork. It really is the worst.

He reaches the last one, and holds the forms out to the young secretary whose mouth is hanging open as she keeps looking back and forth between the area where his pinky should be, and then looking over to Ginevra's hand. He waves the forms in front of her face, and she blinks and moves to collect them.

"Uh sorry." She takes the forms, and then places a square box on top of the counter. "Just press the top, and the magic will take care of the rest."

Theo puts the box into his kit, and they make their way out of the Ministry building. As they open the doors Theo watches as people walk down the pavement, open doors into shops, and stop to smile and converse with one another.

Life is happening again for some people. It looks almost normal now. Like the last few years had never happened. And it is one of the weirdest things he has ever seen. How quickly things tried to normal again. How much society wanted the lie of normalcy.

"Okay Teddy, hold on."

She grabs both of his shoulders, and apparates them back to his family manor.

The spinning stops, and this time, no one ends up in a rose bush, or against the rock he knows Draco and Hermione defiled. A rock he would never be touching again. They walk hand in hand up to his childhood home, and he fights not to cast the detection spell to see if anyone is there.

When he opens the door, he pauses for a moment out of habit.

Waiting.

Listening.

Trying to hear if his father was home.

Before he realizes his mistake.

He doesn't have to worry about that anymore.

"What are you doing?"

Theo blinks, and looks over to his witch who starts pulling him up the stairs. He doesn't have to try to step in the pattern he learned that made the least amount of noise. Doesn't have to take off his shoes, or count his steps to safety.

Doesn't have to put the cloak on.

It is an odd feeling.

One he thinks should feel better.

But instead, the worry is still there. The anxiety that controls his breathing is present as he convinces himself he is forgetting something. Some monster. Somewhere. There has to be.

Ginevra stops outside his doors, and Theo flinches as he doesn't feel the wall of years upon years of wards compiled around the area.

Around his 11 rooms.

"It... It's bad Theo. I didn't want to worry you before. We had enough on our plates as it was, and all of your collection pieces are fine, but everything else has been..."

"Open the door, Ginevra."

She gives him a face before turning the knob, and slowly opening.

Shit...

Bad was an understatement. Theo would go as far as to say that the shit house The Order officials had used for months was in better condition than his safe space currently is.

There had been countless Order members moving in and out of his rooms during the Final Battle, and the days following. And while he will forever be grateful for the back up actually coming, he thinks they could have at least not torn through his home with the same vengeance.

Everything is out of its designated space. Every damn piece of furniture seems to be broken, and trash, and who knows what else is all over the place.

"The Order used your rooms as an infirmary after the battle I think."

The medical waste, blankets, and stained areas of blood make that obvious to him. He walks, and peers into Hermione and Draco's room to see it in even worse shape.

One of the posts of the canopy bed is broken off, and the curtains are falling apart, and...

Oh no!

"They destroyed our tent!"

Theo says as he points down to the shrunken heap of their beautiful creation.

He is pissed. No pissed isn't even the right word. Now he is angry. He and Hermione had just perfected the structural capabilities of the loft to ensure it could hold two people instead of one right before the Final Battle. Theo planned on trying to add another loft for Hermione's mangy four legged creature to sleep in. Not that it would have done any good, since the kneazle always seemed to prefer to sleep next to Draco.

But still.

"Really? Your expensive rug is ruined, and yet you are upset over the tent?"

"We made it Gingersnap! I had plans."

She laughs at him, obviously not understanding how serious of a matter this was. He looks up to the mantle to see his first edition Hogwarts: A History, and his stomach goes up into his throat.

"My library, my books. We didn't ever..."

"I did Teddy. All of your books are in perfect condition, and we will build a new tent I promise."

He sighs, and reaches for her waist to bring her mouth to his. Kissing her slowly, and in a way that has become a part of him now.

She laughs lightly against his lips, and it makes him smile as he tilts her head, and tastes her before pulling back.

"You are exceptional, Gingersnap."

She smiles again, and he pecks her one more time before pulling out the magical device that he needs to set up to allow Draco to stay in the area.

In all of his research he had never seen a device like this. A large metallic box that responds as he presses against the top, opening and sparking golden lines that look similar to the ones that appear when taking an Unbreakable Vow. The lines spin and travel against the walls of his rooms, and seem to map out the area. They disappear down the halls and corners, before coming back and conforming into the box.

The square container itself becomes immovable though as it shuts. Something Theo was not aware would happen. Because now the damn thing is smack dab in the middle of the hallway. Not the most convenient spot to say the least.

"Well, I guess we will see if it worked or not when they get here. Not that we are going to be able to stay here for long." He stands up, and shoots Ginevra a half smile, but she seems to be looking right through him. Theo pushes his hair back out of his eyes, and carefully steps over the box to see the state of the kitchen. "I think after tonight, we should see if we can have Draco move with us to the property in Italy, and maybe..."

"I love you, Theo."

His feet falter, and he has to place a hand against the wall. He waits. Staring ahead. Completely silent. Because he has already convinced himself he has heard her wrong, and is not about to make a fool of himself right now in this moment. Not when he...

"Theo?"

Oh shit, she isn't going to let me get away with it.

He gulps loudly. Heart racing. "Yeah?"

"I said I love you."

She loves him.

He heard her right.

She is saying she... loves me. Not likes me like last time .

And why does her saying that word feel so much different than when Hermione said it? Giving him the confusing urge to run away honestly. Maybe because this was an I love you weighed down with intimacy. Or so he thinks. They kiss, and touch, and are allowed places on each other's bodies that no one else is, so Theo would classify all of that as intimacy.

Plus Theo has known he loves her. Him loving her was not new information he was having to process. He tries to remember if there was an exact moment for him when he knew. Trying to pinpoint when the word popped into his head, but he can't remember there being one.

Instead he thinks it just happened.

Slowly, within all the small moments, transforming like into love.

"But... You love Harry."

Her smile drops slightly, before she moves closer to him, yet nods her head in understanding. He has to make sure she knows that he doesn't need this. Not now. If she didn't have the ability to feel for him in that way yet, with everything she has been through, he understands.

If Harry held that part of her, it didn't matter to him. Who she was now was enough.

"I do. But I love you too." She moves her fingers over their pinky on her left hand, and lets out a light giggle before shrugging her shoulders. "I never thought I would ever love again after him. I thought it wasn't possible to have room, but I do." Her beautiful light hazel eyes look up and meet his. Because these words are for him. Only for him. "You... Your life combined with mine makes more room than I ever thought I had. And I think..." His witch pushes the wavy curl out of his eye and smiles. "What an honor it is to be given a chance to fall in love twice."

She loves me.
She loves me.
Me.
For some reason she loves me, and for some reason I am not snogging her silly right fucking now.

"The..."

He snaps back out of his head, and lunges towards her as she is still speaking his name.

She gasps quickly before his lips consume her again. Pressing into her with no fear. No hesitation. His body and mind both welcome her. The feel of her skin, and the warmth of her tongue, and the sound of her enjoying this as much as him. All make his breath hitch in the back of his throat as the one word keeps repeating over again in his mind.

Theo is kissing the woman he loves, and she loves him back for some reason. Even though she has seen what he looks like without the charm over his body, and has witnessed what he can become when nervous or afraid. Unlike everyone else in his entire life, she sees something of worth in him. Even though Theo still struggles to see it within himself most days, having someone like her say it isn't true, makes him think maybe she is right.

Maybe he was worth loving.

Theo grabs the back of her neck while his other hand moves to her arse and pushes her entire front to his. Molding them together.

She loves him. What does that mean then? Would she stay with him? Would she spend a lot more time with him? All of the alone time with him? He wants her to. He has wanted her to never leave. She came into his life and changed everything. Woke him up from the complacency he had accepted as the best he would ever feel, and showed him how much bigger his life could be. With her.

He moves his mouth to her neck, and sucks in the skin that feels like a part of him now. Somewhere along the way, she had become ingrained in him more than anyone else ever has. That without her with him, he wasn't whole.

Ginevra lets out a soft moan as Theo licks the spot he has learned she likes so much. Right along her collarbone, following the heavy area of freckles that form over the skin.

"Yes right there Theo, can I..."

"Do. Don't ask. You don't have to ask anymore."

"Aye aye captain."

She listens automatically, and threads her hand through his hair, pulling at the nape of his neck as he continues to consume her.

He pushes her backwards, picking her up to make sure she doesn't trip on the poorly placed parol object, and into their room. It is destroyed as well, but the bed seems to be intact as he throws her onto it. No creaking noises, or sudden snaps as she laughs and bounces. He crawls quickly on top of her, and smashes their lips together again.

I want you. All of you. Every single piece of you.

He was tired of waiting, and letting fear control the possibilities of connections. Not with her. Fear had no place in the trust he has with her.

Theo sits up, and reaches with his one hand behind his back, and starts pulling off his shirt.

Ginevra's eyes widen as he willingly, without hesitation, pulls the material off and over his head.

He moves down to the button on his trousers, and sees for some reason his delicious witch is not following his movements.

Theo tilts his head at her shirt as he unzips. "What?"

Her confused face doesn't change, and Theo tries to think past the adrenaline coursing through him. Of his body trying to draw all of his focus to in between his legs. Why was she hesitating? Did he do something wrong? Had he said something incorrectly back to her life changing words? Or did he...

Wait, Theo boy, fuck!
You didn't say it back you moron!

"Wait, I never said it back, did I?" He lifts himself off of her, and straightens his arms as he shakes his head back and forth at his utter stupidity. "Shit, I'm so sorry. I said it. I said it so many times in my head. It is the only thing in my head. Just keeps forming in different ways, and with..."

Fuck, I am rambling. I am nervous rambling this entire moment to hell.
I am ruining...

Her sweet and sincere laugh breaks his self-destructive thoughts, and her hand against his cheek makes him look down at her face smiling up with heavy amusement.

"I love you, Theo."

He releases the breath he was holding as she pulls his face down to hers. Overwhelmingly grateful that she gets him. That she understands, and is giving him another chance.

"I love you too, Ginevra."

He kisses her again, moving and tilting every time he finishes the mantra of her name, and that word in his head. Matching the pace of his bouncing thoughts, until she holds his face to hers, and makes him slow down. To try to get him to calm down. To focus on the way her lips give with his own. The skin-prickling feeling that makes his head go quiet as she presses her tongue into his. As her reassuring noises of enjoyment vibrate into his stomach.

He reaches in between them, and pulls his zipper down the rest of the way, while at the same time pulling the hem of her shirt up and over her head.

That same surprising expression is over her face again as her head pops through the fabric.

"Teddy, are you wanting... Are you sure?"

He pulls down his trousers with his briefs, and kicks them off with his leg. He is done with waiting. With letting fear get in the way of things he wanted. He had almost died. Truly died without ever experiencing this. And while it used to not bother him in the slightest to be a virgin, now having someone he wanted to do these things with, who cared about him, who he trusted more than anyone else in the world...

"I am not wasting a second of our second chance, Gingersnap."

He is completely naked for the first time, as he lays himself on top of her again, and pulls down the straps of her bra. He looks into her eyes and doesn't stop. "I trust you. I love you. With all of me I will love you, if you let me."

She answers by moving to pull her pants down as well. "Please, yes please. Fuck, I love you."

He lifts up, and slides her legs out of the material. Throwing them on the floor next to the rest of their clothes. Looking down at his beautiful bare woman. Theo grabs one of her ankles, bringing her leg up to his face, and starts trailing kisses down the inside. Moving his body up above her own slowly, and feeling the areas where her warm and soft skin is touching his.

And the fear is nowhere.

There is no room for it with her.

He sucks in the skin between her cunt, and her inner thigh before sliding his body up so he can see her. So his body is forming perfectly with her own.

"Do you know the charm?" She says as she reaches over to grab her wand.

A charm.

A...

Oh shit, it has been months... you think I would have learned that one by now.

"Uhh no sorry."

She sits up on her elbows and he sits back on his knees, pulling her long thin legs up over his thighs. Looking down at his cock inches away from her.

From where he could be inside her.

He gulps loudly again.

"The potion is still good, but I will need another one soon. Here, give me your hand and I'll teach you."

She wraps their fingers together around her wand, and waves it in a simple movement above her abdomen as she says the spell. Nothing happens, but she tosses the wand out of sight and starts running her hands up and down his chest, moving herself farther up his thighs.

"Is that it? How do you know if it worked? It should flash or..."

She thrusts her hips, and her wet center meets the sensitive skin of his length, and he moans loudly. His voice cuts off, and he catches himself with his upper arm as she does it again.

There is no way he is lasting long. No way whatsoever. He hasn't had any release since before the Final Battle, and even then, when it was her hands and mouth, he was only able to last a few minutes.

The thought sickens him. This isn't fair. Not for her. To allow him inside of her, and then come in fucking seconds. What would she gain from giving him this...

"Theo, it's okay. I want to do this. It's your first time." Ginevra pulls herself up by his shoulder to straddle his lap. To make him look at her as she is speaking. "This means something to me too. This isn't about orgasming okay? We will get there, and we will have a lot of fun on the way I promise. I want this. I want to experience you inside me. Please..."

She kisses his jaw, and then sucks down the skin of his neck, trying to show him what she means. And he thinks he gets it. She was giving a piece of herself to him. And he to her. He had done that before. He could relate.

But bloody hell do I promise to have you screaming by the end of this.

Ginevra lets go of his shoulder, and falls back down on the bed. Theo grabs her legs and brings her closer to him. She carefully grabs his cock and starts stroking, making him hiss through his teeth as he watches her hand move up and down. Her other hand goes in between her legs, collecting her arousal, and then spreads it all over his cock.

This is already becoming too much. He really was an easy man to please. Too easy.

"Do you want to do it?"

He nods his head and moves to grab her hip, while holding out his cock in the other.

This is it.

There wasn't a more intense form of contact or touching than this.

I can do this. I want to do this. Nothing about her is a fork.

He slowly pushes himself in between her folds, and feels the warmth of her surrounding his tip.

There is still a lot of him left to push into her. Too much left. Theo quickly looks at the length, and then her stomach, and convinces himself there is no way all of him would fit inside of her.

He will just put half in. That still counted that...

"Fuck Ginevra!"

He grinds out the words as he gets lost in moving into her a bit farther. Feeling what she feels like inside.

Because he is inside of her.

Her.

Gingersnap.

So warm, and tight, and all surrounding that it sends a tingle up his spine, and makes goosebumps appear on his neck.

We are having sex.
Holy hell, I am inside of her.

He looks back down to where they are now together. To where a part of him is disappearing inside of her, and he pushes forward some more, groaning the entire time as he watches her body take all of him.

Somehow the wicked witch took all of him.

"You are magic."

He doesn't know what to do now, with him planted all the way inside of her. Feeling her surrounding him. He wants to move. His hips pull back, and then forward slowly.

The black spots appear in his eyes as he feels her walls drag against his length. He wants more of her. He wants to be immersed by all of her. It feels too distant sitting up. Her body contact too far away.

Theo bends himself down to fit perfectly on top of her, moaning as his cock twitches at the new angle, and having her squeeze in return.

"I'm inside you." He meets her eyes that seem a bit glazed as she smiles, and moves his hair out of his eye.

"Yeah. Are you okay?"

"I'm a part of you. And... you're a part of me."

He pulls back and thrusts into her, and they both let out a moan. He moves again, but the sight of a wet trail coming from the crease of her eye, and disappearing down into her hairline makes him freeze.

Is she... Oh no... Oh shitshitshit.

His face must be showing what he is thinking because Ginevra lets out a whimpering noise, and starts shaking her head back and forth, while pulling him closer to her.

"No, no Theo. You are not hurting me. I am loving this. I am loving you so, so much that it is overwhelming in a good way. I.." She blinks and Theo watches two more tears escape her eyes. "You are a part of me. A huge part of me. And I love you."

Theo moves down and kisses her lips that are shaking. Feeling her arms wrap around his back, and hold him flush against her. Like she can't get enough either. Like somehow they still aren't close enough.

His lips leave hers, and take in the tear on her left cheek. "I know. I understand."

He thrusts.

His lips move to the other cheek, and he tastes the salty fluid again. "I love you so much Ginevra."

He thrusts again, and the familiar feeling begins in his lower abdomen.

Fuck! Not yet. Not yet.

"It's okay. Don't fight it Theo. I want you to come. Come inside me. Please, I need to see what you look like coming inside me."

Well shit, if he wasn't close before, he surely is now.

He grinds every part of him in her, and against her. Holding onto her hip as he hears the sound of them coming together above the grunts, and breathy noises leaving the two of them.

This is great.

This is incomparable.

Ginevra starts doing this motion with her hips, as her hand yanks at his hair, and he can't hold back anymore.

"I'm coming, I, I love you. Fuck, I love you." He says as he crashes his mouth into hers. Consuming her fluids as she consumes his.

Their skin is shaking, and sweaty, and everything Theo usually can't stand about contact. But right now, he can easily say he has never felt more safe in his entire life.

I don't know if I have ever truly felt safe before... I think this is it.

He rests his forehead against hers as they stare at one another, and he comes down from the best orgasm of his life. He pushes back the red strands of her hair that are sticking to the side of her face as she matches his breathing. Their chests rising and falling together. Eyes blinking at the same time, and corners of their mouths going up in unison.

"As good as you thought it would be?" She whispers, tracing his lips with her finger back and forth.

He opens his mouth, and sucks in the digit. Twirling his tongue around it, and noticing her cunt clenching in response around his cock that is still inside her.

"Better. But I wish I was better for you."

"You will be. It was your first time. We will learn together." She kisses the tip of his nose, as he releases her finger. "We have all the time."

"I want to build a house."

The words come falling out of him. He hadn't planned on saying that. He doesn't even know where the idea came from. His brain is currently overloaded with heavy words, and big ideas, and strong emotions and he needs to let it out. It is all way too much to be stuck inside his head.

"You... want to build a house?"

He nods his head as he slowly pulls out of her, and starts kissing her breasts. His mind is now taking off with the idea.

Because it is a great idea. We need to do it. We need to do it now.

"Will you build a house with me?" His lips move to her ribs. "Will you stay with me? I don't want to be alone without you again." He sinks his tongue into her bellybutton, and she squirms under him. "We can move. And you can buy as many ugly pieces of clothing from the catalogs as you want. Hell, you can buy whatever you want. As much as you want. I don't care. If we need more space I'll build another room. More than 11 this time. Maybe 20 or 30." Theo twists his arm underneath her leg, and pulls it to the side. Opening her up fully for him. "We can move my collection too, and I already have a few buyers for more furniture. Unless you don't like my style. I think it is better than a bean bag, but Blaise seems to think..."

His voice cuts off as he looks down, and sees something he has never seen before. He has been between her legs plenty of times now. It is by far his favorite place to be. But he has never seen it combined with him. Seeping out the evidence of what they had just done. He can't help but stare at it.

She starts laughing before sitting up to look at him. "Yes Teddy, I would love to build a house with you. I want a big yard though. Plenty of space to fly. And a huge shower. Bigger and more..." Her voice fades as she takes in his expression as he watches him leak out of her. "Sorry, grab my wand, we can clean it up before you..."

"Fuck no."

Theo moves his hands into the combination of both of them at her entrance. Watching it smear into her is doing something to him. Something he has never felt before, that has him inserting his finger inside of her to push it all back in.

That's where it belongs.
In her.
Always in her.

"Fuck me..." Her body slumps back on the bed, and Theo takes that as a sign to keep his finger thrusting into her. He moves up, and places his tongue flat against her clit, and licks up.

Her legs shake.

Her mouth moans, and he smirks as she reminds him of how quick he was to learn most things.

His tongue starts moving in patterns against her cunt.

L

O

V

E

Y

O

U

Swallowing, sucking, licking, and thrusting until he feels her shatter around him, and her legs come up to crush his head.

"So you will move in with me for good? Move into a new house with me?" He says as he pulls back and licks her off of his lips.

She is tossing her head back and forth, and pulling at her hair as she takes in a few steady breaths.

"Fuck me sideways... Yes Theo. I will go anywhere with you. A house, a shed, a tent, I don't bloody care."

He kisses the skin of her inner thighs, and nuzzles his face into her. Getting lost in all the dreams taking form in his head. He had never been a dreamer before. Always so focused on the now, on the next day, or hour, or minute. To think further than the next breath, seemed like a luxury he would never experience. But now he is. Now, it seems he can't get his mind to stop.

"At least we shut the door..."

Theo and Ginevra both lift their heads at the sound of Hermione's voice outside the hallway.

He feels his ears getting hot. Knowing how awkward it was to overhear friends in intimate moments. Hoping with everything in him that they just arrived.

"If we had a door to shut we would have!" Ginevra yells out to the two in the hallway.

Theo sits up, and pulls a blanket over the two of them just as he sees two forms fly by the opening that the remains of a door are barely hanging on. Both have their hands over their eyes.

Ginevra laughs and bends down to the ground. She lifts up and throws his clothes at him, and starts shrugging on her own.

"Wherever we go. They aren't living with us." He says as he bends, and slides his trousers up his legs.

Ginevra stands up, and runs her hands through her hair trying to tame it. "Sounds like a plan to me. But I don't see you wanting to be too far away from them. Nor them you."

She places a kiss on his cheek, and ruffles his hair in a way that makes his mess fall over his eyes, and takes away his eyesight.

He tries to fix it as they walk into the hallway and see Draco and Hermione both looking down at the box. "Is it working then?"

"I'm alive, so yes." Draco says flatly.

Hermione rolls her eyes, and bends down to pick up her pet that is rubbing back and forth against Draco's legs. She buries her face into his long hair that gets everywhere before giving Theo a sympathetic expression.

"Your rooms Theo..."

He shrugs and accios his healing kit. "Everything that is important to me is still intact. Tomorrow I will see about having us move to the Italy property."

He casts a diagnostic charm on Draco, and starts reading the areas over. "Come on, let me see all the damage done by those shitty Aurors."

His brother agrees, and moves with him down the hallway to his library. Hermione and Ginevra both turn into the kitchen. "I'll be right there. I'm going to feed Crooks first."

Draco opens the doors to his favorite room of his house to see it in similar shape as all the others. Yet all of his books are safe. Thanks to Gingersnap.

"Fuck..." Draco says as he takes in the room, and walks to the other side.

"Yeah you calling them the Disorder was pretty accurate. They leave disorder in their wake, that's for sure."

Theo tries not to stare at all the damage.

It is okay. We are going to move. I don't have to stay in these 11 rooms anymore if I don't want to.
Change can be good.
Change can be good.

Draco moves to open the doors out to the balcony and stands at the opening, looking down at the ground. He tentatively moves a foot off of the hardwood floor, and onto the concrete surface of the balcony.

His best friend lets out a breath and moves through the space, sitting down in his preferred chair.

"What would have happened if the magic wouldn't have let you come out here?" Theo asks as he sits down next to him and starts rummaging through his healing bag.

Draco shrugs and leans back in his chair, closing his eyes. "Probably thrown me across the room. Or killed me."

He laughs as he reads over his chart again. The bruised rib he could use deflation and pain potion, but time would be it's best healer. He has a broken wrist and also shattered part of his shoulder. The same one he had shattered when he fell off his broom when they were kids.

All easier fixes.

All things Theo knows how to do.

He hands him a couple of vials, as he pulls out the murtlap and dressings for his shoulder.

"Have a smoke?"

"No, Ginevra stole the rest of mine, sorry."

"Figures." He swallows the last potion, and pulls his shirt off slowly to give Theo access to the wounded area. "So you finally fucked I'm assuming?"

Theo feels his ears start to burn as he presses the murtlap into the purpled skin.

"Yeah. And you got another ugly tattoo."

The side of Draco's mouth quirks up slightly as Theo's words make his walls shake a little.

"It's pretty great isn't it? Are the numbers 362?"

He turns his head to give Theo a better view.

"Yeah." Theo tapes the dressings over the skin, and looks back at the chart. "Okay that's all I can do right now. How do you feel?"

Draco scoffs and leans back again. Opening his eyes to look up at the sky that is starting to change with the setting sun.

"Like I don't belong here. Like I'm waiting for something else to happen."

He leans back in his own chair, and looks up.

"I'm building a house."

A pause.

"You're building a house?"

"Yes."

Draco turns over towards him with a knowing look. "Come up with that great idea during sex did you?"

"Why is that important? It is a good idea. Want to help me?"

"Help you build a house?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to use magic this time, or is this going to be another blanket mound situation?"

Theo rolls his eyes. "Of course we will use magic. It's a fucking house Draco. Oh, and they destroyed our tent by the way. Still really pissed about that."

This time, Draco actually laughs, and Theo can't help but smile back at him. It always took a while, but Theo could usually break through, and if Draco was already allowing them to slip a little, he thinks Hermione will be able to get through as well.

"Do you remember when you told me that just because someone was breathing, that didn't make them alive?"

His brother doesn't respond for a few moments.

"Yes."

"Is that going to be you?"

Draco sits up, and carefully pulls his shirt back on. He stays, sitting forward, looking down at his hands in his lap. "I... I'm going to try. But, for now, I can't Theo. They have to stay up if I am going to..."

Theo holds up his hands to stop his words, and Draco listens.

"Wanting to try I think is enough, Draco. I know she will think so too and..."

He smells it before he sees it. But it still has the power to cut off his train of thought, and make his head snap backwards to the door to see their Gryffindor girls coming in with the mugs of delicious burnt chocolate in their hands.

His mouth starts watering instantly, as Ginevra holds out a bowl mug for him, and he feels the cozy warmth of the drink seep into his skin.

"I love you two so fucking much."

He takes a long gulp that warms his entire body as it goes down.

Maybe Gingersnap learned the recipe. If she didn't, Hermione will be coming over to our house every other day to make more.

Ginevra moves to sit in between his legs in the chair, and leans back into him, as Hermione does the same thing with Draco. Being much more careful of his bad shoulder.

Theo hands Ginevra their mug, and she takes a sip as they all look out in front of them. It is a cloudless night. Giving them a beautiful view of the sunset taking over all the space. Starting to transform into that in between place where there is still light, but a few stars are shining through as well.

"It doesn't seem real yet does it?" Hermione whispers as she moves her fingers up and down Draco's arms.

They all shake their heads no, and sit in silence. Different events and images probably come into each of their minds with the thought.

"So tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow it will feel like the war is finally over." Ginevra says as she takes another sip.

Hermione shakes her head, and leans back into Draco's good shoulder. "I think we carry the war with us now. It may be over for everyone else, but I don't know if it will ever be truly over for any of us anymore."

They are silent for a while. Watching the sky turn from red to a golden color. Seeing it change so slowly, and in such small steps that the progression from red to gold isn't even recognized. It just happens.

"I think you're right." Ginevra rests her head farther into his chest, and hands him the cup they are sharing. "So, we just learn to live with it?"

"No, I think we keep fighting to win all the small battles that happen every day. And maybe, after a while, it will get easier. Or maybe we will get stronger. Or maybe both."

Draco looks down at her as she finishes speaking. The cold sharpness of his face that has been a part of him for so long pulls back a bit as he reaches out, and moves one of her curls behind her ear. "One battle at a time then?"

She smiles, and pulls his hand to her mouth, kissing the top of it before wrapping it with her own. "Yes, but they are easier I think with a team."

He smirks. "A deadly team."

"A powerful team." Hermione says.

The sky starts to turn from gold to grey, as the day gives way for the needed night. Bringing tomorrow closer to them with every moment.

Ginevra looks up at him, and kisses his chin as he finishes their mug.

And they all say in unison, "Deal."