"Mom! Dad!" Susan Bones shouted as she rushed to her parents with her trunk rolling over the platform behind her.
She reached her father first and he wrapped her up in a big warm hug.
"I'm so happy to see you," he said sounding choked up. Susan didn't need to look at his eyes to know that there would be tears in them. Her father simply was an emotional man.
She let go of him and turned to her mother who also gave her a hug, albeit a much shorter one.
"Glad to have you back," her mother said while stroking Susan's hair out of her face. Then she looked over Susan's shoulder. Her eyes grew hard and she pursed her lips.
Susan stepped aside to give Theodore some more space.
"Mom, Dad," she said. "This is Theodore."
"Nice to meet you," Theo said and he stuck out his hand. Her father grabbed it and shook it. Her mother didn't.
"Happy to meet the boy who stole my daughter's heart," her father said. Susan noted how red Theodore suddenly turned. Like always, he was adorable.
"Let's go, shall we?" her father said and with that they approached the wall to leave the platform.
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Susan's house turned out to be in Brick Lane, which was a very busy street where Muggles also lived. It was a small red-stoned two story house. Susan's father helped them get their trunks up the small steps that led to the front door.
They entered the hallway, which was tiny with white walls that were covered entirely in photographs. Theodore looked at all the different smiling Susan's and warmth spread across his chest.
"We've already put a mattress down for you in Susan's room," Susan's father said to him.
"Thank you, sir," Theodore replied.
"Or you can use the couch in the living room," Susan's mother said. It were the first words she had said to him.
"He'll be fine in my room," Susan spoke firmly while grabbing Theodore's hand.
"Okay, we'll let you two settle in. Come to the living room when you're done unpacking," her father said.
Theodore followed Susan up the stairs and into her room. He stopped in the doorway and took in his surroundings. The walls were painted a pastel yellow. Against the right wall stood a massive wooden closet, her desk stood against the window and her bed was placed against the opposite wall with white bed curtains around it. Against the pillows rested several plushies. In the middle of the floor lay a mattress for Theodore to sleep on.
Theodore stepped into the room and then he noticed that the fourth wall had flower garlands. Between the fake flowers hung pictures of Susan with friends and several motivational quotes. Theodore spotted a few pictures of Susan and Hannah, a few with the Hufflepuff boys and even one with Hermione Granger. Some of the quotes were 'expect nothing and appreciate everything' and 'dont' forget to smile today'.
A grin appeared on his face, because this room was very different from his own at home and it screamed Susan.
Susan was already unpacking her stuff and putting clothes away in her closet. When she noticed he was studying the pictures on her wall, she came to stand next to him.
"I know it's not much, but I like it here," she said.
Theodore turned to her. "Suzy, I love this."
"You do?"
"Yes," he said while wrapping his arms around her. "Because it is one hundred percent you and I love you."
"You do?" she whispered.
"Wasn't that already obvious?" he said and softly kissed her on the lips.
Susan put her hands on the side of his face, looked into his eyes and said: "I love you too."
Theodore pulled her as close as was possible to his chest and they stood there for a while, saying nothing. Then Susan pulled back and said: "I should make some space in the closet for your stuff."
During the next few minutes they were busy unpacking. Theodore made sure Susan didn't see the gift he had brought for her as he wrapped it up in his sweaters. When everything had been assigned a place, Susan took his hand and said: "Shall we go downstairs?"
Theodore nodded, although he was very nervous to spend more time with Susan's parents, especially her mother.
When they entered the living room, Susan's father was kneeling in front of a fire place. He held his wand out and a moment later the fire was brightly burning.
The living room was very cozy with a giant Christmas tree in the corner next to the fireplace and soft blue couches in the middle of the room.
The man stood up and noticed Susan and Theodore.
"There you are," he smiled at them. "Please sit down, Theodore, and make yourself at home." He pointed at the couch.
The three of them sat down and Susan's mother entered the room with drinks and snacks. When everyone was settled and drinks had been poured out Susan's mother spoke: "How did your classes go, dear? You didn't tell us a lot about them in your letters. Are you enjoying them?"
"Yes!" Susan said while happily munching on a carrot stick. "Defense Against the Dark Arts is probably my favorite, although professor Snape can still be a bit harsh. At least we are learning useful things in the class now."
Susan's father turned to Theodore and asked him: "Which N.E.W.T.'s are you taking, Theodore?"
Theodore put down his Butterbeer. "I'm doing Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Astronomy and Ancient Runes, sir."
"Five classes! That's impressive," Susans' father approved.
Her mother then also turned to him and said: "No Defense Against the Dark Arts? That's a rather useful class in the times we're facing, isn't it? Or maybe you don't think you need to defend yourself from something you're a part of."
"Mom!" Susan cried out angrily.
Both Theodore and Susan's father shuffled uncomfortably in their places.
"I'm just asking the boy a question, Susan," her mother said curtly.
Theodore stared at the foam on his Butterbeer, trying to think of an answer that would not make this worse. Finally he spoke, but he kept on looking at his glass because the stare he was receiving from Susan's mother was too much. "It's not that I don't think the class is useful. I just had other classes that interested me more. Plus, I only had an Acceptable in Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"That's unfortunate," Susan's mother said while still seizing him up with her eyes.
"Theo shouldn't have to explain why he is or isn't taking a certain class," Susan said. Her cheeks were red with anger.
"How about I get us some sugar cookies?" Susan's father said in an attempt to cut the tension. "Theodore, could you maybe help me carry them?"
Theodore nodded and followed the man into the kitchen. He could hear Susan shouting at her mother in the living room.
"I'm sorry about that," Susan's father said while getting a cookie box out of a cupboard. "My wife is upset and grieving because we lost someone last Summer."
"I know. I'm really sorry for your loss. I don't want to upset anyone by being here," Theodore replied while standing there awkwardly. There wasn't anything he could help the man with since he didn't know where things were in this kitchen. Meanwhile, he could still hear the shouting from the living room.
Susan's father was now placing the cookies on a platter. He paused and looked at Theodore who noted that Susan had her father's nose. "I can see my daughter cares for you, Theodore. And I'm sure my wife knows that too now." He looked at the door and they could hear Susan shouting the words 'totally uncalled for'. "I want you to know that you're welcome here, even though it may not feel that way right now."
"Thank you, sir," Theodore said. Susan's father seemed cool. But that thought was swept from his brain by the man's next few words.
"I'm sorry if I'm stepping out of line here, Theodore, but since you're spending two weeks here in my daughter's room I want to give you something as a precaution." Susan's father rummaged in a cupboard and got out a tiny flask. "This is a Contraceptive Potion. Susan only needs to take one drop for it to work. It will last three hours."
Theodore just stared at the man with bright red cheeks. This was embarrassing. After some hesitation he accepted the potion and put it into his pockets.
"Ah, I think they are done fighting," the man then said.
Theodore listened attentively and Susan's father was right. The shouting had subsided. They went back into the living room with the cookies.
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Susan's voice was hoarse from all the shouting. She had never fought with her mother like this. At the end of it all, her mother had said that she still didn't trust the boy but that she would try to be more polite. Maybe inviting Theodore over had been a mistake.
That thought was confirmed when she saw the look on Theodore's face when he and her father entered the room again. What had her father said to him for him to look like a ghost had just walked through him? When he sat down beside her she immediately grabbed his hand and squeezed it. He squeezed hers back in reply.
Her father passed around the cookies and conversations resumed. Her mother was indeed more polite to Theodore, but the boy still looked like someone had slapped him in the face.
An hour passed by and then her father said: "I have some reading to do. You two can spend some time together until dinner." He got up and patted Theodore on the shoulder when he passed by. The boy stiffened. What the hell had her father said to him?
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Theodore went back to Susan's room with her. When she closed the door behind her, she immediately turned to him and said: "What did my father say to you in the kitchen?" Her eyes were big with concern.
Theodore flushed. "Nothing. He apologized for what your mother had said and told me I was welcome here."
Susan narrowed her eyes. "Then why did you look like you had just seen professor Snape naked when you came out of the kitchen?"
Theodore opened his mouth and closed it again. Then he took the potion out of his pocket and showed to her. "He gave me this."
Susan burst out in laughter. "Oh my God! I can't believe he did that!" She took the potion out of his hand, still laughing. Then she opened one of the drawers of her bedside table and put it next to an identical one. "Well, he shouldn't worry about it, since I have already taken my own precautions."
Theodore went pale. Did that mean she actually expected them to do stuff while they were here? He hadn't really thought about it up until now and he didn't know how he felt about it. He loved Suzy and he wanted to make her happy. So if she wanted sex with him, then maybe he should just give it to her.