December 24th, 1921.
London, United Kingdom.
British Ministry of Magic.
Three full months and a bit had gone by, and everything was silent everywhere. Grindelwald had hid deeply underground as well as his followers, the word on Aurors being extreme spread and many feared them, although many others kept on having faith in the witches and wizards.
Talking about Aurors, Theseus has been doing quite good. His mind brings up Leta every now and then but now, the memory didn't bring any pain, or sadness or anger. It turned into a happy and nostalgic memory.
His mind and heart had turned page and, now, he found himself focused and determined to bring Grindelwald to justice. Also, he's been going out with friends but mostly himself to enjoy life a little outside the office.
Amélie was also enjoying her life as much as she could, doing things she liked, getting to know more friends and she started to regain her trust on the Ministry's employees.
These two have been talking and meeting up a lot too, keeping each other company, making their loneliness less lonely. Specially on moments in which life seemed to be tough or if it was just a rough day, like Leta's funeral.
It was a small ceremony, she didn't have any family, only the Scamander brothers and they decided to give a gravestone to her. Even if there was no body in the coffin, but a memory. To not give her that closure would feel as if she had just vanished, it didn't feel right. They decided to say farewell to Lestrange and honour her life, they decided to mark the end of it so that it really felt like the end of the chapter...It allowed them to start recovering and move on at a steady pace.
Tonight, we find ourselves in yet another fancy ballroom, people from all over the world had gathered here at the Ministry for a Christmas ball. The room had golden and red decorations, it was snowing inside the room but there was no snow on the ground and it wasn't cold, the champagne was tasty and the music was very enjoyable.
Young Scamander was shaking some hands, welcoming some people that came all the way from Germany, then he started talking with his mates as he drank some whiskey.
As he laughed at a bad joke, something caught his eye. Better said someone. Amélie had entered the room, she was wearing a lavender dress that only covered her left shoulder, had a slit over the right leg, and had no back, the only fabric that fell down her back was from the half sleeve. Her hair was tied up into a low bun and she wore the prettiest of smiles adorned of her signature red lipstick. Theseus smiled to himself, happy to see the young witch and immediately excused himself from the conversation to reach her side.
"Miss Rosier." He said when he was close enough for her to hear him. Her gaze shoot from the back of the room to the man before her and her eyes lit up, she smiled as she gulped the sip of champagne she had taken.
"Mister Scamander." She greeted him back. Both chuckled before stepping closer and shaking each other's hands, he brought her in for a hug shortly after, making her giggle. Classic Theseus. When he found himself as close to her as he was, he inhaled a soft aroma of jasmine flowers, orange and vanilla. Very strong on the vanilla, a perfume or a lotion he hadn't picked on before, not even when he stayed at her house for a whole week. "How have you been?" She asked as they broke the embrace.
"Brilliant, everything has been great lately. What about you?"
"Good, good. A bit boring if I'm honest." He giggled.
"Do you know your seat for dinner?" She took out of her purse a ticket as she nodded.
"Table fifteen." She said and kept the ticket into her bag again.
"Oh, well, I'll show you to your seat." He offered his arm and she took it.
"Merci beaucoup, monsieur." He gave a formal head nod. "How do you happen to know where my table is?"
"Because it's the same table I've been seated at."
"Did you have anything to do with it?"
"No, what makes you think I'd like to have you beside me all night?" She scoffed.
"Well, don't think for one minute I'd be flattered to see your face for hours." It was his turn to chuckle.
"Unfortunately, you'll have to. This is the only seat available, right across from mine." She groaned, pretending to be annoyed as she placed her purse on the chair.
"Lucky me." He laughed and when he threw his head back as he laughed, he invited her to laugh alongside him without saying any words. "It is good to see you." She said after a while, taking another sip from her glass and after their laughter had stopped and a silence had fallen upon them.
"Likewise. And I hope you don't mind me saying this, but, you look dazzling tonight." She blinked a few times as she smiled at him. The compliment made sparks fly in the room for her and the look she gave Theseus before she looked at the ground and at the balcony made him feel nervous all of the sudden.
"Well, thank you. That's very kind of you." He gave another nod accompanied by a charming smile. "You look very sharp yourself."
"Thank you, miss. I appreciate it." They chuckled and each one drank from their glasses as everyone was called to sit down for dinner to start. He opened her chair for her to sit before he walked to the other side of the table to sit right before her.
Dinner went by smoothly, people talked vividly at the table and laughed continuously at dumb jokes and anecdotes. For the first time in a long time, people elected to ignore for one night the fact that a Dark Wizard was out there, probably gathering strength to pull off the next blow or coming up with an interesting strategy. Tonight, everyone wanted to feel like they lived in a world that's at peace instead of a world that's at war.
Throughout the evening, Theseus found his eyes looking across from him constantly. He studied her movements when she wasn't looking, or when he thought she wasn't looking. He studied the way her hand would so elegantly grab the glass of rosé as if it was an invite to something, the way her fingers would play with the pearls of her necklace or the rings she was wearing when she felt nervous or out of the conversation, how she would smile and the different smiles, and what they meant. There was something about her tonight that had bewitched him.
And when he looked away from her she'd wait a couple seconds to look at him, and she payed close attention to his details too. He would brush his hair backwards whenever he looked away from the table or when he was quiet, or simply when a lock of hair fell over his forehead; the way he would look at his pocket watch when the talk seemed less interesting or how he'd stir the ice in his whiskey glass with his finger, without even touching them out of boredom. She smiled to herself whenever he smiled at the table because he found something amusing even when he shouldn't have.
Their glances would meet every now and then but they looked away quickly, those stolen stares made each one feel butterflies in their tummies. Suddenly, she looked at her glass and his gaze shoot up from the melting ice and his eyes were pinned to her, and that was his intention. He tried to make his look as discrete as possible but just as intense for her to feel it in her bones. And she felt it. She looked up and met his blue eyes, something stirred inside of her, for he has never looked at her that way. Amélie is no idiot, she knew what he was doing and she decided to be part of the game too, just for the fun of it.
Her green eyes intensified as well and that's when he felt the stare in the deepest part of his soul, they were looking right into it. He smiled and softened his gaze, inviting her to do the same. That's when music shifted into a waltz and many stood up to get a partner to dance with. Amélie pulled out her lipstick and a small mirror to paint her lips with that crimson red paint. Theseus looked at her in a different way, inviting her to the dance floor with unspoken words that she understood, she nodded and both stood up.
Both danced to the rhythm of the music and smiled at each other throughout their moment. He twirled her and the lavender fabric expanded itself to look like a colourful cloud that's at their feet. When the choreography of the waltz invited the lads to carry the ladies, neither of them could stop laughing. They smiled and giggled as they moved around the white marble, feeling all eyes on them but feeling like the only ones in the room.
Sooner than later, the music stopped and they found themselves standing very close to each other, looking at each other like little kids and smiling wildly. Only that those smiles faded away slowly as they separated from each other. Déjà vu. Déjà su. Déjà vécu. This story had been already seen. Already known. Already lived. And neither liked the way it ended.
Last time they shared a dance like this one, things had gone downhill between them. His warm hands slid away from her, through the small of her back and the hand he was holding, until he was not touching her anymore.
She smiled tenderly at him as she left to look for another glass of rosé and proceeded to walk towards the stairs to get to the upper levels of the building, where very few people were. As she walked away she held her own hand, the one that had been laced with Theseus' and shook it as if she could shake off his warmth off of her.
Theseus was left there on the dance floor with the feeling of her warm hands on his shoulder and in his hand. He tightened his fist and let go once again, there was something in her touch that always left a remain there, like a tattoo, a kiss, a tickle, a stain of wine or blood. He breathed in and asked for another whiskey. He took a few sips, long ones, the kind of sips that make your throat burn. It took him a second to finish up his glass and go upstairs following after her.
He swept the first floor and found no one, then he went to the second one, the art gallery, and he found her looking at some paintings. The glass half empty in her hand as she admired the art from the entrance of another part of the room, right underneath an arch, keeping her distance from the painting.
He buried his hands in his pockets as he approached her, his heavy footsteps gave away his presence making her turn around to find him there. He smiled and she smiled back before looking back to the front. He stood beside her, but kept his distance, he was reclining his weight on one side of the arch while she stood in the centre.
"Why are you standing this far from it?" He asked.
"Because that way you can look at the whole picture, admire the details." She answered.
"I think you need to be closer than this to look at all the details."
"Not really. Not always...It's a beauty." She said, and it truly was. "Vue des bords de la Lezarde."
"View from the banks of the Lezarde." Theseus translated. "Monet, right?" She hummed a positive response as she took a sip of her wine, and then silence made its presence noticeable. The buzz of the conversations was distant now, very distant. "What are you doing up here all alone?" He asked after a while, looking at her.
"I don't know. Just wanted to be myself for a moment." He nodded and looked at her. And she felt it once more, that intense look in his eyes all over her. Amélie closed her eyes and shook her head, the long earrings dangling as she did so. "What are you doing, Theseus?"
"I'm not doing anything."
"Yes, you are. You know very well that you are." She looked at him. "Why are you doing that?"
"Doing what?"
"Looking at me like that."
"I don't know." He truly didn't know. "Why did you look at me like that?"
"Like what?"
"Like I'm looking at you right now, you looked at me like that at the table earlier." She took a sip of her beverage.
"In my defence, you started it." He almost laughed.
"What are you doing, Élie?" He asked after a while.
"I'm not doing anything."
"I think you are." A beat. "I know you are."
"You know nothing." Another beat.
"I know some things."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Mm."
"Like what?" He bit his lip and looked away for a second while her intense gaze was pinned to his face. When he finally looked into her eyes she raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer. "I want to hear it."
"Alright." He nodded and sighed. "You noticed how I like to come in early to these type of events, you on the other hand, don't. You're always arriving an hour late. However, you were early today. And it's like all those years ago at Hogwarts. I liked to come in early to the Great Hall to save my spot on the benches and you'd be there already, or at class, always there right on time when I'm about to show up or we showed up at the same time." She crossed her arms. "You isolate and contain." Rosier scoffed. "In the mornings you put on music in your house and surely in you office. Instrumental one day, Jazz the next, because, you know, you can't be put into a box. You attack all the senses, just like you're doing right now with that...dress" He breathed in and she heard the lust in his voice. "Or the perfume. You went a little aggressive tonight, 'cause this is not your signature scent. Strong on the vanilla." He started to step closer to her. "I know this is the type of situation in which you go 'this isn't something that we did, this is something that happened to us'." She gulped. "That's what I know." [1]
"Well, Thésée, you're quite the storytell-" He cut her off by pressing his lips against hers briefly. She uncrossed her arms and just looked at him. This was a bad idea. A dreadful, terrible, wicked and criminal idea. They looked at each other for two seconds before her hands met the back of his neck, his hands met her naked back and hip and their lips collided again. The glass she was holding fell and shattered against the ground, the liquid expanded itself through the marble as he moved to the opposite side of the stone arch where her back collided.
His hands travelled through her exposed skin while hers played with his hair. These actions made shivers go through each other's spines and goosebumps crawl over their skins. His hand slid downwards from her hip to her leg and moved it up to meet his hip, causing a breath to escape her lips loudly. She frowned as his lips started to go from her lips to that spot behind her ear and her neck, to meet the exposed collarbone and the freckles that had been splashed onto her skin. Soft breaths and moans left each other's lips, and they stopped when they heard a loud cheer from downstairs. They looked at the clock that's across the room and saw how it had stricken midnight.
"Happy Christmas." She said out of breath. A smile on her face.
He smiled back. "Happy Christmas." He looked deeply into her eyes and kissed her again for a second, then, his forehead collided gently against hers. "Let's get out of here."
"They haven't even brought in dessert." He chuckled.
"Fuck the dessert. Let's go." He placed her leg down and grabbed her hand.
"Wait."
"What?"
"You have lipstick on your face." She laughed and he smiled as she tried to wipe the lipstick from his lips. He wiped away the ruined paint from her face slowly. When their faces looked decent enough, they started walking towards the staircase. As they walked downstairs to get her purse and their coats, they let go of each other to keep the beginning of their affair hidden from everyone's curious eyes. It was snowing and it was the perfect excuse to head out early, the roads might be dangerous in a moment.
Truth is, Theseus could've given in perfectly and make his move right there, pin her against the wall, but that's not very gentleman-ish. Despite of how badly he wanted her right there in that precise moment, his manners come first. He asked for a cab and waited outside with snowflakes falling over them for the car to arrive.
When it did, he opened the door for her and she stepped in, moments later, he got into the car too. There, they sat in comfortable silence, none of them said one word throughout the whole trip to his house, instead, they looked through their respective windows to watch the snowflakes falling upon the streets.
When they were about to arrive, Theseus moved his hand slowly to touch hers, for it was on the middle seat that separated them. When Amélie felt his gentle and warm touch, her eyes met his. He looked for some sort of consent in her forest orbs and he found it. The car parked outside and Theseus hopped off the car to open her door, she stepped out, he payed the driver and when he had closed the door, and the car started to be driven away, he offered his arm to walk her to the doorway. He opened the door and they walked in, it was warmer than outside but cold still. Amélie smiled when she saw the small Christmas tree decorated by the fireplace.
"May I take your coat?" He asked, she nodded and he took off the piece of clothing, his fingertips brushing gently against the skin of her shoulder. She closed her eyes and held her breath. She turned around to watch him take off his own coat, when he realised her eyes were on him, he walked up to her. "Would you like a drink?" She shook her head and breathed out. "Beer?"
"No."
"Champagne?"
"No."
"Good, 'cause I don't have champagne." She chuckled.
"Whiskey?" She shook her head again. "Firewhiskey?" Another denial. "Rosé? Wine? Tea?"
"Maybe later."
"Okay." If you haven't been able to tell, he got so nervous all of the sudden. She knew but if she pointed it out he'd get even more nervous.
"Theseus?"
"Yes?"
"I only want one thing."
"You do?" She nodded. "And what's that?" He asked as he approached her. She remained silent for a bit, his hands caressing her back, she closed her eyes as goosebumps appeared on her skin, then, she groaned as her hands found his blazer.
"You, idiot." She said harshly and he chuckled. "It seems hardly fair that there's still a bunch of clothes on you, you know?" He arched an eyebrow as he looked deeply into her eyes. His hands fell on hers and she let go, then, he removed the coat, the tie, the vest and the shirt while he looked deeply into her eyes and she kicked off her heels. Now, clothes were splashed onto the wooden floors and, even if the air should've felt cooler, Theseus didn't feel cold at all.
"Fair enough?" Her hands found his bare chest and climbed to his neck, her fingertips carefully brushing the scars of the battles he had fought in, as if the wounds could snap open again if she added an unnecessary amount of pressure. He closed his eyes under her gentle touch before opening them again and look into her green orbs.
"Fair enough." He chuckled and his hand cupped her cheek to pull her close to him. Their lips collided against each other's and sparks flew everywhere.
Her arms were wrapped around his neck and his arms were around her waist. He knew the way to his bedroom, so, even if he had his eyes closed and it was dark, he was able to walk all the way there.
"Do you...want to...do this?" He asked in between kisses, she only nodded. He smiled into the kiss before breaking it. "Use your words, please." She smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Are you one of those guys?"
"The kind of guy that would like to hear consent coming from you?" She smiled and chuckled. "Sure, I am that kind of guy. I'm a gentleman." She laughed and threw her head back. He kissed her neck gently. "Do you want to do this?" He asked, moving away from her, his hands across her back.
"I do." She nodded again and he nodded. "Do you want this?"
"I do." His lips found hers and his hands kept on wandering through her back, hers mirrored his movements. "Now it is unfair that you're fully dressed."
"Then undress me." He shook his head as his hands found the zipper on the right side of her dress. If there's one thing he has always liked about Rosier was how direct and honest she was. That's why it was dangerous to break her heart, she would not hold back her tongue. He started to take the dress off her body slowly while she worked on the belt of his trousers. When the fabric slid down he pulled down his own pants.
He laid her down on the bed as his lips connected themselves to her neck and placed himself on top of her. She pulled his hair just slightly, making him groan, in order to make him kiss her lips. From that moment on, they enjoyed each other's company and themselves pretty well, accompanied with the necessary amount of prevention as to not be more than two afterwards.
His name would fall from her lips, and hers turned into a whisper that he would drop into her ears alongside the phrase 'you feel so good'. The room and tiny house was filled with the noise of heavy breaths and soft moans that crawled from the back of each other's throats.
When each one of them reached their peak, they laid in bed right next to each other. The moment, Rosier stood to head towards the bathroom, Scamander headed to the kitchen. From the fridge, he pulled out two bottles of beer. He opened them and walked back to the bedroom as he drank up from one of the bottles. When he arrived at the door, he reclined against the arch of the door and just looked at the woman that's laying on his mattress.
Her red hair fell messily down her back, the lower half of her body was covered by the navy blue bedsheets and her skin had this glow on it that shone brightly under the moonlight that came in through the open curtains...she looked mesmerising. Élie breathed in and turned around to face him. She smiled when she saw him, feeling slightly embarrassed and nervous all of the sudden. She hated the effect his strong and yet tender gaze had on her.
"What?" She asked.
"Nothing." He answered.
"I don't believe it."
"Well, I'm just looking at you, admiring you." She blushed and hid her face onto the pillow, this made him laugh.
"Admiring me?" He hummed in response as he took another sip of his beer.
"I've looked at the details from up-close, now, I'm admiring them from afar. Looking at the whole picture." She recognised her words and loved the fact that he was comparing her to a painting. He was memorising the moment, taking in every detail, the way her hair looked under the silver moonlight and how it shone bright as a ruby, how her skin glowed and the different shades of blue, white and grey that could be reflected on it, he was taking his time at memorising her and this moment. She laughed.
"Well, would you like to admire the picture closely again? Or do I have to go get my beer?" He laughed.
"Even if you tried to come here and get it, you wouldn't be able to."
"Really?" She arched an eyebrow and stood from the bed to make her way towards him, he chuckled when he moved the bottle above his head and she couldn't reach it.
"Really."
"If you want to see me jump, it simply won't happen. You can dream about it."
"Rats." He complained with sarcasm taking yet another sip of his cold beverage.
"I hate you." She said with a smile. He smiled too, knowing very well she didn't mean that.
"No, you don't. Not even if you tried to with every fibre of your being." Élie knew that it was right. She couldn't hate him anymore. She tried to take her beer again but he pulled it away again.
"Hm...no, I do. I really do hate you." He laughed. "Well, I have my ways to get it." Her hands found his neck, his torso and as they made their way down, he stepped back, feeling an arouse of nervousness all over his body.
"Fine, fine. There it is." She laughed as he handed over the beer.
"Merci."
"Yeah, yeah. You're welcome." They sat on the bed, she covered her body with the sheets and he only covered the lower part of his figure, both reclining their backs against the headboard. "This was...something."
"It was."
"And it was fun."
"Surprisingly, yeah." He looked at her and she had an amused expression written all over her features. "It's even funnier when you said this was never gonna happen."
"When did I say that?"
"When I was at your place and I said that sleeping in your bed was inappropriate and you said, and I quote: if it was both of us and neither one of us had their clothes on, then it would be inappropriate." She mocked his accent and looked at him. A short pause took place and the two of them started laughing until laughter faded away naturally.
Theseus interrupted Amélie from taking a sip of her beer when his lips found hers and his hand found the skin of her torso. He frowned and pulled away when he felt an irregularity.
"Hey, what happened here?" He asked as his fingertips brushed the ghost of a scar, this made her shiver, for the coldness of the beer bottle was now on his skin.
"What? You didn't feel it earlier?" He chuckled and she took the sip of her beer with a smile.
"I was focused on feeling something else." She almost spit the mouthful she had taken. He smiled and laughed. "What are these?"
"Those are stab wounds I was kindly given by a German soldier the day the war ended." She chuckled and took a sip of her beer, then she sighed. "When I was transferred from Lille, they stationed me at the Western Front. German and French forces had been stuck there for ages, no party could gain ground, lots of soldiers were injured terribly and transportation was no option. So I went there. It was quarter for eleven in the morning. The night before an armistice was signed, so war was technically over." He nodded remembering that with no flaw. "But the Germans ambushed the trenches and the medical outposts that were nearby." Theseus sighed and listened. "I was shot on the leg, my thigh to be precise, here." She showed him her scar, his thumb brushed it gently. "The bullet nearly hit an arteria that could've made me bleed to death there but it thankfully didn't. A soldier saw me on the ground crawling to get cover. He grabbed me by the ankles and pulled my skirt up as he took his belt off and pulled down his pants." Theseus closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "I gave him a fight and, because he couldn't get his way, he decided that killing me would be easier. He stabbed me twice. I managed to grab the gun he had on his belt and gave him two bullets on the chest, one in between his eyes. That's when someone screamed 'hold your fire'. It was eleven o'clock. War was over. He fell dead on top of me and some comrades aided me." She took a mouthful of beer. "I felt dirty. Not because of what he had tried to do, it was because I had blown his brains out. All the blood, the mud, the gunpowder...it was disgusting."
"I got shot that day too. On my chest. I was in a transport headed back to London from Lille, the road was closed and we had to cut through a village, a German squad was nearby, they were heading somewhere, I don't know where. They saw us and didn't hesitate. They just let hellfire loose on us and one of the bullets got to me. They took me back to the med-outpost and they took care of me." A pause in which her hand found his cheek, her thumb tracing circles on his skin. "I don't know how I survived that one. It was a terrifyingly close call. You know how people say you can see light when you're about to die?" She nodded. "I saw that. It was very bright, then everything was black. Suddenly, I woke up to ear being totally over." He said and she looked at the small scar, her index over it. "The bullet made one of my lungs collapse. They managed to operate me right on time." She gulped. Theseus noticed the expression on Amélie's face. He smiled at her. "I'm alright now. Clearly." She chuckled and he kissed her palm as she breathed in and out.
"My close-close call was this one." She moved her hair behind her shoulder. His eyes found the thin scar.
"Another stab?" She nodded. "Goodness, Rosier." She chuckled.
"Yeah. A young boy, German solider, he disguised himself as one of our infantry cadets. He had killed him and used his uniform. It was late at night and I was outside by myself smoking a cigar when I saw movement in the distance. I saw one of our soldiers and rushed to aid him. He had a deep wound on his abdomen. The thing here is that if someone else stabs you, the angle and deepness of the injury variates. If you do it yourself, you'll never do it with the same pressure and the angle is different. I could tell it was self-inflicted. I noticed the anomaly and he realised I had seen that, that's when he took out a small knife he was hiding in his sleeve and stuck it in my neck. Few centimetres above and I wouldn't be telling you this because I wouldn't be here. He pulled it out and ran to look for the man he was sent to kill while I tried to stop the bleeding. Everything was blurry, and I could hear my heartbeat very loud in my ears. I don't know how, but I managed to scream and a Non-Magique nurse saved my life." They drank their beers. He kissed the scar on her neck softly.
"I'm very glad she did." Amélie smiled and kissed his lips. A kiss that tasted like alcohol and desire.
She looked at him and she smiled. They changed a bit the subject just to end up in silence. Theseus had made a dirty joke, inviting her to go through what they had just done again. They didn't exchange any other words when they were done and came back down from their high, instead, they drank their beer in silence and, when the bottles were empty, they were placed on the nightstands. Theseus stayed there, sitting down while Amélie moved to sit on his lap, her knees on each side of his hips. He smiled as his hands found her hips and hers found his shoulders just to move to the back of his neck to play with his hair. Theseus kissed her again.
"You know? It is sort of embarrassing to admit, but...I had thought of this before." She chuckled at his comment.
"You had?" He nodded. "When?"
"When we were younger. And a few months ago. I thought about it more when we were younger." She remembered.
"That night at the library." He laughed.
"Yeah..." He breathed in sharply. "It was an interesting night."
"I know. The two of us, a rainy night, very cold, the restricted section, no one else at that time at night."
"Mhm."
"It was a good kiss."
"It could've been something else. If only Filch hadn't walked in." She laughed.
"We got detention." His turn to laugh.
"We did." A short silence fell upon them as his hands travelled up and down her back.
"How about you kiss me like you did back then? See where it leads this time?" He chuckled.
"Gladly." His lips found hers. Theseus kissed her with passion, almost as if he was desperate. His lips then found her neck, she threw her head back to give him more access. Both let their bodies take control.
The kisses were filled with lust and tasted like beer, when the time came and they were too tired to do anything else, they decided to sleep. He was laying down looking at the ceiling and she was facing the window, her head on top of his chest. Élie's fingertips traced lines across his naked torso, on his scars. She was drawing stars around them with lazy movements as she drifted into her sleep. Theseus would try to mirror her movements across her back. That's when his fingers found another scar.
"What about this one?" He asked.
"Hm?" She was almost asleep.
"There's a scar here."
"Oh, that one. It's so tiny I tend to forget it." She breathed in. "You did tackle me on time to avoid the explosive from killing me, but the explosion still got me. A small piece of metal got stuck there." She shrugged. "We could say you deserve most of the credit for taking that explosion, but I deserve one inch of it too." She giggled and smiled while he frowned and moved, as if he was going to sit down. "What are you doing?" He positioned himself above her and kissed the tiny scar. She smiled.
"Sorry I missed."
"You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm in debt with you. You saved me." He moved closer to her.
"You're not in debt."
"I am. I haven't saved you yet." She giggled and he smiled as he shook his head.
"You have. You've saved me from my mind and any damage that I could've given myself. You've already saved me." She smiled wildly at him and kissed him. When the kiss broke, he placed his head on her chest. Amélie played with his hair as she continued drawing stars around the scars on his back, tracing a constellation. He managed to mirror her movements on her stomach. Sooner than later, they fell asleep being embraced by each other.
Very next morning, on the 25th, Theseus' woke up just to find Amélie's back against his chest, their fingers intertwined, their hands resting against her chest and breathes in synch. And she was deep in her sleep. He kissed her shoulder, and started to move slowly in order not to wake her up, and got up. Once he was standing, he grabbed a pair of trousers and threw them on before heading to the kitchen where he started preparing breakfast: pancakes and sweet tea.
As he cooked, Amélie woke up when her body finally acknowledged the warmth it was receiving from behind was gone, she shivered and turned around to find a cold spot on the mattress where Scamander should be. With a deep breath, she sat down and took in the scent of freshly made pancakes and she smiled. Theseus didn't know this, for she never told him, but that's the breakfast her Mum used to cook on Christmas morning. Élie got up from bed and grabbed a jumper from his closet before walking out of the room and placed it over her body. She found him in the kitchen.
He turned around when he heard her light footsteps and smiled at her as she sat down on one of the kitchen stools right across from him.
"Morning." He greeted as he turned back to the pancakes.
"Morning. Do you need help with anything?" That's when the kettle whistled before he could answer 'with the tea'. "That's my cue." Both chuckled as she made her way to the opposite side of the counter to get the kettle off the fire and pour the tea into two cups.
They didn't really talk, they just enjoyed the silence and the comfort in it. Moments later, they sat by the fireplace to have their breakfast as the fire sang a lovely song for them and it embraced them with its warmth.
"What are you doing this evening?" He asked out of the blue as they drank their second cup of tea.
"No idea. Head home to the cat, I suppose. What about you?"
"Dinner at my mother's with Newt."
"Sounds like a lovely evening." He nodded.
"You should come." She almost chocked on the beverage.
"You fucked me once and you want me to meet your mother?" He threw his head back laughing, like a little kid again. The way she had said the first part of the sentence made something stir inside of him, though.
"Technically, I fucked you three times. In one night." She scoffed as she felt her cheeks turning red. "Besides, I did not mean it like that. I was just thinking that you should spend a day like today with people rather than the cat, with, you know...friends." She smiled. Friends. With benefits? Is that what they are now? She didn't know and he didn't know either, but it's too early in the game, asking the 'what are we?' question seemed rushed. She supposed they'd go on with the flow from now on.
"I don't have any clothes, only last night's dress."
"I can take you home, you get changed and we head to my mother's. There'll be very delicious food, wine, perhaps some cider, amongst other things." She looked at the fire, pensive and considering the offer. Being alone at Christmas has always been sad and, with what she has come to know from Vinda, things will feel even sadder this year. "C'mon. I make a great turkey and Mum will make biscuits." She chuckled.
"You had me at wine." He laughed, this made her smile. "I'd be delighted, thank you." She added after a short pause, he smiled and nodded. "I'd like to bring something, I don't like being invited somewhere and arrive with empty hands."
"Fair enough."
"When should we show up?"
"Dunno, around seven? Maybe half past seven?"
"Alright, then, I should head home by four, quarter past four, more or less." Theseus nodded and Élie realised she hadn't seen what time it was as to calculate she looked to her right and saw Theseus' clothes from last night on the ground. She placed down the cup and moved towards them under his attentive gaze. She pulled out the pocket watch and saw how it marked quarter past nine. "De la bonté, and what should we do until then? It's still quite early." She showed him the watch and he arched an eyebrow before placing his empty cup down.
"I have an idea."
"Oh, really?"
"Mhm." He started to crawl up to her until they faces were dangerously close. "You're going to love it, I promise." She chuckled and he pressed his lips against hers once more to enjoy each other once again. Not caring where they were taking in each other, wether on was the soft living room carpet, or the mattress, they just cared about the fact that it was with each other.
At some point he did carry her all the way to the bedroom. Her legs around his hips, his right arm around her hips and his left hand under the jumper, her arms around his neck. Only a moment later they were laying on his bed and stayed there for a while. When the clock stroke noon, they took a long nap in each other's arms.
When the time came, they woke up and Rosier gathered her belongings, put on her underwear and helped tiding up the kitchen while Theseus took a quick shower and dressed up for dinner. He walked out of the bathroom wearing some black dressing pants, a dark grey turtleneck and a black blazer that completed the outfit. He had tied things up at the bedroom and threw away the two beer bottles before holding her hand to teleport to her place. They apparated outside and she rushed inside to get ready for the night.
"Well, I'll take a shower and then I'll bake something, meanwhile, make yourself feel at home." She walked down the hall to get to her bedroom.
"Thank you."
"No problem." Her voice was heard from the bedroom. She got undressed and arranged what she'd wear: dressing pants, a blue satin blouse and her trusty coat. "Could you feed Nauge, please?" She asked as she walked towards the bathroom quickly.
"Of course." The little cat was already at Theseus' feet and purred when he caressed its fur. Scamander proceeded to place food on its trade and stand on the terrace while Rosier showered.
Paris' air was cold and it seemed like it could snow soon. The sky was grey and the glimmer of many Christmas lights started to light up the streets as carols were audible from different sources. Theseus has always loved Christmas, it was his favourite holiday, and seeing it in another country, in another city felt nice. He's always been intrigued on the way people from different places celebrate the same holiday.
Rosier was out of the bathroom quickly, her red mane dripped as she made her way to the bedroom, leaving small water drops on the wooden floor. When she was in her quarters, she got ready by applying body lotion, drying her hair, applying makeup, getting dressed and finally splashing some perfume over the skin of her neck, behind her ears and wrists.
When she walked out with coat in hand, she moved immediately towards the kitchen. After she threw the coat over the sofa, she grabbed an apron and protected her clothes from all the ingredients she'd use to bake dessert.
"Is anyone in your family allergic to apples?" She asked as she braided her hair and rolled up her sleeves, Theseus' attention snapped from the pictures hanging on the walls to her.
"No, my father was." She nodded and got to work. "What will you do?"
"Apple strudel, my specialty." He smiled happily but then hid that emotion with an acted amount of shock.
"You have a specialty?"
"Plenty and for so many different situations."
"Really?"
"Yes, you saw some of them for a very specific situation last night." He chuckled and blushed while she smiled at the bowl.
"Yeah, I felt them too." She chuckled and started cutting the apples. She knew her mother's recipe by heart. "Isn't it much easier and faster to use magic?"
"Surely, but where's the fun in that?" He smiled at her. "I've always loved baking, using magic makes it simpler when the complexity of it is what keeps it interesting and fun." His gaze softened even more as he watched her every movement. "And it's extremely therapeutic." He chuckled. "Want to help?" She looked up and smiled.
"In a moment." She nodded and continued.
Theseus simply limited himself to admire Élie and taking in the picture of her moving around her kitchen like a dancer as she hummed a song that he didn't know. Eventually, he joined to give her a hand and it was a therapeutic activity, indeed.
With the time, the strudel was ready looking crusty and delicious, and smelling sweet. Amélie was placing apple slices around it to decorate it, seconds after she placed the last slice, Theseus sprinkled a mixture of cinnamon and sugar on it.
"Ah." She exclaimed excited. "C'est magnifique." She chuckled like a little kid who's very proud of their work.
"It is. And it looks very tasty." She tasted the honey that she had added to the apples with her finger and nodded to herself.
"Merci, monsieur." She let a deep sigh escape her lips. "Well, shall we go?" She looked at him as she took off the apron, he smiled.
"We shall, but first..." He moved close to her and held her face in his hands, then, he gently brushed away some flour from her forehead. "When you moved a hair away you got some flour on your your face."
"Oh, well, thank you." He nodded and couldn't fight the urge to leave a quick peck on her lips. She smiled.
"Now we're ready to leave." He smiled and she chuckled. He put on his coat as well as Élie, then, she grabbed the strudel and they walked out of the house. When Amélie had locked the front door, Theseus offered his arm for her to take. The second their arms were looped together, they disapparated from France just to apparate in England once again.
They proceeded to take a cab all the way to a lovely home in Finchley. Theseus rushed to knock on the door and they waited a couple seconds before a woman opened the door. Her light brown hair was slightly covered with grey hair, she wasn't too tall, had a kind smile —Newt's smile— and warm blue eyes, the same shade as Theseus'.
"Darling." She said cheerfully and opened her arms to hug her son. Her smile made Theseus smile brightly, so brightly his eyes narrowed.
"Hello, Mum." Said Scamander with a chuckle. The scene warmed up Élie's heart. They separated from the embrace.
"I'm so glad you could make it." A cold breeze embraced the three of them. "Oh, please, please, come in. It's freezing out here." The woman moved aside and the pair walked in. The house was small but lovely and cozy, pictures of the family were hanging from the walls and rested on shelves, and above the chimney. There were lots of books and Newt's book was placed right beside a picture of him. It smelled like freshly made biscuits and some hot chocolate. "You know, I was worried."
"You were?" She nodded.
"Since you didn't arrive last night, I thought something might have come up at work." He cleared his throat. He totally forgot.
"Right. I'm sorry. Something did come up, I actually needed the help of another Auror." He looked at Rosier. "This one to be precise." Aura looked at Amélie and remained smily. "Mum, this is Amélie Rosier, she works at the French Ministry as Head Auror." He added burring his hands into his pockets.
"Amélie Rosier...your name sounds very familiar." That's when she remembered the story her eldest son had mentioned ages ago, when ha arrived home with a broken heart. Mrs. Scamander's smile dropped just slightly. She looked at her son and asked with her eyes if she was the Amélie Rosier she was thinking of, Theseus nodded.
"Surely it does. She's a friend from work, one of my best friends now, actually. And she was in France when the Muggle world was at war. She saved my life, Mum. Twice, actually. And then she saved it again few months ago." There was a short pause. "She didn't have anyone to spend the holidays with, so, I figured she could spend them here with us."
"Well...you thought very well, Theseus." She said looking at her son, then, she looked back at Élie. "It is a pleasure to meet you." Her bright smile returned. "Thank you for saving my boy." Theseus knew very well what was coming, so, he took the strudel from Élie's hands as his mother pulled her in for a hug.
"Oh." She exclaimed and chuckled nervously, she looked at Theseus who smiled warmly. So that's where he got it from. "You're very welcome, ma'am. It was my pleasure." They separated from each other after the woman had rubbed her back. "I brought something for tonight, some dessert."
"Oh, dear, you didn't have to."
"Perhaps, but I wanted to." She smiled and took the trade where the freshly baked dessert was from Theseus' hands. "I hope you all like apple strudel."
"Oh, I love it." She chuckled as she guided them all to the kitchen.
"You do?"
"I do. It's my favourite, actually. Did he tell you?"
"No, I guess he failed to mention it." She looked at Theseus, who was smiling as he took off his coat.
"Well, I wouldn't have liked to miss that face of pure surprise."
"Oh, so you're still a prankster?"
"Just a bit." He offered to take off her coat with a hand movement, to which she nodded.
"He supposedly grew up." His mother teased as he placed both coats on the coat rack.
"Mother, I have a reputation to maintain, would you please keep it that way?" She smiled as she started decorating the biscuits.
"Perhaps." Aura looked at Amélie and smiled with complacency. "Now, darling, would you please get to work? The turkey is already preheated." He nodded and rolled up his sleeves.
"Would you like me to help you with anything?" Asked the redhead.
"Oh, uh..." There was a knock on the door. "Could you please get that, dear?"
"Of course." Amélie made her way towards the entrance and opened the door, before her was the youngest Scamander. His messy light brown hair was covered with a few snowflakes that he was trying to shake off, his blue coat on and Pickett standing on his shoulder. The little Bowtruckle waved at her, Amélie waved back.
"I went looking for Theseus' special forest berries tea and after looking in three different shops, I finally found it." He said as he walked in, only looking at the box with the herbs and his shoes, he was smiling though.
"I'm glad, Newt." His gaze shoot up and he obviously expected his mother. The door closed behind the French woman as he simply blinked.
"Amélie, what a lovely surprise." They nodded at each other and she smiled brightly at him.
"How are you doing, Newt?" Asked Theseus.
"Oh, uh, pretty well, thank you." He left the box on the table. "What about you?" He took off his coat and left it on the rack.
"I'm great, thank you. And thanks for the tea." Newt smiled. After that exchange, Élie and Newt were asked to set the table and they did. Moments later, they all sat down to enjoy some cider and Aura wanted to get to know Amélie.
She told her everything there was to know about her, trying to keep out the nasty parts of her life. Even if the tale was told with a tone to make it seem more jolly, the events weren't very happy. Theseus was kind enough to place himself on the spotlight after a slightly awkward silence had fallen upon them when Élie was done answering a question Mrs. Scamander had asked. And Newt made sure to step in as well, which had a lot more meaning since he was always quiet and someone that didn't really speak as much words during conversations or enjoyed being the centre of attention.
When the time came, dinner was served. And everything was completely delicious, Thes was not wrong in showing off his cooking skills, the turkey was truly tasteful.
By the time dessert was placed on the table, everyone had some hot chocolate served, it was made by Newt. That was his mission for Christmas dinner. Rosier found lovely how each member of the family had one special task and the way the three of them would cooperate to make sure everything was ready at the end.
"This is truly delicious, dear." Said Aura as she ate the strudel, making Élie chuckle while she took a sip of her cocoa.
"Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked it." Said Rosier.
"It's brilliant. You should join us every Christmas, that way you can bake this every year and contribute to our little dinner." Newt suggested.
"If you'll have me, I'll be delighted." She said.
"Of course." Mrs. Scamander said with a giggle. After getting to know her story and the way she remained by herself, Aura said Amélie was always welcomed here and she was more than grateful for that.
"We'd love to have you here." Said Theseus as he looked to his left to meet her wide eyed gaze. "We could use some more of this." He pointed at his plate with his fork and offered a nice smile.
Hours went by and, suddenly, the clock stroke midnight once more. Mrs. Scamander and Newt had gone to bed few minutes ago, leaving Theseus and Amélie there sitting on the living room floor.
"I should get going." She said after a deep sigh and once she had drank the last sip of her tea.
"What? No, stay." He said.
"No, no. I feel like I've intruded your home for far too long now." He scoffed.
"Not at all. Mum said you're always welcomed."
"Still. I should go home." She stood up and walked over to grab her coat from the coat rack. He drank his own tea and rushed after her, leaving the cup right beside hers over the dining table.
"But what about tomorrow?"
"What happens tomorrow?"
"We all have breakfast. And it's tradition." She put the coat on. "Every year we come, have dinner, crash here and wake up the next morning to have breakfast all together again before each one of us heads out."
"But that's your family tradition, Thes. Not mine. This is not my family." She said with a soft smile, but Theseus could see the pain in Amélie's eyes that she tried to hide with that smile. It's painful to think that you have no family anymore.
"I know. But it was fun, you had fun didn't you?"
"I did."
"There you go. It'll be just as fun tomorrow." He sighed and placed his hands on her hips. "C'mon, Rosier, stay. It's cold outside, your apartment will be cold and here it's warm. I usually leave around noon, you'll come with me and I'll take you straight home, I promise." She bit her lip and looked at the fireplace. One of his hands took hers, the touch made her nerves spike. "Please, stay."
She looked at their hands and the tender way in which Scamander's thumb drew circles over her knuckles. "And where will I sleep? Newt gave me a tour around the house and there are just three bedrooms."
"In my room. Bed's big enough, but if you want, I can sleep over here on the couch. I have no problem with it."
"Well, we already slept on the same bed, so...you wouldn't need to sleep here." She whispered and he looked at her with a coy smile.
"There you go." He smiled, took off her coat, placed it back on the rack, and guided the way to his room. Once there, they started to get unready to fall asleep. He took out of a drawer a pyjama set, he threw on the pants and gave her the shirt, which again, looked like a nightgown on her. Suddenly, they were laying next to each other with the bedsheets over them just looking at each other until they fell asleep.
Next morning, when Theseus opened his eyes, the first thing they met were Élie's relaxed features, the bright sunlight reflected in the snow that's now covering London made him rub his eyes.
When he breathed in sharply, the scent of more hot chocolate filled his nose, he got up from bed slowly and started to get dressed. When he was placing on his socks, he heard a soft groan behind him, he looked over his shoulder and found Amélie waking up with a frown.
"Hi." He said before throwing over his head the turtleneck he was wearing yesterday. He moved close to her and kissed her lips, making her smile. They may still be just friends, but there was nothing of 'no strings attached' and he figured he could kiss her if she was okay with it at any given time. Thankfully, she was.
"Hello." She said with a smile, and covered her face withe the blanket only seconds later, making him chuckle. "What? It is too bright." She laughed.
"It is." He stood up after he had tied his shoelaces. "I suspect breakfast is ready." She removed the bedsheets and stood up to stretch before she started to get dressed. "I'll wait downstairs." She nodded and he walked out of his room. He found Newt right outside, making his way out of his bedroom.
"Morning." Said he as he smiled, amused.
"Morning." Theseus frowned as both brothers walked downstairs. "What?" He asked for a while.
"Oh, nothing, nothing."
"Hm."
"Seriously, nothing." A pause as they entered the kitchen. "In anyway, that's none of my business." He frowned even more but quickly understood what he was thinking.
"Oh."
"What's none of your business?" Asked their mother.
"Nothing." The Scamander boys said at the unison. She turned around to face her sons and narrowed her eyes but shrugged afterwards. Even if those two are not as close as siblings 'should be' she knows that once they give that answer at the same time there was no way she could get the information out from either of them.
"Hm."
"Seriously." Said Theseus as he shrugged.
"It's nothing, Mum." Newt affirmed.
"If you say so." Few moments later, Élie walked downstairs.
"Bonjour." She said. The three of them smiled at her.
"Morning." Newt and Aura said at the same time, for Theseus had already greeted her. He idiotically forgot, therefore, Newt confirmed his theory.
A theory he had been working in since he woke up extremely early to prepare the hot chocolate, he figured either one of the Aurors would end up sleeping on the couch and assumed Theseus would be the one there, however, he found no one on said spot. The younger brother smiled as he took a sip of his beverage while Theseus just poured the chocolate on two mugs. Aura turned around to look at their guest, her eldest, and then at her youngest, who smiled as he shrugged. She chuckled to herself as she finished the breakfast.
From that moment on, things went on with normality. Breakfast was fun, Aura had prepared the most delicious English Breakfast. Theseus mocked Amélie in whispers because it wasn't her favourite thing in the world. She shoved him off and when they sat, he was quick to take the black pudding from her plate, she smiled at him and he gave her a wink.
Sooner than expected, it was noon. The presents had been exchanged and it was time to go. Newt was the first one to leave, he said that he had left someone named Bunty alone with the baby Nifflers and that his house was probably going to look like a mess since the little creatures had managed to sneak away from her before...multiple times. Moments later, when the dining and living rooms, the kitchen and the bedrooms looked tidy and clean, Theseus and Amélie found themselves at the door.
"Thank you, Mum. Everything was lovely as always." She stepped close and kissed her son's cheek, making him giggle.
"You're very welcome, darling." She said before turning to Élie. "I'm glad you joined us, Amélie."
"I'm glad I was invited, Mrs. Scamander." She said.
"I apologise there was no gift for you, had I known, I would've done something." She looked at Theseus who simply smiled.
"Oh, don't worry about it, ma'am. Being welcomed here is enough gift for me." Aura smiled and hugged her. She looked at Theseus behind Élie's back and mouthed 'I like her'. Thes just shook his head as they stepped away from each other.
"You should join us for New Year's dinner." She said as she hugged her son. "It's more fun since there's champagne instead of cider." Amélie chuckled.
"It would be my pleasure. And I'll bring another strudel." Aura giggled.
"Travel safely." She told them.
"We will, Mum."
"And be careful out there, with Grindelwald still on the loose, you never know."
"We'll be careful, it's a promise." She nodded and stepped closer to the warmth of her home. "I'll see you soon."
"Love you." He smiled, Élie smiled to the ground.
"I...I know. I-" He sighed and just hugged her mother very tightly. Aura closed her eyes and, once they had let go of each other, she closed the door. Theseus looked at Amélie as he offered his arm. "Would you like to-" He noticed the way she was smiling and holding in a laugh. "What?" He asked with an amused smile.
"Nothing." Said Rosier.
"I don't believe it. What is it?"
"You're just like your mother." He smiled at the ground as Élie looped her arm with his and they walked downstairs to stand on the street. "The eyes, the hugs...everything makes more sense now." He chuckled.
"Thank you, it's a nice compliment."
"Anyway, what were you going to ask?"
"If you'd like to go home now."
"Oh." They started walking down the street in silence until they reached the end of the street.
"Well? Would you like to go home now?"
"Actually, I'd like some coffee first." He smiled at Rosier's answer.
"Always with your coffee first." She laughed. "So French of you." She laughed again.
"Oui." He took her to his favourite café in town that also happened to be a bakery. The place made her think of Mr. Kowalski and the way he wanted to open said business. She wondered if he had made it.
They ordered two cups of coffee and a treat before they stepped outside and ate and drank as they talked about childhood memories. Eventually, they teleported to Paris. They walked around her town until they arrived at her house. She opened the door.
"Thank you. For all of this. I had a great time." She said as she stepped in, reclining her body on the door's arch.
"I did too, and it was my pleasure." He said with a smile. "When do you start work again?"
"Three days from now, why?"
"Just curious."
"What about you?"
"Same like you." She nodded. "Well, I-"
"Would you like-" They spoke at the same time. "Sorry."
"No, no. I'm sorry." They chuckled. "What we're you saying?"
"I was about to ask if you'd like to come in. Maybe...stay for a while." He smiled.
"You want me to stay?"
"If you want to, of course." A pause. "It would be fun, wouldn't it?"
"Yeah...I suppose it would." He stepped in and they spent a lovely afternoon together, listening to music, talking, reading in silence, cooking, drinking, laughing, etcetera.
When nighttime arrived and the deep and dark shade of blue painted the sky, the candles were blown off, the last sips of tea were taken, the fireplace was turned off but the Christmas lights remained on, before they headed to bed after one of the most lovely days of their lives.
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a/n: [1] that is dialogue from the film "the only living boy in new york" in which callum turner stared in. i can totally picture theseus giving the same speech than thomas, hence it being used on this story.