Navy blue, skin tight, classic, boxer briefs.
Aurora saw his underwear... Fuck.
Not only did she see it, she stared at it for an entire second, her very own hand responsible for lifting his shirt in the first place. Yes, she had been looking for the purpose of inspecting his bruise, but her curious eyes ignored all rational thinking and stole a peek at parts of him she shouldn't have been focusing on.
She recalled, initially lifting his shirt in order to visually witness the supposed injury on his stomach. Beneath the bruise she was able to spot the decorative lines of his abs, the sight was enough to make her flustered but the Gryffindor snatched her view back to the injury. Her eyes trailed down the purple colour of his stomach, attempting to depict the severity of the wound. She then spotted his v line, that was enough to make her uncomfortable, again she blamed it on his bruise. Then finally, her gaze lowered further than it should have.
He wore low waisted jeans, his boxers peaking out through the outer rim of his pants, she hadn't expected such a display, at the sight of his underwear she drew the sharp line and quickly release the rim of his shirt, tugged more like, covering himself from the piercing and nosey gaze Aurora wished she didn't have.
It was embarrassing, monumentally humiliating. If he had known she was staring at his underwear and muscles, he would've had a right old go at her. His already massive ego, would've inflated to the point of steel. There would be no going back. She could only pray that he didn't take notice to her flustered state and shocked expression.
She prayed he didn't know the topic of her thoughts whilst they sat side by side in waiting for a teacher and Daphne. She prayed he wouldn't be able to guess the subject of her mind that night when they met up for their very first detention of the year. A punishment they shared for being outside after dark. Of course the first professor Daphne could find happened to be the most sour. She prayed that her eyes and hands wouldn't betray her consciousness and attempt to steal another look.
She was at that moment overthinking in her first charms lesson of the semester, just like she had been overthinking in her first history of magic class of the year and her herbology lesson... and history of magic.
She threw her head down onto her table and sighed loudly, the display of boredom and discomfort stole the eyes of many students, Rory Flores was not the type to act in such a way, surprisingly she didn't care, other things had been worrying her further.
Unfortunately her professor did actually care. A notion she had stupidly forgotten all about.
"Rory?" Professor Flitwicks high toned voice questioned. His scolding tone hadn't emerged in the slightest, it rarely did, he especially wouldn't allow it to release in the presence of his star student. Disappointed seeped through his expression at the thought of Aurora being disrespectful. Only then did she feel bad. "Are you listening?" He practically pleaded.
To say the least, Aurora had not been focusing. Her mind had strayed from the teachings of the lesson. Fortunately she had taken it to learning the syllabus before hand. "Of course." She chirped her smile dim.
"Can you tell me purpose of the spell 'Geminio'?'" He looked at her reassuringly, the spell was a tricky one, they had really been examining the product of said spell but Flitwick liked Rory and was willing to give her an easier question, one he was sure she'd know.
"Geminio, the copy spell. It temporarily forms a worthless duplicate of any object the spell is cast upon." His expression urged for more, she complied. "It can be used for the purpose of simple mindless trickery and pranks, or strategised mishaps." She cleared her throat. "It's most famous use was in the Global Wizarding war of 1920, amongst the lower classed civilians of Liverpool."
Her tense posture relaxed at the approving nod Flitwick had provided, the dwarf teacher beamed down at his students stellar performance. "Well done." He lowered his head in appreciation. She didn't wish to sound presumptuous but she was very much aware that her teacher believed that her minor presentation, of which had been formed of information she could find at the top of her head, was far finer than what half the class could formulate when provided with dedicated time and research.
Her mind remained occupied on the subject of her learning. She figured distracting herself was the safest route to maintaining her dignity. Her eyes followed the curves of letters on her textbook. She learnt more of the charms and arts of spells. She needed to structure her mind, and fix her attitude. She continued the practice throughout the entirety of the day.
Once class had come to its dreaded end, she took her sweet time collecting her things, her slow and calculated actions provided her with a sense of remembrance to her first study session with Theodore, she took her time collecting her things then too, and she would for the next time she was destined to see him also. She hated how entangled their lives had become, crossing and threading through the presence of each other.
She couldn't seem to escape him. Through years, one till five, they barely acknowledged one another, she very much knew of him as he did her, but neither cared, in fact they had come to dislike each other from the side lines. Once their roles as irrelevant extras in each others lives had ceased, and they became relevant to one another the dislike they held failed to dwindle. She recalled their truce, no matter how momentous it felt, it briskly poured down the drain at the sight of his allegiance to Umbridge.
They didn't stand a chance at friendship anyway. Despite how congenial and nice their relationships could've been, it was most likely destined for chaos. Most things end in destruction when a Slytherin like he is involved, no doubt when interlaced with a Gryffindor like herself.
With great reluctance she threw her bag over her left shoulder and stomped her way out. Her eyebrows furrowed down to the point of her lashes as she sneered a hole into the wall before her.
As her feet thumped frustratingly down on the stone tiles of Hogwarts, she had come to notice that after the large mass of students escaping the direction of the dungeons, she was the only one left. She walked by herself, her attitude as bad as ever.
She enjoyed the silence, especially once she entered the premises of the darkest place in Hogwarts, home of the snakes and sanctuary for potioneers. The eerie mood of the place had always struck a cord of unease within Auroras stomach.
Despite the twisted beauty of the place, there was a sickening impression, one that could only reside within the warped mind of a crazed individual, one like Salazar Slytherin. She had always considered the darkest of the creators of Hogwarts to be a troubled man.
Not only did he cast away the Muggleborns and half bloods but left behind a basilisk of great destruction in his path. In her third year, Rory and her roommates refused to travel the castle floors whilst alone, the supposed beast had always frightened her.
Suddenly she didn't appreciate such silence anymore.
Once Aurora allowed herself to think of such darks and alarming thoughts she naturally became alarmed herself, she scolded her wandering mind as she continued her journey towards the potions classroom.
The souls of her shoes continued to patter amongst the floors, the speed of the footsteps increased with her heartbeat. Her mind had been treading in dangerous grounds, fear. She allowed her thoughts to wander about the things she feared most whilst, of course, she happened to be wandering the darkest parts of Hogwarts by herself.
She paused for a mere moment. The young Gryffindor allowed for her knee to jitter as she examined her surroundings. She was scared. Alone in the dark tiled hallways of the Hogwarts dungeons. She certainly didn't appreciate her aloneness any longer.
Blood paced through her thumping veins at alarming rates, her chest heaving as her breathing became rapid and unpredictable. Gripping her wand from inside her robe she held it in a death like grip.
Her fingers clenched around the wood, her eyes casting cautious glances throughout the empty hallway, she refused to leave her back unprotected turning on her heel every second to confirm her momentary safety. The girl could hear her own heartbeat as it drummed in her ears. The sounds of her own shaking body overcame the footsteps before her.
She hadn't even realised that she had passed her destination by several steps. Eyes shooting around the premises, spotting all angles but one, she continued her walk backwards and away from the potions classroom.
Then came the collision.
Panic arose, wands raised, and yelps released. Well, Aurora panicked, Aurora raised her wand, and Aurora yelped hopelessly. Shoving the intruder harshly into the wall she gripped her wand to the point below their chin and into their neck. She sneered at the prowler.
Theodore Notts' addams apple bobbed in anticipation. He had been caught in a vulnerable position, wand at the neck, a forearm digging into his chest and preventing him from moving off the wall. His back ached at the collision. Once he realised that Aurora was the nasty witch who had shoved him, his concerned expression turned into a wicked grin.
"Scared?" She pressed the tip of her wand harshly into his neck. "You're not going to hurt me." He snickered lazily allowing his neck to relax as the back of his head rested gently on the wall. His mocking tone was one Aurora had grown accustomed to months ago, she didn't particularly miss it.
At least she wasn't alone anymore.
"I could if I wanted to." She sneered right back at his cocky persona. She didn't miss that much either.
At least the person she collided with was one she had felt safe with. If it had been Malfoy cue the shivers.
"Nice to see how much you love me." His eyes rolled as his wicked smirk turned lazy. She didn't respond immediately. As Theodore waited for her, what he predicted, snappy response, he began to push against his inner cheek with the tip of his tongue, Aurora watched his face dent at the action his jaw ticking to the side. He looked bored, she hated that.
She hated how unaffected he was, considering the faint tickling sensation in her abdomen that had been pestering her since the realisation of their proximity.
"Love you?" Gross. She scoffed. "I don't-"
He interrupted before she could begin her 'nonsense'. "You know, I recognise this position." Running his tongue over his bottom lip he chuckled as he recalled their poise. "The dead of night, one of us pressed up against the wall, you all feisty." He teased. "Bring back any fond memories?" His chest shook as a chuckle was freed, his eyebrows wiggled suggestively with it. He was clearly unbothered by their closeness.
Aurora before him was in fact not as 'unbothered'. He didn't pay attention to her flushed cheeks, because she did indeed recall their position, journeying months back, the very first time she had ever been so close to him. She hated him then, she certainly recalled the urge to slap him, the feeling was resurfacing. He could tell.
"I bet you want to hit me right now, huh?" He murmured his wicked grin returning. "Or hex me?" He offered. "Go on." She frowned. "Come on. It'll be hot." Her jaw felt it weighed a truckload, it dropped at his sudden surge of confidence and boldness. He had treaded along the line of flirtatious with her before but never had he been so obvious. Where was it coming from?
"Or, you know, you could definitely ogle down at my abs and boxers again." He chuckled quietly, his expression teasing and arrogant.
Oh.
So that's where the abrupt behaviour emerged from.
"I was not -" Her tone was menacing, firm, scary.
He was not disinterested by her attempt to be threatening. If anything it surged him on, drove him further. Excited him.
"Oh but you were. I would've brought it up at the time but I was in a tad bit of pain myself." He talked as though they were having a jolly casual talk, it left her baffled.
He had a smooth way with words, it shielded the wave of elation he was feeling. A notion that if he had not been such a charismatic talker would have him a mess.
"You were bruised." She stated. "I was examining the injury."
"Examining blah blah blah." He yapped. Her patience was wearing thin. She loathed him again.
Secretly, Theodore was thankful that they kept up the banter, glad she didn't attempt to rekindle the 'act' at least not with him. Despite the fact she was genuinely furious he didn't hate her, not one bit. He would rather her remain distant and cruel, than sweet and fake.
"Listen here you pompous little fu-"
"Miss Flores?" The slow, easily recognisable, voice drawled. Professor Snape stood on their side of the ajar door three metres aside them. His eyes narrowed in accusation, before he gestured them to enter with a mere tilt of his head. They each complied to his silent command.
"I shall be tasking the band of incendiary misfits in this room to separate jobs" He sneered amongst the group of students who had arrived for detention.
Aurora was glad to spot Fred and George amongst the individuals. She manoeuvred her way towards them.
"Uh uh." Snape spat. "Miss Flores I deem it best you reframe from sitting beside those two vermin." The twins cackled into their sleeves. She redirected her movements and sat beside Daphne. The poor blonde looked positively bored out of her mind. They each smiled at one another as the brunette sat down. "I shall be back with my favourite list of demands after I have received each of your wands."
He opened his palm out before Daphne. The Slytherin sweetheart sighed before briskly dropping her form of magic into his opened hand. Aurora, Theodore, Fred, George and at least six others, copied her actions.
With each of their wands in his grasp, he reluctantly turned around and made a beeline to, of which Rory assumed, his office.
"Now what'd you do to score a detention first week back Rora?" George questioned dragging a chair over besides her. He rested his elbow on her table, his chin in his palm, as though getting comfortable before story time.
She rolled her eyes but opened her mouth to answer. Yet again her words were intercepted that night. "Outside after dark." Theodore answered casually from across the room. All heads shot towards him. He merely grinned at all the attention. His hands rested behind his head, his legs flopped on the desk as he leaned back on his chair. Glares and questioning glances propelled in his direction from across the room.
"What?" A third year girl gasped from the other side of the room, her friend gaping from beside her. Murmures became of the bystanders.
"Yeah what in the Merlin's beard are you doing alone with him?" Fred spat his voice had no signs of amusement, he seemed plain furious.
"Aw, don't worry your little heads about it, Daphne was with us." He cackled as the room reacted along with his words, what he said held all the power. He loved it. "Nothing to be suspicious about Weasley boy #1."
"Theodore." Aurora groaned from her spot, refusing to turn to him, she spoke with a menacing edge she didn't see as he grinned at the sound of it. She couldn't bare to face him, he had caught her and she was simply humiliated, the asshole was clearly enjoying her shame too.
"In a first name bases are we?" Daphne mumbled to herself, her words went unheard by all in the room as she examined the situation. Interesting. She thought.
"Watch your tone gorgeous." He mocked.
The twins each stood to their feet. Before they could advance like they'd hoped, Snape had returned, a pile of parchment in his grasp. His eyes once again tightened into slits as he processed the scene before him.
"Return to your seats." He snapped, agitatedly.
The pair lowered back into their chairs, refusing to sever the death stares that they each shot the Nott boy. Their eyes remained narrowed and threatening on the unfazed Slytherin, casting imaginary spells and hexes into the side of his smug head and daydreaming of his pained screams.
"I shall split the class into two. One half shall leave for my office in which they shall rearrange each and every one of my shelves and draws to my liking." Rory hoped she wouldn't be assigned to that job. "The other half shall be bestowed the responsibility of hand cleaning each and every one of my classes cauldrons. Both tasks shall be achieved by hand." She hoped she didn't get that job either.
She sighed quietly to herself muttering a chain of mute incoherent words into her sleeve. She dreaded the position she was in, stuck with not only Theodore but the firecracker twins too. "Any complaints Miss Flores?" Her head shot straight up from the palm of her hands, an alarmed expression played her features.
"No?" It was more of a question than an answer. She was in for it.
"Hmm." He scoffed. "Well then I must ensure you group with Mr Nott then." The words caught the sharp ears and undivided attention of many. "You seemed so cozy before, I was fearful I had interrupted something intimate."
The older wizard began to slowly saunter throughout the room selecting students to follow him, Aurora found herself disappointed that everyone but the people she knew were chosen to leave. She had realised then that chaos was sure to erupt, Theodore and the twins, already a nasty mix, Aurora didn't want to be involved.
The witch turned to face the collection of filthy cauldrons, she approached at a swift pace ignoring the multitude of curious questions firing from the aghast twins behind her.
"Cozy?" George scoffed.
"Intimate?" Fred copied, his own words said in a much darker, near threatening tone. The hairs of her neck sprung, alert by his timbre. Goosebumps quickly too showered her olive epidermis.
Theodore perceived her reaction. He swiftly came to her aid. "Wand to my throat." The Slytherin chuckled. "So cozy." The hint of sarcasm was intentional. He knew the twins would find themselves surprised by her violent behaviour, of which Theo secretly hated to reveal, he liked to gate keep, he liked the idea that only he knew the true her, but the boy sacrificed his satisfaction for he knew Aurora would rather them be shocked than angry at the knowledge of her relationship with Theo, whatever it was.
The twins turned to her, they were certainly surprised. "Nice" they spoke their voices aligned in flawless symphony. Neither Aurora or Theodore failed to notice the expressions of discomfort and disbelief that each of the Weasley brothers portrayed. The thought of a temperamental Rory was very much obviously foreign and unwanted.
The Gryffindor witch sharply swerved her back round to the cauldrons and began her work, she couldn't bare to face them. Her head remained downward as she refused to snatch her eyes away from the filth before her, regret swarmed through her stomach as she scrubbed. Her hands began to ache as she quickened her movements.
Her knuckles clenched into a harsh fist, she could feel the discomfort forming in her palm. She should probably take a break. She didn't. As her hands continued to clean, a hint of tears began to well in the waterline of her worn out eyes. Aurora couldn't have people thinking poorly of her, she physically couldn't tolerate it.
Daphne across the room could easily spot her distraught, she didn't know what could possibly be the issue, but whatever was troubling her pulled a frown onto the blondes face too. Eloped in worry she approached the sulking Gryffindor.
Fred and George too had noticed the quiet display of unhappiness, Aurora was fairly clever and sneaky when it came to withholding emotion unless amongst no one but herself, but it was fairly obvious then that she was not quite okay in that particular moment. In hopes to brighten her mood they each decided to formulate a sneaky plan of their own.
Professor Snape had been focusing on the group assigned to reorganising his office in fear they may break or ruin anything valuable. Fred and George, even absent of their wands, then had a wicked idea.
It was silent until it wasn't.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The echo of cauldrons, potion utensils and tools clanged through the stone walls of the dungeons. The noises bounced and danced throughout the halls. Aurora and the two remaining Slytherins flinched at the noise, it was bound to attract their unmerciful professor.
"Oi!" Theodore whisper shouted from his isolated spot in the room, Aurora tried to pay least amount of attention to him, to the way his top buttons were undone, and to his sleeves which had been rolled up, to the way she wished to punch him every time she looked at him. "Snape is gonna hear this you dimwits."
The twins each shot a nasty leer his way before continuing with passion. "Pardon?" They shouted in unison. "Can't hear you." The banging continued. Theodore glared right back, clearly bothered when ignored, he fairly enjoyed evoking negative reactions.
The chaos of noise increased when matched with the sound of footsteps coming from the other side of the locked door. Snape was coming.
Then she spotted it. Above the bolted shut door way was one of the smaller cauldrons fastened by two recognisable Gryffindor ties. The visual representation was enough to decipher that the moment the door opened said cauldron would flip over. She could only guess what was inside, the moment the door opened the stone bucket was bound to release something unpleasant on the unsuspecting professor.
"What is the meaning of this racke-" the door flew open. For a mere second the man dressed in black stood unaware of the disarray that was barreling toward him. He looked angry, peeved by the unnecessary noise, he was bound to look angrier.
The cauldron tipped. It all happened in a matter of a single moment, a load of Caxambu Style borborygmus potion spewed from above. The mixture slid through his ajar mouth and down his throat. The potion the boys had chosen was one of which they had found perched on the rim of Snapes desk. A nasty beverage that had the ability to cause cruel, harsh... stomach discomfort.
The professor's stomach growled... then it roared. And so did the laughter of everyone else. Rory, Daphne and Theodore had managed to release the urge into the sanctuary of their sleeves, in hand muffling the cackles. The twins, didn't attempt to quiet their hilarity.
The grumbles of Snapes abdomen loudened, as his face turned stone. "Weasleys." He murmured. He remained quiet, it was sickening to witness. "Come with me, now." That was the calmest Rory herself had ever endorsed.
The boys continued their mirth as they followed. They clearly didn't mind how in trouble they may be. They each turned to Rory before exiting the premises, glad they had achieved amusement. All they wanted was to brighten her mood. Satisfied that they had achieved their goal, they briskly followed the bestial and no doubt bloodthirsty teacher.
The door closed and Theodore was first to chuckle aloud from his side of the room, his head pulled downwards as he grinned towards the floor. The girls followed his actions.
Daphne from beside her, finally sobre of the uncontrollable giggles, gripped her hand. "You okay?" She asked gently.
"Yeah." Aurora chirped right back. "Definitely."
The blonde didn't press any further. She offered her a somber smile before she lowered her attention to cleaning.
Theodore examined the interaction from his place across the room. As his eyes remained glued to her, he could easily spot the fidgeting and twitching. Yeah, she wasn't okay. Sighing to himself, he made his way over to the girls. He flopped into the seat in between the two of them, a new cauldron before him as they each scrubbed.
His following words were dim, he leant towards Aurora as he murmured, he intended for his words to reach only her ears. "I quite liked being pressed up against you, we should do it again." He leant backwards slowly, beaming at her as she turned red and furious.
When he pestered her then, he noticed there was merely one difference from how he used to bother her for the purpose of exposing her before. In that moment he only wished to distract her, to redirected her emotions in a way that wouldn't hurt her.
"Well I didn't." She grinned sarcastically.
The quiet bickering continued and progressed for the hours they spent there. Each became more creative witty, internally they were willing to admit that they were really having a bit of fun. They refused to admit it aloud, for as they each grew mildly pissed off, they had decided to leave.
Professor Snape had been gone got hours, it was well past their curfew, they assumed they had been simply forgotten.
Daphne herself had been watching in awe as they argued and decided it was time to leave as the disagreement escalated. She acted as though she didn't notice the way they whispered their threats practically nose to nose, she acted as though she didn't notice as the form of verbal attack that Theodore used was more flirtatious than argumentative, she acted as though she didn't notice the way the way Aurora grew shocked and nervous in response to his flirty words, she pretended she didn't notice how ecstatic Theodore looked at the sign of Auroras fury.
The blonde needed to get out of there, she found the tension was suffocating. As they all ventured from the dungeons Theodore frowned in confusion. "Where are we going?" He questioned.
"We're walking Aurora back." She explained pointedly.
"Why?" He whined.
"Because that's the kind of people we are." The blondes words were firm, until she turned back and started chatting with Aurora then her tone then exchanged into a soft one, he scoffed as he observed.
He remained quite as they journeyed towards the Gryffindor commons. He pouted at the extra length of the journey as he trudged on behind them. He groaned when they laughed amongst themselves, and was relieved when they finally arrived.
Aurora failed to deliver a 'goodnight' to Theodore, it was intentional he knew it. The girl had just momentarily offered Daphne a heartfelt departure before spinning on her heel and inside her portrait. Daphne had already began walking back to the dungeons, she didn't notice how he hovered for a mere second.
Then, he smiled, because he had planned to walk her back all along.
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AN
This chapter was a sorta filler/progress in their relationship yk?
Hope you enjoyed, sorry I've been updating so slowly I have massive writers block, please comment some ideas I NEED THEM.
Also I would like to clarify that when the words are tilted like this it means the words are either being enunciated, it's a characters thought, a memory, or the words have been written by them. Hope there hasn't been any confusion with that.
Happy new year btw xx - Sofia