Forever Starts With Us
Unbeknownst to each other – yet, clearer than ever – Thea and Tom had to exercise tremendous self-restraint to not pounce at one another and kiss them breathless right where they sat in the Great Hall. Nothing seemed abnormal as they shared greetings and small talks, but if one looked closely, they would notice Tom’s hand gently caressing her thigh whenever it was unoccupied, which Thea held onto with their fingers interlocked once she had been done with her meal. As the plates began clearing away and chatter rose in volume, Thea absentmindedly played with his hand on her lap as she talked.
“…which reminds me!” The group had been groaning about the potions project and Thea turned to the women upon remembering their own personal project, “I’m pretty much done with the research presentation. Just a couple more finishing touches left, and everything should be prepared by Sunday. I’m open to running it by you after lunch then?”
Druella’s eyes sparkled. “Sweet! Yeah, that works for me!”
“Works for me, too,” Walburga pitched in.
“Great!”
Before Thea could say more, she was interrupted by Rosier. “What’s this about a presentation?”
Thea looked to the boys in surprise when all of them sported looks of curiosity. “Oh, have I not shared with you all?” At their head shakes, she furrowed her eyebrows in thought. “Really? I guess I must’ve forgotten to. Anyways, it’s just this research on the consequences of inbreeding that I’ve collated to, one day, present to Ella’s and Wally’s parents. We’re having a mock presentation first so that I can get feedback for improvements.”
Then, Druella perked up with an idea, “you boys should attend too! Your insights would be much appreciated.”
“That’s right! Sunday, after lunch, is when we’ll be doing it. What do you say?”
A round of agreements echoed back and Lestrange asked, “where will it be held?”
Thea parted her lips to answer, only to close them back up when she realised she hadn’t planned for that. She shared a glance with the ladies, who were just as clueless as she was, and was about to suggest the Room of Requirement when she was beaten to it.
“You could always use our common room.”
Heads turn to Tom in bewilderment and he only shrugged. “You join our table every day and you’ve even made acquaintances with the other Slytherins. I don’t see why anyone would argue against that idea.”
The split-second gleam in his eyes told a dangerous story and Thea, having glimpsed it, could only make a guess as to what would happen if anybody did raise a disagreement against it. Amusement quirked her lips up and she sent him a feigned unimpressed look which he only countered with exaggerated innocence. “Well, I suppose if no one is against that, I’ll gladly take you up on your offer.”
“That’s decided, then!” Walburga stepped in before anyone could express a different opinion – not that anyone would, seeing as, besides that fact that they liked Thea, they knew just how far Tom’s murderous tendencies go – and everyone was quick to nod along. “Sunday, after lunch, in our common room.”
“Prepared to be absolutely amazed by it.”
Laughter ensued at Thea’s playful arrogant tone and Avery commented, “that confidence could almost give Malfoy a run for his gold.”
“Almost?!” Thea huffed, “well, I suppose if it’s Malfoy we’re talking about, I’ll take it.”
That earned her more chortles which she prided herself in achieving. When she glanced at the boy beside her, his added pride of her that spoke through his expression gave her a tinkling feel in her gut that she welcomed with open arms. She relinked her hand with his and intertwined their fingers once more. Anticipation bubbled her nerves as she thought about tonight. He had provided her no hints as to what she could expect but she knew, regardless, that so long as it was Tom she was with, she would find herself enjoying the moment.
Classes passed by with lingering eyes thrown at each other. As the day darkened, so did their glances. Any touch from the other sent heat through their body – whether it be a hand on Thea’s back as Tom moved past her in their station during potions, or Thea’s hold as she fiddled with his hand on her lap at mealtimes – the warmth mixing into the flames that roared in their hearts and making it harder and harder to reign themselves in throughout the day. Where their skin had touched that evening, when she had kissed him on the corner of his lips again, they had burned on impact. The feel of their lips nearly meeting remained even as the clock ticked away, keeping them company until the short-hand neared nine.
Humour entered Thea when a glance to the timetable by the door to the steps up to the astronomy tower listed a class to be taken place at this time of the day. She was familiar with the tower availability and knew that it wasn’t quite true. Tom’s manipulation of it meant that others would steer clear of the vicinity for the next hour, however, and for that, she thanked Tom.
Reaching the final steps of the stairs, her gaze fell on the only figure in sight, sitting cross-legged on the floor with his back against the pillar as he stared out into the glimmering night sky. The person turned to face her upon hearing her footsteps and she was met with Tom’s composed face, bathed in the calm moonlight that lined his features gracefully. His lips curled up as their eyes met and he was the first to breach through the silence. “I figured you’d be here early.”
Thea matched his fond smile with ease and inwardly reminded herself to continue walking once she had realised that she had unintentionally stopped in her tracks to admire Tom. Mirth coated her words as she spoke into the night air, “stalking me now, are you?”
Tom gestured to the space beside him and shook his head. “Not at all, love. Just smitten about you.”
Thea had to force herself to resume her pattering steps as a comfortable warmth rushed through her. She cleared her throat when she had reached his side and settled on the floor beside him, adjusting to face her body towards Tom when he did the same and turned his back to the sky. He extended his hands in the space between them, palms up, and Thea unhesitatingly placed hers atop his. Their hands fell onto where their knees met and he ran his fingers gently across the back of her hands, trailing soft touches onto her fingers and halting when they arrived at her right, index finger.
Her heart skipped.
Walburga’s words echoed in her ears from their time spent together two days ago when the ladies had taught her the traditions of a courtship.
“…and the first gift is always a ring that holds the crest of the lord’s family. It goes onto your right hand, index finger, and signifies to the public that you’ve accepted that specific lord’s proposal to court you.”
The hope that Druella and Walburga had tended to, grew in size and danced violently, as if ready to defend itself against any unwanted enemies. The doubt in Thea’s mind only relinquished in response and allowed the flames to embrace her heart and soul protectively.
Tom’s eyes flicked back to hers, from where they had fallen onto her hands, and she saw the slight furrow in his eyebrows as he fought against his own set of uncertainty inside him. “I would like to ask you a question regarding a… certain aspect of my possible lordship. Purely out of my desires and not responsibility,” he clarified when his initial words left a distaste in his tongue.
Thea hummed in acknowledgement and waited for him to continue with all the patience in the world. An encouraging smile plastered onto her lips when he hesitated for a moment longer, and she mimicked his soothing touches on his hand. The haze of insecurities that dulled his eyes cleared up upon meeting her assured ones, and his words began leaving his lips as he basked in the arrant love she bestowed upon him.
“Can I… or rather, will you accept a gift from me… if I do become a lord?”
His heart stilled-
“I’d wear them every day.”
-and she brought him back to life.
Thea’s immediate and honest response brought a startled widening to his eyes and she smiled knowingly. Recognising that she knew exactly what he had been referring to, his eyes softened and his lips wavered in rare diffidence. “Will you?”
She understood his hesitance in accepting her words, having gone through a similar experience with Druella and Walburga recently, and it was with absolute credence that she patiently answered him again.
“For as long as you want me.”
Tom’s voice was soft and almost inaudible when he asked, “even if it’s for a lifetime?”
Thea lifted a hand up to cradle his face, smiling tenderly when he leaned into her touch. Similarly, she replied lowly but surely, “even if it’s a lifetime and more.”
His hand went up to clasp over hers as he searched her eyes for any sign of apprehension or unwavering resolve, only to find none even as she laid her feelings bare for him to see. Her volition to render herself vulnerable for him intensified his affections for her and he knew, like he trusted her, that she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
True to her words, Tom could love. He may not have known it back then, but she had cared for him ever since she had first graced him with her magical presence, and through this love she had shown could he learn to reciprocate it. Never had he, nor did he think he ever would, wanted to be loved by someone so desperately and yet would wait eons if it meant that she would love him out of her own desires. It was unlike him to not seize his yearning with force, but she had taught him to be patient when it came to her, for she had treated him the same way. No magic nor power could even begin to try taking away the love he held for her.
He took her hand from his cheek and placed a grateful kiss onto the back of her hand. Her sights went to his lips and so had his, onto the lovely smile playing on her lips. Memories rushed by of the times she had kissed him so chastely, and with a whispered question that she had said yes to, they both leaned in and met their lips in a soft touch. Their first was brief and all-smiles. Their second, a joyous giggle had bubbled from Thea’s throat when Tom held her jaw assuredly to angle their heads so that he could press against her lips securely. She had expressed her unadulterated jubilation when he had asked, bringing an affectionate smile to his face. Then, their third had been longer and heavier.
Taken by the pure happiness radiating from the girl, Tom had captured her lips with enough vigour that had her gasping in delighted surprise. He had swiped his tongue across her bottom lip to test the waters and had tangled it with hers when she had parted her lips further to respond in kind. When his other hand had fallen onto her thigh while the other had gone around the back of her neck to pull her closer, Thea brought it upon herself to do them – and their backs – both a favour and adjusted in her seat so that she could bring her legs under her. Before Tom could even part himself from her to question her intentions, she planted her hands on his shoulder for stability as she pushed forwards and swung her legs over his lap, one by one, so that she hovered over his legs slightly. His hands caught her by her waist and unhesitatingly pulled her down onto his lap so that she could sit on it comfortably, smiling into the kiss at Thea’s bold move and immensely pleased.
One of her hands had gone to the back of his head to tangle itself in his hair while the other remained on the juncture of his neck and shoulder. Warm, hefty air was exchanged in short breaths as they languidly licked and nipped at each other’s mouth. A pleased hum vibrated from the back of her throat at the current circumstances they had found themselves in and she tugged on his hair firmly to earn herself a raspy groan and a tightening of his hold on her waist.
His hands swept down to her hips, past the edge of her blouse, then back up and under the fabric so that he felt her bare skin underneath as he skimmed around her waist and back. Another hum left her as a breathy keen at the feel of his warmth directly on the uncharted expanse of her skin, as her hand travelled down from his shoulder to his sternum, her nerves sparking excitedly when she felt the rapidity of his heartbeats.
It was then, that their kiss slowed down gradually, when they were bordering on the other stage of intimacy. The astronomy tower was hardly the place for them to explore further and, as Tom had said to Thea previously, there’s always time for us. Heavy gasps were mixed into the air as they each regained their breaths, their foreheads planted together so that they didn’t steer too far away from each other. Tom’s hands had paused on her waist, thumbs caressing her skin delicately, while one of Thea’s played with his hair on the back of his head, and the other, with the topmost button of his shirt teasingly. Their elation had only strengthened over the past couple of minutes and their satisfied smiles might as well have been permanently etched onto their flushed faces.
Once their breathing had returned, Tom whispered into the small space between them, “I just remembered…” Thea hummed questioningly when he trailed off. “…I do actually have a gift for you in the meantime.”
“Hm?”
Tom pulled his head away, which prompted her to blink her eyes open, and she watched him retract a hand back to pull out a small velvet box in the exact shade of blue as the roll of ribbon she had used to tie around the paper cranes she had first gifted him – she had taken note of it for it was her favourite colour after all. She took it from his hand at his insistence and spared him an inquisitive glance before opening it by lifting the top cover off. A surprised gasp of wonder escaped her as she brought the box closer to examine its details carefully. “Tom- that’s beautiful! Where- how did you even manage to find that?!”
His grin grew at the excitement on Thea’s face as she fawned over the contents of the box. “I made the charm myself, actually. Alchemy taught a few things that I thought I’d put them to good use.”
The item in Thea’s hands had turned out to be a jewellery box and inside was a pair of earrings, a dainty, silver paper-crane-shaped charm dangling a few millimetres from the heart-shaped stud that contained a clear gemstone.
As if his thoughtfulness on the choice of charm wasn’t touching enough, Tom proceeded to explain, “I’ve noticed that all your earrings had been silver so I stuck to the same material. You only wear studs on days with potions so I figured you might like it if it was designed to drop like the ones you tend to wear.”
“Oh, Tom…” Thea looked at the boy in disbelief and she could feel her emotions hitch at her throat. The glimmering of her eyes eased Tom’s lips into a fond smile and he tucked her fringe away when it had covered her eyes. With great effort, she could muster up more words in a soft voice. “I love it.”
“I’m glad, my love.”
Overflowing with feelings she didn’t quite know how to express in words, Thea instead surged in to kiss him again, pouring out her immense love for him this way so that he could feel them rushing through him in waves.
The rest of their hour together was spent staring into each other’s eyes dreamily as they talked softly, in tune to the calmness of the night, or admiring the enchanting view of the clear sky in moments between kisses of varying length and intensity. He had gifted her a final kiss on the doorstep to her common room that had left her breathless as her mind hazed over with sentiments that only he could pull out of her. Even her lack of sleep, that spanned only five hours, couldn’t diminish her glee, and she found herself humming joyfully as she prepared for the day.
Gosh, the feelings that he made her feel!