It's the Little Things
Thea had woken up with a smile. Memories of the previous night played in her head like a captivating record on repeat even while she slept. Her joy knew no bounds and had her humming a soft melody as she skipped to the bathroom to prepare for the day. A handful of baffled glares had been sent her way as she graced the morning with a cheery energy that others had not quite felt which she only shrugged off without a care. Once she was done with her routine, she exited her dorm to the common room and went out the main door to the hallway.
What she had not expected was to see Tom on the other side, leaning back and resting against the wall as his eyes swept to her upon the door opening. Surprised but pleased nonetheless, she called out jovially as she crossed the space to get to the boy, “Tom! What brings you here this early?”
She took his hand when he had offered it as he straightened up, his other hand making its way to hug her cheek to lift her head up slightly so that he could place a kiss on her forehead with a fond smile on his lips. “You enter the Great Hall for breakfast at similar times every day. The Slytherin dorms aren’t too far away anyway so I may as well see you earlier if I can help it.”
A playful look took over her expression while her eyes told of her delight. “There you go, stalking me again.”
“Smitten,” Tom corrected. A blush rose over Thea’s face when the word brought her senses back to the astronomy tower and she felt the lingering feels of his lips – hot and fervent – on hers, and his hand – warm and tender – on her skin. It didn’t help when Tom gave her a knowing smirk and, after sparing a glance to ensure that the area was empty, leaned in to plant a short but vehement kiss on her lips. The tease that he was, he gave a lick to her bottom lip and proceeded to pull back before they could go any further, rendering her mind static and filled with Tom as her eyes glazed over with want. He ran his hand through her hair slowly as she returned back to a functional state, inwardly battling with his own desires to supress them for the meantime, and he chuckled lowly when a pout formed on her lips. “Another time, my love.”
Thea breathed out a sigh of defeat as her heart gave a lurch at the term of endearment. “Another time, it is.”
Tom hummed as his hand moved back to her ear to take the dangling silver paper crane charm of her earring in his fingers, eyeing it for a brief moment before returning to look her in the eyes. “You look beautiful, love.”
“Thank you!” A shy but proud grin came over her features as she looked at him with utter gratitude.
The pair received a series of curious looks when they arrived at their table but no one made any mention of their joint presence arriving together. Thea knew, by Druella and Walburga’s narrowed eyes, that the ladies had caught onto the shift of something in the air that Tom and her emanated, and she only gave a giddy whisper of, “later,” when they had commented on her radiance.
“Call it a woman’s instinct, but there’s definitely a new glow about you, Thea. I just can’t tell what…” Druella had said the moment Thea had settled into her seat. The latter only beamed at her and laughed when Avery dismissed Druella’s hunch as a sign that the woman had gone mad.
“Hey, now! When your future wife files a divorce because her instincts rightfully told her to do so, don’t come begging for forgiveness!”
“Damn right, I won’t!”
Morning, overall, had been a lovely affair. Upon being questioned of their plans for the day, Thea had turned to Tom to ask him for his availability at lunch. When he clarified that he would free then as his prefect duties would come afterwards, she invited him to have lunch in the kitchens.
“I know you’ve met Tally and all but- think of it as a proper introduction!”
“Of course, love. That would be lovely.”
And then, the ladies had put forward their claim over Thea before Tom had a chance to get a say in it. With a quick peck to Tom’s cheek that resulted in multiple jaw-drops, Thea allowed the women to pull her away from the group and out into the grounds.
“What was that?! Your new radiance aside, I didn’t know that you’ve gone to the kisses-on-the-cheek stage!”
Walburga quickly added in before Thea could reply, “also, that’s a cute earring you’ve got! Is it new?”
With an unfailingly bright grin, Thea responded to both women. “Thank you! Tom actually made the charm himself!” That earned her their astonishment. “I know! I was just as surprised when he told me! As for the kisses…”
Thea cleared her throat as pink ran up her cheeks. While not quite an explanation, the implications were enough to pull out a gasp from Druella. “You did not- did you- you didn’t!”
“No! No- we didn’t go that far!” Thea quickly interjected, face fully flushed now, when the disbelief continued to expand in both of them as anticipation flared out of Druella’s body. “But- well- I guess it was a near thing?”
Suspicion dripped from her tone when Walburga questioned, “and how… near… had it been?” Similarly, she had a sheer pink dusted on her countenance.
“I mean, we did kiss… very… heatedly,” a scandalous squeal sounded from Druella, “while I was sitting on his lap, and his hands had slipped under my shirt while mine had almost started unbuttoning his.”
“Theana Cora Grace, you sly fox!”
“Well- I may have actually unbuttoned the top button as the night went on…”
“It was at night?!” The exclamation had been whispered by Walburga and they turned to see her face almost just as red as Thea’s. “As in last night?! Where did you even go?!”
“Oh, the astronomy tower. He made sure to change up the posted schedule a tad so that other people wouldn’t show up.”
At that, Walburga’s eyes stared dreamily into the distance. “Alone, at night, under the stars? Oh, it must’ve been so romantic!”
Druella crooned on Thea’s other side as they walked down the hill to the Black Lake. “You guys are just absolutely adorable! And attractive.” A strangled sound of perplexion left Thea’s throat. “I mean it!”
Walburga nodded in agreement. “Attractive in the sense that both of you are very attractive, and also in the sense that the power you exude together is beyond anything else I’ve seen in a couple! Never have I ever met two people more suited for each other than you and Riddle.”
“Thanks…?” Flustered to her capacity, Thea’s tone had come out as a question.
The three women eventually settled down on a picnic table by the lake and spent the next hour or so talking about anything and everything, ranging from boys to favourite hexes. They eventually parted ways; Thea had gone to the library while Druella and Walburga, to their dorms. When the time came for lunch, Thea went down the castle where she met Tom with a short kiss in front of the kitchens. Her nerves were lit in the slightest of anxiety that Tom had been quick to nip in the bud.
“You have nothing to fret about, love. We’ll get along well.”
“I know! I’m just- it’s the irrationality talking again.” Thea had admitted with a frown. In response, Tom had given her a reassuring kiss to distract her mind which worked to an extent. A content smile now on her lips, she muttered a small, “thank you.”
Tom led her into the kitchens before any more worries could attempt changing her mind and watched with fondness when the elves around them greeted Thea with familiarity that she reciprocated easily. She had been in the midst of promising an elf, named Gina, to visit more frequently when all their attentions were caught by a call of her name. “Miss Tina? Is that Miss Tina?”
“Tally!” The other elves returned to their stations as Thea swerved past them towards Tally who met her halfway. Thea crouched down to greet Tally with a hug, spewing exaggerated words of affection that only stopped with a laugh when the elf dug her fingers firmly into Thea’s side waist in a tickle. “Alright! Sorry! Sorry-”
Tally huffed as they parted and Thea made to stand up beside Tom, having to catch her breath suddenly when her eyes flicked to Tom’s that swirled with excessive affection as he gazed upon her.
“What’s this, then? Has Miss Tina come to introduce Mister Tom to Tally?” Tally’s eyes gleamed with intrigue when Thea took Tom’s hand casually and she grinned up at the pair knowingly.
“Yes, actually! Tally,” Thea gestured towards Tom, “meet Tom. He’s my- boyfriend?”
Realisation struck Thea that this was the very first time she had someone to call her partner and she looked to Tom in fluster and adoration. Tom gave her an approving smile before turning to the elf and inclining his head into a formal bow. “It is good to properly meet you, Tally. I am grateful for the love you have shown Thea in all these years, and for being supportive of her incredibility. She has grown into such a wonderful person with your care.”
Tally’s ears perked up in pleased surprise at Tom’s words and she sent an understanding look to Thea.
Clearing her throat of her heart that had lodged into her chest, Thea continued, “and Tom, this is Tally, my mother.”
That only made Tally’s ears straighten further and she sent a brief playful glare to Thea. “Tally is pleased with Mister Tom. Mister Tom has made Miss Tina even happier than the happy child already is. If Miss Tina likes Mister Tom, Tally is sure to like Mister Tom too! Come, come,” Tally led them to one corner of the room which held a square dining table and chairs fit for eight humans, “sit down! Miss Tina and Mister Tom must be hungry!”
Thea and Tom took one side while Tally sat on a stool perched on the chair adjacent to Tom. Chatter was high for the next period; Tally spoke stories of Thea’s childhood, much to Thea’s embarrassment and Tom’s mirth, and they conversed plenty about Tom upon Tally’s intention to get to know the boy who had given her child joy. Although, some of his answer did greatly amuse Tally, such as when she had questioned him of her favourite colour-
“Thea’s eyes. I never really had one until she came along.”
-or when it was about music that he liked.
“Whichever song Thea hums or sings.”
Needless to say, Thea had gone bright red.
They had finished their food halfway through and only left after the next half because Tally had to return to her station to help out for the rush hour of lunch. With content smiles on everyone’s faces, Thea and Tom bade Tally farewell and left the kitchens with lightness in their steps.
“So? How was it? What’d you think of Tally?”
They had stopped right outside the door and Tom placed a gentle hand on Thea’s cheek in assurance. “She’s absolutely lovely, dear. I had a great time with her.”
“Really?” Thea bit her lips to repress more of her doubt when he patiently nodded. She gave a sigh of relief when she saw no dishonesty in his features. “That’s good- that’s good.”
Tom hummed. “I’m glad to have met the one who you love as a mother. She’s just as delightful as you’ve told me and I’m thankful that you have her in your life.”
Thea brightened up at Tom’s insistence that her concern was unfounded and she couldn’t resist from giving him a kiss to relay her gratitude, her free hand going to wrap itself around the back of his neck.
“Thank you, love. I’m just really happy that my loved ones get along.”
“Of course, my love.”
It was later, that dinnertime, when Thea found herself worrying again. It was for a different reason this time, however, and she frowned as she approached the table of Slytherins that was missing a person. “Where’s Tom?”
Lestrange huffed, “there was a fight that he had to break up on our way here.”
“Much of a ‘fight’ it was.” Nott rolled his eyes, a slight twitch of his eyebrow that indicated his annoyance, “that slimy bastard better count his days.”
The ladies shared Thea’s confusion when she turned to them.
“Just got here too. They’ve just been mumbling and discussing ways to get back at- Lowe, was it?” At Walburga’s nod, Druella continued, “yeah, Lowe. No idea why, though.”
Before Thea could clear the air with the boys, she spotted Tom entering the hall, sporting a similar ticked-off expression as he glanced at the Gryffindor table. When he turned forwards and met her concerned eyes, the corner of his lips twitched upwards as his eyes softened but she could still tell that something was bothering him.
Taking his hand immediately as he moved to sit beside her, she asked, “has something gone wrong, love?”
“Just had to stop a one-sided fight that landed one of our own in the hospital wing. Devon’s alright, he’s just got a few nasty bruises from when he had been shoved into a wall.”
That prompted more grumbles of Lowe’s name from the boys and Thea’s frown deepened. “Not Devon!” At the distraught that tinged her words, the others looked at her in surprise. “Such a sweet boy! And I’m guessing this ‘Lowe’ person has something to do with it?”
“Yeah… he’s not exactly supportive of Devon’s artistry. Thought it’d be funny to embarrass him and ruin his sketchbook.”
“He didn’t!” Thea gasped in horror. “Oh, poor boy! I do hope his sketchbook could be salvaged somehow.”
Mulciber piped in at that moment to curb everyone’s curiosity. “You know him?”
“Devon? Yeah,” Thea answered when they nodded, “met him in the library a while back. Someone had left their sketchbook open and utensils scattered as if in a rush, so I kept it company until the owner returned. Beautiful drawings and paintings he had, I can’t believe Lowe’s done that!” The pure disdain her eyes sported as she glared daggers at the red-and-gold table came as a surprise to some, especially when it was paired with a string of colourful curses that left her tongue sharply. It was only in the middle of detailing how she would castrate the seventh-year bully that she took notice of the vulgarity to her words, stopping instantly and avoiding eye contact shyly as she cleared her throat. “Sorry…”
“You’re fine, love.” And everyone knew, by the infatuated eyes Tom was shooting Thea, that he was being truthful.
Whoever had said that no person was perfect had clearly been lying; at least Tom thought so as he kept his gaze on Thea. Her showcase of care for someone in his house had endeared her further to him, for Slytherin had always been believed to house the bullies when the fact was that they had always been scorned unjustifiably by the other houses. For his loved one to show love for the younger boy in his house despite their bad reputation, how could he not love her more?
That rang true even as Tom realised that Thea had willingly stuck to the Slytherins the past week and had shown no contempt to the members of his house. She had, instead, befriended the people and had chosen to get to know them. That would have made her an outlier in her house and he figured that she must have had been a victim of ridicule herself. Hufflepuffs were known to be even more secretive than Slytherins, however, and a frown marred his lips at the thought of her potential silent distress.
“You alright, love?”
“Hm?” Tom returned to his senses and eased his features upon seeing Thea’s scrunched eyebrow. “Sorry- yes. I was just thinking…” Thea tilted her head and hummed for him to continue. “…will you let me know if there’s ever… anything… bothering you?”
A touched expression crossed her face and she brought their clasped hands up to plant a reassuring kiss on the back of his hand. “Of course, my love.”
Something told him that even if there was any issue she faced, she would come out with a winning grin, unscathed. He trusted her words just as he knew that she could handle herself. Merlin forbid- if word made it to him of Thea’s anguish, the castle would burn.