My Scene With You
Later that Friday, Thea had ended up in Druella’s room once again where Druella and Walburga were both making spectacular work of dolling her up for the Slug Club meeting that evening. Hands flew everywhere as Druella helped neaten the waves of her half-down updo while Walburga took charge to ensure that Thea didn’t look like a clown with the powder.
She was dressed in a white, satin blouse with bishop sleeves up to her elbow, tucked into a navy-blue, a-line, skirt that draped to her ankles. The outfit was paired with blocked heels of the same shade of blue and, overall, it was her take on the era’s style of evening dresses – it was thanks to Tally and the ladies that Thea hadn’t steered too far away from the current trends when she had placed the order for the clothes through owl delivery. Tom had been the one to fund her purchases too, citing that every bit of gold that he had earned through selling the basilisk’s venom and shedding were as much hers as his.
“The vault wouldn’t have existed if it hadn’t been for you, love. You have full reign over it as much as I do. I’ll request for another key for you the next time I visit Gringotts.”
That had earned him a solid kiss that had heated up and lasted a good couple of minutes in an alcove hidden behind a tapestry that had coincidentally been there at that moment as they walked from the library to dinner – they might have had also put up a human-repelling charm when they had realised that they had not intended to stop anytime soon.
“I’ve yet to put on blush and you’re already pink. A sickle for your thoughts?”
“Hm?” Thea snapped out of her thoughts and refocussed her vision that was looking into the vanity mirror, smiling sheepishly at Walburga. “Sorry, was just thinking about Tom.”
Walburga let out an audible sigh of delight at the romantic notion while Druella snickered teasingly, “I reckon you won’t need any blush tonight then, seeing as you’ll be with Loverboy the entire time.”
When Thea couldn’t deny that, Walburga settled on dusting her cheeks only very lightly with colour.
As time ticked closer to half-past-six, Thea became more frenzied as she recited tips and pointers that Druella and Walburga had taught her in their past lessons on tackling high society. Strings of words left her unceasingly, from dining etiquette to notes on the perfect posture, and the other women watched as she paced around the room. “You know, if you’re this frazzled over a casual meeting, I wonder how you’d be for the Christmas party next time.”
The disdain that dripped from Druella’s tone when she had spoken of the muggle holiday didn’t even register in Thea’s brain as her face fell at the realisation. “Even more socialising- oh, Helga, help me.”
“You’ll be fine,” Walburga reassured as she stepped towards Thea to place her hands on her shoulders to stop the pacing. “Your manners are already impeccable and it’s just dinner! You’re already familiar with most of the attendees and the boys will interfere if, ever, anything happens.”
Thea took a huge breath in. “The boys will be there. I won’t be alone. Tom will be there. I’ll be alright.”
“Exactly!” Druella pitched in brightly from where she sat on the edge of her bed. “You’ll do so amazingly that you won’t even know why you had been worrying in the first place!”
Thea gave a wavering grin of gratitude and sighed to rid herself of her nerves. Walburga tapped her shoulder twice in support. “Clock’s ticking, dear. Time to head out.”
They made their way to the common room together where the boys had been waiting. Thea’s eyes zeroed on Tom the moment she saw him and the rest of the world was a blur compared to the fond smile on his face as his eyes ran a course down her body in appreciation. Her breath stopped at the charming sight of him decked out in a black blazer over his dress shirt and pants, and the small bouquet of tall blue flowers in his hand that happened to match her skirt.
Her heart had gone from beating harshly with nerves to skipping with every beat in love; he had never failed to create a space that she felt safe in.
Their hands reached for each other once they were close enough and Tom was first to voice his thoughts out softly. “You look absolutely stunning, love.”
Her voice was airy, still, as she returned the sentiment. It was clear, by the looks of her infatuated eyes, that she had meant her compliment sincerely.
Thea then took the bouquet from his grasp when he had brought it up between them and had nudged it towards her. The fresh floral scent easily intertwined with the perfume Walburga had lent her and she could have fainted in the spot when Tom explained his reasoning to gift her the particular flower. “Delphiniums; they represent grace which reminded me of you and your paper cranes.” Then, his hand cradled her face gently, “and so did its beauty remind me of you and your heart; so beautiful and lovely.”
“Oh, Tom…” She was convinced that she looked utterly lovestruck but felt no shame in it for Tom was looking at her in the same way. She looked down to the flowers and released his hand momentarily to caress the petals tenderly. “They’re wonderful.”
“I’m glad you like them.” Thea hummed as she admired the bouquet a moment longer before glancing around the room. “What’s wrong?”
“Just looking for a vase.” Then, with a disappointed frown, she continued, “I can’t exactly bring it with me to dinner, sadly.”
Walburga then appeared next to them, having seen the troubled look on Thea’s face. “There’s a vase in my room, I can handle it for the meantime until you return?”
A grateful smile took over Thea’s lips. “Oh, that would be lovely! Thank you!”
“No problem, dear. They’ll be in safe hands.”
Thea handed the flowers off to Walburga but before the latter could leave the couple to their privacy, Thea quickly cut in, “oh, wait-” She scanned the arrangement briefly before picking one of the more sparsely bloomed stems of Delphinium to take out from the bouquet. With concentration, she waved her wand over the single stem, which then proceeded to float and shrink as it wrapped itself around her left wrist. “There we go! I can at least bring one with me this way!”
She twisted her arm to ensure that the bracelet wouldn’t fall off as she re-pocketed her wand, before looking back up to Tom whose dark eyes had intensified. She barely registered Walburga stepping away, enraptured in the emotions that swirled in his vision, and her heartbeat echoed in her ears when he took her left hand to plant a lasting kiss on her wrist, just above the flowers. A whisper left him and touched her hand when he parted, loud enough for just her to hear, “my love.”
Two simple words that conveyed more than its semantics. The heat in his gaze as he had said it complemented the flames he had ignited in her blood. Dear Merlin, she could stare at him all day.
Alas, time was not in their favour and they had to let their feelings simmer lowly in their hearts. They all bade goodbye to Druella and Walburga and, with Thea and Tom in the lead, headed for Slughorn’s office which had been redecorated and refurnished to hold a large, circular dining table, surrounded by twelve chairs. Thea’s nerves had started to bubble again once she had greeted the professor, and Tom knowingly took her hand in his after they had settled in their seats.
Tom sat opposite to Slughorn with Avery, Rosier, and Nott to his right, while Thea sat on his left, followed by Mulciber and Lestrange. Besides the seven of them, there were two Ravenclaws, one Gryffindor, and one other Hufflepuff in attendance. Electricity sparked in the air when Thea locked eyes with Marielle Olwen for a split millisecond that went unnoticed by everyone else; years of sharing a room together meant that they could play the tension between them and have it dance around just out of reach for others to note.
It was only once the table had filled with occupants that Slughorn commenced the gathering by introducing each person to the table. When it came to Thea’s turn, her cordial smile turned humble when the professor mentioned her to be the- “-person who has evaded my invitations so far! We are pleased to finally have you here, Miss Grace! Do share, what had changed your mind?”
Having anticipated the query, she tackled her first test cautiously – Helga, she hoped for the best. “Thank you for the kind words, professor. As for your question, well, my friends – Druella and Walburga – have been helping me familiarise myself with the social world. I haven’t had much practice over the years, you see, but I thought that I could manage it this time because I’ll have my dear ones with me.”
“That’s wonderful! I can see that they hold you in as high of a regard as well, Miss Grace, Tom especially!” A quick glance to Tom, who had been looking at her tenderly as she had spoken, was enough to brighten her demeanour which she suspected was noticeable to the room. “Why, I’m glad that you have found such dependable friends in my house! Although, it does make me wonder, do you not view your fellow Hufflepuffs with the same sentiment, Miss Grace?”
Eyes darted to Olwen to gauge her reaction but she only gave an innocent smile that revealed nothing. Thea, herself, looked at her roommate casually as she gave a half-lie she had rehearsed. “Oh, I hadn’t meant to suggest bad blood in our house! They’ve been nothing but lovely ever since I was sorted into Hufflepuff! It was just awful timing on my part to attempt befriending them; I was always busy with my studies back in the early years that, by the time I had realised in third year that it had been costing me my social life, cliques and strong friendships had already been established that I hadn’t wanted to interfere with as it might ruin their balance.”
Just as she thought, Olwen played along with her words unhesitatingly and shared a look of faux regret. “Oh, we hadn’t meant to stop including you, Thea! We understood that academics was important to you and figured that we shouldn’t disturb you when you were so concentrated! Undoubtedly, I’m relieved that you’ve explored out of your comfort zone and have found good people to share your moments with. Do know, we’re always open for more than just quick chats! It’d be wonderful to make up for lost time.”
Pretending to be touched by the lies, Thea held her pounding heart and sported a grateful look as she promised to not be a stranger. No one seemed to have caught onto the sharpness of their discourse and Slughorn looked at them with pride. “Oh, that was beautiful! Indeed, the houses are meant to be your families in Hogwarts and I’m happy to see that it is still the case now.”
They eventually moved past Thea onto the next person after a couple more remarks from Slughorn about her academic achievements. As they talked, even once the food had graced their plates, Thea found it easier to keep herself calm and at ease. The choice of cutleries for different types of food came naturally to her – thanks to the ladies, of course – and she only had to remind herself a couple of times to straighten her back properly. By the time the topic had fallen onto her again, her heart had only given a slight jump at the attention and her words could escape her more freely and genuinely.
Slughorn had asked Tom of his future plans and the boy had turned to Thea and added, at the end of his reply, with his hopes of achieving it all beside her. That had prompted the potions master to question the nature of their relationship and Tom assuredly responded with, “lovers, of course.”
“Oh, it gladdens me that you’ve found love in each other! I knew from the first potions practical that something marvellous would bloom between you; I have simply never seen two people working together with as much efficiency as you two!” Slughorn shared his joy that the couple had not let their relationship distract them from studies to which Thea reassured him that, if anything, she had found even more will to aim higher with Tom’s encouragement. He then expressed his confidence in Tom’s ability to treat her right and cherish her, to which, Tom had responded with serious devotion.
“Thea has graced me with her care and there is nothing that could stop me from giving her everything she deserves and more.”
Gosh, was it hard for her to not snatch him away into the nearest empty room to claim him for the entire night. She swore to herself that she would get her fix of him tonight no matter what – or so, Helga help her – and her respite thankfully came after the dinner.
Once they had given their word to attend the Christmas party that Slughorn would throw before the winter break and had left the office, Tom had invited her to a walk outside in the grounds as the night was still young. Thea had, unquestionably, accepted his idea and the two were now strolling under the starry sky towards the greenhouses by the Black Lake.
“How are you feeling?”
Thea breathed in the crisp air and exhaled in relief of a successful night of socialising. “Amazing! The food had been good and the talks had gotten easier as the time had gone on. I’d say that everything had been spectacular! Oh- perhaps, besides that one part with Olwen.”
His grip on her hand tightened slightly for a moment. “If I hadn’t seen you clenching your hands harshly on your lap, I wouldn’t have noticed anything wrong in your exchange with her.” She met his eyes when he looked to her, catching the concern in his gaze. “Is everything alright in your house?”
A hint of bitterness now touched her smile and she admitted, “not quite as we make it seem. I’ve been at odds with her since early in first year and it’s apparently sacrilegious in Hufflepuff to dislike a fellow badger – something about loyalty and betrayal. Most of them have no idea what had placed me and Olwen against each other in the first place but they’re more than happy to go along the narrative that I’m in the wrong simply because she has friends.” A frown now decorated her lips as she spoke vulnerably into the air, stopping in her steps when the pair had reached a picnic table towards the edge of the land and turning to face Tom. “I’m fairly sure she – or someone – had spread false stories about me too; I’ve heard more than my fair share of questionable gossip from the ‘puffs.”
Tom’s eyebrows furrowed and his lips mirrored hers, the first flicker of anger sparking in him. “What had pitted you against one another that early into Hogwarts?”
Thea shot a disdainful glance to the side, “she had been telling a story about how she had made friends with another firstie on the train to Hogwarts, but had unabashedly thrown the poor girl away when she had been sorted into Slytherin. I had called her out on her prejudice and she hadn’t received that very well. An eleven year-old’s grudge is sometimes stronger than rock, it seems, and I suppose it only strengthened her resolve to treat me horribly when I started hanging out with you and, eventually, the others too. Snarky remarks, a hex here and there; childish acts, really.”
Tom’s blood was thrumming violently and Thea could see by his clenched hand and the dangerous glint in his eyes that he was fighting a losing battle to not storm into her dormitory and curse Olwen to hell and back. She took both of his hands and placed them on her waist, thereby forcing him to handle his physical reaction with care, and cradled his head with her own hands, directing him to face her and meet her eyes strongly. His lips had been pressed into a firm line and she pressed her thumbs into his face muscles to relieve his jaw of the tension it had been held under. She could glimpse into his conflicting emotions through his composure; vengeful fury at Olwen, shame for showing such raw outrage in her presence, and love – always love – for her.
For Thea to hold him so lovingly and carefully even when he had been one second away from exploding- Salazar, how could his heart not relent?
Tom closed his eyes and took a quivering breath in as he found his footing, letting his rage go in exchange for sensing her gentle touches on him and the feel of her body under his fingertips. She’s alright, she’s here, she’s safe. The mantra repeated over and over again in his head, trying to convince himself that she was more than capable to deal with her troubles and that she was happier than ever even without her house’s support. As if she could read his mind, when he had opened his eyes and had looked at her in apology for nearly losing himself, she simply gave a sweet smile that pulled at his heartstrings.
“That’s alright- you’re alright. And so am I. Their thoughts and opinions of me mean nothing to me when I have you and everyone else with me. They hardly deserve your time and efforts, nor mine, and I’m happy without them now.”
Now, she had said. The idea of her having to deal with her sorrow and loneliness for the past five years stabbed Tom straight in the chest and he could feel himself about to spiral into his wrath again. Swiftly, before he could unwittingly lose himself fully, he leaned in and pressed his lips against Thea’s to overwhelm his senses with her. Thea was more than willing to distract him with the kiss and met his fervour easily. It did catch her off-guard, however, when they had to pulled away for air and he swerved to plant a kiss on her neck. Her breath grew heavier with every peck he left on her skin as he made his way down before pausing when he had reached her top. She heard him curse her clothes spitefully and laughed breathily, relevelling his head with hers to catch him into another kiss which he was all the more eager to return.
Later, when they found themselves sat on the bench, with their backs against the table as they stared up at the glimmering night sky, Tom spoke resolutely, “you’re not going back there.”
Bemused, Thea squeezed his hand reassuringly. “I live there, love.”
Not swayed, he continued, “you can always stay with me. The bed is big enough for the both of us. Otherwise, we could always transfigure it bigger.”
“My things are there.”
“We’ll relocate them to mine.”
“And you don’t mind it if people talk?”
“I can always shut them up if needed.”
Thea chuckled breezily and nudged her head against his shoulder, hooking her chin over it to look up at him dreamily. “We can’t do that for the entire year, my love.”
“Why not?” Tom had said with the slightest semblance of a pout on his lips. When she remained determined in her resolve, he sighed in defeat. “At least tonight.”
She smiled affectionately at the lengths he would go to for her, even under the restrictions of the law and common sense, and nuzzled further into his side. “Just tonight.”
When they returned to Slytherin’s common room, their friends were all there, deep in conversation as they were scattered around the couches with the vase of Delphiniums standing prettily on the coffee table.
“Oh, hey! Here to pick up your flowers?”
At Druella’s words, Thea smiled sheepishly and shot a pointed look at Tom. “No, I- uh… I may be staying with Tom tonight?” When Tom raised an eyebrow at her, ignoring all the gasp and scandalous looks they were receiving from the others, Thea yielded and repeated, “I am staying with Tom tonight.”
When Walburga flushed and started stuttering in a rare show of her unguarded self, Avery quickly intervened, “what do you mean?!”
They settled down on the loveseat by the fireplace and launched into an explanation before any ridiculous accusations could revolt against them. Thea had to calm the masses once they had learned of the truth behind her relationship with her house which had ended up with everyone agreeing to Tom’s idea. Druella had even volunteered to lend Thea her clothes and necessities for the night and the next day so that she wouldn’t need to wake up earlier to sneak back into her house. Too caught up in ensuring that Thea would be treated in the best way possible to counter for all those years of being trashed about by her own housemates, it didn’t occur to any of them that Thea could merely stay with either of the ladies to avoid any impropriety – not that the couple would be breaching any moral conducts tonight.
That led to where Thea was now, snuggled up to Tom in his bed, under the covers of a privacy spell on top of the drawn curtains, dressed only in a modest two-piece pyjama.
Once she had stopped shifting in place to find the cosiest way to cuddle into Tom, a content smile lifted her lips up adorably that Tom failed to withhold himself from petting her hair. “Comfortable?”
“Very. And you?”
“With you here? How could I not?”
She grinned widely and pressed a kiss onto his chest where she could reach without having to move away from her snug position. “Goodnight, love”
“Goodnight, my love.”
Never had Thea felt so safe to fall asleep in Hogwarts before.