Chapter 19
Dinner passed horribly for Daisy, feeling the absence of Cedric's company. She talked mostly with Susan Bones, a dorm-mate of hers, trying to distract her slightly. That summer her aunt was killed by some of Voldemort's followers, and the girl was terribly worried that she would be next on the list. Maybe she would leave some treats for her on the bed before she left the room. It wouldn't make her forget the pain she was feeling but the chocolate would make her feel better, even if momentarily.
After grabbing the invisibility cloak, she hurried to the dungeon where Theo was leaning against the wall with a cigarette in his hand. She approached him and waited for him to finish, grabbing his hand so that he would know of her presence. They remained with their fingers intertwined tightly, not wanting to break contact since there were no people in the hallway.
After getting rid of the cigarette, he signaled her to follow him inside. She watched as the boy's appearance changed again, becoming almost aristocratic in the impeccably cold manner in which he moved. He looked untouchable, the girl thought as she observed the great hall. She had always seen it empty, and she had to admit that it seemed more alive with all those people milling around, talking to each other.
" Theo, are you going to bed yet? " Daphne asked, dejected. " We were hoping we could all spend some time together. "
" I am tired. " he replied, looking at Blaise so he would understand the message. The boy, rolled his eyes and took Daphne in his arms, distracting her enough to pull them away.
Once in the room, Theo wasted no time and locked the door.
Getting in would have been impossible since a password was needed, but the boy preferred not to risk anyone discovering them. While he worked on increasing the security of his dorm almost maniacally, Daisy looked around trying not to think about how much the boy's alarmism had worsened since he had spent the vacations with his father.
The room, though it looked bare to the eyes of someone who didn't know Theo, was actually anything but. If you knew how to look closely, you could make out little bits of the boy scattered around.
The cigarettes spread all over the room made her smile because she could well imagine him wandering half-asleep looking for one of the packets early in the morning, grabbing the one closest to him. The books she had given him last year were well hidden among all those that lined the bookshelf, the photos of his closest friends were hanging on the wall behind the door so that they would be hidden from anyone he deemed unworthy of that part of himself. There were stuck between them various scribbles, sarcastic and irreverent phrases written on several scrolls in a messy way. It amused her how almost all of them contained some kind of expletive.
It was a mural of everything Theo was and she wanted to absorb every inch of it into her mind, never forgetting it.
Her eyes found one of the black ribbons she had used to tie her hair back on their first date set there in the middle along with other little things he had managed to slip off that reminded him of her. There were a million phrases she had said to him, but the thing that brought a smile to her face was a small piece of paper pinned "hates yellow" marked with a smiley face. She absentmindedly patted the slip of paper and continued to scan the myriad of papers, finding more little notes about her written all over them.
Hidden under a pile of them, hung carefully, was a picture of them that Theo had secretly taken. She could tell by the surprised look that appeared on her face when the flash hit her and then turned into an affectionate smile when the boy kissed her cheek. She still remembered the drama he put into that single kiss, making it as sloppy and loud as possible so as to annoy her.
While she continued to watch everything, overwhelmed, Theo had embraced her from behind, lowering himself enough to rest his head in the crook of her neck. " Have you finished your patrol? "
" Not yet. " she replied, admiring that masterpiece a little more. Theodore Nott might have been a sarcastic jerk, but he was one of the purest people she knew.
Daisy turned so quickly that she surprised the boy as she grabbed his face with her hands and pulled him into a searing kiss, hoping to convey at least an ounce of the love she felt at that moment.
" Wait. " he repeated a few times, pulling away quickly and laughing as the girl continued to fill his face and neck with kisses, preventing him from pulling away. " I need to tell you something important first. "
" Can't it wait? I really missed you a lot. " she grumbled, ignoring the amusement in the boy's gaze.
" I'll make it quick. " promised the Slytherin, kissing the tip of his nose before pulling away. He walked over to his bed and began digging through the nightstand drawer next to it, cursing when he had to empty it to find what he was looking for. Daisy snorted in amusement as she watched Theo spill the entire contents onto the comforter, losing his patience.
The Slytherin exulted while grabbing something and hiding it behind his back, preventing her from seeing what it was. " Do you trust me? "
" Not particularly when you have that creepy smile on your face. " she replied, trying not to laugh at the offended look he gave her in return. He was always dramatic and she loved every moment of it. " Well, what should I do? "
" Turn around and close your eyes. " he ordered, waiting patiently.
Noticing the clear excitement seeping out of the boy, Daisy didn't even attempt to ask for an explanation and obeyed. When she felt something brush against her neck, she instinctively moved her hand to check what it was.
" You are too impatient. " he huffed, although he was amused by the reaction and explained to her that it was her birthday present, even if it was late.
Daisy lowered her gaze and scanned with curiosity the necklace he had tied around her neck. It was silver, with a translucent stone with some celestial highlights set in the center. It was simple but at the same time impossible to miss. " You didn't have to get me anything. "
" I have to disagree with that. " Theo replied, watching the way she continued to gaze spellbound at the stone that seemed to change every time she turned it to a different position. " It is called moonstone. "
" Why this gift? " she whispered, knowing full well that every gift was planned down to the smallest detail. Everything had a hidden meaning, and she was slightly afraid to know what was going through her boyfriend's mind, especially when he seemed so unsure while thinking about how to answer her.
" Simple: it's a promise. " smiled Theo, almost blinding her by how much he seemed to glow with joy. All insecurity had vanished as he looked at her seriously. He had the look of someone who had solved one of the most difficult puzzles in the universe and was ready to announce it to the world. " As long as the moon continues to shine, illuminating the nights, you can count on my return. "
" What does it mean? " she asked, with tears in her eyes from the fear that she had misunderstood.
" It means that I am completely in love with you. " he announced, telling her about the terrible summer that passed. He had to listen to his father keep telling him everything he was supposed to do from age 17 on. He had decided how every part of his life would go. " Then I realized that you weren't contemplated in that life, and it devastated me. You, my dear, make everything better. So screw my father and screw his plans that will kill me if they don't get me to Azkaban. "
" No mark? " she said, as tears streaked her cheeks in relief. She still wouldn't abandon him if he joined Voldemort's ranks but she was glad she didn't have to watch him suffer while doing something he didn't want to do.
" No mark. " he confirmed, wiping away her tears and begging her not to cry.
" How do you expect me not to be emotional when you say things like that to me? " she said, shocked as she mouthed to him, repeating all the sweet phrases. " You are an asshole who gave me a promise necklace instead of a ring, after a year of knowing each other and without even asking me the correct question. In fact, you took my answer for granted and were absolutely vague about it. You are lucky that I know you well enough to understand what you say when you speak. "
" I know. And I'm just as lucky to know that asking you would have infuriated you. We both know you would have said yes. " He laughed, amused while filling her face with kisses. He absolutely loved when she yelled at him, trying to insult him but showering him with compliments without even realizing it. All he heard in her rant was the phrase I love you yelled at him and no one could say otherwise. " You love me for that too, don't you? "
" Obviously there's something wrong with me. " she muttered, letting out a little scream as Theo picked her up and pulled her with him onto the bed. Both of them were totally ignoring the heap of objects thrown next to their figures.
" I told you long ago that I belong to you. " Theo replied, looking intensely into her eyes.
" My parents will kill me. " she mumbled, trying to hide how happy she was at the mere idea of spending her entire life with the boy on top of her. " It continues to be the most absurd proposal I've ever heard. "
" Not so much a proposal as a statement. " Theo corrected her, almost vibrating with happiness. " As soon as we are the correct age to do so, I will marry you. "
" You are completely strange. " she said, attempting to kiss him but having to stop herself from the laughter of joy that kept escaping them both. Basking in the love they felt for each other, they both thought the same thing: no one could ruin that moment.
Suddenly the laughter died down and they stared at each other in silence. Later, Theo would gloat, claiming she had broken first while Daisy would claim otherwise.
It didn't really matter who made the first move because the moment their lips touched, they knew that something would happen that night that neither of them could forget.
That evening they looked at each other for the first time from a different aspect, savoring and caressing their bodies trying to learn what they loved, what they both liked. They catalogued every expression of pure enjoyment that showed up on their faces, repeating the action that provoked it until there was nothing left but moans in the thick air of the room.
They marked their figures with kisses and bites, trying to make the evidence of their love irrefutable as they let go of all shame.
Many times they had cried and screamed into each other's arms, but none of that compared to the vulnerability they felt in that moment. Under their tentative touches, they pleaded with gods they didn't even know, screaming their names as they let go in the bliss of the moment.
There was something breathtaking about seeing someone lose all inhibition because of their touch, to see them crumble in pleasure as they call out the name of the person they love in the hope that it will relieve that primal need they feel deep inside. And when that desire is satisfied, there is nothing left but the joy of being next to your loved one while the remnants of that pleasure make you feel as if you are floating.
" Magnificent. " whispered Theo reverently, shaking the sweaty hair from the girl's forehead and leaving a kiss there without the slightest hesitation.
" I'm sweaty. " she complained.
" Do you think a little sweat can stop me after we spent all night licking and touching... " said the Slytherin, groaning when the girl interrupted him by squeezing his thigh.
" Okay, I get it. " she laughed, blushing slightly at the memory of how much she had enjoyed doing something like that. She stroked the boy's hair, combing it back with her fingers and pulling lightly once she remembered how much he loved the gesture, smiling at the needy moan that escaped Theo. " My beautiful boy. "
" If you don't stop teasing, I can assure you we won't sleep for even an hour. " The boy said seriously, brushing her breast with his thumb and grinning as goose bumps covered her skin. " You are so responsive. " he whispered, thrilled at her reaction. He lowered his face against her chest and gently nibbled on one of her nipples, loving the sounds the girl was making.
" I hate you so much. " she gasped as she threw daggers with her gaze at the boy who had just pulled away from her body with a smirk.
" All I hear is 'I love you'. " hummed Theo, shushing himself when he saw the vengeful look on the girl's face.
Daisy kissed him gently, biting his lower lip and pulling him down slightly as she teased his member with her hand, delighting in the sounds that escaped the boy's throat despite the fact that their lips were connected. After that she pulled away and smiling sweetly at him, told him that she was tired.
" I have totally corrupted you. " he noted, without discussing the reversal of the situation. After all, he had started it and there was no point in complaining. He turned off the light, chuckling softly against Daisy's ear as he pinned her in his arms, preventing her from pulling away offended when he called her a viper as a joke.
" A wonderful viper. " Theo repeated, kissing her temple.
" You're impossible. " she snorted, rolling her eyes at the absurdity of the situation.
" You can say anything you want but I can hear you smiling from here. " he hummed, closing his eyes and intimating her to do the same. They needed sleep to face the return to classes the next day. They had all the time in the world for the rest.