Chapter 26
Leaving aside the totally nonsensical mountain of tasks they were assigned every day, things were falling into place. Or at least they were until Blaise interrupted the conversation he was having with Ginny, yelling at her that Mr. Nott had picked up Theo that night without anyone noticing.
Daisy's breath caught in her chest, frightened at what her fiancé was going through at that moment. Repressing her emotions, the girl ran away from her friends, heading for Dumbledore's office and praying that her plan would work. Gritting her teeth and keeping the tears from falling, she repeated to herself to remain vigilant so she could act promptly. She would have her emotional breakdown once she made sure Theo was safe.
Repeating the password her brother had said with amusement the first night he began "lessons" with the principal, the Hufflepuff walked through the door of the man's office without knocking. Although she felt guilty, she could not help but think that there were more important things at the time than education.
" Miss Potter, why don't you sit down? " the principal asked, seeming genuinely concerned about her state. " Have a lemon candy dear, you look like you are about to faint. "
" I have to go home. " she said, resolute. " If you won't let me, I will leave school forever. No matter how much I love magic, there are more important things for me. "
" Mr. Nott came yesterday to pick up his son, calling it an emergency. " The man reported to her, apologizing for not being able to stop him from taking him away. Ignoring the girl's shocked look, not expecting the principal to be aware of their relationship, he added, " I am sure he will be in very good hands once he arrives at your home. However, please tell your parents to call me if they need Poppy's attention, yes? "
Daisy could only thank Dumbledore before using the floo powder to get to Grimmauld Place. Sirius and Remus, who were in the living room at the time, panicked when they saw her. Both adults were terrified something had happened to her brother, and judging by the way she looked at the time, she could not blame them for the misunderstanding.
After assuring them that Harry was all right, she added: " There will be things happening that you won't understand but please don't make any sudden gestures. I need you two. Can you put aside your judgments and questions for later? "
But Daisy could not sit down; she had to be alert so that she could catch up with Theo once he arrived. Ignoring her head suggesting that he might not make it to her, she began walking around the living room, biting her nails from anxiety.
It was the sound of an apparition that sent her godparents into a panic, who tried to hide her behind their bodies as they pointed their wands at the intruder. Daisy pushed them away, having no time for such nonsense when Theo stood a few steps away from her, agonizing.
Her sweet boy who, despite having gashes that made his face almost unrecognizable because of all the blood, tried to smile at her despite the pain he was feeling. Daisy ran to him, supporting his head so that he would not hit the floor, as soon as she realized that he was about to collapse. He could no longer support his weight, exhausted and in pain.
With his head on Daisy's lap, Theo grimaced while turning his head toward her so he could look into her face. " I kept my promise. " he added, forcing every word out of his lips. Even combined in that state he tried to reassure her.
" You came back to me. " she concluded, giving him a light kiss on the forehead. She tried to steel herself, knowing she could be of no help if her emotions overwhelmed her. She repeated in her mind like a mantra, 'later you will allow yourself to cry,' and gritting her teeth Daisy tore off a piece of her shirt and wrapped it as tightly as possible around Theo's right arm. She hoped that those little notions she had glimpsed as a child on television might save her boyfriend's life. The improvised bandage seemed to do nothing while blood continued to gush from the large cut running down his forearm. He was losing too much blood and Daisy was terrified at the mere prospect that he might not make it. " Don't strain yourself. I'll take care of you. "
" I'll call Poppy. " Remus said, shocked at the appearance of the boy he had taught a few years earlier.
" Honey, let him go so I can take care of him while we wait for Madam Pomfrey. " said Sirius, speaking to her as if she were a frightened animal who would attack anyone who dared to pull him away from their mate. And he probably wasn't wrong. She found that description accurate.
" I'm not leaving him. " she denied, vehemently.
" All right. " he said, understanding. He stood beside her and pressed his lips together as he did a diagnostic examination of the boy's body. When the school nurse arrived, he told her about the remnants of the Cruciatus curse, the perforated spleen, definitely caused by kicking judging by the numerous bruises on his sternum. one arm broken while the other had a large cut through it. He did not comment on the scratches that filled half of his face, sure there was no need.
" Let me work. " Poppy ordered them, as she knelt on the floor so she could attend to the boy.
Daisy began to scream as Sirius forcefully lifted her away so that the nurse could work freely without anyone getting in her way. Both men had tears in their eyes while holding the girl who kept begging them to turn her back, shattered at the mere prospect of leaving the boy alone. When that didn't work, she began hitting Sirius' back trying to break free from his grip.
" Daisy, that's enough now. " Remus said in a firm tone, shocking her to the point of shushing her. Never in all the time she had known the man had he addressed her in that tone of voice, and Daisy could not help but turn her full attention to him.
" I hate you. " she announced, her lip quivering as she looked at the door behind which Theo stood.
" You don't. " Sirius replied. He wiped away the tears that stained her cheeks flushed from screaming and gave her a small, encouraging smile.
" Don't be afraid, Poppy will take excellent care of him. " Remus promised her, stroking her back.
The two men led Daisy into the kitchen, positioning her between them and hugging her while she let her tears fall. The dam had officially broken and she could not help but blame herself for the state Theo was in at that moment.
" Don't talk such nonsense. " Sirius said, rocking her against his chest as she gave vent to all those intrusive thoughts that threatened to send her into a spiral. " Everything will be all right, won't it Remus? "
" Yes. " promised the other man, mirroring Sirius' grieving gaze as they watched their little girl break apart in their arms.
It was only a few hours later, when Poppy allowed them to return, that they found the boy lying on one of the couches while Madam Chips was applying an acrid-smelling green ointment to his facial wounds.
" It will take a few more hours for the bone to return to its place, and he needs a lot of rest. " she explained to them, giving a worried look to Remus who was looking at the boy's disfigured face angrily. " I left notes where I recommended everything he should take once he regains consciousness and how long he should follow the instructions given. Call me if anything seems to be going wrong. "
" Thank you Poppy. " smiled Remus at the woman.
" You don't need to worry, dear. " she replied, casting a glance at Sirius before entering the fireplace. She took a handful of flpp powder and turned a smile to the man who had been under her care since childhood. " I am happy to see that you have let love into your life. "
" Why don't we take him to a bed? The couch is not the best place to recover. " proposed Sirius, ready to levitate him to one of the guest rooms.
" In my room. " Daisy directed them, ignoring the horrified looks of her godparents.
" I think he would rest better in a quieter room. " said Sirius, seeking the other adult's support in the room. " Maybe far away from your room. "
When Daisy did not give in to Sirius's nonsense, Remus decided to take matters into his own hands. He was the least likely to scream in such a situation even though internally his wolf was not happy that one of what he considered his pups was having an affair. The man found himself agreeing with the sentiment: Daisy was too young to be in a relationship. To him she would always remain the little girl who kept squealing with delight every time he visited her.
" We should talk about it sometime. " sighed Remus, defeated.
" About what? " she asked, sitting down next to Theo and brushing his hair from his forehead. He seemed to be in pain even in his sleep, and this was tearing at the girl's heart.
" About the fact that you have a secret boyfriend who materialized out of nowhere in our house. Which I would like to remind you should be impossible. " blurted out Sirius, crossing his arms over his chest.
" I gave him a portable portkey. " explained Daisy, happy to have given that gift. " Can we postpone the yelling about him being a Slytherin until later? "
" We are not angry about this. " Remus reassured her. " Dorcas, Marlene's girlfriend, belonged to Slytherin and was a valued member of the order and our friend for years. "
" Of course, you could have chosen better. " said Sirius, smiling when Daisy replied that she couldn't find better in all the world. " If he takes care of you, then I have no objection. "
" We take care of each other. " she whispered, gently brushing her fingers over Theo's scarred cheek and smiling when she saw him move toward her in his sleep, seeking her touch. " Although I would have preferred to introduce you to my fiancé in a more normal way. "
" Boyfriend. " Remus corrected her, getting nervous at the sound of the word. Sirius, who seemed equally thunderstruck at the sound of the word, still had to bite his lip to keep from laughing at the pained look on the face of what would become his husband.
" Fiancé. " she insisted, biting her lip at the look of horror across the men's faces when they realized she wasn't joking. After that, terror became poorly concealed anger, and Daisy made it worse by admitting that she was engaged long before they were. She knew that her big mouth would get her into some irreparable trouble sooner or later.
" No. " Remus said. As much as his eyes and enhanced senses could tell how much the little girl was in love, he refused to let go his little girl.
" It will totally work. " huffed Daisy, rolling her eyes. " Look, I won't change my mind because I know for sure that he is the only person I will ever want next to me. "
" You just had to inherit this annoying trait from James, didn't you? " huffed Sirius, with tears in his eyes. " That annoying idiot proclaimed undying love to your mother from the moment he saw her, and he wasn't wrong at all. "
" Is he good for you? " Remus asked, trying not to totally freak out. He was going to destroy something with Sirius later, in the privacy of their room.
Daisy just nodded, returning her attention to the boy who was moaning in pain. Opening his eyes, he smiled lazily while watching his fiancée totally squirm over him not knowing what to do to keep from hurting him.
" You are a real idiot Theodore Nott. " she scolded him, clenching her fists so as to prevent herself from hitting him in the chest knowing that he was full of injuries that had yet to heal.
" You want to hit me, don't you? " he whispered, watching in amusement as the girl's knuckles turned white from the excruciating grip.
" Fuck you. " said Daisy, looking away so he wouldn't see her crying. " You scared the hell out of me. "
" Okay, no. " he said, trying to sit up and failing. " Merlin, could you lean over here so I can touch you? I can't lift myself up. "
Daisy looked at him uncertainly before lying down beside him. Theo, pulled her close to him, placing her head on top of his chest and ignoring the sounds of protest she made, afraid to hurt him. However, the ongoing struggle ended as soon as Daisy heard Theo's heart beating steadily. A heartbreaking sob escaped Daisy's lips as she realized how lucky she had been not to have lost him a few hours ago.
Theo held her tighter to him, ignoring the pain he felt at the action. He simply looked up at the ceiling, releasing the tears that he had been holding back all that time as well. As they both comforted each other, letting go of the suffering and fear they felt, Sirius and Remus silently left the room shaken by the touching scene they had witnessed. They might have disagreed about the surely rushed proposal, but it was impossible to deny the affection these two felt.
" Tell me who did it and I will kill them all. " Daisy spoke against his chest once she had calmed down.
" As much as I am sure you can do it, I would not want to risk losing you. " Theo said, leaving her a kiss on the top of her head. After a moment of silence in which they basked in the warmth of their bodies pressed together, the boy asked the question that terrified him. " How horrible is it? "
" You were in bad shape. " she whispered, repeating the full diagnosis Sirius had made and reassuring him when she saw him wince at the mention of the scratches on his face.
" Am I unwatchable? " he asked, afraid to ask for a mirror.
" You look perfect. " she said, admitting no objection. As she put the ointment back on him, following the nurse's instructions, she asked the boy if he felt like talking about what had happened to him.
" He wanted me to get the mark as a birthday present. " he said, wincing at the mere prospect. " When I refused, he tried to use the Imperius curse on me. He wanted to force me to be the perfect son he desired. It didn't work because all I was thinking about was coming back to you. "
" And you did. " she reassured him, laying a tender kiss on his lips before wrinkling her nose at the smell of the cream.
" He was furious when I disfigured my arm so I couldn't get the mark. It was a statement that my father didn't like very much so he broke my other one in retaliation. " Theo said, closing his eyes at the memory of his own father hurting him like that. " I knew he didn't love me but I thought he cared enough about me to allow me to leave. I was wrong, of course. He came back bringing with him Bellatrix and Greyback who took great pleasure in torturing me. I will never forget the smirk he had when Greyback scratched me. "
" Now you are at my place and they will have to go over my dead body before they hurt you again. " she promised, letting him cry as she gave vent to her anger and pain. She held him close as he screamed, cursing his father and asking her why he didn't think he was enough to love him. He wished he knew what was wrong with him.
" Loving you is as easy as breathing. " she said through tears, stopping the boy from pulling his hair. It was something he did when he was under a lot of stress and didn't have his cigarettes handy. " You worth much more than what your father has always led you to believe and I won't let you talk like that about my extraordinary boyfriend. "