Damian Nott was covered in scars. From the little ones, that one could hardly see to those that could be seen even from afar.
Penny Haywood knew the stories behind each of them, from the small one on his lip that he got when he was five and fell off the toy broom to the big one that covered his chest. The one he got protecting his mother against the monster that was his father.
He was also deafened by rumors. The type of rumors that spread around easily, creating thousands of masks for one person only.
She knew each of them, lies and lies that kept spreading as truth. She often wondered how people could spread falsehood that easily.
To Hogwarts’ teachers, Damian Nott was nothing more than his brother’s legacy: as powerful as Jacob, maybe even more, brilliant and capable in every subject. To Hogwarts’ students, he was cold as ice. They never saw him smile, his eyes always unreadable. He looked unreachable and untouchable.
To Penny Haywood, Damian Nott was nothing less than a hero: a knight in shining armor, always ready to protect those who needed him. To her, he was as warm as fire in winter and as the sun during summer. She could easily read his thoughts through his eyes; she’d often see him smile at her, only when he thought she wasn’t looking.
Truth to be told, she was always looking at him. The first time she noticed him, he was in the courtyard, standing still as he watched Ben Copper and Rowan Khanna laughing, allowing himself to smile a little. She had heard of him, of his mad brother, of his attitude and his tendency to spend his time alone; but looking at him, even from afar, she thought of how the rumors were different from her vision.
It took her months, to talk to him. He was a star student, outstanding in everything and, although her reputation as most popular of her year helped her built confidence, she was nervous at the mere idea of finally knowing if rumors were true. Turns out, they weren’t. He wasn’t the big and scary boy that everyone told her he’d be, no. He was just a boy, an introverted one for sure, but still a kind and gentle soul.
Penny Haywood had never been happier, when she learnt that he counted her as his friend and as the years passed, she became proud of being called his best friend. But as she grew up, mixed feelings showed up.
The first time Penny found herself jealous of Damian, was in the fourth yeas while preparing the decoration for the Celestial Ball. She had eavesdropped a conversation among two of her housemates, talking about him and how he looked cute and how they hoped for an invitation from him. She had to stop herself from telling them that he was hers. And that’s when realization hit her: she was jealous of her best friend and not in a friendly way. In the end, Damian chose her over anyone else. “You are always my first choice, Haywood” he said, a smirk on his lips when she blushed.
The first time, Penny realized that her little crush developed, turning into love, was in the fifth year. She screamed at Damian, told him that it was his fault if her sister was stuck in a portrait, that he wasn’t a hero, but a curse and that she hated him.
She realized her mistake in the very same moment she stopped screaming, she hadn’t noticed tears coming down her cheeks, until he gently wiped them off, telling her how he was sorry and that he’d bring her sister back. She noticed the determination in his eyes as she tried to apologize, but nothing came out of her mouth; with a kiss on her forehead, Damian disappeared from her sight, for months. And when the curse was broken, her sister again safe in her arms, she saw him again in the Hospital wing, his eyes closed as Madame Pomfrey cured the wounds that would leave new scars on his body. And for the second time, realization hit her: she loved him and the last time she spoke to him, she yelled words full of hatred she never possessed. She allowed herself to cry on his bed, asking him to wake up as she expressed, between sobs, her love. In the end, Damian woke up two weeks after freeing Beatrice. “Did you really think I’d die so easily Haywood? No, I’d never leave you like that” he said, the same old smirk as she couldn’t help but blush. “You’re the king of idiots Nott, you know that?”, she waited for his answer, blushing harder when it arrived “Then, let me make you my queen, how about that?” and it was so cheesy most people could believe he was just kidding, but in his gaze nothing more than love.
The first time, Penny told Damian that she loved him was after a fight at the beginning of their sixth year. They were in one of the old classrooms, it wasn't the first time they had argued, that happened often in their years at Hogwarts, but it was the first fight that ended with silence. She had watched him leave the classroom, finally understanding the rumors about his eyes being unreadable. For the first time, he was cold to her as he was to everyone else, and she had barely managed to fight back the tears. In the end, Damian came back offering her his hand, guiding her outside the classroom. "You look beautiful even when you cry Haywood, but I'd rather see you smile you know?"
She had stopped, forcing him to do the same. "I love you." she didn't dare to look at him until he gently held her face in his hands and a soft "I love you too" escaped his lips.
Damian Nott was covered in scars, starting with little ones, just like the one on his right hand, ending with bigger ones, like the ones he had on his back. He hated them, he really did.
Penny Haywood knew all the stories about his scars, loved each one of them. She would kiss the ones on his hands when he was upset and the others that covered his body when they were alone.
Damian was deafened by rumors and Penny knew them all, proud to be one of the few that knew they were lies. To Hogwarts’ student, he was nothing more than a piece of ice and Penny loved being the only one to experience his warmth.
And if she thought that she couldn’t be happier being his best friend, she loved being his girlfriend.
In the end, Damian smiled at her while she was looking at him. “You’re the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, Haywood” he said, again with a smirk while she blushed.
“Will you ever stop calling me Haywood?” and again this time, his answer only made her blush harder. “Yes, when the time comes, I’ll call you Nott”.