#avalynlestrangewrites

[avalynlestrange]

Opposite

Mattheo Riddle x Reader

Reader: she/her pronouns, no house mentioned but are friends with the Slytherin Squad and Hufflepuff Faction <3

Warnings: swearing, mentions of underage drinking, implied sex-no smut. It’s literally a sentence- (Please let me know if I missed any)

Category: Angst, One-Shot, Songfic, ex-boyfriend, on and off relationship, jealousy, no use of y/n

Summary: In which Mattheo has a new girlfriend and she looks nothing like you.

So y'all are in Hogsmeade now? Guess it's public.  You recall what Annlynn looks like and note that she has a face like that other girl you're in love with. The one in that movie you both watched again and again since it was his favourite. You scoff. ‘You knew I would see that. You knew I would notice.’ You think to yourself.

Request: anon requested

Author’s Note: I hope this is to your liking <3

Word Count: <2k

To The Library (Main Masterlist) To The Kitchen (WIPs) To emails i can't send fwd: Anthology To more Mattheo Riddle fics

You are in the astronomy tower for your evening lesson, and you hear giggling next to you.

“Mattheo says I’m his type.”

Your ears prickle at the mention of his name. 

Oh, so you do have a type? And it's not me.

You brush off the memory of the argument you had with Mattheo the previous year when he would rather drink a shot than tell everyone at the party what his type was. That action stung even to the present day. You remember him defending himself saying that everyone knew you were his girlfriend and that he didn’t need to describe you. It still would have been nice to hear.

“He’s been writing to me all summer.” The same voice spills more tea to her friends.

Oh, so you can reply? Just to not me. 

All summer you had hoped that Mattheo would write to you taking back the harsh words exchanged in your heated break-up a few weeks before the holidays. You sent him a postcard from Paris saying you wished he was with you, but you never got a response. You didn’t think anything of it since it was just a postcard, and he never usually replies to them.

Ever since then, the closest you have ever had to talking was during potions where you asked him to pass the jar of bat wings.

That was a week ago.

You now hear the same group of voices ask about you, to which the girl responds, “He says he’s over her and wants something new. He’s so obsessed with my eyes.”

You can’t tell if she’s speaking loudly for your benefit, but you certainly know that she is aware of your vicinity now as Pansy swears at them and throws them the finger. You quickly grab your friend’s arm and gently move her away.

Despite your better judgement, you turn to look at the person speaking about your ex-boyfriend as you stride to the other side of the room.

‘If you wanted those colour eyes. I could have got contacts.’

“Ignore them. You deserve better anyways.” Pansy tries to reassure you. You nod in agreement, but you can’t shake the uneasiness you feel when you look at Mattheo and he’s looking at her.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

“Pass me the butter?” Daphne requests. 

Your head feels faint and wobble the butter dish nearly dropping the lid, and the whole butter itself, into Pansy’s hot chocolate.

“That’s not the dairy I want in my cup.” Pansy jokes. She takes the dish off your hands and passes it over to Daphne.

“You look like a panda. Are you feeling alright?” Tracey asks, taking a bite out of her breakfast. She calls your name when you don’t reply. 

Your eyes give the great hall a once over and notice that the person haunting your nights is not at his usual seat with his friends. 

“He’s on a date in Hogsmeade.” Informed Susan. “I heard Annlynn brag about it last night in the common room.”

You saw Pansy glare at Susan.

“What? Ow! Why did you kick me?” Susan reaches down to rub her hurt shin.

So y'all are in Hogsmeade now? Guess it's public. 

You recall what Annlynn looks like and note that she has a face like that other girl you're in love with. The one in that movie you both watched again and again since it was his favourite. You scoff. ‘You knew I would see that. You knew I would notice.’ You think to yourself.

“Guys it’s fine. His loss and besides she looks nothing like me.” You can't really tell, should you be tryna take it as a compliment? It's kinda feeling like the opposite. You see your friends look at each other and then at you.

“Yes girly! Let’s go shopping and show him what he’s missing!” Pansy hypes you up as she raises her teacup and you all clink.

“Hear hear!”

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

Browsing the racks in Galdrags Wizardwear, you have two outfits on hangers in your hands. You head over to the mirror stand by the shop’s main window frame and alternate putting the outfits in front of you. Your eyes look outside, and you catch them holding hands.

With the mirror in front of you, you couldn’t help comparing yourself and the girl he has in his arms.

‘She looks nothing like me. So why do you look so happy?’

Now you think you get the cause of it. He was holding out to find the opposite. From your hair to your eyes to your style. Even when you changed your hair because he said you looked better if you had it styled that way. It’s all the opposite of her.

And you know now, even if you tried to change that somehow, he’d end up with her anyway.

You snap out of your head when Megan scares you from behind. “You’d look cute in either.”

“Get both!” You hear Millicent from the other side of the room.

You smile and it fades when you lock eyes with Mattheo.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

He was with her longer than you thought they would be. It’s been weeks now. Gazing at the ceiling of your four-post bed, many questions swirl around your mind.

When you argue, does she say nothing so you feel good? When you’re at parties, does she step out of the spotlight so you bathe in it?  When you’re alone, does she get up on top of you more than I would? When you capture her in your sketchbook, does she just love the picture 'cause you're painting it?

“Are you coming?” Your dorm mate calls to you.

It’s the first official match of the year. Slytherin vs Gryffindor. Although you protested not attending and insisted you’d rather stay inside your friends won even though it’s a rainy November. 

You grab your umbrella and raincoat and tread your way to the quidditch pitch. The crowd in the stands were wild in anticipation. Susan beckons you to sit with them, and they’re all dressed devoid of house colours. 

The students cheered for every goal scored and every goal saved. You scream and laugh to your heart's content. The feeling is freeing, and the autumn showers subside. Whizzing brooms and bludgers make you forget about the one boy on the team playing that still held your heart.

At least not until the whistle blows and Mattheo flies toward your stand. The beat of your heart pounds fast in your chest. Is he going to whisk you away like that the first time you broke up? Then your heart falls heavy and your lungs dispel all the hope in your body as you watch him take off with her.

Only it wasn’t Annlynn. But they do have the same features. 

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

It was a bad idea from the start. Studying with your shared friendship circle. But you had missed him. The only time you ever get to interact with him was in group settings.

He was seated beside you for two hours. You’d ask him what he wrote for certain questions, and he’d reply politely. Like he was talking to a stranger, not an old friend. But you take it. You take whatever communication you could get.

You ask once more for his answer to a defence against the dark arts question however, before he could reply, his chair is pulled back, and a girl sits on his lap.

You look away at the public display of affection they share. The nib of your quill ruined by the pressure you place on it.

“Get a room!” You hear Blaise chuckle. 

You whip your head to see Mattheo standing, his arm wraps around her. “Let’s go Harper.”

“Get it boy!” Blaise winks at him. Mattheo shakes his head laughing.

They’ve all looked nothing like you. So why does he look so happy? He really must have been holding out to find the opposite.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

At the after-party for Slytherin’s win against Ravenclaw, all were present in the great hall. You fill up your cup with whatever fruit blend was in the punch bowl.

“Hey there! Care to Dance?” A quick glance at Mattheo and his date and you take the hand of one Anthony Goldstein.

You danced the night away and had nearly seven cups of the now alcoholic punch bowl, thank you Weasley twins. You tried everything to forget that Mattheo once again was with another girl who doesn’t resemble you. 

Throughout the night your eyes darted to Mattheo and his new girl. The only time their lips were apart was when he would take a swig out of his cup. Every time you saw them, you took a gulp out of yours.

Now, you weren’t drunk per se, but you were feeling a little dizzy after twirling and swaying to the music. You see them walk out of the hall and you couldn’t take it anymore. 

You decide to head outside for some air. You wipe a tear off your face with the back of your hand. 

Whilst opening the courtyard door, you bump into someone. You catch yourself on to the biceps of the person.

“Oh my! You must work out!” The words come out as easily as you sipped the alcohol that caused the bravery.

“Careful darling wouldn’t want your date to think you’re hitting on me.” At the sound of Mattheo’s voice, you curse quietly. You take your heels off and walk away. Footsteps seem to be following you.

“How is Goldstein?” Mattheo asks, pronouncing the name slowly, a hard expression on his face.

You sit on one of the stone arch windows. The cold surface cools you down slightly.

“Oh, he is fine as hell!” You glare at him and with bitterness in your voice you ask, “How is clone number 4?” 

You roll around a gobstone you find on the floor with your foot and kick it a bit too hard toward Mattheo.

“Her name is Maya. Why do you care anyway?” He kicks the stone back to you.

“I care but I don't!” Your volume is lower, your shoulders slouch, and your neck tilts downwards. “Just wondering when… all those times you… you said I'm beautiful. Was I being lied to?”

Looking up at him, you can’t tell if his expression is soft, or it is because your eyes are starting to water. When he says nothing, you carry on.

“She looks nothing like me. Can't really tell should I be tryna take it as a compliment? It's kinda feeling like the opposite.”

He takes a step forward and you hear him whisper your name. “You are the most beautiful girl I’ve ever known.”

You laugh scornfully. “Then why are you with her and not back with me?”

Mattheo runs his hands through his hair and holds them in his fists. “Because you were right!”

Your brows furrow. He continues, “Darling, I’m not good enough for you!”

“I have never said that!” 

Flashbacks to your argument run through your mind. It might have slipped out. You can’t remember. It was all a blur. You don’t even recall the reason why you broke up this time. Whatever was said you were sure you never meant it. You never meant to hurt him like this.

“But it’s true! You deserve more than what I can give you. You deserve the world darling.” He takes another step towards you.

You look up and his eyes meet with yours.

“I don’t want the world. I want you.”

That’s all it took for his walls to crash down as his lips crashes yours.

[avalynlestrange]

Foolish One

Theodore Nott x reader, Draco Malfoy x reader (Draco Malfoy x Pansy Parkinson in the background)

Reader: she/her pronouns, half-blood or muggleborn, no house mentioned, really loves sweets, desserts and kittens

Warnings: Toxic situationship, cheating, mentions of death, mentions of drinking

Category: Angst, unrequited love, best friends to lovers?, no use of y/n, short story, one-shot, songfic

Summary: In which you know you’re being foolish in liking Draco but will you finally learn your lesson? Theodore certainly hopes you do.

“Listen.” Theodore puts the book he was reading down to look at you and say, “Your cards are on the table, his are in his hands. Maybe you need to distance yourself. You’re just going to get hurt.” You ignore Theo and continue to think aloud, “Chances are, tonight, he’s already got plans.”

Author’s Note: This is my first ever fiction for a long time. Please be kind. English is not my first language and I’ve tried to proofread as best as I can.

Word Count: 6k

To The Library (Main Masterlist) To The Kitchen (WIPs) To Speak Now TV Anthology To more Theodore Nott fics To more Draco Malfoy fics

It was nearly the weekend. You had left Draco a note earlier this week in your usual secret spot to send each other messages but alas you had received no reply. Here you are on a Friday night, on the floor of an empty corridor, staring at a blank stone wall.

“Maybe he just hasn’t checked it yet.”

“Or he’s ignored it.” Your best friend, Theodore, replies.

“Maybe he hasn’t had time to read it alone.”

Theodore sighs, “This isn’t the first time he hasn’t responded to one of your little love notes.”

You toss a pebble your finger found across the hallway, and say, “It’s not his fault that his parents wouldn’t approve of me. He has to keep us a secret even to his circle.”

“Listen.” Theodore puts the book he was reading down to look at you and say, “Your cards are on the table, his are in his hands. Maybe you need to distance yourself. You’re just going to get hurt.”

You ignore Theo and continue to think aloud, “Chances are, tonight, he’s already got plans.”

You shuffle and lie down on his lap while he carries on trying to read his book. You turn your head to look along the corridor. No sign of Draco coming to find you.

“He’s probably at a party. Wasn’t there a friendly game of quidditch with Ravenclaw earlier Teddy?”

“I don’t know.”

“He must be at an after-party or some sort. Do you know if the Slytherins are throwing a party this evening?” You ask, gently moving Theo’s book away from his face.

“I don’t know.”

“You must do. You’re friends, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know.” His tone now has a hint of annoyance, lifting his book up once more.

“Okay then.” You huff. You decide to pick up your book. It wasn’t a rare activity, you and Theo reading together. Not always in the corridor. Often times in your dorm rooms. Often times in the common room. You were fond of each other’s company. It was something you’ve always done since you were children. Mr. Nott used to leave Theo at yours ever since Theo’s mother passed away. Your mother was a governess, and your family had a history of serving the Nott family.

It continued during your acceptance to Hogwarts. You both liked being one of the earliest students for breakfast to have a chance to read and eat and finding a spot in the library devoid of the sound of scribbling quills. The two of you sometimes even stay during the winter holidays as it was a lot more peaceful and merry than being at home.

You read in silence for a chapter and began talking again where you left off.

“Chances are he is at a party, and you know he hates it when I show up. Says it distracts him.”

Theodore groans.

And chances are you will talk yourself to sleep again.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

It was the next morning and there you were in the great hall. Preparing tea for Theo and yourself. Theo instinctively passes you the sugar bowl. 

“What are your plans for today then?” He asks as he pours a splash of milk into your cup.

“I’m not sure yet. We do have that essay due for History of Magic on Tuesday.” You say as you hear a group of people joining your table.

“Morning Nott.” Draco says as he sits down opposite you. He greets you a good morning by nodding your way.

“Good morning, Draco.” Your eyes quickly flicker up and down from him to your breakfast trying not to look Draco in the eyes. You could never look at the silver pair for too long and not blush, so you best kept your glancing to a minimum when you’re in a group setting. You find it difficult as you are sat directly opposite him.

Draco gestures to the sugar bowl next to your teacup and asks you, “Pass me the sugar.”

You feel your cheeks getting hot as his hands brushes against yours as you hand him his requested item. It’s little moments like this that make you forget when he fails to seek you out that week. You are reminded of his little nickname of ‘sweet thing’ for you during secret rendezvous in vacant classrooms.

Throughout breakfast, Draco chats normally to his crowd. Occasionally you see him with his eyes on you and you lock gazes for no longer than two seconds before looking away. His leg touches yours now and then.

He gives you just enough attention like this in public to keep your hopes too high. What’s more, is that you get these wishful thoughts that these moments could be longer and known by everyone. But wishful thoughts forget to mention when something's really not right and you will block out these voices of reason in your head.

And the voices say, ‘You are not the exception. You will never learn your lesson.’

You shake your head, physically shaking these voices out of your head.

“You okay?” Theodore asks.

You assure him and yourself that you are, with a weak smile.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

Later that day you briskly walk towards the loose stone that is your ‘Draco mailbox’ and pry it off, but like the day before: still nothing.

You hear a voice in your head telling you, ‘Foolish one. Stop checkin' your mailbox for confessions of love that ain't never gonna come. This will not end well. You will take the long way down.’

He knows how to keep you waiting. He did mention something about a group hang earlier during breakfast. Nevertheless, you know better than to show up when you weren’t directly invited. That happened one time during Summer last year when his group decided to celebrate finishing their O.W.L.s, and later that day Draco raised his voice at you in a broom closet for showing up uninvited claiming that the group might see it as suspicious. He, of course, apologised for shouting when he saw tears in your eyes, but you never got a single letter from him during the two-month break.

Yes, it’s best if you just waited for him to answer with a time and date. You sigh and walk to the library. You politely ask Madam Pince for a quill, ink, and parchment. She clicked her tongue at your lack of equipment but let you off this time since you are a prefect, and this was the first time you came to the library unprepared. With your head down you walk over to find the textbook you needed and sit at the nearest empty table.

You hear the stool next to you move and see a smiling Theodore.

“This seat taken?”

You shake your head, and he sits down. You continue to flip the book to a relevant page but don’t see that Theo was scanning your demeanour. His eyebrows furrowed. ‘This could only mean one thing’, he thought to himself. 

As if you could sense Theodore’s next question, you turn to him with a smile pasted on your face, “I am fine Teddy! Stop looking at me like that!”

You feign a giggle. You know how to act like you’re fine. You change the conversation and the afternoon felt lighter. Whispered jokes and snickers were exchanged for hours between you and the boy with the chestnut hair. It was always like that with Theo. He always knew how to brighten up your day. 

“Well thank you, Teddy. Now it’s nearly curfew and I’ve only written less than half a parchment.”

“Hey! You’re the one distracting yourself. I’ve written at least one piece.” You roll your eyes, grinning at Theodore tickling your nose with his quill. That’s when you see the scene. Draco walked past hand in hand with a red-faced Pansy Parkinson. Your eyes meet with Draco, and he quickens his pace out of your vision.

“That worthless pile of erumpent dung!” Theo curses. He knew this whole thing between you and Draco was wrong in the first place, but he never voiced his opinion so as to not come across as jealous. Merlin knows how Theo was, and is, very green and is slowly rotting on the inside.

But he loves seeing you beam when you talk about your dates, that he tunes out the details of your escapades and absorbs the beautiful shade of pink flush on your cheeks and glimmer in your eyes. At this moment in time, however, his heart aches at the sight of the scarlet pout of your lips and your eyes welling up. “I thought you two were on the same page of exclusively dating!”

“We… never actually agreed on anything like that. I… I don’t know what to call this situation.” You quickly roll your homework and inhale deeply to keep the tears at bay. There must be an explanation for the sight you had just witnessed.

‘But I know I can’t call you mine. So, I will grit my teeth and I will do my best to seem bulletproof.’ At the thought, another inhale, you suggest, “How about a butterbeer break?”

And Theodore can’t say no to that.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

That evening you couldn’t help but walk along the hallway you know like the back of your hand.  By instinct, you stop at the stone and spot that it was a little ajar.

‘Meet me at the boathouse at Midnight. - D’

There it was. You feel an emotion somewhere between merry and misery. You settle for nauseous and blame it on the six butterbeers you consumed earlier at the Three Broomsticks with Theo. You decide to start walking there now. A few hours of fresh air could be good. Yes. A breath of crisp autumn air is what you need to expel this uneasiness in your chest.

“You’re early.” You hear when you reached the doorway of the boathouse. Draco sat at the edge of the ledge, his bare feet in the water.

“I could say the same thing to you.” A little bitterness in your pitch.

He pats the space adjacent to him and you sit cross-legged. The air is cold and the rippling waters in front of you hypnotise your heartbeat to calm down.

You both start to say something, then cut each other off to ask the other to continue.

“It’s not what you think.” Draco pauses. “What you saw earlier in the library. Pansy threatened to tell my father about the secret girl I was seeing and that I was to take her to Hogsmeade and buy her all the sweets she wants from Zonko’s.”

He reaches for his robes.

“Here. I got this for you.” He passes you a bag wrapped with a ribbon. “Sweet things for my sweet thing.”

You thank him as you accept his gift. You start munching on the sweets and offer him some.

“Does she know it’s me?” Your voice is a little too wishful than you hoped it would come out.

“No! Thank Merlin! My father will have my head if he hears I’m not seeing a pureblood.”

It hurts a little when you hear him explain time and again why you have to be a secret. But it doesn't bother you as much 'cause when your head is on his shoulder, it starts thinkin' he'll come around. And maybe, someday, when you’re older, this is something you'll laugh about, over coffee every mornin' while he’s reading the news.

You and Draco stay in the boathouse, telling each other what you were up to during the holidays, aiming candy at each other’s mouths, holding hands, and giving the other soft kisses in the light of the moon until it’s a little too cold and too late to continue.

“When can I see you next?” You ask.

He lets go of your hand as you reach the entryway.

“I’ll let you know.”

You nod and walk to your dorm. You were sure that you were going to see Draco again in hushed hours like this one.

But then the voices say, ‘You are not the exception. You will never learn your lesson'

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

Throughout the week, you were too preoccupied with checking for a note from Draco and stealing glances here and there that you fail to notice that your duo had become a trio. Daphne Greengrass had been hanging around you and Theo recently and you only are aware of her presence at this moment when your usual quiet bookworm is talking during breakfast, but not to you.

“It’s the first match of the season later. Would you like to watch the Quidditch in the afternoon with me?” Daphne suggests, her hand reaching for Theo’s arm.

“Sure.” The boy replies.

“Who are you and what have you done to my Teddy?” You laugh, “We have never watched a single game!”

It was true. Even if Draco was on the Slytherin team and invited you to watch once, since most of the school attends it anyways, you refused given that you and Theo had a tradition of having a picnic and playing Scrabble by the Black Lake. You two were never interested in sports.

“You’re more than welcome to join us.” Daphne proposed. You realise her hand was still on Theo’s arm and this somewhat makes you frown.

“Theo and I already have plans.” You stated, now reaching for his other arm, “Don’t we Teddy?”

“We can do that tomorrow instead. I am quite curious as to what all the fuss is about, aren’t you?”

“But we have never cancelled our… plans before. Even that one time you had a cold, you insisted we hang out. It’s our tradition.”

“I don’t mean to impose. If you’re busy Theo, we can hang out at Hogsmeade in the evening instead.” She says, her hand still lingering on Theo’s arm, so you have an urge not to move yours either.

“We can do both.” He accepts and his head turns to you, “Are you coming with us?”

You don’t know what to say. A swirl of emotions runs through your veins.

“No.” And with that, you stomp off to your dorm.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

You saw Theo less and less that week and you start to spend more time with your dorm mates. You start to miss him. He wasn’t as early to breakfast every day and when he was, Daphne and other Slytherins came in with him. Your study meetings turned into group hangs but you didn’t mind it as much you said to yourself since Draco was part of that group.

However, your eyes were not gazing upon the blond boy but at the chestnut hair boy with his newfound friend.

Why didn’t you like Daphne with Theodore?

You made an effort to look away when you see him smiling at her. You felt your teeth clench whenever Daphne playfully slapped Theo’s arm when she was laughing at something he said. Your hands were in fists when she linked her arm with his when you all walked from class to class.

You don’t understand what you are feeling. You can’t be jealous about your best friend being interested in other girls. You decide you were just feeling a little replaced. That was it, and nothing more. Right?

But what really blew your top was what you were hearing now.

“Yeah, we can go watch the quidditch game tomorrow.”

“Again?” You exclaim but then remembered you were in the library and carry on with a whisper, “You’ve cancelled on me the last game!”

“Oh yeah” Theo replies as if he didn’t remember. When in all honesty, he never did forget. He was trying to distance himself away from you to lessen the aching of his heart.

“Teddy you can’t do this to me.”

“How about I make it up to you by taking you to the last Hogsmeade trip and buying you all the sweets you want so you can stock up for the winter break.” He smiles and when you smile back, he forgets about his vow to himself to spend less time with you.

You hesitate to say yes. You really want to be with him by the lake.

“And I’ll even let you drag me around to window shop to all the places you want me to.”

And you can’t say no to that.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

Amidst all the happenings, you had forgotten to check your mailbox. You see a scrap of paper telling you to meet at the boathouse once again at midnight and this time you choose to be punctual. You dress up a little to make up for the fact that you might have already missed the actual date the note was meant for.

You are already on the steps going down to your meeting place when the clock chimes 12 o’clock. A chill runs through your body as you were not wearing your winter jacket but a cute, albeit thin, jumper. You were walking with a skip in your step when you hear her.

“Draco, what about your secret girl?”

“She means nothing to me. It’s not like we were going to get serious.”

You halt just before the entryway.

“But weren’t you dating her since last year?”

“Dating is a strong word. Now shut up so I can kiss those lips.”

So you run. As fast as your feet can take you and go into the nearest empty room.

Now you’re slidin' down the wall with your head in your hands sayin', "How could I not see the signs?"

He hadn't written you or called all summer and the voices in your head are tellin' you why,

‘He’s got her on his arm and you in the wings. You’ll get his longing glances, but she'll get his ring. And he will say he had the best of intentions.’

And maybe now you will finally learn your lesson.

The air feels thick that you can’t breathe and your vision blurs with the waterworks flowing out of your tear ducts.

Draco was right. You were never going to get serious. You knew this deep down and felt it in your heart every time you were with him, but the truth hurts when the reality of it all is said aloud.

When you finally get to your room at 3am. You don’t bother to change and sleep your troubles away.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

You skipped lessons that day. You hadn’t meant to, but you woke up past noon and there were only two lessons left that you resolved to miss those too and went back to sleep. You weren’t ready to face people yet.

A pounding in your head awakens you and makes you sit up and reach for your water bottle by your bedside table but see a plate of pastries covered in cling film and a note stuck on top.

‘I didn’t see you at breakfast. I asked your dorm mate to send this to you. – Teddy’

That was sweet of him. Theo never fails to be there when it counted. You notice more items on your bedside table. You see a thermos flask, a book, a wrapped-up sandwich, a couple of more notes, and a red concoction in a small vial that was labelled ‘pepperup potion’.

‘I didn’t see you in class, so I asked Alison to drop this off to you. She said you didn’t look too well. I’ll see you at lunch? – Teddy’

‘I didn’t see you at lunch. Alison said your eyes looked puffy. Do you have a cold? If so I asked her to bring you some supplies. Make sure to take it. I’ll see you after class? – Teddy’

‘I don’t know why I thought I’d see you in any of the afternoon lessons today. How silly of me. I need to sort out a few things and I’ll see you before dinner. – Teddy’

You giggle at how much effort your best friend had gone towards to ensure you are okay. The clock above the doorway says 5 o’clock. Only an hour after classes and Teddy will probably expect you around 5:45pm so you can lounge about the courtyard before dinner time.

However, you felt famished, so you open the selection of breakfast pastries. Theo had picked out all your favourites. He’s always thoughtful like that. One time, you had mentioned your favourite book series with him and within the week he read all of them and bought you both the newly released novel by the same author so you can read it together.

Another time when you used to have recurring nightmares when you were little, you’d go to Theo and he’d read you passages from fairytales until you fell asleep. When you broke your foot during the second year, he insisted that he carried all your books to and from classes even though a simple levitation charm would do, and walk in front of you so no one barges you causing you to trip.

You really don’t know what you’d do without Theodore in your life.

You hear a knock on the door.

“Alison you can come in. You don’t need to knock.”

The door creaks open.

“I’m not Alison.” Theodore peeps in, his eyes on the ceiling. “Can I come in?”

“Of course. Thank you for your care package.” You move to make room for him on your bed.

“Of course. Couldn’t have you starve yourself.” He looks to your bedside table and states, “You didn’t drink the potion I made for you. It’s supposed to clear up your cold.”

He stood there by the end of your bed, his hands behind his frame. He looks cautiously at you.

“I’m not ill.” You assure him.

“Good, because…”  He raises a basket and a tote bag. “I’ve brought us Scrabble and a picnic.”

“But aren’t you going to see the match with Daphne?”

“Not when my favourite girl isn’t feeling well.”

You smile up at him. “But I told you I’m not unwell.”

“Physically maybe but I think you need some fresh air. Now go get ready. I’ll wait outside the door.”

“I really am okay.”

You assure him and yourself that you are, and you truly do feel it.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

Your normal routine before Draco came into your life fell back into place, although Theodore was hanging out with Daphne more and more, which still annoyed you. Theo did make some time for you but not as much as you’re used to. You sigh. Breakfasts no longer consisted of silently reading, occasionally speaking to discuss plot points and characters, but with Daphne and the rest of the Slytherin crowd rowdily talking.

You hadn’t spoken to Draco at all ever since that night at the boathouse. He never even addressed it. Not that you checked the mailbox. If he really cared he would have said something by this point, but judging by his actions and the words you heard that night, you had accepted weeks ago that whatever was between you was over.

“So, what are we all doing for the last trip to Hogsmeade today then?” Draco asks, but his eyes lock with yours.

“I’m having tea and shopping with the girlies.” Daphne wriggles her shoulders excitedly. She looks to you and extends an invitation.

To which you thank her but decline politely, “Teddy promised me a full weekend of sweets and shopping. Isn’t that right Teddy?”

You aren’t sure if it is your imagination, but you see a twinkle in Theo’s eyes as he beams at you confirming your plans. You put your arm through his and squeeze it in excitement.

Theo chuckled. “I already regret adding the window-shopping part.”

You head to your dorm to pick up your cardigan as Theo insisted you needed more layers for the winter weather. A figure stops you in your tracks.

“Didn’t know you had a thing for Nott.” Draco sneered.

“Not really your business to know who or who I don’t have a thing for Malfoy.”

He grabs your hand and pulls you to the side.

“What do you think you’re doing?” You try to shrug off his hand, but he wasn’t letting go.

“What happened to us? I thought we were dating, and you left me hanging for weeks.”

“Dating is a strong word.” You spit his words back to him like venom.

That’s when he releases your hand.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

Your day with Theo went by so fast. You started off at Zonko’s so you can graze snacks while you peruse through each shop. Theo swears you haven’t skipped any stores but doesn’t complain at all. The conversations flowed easily. You stayed the longest time at the pets and familiars shop to pet all the kittens. He literally had to drag you away with a bribe of pumpkin pie for lunch.

Many days have gone by where you spent time away from each other. Reasons varied as Theo tells you he was busy with whatever excuse he had that day. You noticed that he’d been avoiding you recently. You’re glad that you get to make up for all those hours now.

You share a slice of pumpkin pie and beg Theo to take you back to the pets and familiars shop. He rolls his eyes, but you know he can’t refuse the thought of the adorable kittens. Little do you know that it’s your cuteness he can’t resist.

The two of you start to walk onward to your mission when you see a glimpse of Draco hand in hand with a red-faced Pansy. You knew it. But strangely, you find yourself not upset by it.

“Theo! They still have our favourite!” You jump up and down like a child outside a toy store.

He watches you smiling as you all but ran into the store. You remain surrounded by kittens until a shop assistant ushered you out at the behest of their manager. Reluctantly you say goodbye to the animals and staff and are shocked to see that the sky was magenta-coloured, signalling that the evening is arriving.

 “I’m hungry, are you?” You inspect all the choices of venue you had for dinner.

“Starving. Let’s go in there.” He gestures toward Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop. “I heard they have a great selection of drinks and desserts.”

You follow Theo even though you seem to recall that other students have previously mentioned that they take their dates there. Having never visited since Draco was the first boy you have “gone out with”, and your meetings never involved crowded places and three would have been a crowd, you were excited to finally step into the dainty looking café.

He opens the door for you and a bell rings. You were seated straight away, and it didn’t take long for a staff member to take your order. Examining the people around, you notice a trend of couples holding hands and gazing into one another’s eyes. Did Theo really mean to take you in here?

Detecting your initial discomfort, Theo apologises, “I didn’t know it would be like this here. We can leave if you want?”

“Nonsense! It’s a nice place. Plus, I’m excited for my drink to arrive.” Grinning at him, you take in the view of bows and lace everywhere.

Even though the atmosphere was romantic, you felt at ease being there with Theo. You push back questions you had whenever you sense that his eyes were trying to read your thoughts or when his hand stayed on yours longer than friends should.

He orders a funfetti cake for dessert and you both split each other’s sweet course. Before you know it, it was nearly time to head back to the castle. Another ring of the bell and you were standing in front of the entrance.

You shiver slightly and Theo quickly unwraps his scarf.

“Teddy I’m fine!”

“No, you’re cold. Don’t argue.” He wraps his green scarf around your neck. You inhale the scent of smoke and sandalwood. You bury your cheeks into the scarf to hide the pink colour threatening to expose how much you like the fact you are enveloped by a piece of his clothing.

“I guess it’s time to head back.” You say but see Theo looking distracted.

You look up to see a mistletoe wrapped with a ribbon on the pole of the tea shop’s sign.

He looks at you and tilts his head. Was that him asking for permission?

You shrug then nod at him. “It’s a known tradition after all.”

“Of course.”

Theo leans in close enough so that the clouds you exhale from your lungs mingle in the air. He moves a strand of loose hair and tucks them behind your ear. His hand stays on your face and his eyes flicker down to your lips. You close the gap between you.

You are kissing Theo under the mistletoe.

At first, the kiss is gentle as if he is being wary of the line you were crossing, but when you reach to run his hair with your hands, he pulls you in deeper. You gasp for air, and he takes it as an opportunity to explore you with his tongue.

Thoughts pull you back to reality.

You are kissing Theo under the mistletoe.

Stepping back, you stare at him wide-eyed.

“I have to go.” You say breaking the silence.

And you didn’t see how Theodore’s eyes follow you.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

You didn’t actually have to go anywhere; you just needed some space to cool down. Your cheeks were burning red, and you didn’t want Theo to see you like that. Especially since he only kissed you because of the mistletoe. Especially since you enjoyed kissing him. Especially when the voices in your head are back saying, ‘Foolish one you will take the long way down.’

This time you don’t want to learn the hard way. You can’t be falling for him like this. You didn’t want to lose him if it goes sour.

“You’ve been walking in circles.” Theo calls out to you, “Where are you trying to go?”

You stop your feet but don’t turn back to face him.

“I was just heading to…” Your voice fades out to a mumble, and you begin to walk once more.

Theo lightly grasps your arm, and you jump at how fast he caught up to you. You face him.

“You never said anything.” He states.

“It was just a kiss. We were just under a mistletoe.” You look down, kicking the pebbles near your feet.

“You never said anything.” You echo.

“Yeah, we were just under a mistletoe.”

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

The last week of term dragged on. Theo and you never mention that night to anybody. And if it was even possible, you saw him less than the week before. You are determined to fix your situation. The past two days were unbearable. So, you corner him on his way to the library.

“Why are you ignoring me, Teddy?” You simply question.

“I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. You keep avoiding me in the halls and speaking monosyllabically to me in class. Why?”

“I’m not.”

“You are. We’re friends, aren’t we? Can’t you tell me what’s wrong?” You ask, gently moving his arm and motioning him to face you.

“Maybe I want more.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re so blind, you can’t even see that I’ve been right here! In love with you since I could remember.”

“Your father would never approve of me.”

“I don’t care. I don’t care what he thinks. I don’t care about your blood status! I accept you for who you are! But waiting all these years for you to see me like I see you have been crushing my heart slowly.”

You stare at him wide-eyed.

“I have to go.” He says.

And it’s your turn to follow Theo with your eyes.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

You couldn’t sleep at all that night replaying Theo’s confession. You think about all the ways you could have responded and use that moment as a chance for you to voice out your growing feelings. Now he probably despises you.

You recite how you were going to confront Theo for the next day, word for word since you want to accurately tell him that you reciprocate his sentiment. But toss and turn again at the thought of what-ifs.

You get up early and ready yourself for the day mentally. You don’t grab any breakfast because you already felt so queasy. The voices in your head say to you, ‘Foolish one The day is gonna come for your confessions of love.’

This time you were in harmony. You were going to tell Theo everything. How foolish you had been. How you can’t imagine life without him. You head to his dorm room as you know it’s typically empty at this time of the morning and Theo habitually returns to his dorm just after breakfast to put down his books.

You had 2 free periods back-to-back on a Thursday morning, so you have ample time to gush about your feelings. You spot that his door was slightly ajar and knock anyways. The force swings the door slowly open. The room was empty. You sit on Theo’s bed and look around. You notice a few crumpled-up pieces of paper in the bin next to his nightstand.

Curiosity got the better of you as you unwrinkle one piece and gasp when you notice it was addressed to you. You pick up more pieces and all of them are confessions to you, describing how he felt during the day he wrote them. All this time you were waiting for confessions of love and thought they were never going to come, and there they were sitting in a pile of rubbish.

All signed off as:

Yours,

Teddy

Could he be? Yours?

You run to the Slytherin common room and don’t see Theo anywhere. You spot Blaise playing chess with Tracey.

“Have you seen Theo?” You interrupt them.

“He’s gone on a date with Daphne.” Tracey replies, focused on her match as Blaise’s bishop takes her knight.

He can’t. Be yours.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

It was the last day of the first term, and you sit at your usual far corner of the great hall for breakfast. No Theodore in sight. You set up extra early since you left him a note by his bedside table the day before to meet him at 6:30 when the meal starts.

There he was. Your note is in his hands and you watch him as he walks to you and knits his brows.

“What’s wrong?” He asks, a little worried.

He sits opposite you instead of his usual spot next to you. You bring your hands above the table and show his letters in your hand.

“This. This is what’s wrong.”

“Look I…”

You cut him off. “Why didn’t you send them?”

He stares at you blankly and scratches his head. “What do you mean send them?”

“You fool. I would’ve walked out sooner and run to you.”

“I didn’t think you felt the same way. That’s why I threw them out. You didn’t come to me to talk after what happened in the hallway and you never brought up the kiss again.”

You blush at the memory.

“How did you get those anyways?” His eyes narrow.

“Never mind about that. Didn’t you hear me?”

“Hear what?”

“You’re really going to make me say it?”

“Say what?”

After hours of rehearsal, you could only utter 5 words. “I feel the same way.”

He beams for a second and then frowns to ask,

“What about Draco?”

“When all is said and done, he just wasn’t the one.”

His smile returns and you swear it’s brighter than the morning sun. He reaches over and holds your hand and tells you, “I don’t know how long I’ve waited for you to say those words.”

He pulls you over the table knocking over the goblet and food that had appeared and pecks you on the lips.

“What about Daphne? Aren’t you with her?”

“No, she just wasn’t the one.”

You've reached this far! Here's a bonus:

It was Christmas day and you were in the great hall ready for the feast, dressed in a sweater Theo bought you so that you can match on this occasion. In one hand you have Theo and in the other a carefully wrapped present and you sat next in your self-assigned corner of the room.

"Let's pull a cracker!" You say eagerly.

And soon both of you adorn paper crowns on your head.

"Dinner doesn't start for another 15 minutes" He informs you.

You pout replying, "So why did you rush me out of my dorm so quickly?"

"So I can give you this." He places a fairly large box in front of you.

"Thank you, Teddy!" You tilt your head when you notice holes all around the box. "What's up with the holes?"

"Just open it." He excitedly insists.

"Okay okay. Thank you." You undo the ribbon and take off the lid. You squeal as you spot the kitten you had been eyeing at the store that evening of what you both have agreed to be your first date.

"I can't thank you enough! I love her so much." You carefully lift the kitten out of the box to cuddle her.

"Anything for you darling. What are you going to name her?"

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it <3 I didn't plan to write it this long. I hope you didn't mind.

I welcome any feedback or criticism.

[avalynlestrange]

In My Head

Theodore Nott x Reader

Reader: She/Her Pronouns, no house mentioned

Warnings: None I don’t think? Please let me know if there is any I should put here. I haven’t proof read this so please kindly point out any grammar or spelling mistakes.

Category: One-Shot, Angst?, Fluff?, Songfic, Unrequited Love, Mutual Pining, No use of y/n

Summary: In which Theodore Nott is the man of your dreams. Literally. Who is his?

No sneak peaks 😋

Request: anon requested

Author’s Note: I wanted to write a few more daydreaming scenes but this felt like the right amount. Hope you enjoy! 😊

Word Count: >2k

To The Library (Main Masterlist)

To The Kitchen (WIPs)

To more Theodore Nott fics

To Maisie Peters Anthology

Heartbreak Saturday nights, you are in your bedroom twirling a quill in your hand. You tap it against your notebook. Instead of working on another paragraph of the dream diary Professor Trelawney has assigned, you fantasise about sweet things. Lately both nighttime and daytime dreaming were filled with scenarios of one Theodore Nott…

You were getting ready for the winter ball. Floor length gown sparkling and the colour picked to match Theodore’s tie and pocket square.

You put on every perfume. You make sure you smell like his bedroom when you were in it. It drove him crazy. You danced all evening and he never let goes of your hand. Oh how you wish it could on forever.

You stay in this scene all night…

His touch sends goosebumps all over you as he sways you to the music. Laughing and talking until the moon goes to bed. Not caring about the classes that will be missed that morning.

You sigh. This is all in your head so you continue to write last night’s dreams in your diary. Of course you don’t mention his name in the assignment. After all you were to share this with your class group in which Theodore was in so that you can discuss some interpretations. Your cheeks are red just thinking about what he would say if you mentioned they were about him.

“Darling I was dreaming of you all this time too.” He smiles and you gaze into each others eyes longingly. “Will you be mine?”

“Theodore, I’m yours.”

But this is all in your head.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

The next day was a Hogsmeade visit and you had plans at the three broomsticks with your friends for the evening. The sun was shining so you are wearing a cute frock. You imagine a moment in your pretend relationship timeline before you were his…

You are wearing the dress you wore when you met him and sent him spinning in the great hall during breakfast. He was on a date with another girl but caught up with the group afterwards. He doesn’t compliment you or pay any attention to you at all.

You see him send glances your way and you flirt with his friends. But it's a beggars revenge cause she's with him again. Theodore shakes his head towards the exit to and you try to look away.

He isn’t very patient and pulls you away outside. He leads you to

“Shouldn’t you be with your date?”

“I told her I couldn’t see her again. I want you.” He confesses.

“Theodore, I’m yours.”

But alas this is all in your head.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

The three broomsticks is stirring and brimming with students. A cover band fills the pub with their rendition of Weird Sister’s ‘Blood Sucker’. You find yourself bobbing your head to the music.

Glasses on your table are in need of refills and you offer to buy more. The bartender asks what you want as they reach for some stuff in the cupboard under the counter.

“I’ll have a…” A voice overlaps with yours. “Please can I…”

He apologises. “I didn’t see you there.”

You have the urge to pinch yourself because you can’t believe whose voice you are hearing.

He helps you bring the drinks over to your table and your friends fawn over the fact that your boyfriend is such a gentleman. Theodore has his hand in your thigh throughout the night.

And when it’s time to go home, the snow starts to fall like a fairy take. Your dress’ too nice for a jacket, so you’re freezing. Theodore notices you shiver. He takes off his coat and places it on your shoulders.

He’s walking past to the carriage and leads you inside. You sit next to him and on habit, you lean in on his shoulders as you journey back to the castle.

“Say that you’re mine again.” Theodore kisses your head.

“Theodore, I’m yours.”

But once again this is all in your head.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

The time for lunch is nearly over and you had divination next. It was your favourite subject - well only because you were sat next to your crush. The circumstance was a blessing and a curse. You tend to stumble over your words and not pick yourself back up, and sit in silence the rest of the lesson.

You take your seat and Professor Trelawney instructs you all to share your dreams and talk over possible meanings. Whilst Padma and Parvati gossip about the Yule Ball instead of the assignment across you, you notice that Theodore is squirming in his seat more than usual.

“Is everything okay?” You ask, and you desperately want to reach for his hand as he is so close to touch. He is like a magnet and your fingers draw closer until they are on his. He shifts in his seat slightly cause you to move your hand to your lap. “I’m sorry. You just look a little upset.”

“No it’s okay. I just can’t stop thinking about my dreams.” He grasps his dream journal tightly.

“Why don’t you share and we can unpick it together?” His ears turn a shade of red at your suggestion, but he doesn’t say no.

“There’s this girl. She keeps popping in my dreams. We’re always together in each one.” He fiddles with the corner of the diary cover and when you catch his eye, he quickly looks away. “Sometimes we’re not dating and I get tongue tied about asking her out but mostly we seem happy.”

In the corner of your eye, you see the Patil twins turning their heads towards Theodore.

“This girl must be very important to you. Are you together in real life?” Padma asks as she rests her chin on her arms. Parvati leans in.

‘Please say no’ You plead with your eyes. You feel like half of you is missing but there's no hope. Even if he says no, this girl is literally the girl of his dreams.

“No. I-“

“But you clearly want to be if you’re dreaming about her this much.” States Parvati. Her sister nods in agreement.

He picks at the strands of his quill. “I do but-.”

“You should ask her to the ball!” The girls giggle. “Yes that would be so adorable!”

“But I don’t know if she feels the same way.” A crushing weight is in your chest as you hear him say these words. That is one lucky girl.

“I think she’ll be lucky to be asked out by you.” You hear yourself say aloud.

Theodore’s head sharply looks up to stare at you. His cheeks matches his pink ears.

“You think so?” He smiles. You melt under his gaze.

“What about you? Tell us about what you’ve been dreaming about.” Padma taps your notebook.

“I’ve been having similar dreams I guess.” You mumble.

“Say that again?”

“There’s this one guy who’s been appearing every night.” You glance and take in a view of a frowning Theodore.

“Sounds like you need to fess up to your dream person too.”

And when you don’t elaborate, the sisters go back to their whispers about their gowns and dates. The remaining minutes of the lesson compromised of scribbles and a huffing Theodore.

You want to pour out your emotions. Scream at him, ‘I’m hurting and I’m here. You’re still not looking at me. I’m real and I’m yours for the taking.’

He, however, is occupied with writing and frowning. You conclude that he must be deeply in love with his dream girl so as you look out the window…

At the end of the class, you were the last one out. You had a question for Professor Trewlaney and now you are walking out of the divination classroom.

Theodore stops you at the door frame.

“Walk you to the next class?” He asks and takes your bag off of you.

“Oh thank you.”

There was an uncomfortable silence shared between you. Both of you itching to find out who was in the other’s dream. Theodore calls you to stop and you do.

“Don’t go for him.” The tips of your shoes touch as he steps toward you.

“What do you mean?” You look up. His face merely inches away from yours.

“Forget the guy in your dreams and be with me.”

By his collar, you pull him for a kiss and call him an adorable idiot.

“Theodore, I’m yours.”

“Hey!” A voice snaps you out of your daydreaming.

“Hey Theo.” He smiles at the nickname.

“Walk you to the next class?”

All you could do was nod as your lips seems to be sealed shut.

Unlike your dreaming, the silence was comfortable. It was the air that jolted you ensuring you that this isn’t a dream. Is it?

“Would you meet me at the clock courtyard after dinner?”

Nothing looks or sounds strange. However, this can’t be real. Your lips are still stuck and can’t reply.

Theo stops in his tracks. “It’s okay if you don’t want to. I under-“

“I’ll meet you there.” You turn your head so he doesn’t see your pink cheeks.

Is this all in your head?

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

What did Theodore want from you? You frown in front of the mirror. Have your delusions gotten the best of you that you’re meeting him tonight?

You pat the creases of your dress. If you were going to meet him and he was really there then you might as well put on an outfit that you see yourself in every fantasy. You tell yourself that you should know better but you can’t forget how things were in your head and if this was a vivid dream you’ll take what you can get.

And he’s there. The moonlight shining on his form. Theodore stands when he sees you. There isn’t many students around. He stands by the fountains and you sit on the ledge.

Water splashes you slightly making you jump. He immediately takes off his coat and puts it around you. A gentlemen in real life too. You thank him and the pair of you stare upwards to the sky.

“You wore that dress when I first got the chance to talk to properly. It was first year and you were sitting on this spot with your friends.”

You can’t bear to look at him fearing he’ll disappear within seconds.

“The wind was blowing in your hair. I wished I could talk to you the previous night.” He chuckles at the memory. “I actually threw a sickle in this fountain. I read about it in a muggle book once. That day you dropped something out of your bag on the way in and I thanked Merlin for granting my wish.”

Your eyes widen and you start playing with a loose thread on this coat.

“Too bad that was the only time I got the courage to talk to you outside class. I wasn’t sure if you liked me enough to be my friend. You never spoke to me except for classes.”

His gaze burns your face. Hot red.

“But I watched you everyday. You were always away with the fairies, grinning at yourself and laughing when your friends caught you.”

You gather enough courage to look his way. Eyes piercing through you and the arrow hits your heart.

“Listen. I don’t know who this guy is in your dreams but I want you to know you are the one in mine. It’s torture and a pleasure to have you in my head but I want you to know that I want you to be mine in real life.”

You fish out a sickle out of your pocket. One you were going to use incase he didn’t come to your meeting.

“I guess I won’t be needing this.”

Theodore takes it out of your palm and tosses it into the fountain. He cups your cheeks and leans his forehead against yours. You couldn’t wait any longer and you press your lips to his. You feel complete. When you both pull away to check the other still exists, you breathlessly whisper,

“Theodore, I’m yours.”

You hold his hand in yours and for once it’s not in your head.

[avalynlestrange]

Speak Now

Draco Malfoy x Reader

Reader: she/her pronouns

Warnings: I didn’t proof read this. Let me know if there are any mistakes or if there are other warnings I should add.

Category: Post-Hogwarts, ex to lovers, wedding interruption, songfic, one-shot, angst?, fluff?

Summary: In which you rudely barge in on a white veil occasion.

No Sneak Peak 😋

Author’s Note: I’ve been feeling uninspired and unwell recently but I’m back 💞 This is my entry to week 2 of @hpcottagecorefest

Word Count: <2k

To The Library (fics masterlist)

To The Kitchen (WIPs)

To More Draco Malfoy fics

To Speak Now Anthology

You are not the kind of girl who should be rudely barging in on a white veil occasion. Yet here you are dressed in formal attire, sitting at the seventh to the front bench of the great hall of the Malfoy manor. You had to come to see groom and Draco was not the kind of boy who should be marrying the wrong girl. You would be lying if you said you weren’t taken aback at the news of his engagement to one Astoria Greengrass a few months ago but it had pained you to hear it; especially through the mouth of an acquaintance.

He didn’t even have the nerve to say it to you. Then again why would he? You had been broken up for nearly year. But everybody knew you would get back together.

Well, everybody thought you would.

You always did. It was the norm for your relationship. Sure, this was the longest you’ve been apart but he somehow dated and proposed to Astoria within that 10 months.

You scoff at that thought. Must be their families doing. That’s probably why you didn’t get an invitation.

So you did what you had to in order to get into the event. You snuck in and see your friends and her snotty little family all dressed in pastel. There were different entrances to Malfoy Manor. You knew them like the back of your hand. Days and nights were spent here, running around playing hide and seek that lead to romantic encounters in nooks and crannies. No one truly checks who enters the servant quarters and those working this event, luckily, did not know who you were or were too busy to care.

You are sitting next to Blaise, who said he would say that he brought you as his plus one. If any one asked. Pansy said she truly would have brought you, if not for her being a bridesmaid. She had known the Greengrass sisters since she was born but was only told she was part of the entourage a week prior.

It’s not like you didn’t know the sisters yourself. You were close with Daphne during your school years and met Astoria when you visited Daphne’s home during the summer after first year and she was not as carefree as her older sister, even as a nine year old.

“She’s probably yelling at a bridesmaid somewhere.” You whisper to Blaise.

“Yeah, Pansy texted me earlier that Astoria’s gown is shaped like a pastry.” He snickers as he shows you the picture Pansy had sent him. You feign a laugh. Astoria looked gorgeous in the photo.

But this is surely not what Draco thought it would be. After the second wizarding war he vowed not to be caught up in his parent’s views and expectations ever again. It had nearly gotten him killed. You recall the nights you comforted him in your arms as he sobbed and scrubbed the mark on his forearm. How you missed wrapping your arms around him and being wrapped by his.

A cough snaps you out of your daydream. You look up and see Daphne with her furrowed eyebrows.

“You can’t be here.” She gestures for you to stand up. “My mom has seen you and told Astoria. So you have to-”

“She’s my date.” Blaise interrupts.

“And you know bloody well that this would happen.” Daphne ushers you and you follow her to the back of the hall.

“Look as much as I was rooting for you and Draco, I have to side with my sister. You need to go.” She hears her name being called and rushes to them.

Once Daphne is no longer in sight, you sneak back into the far back left side of the hall where long curtains drape. This was your last chance to stop this all. You couldn’t try to stop the engagement, but you can definitely try and prevent the union. It wasn’t a choice you made so lightly. Many sleepless nights nearer the date and you had made your mind up.

You couldn’t lose Draco. You had gone through so much together. There was so much love still there. No matter how many times you broke up and made up. You were meant to be. You know he knows it. So you hide behind the curtains.

The organ starts to play a song that sounds like a death march. In between the two curtains, you peak at the start of the ceremony. Out comes Gardenia Greengrass in mint green. She never did like you when you met. She and Narcissa had been close childhood friends who dreamt of their children being wed and uniting the families. However, when Draco mentioned that you were his girlfriend during fifth year, their hopes were shattered and they were not warm towards you.

You sneak out of the curtains and sit at the back bench. The hall is filled with familiar faces but luckily the person next to you was too watching the ceremony to notice you.

As the wedding processional order proceeds to the grandparents, fond gestures are exchanged.

Then he walks through the door.

They say time stops when you’re in love. They are right. The intense feeling you have as you see him in his white suit and mint pocket square, his platinum blond locks in low fade cut, and his ice grey eyes wandering the hall sent butterflies to your stomach.

But they are heavy. It’s all wrong. This isn’t how you imagined seeing him down an aisle. Your stomach drops at the weight of it all.

You and Draco often talked about how your wedding would be. Which colour palette to use, which flowers, which venue and you see nothing of his preferences in what is all around you.

Draco stands at the altar awaiting his bride.

The music changes.

Astoria floats down the aisle like a pageant queen. You look to Draco and back to his bride. The butterflies are dancing around in your stomach and you are feeling a little nauseous.

But you know he wishes it you.

Doesn’t he?

Draco fixes his tie and looks around the room. He squints as he pats down his blazer. You know all his tells. By the way he fidgets with his family ring. He’s nervous. He takes a sharp inhale when he realises that Astoria is in front of him. She takes his hands in hers. A part of you breaks when you see him smile as he looks into her eyes.

You pay no mind to the words until you hear the preacher say, “Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

There’s a silence. There’s your last chance. You stand up with shaking hands.

All eyes on you.

Horrified looks from everyone in the room but you’re only looking at Draco.

He drops Astoria’s hands and faces you fully. You walk to aisle. Astoria’s mother stands up, but you start to speak.

“I’m sorry… Actually, I’m not sorry at all. Draco don't say a single vow. Don’t say yes.”

Your eyes are on his. Gasps from the people around you echoes in the hall.

“Let’s just run away now.” You continue. “I'll meet you when you're out of the Manor, at the back door.”

Your legs feel like they are going to give up on you when silence ensues. Draco is still standing at the altar. Hushed whispers follows. He opens his mouth as if to say something but he shuts it as quickly. He looks back and forth from you to Astoria. He looks back to you and says nothing.

That’s when you lose all the hopes you had. He really must be in this for love and not for his parents sake. You bite your lower lip and pick at the skin.

You don’t say another word and you walk out the manor. The metallic taste of blood seeps onto your tongue as you hold back the sobs that threaten to creep out. And as soon as you are out the grand entrance you drop to sit on the cold steps. All the what ifs crawl all over you as you wait on whether he will follow you out. You shiver.

Time is dragging. It feels like an eternity.

So you run. As fast as your shoes can take you. To the meadows nearby. It’s not the summer memories that flood your mind. No. Not the picnics amidst the flowers where you now sit. But the missed opportunities.

You should have told him you wanted him back sooner. You should have said something before they even got engaged. You should have never gone to this event. How stupid of you.

The scent of the pastel blue and baby pink flowers linger in the air. He used to pick them for you and placed them in your hair. The compliments he would shower you as you adorn them. Now they are tainted with the memories of them being in the decorations of their wedding. They must have been here together.

You grab a fist full of flowers in your hands and pluck them forcefully, chucking it with all the strength you can muster.

You hear your name being gently called. It didn’t register as a voice from someone near you. You’ve heard it so many times before. Draco did often visit you in dreams.

He places himself next to you.

“What? Come to tell me the good news in person? I must be so special.” You pick at the flowers once more. He doesn’t speak for the longest time. The breeze cooling down your heated cheeks. Shouldn’t he be at the reception?

“Remember when I first brought you here? You were so nervous about telling my parents about us.”

“Of course! Narcissa already hated me since you lot blamed me for breaking her favourite vase.” You remark.

The decision of sharing a bottle of fire whiskey stolen from the cabinets and pretending to be studying at the manor library seemed like a good idea then.

“It wasn’t my idea! Goyle just said it to protect me. Crabbe just went along-“

“Plus she was already furious when she heard that you dated girls that wasn’t a Greengrass. Bet she’s happy now.” You scoff.

“She actually loved you.” He confesses. “Every time I visited home without you she made me bring you your favourite dish.”

“That’s why we always had a bunch of them in the fridge when you got back.”

“Where did you think they came from?”

“I don’t know! I thought you bought it somewhere. You never mentioned they came from your mom!”

“I did! The first time when I went after New Years cause you had work.”

“I don’t remember that was ages ago!”

He laughs and offers you flower crown he had made.

“I’ve missed this.”

“What? Us bickering?”

“Yeah and just you in general.”

You frown at him and ask, “Why are you here? Should you be back at the party?”

He props down the offering in between you then looks to the horizon.

“I didn’t say my vows.” He pauses to see your reaction. However, when you didn’t respond he carries on.

“My father was the one who arranged all of this. After all these years and he still has an influence on me. Which is why I’m so glad you were around when they said, ‘Speak Now’. Ever since we broke up, I’ve been a mess.

“I keep going to my fireplace to floo to you and when I finally did you had moved out of our place. Figured you’d moved on. Broke more vases. It drove me crazy when you never came to any social events. I’ve missed you so much. You’re the one I love.”

He motions his open palm to you and says, “Shall we run away now?”

[avalynlestrange]

Already Over

Fred Weasley x Reader

Reader: she/her pronouns

Warnings: implied smut, exam season, not proof read again haha, unrequited love or mutual pining?, profanity

Category: One-Shot, Songfic, Friends with Benefits, AU without Voldy.

Summary: In which you can’t close the door on Fred when you still need the closure.

Sneak Peak: None :P

Author’s Note: I needed this done and over with T_T As much as I love this song it’s becoming sickening to listen to. 

Word Count: 3301

To The Library (fic masterlist) To The Kitchen (WIPs) To emails i can't send fwd: Anthology To more Fred Weasley

You’ve been talking for hours about how you shouldn’t talk for hours on end. Sitting on the floor of an empty corner of the library with candy and homework surrounding you. The recent topic of your chatter however is not the current herbology books you are required to read but how you needed to stop this situationship you have going on.

“It’s just so easy with you.” Fred laughs. He runs his fingers through his hair and you wish it could be your hands but you restrain yourself. You are trying to end things after all.

Fred chucks a jellybean at you. You catch it with your mouth. Immediately you spit it out and reach for the fizzy fig juice. 

“That’s disgusting. Tasted like sweaty socks,” You grimace after chugging down half the bottle.

“What do you mean you love sweaty socks!” He wiggles his feet near your face. You push his leg away causing his body to swivel. 

“Get your feet away from me!”

Fred smoothly transitions from his almost fall back to a sit up position. His legs in front of his stocky frame. Merlin how you adore his body.

“Shut up! You love all this,” and he wiggles himself.

You’re not very good at lying. Especially to Fred, so you only roll your eyes as a response. 

“For reals though,” you brace yourself, “We really should stop this.”

“But we’re doing so well!” Fred pouts; he gestures to the work laying around you. Both of you completed your charms essay and you celebrated with many a kiss.

“You know that’s not what I mean!” You kneel and start clearing your side of the space. This had become a frequent meeting place for the two of you. It used to be three of you but George disappears with Angelina for a few months now.

Fred grabs your wrist. You gently stumble on top of him as he guides you to straddle him. He locks his hands in yours and pulls you near his face. You would have blushed a couple months ago but you are used to this close proximity.

“But we are doing so well,” he whispers in your ear.

And now you are kissing after a conversation about how you’d probably be better off as friends. Grasping at his ginger locks, you push him further to deepen the kiss.

His hands leaves a hot trail as they roam your body, clasping and squeezing. When your shirt rides up to uncover your back, Fred without hesitation takes the opportunity to slide and touch the your skin. It’s all you could think about. The initial burn you feel upon the contact ignites your whole body.

You moan on his lips. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale and you’re submerged again in the shared passion between you. Drowning all thoughts of ceasing the very thing you are doing.

Suddenly, you hear George cough and say it’s nearly curfew causing you break apart. You share a smile and fix each others hair. 

“Same time here next weekend?” Fred winks.

As you bring yourself to stand, you say, "We won't do this again.”

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

You say, “I’m done.”

“You’ve barely eaten anything off your plate!” Harry exclaims, trying to pick off your plate. You block his fork with yours.

“That’s not what I meant. Hands of my pudding!” You shove a piece in your mouth to prove your point.

“What you’re leaving school or something?” Ron asks through a mouth full of roast chicken.

“I don’t think that’s what she means either Ron.” Ginny replies.

“Oh is this about my brother again? Honestly you two need to sort yourselves out;” Ron wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Yeah you two should just admit you like each other. You think you’re being sneaky but we all know it.” Harry states.

It’s not like you don’t know you like each other but Fred doesn’t seem to want a serious relationship. Before you he would date different girls every weekend. You settle for friends… with benefits. You admit that you did try to keep it a secret at first, in order to not make it weird for others around you. But you did a poor job after the second week when Fred snogged you in the Quidditch tent post game thinking everyone had gone back to the castle. Everyone found out when Ron screamed so loudly. Since then you’ve tried to swat questions about the two of you.

“Oh bog off both of you!” Ginny shoos them off as if to physically remove them from the conversation. “Never mind them. They’re a few sandwiches short of a picnic when it comes to relationships.”

“Oi!” But Ron returns to his food when Hermione glares.

“Do you really want to be done? Don’t you want to tell him how you feel?” Hermione asks.

“I do. I don’t… but I’m still confused. I just don’t think I can take anymore of being ‘just friends’,” You air quote.

“How am I supposed to close the door when I still need the closure? I just need to figure out how to say it to him,” You push away your plate so that you can slump yourself on the desk.

Hermione grabs hold of your shoulders to sit you up and says, “Come on. It’s nearly time for class.”

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

Fred keeps tabs on you on the corner of his eye. You’re stood outside your class and a Ravenclaw leans on the wall talking to you. He can’t pinpoint the name of this classmate of yours but Fred wishes he could throw a jinx their way when they brush a way a strand of hair on your face. A means to flirt with you. Fred curses under his breath.

A sudden surge of emotion runs through his veins and he unexpectedly makes his way over to you without thinking it through. The only thought in his mind is that Ravenclaw and your lips locking and he wants to squish that idea out of yours and his head.

Selfishly he doesn’t want to give you time to be on someone else's lips. He tugs you away despite your protest about the next lesson starting soon. 

Next you’re behind a curtain with a secret passage. You halt a few steps in. What reason did he have to bring you here and skip third period?

“What’s wrong? Did something hap-“ Your questions were cut off when his lips crash onto yours. It reminds Fred of the first time you were in this secret passage alone.

It was during the 2 weekends before the O.W.L.’s exams. You were very stressed out studying in the library. You had gone back to your dorm to pick up a few snacks for the group. George went along with you but all three of you knew it was because he was looking for Angelina.

Staring at the pages of the charms textbook, Fred’s mind and heart started to race. All the exams were within the whole of next week and results were the Friday in the week after. So you all only had 9 days before your first exam. 

Nothing seemed to stick that afternoon and you were taking a long time to return. Fred skimmed through practice questions. Who even was Felix Sumerbee? To the present day, he still doesn’t know. And he remembers he certainly knew the charm for unlocking doors and chains but what was the incantation for the locking spell?

He closed the textbook as you decided it’s best for you to take a break. Fred scribbled a note and left it on your desk that he was going to the transfiguration courtyard for some fresh air. 

At 6pm in June the sun was still shining but weather in Scotland can be unpredictable so by the time you reached the courtyard, the sky drizzled small drops. He sat on a bench not minding the wetness of the rain. It distracted him from the fact he needed to go back to studying soon. 

“Catch!” He heard a person say from a close direction and dodged just in time when he realised something was dangerously close to hitting his face.

“I’m so sorry. Thought you’d be quick to get that,” You said as you sat next to him; picked up the sweet on the floor and offered it to Fred.

He quickly unwraps the candy and popped it in his mouth.

“Thanks.”

You both sat there quietly, contemplating about the future ahead. He didn’t know where it was heading but it’ll all be okay since he had you and George. Fred remembers you not noticing his stare until the rain starts to pour down.

“Let’s go!” You grabbed his hand, dragging him inside. However, when you reached indoors, Fred doesn’t stop running until you reach one of the secret passageways.

“Lumos!” You recited, then placed your wand on one of the crooks of the wall.

He leaned on his knees panting and looks up at you. Soaked to the bone, you glistened in his eyes. He’s always thought you were beautiful and had a crush on you but never acted on it. Years went by and it was getting difficult to conclude whether it was a good idea if he did. He didn’t want to lose you if you didn’t feel the same or if you did and it all goes wrong.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” You asked Fred. 

Fred didn’t know himself what it was. But he remembers how you laughed your awkward laugh when he didn’t reply. Then he remembers how you moved your hair to the back of your ears; how your face contorted with worry; how you gently touched his arm in concern…

He moved without thinking of consequences. His lips were on yours. 

Soft. 

Light. 

Only at first.

Then

Pressure.

Heavy.

And when he pulls back, you were against the wall. Both panting.

“I’m sorry I don’t know what came over me.” He lied. He’d been waiting for that moment for years but never got the courage. So much for holding up to the Gryffindor house standards.

You startled him when you pulled his robe toward yourself and kiss him with a passion.

A whisper and the light from your wand dimmed…

The day after that event, Fred didn’t see you. Not even during movement between periods. He asked other people in your circle, but they didn’t know where you were either. Your dorm mates said you were not in bed when they woke up.

Once it was dinner time, he found you sat at the furthest table from your usual and next to your potion partner who happened to be Adrian Pucey. 

“Lost Weasley?” Malfoy scowled.

“Shut up Malfoy!” Pucey glared, which Fred found incredibly strange.

“Hey.” Fred greeted you, “Where have you been?”

“I wasn’t feeling well so Adrian took me to Madam Pomfrey,” You said without looking at Fred.

“Are you feeling better? Can we talk?”

Adrian placed his arms around your shoulders as you reply, “I’m not feeling that great so maybe tomorrow.”

But tomorrow never came. You avoided him and the rumour that you were dating Adrian travelled to him through Alicia. His heart sank when he heard it.

During those weeks, you barely interacted with Fred. No matter how much he tried to. Sure, you spoke to him during class about the lesson but you weren’t you. When you spoke, he would feel a chill through his body at how cold most of your responses were. Body language was rigid and if he didn’t know better you were trying to keep to your side of the table when you were sat next to each other.

It wasn’t until George intervened and locked you in a closet that you truly interacted. You were sat on the floor twiddling your fingers whilst Fred stood as far away as he could in the little space that you were sharing. The only noise you could here is the distant chatter from students outside and the occasional cough from Fred.

He wanted to say something but didn’t really know what. He didn’t know what was going on between you but he sure as hell didn’t want to confess whatever he was feeling after how you reacted. It didn’t help that you were not even looking his way.

“I’m sorry for being a really shitty friend.” You finally spoke. Eyes still locked to the floor, you continued, “I just don’t think it’s a good idea if we got together.”

“What if we weren’t together?” He replied.

Your head shot up in confusion; “What do you mean?”

Fred didn’t exactly know what he meant either but he knew that he didn’t want to be with anyone else. He hadn’t gone on a date since your kiss, which George pointed out as strange since Fred always had a girl on his arm every Hogsmeade visit. The dates never went anywhere other than within that weekend.

“I mean… we could… just… kiss,” He studied your face for signs of aversion, “but just as friends. Y’know to blow off some steam?”

Your brow shot up.

‘Was that a good idea? Is this going to push you away further?’ Fred thought to himself.

 And when you said yes, it shocked him when you pounce up to kiss him in spite of the fact that he was the one to suggest it.

As a result of this memory, Fred always seeks you when he witnesses another person hitting on you. He'll take three short hours over three long weeks pretending like you don't exist which he fears would happen if you start dating someone else. Not that you two were dating…

“Same time here next weekend?” He asks

You say, "We won't do this again."

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

That night you couldn’t sleep. Tossing and turning with thoughts of Fred. You’re not sure how long you can continue like this. It may have started out as a crush on a friend but there are deeper feelings involved on your side now you’ve spent so many days with just the two of you. It won’t end well for you because surely Fred doesn’t feel the same way.

You know he finds you attractive as he compliments you during your sessions and that he likes you in some sort of way, but he obviously doesn’t want to be an official couple. If he did then why has he not asked you out on a proper date? It’s always empty rooms and secret nooks.

A confession to him would just be awkward and terrifying. It’ll risk your friendship even more. You resolve to cut things off tomorrow.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

There is something off with you, Fred notices. It was evident when your body stiffens at the touch of his arms around you. Five minutes until fifth period starts, he is walking you to your class since it’s his free period.

“You okay?” He squeezes your shoulder. Maybe you weren’t well.

“Yeah I’m fine.” You bite your bottom lip.

“You clearly aren’t. Talk to me.”

“Not right now Fred.”

He sees you grip your books tight.

“Here let me carry your books.”

“No it’s fine Fred.”

 “C’mon something is wrong. You can tell me anything.”

“We’ll talk later.”

“Just tell me. I’ll help you sort it out.”

“I said later.”

“I hate seeing you sad.” He insists, “Just let me help. I’m your friend.”

At those words you snap.

“That’s just it! We’re friends but we’re not friends. I just…” After a deep breath *you say, “I’m done. I don’t want to do whatever this is between us. Let’s go back to being actual friends.”

“What?” He laughs, not taking it seriously. You had been saying that for the past few weekends and you always came back to him. Fred quickens his pace and stops when he is facing you.

“Exams have been over for months now and there aren’t any this year. So we don’t need to ‘blow off steam’,” You quote the words he said at the start of your situationship.

“Are we going to continue during the N.E.W.T.s then?” He jokes.

You, however, do not find it funny and cross your arms.

“Are we just a joke to you? Fred I can’t do this anymore and no we aren’t going to continue next year.” You sigh and shake your head.

He didn’t mean to make a joke but he couldn’t help it. This can’t be happening. This isn’t how your story was supposed to end.

You walk off to your next class but he grabs your wrist and calls out your name.

“You don’t mean that. We’re having fun, aren’t we?”

He hears you scoff at his question. Without turning to him you reply,

“Well it isn’t fun anymore. Now excuse me I need to get to class.”

Yeah, you say that you’re done but Fred is still confused. Where did this come from all of a sudden? He stays where you left him. His mouth slightly agape. Can the ground swallow him up now? Make him fall where he stands, only like you can.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

You scribble away the content the Professor writes on the chalkboard. Trying so hard to concentrate on the lesson. He drowns on about the different properties of boom berries. However, the scene of your so called break-up replays and replays in your head; you change your mind, but it's still on Fred.

That wasn’t how it was meant to go. The conversation should have gone a little more civil, instead he had the audacity to make jokes. You frown. You should have expected the school’s joker to do as his reputation says. You’d known him for so long too. Why was it such a surprise to you when takes such a serious conversation lightly? Will you patch back up together and stay friends?

You didn’t want to lose him that way. Why did you agree with it in the first place? Then you remembered how your heart fluttered at your first kiss. You had thought about how you settled for being close friends for years then with benefits for months. It was the right decision. Your heart would break even more the longer you carry on.

When you broke the news to Hermione whilst you walked to watch the quidditch practice, she agreed it was the right decision. You debated on whether it was a good idea to attend the Gryffindor practice session but it was your way of getting things back to before. Back to normal. You even brought his and George’s favourite snacks.

You wave at him from the bleachers and your heart swells with glee when he returns the gesture.

“See nothing to worry about.” Hermione reassures you.

Hermione confided in her liking Ron at the start of last year in which you returned her trust by telling her about Fred. She insisted that he felt the same about you but you brushed it off saying it was just a brief infatuation that should go away given that you were close friends.

“Watch out!”

A bludger heading your way is immediately hit by Fred. The eye contact between you sends your cheeks blushing. Fuck he looked gorgeous in his sports gear. That’s when you know that after the aftermath, you know you will be coming back. 

Next you’re in his bedroom and it won't be the last time.

Head and heart are floating at the touch of his skin on yours. Fred caresses your body, clouding the judgement of the voice in your head. His kisses are rough as if to say I missed you when it’s only been a day they were apart from yours. You claw his back and he removes his jumper.

How are you supposed to leave him now that you're already over?

[avalynlestrange]

Love Story

Theodore Nott x Reader

Reader: she/her pronouns

Warnings: None I don’t think? I didn’t proof read

Category: Fluff, Modern Timeline AU, One-Shot, Songfic

Summary: In which Theodore surprises you with Eras Tour tickets.

No Sneak Peaks 😋

Request: @lucywritess requested based on @annaisabookworm ‘s post

Author’s Note: Hope you enjoy~ <3 This was really fun to write

Word Count: 1k

To The Library (my masterlist)

To The Kitchen (my WIPs)

To more Theodore Nott fics

To Fearless TV Anthology

You were quite upset when you couldn’t buy tickets to Taylor Swift’s Era’s tour. You had your boyfriend, Theodore, wait for the tickets during his work at the ministry whilst you were at home on a day off. However, neither of you managed to get any tickets.

Pansy didn’t get any tickets either, so she planned on throwing an era’s party instead at her family’s summer house. The theme, ofcourse, is to dress as an era.

“I’ve nearly finished my outfit!” You squeal. Theo slides his office chair to peep in your office.

On the tailor’s dummy was a blurple body suit inspired by Taylor’s Midnights Costume. The sparkles brings you so much joy but not as much as Theo’s coupling outfit.

“That looks gorgeous, sweetheart.” He eyes the outfit up and down.

“And you’re going to look fantastic next to me in your chair t-shirt!” You grin at him.

The doorbell rings and you jump in excitement.

“That must be my matching dress shirt and boots!~” You sing as you sprint to the front door.

Meanwhile, Theodore walks to the garage to place something in the boot of the car. He smiles to himself and sends a text to Pansy.

Theo: ‘Make sure to text her that your party changed venue to the one near the stadium so she doesn’t suspect us driving near there.’

Pansy: ‘Duh! I got you dude! I can’t wait for you two to get back from the concert!!!!’

Theo: ‘Thanks. I hope it goes well.’

“Babe! The beads are here we gotta make some more bracelets! Pansy said she’s invited a lot of people!” He hears you shouting from the kitchen.

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

The day of the party is the same day as the concert. Pansy told you she set it up that way since she knew a lot of Swifties that were in the same position as the both of you. You were even more thrilled when she mentioned she managed to book a venue near the stadium so that you can hear Queen Swift herself through the echoes of the speakers of the concert.

You stayed up all night to make bracelets and finish off your body suit. It was all worth it. Theo suggest that you can always nap on the way to the event and that’s what you did. He brought you a pillow and placed your to-go make up bag in the glove compartment so you can touch up beforehand.

When you arrived he gentle wakes you.

“Darling, we’re here. I couldn’t find a parking space near the venue but I luckily found one in the stadium.” He lies but you are still prying your eyes open to realise.

Whilst you applied some make up to correct smudges, Theo goes to the boot of the car and places items in his jacket pocket. He walks to your car door and opens it.

“Ready my sweet?” He offers you a hand that you gladly take. He starts leading you towards one of the entrances of the stadium.

“Where are you going? Isn’t the venue the other way?” You ask, puzzled. Still you allow him to walk you closer and closer to entrance.

“Maybe we can go in and buy some merch before we go to the party?” His hand is firm in yours ensuring you don’t detour back to the opposite direction.

“Babe it doesn’t work like that.”

“Oh well then good thing I have these.” He takes out two V.I.P. lanyards.

You are speechless as he puts one of them on you. When reality hit you, you jump up and hug him.

“I can’t believe you did this for me!” You sniffle.

“Hey hey! Save your tears for Miss Swift.”

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

Nothing could beat this feeling.

You are standing in front of the stage. Your Theo had bought you both front standing tickets. It is all like a fever dream. You exchange your bracelets with other fans and they appreciate your couples costume so much that some even asked to take photos with you.

And to add even more delight, Theo brought a muggle polaroid camera to capture your experience.

The countdown clock hits 5 seconds and the lights dim.

🎵 It’s been a long time coming 🎵

You, along with thousands of fans scream at the top of your lungs. Theo smiles and captures a photo. Jumping and singing throughout the concert. Slow dancing with Theo during ballads.

Theo swears the twinkle in your eyes is shining brighter than anything on the stage. Even brighter when the first notes of your couple song plays.

🎵 We were both young when I first saw you 🎵

You had met in first year of Hogwarts on the boats leading up to the castle. He saved you from falling off it when you thought you saw a mermaid tail swimming near the surface.

🎵 You were Romeo & you were throwing pebbles 🎵

Literally happened in fourth year. Theo on his broom throwing rocks at your bedroom door during summer holidays when he was missing you. Your family weren’t very happy with the broken window but did find it very sweet. Young love.

🎵 Romeo take me somewhere we can be alone 🎵

You both focus on each other than the crowds and the performance. Bodies swaying together, Theo twirling you, and kisses during music breaks in the song.

🎵 And my daddy said stay away from Juliet 🎵

Flashbacks to when your family disapproved of Theo when his father was sent to Azkaban. But you both fought for your love and here you were now.

🎵This love is difficult but it’s so real 🎵

Your family eventually embraced him when they saw how he protected you throughout the second wizarding war. Not a scar was on you. He made sure of it.

🎵 Is this in my head I don’t know what to think 🎵

Theo kneels down and pulled out a ring and mouthed the words to you.

“Yes yes yes!” You cry out as he places the ring on your finger.

He picks you up and swirls you. You were wrong earlier. This is the best you’ve felt in your life.

[avalynlestrange]

Begin Again

Pansy Parkinson x Neville Longbottom (background Theodore Nott x Luna Lovegood)

Warnings: Nothing? Please let me know if there is. Not proof read 😊

Category: Fluff, One-Shot, Flashfic, Songfic

Summary: In which Pansy watches love begin again.

No sneak peaks 😋

Author’s Note: I first saw Panville in the tags when I was posting my Pansy mood board and found the ship really cute.

Word Count: 829

To The Library (my masterlist)

To The Kitchen (my WIPs)

To more Pansy Parkinson fics

To more Neville Longbottom fics

To Red TV Anthology

Pansy takes a deep breath in the mirror. Indecisive about which shoes completes her outfit. ‘He didn't like it when I wore high heels. But I do.’ She slips into her go-to black stilettos gifted to her by Tracey. It’s been in her closet since he put them there.

She applies a layer of lipgloss and grabs her keys. This would be her first date after him. Pansy cannot believe she let Nott’s girlfriend talk her into a blind date. Her hand hovers over the front door’s handle. She walks back to the wall mirror and styles her fringe once more before leaving her apartment.

She turns the lock and puts her headphones on. ‘He always said he didn't get this song. But I do.’

She always loved it this time of year. The leaves crunching beneath her feet. Cold breeze making her regret not choosing a thicker cardigan. Lovegood informed Pansy that her blind date chose a cafe nearby. Convenient if it goes wrong and Pansy wants to go home quick.

She walks in expecting he’d be late but he’s here early and he stands and waves. Pansy stands shocked to see one Neville Longbottom.

She walks to him.

“Hi. This is for you.” Neville hands her a plant pot.

She takes the gift and thanks him.

“It’s a young ho-“

“Honeysuckle.” She smiles. “It’s my favourite.”

Her grandmother used to grow them in their family garden and the sweet aroma filled the backyard with a sweet scent every summer. She would spend her holidays there tending to the flora.

She puts the gift on the table to the side.

“I know. You mentioned it in Herbology a couple times.”

How sweet of Neville to have listened and remembered. She recalls dropping the hint many times to her ex so that he would stop gifting her pansies, which he assumed were her favourite. She used to loathe that she was named after the favourite flower of the mother that abandoned her family for a muggle but she’s long gotten past that fact and have accepted her name.

Neville pulls her chair out and helps her in. ‘He doesn’t know how nice that is. But I do.’

The date started with the niceties; the ‘What have you been up to’. They even forgot to order anything until Neville noticed Pansy eyeing the cake on the table next to them. He asks her what she would like and insists on being the one to order and pay.

She sits and stares after him. All these years Pansy has never thought she’d come across classmates that weren’t in her Slytherin circle, never mind Neville. It’s nice. It’s more than nice. She’ll have to thank Lovegood for setting it all up.

Neville returns with a tray and sets her drink in front of her along with a teaspoon and a fork on a napkin. He places a plate with 2 different pieces of cake down in the middle.

“Before you say anything, I know you didn’t ask for it but this place is famous for its desserts. It’s the reason I chose this place. That one has cream cheese frosting.” He says pointing at the slice of blueberry cake.

“I love a good frosting. Thank you.” And they both dig in.

‘He’s a sharer.’ She finds it a refreshing change to what she’s used to. They talk about everything and anything. Pansy is reserved until they speak about music.

“I have never met one witch who had as many Madame Bletchley records as me.” Neville chuckles as he takes a bite out of their shared dessert.

“But I do! I made everyone I knew enter that contest the Daily prophet ran in sixth year. I even sent an owl to my Grandma to enter as well.”

“Me too! I was so gutted when I didn’t win. My Nana sent me my records and the boys were sick of her by the end of the spring term.”

“Aww your Nana sounds lovely.” She brushes her hair away from her face and stirs her beverage.

“You seem a lot more shy than you were back in the day.”

Pansy takes a sip of her hot chocolate. He gestures at the foam at her upper lip and there’s a moment of silent before she replies.

“I’m sorry about what I said and did at school.” Before she could recollect her darker years Neville interrupts.

“Yeah you were pretty scary. But what’s past is past.”

His hand touches hers and it gives her some courage.

“I actually thought you were cute back then.” She confesses.

Neville’s eyebrows rises up and he gives her a toothy grin.

“And I thought you were pretty.”

Their eyes meet and linger there for more than a moment. Pansy was too busy spending the last eight months wallowing; thinking all love ever does is break and burn, and end.

But on a Wednesday in a cafe, she watches it begin again.

[avalynlestrange]

it’s time to go

Draco Malfoy x Reader

Reader: No House mentioned, no gender pronouns used

Warnings: None. I don’t think? Please let me know if there is. I didn’t proof read this one.

Category: Angst, break up, one-shot, song-fic, super flash fic, no use of y/n,

Summary: In which you know it’s time to go.

Author’s Note: Wrote this since I couldn’t sleep last night. I know it’s short.

Word Count: 346

To The Library (Main Masterlist)

To The Kitchen (WIPs)

To evermore Anthology

To more Draco Malfoy fics

It was a slow realisation.

Date nights used to be hot and steamy. Now you sit staring at a plate you’ve barely taken a bite out of. The atmosphere of the restaurant doesn’t match the aura that surrounds you and Draco; only the nearly empty bottle of wine. So, when the dinner is cold and the chatter gets old. You ask for the tab.

Arguments are now loaded and frequent. The slamming of doors are more regular than sweet, tender scenes. It’s about times when you share a laughter with someone that isn’t him or that moment again he's insisting that friends look at each other like that. It worsens when the words of her sister come back in whispers that prove she was not in fact ‘just a friend’.

Your future used to be laid out and exciting. Both of your parents were extremely pleased when you made it official. Talks of strengthening the family line and how proud they were of the fact you and Draco are partners were never not present at family dinners or societal events.

Now the thought of whats to come haunt your nightmares. A marriage not lacking of life’s necessity but the needs of the soul, trying to stay for the kids, and sleepless nights when keeping it how it is will only break your hearts worse.

That old familiar body ache returns when your mind concludes what is best. The snaps from the same little breaks in your soul as you pack your belongings in luggage bags. You used to only have a drawer in his room but your possessions have grown over the years together. It’s difficult to discern what is solely yours and what is shared property. You leave behind what you are uncertain about and what you are certain will torment your being.

Sometimes giving up is the strong thing

Sometimes walking out is the one thing that will find you the right thing

And you know in your soul

When it’s time to go

So then you go

Then you go

You just go

[avalynlestrange]

The Castle Grounds

Avalyn Lestrange

twenty something | she/her | slytherin | intp

Hi! Welcome to my sweet tumblr page~

This blog does not support J.K R*wling and does not support her beliefs.

Please be kind, I write for fun and English is not my first language.

Send an ask/request/message at anytime~

♡ The Library (my fics masterlist)

♡ The Room of Requirement (my creative masterpost)

♡ The Kitchen (my work in progress)

♡ The Owlery (my requests/ask/message)

♡ The Great Hall (my recommended fiction)

18+ For spicy posts go to my secondary blog @evelynnelestrange

Divider Designed by Freepik and @firefly-graphics

[avalynlestrange]

Good Luck, Babe!

Pairing: Pansy Parkinson x Reader (Draco x Pansy in the background)

Reader: she/her pronouns, no mentioned house, artsy

Warnings: Heartache, they don’t make up, not proof read

Category: Angst, songfic, one-shot,

Summary: In which you call off a two year secret kind of love affair.

Author’s Note: Just realised that this song isn’t even in an album and it’s giving me anxiety on where to put it 🤣

Word Count: <2k

The great hall is already buzzing when you arrive. Students chatter hum in the background, gentle music plays on a record player on the stage, and the scent of syrup and bacon wafts through the air. You tuck your sketchbook under one arm, and catch the sight of Pansy as she sits with her usual squad.

Her black bob hair bounces like they always did when she laughs too hard. Her boyfriend - the infamous only child of Lucius Malfoy - tosses his arm around her shoulder like she was a trophy.

It's fine, it's cool. You don’t flinch. You’ve rehearsed this a thousand times by now.

Pansy looks up.

Your eyes meet.

One second.

Two.

The corners of Pansy’s smile wavers. She blinks and turns away. Pansy leans into Draco, then kisses his cheek.

You pull your gaze away and keep walking. Past the first years doing their homework. Past the swirl of her perfume.

Flashes of memories hits you like tidal waves…

Warm breath, candle lights dimmed, Pansy’s pinkie hooking around yours at the back section of the library. A whisper of “no one can ever know.” A kiss that tasted like nerves and rose lip gloss.

Jasmine scented letters sent by different owls, poetry written in longing, playlists shared that are filled with confidential desire. A moving picture of kisses on cheeks. A coded message signed at the back of ‘My Baby’.

Hand holding in empty corridors, stolen moments in broom closets, brushing of fingers in passing. An after class excuse of ‘I have tutoring’. A tiptoe back into dorms late at night.

You don't wanna call it off.

But she doesn't wanna call it love.

So this is the way it has to be.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

Potions class first period is the kind of awkward you could cut with the blunt pencil in your hand. You sketch the frown lines of the head of Slytherin house on a loose sheet of parchment paper. He’s grumpier than usual, must’ve had the Gryffindors the previous period.

Professor Snape announces that you are to work in pairs. When he reads your name and Pansy’s, the class goes still for half a second too long. You don’t react. You sit on the stool beside Pansy. No words are spoken between you at first. The cauldron between you both remained empty.

Pansy swirls her pen between her fingers. Then she bites her fingernails. A tell tale sign that she’s nervous. You want to place

Your eyes are drawn to her lips. Guess you’re the fool. No matter how much it makes your heart heavy, when you can’t be affectionate in public like you have done numerous of times in the shadowed corner of unoccupied classroom, you still love her. Even she hasn’t said those three words back to you.

A loud pop behind you jolts you back to the present moment and makes Pansy’s pen fall to the floor. You pick it up and hand it over. Your fingers brushed.

Pansy pulls back too fast.

“Thanks.” she said, softly.

You just nod. “Anytime.”

The rest of the lesson, you’re both giggling and talking nonsense. Feels nice interacting like this out in the open.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

It’s been long a day and you were walking past Pansy’s locker. Since there weren’t anyone significant around, you decided to leave her a little note saying ‘I missed you today. Meet at our usual?’ You’re cliché, who cares?

It's still a kind of love affair that brings butterflies to your stomach and also ties it into knots.

You walk to the divination tower. It’s a quiet place after school time. No one comes here. They all rush to the library to study, or the courtyard to relax or to save a spot in the astronomy tower for an evening date. You take out your sketchbook and scribble soft features of the girl that you met here.

Smiling to yourself, you recall the day you found Pansy singing quietly as she uses a brush to paint bright colours on her eye lids.

“That suits you,” you complimented. You didn’t know what came over you. You don’t usually talk to students you don’t know. But she looked gorgeous sitting there, joyfully being creative.

“Thanks,” she turned to look at you, “You’re the one who sits in front of me during charm always drawing.”

“Yeah.” You said sheepishly.

“What’s this?” Pansy snaps.

You look up. Her eyebrows scrunching, and her hand clasping a piece of paper in front of your face. As she waves it around, you catch a glimpse of the ink and handwriting.

“Well babe, I just wanted to see you. How else do I let you know to come here? I don’t understand why you look so mad,” You take a step towards her silent pacing body, “Babe. What’s wrong?”

“This. You can’t be leaving things like this in my locker! I’ve told you before not to give me anything so publicly.” Pansy throws the note. Your heart hurts as if it’s the one absorbing the impact as the paper hits the floor.

“I didn’t sign it. I didn’t write my name. They could just think we’re friends. So please stop worrying.”

“No! But what were you thinking? No. You weren’t thinking. Draco could’ve found this! Others could’ve seen you place this in there! I told you that no one can find out about us,” Her voice in a whisper but message so loud, “for this to work, we need to keep this a secret.”

Tears start to trickle out your eyes. You only wanted to see her privately. You didn’t want to wait for hours on end like you usually do, hoping Pansy comes here of her own accord or that you’d have to look for her in the library, perhaps even find her in other nooks and cranny hiding from the pressures of the world.

“What even is this? What are we?” You know the answer, so why did you ask?

“Together!”

“No. You and Draco are together. You and I are just a shadow of that.” You’ve had conversations like these before and you’re getting tired of it.

“Is that why you wrote to me so publicly? Huh? To let people know? What is wrong with you? You get off from outing me?”

You cry, “That’s not fair. I just need a little loving.”

“Well I just need a little air” Pansy storms off, leaving you.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

Pansy stumbles upon a drawing of her under the seat pillow of the divination classroom. Her heart beat racing when she sees your signature at the bottom right hand corner. She neatly fold it in half and stuff it in her book bag. Maybe she was too harsh on you last night.

When you ignore her wave during third period charms, she decided she’ll make it up to you with a picnic at your usual meeting room. Gestures like that normally patches things up between the two of you.

Little does she know that whilst Pansy plans this in her head, your mind is thinking you’re going to call it off. Even if she apologises for being sharp with you. Even she calls it love. Even if it carves out a large portion of your heart. You just had to survive the day without bumping into her. Else you might change your mind.

⳾*⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*❀⑅*⳾

After dinner, you climb the ladder leading to Professor Trelawney’s classroom. The room is lit with floating candles. Your hand scrapes against the wood as you pull yourself upright.

Pansy is sat on a blanket sprawled out with a basket and glasses of what seems to be either red wine or blackcurrant juice. Her favourite drinks. A feeling within your chest stings deep down, but you clench your teeth with the resolve you have from earlier today.

“Hey,” Pansy calls out softly.

You don’t respond.

Only when you don’t move further does Pansy continues, “I brought your favourites.” She smiles and motions towards the set up on the floor.

One second.

Two.

The corners of Pansy’s smile wavers.

“I also found this.” She opens up a folded page, and reveals a sketch of yours you thought you had lost. You had a panic looking for that very paper the other day, in fear of someone coming across it and calling you or Pansy out, before deciding it must have been buried under all the paper pile in your room.

“I really like it.” She says, patting the pillow next to her. You are surprised at her reaction of finding the drawing, you feel a pang of guilt and anxiety that Pansy must have found it somewhere out in the open. That’s when it clicks in to place. You shouldn’t have to feel like this.

“I can’t,” you start.

“You can’t what?”

“I can’t do this anymore. I just wanna love someone who calls me ‘baby’.”

“You are my baby.”

“Only in here. Only confined in small spaces or hidden amongst the dusty corners.”

“You don’t understand-“

You interrupt her speech, you’ve heard it all before. How she has to keep up appearances for her family’s sake. How awful she feels about keeping you a secret. How she’s suffering too. You understand but you can’t bear it any longer.

“I do but you don’t understand it from my point of view. You talk about feeling guilty not meeting your family’s expectations and that you have to be with Draco for appearances sake, but I don’t think you’ve ever thought about how that makes me feel.”

“But-“ Pansy tries to interject but you continue.

“When you cancel plans because Draco suddenly made last minute dinner reservations. Or when you’re harsh with me about leaving you gifts and notes. He doesn’t love. He just parades you around like a medal he won for just participating.”

“You don’t realise how much this hurts me. Not being with you. If you hadn’t love me, none of this would be this messy!” She says, teary eyed.

“ I don’t want to be with someone who thinks of me as an afterthought or makes me feel guilty for loving her. I think we should-“

“-Don’t do it,” She pleads, “Don’t say what I think you’re going to say. I just have to stay with him a little longer.”

“How much longer? It’s been 2 years Pansy! We’re graduating in the summer! You said it yourself, that he’s planning on proposing to you at the end of the graduation ceremony! What then?” You cry out.

“I… I…” Pansy stutters. You know what her answer will be when he pops the question.

“Years from now, when you wake up next to him in the middle of the night, with your head in your hands, you’ll be nothing more than his wife. And when you think about me, all of those years ago, you’re standing face to face with ‘I told you so’ but I won’t be there.”

You can tell by the way her eyes dart around the place that she’s looking to make a new excuse, another stupid reason. Before she can say a word, you wish her aloud, “Good luck, babe.”

You have to stop the world just to stop the feeling within you of love and heartache. But this is a good place to start, leaving her.

To The Library (Main Masterlist)

To The Kitchen (WIPs)

To The Room of Requirement (Creative Masterlist)

To more Pansy Parkinson

[andromedasreadingnook]

Broke more vases.

Ajgnthfhfhrlancuel I love this way too much

Speak Now

Draco Malfoy x Reader

Reader: she/her pronouns

Warnings: I didn’t proof read this. Let me know if there are any mistakes or if there are other warnings I should add.

Category: Post-Hogwarts, ex to lovers, wedding interruption, songfic, one-shot, angst?, fluff?

Summary: In which you rudely barge in on a white veil occasion.

No Sneak Peak 😋

Author’s Note: I’ve been feeling uninspired and unwell recently but I’m back 💞 This is my entry to week 2 of @hpcottagecorefest

Word Count: <2k

To The Library (Masterlist)

To The Kitchen (WIPs)

To More Draco Malfoy fics

To Speak Now Anthology

You are not the kind of girl who should be rudely barging in on a white veil occasion. Yet here you are dressed in formal attire, sitting at the seventh to the front bench of the great hall of the Malfoy manor. You had to come to see groom and Draco was not the kind of boy who should be marrying the wrong girl. You would be lying if you said you weren’t taken aback at the news of his engagement to one Astoria Greengrass a few months ago but it had pained you to hear it; especially through the mouth of an acquaintance.

He didn’t even have the nerve to say it to you. Then again why would he? You had been broken up for nearly year. But everybody knew you would get back together.

Well, everybody thought you would.

You always did. It was the norm for your relationship. Sure, this was the longest you’ve been apart but he somehow dated and proposed to Astoria within that 10 months.

You scoff at that thought. Must be their families doing. That’s probably why you didn’t get an invitation.

So you did what you had to in order to get into the event. You snuck in and see your friends and her snotty little family all dressed in pastel. There were different entrances to Malfoy Manor. You knew them like the back of your hand. Days and nights were spent here, running around playing hide and seek that lead to romantic encounters in nooks and crannies. No one truly checks who enters the servant quarters and those working this event, luckily, did not know who you were or were too busy to care.

You are sitting next to Blaise, who said he would say that he brought you as his plus one. If any one asked. Pansy said she truly would have brought you, if not for her being a bridesmaid. She had known the Greengrass sisters since she was born but was only told she was part of the entourage a week prior.

It’s not like you didn’t know the sisters yourself. You were close with Daphne during your school years and met Astoria when you visited Daphne’s home during the summer after first year and she was not as carefree as her older sister, even as a nine year old.

“She’s probably yelling at a bridesmaid somewhere.” You whisper to Blaise.

“Yeah, Pansy texted me earlier that Astoria’s gown is shaped like a pastry.” He snickers as he shows you the picture Pansy had sent him. You feign a laugh. Astoria looked gorgeous in the photo.

But this is surely not what Draco thought it would be. After the second wizarding war he vowed not to be caught up in his parent’s views and expectations ever again. It had nearly gotten him killed. You recall the nights you comforted him in your arms as he sobbed and scrubbed the mark on his forearm. How you missed wrapping your arms around him and being wrapped by his.

A cough snaps you out of your daydream. You look up and see Daphne with her furrowed eyebrows.

“You can’t be here.” She gestures for you to stand up. “My mom has seen you and told Astoria. So you have to-”

“She’s my date.” Blaise interrupts.

“And you know bloody well that this would happen.” Daphne ushers you and you follow her to the back of the hall.

“Look as much as I was rooting for you and Draco, I have to side with my sister. You need to go.” She hears her name being called and rushes to them.

Once Daphne is no longer in sight, you sneak back into the far back left side of the hall where long curtains drape. This was your last chance to stop this all. You couldn’t try to stop the engagement, but you can definitely try and prevent the union. It wasn’t a choice you made so lightly. Many sleepless nights nearer the date and you had made your mind up.

You couldn’t lose Draco. You had gone through so much together. There was so much love still there. No matter how many times you broke up and made up. You were meant to be. You know he knows it. So you hide behind the curtains.

The organ starts to play a song that sounds like a death march. In between the two curtains, you peak at the start of the ceremony. Out comes Gardenia Greengrass in mint green. She never did like you when you met. She and Narcissa had been close childhood friends who dreamt of their children being wed and uniting the families. However, when Draco mentioned that you were his girlfriend during fifth year, their hopes were shattered and they were not warm towards you.

You sneak out of the curtains and sit at the back bench. The hall is filled with familiar faces but luckily the person next to you was too watching the ceremony to notice you.

As the wedding processional order proceeds to the grandparents, fond gestures are exchanged.

Then he walks through the door.

They say time stops when you’re in love. They are right. The intense feeling you have as you see him in his white suit and mint pocket square, his platinum blond locks in low fade cut, and his ice grey eyes wandering the hall sent butterflies to your stomach.

But they are heavy. It’s all wrong. This isn’t how you imagined seeing him down an aisle. Your stomach drops at the weight of it all.

You and Draco often talked about how your wedding would be. Which colour palette to use, which flowers, which venue and you see nothing of his preferences in what is all around you.

Draco stands at the altar awaiting his bride.

The music changes.

Astoria floats down the aisle like a pageant queen. You look to Draco and back to his bride. The butterflies are dancing around in your stomach and you are feeling a little nauseous.

But you know he wishes it you.

Doesn’t he?

Draco fixes his tie and looks around the room. He squints as he pats down his blazer. You know all his tells. By the way he fidgets with his family ring. He’s nervous. He takes a sharp inhale when he realises that Astoria is in front of him. She takes his hands in hers. A part of you breaks when you see him smile as he looks into her eyes.

You pay no mind to the words until you hear the preacher say, “Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

There’s a silence. There’s your last chance. You stand up with shaking hands.

All eyes on you.

Horrified looks from everyone in the room but you’re only looking at Draco.

He drops Astoria’s hands and faces you fully. You walk to aisle. Astoria’s mother stands up, but you start to speak.

“I’m sorry… Actually, I’m not sorry at all. Draco don't say a single vow. Don’t say yes.”

Your eyes are on his. Gasps from the people around you echoes in the hall.

“Let’s just run away now.” You continue. “I'll meet you when you're out of the Manor, at the back door.”

Your legs feel like they are going to give up on you when silence ensues. Draco is still standing at the altar. Hushed whispers follows. He opens his mouth as if to say something but he shuts it as quickly. He looks back and forth from you to Astoria. He looks back to you and says nothing.

That’s when you lose all the hopes you had. He really must be in this for love and not for his parents sake. You bite your lower lip and pick at the skin.

You don’t say another word and you walk out the manor. The metallic taste of blood seeps onto your tongue as you hold back the sobs that threaten to creep out. And as soon as you are out the grand entrance you drop to sit on the cold steps. All the what ifs crawl all over you as you wait on whether he will follow you out. You shiver.

Time is dragging. It feels like an eternity.

So you run. As fast as your shoes can take you. To the meadows nearby. It’s not the summer memories that flood your mind. No. Not the picnics amidst the flowers where you now sit. But the missed opportunities.

You should have told him you wanted him back sooner. You should have said something before they even got engaged. You should have never gone to this event. How stupid of you.

The scent of the pastel blue and baby pink flowers linger in the air. He used to pick them for you and placed them in your hair. The compliments he would shower you as you adorn them. Now they are tainted with the memories of them being in the decorations of their wedding. They must have been here together.

You grab a fist full of flowers in your hands and pluck them forcefully, chucking it with all the strength you can muster.

You hear your name being gently called. It didn’t register as a voice from someone near you. You’ve heard it so many times before. Draco did often visit you in dreams.

He places himself next to you.

“What? Come to tell me the good news in person? I must be so special.” You pick at the flowers once more. He doesn’t speak for the longest time. The breeze cooling down your heated cheeks. Shouldn’t he be at the reception?

“Remember when I first brought you here? You were so nervous about telling my parents about us.”

“Of course! Narcissa already hated me since you lot blamed me for breaking her favourite vase.” You remark.

The decision of sharing a bottle of fire whiskey stolen from the cabinets and pretending to be studying at the manor library seemed like a good idea then.

“It wasn’t my idea! Goyle just said it to protect me. Crabbe just went along-“

“Plus she was already furious when she heard that you dated girls that wasn’t a Greengrass. Bet she’s happy now.” You scoff.

“She actually loved you.” He confesses. “Every time I visited home without you she made me bring you your favourite dish.”

“That’s why we always had a bunch of them in the fridge when you got back.”

“Where did you think they came from?”

“I don’t know! I thought you bought it somewhere. You never mentioned they came from your mom!”

“I did! The first time when I went after New Years cause you had work.”

“I don’t remember that was ages ago!”

He laughs and offers you flower crown he had made.

“I’ve missed this.”

“What? Us bickering?”

“Yeah and just you in general.”

You frown at him and ask, “Why are you here? Should you be back at the party?”

He props down the offering in between you then looks to the horizon.

“I didn’t say my vows.” He pauses to see your reaction. However, when you didn’t respond he carries on.

“My father was the one who arranged all of this. After all these years and he still has an influence on me. Which is why I’m so glad you were around when they said, ‘Speak Now’. Ever since we broke up, I’ve been a mess.

“I keep going to my fireplace to floo to you and when I finally did you had moved out of our place. Figured you’d moved on. Broke more vases. It drove me crazy when you never came to any social events. I’ve missed you so much. You’re the one I love.”

He motions his open palm to you and says, “Shall we run away now?”