Disclaimer: World of HP property of J. K. Rowling. For the 8th round of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competitions (Season 2).

Team: Falmouth Falcons
Position: Chaser 2

Round 8: Fluff
Position Prompt: The Imperious curse

Prompts: (word) beastly; (word) difficult; (word) demon.

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Imperious Eyes

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Theodore was a very smart man. In point of fact, he was considered a genius.

Which was probably why no matter how difficult, unreasonable and even ridiculously ill-tempered and emotional as his very pregnant girlfriend behaved, he always treated her like she was a perfect angel. He supposed his nearly infinite patience was also a blessing (and the fact that he'd been in love with her since they were first years).

And he did not, for even a second, desire to use the imperious curse on the love of his lie. No. Not for one second.

"Good morning, love," Theodore greeted, placing a kiss on the crown of auburn hair as he treaded into the manor's library.

"Good morning? Hardly. This beastly demon has been kicking since three in the bloody morning," Tracey retorted as she abused the book she was presently reading.

Theodore tried not to cringe at the sight of the pages nearly tearing in the hands of the twenty-seven year old who was seated on a chaise, scowling.

Gingerly, he sat down next to the pregnant woman, seated on the edge and careful not to touch her. He was never quite certain what might set her off and she was already in a bad mood. Though he couldn't blame her.

Though, there were times that her emotional outbursts rather took him by surprise and confused him. Like when her condition started to show physically, and she'd yelled at him because he made her fat (though at the time he didn't see what she meant as her waistline had only expanded a few inches), and then broke down crying because she felt she was unattractive. It had been difficult to convince her that she would always be the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, and all the words that came out of his mouth had seemed to be the wrong ones.

"Beastly demon?" Theodore asked, trying to keep the amusement and disapproval out of his tone.

Though he knew that in spite of the child coming at an inopportune moment in Tracey's career, that Tracey very much loved their child, he was sometimes concerned that a part of her might resent him or even the baby.

"Yes, Your demon spawn, as he dances on my bladder every hour and likes to play a game of kick the quaffle every bleeding day at three in the morning. It's almost enough to make me wonder if you can cast the imperious curse on an unborn child," Tracey replied in annoyance as she slammed her book shut and flung it away from her.

Theodore did not turn to see where the poor, discarded book had landed and how it fared from it's abrupt and sudden journey. He merely blinked owlishly at the girl before him, wishing to kiss away the frown line between her finely sculpted brows and because she was so perfectly alike him that they even harbored the same strange thoughts.

He supposed that it certainly was something at least... to see the girl who had once been so cool, quiet and calm, become so very different from herself. He wondered, as Tracey seemed so vexed due to her condition, if she really wouldn't mind being under the Imperious curse, but pushed it out of his mind.

The lovely, independent girl he'd fallen for, would deplore it. Besides that, she was an Auror, and though he was not a fan of the mood-swings, he loved Tracey as she was. He loved everything that she was.

Reaching over fondly and tucking a strand of wavy hair behind a perfect ear, Theo drew Tracey's marvelous eyes to himself.

Merlin I hope the baby has her gorgeous eyes, he thought, feeling as breathless as the first time her grey-green eyes met his.

Tracey was his dream. His perfectly, imperfect wonder.

He'd been in love with her for years... for many years before she saw him as even a friend. And when she kissed him on the eve of the last battle, he'd thought he could die then and be happy.

He was very glad that he hadn't. Because the past ten years, had surpassed all his dreams. And though she wouldn't marry him because she didn't believe in marriage, they were becoming a family. And words could not express what that meant to him.

"You'll never need an imperious curse when he's born. Just one look at your eyes, and he'll be a goner, just like me," Theodore told her softly, with all the love and tenderness he'd always harbored in his heart, just for her.

His heart still skipped a beat, when he saw that he could still make her smile. That special smile, the one that was meant just for him. It was small, soft and crooked, but in it was all the love and affection that she so often found hard to express.

As a mischievous spark flared into those green eyes that dominated his existence, he knew that whatever she was about to say next, would mean trouble. And he was equal parts enamored and wary of that look.

"Who said it is going to be a boy?" she posed, arching a brow at him.

Theodore groaned.

He prayed to Merlin that it wasn't a girl, because he didn't think he could take a baby girl... their baby girl, looking at him with Tracey's Imperious eyes.

At his pained and terrified expression, Tracey laughed before leaning in to place a kiss on his forehead.

And he knew at that very moment, that thought the past seven months had been strenuous, and that all that followed would be that much harder, he knew that it was an adventure worth living. Because Tracey was the family that he'd always dreamed of, the love that he never thought would be possible for him.

And how could having something that was equal parts each of them, make life anything else but perfect?

-Fin-