When Theodore Nott received his owl from the Ministry the first thing he thought was that they were finally giving back his estate, why else would they be writing to him when he had been out of the country for the past four months? He'd been travelling though mostly only from dragon reserve to dragon reserve, he was in Romania when the Ministry owl showed up. It was always easy to tell the Ministry owls apart. They were always tawny, stocky, they had yellow eyes and matching beaks. They almost looked like carbon copies of one another. The wax seal of the back was imprinted with the letters MoM and the letter was signed by the Wizengamot. He had assumed it was about getting his estate back.
He'd not been entirely wrong, they did in fact give back the Nott estates. His father had been sent to Azkaban four months before after over a year spent on trial in a small facility of holding cells. The fiasco of Sirius Black meant each and every witch and wizard got a fair trial no matter what. Even if they were caught with their hands in the cookie jar just like his father had been. The war had ended with the death of Voldemort at the hands of Harry Potter and the remaining Death Eaters had been rounded up, his father had been caught in full cloak and mask on the battlefield and had tortured more than enough young girls to get the life sentence he deserved but, laws were laws and with so many caught it was taking far too long to put them all away properly. Of course this was also part of the reason Theo had been out of the country in the first place.
What he wasn't expecting the Ministry wanted with him was the marriage law he was briefed about when he turned up. His stomach churned just at the thought and he genuinely thought the clerk in the office was joking until a second envelope was thrust into his hands. It had been eighteen months since the war had ended, he had finished his schooling just as the ministry had demanded of him and his classmates, after a lucky escape with a betrothal contract he had been bound to from birth, he had fled the country to get away for a while and now here he was, listening to some Wizengamot clerk going on about soulmate matches, marriage rates and birth rates and he thought he was going to be sick.
Then he heard her voice. He would have known it anywhere. But to hear her now, in the Ministry whilst he was being briefed on who he was to wed was just ironic. He turned towards the door and saw her standing there, she wore a black corset and skirts flowed from her hips just perfectly, a cloak was wrapped around her shoulders and her dark red curls bounced off of them. He gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, his mouth dry.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Theodore Nott." She said as she leaned against the doorway inspecting her nails looking for all the world as if she were bored of his mere presence.
"Uh, yeah. The Ministry called me back." He answered defensively as he took tentative steps towards her.
"Still surprised you came, we all know just what you think of marriage." She teased though it was obvious to Theo there was a hint of sadness in her voice.
"You know I couldn't marry Pansy. You know why I didn't go through with it."
"Yes, well, you're not the only one who didn't go through with it." She answered as she waved a matching envelope in the air to show she was also being called in for the marriage law.
Theo quickly looked towards the letter in the witch's hand, she had been betrothed to Draco before she was born. Just as he had to Pansy. It was why the pair had split up. There had been no way out of their contracts. Their parents, who had all been Death Eaters, Voldemort's henchmen, had had full control of their children and estates until the day they had been sentenced, their children were still classed as the heirs up until the day before Theo was to wed Pansy when, after he had finally sweet talked enough Wizengamot members, his father's trial had been brought forward and the man, having been sentenced to life in Azkaban was stripped of all titles, his son taking his place. The first thing Theo did as head of his house was to rip up the marriage contract. There was only one witch he wanted to bond himself to and she was betrothed to his best friend so instead of sticking around he ran. He couldn't bare to watch the woman he loved marry his best friend.
"You-you didn't marry Draco?" He asked somewhat confused before he sought out her hand to look for a ring on her finger. He didn't find any.
"No, if you'd have stuck around you would have known."
"Yes, well forgive me for not wanting to watch my ex marry Draco-sodding-Malfoy."
"Is that what I am?"
"Isn't it?"
The witch cast a quick glance around the room, noticing the clerk in the corner who was listening way more intently than needed. "Do you fancy a drink?" She asked.
Theo looked at the unopened envelope in his hand and sighed, "I could do with a drink" he agreed.
The pair had been a couple from the beginning of sixth year, though had been friends for a long time before that. Their parents were all in Voldemort's inner circle, they were Death Eater children and Death Eater children only had playdates with other Death Eater children while Death Eater meetings were held. They had been close as kids and even still when they started Hogwarts. Both sorted into Slytherin just like their ancestors before them. They had stayed close, though while he stuck to keeping his friends in his own house she was a law unto herself and became best friends with Puffs and Claws! For a while it was the biggest scandal the Slytherins knew until it became obvious that this witch wasn't like any other. Over the years her odd behaviour became accepted as that just being who she was and her relationship with Theo changed. By the end of fourth year they were dancing around one another and their feelings for each other though he ignored her advances. She dated Blaise and hoped it would give him the kick up the arse he needed but it wasn't until days before they were due to go back for sixth year that the pair became a couple. Of course they were inseparable after that and their friends often joked that they were two haves of a whole. Their relationship was perfect except for one thing; their betrothal contracts.
Theo held his hand out for the witch for her to take, a habit of spending so long together though she took it with ease and without hesitation and they walked to the Floo. "Where to?" He asked
"My place?" She suggested as she stepped into the empty grate.
"I'll follow you" he called as she was engulfed in emerald flames.
Considering the witch had been his ex girlfriend for the past six months after over three years together, the fact that they only split because of their impending nuptials to other people or the fact that they hadn't seen each other in the past four months they still seemed to get on quite well.
Theo followed the witch into the Floo and once he arrived at her house went straight to the kitchen where he knew she would be, she was already pouring them each a healthy, or rather, not so, three fingers of the strongest Firewhiskey in her arsenal and, before either of them had a chance to utter a word she drank the glass down. Theo followed suit and the witch poured them both another before drinking the second glass and he followed until finally, when she poured them their third, took the bottle with her through to the sitting room.
The witch sat on the couch and placed the bottle on the coffee table as she swirled the amber liquid in the glass, neither of them had muttered a word since they had left the Ministry and it was starting to get awkward. The atmosphere was so thick it could have been cut with a sword.
"So," Theo began as he sat, "are you going to explain what happened with Draco?" He asked.
"There's not much to tell, you know I didn't want to marry him so I got out of it. The contract is void." She was still looking into her glass as she answered.
"How did you get out of a blood bound contract? We looked for years for a way." He said almost exasperated.
Theo watched as the witch stood and moved to a bookshelf, the one that held her most favourite tomes rather than those she kept in her library.
"Here," she said as she pulled out a book and passed it to him.
Theo recognised the book immediately, even without seeing the title, Sanguinem Magicae, Latin for Blood Magic, he would have known the book from miles off. It had been her saviour so many times. They found it amongst his mother's possessions back in their fourth year and ever since the witch had used it to solve most of her problems. Why they had never thought to look in it for the solution to this escaped him. She was hardly seen without it in Hogwarts, always bent over the pages with her Ravenclaw friend taking apart every spell they could.
"In here?" He asked. "You found something to null the contract in here?"
The witch nodded before swallowing a mouthful of Firewhiskey.
Theo gulped before opening the familiar book to find the spell she had used. "And you're okay?" He asked. "Nothing went wrong?" He worried, blood magic was no mean feat and highly dangerous. It wasn't exactly dark magic but it was greyish enough to warrant his worry. He took a mouthful of his drink as he watched her try to avoid the question. "What happened?!" He all but demanded when he realised she was keeping something from him.
He watched the witch his witch, he thought even if she technically wasn't his anymore, as she started to nervously play with the chain around her neck and sipped her drink as she avoided eye contact.
Theo put his glass down and moved from the chair he was sat in to the couch, he sat in the empty seat beside her and took the nearly empty glass from her hands before placing it on the table. "What. Happened?" He asked clearly, enunciating the words for effect.
"It's fine" she said. "I'm fine."
"Tell me, please love, tell me what happened."
"You don't get to call me love anymore." She said, holding her head high and her voice steady. "You gave up that right when you walked out"
"I had no choice, you know I didn't. I didn't want to walk away I thought I was doing the right thing!"
"For who? Me? You? Pansy? Draco?"
"You, everyone, I don't know!"
"Well it wasn't the right thing and you left and you weren't here."
Her eyes grew wild as he saw the fire behind them and he knew he'd screwed up badly. "What happened?" He asked as calmly and evenly as he could, taking her free hand in his.
"I lost a lot of blood, I didn't research the spell enough, there wasn't time. Draco took me to Mungos, they say I should have died the only thing that saved me was-"
"The necklace." He said, finishing for her.
She nodded in reply, her eyes cast down and Theo decided not to berate the witch further, now wasn't the time though he certainly had a debt to pay with Draco later. "I'm surprised you still wear this." He said with a smile as he reached up to touch the stone hanging on her chest.
"Never taken it off" she replied, her mood lifting just lightly.
"Why?"
"It was a promise, I accepted that promise and I always hoped it would come to fruition."
"Even now?"
"Especially now."
Theo remembered the necklace well, it was his mother's given to her by Narcissa Malfoy. The chain was golden and on it lay a large Amber stone. It was simple but the effects were paramount. His mother had been a victim of domestic abuse, they had been victims of the Carrow's, it was the perfect gift.
Gift giving between witches and wizards was a complicated affair, especially between the purebloods and then again those who were sacred twenty-eight as they were. Necklaces were a promise, a promise of a future. A promise a ring would come. Theo had had every intention on giving his witch a necklace in their seventh year, he hadn't thought it would need to be made of Amber until he watched the Carrow's crucio her for the first time, even the children of Death Eaters weren't safe. He dug through his mother's possessions and when he found the Amber chain knew it was the one and, on Christmas he presented his witch with the beautiful jewellery. He had meant every unspoken word and she had accepted, letting him fasten it into place where it had never left.
"Kind of hard with the marriage law" he replied as he looked into her eyes.
"Kiss me." She said.
"What?"
"Kiss me."
"Don't-"
"Why?"
"I can't"
She stood then and went to walk to the other side of the room but Theo was a seeker and his reflexes were on point, he caught the witches wrist in his hand and stood, keeping her in place.
She backed up to the nearest wall all whilst he had hold of her, green eyes held green eyes as she came to a halt with a soft bump. "Kiss me"
She whispered.
She watched Theo close his eyes, restraining himself from taking what he clearly wanted but he carried on denying her.
His game was good, hers was better. They stood close, breathing heavy as they stared at one another, connected by their hands as she stood on her toes and reached his ear. "Kiss. Me." She whispered again before nipping on his earlobe.
He shuddered under her brief touch, his eyes flickering shut as her hot breath tickled his neck and his skin came up in goosebumps. She knew she had already won but continued her pleas anyway. She moved her hand from his grip when she felt her balance on her toes begin to waver and, noticing the brief pout on his lips at the loss of contact, placed them each at his hips to gain leverage.
"Don't do this" he said huskily, pleading with her.
She kissed his neck just below his ear in reply. Her hands making work of his shirt, untucking it and finding skin to gain contact with.
"I won't stop"
"I don't want you to" her mouth was moving down his throat now.
"The marriage law"
"Fuck the marriage law" she said as she peppered open mouthed kisses along his jaw.
She had just been about to kiss the corner of his mouth when he finally gave up fighting and kissed the witch.
He had meant for it to be a quick peck but she had other ideas and, when she gasped as his lips met hers he surrendered the fight and moaned into her. Her fingers finally found bare skin at his waist and he moaned louder when her nails scratched.
He kissed and kissed and she returned the efforts, tongues danced, teeth bit, she moaned and he groaned and before they knew it they were flush against the wall, he had a hand in her hair and another holding her in place while she had one playing with the hair at the nape of his neck the other roamed his bare chest. The kiss reached every nerve, flowed through every vein and pulsed through their magic as they wove themselves together as one.
When Theo finally found enough strength to tear himself away from the witch's lips he had just two words for her "Marry me" he said as he panted heavily.
"Merlin, I thought you'd never ask." She said and he watched her smile, a true smile for the first time since he'd come home and before he knew it he was kissing her again.
"The Ministry won't like it" he warned.
"To hell with the Ministry, I'm done having people dictate my life." She said as she kissed the corner of his mouth.
"They might force us to divorce."
"Then we'll have to have a bonding ceremony instead."
"They'll put us in Azkaban."
"Hello family reunions." She smirked, both of their entire families were inside the prestigious prison and neither had seen their parents since sentencing.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Aren't you?"
"Never more"
"Me either" she replied. "I missed you" she said, her lips kiss-swollen, hair tousled and cheeks flushed.
"No more than I missed you, love." He replied as he kissed her forehead. "We need to find someone who knows bonding rituals and works at the Ministry." He said holding her tight.
"Draco"
oOoOoOo
They floo'd to Malfoy Manor as soon as they could, not taking time to right themselves and, as they stepped out of his floo grate looking rumpled and unruly the looks they received from their friend only caused the pair to collapse into a fit of giggles.
"Theo" Draco said curtly with a nod as he addressed his friend for the first time in months.
"Draco" Theo answered.
"Merlin, don't you two know how to dress?" he asked when he saw Theo's untucked shirt and their tousled hair.
"Maybe we just like undressing." Theo answered with a smirk.
"Whatever, why are you back?"
"Marriage Law, Ministry called me back" Theo answered as he sobered some.
"And you two are.."
"Yes"
"Did you get paired together?"
"Doubt it" the witch answered.
Draco looked between the couple before him never more confused.
"We haven't looked."
"Okay, colour me confused, why are you here?"
"You owe me a favour." The witch said sobering up a little.
"You don't think I paid for that when you started using that book and-" Draco stopped where he was when he realised Theo was standing right there, his fists balling and mouth set into a scowl.
"He knows" she said
"Good, so he should. He should have been there."
"Draco" the witch started, "this isn't the time or the place." she said with a hint of warning in her tone.
"No, he needs to hear this - where were you then? Off swanning the world while I'm here saving her fucking miserable arse because she was too busy grieving over you leaving to take enough notice of a dangerous fucking spell?!"
"That wasn't why it happened. I didn't have enough time to prepare and-"
"Don't give me that bullshit, you've never failed at a spell from that book in the past and most of the time you perform them the day you find them. It was this fuckers fault, he should have been here!"
"Look, you're right, I should never have walked out but you've got to understand, I couldn't stay and watch the pair of you get married, I just, I thought it was over okay? We looked for years for an out and I didn't think there was one so I ran."
"And how do you think we felt when you ran?"
"I get it, I ran out on all of you not just her, I'm sorry and I'll never be able to repay you for saving her life but really, I am sorry you've got to believe me."
"Okay" Draco answered sullenly.
"About that favour," the witch started.
"I don't owe you a bloody favour"
"If I hadn't intervened with your matching you'd be planning a wedding with Granger!" She hissed.
"Granger?" Theo asked in shock "Ouch!"
"So, you're going to play nice and repay that by bonding us." She said smiling sweetly.
"Excuse me?"
"We need you to bond us."
"But the Ministry-"
"Don't care"
"Azkaban"
"Still don't care"
"Fine, I'll do it and then we're even, clear?"
"Crystal."
"When?" Draco asked with a sigh.
"Tonight" Theo replied.
"TONIGHT?!"
Thirty minutes later the trio went their separate ways to make their arrangements, calling in favours and alerting their few friends to their news and location of the night's events.
oOoOoOo
The bonding circle consisted of all their friends, the seven of them stood in the exact spots that were required for this kind of ritual. Seven points. Four elements, Earth, Wind, Fire, Water. Three goddesses. Aphrodite, Hygeia, Hecate. Theo watched as his witch entered the circle where he was stood at the centre with Draco. She was wearing a black dress that cut off just above the knee, a low but rounded neckline that encompassed the amber necklace she wore. Black boots adorned her legs and her dark curls flowed down her shoulders. Her lips were painted a deep purple though he hardly noticed as she smiled a beaming smile at him. In her hands were a bouquet of blood-red roses that captured the pair and their love or, as of more recently, hate for blood magic.
Their friends made way for the witch and let her enter the circle where she passed off one rose to each of the guests, put one in her hair and one in each of Theo's and Draco's shirts before letting him take her hands in his.
"We came here today to…" Draco began but Theo drowned him out, he was too busy staring into the eyes of the witch next to him to notice what was said.
"Ah hem" Draco, clearing his throat suppressing a laugh at his friends. "Do you Theodore Nott take-"
"-You know I do" Theo replied with a roll of his eyes.
"And do you-"
"-Every day" the witch answered, smiling.
Then, with your blessing I call upon Earth, may she bless you with powers to nurture and grow. Wind so you are free and spirited. I call upon Fire to keep your lives alight and Water for when you need take a break. I call upon Aphrodite to bless you with love and fertility. Hecate to bless you with children and during childbirth and lastly, I call upon Hygieia to bless you in health. Draco said, as he called out each of the elements or deities. At the mention of their point each of their friends representing that element or deity would burn their rose and watch the ashes fall to the ground before the wind blew them away.
Then it was just the two of them left. Theo looked into his witches eyes as he said his bonding vows, "I bond myself to you" He started as he held her hand in his, "knowing who you are, accepting your past, present and future. I bond myself to you in full knowledge that there will be good times and bad. I bond myself to you hoping to make your life, our life, a better one. I bond myself to you of my own free will with your heart in mine." He finished as a silver ribbon sparked from Draco's wand and wrapped around her hand.
Her heart was beating fast as the magic wove through the ribbon and into her, as Theo held her gaze and promised her their future, she promised hers; "I bond myself to you through the dark and through the light. I bond myself to you giving you all that I have. I bond myself to you promising to carry your heirs and love them like no other. I bond myself to you with the past, present and future in mind. I bond myself to you of my own free will with your heart in mine." She finally finished as a second silver ribbon shot out of Draco's wand and wrapped around Theo's hand.
It took just three seconds for the ribbons to bind themselves, three seconds where all ten people held their breaths and watched on to see if it would accept until, the two ribbons merged into one and a golden ribbon tying them both together was all that remained.
"By the power invested in me, by the Ministry of Magic, I declare you bonded for life" Draco said to a round of applause ignoring the fact the two were already kissing.
It was half an hour later when the pair were forced out of the circle and told to go home to consummate the bonding before the Ministry could annul it.
They apparated to Theo's small cottage, a place they used to spend the majority of their time together and where he lived when he had been in the country previously. The elves had keep it dust free, the kitchen and bar well stocked and all the laundry was freshly cleaned, not a thing was out of place as they stepped back into their sanctuary.
When do you think the Ministry will find out?" Theo asked the witch as he held onto her hand, pulling her through to the master bedroom, their old room.
"I'm betting we get an owl in the morning." She said with a sigh.
"Then we better get the party started hadn't we." He replied with a smirk.
"Are you trying to seduce me Mr. Nott?"
"That depends, are you seducible?"
"Absolutely" his new wife replied, biting her lower lip in a teasing manner.
"Oh, you are such a minx." He said as he guided her body closer to the bed and, as the backs of her knees hit the bedframe and she fell onto the bed he leaned over her, his lips hovering above hers, still holding her hand.
When his lips finally touched her it did nothing but stoke the fire that had been burning since they had been bonded. She craved him and his magic. She needed it like she needed air to breathe. The air was palpable and her heart beat wildly in her chest as his lips met hers. Kissing him now only made the desire worse, the cravings and need grew and almost instantly they were tearing at one another's clothing trying to touch, feel, see, smell, anything that would bring them closer.
He pulled her back to stand and turned her around, finally letting go of her hand long enough to make work of the zipper on her dress. When it pooled to the floor and she turned back to face him scantily clad in bare-there knickers and a matching bra in their house colours she would have sworn she saw his eyes pop out of his head. "Like what you see, Mr Nott?" She asked sweetly. The noise he made in reply was barely human.
He moved to kiss her again but her hands found his shirt and made quick work of the buttons and before he noticed, his shirt was on the floor and her hands were roaming his naked chest. "I missed this" She said with a contented smile as a brief moment of sadness for their lost time managed to penetrate the moment.
Theo lifted her face with a finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him, "Me too." He replied somberly as he bent down to kiss her softly.
As it were, the bonding magic didn't want them to kiss softly, it was thrumming and buzzing and the moment their lips met they were thrown into lust filled exchanges. Somehow his belt became undone and his pants were off until they both stood, in just their underwear.
Their kisses grew harder and faster as the bond fuelled their need for one another, Aphrodite was clearly working her end of the bargain though how much was the goddesses influence and how much was themselves was anyone guess.
She pushed him down on the bed and climbed on top, sitting on his lap finding him hard to her touch. Their underwear was all that kept them apart now but that didn't stop the delicious friction she felt when he shifted his hips just slightly. He grinned when she moaned involuntarily and repeated the movement before he had her flipped on the bed and was looming above her. His taut back and arm muscles giving him the strength to hold himself up on one hand while the other ran over her body. He reached behind her back and unhooked the bra with ease before slipping the straps down her bare shoulders leaving her breasts naked. Immediately he paid them attention, cupping one and peppering feather light kisses down towards the other before his fingers found one nipple and his mouth the other. The witch arched her back into him the second he touched her, gasping when his mouth took her nipple in and he swirled his tongue around it while his fingers pinched and pulled at its twin. He nipped her gently and then, when she moaned louder, not so. Her hands found his hair where she ran her fingers through his chestnut locks and cried for him not to stop.
As she grew closer and closer to climaxing Theo moved his hand down to her hip where he played with the hem of her knickers. His mouth travelled further down south, placing small kisses across her abdomen until he reached her covered mound and placed one last kiss just above the waistband before she arched her hips into him, allowing him to take them off.
He lifted her legs so they were resting on his shoulders before his tongue was delving inside her. He sucked and licked, swirled his tongue and lightly nipped until he came to her clit, paying extra care around the small bundle of nerves. It wasn't long until she was writhing on the bed, screaming his name with her completion.
When he was sure his new wife had well and truly come down he pulled down his own underwear and, moving back up the bed asked "Ready?"
She reached a hand out, stroking the stubble along his jaw and answered, "Never more." He was inside her in seconds and already they both knew they couldn't last long. Their magic grew more powerful with each thrust he gave. He grabbed her hand, entwining their fingers as she matched his moves with her own. The air was crackling, a lamp smashed and doors banged but they didn't stop. Theo continued to thrust until suddenly she was on top, taking him in whole and rocking her hips in rhythm to the magic that was consuming them. It filled their veins, their hearts, their every sense as they neared and neared their climaxes. "Do you feel that?" She asked him, still rocking her hips back and forth.
He sat up then, capturing her lips in his own and she thrust harder, deeper until they were soclose they could almost reach out and touch the bond that surrounded them.
Theo moved his hand between them both and, with a light touch to her sweet bundle of nerves he felt her finally unravelling in his arms. The first flutters of her orgasm held him still, he wanted to feel her. He watched as she arched her back and screamed his name, marvelled at her beauty when she came apart under his touch and, when she was done he thrust just once more before he spilled himself inside her and her name was the only thing on his lips.
One Month later.
A Ministry owl had arrived the next morning, their bonding ceremony had registered automatically but nothing else came and the pair waited on tenterhooks for the next month. They kept a low profile and only their closest friends knew of their recent developments so, when Draco and his fiance sent out Stag and Hen invitations the pair took up their friends' offers and planned for their nights out respectively.
Theo went, with the boys from his dorm and some work associates of Draco's into muggle London where they got tattoos, drank muggle scotch and found a muggle strippergram that his bride-to-be arranged while the girls enjoyed a spa night in Malfoy Manor, receiving massages and treatments from well built, toned and beautiful wizards all whist wearing nothing but barely-there shorts and getting manicures and pedicures from trained nail-witches. It was a certain kind of heaven that made one feel at peace with the world.
That is, until, the new Mrs Nott promptly threw up all over the the lovely white rug after consuming a glass of rather expensive champagne. Draco's bride-to-be, Hufflepuff as she was, had her masseuse immediately stop and rushed her friend to the nearest bathroom that, thankfully, wasn't too far away since they were in one of the guest suites.
"What's wrong?" She asked worriedly.
"I don't know, I've been feeling a bit off for days." She replied as she was handed a glass of water.
"Have you been to see a healer?"
"I'm seeing you right now"
The badger rolled her eyes at her friend and sighed, pulling out her wand she ran a quick diagnostic spell but found nothing unusual about her friends person until an idea struck her.
"Stand up" she instructed.
The witch did as she was told, just as she always did when her friend was in Healer mode, she didn't ask questions though and just let her get on with it while she continued to sip on the water.
It wasn't long before two golden lights were emanating from her friends wand, coming right from her abdomen. "Holy fucking Merlin" she gasped "is that, is that what I think it is?"
"If you think that is a prenatal test confirming pregnancy of twins then yeah, that's what it is" herr friend sighed "Sit down, honey."
The witch found the nearest surface, the toilet and sat, "I can't believe we got caught we use the charm every time."
"What about the first night? You told me all about that night and from what I hear there wasn't much thought for protection, and, well, you did call on two fertility goddesses in the circle." Her friend reasoned.
"We're screwed"
The bride-to-be ushered her friend through the floo as soon as she could, she told the rest of the girls in attendance that she had come down with some bug and sat with her friend and waited for her new husband to come home even if it was three in the morning before he stumbled through the wards.
When Theo entered the room she handed him an extra strength sober-up and with a quick goodbye and words of good luck floo'd back to Malfoy Manor where her guests had long since fallen asleep and Draco was waiting for her.
Theo took one look at his wife on the couch and swallowed the disgusting potion knowing there wasn't room for drunken antics right now. He waited the appropriate amount of time as he felt his blood clear of alcohol before he approached her all while his brain ran a thousand thoughts per second wondering what could possibly be wrong.
"What's up love?" He finally asked as he sat next to her.
The witch bit her lip, a nervous habit, before replying. There was no point dilly-dallying about the situation. "I'm pregnant" she answered. "And it's twins and the Ministry are going to throw us in Azka-fucking-ban any day now and they'll take them away from us." She started and, before he knew it she was sobbing in his arms but Theo had promised this witch a future and he meant it.
"I won't let them, we'll leave okay? Get new identities, new wands, live as muggles if we have to. I won't let them take our children away okay love?" He soothed as he looked around the cottage furiously trying to work out how fast they could leave.
"You promise?"
"With all my heart."
They sat for a few minutes as the witch calmed enough for Theo to get up and plan. Theo fire called Draco first since they would need new documentation.
He briefly worried about waking others in the manor when he called, knowing many were staying in the lavish rooms on the Malfoy's property that night but was relieved to find his friend had been waiting by the grate for his call.
"Draco, thank Merlin" Theo sighed as he caught his friend and, tousled as the blonde was it was obvious he too was sober now.
"Is it true?" Draco asked, "I've just found out."
"I only found out five minutes ago myself mate. But look, I'm not calling for this, I need a favour. I'll owe you a life debt."
"I know" Draco sighed, "I know. No life debts just, make sure they're safe okay? I'll get the documents to you as soon as I can just get out of here while you're able. I'll find you somehow."
"Are you sure?"
"You're family mate, both of you. The only family I have left these days and I'll do anything for family you know that. Let me know when you're safe okay?"
"Thanks mate, anytime you need a favour-"
"I know, I know" Draco sighed as he rubbed his hand down his face.
When Theo pulled himself out of the fire he wasted no time in packing, he started at their clothes, throwing random items in then a couple of important pictures before he moved on to the most needed item on his list, their current documents. He'd just opened a draw and was looking for their muggle passports, a must, one of their muggleborn friends had insisted and now he was thankful for, he shoved them in the side of the suitcase before his eyes fell on an unopened envelope with the letters MoM stamped on it and remembered he had never actually opened to see who his match was.
He made quick work of the wax seal that held the envelope together and let his eyes quickly scan across the formal letter before landing on the name of the witch he should have married.
It had always been curious, how no witch had ever presented herself to him as the Ministry demanded though he figured it was all to do the the pesky Death Eater business. Curiouser even how the Ministry, hot on the heels of everyone else had never incarcerated them for their illegal marriage. The answer of course was so simple it was almost unbelieveable but as Theo read the name not once, not twice and not even three times but five before he really believed them he let out a breath. There in black and white was the name Claire Louise Green, the maiden name of his wife. The Ministry had matched him to none of than his wife and they had spent the last month worrying for nothing.
He let out a sigh of relief before taking the evidence to the exhausted witch and breaking the good news.
"No family Christmases at Azkaban?" She asked hopefully.
Theo shook his head.
"And the babies?"
"All ours" he answered with a grin.
Claire threw her arms around her wizard, her husband who she could keep and cried and cried until her eyes could produce no more tears. "I love you" She said as she pulled back enough to look at him.
"I love you too."