Written for the Multi-Ship Challenge (DaphneTheo, lamp)

Daphne groans when she looks up to find Theo in front of her. "Do you not understand what divorce means?" she asks flatly, setting her book aside and leaning back in her chair, arms folded neatly across her chest. "We are not married anymore. This is my house, and you are no longer free to just waltz in whenever the fancy strikes."

Theo rolls his eyes. "I know what the terms of the divorce said," he answers, sitting beside her without invitation.

Daphne resists the urge to reach for the lamp and throw it at him. Her temper has always been far too short whenever her ex husband is involved, and she's trying to work on that.

"But I also remember our vows, Daph," he continues. "Through the good times and the bad. Til death do we part, etc... etc.."

She wonders if hexing him would break her vow to control her temper. Nothing permanently damaging. Just something to make him stop talking until the Healers at St Mungo's can fix him.

"We both made that promise, remember?"

"I remember," she answers. "And I also remember that I stopped loving you."

Her words make him flinch as though she's physically struck him. Daphne almost apologizes. Almost.

"We don't work, Theo," she says, her tone softer. "We never did, really. We tried, but we just couldn't do it."

He reaches over, taking her hand in his. Daphne can't remember the last time he's touched her so genty. The last two months of their marriage had been a nightmare, a hell filled with angry words and brutal touch.

His lips brush over her knuckles. "We can make it work. I know we can. We can make it better; I promise."

And for one moment, Daphne can almost allow herself to believe the lie.

But then she remembers the screaming, the fighting, the knuckles crashing into flesh.

She knows that they are toxic, far too unstable to be.

Daphne pulls her hand away, closing her eyes. "I think you should leave," she whispers, trying to ignore her heart breaking in her chest.