AN: For QL Round Five [BEATER 1: Use the title of a story written by your Beater 2 for inspiration. Using title: Claustrophobic. Prompts: 6 (object) broomstick, 11. (dialogue) "I should have told you sooner."]

Word Count: 1272

when the walls are coming in, I have you

By MagicMinnie

Theo already hated sixth year.

Yes, he'd finally been able to drop all the classes he hated. And yes, he'd been able to hide the fact he had a boyfriend from his father for the whole summer. But already, barely a month in, his father was having him tested.

Yesterday Ken Rowle had caught him alone and peppered him with stinging hexes until he just couldn't fight them off any longer.

He had gone to sleep sore — and convinced that someone might attack him in his bed whilst he slept.

He hadn't told Blaise.

Blaise Zabini carried a certain air around him that nobody fucked with. If Blaise found out, he would try and protect him. If Theo was protected, then his attackers would report that back to his father, and eventually, his father would discover their illicit relationship. Then Theo would really be in trouble. Being hexed and cursed was nothing at all in comparison to what Theo's father would do if he found out that he was in love with another boy.

In love. It felt good to think about, and even better to stay aloud.

Theo was anxious, of course, that any second someone might jump him. But the thing that kept him going — that was far more important. It kept him sane. Especially when some cocky seventh year was cursing him to test his strength.

The grinding of rock on rock filled Theo's ears after he muttered the password for the common room. He'd long since gotten used to the sound that he'd once barely been able to stand hearing. The common room beyond was quiet for an evening. Though as Theo checked the time, he realised the younger students curfew had come and gone over thirty minutes ago. The Slytherin sixth year hadn't even noticed the time slipping by whilst studying, hidden in the depths of the library.

Stepping inside the common room, the rock wall slid back into place behind him.

Perhaps he would go and see if Blaise was around. Theo found it hard to imagine that his boyfriend would be anywhere else other than lying in bed doing homework.

Then, suddenly, something hit Theo in the stomach so forcefully that the breath rushed out of his lungs. Gasping for air, Theo bent at the waist, his eyes watering as he tried to look for his attacker. He wanted desperately to pull out his wand, but he couldn't breathe. His fingernails dug into the palms of his hands and, somewhat blindly, he tried to straighten up.

As he tried, someone knocked him off his feet. He flew sideways through the air and slammed into the rack on the wall inside the broom closet. Theo fell onto his hands and knees on the cold stone floor. He ground out a swear word as broomsticks started falling down from above him. Desperately, he pushed them out of his way as they clattered to the floor around him.

He barely caught a glimpse of Ken Rowle and Matthias Jones before the door of the broomstick storage cupboard slammed in his face.

Plunged into darkness, Theo stilled as he heard the lock clunk.

He felt his chest constrict. Sucking in a sharp breath, he pulled all his limbs in, ice-cold fear spreading through him. It was too small; it felt like he couldn't breathe. All he could imagine was being back at home, his father pushing him into the small cavity underneath the floorboards in the sitting room after a punishment. Theo would be left in darkness, feeling like the space was only getting smaller for hours on end.

Forcing himself towards the closed doors, Theo gasped for air and slammed his hands against the wood. "Rowle! Jones! You idiots—"

His voice caught in his throat, forcing him to fall silent. Theo internally cursed himself for being weak, for letting his fear cripple his ability to escape. Fumbling for his wand, he heard it clatter to the floor in the darkness.

"Merlin, fu—"

He searched blindly, his chest tight. Theo's fingers kept wrapping around peoples broomsticks and all that made him want to do was snap them in half. He could feel himself growing hot and more frustrated as he scrambled on his hands and knees in search of his wand. Swearing, Theo slumped back against the stone wall uselessly.

He dug the palms of his hands into his eyes. "No, no, no, please don't leave me in here."

A sheen of sweat had formed on his brow. His stomach was churning uncomfortably when Theo heard the lock again. He forced himself to look nonchalant, as though he didn't feel like the walls were drawing in closer and closer.

The door creaked open and a slither of dim light was cast across the back wall. It was only now that Theo could see that just how many brooms had fallen from the rack when his body had slammed into it. Extremely expensive models of broomstick lay scattered on the floor. Theo exhaled shakily, spotting his wand, but before he could reach out for it a familiar voice spoke.

"Theo?"

Theo's head snapped up. Relief flooded through his body as his gaze fell on the dark eyes and sharp facial features of Blaise, his boyfriend.

"Shit, you're bleeding," Blaise said, taking Theo's arm and pulling him to his feet effortlessly.

"I'm fine," Theo muttered.

"What happened?" Blaise demanded.

Theo looked past him, touching the wound that Blaise was eyeing in his hairline. His fingers came away sticky with blood. Still feeling sick, he slipped past the taller boy into the open Common Room. He felt like the tension in his chest was relieved almost immediately and he took a large gulp of air.

Blaise put a hand on Theo's shoulder. "Theo, tell me what's going on. You're injured and you look like you might pass out."

Theo tried to shrug him off roughly. "Blaise, please—"

"No. You're supposed to tell me things. I'm—" He lowered his voice and hissed the next bit. "—your boyfriend."

Fixating on the floor, Theo remained stoically quiet for a long moment. He tried desperately to hold his tongue, knowing if he told Blaise it would only make it worse, but he couldn't. Instead, he inhaled deeply — if not a little shakily — and met Blaise's deep brown eyes.

"Father is having me tested," he explained as though it were nothing.

Blaise's expression didn't change immediately. He simply studied Theo carefully, as though he was trying to read his mind. Then, without any warning except a precautionary glance around, Blaise did something he very rarely did. He wrapped his arms tight around Theo and didn't let go. The shorter Slytherin unstiffened in his arms, burying his face into his boyfriend's chest.

"I'm going to make this right," Blaise whispered fiercely.

"You don't—"

"—no, I do." Blaise interrupted, pushing Theo to arms length so that he could see the calculating flame behind his eyes. "I'm your boyfriend. We fight together, or we go down together. That's all there is to it. I mean, obviously, we're not going to lose. You have me now, and I always win."

"You're—you're so competitive," Theo said, rolling his eyes.

Theo sighed, anxiety still clinging to him. That being said, at least his boyfriend's devious grin was drawing some of his focus away from that.

"I. Always. Win." Blaise said it in such a way it made Theo tingle before he pulled him towards the dormitory corridors. "Come. We should plan."

There was no question that he loved Blaise.

"I should have told you sooner," Theo mumbled.

"Too right."