A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I am so pleased that you guys are enjoying this story. It's hard to believe that there are just a few chapters left - there will be fifteen in total. I hope that you enjoy the ups and downs that this chapter will bring. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions!
Please let me know what you thought of chapter ten and be on the lookout for chapter eleven next week!
The months seemed to speed by at Gringott's as Theo grew more confident in his curse breaking abilities. He was blossoming under Fleur Weasley's patient tutelage. He liked the pretty witch, with her difficult to understand accent and her no-nonsense method of teaching. She brought him out on most of her consults now, and she'd even let him take control of most of what they did.
Bill Weasley, while initially quite wary of the younger Slytherin, had come around once Theo had protected Fleur from a dangerous curse that would have seriously harmed their unborn child. They were expecting a daughter, to be born the following spring, and while he never came out directly and said it, Theo knew that Weasley appreciated having another wizard watching his wife's back.
Not that Fleur couldn't hold her own.
It was good getting to know Hermione even better now, too. Their friendship had genuinely flourished over the months that they had been working together, especially now that they spent most of their time together. They often ventured out into Diagon Alley together to get lunches on slow days.
Their close contact had had an unusual side-effect for Theo, though. He found that his crush on the Gryffindor, once so strong at school that he'd nearly confessed his feelings to her, had pittered out slowly, but surely. Theo wasn't entirely sure what it was that changed his mind.
Perhaps it was learning that she wasn't nearly as perfect as she had seemed at school. Hermione could be so stubborn it would nearly drive him crazy sometimes. And, if she thought she knew the best way to do something, she would refuse any outside help or suggestion, even though he'd been there for three months without her. She also had the annoying habit of letting Potter and Weasley walk all over still, even after they graduated.
Or maybe it was the fact that he could see just how smitten she was with Viktor Krum. She always wore a little smile on her lips when she talked about the Bulgarian, eyes wide and amused as she described whatever it was that they had done the weekend before. She was always exceedingly proud to brag about his Quidditch exploits, even if it was entirely clear that she had no idea what it meant or what she was talking about. It was cute, adorable even.
When she would talk about Viktor, Theo could feel his heart ache, and he thought that he was just pining for the girl that he could never have. It took him some time, but he quickly realized that he wasn't actually sad that he couldn't have Hermione, but rather...wistful that he could never have that kind of relationship with Daphne.
Daphne was a nearly unspoken topic at work, though not for lack of trying. Bill and Fleur had invited him and his wife to dinner at Shell Cottage, where they lived, more than once, having expressed surprise that he was married at all. Part of him wanted to accept, to be normal for once and have dinner with friends, but he highly doubted that Daphne would want to have dinner with Weasleys. She would probably see them as below her status. In any case, he never asked.
Occasionally, he would accept to get drinks with the three others after work, but those were few and far between. It didn't feel right that he should be living it up on the town while Daphne stayed home all the time.
"Why don't you just invite Daphne to meet us out?" Hermione had pressed one afternoon. "It would be great to catch up with her after school, find out what she's been up to."
Theo had colored, too embarrassed to remind Hermione that she and Daphne hadn't exactly been friends. It wasn't as if there was anything to catch up on. He shook his head. "Maybe some other time," he cautioned knowing that there was unlikely to be another time. "Astoria is home from Hogwarts for the Yule Break and I think we will go visit her. They are very close."
"Oh, of course we understand," Fleur said, breezing through his rejection like always. "It is torture for me to be away from my own sister, Gabrielle. I can imagine she wants to soak up every precious minute with her sister."
Theo was glad for the explanation that Fleur had provided. If he was honest, he was looking forward to going out to dinner with Astoria and Draco later that week. Draco was getting very serious about Astoria and Theo had a hunch that he was thinking of proposing, though he hadn't come out and said it during the times that they went out together. He was pleased that he and Draco had mostly full repaired their friendship after the war.
It was no secret either that Daphne would light up around her sister, and Theo always wanted to give her that joy if he could. Especially after the disastrous seventh year under the Carrows rule, the two Greengrass sisters had only grown closer to one another, having to lean on each other a lot to get through it. Now, when they spent time with one another, it was like a different...happier side of Daphne came out. She was funny and laughed freely. Nothing like the quiet creature that shared his bed with him every night.
He loved seeing her that way, if he was honest. It reminded her of another time, and he would spend most of their evenings with Astoria fading into the background, wondering if Daphne would ever open up that way when it was just him. Was there something that he could do to make her feel as if she could be herself?
While he wasn't sure if it was possible, he wasn't going to give up trying.
...
Astoria looked so stunning on her wedding day, Daphne thought, staring at her little sister proudly. With her tightly fitting dress robes, she looked every inch the woman that she'd grown up to become. But, what was most appealing was the happy, goofy grin that Astoria wore all day, with the knowledge that she was marrying the love of her life.
Who would have thought that rude, entitled little Draco Malfoy would grow up to become the man that completed her sister? The thought of what a little snob Draco was when they were just eleven, embarking out into world for the first time, was enough to make Daphne laugh. But now, he was tempered, more earnest and more sincere. And it was clear that he loved Astoria just as much as her sister loved him.
So, Daphne knew that she could be happy for them. Genuinely happy.
It had been a bit surreal when she had stood at Astoria's side while the newest Malfoys exchanged promises and were handfasted. Theo stood on her opposite, as Draco's witness, and it was an odd reminder of their own wedding day barely more than a year before. Their relationship was no warmer or colder than it was before. Just stilted and stiff.
They sat with each other at dinner. Theo was nothing if not dutiful to her, never leaving her side for even a moment. He was attentive and made sure that she wanted for nothing, even wordlessly applying a warming charm for her when he noticed that the gardens had grown a bit cold for her tastes after the stars came out.
Perhaps their relationship had changed more than she thought. They were...accustomed to one another.
She had been planning on asking Theo if he wanted to dance when his eyes lit up at whoever he saw across the room. He barely spared her a comment before he was stalking across the room to get to whoever he saw. Daphne felt a jolt of surprise when she realized that it was Granger. She followed after him.
Theo wrapped Hermione in a tight hug, which Granger returned, wearing a huge smile on her face. Daphne wished that she could brush their close embrace off, reminding herself that Granger was still dating Krum, but she was unsettled, disturbed by what she saw between her husband and that bushy-haired bookworm. They seemed...so close.
"Hermione," he greeted her warmly. "I had no idea that you were coming!"
"Well, you know the Malfoys," Hermione answered with a smirk and a playful roll of her eyes. "They always have to throw the biggest parties. No offense to the newest Mrs. Malfoy, of course," she added when she saw Daphne. "It's good to see you again, Daphne."
Theo must have only realized that she'd followed him when Hermione spoke to her. Turning, her husband had at least half the decency to look embarrassed at his behavior, a blush staining his cheeks. "Daphne, you remember Hermione of course," he said.
Daphne stiffened when Theo wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Giving them a tight smile, she nodded, regarding Granger with a critical eye. "I didn't realize that the two of you kept in touch," she said, wondering if Theo knew how vexed she was by this odd interaction.
He cleared his throat a bit oddly. "I could have sworn that I told you," he said with a frown. "Hermione and I work together at Gringotts. She's an apprentice cursebreaker, too."
"Well, I'm still an apprentice, but you're nearly done," Granger teased Theo, pressing her hand to his arm.
It felt as if she'd just had a bucket of water dumped on her head. Had Theo's whole reasoning for joining the Gringotts team been because of his obvious crush on Granger? A horrible thought struck her. What if Theo and Hermione had been conducting some kind of secret affair at work? Looking at Granger, she doubted that the Gryffindor would cheat on Viktor Krum. But an emotional affair...
Before she could answer, the trio was surprised by none other than the Bulgarian himself. Hermione immediately preened under his loving gaze, tucking herself into his side. They fit together like they were made for one another. That thought made Daphne's heart ache. "Viktor, this is my friend, Theo, from work and his wife, Daphne," she explained with a broad grin. "Theo, Daphne, this is Viktor, my fiance."
Daphne was barely able to repress a snort of derision. Of course, everyone under the bloody sun knew who Viktor Krum was; he needed no introduction. But, she was surprised that they were engaged. That certainly hadn't been written in the papers yet. Theo didn't look surprised. "Congratulations," she said, never one to forget her manners. "Was it a recent engagement?"
Hermione nodded happily. "Just two weeks ago. We are still working through telling our friends and family," she explained with a smile. "It still seems so surreal."
Not entirely sure what to say to the other woman, Daphne turned to look at Theo. He'd been eagerly sucked into a conversation with Krum about a recent match that he'd gone to see with Draco. They'd always been Puddlemere fans for the longest time, but they'd only recently resumed their childhood tradition of watching matches with one another. Krum didn't seem outwardly bothered to speak at length with Theo. With a sick feeling in her stomach, Daphne wondered if Krum had any idea of the depths of the friendship between Theo and Hermione. Maybe he was better off left in the dark.
"Oh look, I think I see Harry over there!" Hermione said suddenly, pressing her hand into Viktor's arm. "We should go say hi. It was so nice to run into you here. The four of us should grab dinner sometime."
Daphne stared at Granger like she'd grown a second head, wondering just how cruel the witch was that she wanted Daphne to watch her flirt with Theo all evening long. And just when had Granger grown so confident and social? Last she'd checked, the curly-haired witch hadn't even been able to maintain cordial relationships with her own roommates at school. "That would be nice," Daphne agreed eventually, biting the inside of her cheek to prevent her from saying something rude.
"Great," Hermione said, playing at being genuine. "Well, see you at work on Monday, Theo," she added, before pulling Krum away to mingle with the other guests.
When she was left alone with Theo, she turned to look at him. He looked so handsome in his dress robes, but seeing the way that he'd just acted around Hermione, it was almost as if he'd become an entirely different person. "I didn't know that you were nearly done with your apprenticeship," she said, feeling a knot forming in her throat when she put into words just how little she knew about her own husband.
Theo looked at her with confusion on his face. "You never asked," he answered, all flat affect. "I was under the impression that my work bored you."
Suddenly needing to get away from him, unless she do something horribly embarrassing like cry in front of him, Daphne made some excuse about helping her mother organize more champagne. Her heart fluttered in her chest with the knowledge that her own husband thought so very little of her. He hurt her, and worst of all, he probably had no idea that he'd even done anything wrong.
A part of Daphne wanted to hurt him back. Perhaps she could have some torrid affair with a handsome wizard. After all, Theo was getting what he needed from somewhere else, why shouldn't he? There were plenty of people who would jump at the chance to sleep with her, married or not. But, she knew that cheating on Theo would be a temporary balm to soothe her hurts, one that would wear away, leaving her feeling more horrible than before. She just didn't have it in her heart to do that to Theo.
Not again, anyway, that traitorous little voice in the back of her head said. She'd tried that once, already, with Cassius and look at where that had gotten her. Hiding behind a topiary at her little sister's wedding, crying desperately over love that she threw away.
...
Their first year of marriage had flown by in the blink of an eye, with Theo being so caught up in his apprenticeship. He felt horrible that he'd nearly let the anniversary pass without doing anything for Daphne. Even though their marriage wasn't perfect, he knew that it would be too big of an insult not to do something special for her.
He realized that he felt bad with the way he'd been...well, ignoring wasn't the right word, but...the way he'd been neglecting Daphne. He'd meant to give her space to grow into the marriage, so that she wouldn't feel trapped or suffocated by being married to him. However, that had quickly translated to him essentially not trying to make things work at all.
Perhaps he still felt stung by the last time that he'd tried to make things work with Daphne, when she'd rewarded him by carrying on with Warrington. But, as one year had passed, he decided to give things another shot. While he wasn't certain that Daphne could ever feel love for him, he wondered if they couldn't at least be friends.
Memories of a younger Daphne waxing poetic about a family vacation that she'd taken to Naples when she was still at Hogwarts, and he began quietly making arrangements. Having completed his apprenticeship, he arranged with the Weasleys and the goblins for him to take a significant three week vacation before resuming his job.
Daphne seemed wary when he told her about their plans to head to Italy together to mark their anniversary. "Just the two of us?" she had nearly squeaked in surprise. "Maybe we should invite Astoria and Draco to come with us."
He had laughed at her then. "They are surely happily on their honeymoon," he said with a grin. "It will be good for us to get away for awhile."
Once she'd agreed, she'd gone to pack her things in a trunk, while he went to go arrange their international portkey. They had left the next morning.
Theo was overwhelmed at first by the hustle and bustle of the city. Being in a very ancient city, the wizarding and muggle world had grown into one another, developing as one entity. Feeling the need to protect Daphne, Theo wrapped his arm around her waist, tucking him into his side while the navigated through the dirty streets until they could get to the apparition point.
The villa he'd selected for them was another story. It was tucked away on a beautiful stretch of the bay overlooking the gulf of Naples and had the kind of privacy that only Nott money could buy. Theo could admit that he was pleasantly surprised, having never traveled outside of the country before. He hadn't really known what to expect, but he enjoyed the views and the well appointed villa they would be staying in for the next few weeks. Though, he was looking forward to changing into something better suited for the hot temperatures. Even his cooling charms weren't making much of an impact.
Daphne seemed to be very impressed with their accommodations as well. As soon as they entered, she'd immediately made a sweep of all the rooms, looking quite pleased at what she found there. "This is lovely Theo," she said with a soft smile. "You did a great job picking it out."
He felt his cheeks go a bit pink at the unexpected compliment. It felt good to know that he had been able to come up with a good surprise for his wife. While he wasn't sure that romance was in the cards, he hoped that she at least saw that he was a thoughtful and attentive husband.
...
Naples was a revelation for Theo.
At first, spending so much time with Daphne all alone a city where he didn't even speak the language had felt as stifling as the Italian sun. Normally so used to spending his time in silence, Theo was filled with an odd itch to fill the gaps in conversation, only to realize that he didn't know what to say. Daphne didn't seem to know what to do with his constant commentary about the banalities they were faced with.
It had lead to him venturing out on a few solo excursions, out to some museums that he knew that Daphne just wouldn't care for. He was very impressed by the winding, narrow streets that radiated out from the city center and the interesting little curio shops tucked away on the back roads. He had quickly found a necklace with a single pearl on it that he thought would suit his wife.
However, after a few days of restlessness, Theo found himself unwinding enough to enjoy the serenity of their villa. Daphne didn't need him to talk to her the whole time, being just as happy as he was to listen to the waves break on the shore while they ate breakfast with one another.
He accompanied Daphne to the private beach that was just a short walk away from the villa, her beach bag slung over his shoulder. Daphne seemed quite at home on the beach, knowing how to select the best beach chairs, spreading thick, soft towels off of each of them. With her fashionable sunglasses and salt-water kissed hair, his wife looked like a goddess. There was something about her that came alive in the pinks, oranges and browns of Naples. It wasn't as if she wasn't beautiful back home, but...
Watching her remove her robes to reveal the swimsuit that she wore underneath made his mouth go dry. Theo briefly wondered if she knew the effect that she had on him, before dismissing the idea. Obviously, Daphne was aware of the effect she had on all men. Why should he be any different?
She didn't read the glossy magazines that seemed to litter her little office at home when they were at the beach, instead choosing to read paperback mysteries. With her legs bent at an angle, she would use the book to shade her face, greedily soaking in all the words. Theo didn't know that she really liked to read anything at all, but there was no doubt that she was enjoying herself while she giggled away at the little detective story that she was paging through.
When it was time to eat lunch, Theo's stomach protesting from the lack of food, he pulled his linen shirt back on and walked up the beach to find them sandwiches and wine. It didn't take him too long.
Daphne was happy for the sandwich when he presented it to her, using his wand to uncork the wine. She made a rather sinful noise when she took her first bite. "Thank you, Theo," she said, gratefully. "Arugula and prosciutto. It's my favorite."
"I know," he said, a bemused look on his face when he offered her a glass of the wine.
She sat up then, angling her body towards his. Theo could feel her eyes on him, even if she couldn't see where she was looking behind the black lenses of her sunglasses. "How do you do that?" she asked, pushing her long hair over one shoulder. "You always seem to know exactly what I like."
He shrugged his shoulder, feeling a blush come back to his cheeks, and he wondered if there would ever be a time that he didn't feel embarrassed around Daphne. They were together now - there was no need for any pretense. "I-I have always paid attention to you, Daphne," he said finally. "I'm not the most loquacious person, but I am a good listener and well, I suppose I remember."
She fiddled with the ends of her hair, looking for split ends that she'd never find. "So, Naples?"
"I remembered you talking about it back at Hogwarts," he explained. Suddenly, he could no longer keep his eyes on the sun kissed freckles on her nose and cheeks and turned his attention to the rolling waves. "Your family had come here on holiday and you told me that you wished you could live here. I figured it was as good a place as any to take you on our anniversary. I hope that you still like it a much."
Daphne wore an indulgent smile on her face. "I like it much more than I did before," she admitted, sounding as though she didn't quite believe what she was saying. "Our villa is much fancier than what my parents would have gotten. And the company is better."
Theo sucked in his breath, hearing what it was that she said. He turned to look at her, surprise clear on his face. "Really?" he asked, sounding absolutely dumbfounded. "You wouldn't have preferred to have Astoria here with you?"
She laughed at that. "Are you kidding? Astoria was such a little terror when we were children, always following me around and tattling on me," Daphne said.
He felt the little glimmer of hope - hope that Daphne might actually enjoy spending time with him - be extinguished by her words. Of course she meant he was better than a younger Astoria. "Oh," he said softly, unsure of what else to say.
"And, now - I doubt that I could get a word in edgewise with her. All she ever wants to talk about is Draco," Daphne continued, before rolling back onto her back, lunch finished, though she was still looking at his face. "No, you are much better company than Astoria. You were so right. It was good for us to come here on our own. It seems odd that we haven't really spent much time alone since we got married."
Theo felt a cautious smile creeping onto his face, glad that his plan was maybe starting to work. Unsure of what to say back, he pulled out his own book. "I'm glad you think so," he said, taking a drink of his wine.
The pair settled back into companionable silence.
...
Daphne had been nervous to spend so much time alone with Theo when he first told her that they were going on such a long vacation. She was sure that it would mean that there would be no place to hide from the growing tension between them. Things had been...stiff at first, but Theo slowly loosened up and Daphne found herself enjoying the time with just her husband.
She was sure that she would spend the trip resenting him for the suspect relationship that he had with another witch, but in Naples, it was as if nothing else existed in between them.
Theo was so thoughtful and sweet, Daphne was quickly realizing. She'd come to recognize how much he'd just tried to make things work between them when he was at Hogwarts, remembering his requests for trips to Hogsmeade and of course, to the Yule Ball, but she hadn't given him an inch. Now, as a married couple, it seemed that he was not done putting her wants and needs first.
The day that they spent at the beach, he'd bashfully told her how he always listened to her, always paid attention to the things that she liked and tried to remember them. Daphne felt butterflies in her stomach when she remembered the sugar quills that he'd given her for her birthday. He'd even remembered how much she'd enjoyed Italy. They were little details, things that she was sure even her closest girlfriends couldn't remember, but Theo did.
It made her heart ache, when she realized how much he did for her, and how little she did for him.
While she might not have been paying attention for as long as Theo, that didn't mean that she didn't pay any attention to the things that Theo liked. She had spent many weeks alone in the Nott Manor, and she was sure that she'd been over every inch of the house at that point, including his own office. She was not blind to the mark that remained from his mother. He never came out and said it, Daphne knew that the stack of records that Theo had inherited from Cora were among his most prized possessions. He listened to them infrequently, but always handled them with the utmost of care.
Seeing as the end of their long vacation was rapidly coming to an end, Daphne wanted to do something special for her husband, to let him know that the things that he liked were important, too. She arranged dinner at a little restaurant, and pulled Theo by the hand all the way down the old streets until they found it.
Theo seemed pleased with the food. He was happy to eat the rich seafood that she ordered in her stilted Italian, as well as the red wine that she selected. He seemed happy to have her take the lead for the first time in their relationship. But when the large seven piece jazz band came out after the sunset over the bay, the look that came over his face was one of pure wonder and appreciation.
Immediately, he turned to look at her, hearing the soulful whine of the trumpet. "Daphne?" he asked, his voice thick with emotion.
"You aren't the only one who pays attention, Theo," she said softly, staring into his deep blue eyes, glad that she was able to bring him a bit of the joy that he had given her so much of.
They enjoyed the music together, drinking the last of their bottle of wine, until Daphne was sure that her normally white teeth had gone purple. When they were finished, though, she reached across the table to twine her fingers with his eagerly. "Dance with me?" she requested, wanting nothing more than to spend the rest of the evening wrapped up in Theo's warm embrace.
He nodded, standing up from the table and helping her out of her seat. Daphne sighed as she pressed her head against Theo's chest and swayed back and forth to the beat. The music sounded mournful...perhaps mourning their return to relating, to wizarding England, in just a few days. The music was too slow to do anything more than a lazy back and forth, but she found that she quite liked it, so long as she was close to Theo, the heat of his skin radiating through his shirt and into her cheek. She listened to his heartbeat - steady and unbothered - through the gentle beat of the snare.
Theo had one of his hands on the swell of her hip while the other rested on the small of her back, holding her close, and Daphne could feel her heart flutter in excitement at being so close to her husband. Merlin, she wished that they had done this years ago. If she'd known what had just been around the corner, maybe she wouldn't have been so petulant.
But she hadn't known, and now she was positive that her husband might love another witch, Daphne reminded herself sadly. Letting her eyes slip shut, she forced the negative thoughts from her mind. There was no point in crying over it now.