2nd May 1998

"Move!" he shoved the two young boys ahead of him, trying to make their way out from the rubble and dust that was falling around them from the bombardment of spells.

The moment the wall on the dungeons collapsed, they were able to leave their first priority was to get the younger students out alive and safe.

They dodged the vivid green streak of Avada Kedavra, and he turned his back to the stairs, spotting the ones still climbing in case someone took aim. It was then that he spotted the familiar figure of his father, sneaking up on a duelling pair.

He didn't even think about it, there was no hesitation in his movement. The cutting hex hit Cletus Nott with unerring precision and he watched as his father's previously poised torso separated cleanly into two before falling to the ground.

He realised the duel up ahead was won as well and a tall redhead with a scarred cheek was pointing his wand at him. He lifted his hands in sign of surrender and nodded to his father's body, seeing the realisation settle in. The man nodded his thanks, their gaze holding just a moment longer before his head whipped around and he ran into the main hall beyond. Theo didn't dwell or hesitate, dashing up the stairs himself to catch up to the little ones and get them all to safety before he intended to return to the fray.

28th July 1998

He still felt no remorse at having dispatched his sire. The man killed his mother and abused Theo for long enough. He wanted nothing to do with the man and the place that was his childhood prison.

He leaned against the gate of Nott Manor, taking a deep toke from his cigarette as he waited for a curse breaker to arrive. The trials were finally over as he had never joined the Dark Lord and testimonies confirmed he helped students escape and fought with the light in the final battle, he was free to go. Well, free was a relative term. There was still stigma associated with his name and the Ministry took a hefty sum for reparations for his sire's role in the war. He was by no means poor but being listless without studies or work was a no go.

But first, he had to sort out this blasted place before going through his inheritance, getting rid of or selling anything he didn't want or need, and finding a place to stay. Just the thought of staying at the Manor by himself made him shudder.

A loud crack of apparition announced the curse breaker's arrival and Theo looked up with surprise to see a familiar redhead before him.

"You Theodore Nott?" Bill asked, taking him in with a slightly surprised expression.

Theo knew what he looked like, skin a bit sallow, eyes tired, his curls fell into his gaze and his black nail polish was chipping but he wanted to get this done and find a place for himself before addressing anything else.

"Yup, that's me. Weasley, right?" He asked.

"Bill," he offered and they shook hands.

The moment their skin touched, a jolt of magic rushed through Theo's fingers up to his shoulder. He tried to look casual as he led the way inside the Manor, the wards practically nonexistent, having collapsed after his father's death.

"This place will take days," Bill took the large Regency Manor with Edwardian and slightly Gothic features. The whole place had a hostile energy that made his skin prickle.

"Three days and two and a half hours if we progress at a steady rate of two rooms per half day," Theo rattled off, his calculations always on point. Private hire curse breaking was expensive and he wanted to know what it would cost him when commissioning the work. "Though we may need the full four days. I've paid a deposit of predicted 50% of the cost and can pay the rest upon completion with any variables."

"Are you an arithmancer?" the redhead asked curiously.

"Not with a mastery just yet, but I will be applying for apprenticeships once I sort out a few things. It's my favourite subject, numbers and runes make sense to me," he shrugged.

Bill nodded and raised his wand, making Theo tense. By the chagrin in his eyes, he realised his mistake at the sudden wand work, especially as they were all so fresh out of a war. "Mind if I start running some scans on this floor?" he asked.

Theo nodded. "Sure, I'll start on what I can get rid of in the ballroom and leave anything too complicated for you," he suggested, turning away and slipping into one of the side doors to escape the man's intense gaze.

It took four days in the end, but the Manor was cleared and Theo worked on the grounds to get them reset and stable, saddened at the state of the destroyed family magical circle. He cleared out the stones and reviewed the work on the Manor, satisfied with the hired help.

"Thanks," he offered to the cursebreaker, though didn't want to offer his hand in case his magic zapped them again.

"Glad you called us in, this place needed it," he nodded solemnly. "And our team can always use Arithmancers, so when you're thinking of future employ once you complete your mastery, do get in touch."

With those parting words, Bill nodded and apparated away. It was the last time Theo would see him for nearly two years.

It took another year to clear the place out and sort out the Nott heritage before he decided to take his N.E.W.T.s and applied for several apprenticeships - one in runes, another arithmancy. He was pleased to be invited for both but his passion was for the numbers and he knew he had a solid enough knowledge of runes to incorporate into his work so he went for it.

Mistress Harrigan was a fearsome woman to most, but he found her dry wit suited him and she allowed him to explore the subject in a creative way that suited his Ravenclaw tendencies. He did wonder if the world had been different and he wasn't forced into choosing Slytherin, how his life could have been different. You wouldn't have had a life. Your father would have killed you along with your mother … Sometimes he despised his pragmatic mind but knew it was the truth so he shrugged it off and got on with his life.

And then he held his Mastery medal proudly, his apprenticeship concluded and he was a Master Arithmancer. It was a great achievement that took three years of painstaking study and experimentation, but his skills were already known to the Ministry by the time he concluded his studies. The offers began coming in - Department of Mysteries, Department of Records, Department for Magical Statistics, and others. He read them all once and tossed them into the fire, before he politely declined every offer the Ministry could throw at him. As if he would work for a government that failed to investigate his father for decades...

And then came the marriage offers. There were still several prominent families with daughters of marriable age, and at this point he was likely a better suitor than Draco, who was dating the Weaslette of all people, now that he was free of the influence of his parents. And sod it, he was happy for the man. They emerged from the war broken and over the past couple of years actually managed to sort themselves out and kept up their friendship along with Pansy who was pleased to be called Mrs Zabini.

He never thought he would see the day but Blaise had finally decided he would have the one woman who could give as good as she got from him. They worked in a strange way, and for some reason so did Draco and his partner. Ginerva was still a Gryffindor through and through, but there was a confident and perhaps a little vicious edge to her after the war and she got on with Pansy like a house on fire. Draco was besotted and they were going to be walking down the aisle in just two weeks.

Being the groom's best man meant a level of responsibility, so he did the best he could and showed up in Ottery St Catchpole one late afternoon, with a folder under his arm and wondering whether he would survive the chaos that was the Warren, or was it the Burrow?

As he stepped through the wards, the front door opened and out came a familiar face, a moment of recognition passing over his features. "Nott, was it?" he confirmed.

"Theo," he offered the man his hand.

He had completely forgotten about the magical jolt the last time they touched and barely managed to suppress the gasp as the magic travelled up his arm and down his spine once again as they clasped hands. He could feel it, practically taste it, the man's magic was deep and powerful, and smelled earthy, with a hint of lightness like vetiver. He forced himself to drop the handshake and took a step back, managing to make it appear casual as he looked around and avoided the man's intense gaze. "So this is the front, I assume the garden is around this way?" he pointed to a well-worn path in the grass.

"After you," Bill invited, his voice deeper than it had been upon their greeting.

Theo suppressed a shudder at the tone and walked ahead with his hands in the pockets of his black jeans, surveying the area that was clearly used for family occasions. He stepped to the side and looked over the space, his mind quickly adding up the distances and correlating them with the measurements from the plans Draco had passed to him. "It should work if we set the area two feet further from the original considered point. Just to accommodate the passage from the house better," he offered.

"That was an issue we had at my wedding," Bill confirmed and flicked his wand to levitate the picnic tables out of the way.

"Your wedding was under the same tent roof we are using to levitate above the guests?" Theo asked, not having realised the man was married. Of course he's married. Have you felt that power, seen that body moving and that gaze… He stamped down on his restless mind.

"Yes, but we had erected the tent support underneath as well. This will be trickier to pull off," Bill mused, the memory of that day still clear in his memory. Fleur had looked so radiant, he thought himself the happiest man to call her wife. These days he wasn't sure what to feel.

"Not necessarily," Theo pulled out the plan and levitated it to hover on the side before them, to show him the amendments he'd done in purple ink. His addition of solid support beams in the corners and internal structure that would be hidden in the peaks of the tents would make it much more solid.

"I'm impressed," Bill admitted, looking over the plans. And the cherry wood beams would provide a lovely contrast to the pure white of the tent's fabric and Ginny's dress. "I could really use someone as skilled as you in our office."

Theo felt a flush of pleasure at the praise but took a step back under the guise of investigating the picnic tables. "These would be suitable for an area outside the tent, for children's activities maybe? There will be a few here to celebrate, I hear."

Bill blinked. "We haven't thought of that, my brother George was going to look after them."

Theo shrugged. "It's always good to provide additional activities such as face painting or magical story telling to keep them out from under the adults' feet," he suggested.

Bill nodded. "I'll raise it with Ginny and see what she thinks. Shall we raise the tent roof to check it? I can get the rest of my brothers to help," he motioned at the folded tent fabric.

"I don't think we need the help, do you?" he asked, both their magical cores strong, the other man's even more so.

And then he saw it, the caution entering his cerulean gaze as if he was afraid of giving himself away. It was then that it hit Theo - he knew he was powerful, but the rest of Bill Weasley's family didn't, and he didn't want to show it off. He knew they could do it, but if they did, it would give away their ability to the rest of the Weasley clan.

"Perhaps just in case," Bill kept his composure and went inside to gather his brothers and father.

Theo stood rooted to the spot, feeling like he had witnessed a side of the man very few had, if anyone at all. And for some reason he found himself itching to find out more…

12th November 2002

He entered the brown-brick townhouse with a golden plaque by the entrance, welcoming him to the 'Weasley Investigations Inc.', knowing they had a full day ahead of them. He'd finally caved into his curiosity and visited Bill's company after Draco's wedding and was impressed with both their practice and portfolio of cases. But he had been right, they needed an Arithmancer desperately for some of the complex investigations they ran as private hire for Gringotts and other national firms.

He nodded to Millie who was looking after their reception and headed for his office at the back of the corridor, across from the man who only became more intriguing over the past few months during which they had worked in close quarters more than once. He took a sip of the tea he carried in, grateful for the little boost of energy ahead of their first meeting, when he heard the muted crash. His head whipped up and his wand was securely in his hold before he even realised as he stepped around his desk and inched closer to the door across from his office. He thought for a moment that he had imagined the whole thing when another crash sounded from within. This time Millie startled at reception with him and he motioned for her to secure the front door and stay out of the way as he pushed on the door and ducked down, poised and ready with a curse on his lips.

He just about dodged whatever was flying his way, realising it must be a vase or something made of glass as it shattered on the door beside him, the raining debris cutting his cheek and making him hiss in pain.

"What in Merlin's name is going on here?" he raised his voice, seeing the expression or rage on Bill's face but no other assailant.

Ah, he was losing his temper. No wonder, it was two days before the full moon and it wasn't unusual for the man's mood to darken and temper to increase. Bill growled harshly, gaze flicking between his usual bright cerulean and vibrant gold of the predator within as he tried to get himself under control. Theo ignored the throbbing in his cheek and carefully walked towards him, reaching out to lay a hand on his biceps and gently squeezed the muscles there, encouraging him to stop pacing and calm down. "Hey, you're alright, everything will be fine, just breathe," he encouraged, unflinching in the face of a warning growl.

To his surprise, the man took a few deep breaths and closed his eyes, head tilting slightly towards him as he took a deep breath, almost as if he were..sniffing him? Maybe? And a few moments later he was much calmer, his tall frame hunched slightly as he perched on the arm of one of the fancy chairs for visitors.

"What is it?" Theo asked, his grip loosening as he moved to rub the solid muscle and knots in his shoulder with purpose to loosen the tension.

Bill didn't realise it but his body leaned into the young man's touch and he screwed his eyes shut tight as if in pain. "She's divorcing me," he said quietly, his tone firm not with remorse but anger, and Theo had to stay his feet to not take a step back from him.

"I thought you were working things out?" he asked, realising only too late he was not supposed to know that. Not that he could be blamed for overhearing a conversation when the man's door had been open while he spoke with his brother in Romania, Charles or something…

Bill's gaze snapped to him in a moment, boring into him but Theo held his gaze steadily, not in challenge but in equal strength. After a moment Bill's features softened and he nodded. "The past year or so has been...challenging. And we made a promise to work on this together before making any decision about our marriage. Looks like that no longer applies," he sighed and realised he leaned even further into Theo's touch before straightening and pulling away.

Theo took a casual step back and shoved his hands into his pockets to mask his slight shakiness at such an abrupt change. Bill however caught his wrist and pulled him closer, his sharp gaze on his cheek. "Shit, did I-"

"Oh, it's nothing," Theo rubbed at his cheek, his fingers coming back a little bloodied. "I'll just put some salve on it-"

But his words were cut off when he felt the man's roughened thumb caressing his cheek, a strange tingling sensation warming his skin. He blinked at the realisation that it was the man's very magic healing the small cut. It felt electrifying, utterly breathtaking, the wandless magic strong but gentle as it healed the small wound in pulses. He could feel his own magic rising and watched the man's startled gaze when he felt Theo's magic twine with his at the contact.

It wasn't usual, many didn't know how to work with their magic these days beyond wielding a wand. But there was a time when they didn't have wands, when all witches and wizards did was channel the magic inherent to them, and he was so sure now that the previous zaps of magic weren't accidental - their magic was melding so well together, they were perfectly compatible.

Bill dropped his hand, but appeared to lean into Theo's body heat somewhat, his magic instinctively driving to stay close.

Theo cleared his throat, trying to clear his mind as well from the seductive pull of the man's power. "Well, since we only have a couple of meetings and it's early yet, fancy some breakfast and taking a break? We've been nonstop on the Castlewright case and it can wait one day," he offered.

"I don't want to go home early," Bill shook his head.

Theo thought about it for a moment before quirking a brow. "When was the last time you've been to Germany?"

Bill looked at him, startled at the non-sequitur but shrugged, "Maybe a year or two ago?"

"Come on, I know a place," he nodded for him to pack up and headed for the reception to ask Millie to shuffle their meetings and take the rest of the day off.

That day was the first time they really got to know each other as friends, not just as colleagues and acquaintances. In a quiet little cafe in Berlin and while they walked along the remnants of the Berlin Wall, Bill spoke about his life, his marriage, and they even touched on the war and the moment shared between them when Theo saved his hide during the final battle. And as the day passed, Theo felt drawn to the man's aura, his magical core flickering and nearly forcing his magic to the surface of his skin in an effort to get closer. He stamped down the instinct with effort. The man was going through divorce for Merlin's sake!

He was therefore wholly unprepared for the kiss Bill bestowed upon him later that afternoon after they've had a few beers, the touch of his lips electric as his body hummed with magic and arousal. They apparated back to Theo's flat and he was pressed into the nearest wall, arching into the heat of Bill's body, their arousals rubbing together and creating mind-numbing friction between them.

"Bed."

It wasn't a plea, nor a suggestion. It was an order, and Theo gasped heatedly as long fingers slid into the untidy mess of curls atop his head and pulled it to the side to trail a path of heated kisses up his neck. "You'll-ah...you'll need to let me go...down the hall," he pointed, not sure the man could see the gesture with his lips sucking a bruise into his collarbone.

Bill unceremoniously reached down and pulled Theo's thighs up around his waist, securing his hold and carrying him into the indicated room as if he had been there before. Their clothes vanished before their bodies hit the bed in a pile of twined limbs and impatient hands roaming any patch of skin available. The press of their bare skin brought on another magical surge between them, their magical cores so close, the beast and the man within Bill's chest no longer fighting for attention at having what they both needed and wanted.

"Can I have you?" Bill asked urgently as he caressed his side, feeling Theo's magic pressing against his touch, seeking it out.

Theo nodded urgently. "I want you…" he panted and carded his fingers through Bill's thick coppery locks as he allowed himself to stop thinking and just feel the man's pleasurable touch.

Bill wasn't sure whether this was a reward or a punishment. The man below him smelled so good, a scent that was both unfamiliar and at the same time drew his lupine side out in need. Fleur used to smell so good to him - like something exotic and enticing. But after a few years he realised it was all part of the pheromones the veela subconsciously released. The wolf within him was restless, she didn't smell right, she didn't smell...his. So when this young man walked into his life smelling of the moon, home and something entirely soothing and warming, he wasn't sure what to make of him. Perhaps they weren't meant to have only one soul mate in life, perhaps he had never even loved Fleur as she deserved in the past year. But no matter how much his head wanted to make the comparison between Fleur and Theo, he couldn't bring himself to complete the thought. It had been too long since he'd been with a man and yet it felt perfectly natural - the slim and firm chest beneath his touch, the narrow waist and hips, the answering hardness pressing against his so enticingly.

"Fuck, Bill," Theo urged him back up to his lips and they kissed hungrily, needfully, and in complete abandon.

It took him a few moments to get back to the task at hand and as much as Theo deserved so much more than a few simple spells, Bill found his wand and cast them because he didn't think he would be able to wait and take his time to prepare his body otherwise.

Loosened and slick with lube, Theo pulled him closer as he lifted his legs and urged him atop him, their lips catching for a final kiss before their bodies were joined, inch by torturous inch, and they were no longer able to focus on kissing as their mind completely shut down in the wake of the pleasure of their joining.

It had been a while and Bill was by no means average, but the spells helped dull the ache of the stretch as Theo clung onto him desperately as his body adjusted. He felt Bill coaxing him to relax but his nails only dug further into the redhead's back as he urged him deeper, closer, wanting more despite the challenge to his body.

A pleased growl escaped Bill's throat as he looked at the man beneath him and pulled back slightly, only to thrust back home with a harder cant to his hips. He felt the need in his body and his magic to connect them, to take and to have and to give and-

Theo arched sharply into the blinding pleasure as Bill angled his thrusts towards his tender spot and all he could do was hold on for dear life as a muddle of cries and encouraging words slipped past his lips pressed against the redhead's ear.

Bill couldn't hold back as he clutched the young man in his arms, their hips meeting with a lewd slap and squelch of skin on skin as they were joined over and over again until there was nothing but the sharp edge of the peak and the white noise of a shuddering fall.

As they lay beside each other and tried to catch their breath, Theo finally allowed himself to think of the fact that the man beside him was his colleague, his married colleague going through a divorce, and he had allowed himself to stoop to this level. He couldn't lay there a moment later and walked to the en-suite to clean up instead, trying to settle his mind as he took a couple of potions for his pleasantly used and aching body.

By the time he returned to the bedroom, he was alone. And while he was disappointed, a part of him knew this would take some time to process for them both, so he took a damned Dreamless sleep and hoped for some clarity in the morning.

2003

"Why did you leave last time?" Theo asked as he lit up one of his cigarillos, skin still glistening with the sweat he built up when Bill pushed him through the office floo after a particularly straining day on a case, and proceeded to make him lose himself in his pleasure and magic again.

Bill looked at the ceiling, arms behind his head as he stretched out his tall build languidly. "I didn't feel right. I was too drunk, I imposed on you, and felt like I didn't know if I was welcome to stay, so I just found a hotel not far from here and stayed the night by myself," he admitted.

Theo took a long drag from his smoke before offering it to the redhead who took it from him carefully, their finger grazing and their still-eager magic sparked between them. Bill looked at the beautiful man beside him and all he could do was take him in as his thin lips pressed together in contemplation before he said words he didn't expect to hear.

"You are welcome to stay. If not in my bed, then in the spare room if you need space," Theo offered.

It was an offer he didn't make lightly, but for some reason to have a part of the man and being in his life even this way was something he wasn't willing to give up.

"How did it go today?" he asked as their bodies cooled and breathing evened out, trying not to smile into the man's tangled hair.

They'd done this a few times now but this was the first time the redhead rested on his chest and held him close instead of rolling to the side to create some space between them. And Theo took full advantage of the fact by carding his fingers through the long red strands, untangling them gently.

"We finally got a hearing date, but she wanted to meet and discuss things beforehand, called it a mediation. In summary, she claims I can't give her what she wants or needs, she hates the house, and my family is obnoxious."

He spoke almost dispassionately, but Theo could feel the hold on his hip tighten and he instinctively leaned down to kiss the man's crown in comfort. "At least she won't be demanding Shell Cottage then, I presume. You love the location, don't you?"

He felt Bill nod against his sternum before placing a kiss to his chest and looking up into Theo's eyes. "I just want all this to be over. So I can move on with the rest of my life."

As Bill kissed him deeply and their bodies drew them towards pleasure again, Theo wondered whether he would be a part of the man's life as well.

"She fucking hid it from me!" he paced like a caged wolf in front of the fireplace as Theo poured himself some whiskey and took a seat on the sofa silently, not sure what to say.

Bill's wife was pregnant, expecting their first child. When the court found out, the judge immediately paused the divorce proceedings for 12 months and ordered the couple to attend marriage counselling instead to try and work this out for the child, to see if they could provide it with a full family. If that didn't work, the next shot at continuing the divorce proceedings would be next spring.

"Maybe she didn't know, or wasn't sure it would hold this time," Theo pointed out softly, aware of the two previous miscarriages the couple went through.

Bill paused his pacing and glared at the young man seated so still and quietly it made him all the more irritable. "You're defending her now? Thanks a fucking lot," he grabbed his jacket and headed for the floo.

"I am not defending her but you don't smell of roses either," Theo pointed out, the words clearly making the man flinch before he stepped through the green flames and disappeared.

Theo finished his drink and headed for the shower, his mind too busy to even contemplate sleep tonight. Worse still, his magic danced beneath his skin unhappily at the confrontation and in the knowledge that their time together was coming to an end since his divorce was now not even going through.

"Stop it," he pushed Bill's questing hand away as he stepped closer to the white board before him, still finding it easier to write down the formula with a marker and checking it in sequence before transferring to parchment.

Bill frowned at the quick dismissal, folding his arms over his chest as he stood silently behind the man and watched him write down the next stretch of the equation. "What's with you today?"

Theo shoved his hand back in the pocket of his slacks and clenched his jaw to stop himself from saying something he would regret. "I'm working," was all he said, feeling the tension in the room before Bill silently turned away and walked off, closing the door behind him with perhaps a little bit more force than necessary.

He slumped against the wall beside the board and pinched the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. Merlin, even the brief touch from the man had made his body and magic sing, but he couldn't keep this up. They shouldn't be doing this, not when the redhead returned to his wife each evening to dote over her swelling belly. Because what were they if not doomed for pain if they continued this?

He was sipping his tea quietly, exhaustion set deep in his bones after the long day they'd had. The new Gringotts case was a fucking mess, he had a headache from Hades, and Bill was… he sighed, he wasn't even sure what was going on as a stiff silence had settled between them over the past two weeks.

It wasn't even eight o'clock but he was so ready for bed, and maybe for a holiday. It has been years since he really took a proper break. A nice two-week holiday would do him some good. Italy maybe? He could always message Draco and ask if he was happy for him to disappear to one of his coastal properties…

His fireplace roared into life and he found himself unable to move or ask the redhead who stepped through to leave. Because his magic pulsed happily in the man's presence no matter how much distance he tried to place between them.

"I promise, I'm not here for...I just wanted to see you," Bill said cautiously. They haven't been intimate in two weeks and he didn't want Theo thinking it was the only reason he came to see him.

Theo watched him for a long moment before nodding and patting the seat beside him. Bill sat down but his body naturally folded down and he ended up resting his head on Theo's chest as they both reclined against the sofa's arm.

"You alright?" Theo asked, not sure where to begin this conversation.

Bill was silent for a moment before voicing what has been weighing on him so heavily. "No. I'm not even sure who I am these days - a man who wants to keep his family together at all cost, or a man in love with another wizard, someone whose presence fulfills me so much..." he whispered, feeling Theo tense beneath him.

"I can't answer that for you. You need to make a choice, one that you can live with," he offered, breathing in the man's woody scent, knowing it may be the last time he does so.

"I don't know what to do, and I don't want to make you any false promises," Bill admitted, feeling pain blossom in his chest at the honesty of the words he spoke.

Theo however shook his head against the crown of his hair. "I just want you to be happy. Even if your happiness doesn't include me, I just want you happy with yourself, your life, making the most of your world," he sighed before his nose scrunched up. "Urgh, I even sound like a Gryffindor these days. Draco will never let me live this down. I blame you, you know?" he teased, hoping to ease some of the tension between them.

Bill however turned his head to look at him, regret already shining in his eyes. "I blame myself already," he whispered.

Theo shook his head and pushed him off and up, standing up in the face of what he sensed would be a goodbye. "I don't need you to blame yourself. I just wish our worlds were a bit different," he admitted, not sure he would be able to part ways with the man before him.

Bill looked just as desperate, stuck between a rock and a hard place, as he had been for the past few months. "I don't want to leave you, but Fleur, the baby-"

"Don't," Theo shook his head. "We can deal with this like adults. But for that, I need you to go. Unless you are absolutely certain you want to stay, I need you to leave," he managed, his voice only trembling slightly.

Bill couldn't help himself, he needed to feel the man at least one more time if he was going to make this choice. He stepped closer and wrapped Theo's lean frame in his arms as he kissed him once more, to end them the way they had begun.

No other words were exchanged. By the time Theo opened his eyes again, the emerald flames in the fireplace were already dying down and he was once again alone. For once, he allowed himself to release his sorrow, the heavy tears running down his cheeks as walked silently towards his bedroom.

Endings were so bittersweet - the pain and longing for what is no longer with us, and excitement about the next chapter ahead. He was sure he would one day be excited again, but for now, he chose the covers of his bed for at least the rest of the night.

New Year's Eve 2004

His slim fingers toyed with the edge of the hand-rolled cigarette, watching the flame eat away at the paper and dried tobacco, silvery ashes floating into the ashtray in front of him. He stubbed the last of it out and finished the shot of whiskey left in his glass before making his way out of the pub. It was fifteen minutes to midnight, but he had little to look forward to in 2005, and had no desire to be surrounded by people drunk on excitement, alcohol and love.

He felt steady enough to apparate and found the apparition spot deserted, the pubs and clubs on Diagon and Horizontal Alley full of party-goers and those seeking to be a part of something when the clock turns to the new year. And what did he have?

Fuck all, that's what he had. Because once again, he wasn't good enough… It has been over a year, and he was now working as an Arithmancer for the Magical branch of Oxford University, deciding that being around Bills was too hard to bear. He moved into a larger flat in Oxford, changed work, and didn't hear from Bill for over a year.

One year, seven months, and fifteen days, but who was counting...

And yet despite the long months since they last saw each other, his magic still sought him, his mind and body both still recalled the feel of the redhead, his touch, his kiss, the way they had fit together so well.

A loud laugh interrupted his thoughts and he twisted away from the sound, hurrying to the apparition point and turning on the spot with a soft crack. He landed at the silent cemetery gate, the place deserted. Tonight was all about the living, not the dead. He made his way through the silent central path before taking a sharp left to the edge of the cemetery.

There, under the shade of a barren oak stood a bench, and just across from it the beautiful white marble headstone he had set up for his mother. It was simple with two small decorative seashell edges. She used to love the sea, just like Bill…

Lyla Nott

Wife and mother

1958 - 1994

"Hello mum," he greeted her softly and conjured up new flowers for her, soft lilacs, her favourite, before taking a seat on the bench. The chill of the night was bitter, so he pulled up the collar of his coat. "Sorry it's been a while since I've come to visit. It's been difficult to...to…." He shuddered and mashed the heels of his palms to his eyes to stop the tears that were blurring his vision.

He managed to compose himself after a long moment and let out a shuddering breath before swallowing the emotions and centering himself with a touch of occlumency. He felt his shields slide into place and felt much more distant from the maelstrom in his chest. "In good news, the Manor is finally sold, to a family of upper class muggles no less. I hope father is turning in his rotting grave," he said almost dispassionately. He let out a shuddering breath and stood, touching the marble softly. "I miss you mum, I wish you could be here with me. I miss your advice," he offered softly before heading out.

The trip back to his flat was quick enough, tiredness seeping into his bones as he headed up the lift and stepped into his silent flat. It was dark and cool, and missed any of the warmth he felt the need for. He cast a few heating charms and changed into his favourite set of warm navy pyjamas, realising it was a few minutes past midnight.

"Happy fucking New Year to me," he mumbled and resisted the draw of the drinks globe and instead settled for a cup of tea.

He had no illusions of being able to sleep well tonight, if he slept at all. He was just contemplating turning into his bed to at least stretch out and read in comfort when a tentative knock sounded on his door.

He frowned. That knock sounded neither like drunk Draco, nor Ginny,. Blaise never knocked, and Pansy usually banged like the harpy she was, bloody menace. He opened the door carefully, wand at the ready, when he spotted just who was standing on his doormat.

"What are you doing here?" He asked quietly, in complete disbelief at the man's appearance on his doorstep. His body and his magic however were very clearly overjoyed at the presence of the man before him, having been separated for far too long.

"I…just got back from Jerusalem and you're the first person I wanted to see. I…can we talk?" Bill asked hopefully.

Theo hesitated, watching the man silently for a moment. He could see the hesitation and distrust he was showing made Bill's broad shoulders hunch a little in distress, but really what did he expect? It has been nineteen months and he wasn't just going to make this easy on the man.

He stepped aside and watched Bill come in, before closing the door and making his way over to the fireplace. He wasn't going to sit down, wanting to meet the man head on, just as the last time they had seen each other. Bill stepped closer, entirely too close, and Theo took a measured step back, his gaze intense and warning against Bill trying any tricks. His arms crossed over his chest defensively and he waited patiently.

When all the redhead did was take in his features and the flow of his pyjamas, he cleared his throat and raised a pointed brow. "Well? What is so urgent you had to barge in at half twelve at night? How did you even know I would be here?"

"I didn't," Bill shook his head. "I just hoped…I don't know what I hoped for. I know I don't deserve your time or kindness. Merlin knows I was a right bastard to give into the attraction between us with my marriage unresolved. It wasn't fair to you, to any of us," he ran a hand through the red strands much longer than last he saw him, kept loose for a change from his usual bun.

Theo sighed and rubbed his face tiredly. "It's not like you were the only one letting this happen. I'm no trembling school boy, I knew what I was getting into. But I won't do this again, I won't be that man again. Not for you, not for anyone else," he stood his ground firmly.

"I know, I know, of course," Bill nodded and took a tentative step closer, allowing his magic to carefully reach Theo's.

He felt the prickle of his own magic just beneath his skin, responding so readily to Bill's presence and his beautiful powerful magic as well. He hesitated and his indecision cost him the conscious decision as his magic accepted Bill's advance, shuddering at the delicious caress of their more than compatible magics.

Through a half-lidded gaze, Bill watched him carefully. "I've missed you, I missed us. My marriage-" he began, seeing the wince Theo wasn't quite able to stop from showing, forging on to reassure the brunette. "It was a marriage in name only. We tried, Victoire is still so very special to me and I will always try to be the best father I can be to her, but I can't be that if I'm not myself. So I proceeded with the divorce, we have been officially divorced since September, and I am free to ask…"

Theo looked at him cautiously, unwilling to have his heart broken by this man again. "Ask?"

Bill nodded, taking another small step closer, as careful as if he were herding a distressed kneazle. "Could we start over? I would like nothing more than to be able to take you out on an actual date and get to know you again," he offered, the words clear but somewhat cautious, dreading the likely response.

Could he really do this? Risk everything for this man before him? He did it once and it ended in heartbreak. Would this time really be different? Could he risk it? Did he want to? Theo liked equations, they were simple, they had rules and an order. But this.. no calculation was going to help him with this decision. Not when he knew the answer to that question before it was even asked.

"One more chance," he nodded, barely finishing the sentence before he found himself engulfed by the man's strong arms, his nose pressed into his chest and breathing in the familiar, delicious woody scent that was William Weasley.

"One chance is all I need," Bill smiled, sure Theo could hear how wildly his heart was pounding, their combined magic lashing around them joyfully at being reunited.

Perhaps this time, just this once, Theo thanked the Gods for the journey they'd been on for the past half a decade, hoping they had yet more to experience. Together.

Fin.