Theo woke slowly and in long drawn out segments until he could finally crack his eyes open. He looked up at the wooded ceiling illumiated by warm light from a fire somewhere across the room. The rooms smelled of peach candles and sandalwood. Theo tried to sit up with a pained groan.
"Theo? Theo! Wait, dont get up. You cant yet," Someone fussed. Theo gropped for his knife.
'Theo? Can you hear me? Theo?" A hand pressed gently on his forehead and shoulders. The voice was getting clearer. It wasnt the deep rolling vocals of his father nor was it the eternally flurtation tones of Blaise. It was sweet and smokey and he relaxed against his will.
"What?" He muttered. His eyes were still not fully open.
"Oh, its alright. Its- Its just find. Theo," The voice breathed thickly. Theo worked harder to open his eyes. When he did manage to get them open a decent amount he saw a bunch of red hair that tickled his bare chest and bright green eyes sparkelling with tears.
"Roma?" Theo asked. He fell back onto the pillows," Wha- Roma?" He furrowed his sweat stained brow. Roma nodded feveredly.
"Yeah, its me. And- Theo," Roma cooed trembulously. The boy hero grasped at his hands almost painfully.
"Roma… what happened?" Theo asked groggily. Roma's breath shuddered. He cupped Theo's cheeks and pressed his lips to his forehead. Theo's body laid weak and limp underneath him. He felt confused and wary but relief made his sigh and his head fall backwards where it was beginning to rise off of the pillows. He hated that his hand trembled when he separated their faces and looked worriedly into Roma's tearstained face. He saw how Roma's face glowed and the odd way his helpless smile fit on his lips. He laughed breathlessly.
"Merlin, I would see you alive everyday for a lifetime and never feel as I do now," His eyes sparkled wetly. Roma pressed another soft kiss to his heavy palm and gently laid it down on top of his chest.
"I need to go get the potions now," He looked hesitant to leave," I'll just be a few seconds. Then he ran out the door at top speed leaving the door to click shut softly behind him. He heard some clanging and soft humming from outside the room.
It was soothing, Theo admitted to himself. It wasnt long until sleep dragged his under and the smell of cinnamon and chocolate filled the house.
"What did you do?" Theo asked. He had woken the next evening with the taste of dreamless sleep and chicken broth prominent in his mouth. Roma bustled around the room after feeding him, cleaning his wounds and leaving some books on the table next to him. Theo had now itenified the place they were staying at as his mothers home, the same place connected to Roma's portkey.
"Innocent until proven guilty," Roma chirped. Theo found the the redhead was insuffriatbly happy away from the Dursleys that is when Theo wasnt dying of bloodlost. As much as Theo's expression conveyed irritation, he was overjoyed to see the boy hero like this. The skinny waif was wearing a crimson quiddich jersey over black silk shorts. It was warm in the house since Roma deemed it nessessary to light every fire in every room.
'Light and warmth heal wounds' He had answered sausilly when Theo asked why he wanted to burn them both alive.
"Thats something someone guilty would say," Theo accused. Roma grinned.
"Which is a coicidence since I am most certainly innocent," Roma smirked evilly," Not as if you could do anything if I wasnt."
Theo huffed and flopped backwards dramatically. He then groaned loudly in exaggerated pain.
"Theo? Theo are you alright?" Roma hurrued towards him and started casting diagonistic spells with his own bone and kelpie heartstring wand. It always filled him with blushing warmth when Roma did that. Theo didnt let that stop him smacking Roma upside his face with a pillow in retaliation.
"You- aurg!" Roma held the pillow over his head.
"You cant hurt me!" Theo argued," Im injured!"
"You will be, Theo Nott," Roma growled and thrust the pillow into his arms before turning and stalking out of the room to get some potions. When he had woke up he had worried about taking anything Roma made him. His inadequacy in potions was practically famous among Hogwarts students. After a glower and a fair bit of pouting, Roma admitted that he had owlordered the potions anonymously from Proffessor Snape himself.
"Honestly," Roma grumbled," I could have made them!" Theo promptly pretended to fall asleep.
"I think my father was the one who arranged that attack," Theo told him solemly lounging on the poarch with Roma. Theo had been awake for three days now slowly but surely recovering from the Draguar attack under the hands of Roma. Now they were in their respective pajamas; Theo wore loose black bottoms and a plain grey t-shirt that had been transfigured from some of Roma's things and Roma wore loose pink shorts and a button up shirt with a strawberry pattern on it, staring up at the full moon. Roma had spend all the time Theo was asleep reaserching wards and how to strengthen them after Theo told his about the attack.
"But why?" Roma asked truly baffled. He knew that Theo hated the man but he had also said that the man needed him as he was sterile and couldnt make any more heirs.
"He might have found out about the poison." Theo admitted. Roma stared at him blankly.
"Poison?"
"Small portions with his wine and evening dinners. Unstoppable by this point. He'll be dead in a year but he'll be weak long before that. I can take the lordship at fifteen if I'm the first in line with no adult Lord Nott," Theo explained placidly. Roma swallowed. It wasnt as if he didnt know that Theo wanted to kill his father he just didnt know the urge was acted on. It changed nothing, no, it really didnt. Roma had killed two men well a man and a memory and would have killed again if Proffessor Lupin didnt stop him. He hummed encouragingly and sipped on his hot chocolate.
He was determined to be a good friend if nothing else.
"He had been a bit distant latley but this was a bit sudden," Theo continued," Almost unlike him. But he does and have always had a talent for animation. He created horrid creatures and poisons in his work for the Dark Lord."
"If he created poisons why didnt he just posion you?" Roma asked.
"Because the Nott heir ring protects against poisons," Theo told him," Potion making is a common affinity among the Nott family." He boasted slightly.
"Affinity?"
"Family talents. For Notts its posions and potions," Theo clicked his tounge," We could probably find the Potter one in an old lineage book if you would like." He offered. Roma smiled and nodded.
"I would." Roma buried his feet in the black sand. They watched the water near the shore glow an enchanting green and create lights that danced over the waters surface.
"My tattoo has been growing again," Roma informed him excitedly.
"Hmm?" Theo hummed with a raised eyebrow.
"It looks like golden plates or maybe armor? Its really light right now but the lines are there." Roma set his mug down and laid down next to the blond.
"I have my family crests on my back, both of them merged together," Theo said pulling a long dark stringy curl and watching it get lost in the sea of Roma's hair.
"Do we become who hurt us?" Roma asked after a few moments of silence.
"I wish I could tell you that they dont make us who we are but in truth, they do. They didnt create us but they… formed us in a way that made it the lines between who they are and what we choose to be big and bold. They didnt make you kind, Roma, they hurt you and you chose to be kind. You arent better because of them so dont go mentally thanking them for being the powerful wizard you are today when they tried to crush you underfoot. Your better because your you and they couldnt change that." Theo whispered and pulled him close so that Roma was tucked into his damaged side.
"I'm cruel, Roma. I am my fathers son and I cant thank you enough for accept that. I know revenge isnt your way and truth be told, it wasnt my mothers. She was placid and accepting until the end and she hardy faught against his wants. I want you to do that, Roma, when I'm too far I need you to pull me back again," Theo pleaded quietly," Youre my compass. I'll never swing right on the grand scale of good but dont let me go left."
"I wont. I promise, I wont," Roma promised. He shuffled a bit until his hand was tucked into Theo's.
"Thank you." Harry smiled.
"Always."