…Changes…
I send the owl off with our replies and sit down with a sad shake of my head. "I can only imagine how much trouble I'm in now." I sigh. Dad tosses a piece of fruit at me and Crookshanks leaps through the air and runs off with it. We spend the day binge watching Christmas movies and cartoons while sipping hot cocoa. Hermione stumbles after me as we go to bed.
"Are you sure you're, ok?" she yawns tiredly. "Of course, now go to bed tired one." I wave her towards her room. She hesitates and looks back and forth from me to her room. "Don't worry! Jason and didn't fuck in your room." I tease before going to my room and closing the door. I strip out of my clothes and into my pajamas and crawl into bed.
I realize I put Theo's letter under my pillow and pull it out rereading it. It's then that I realize there's a small note from Daphne. Inside is a necklace with a two-tone read and green gemstone. It's supposed to change color and buzz when the other person is wearing theirs and thinking of you. I put it on immediately. It buzzes instantly and changes color. I press the necklace to my lips.
I curl up with the necklace still buzzing. I make a mental note to get Daphne a great gift to thank her as I fall asleep. Mum knocks on my door waking me in the morning. I stumble down to the kitchen. "Morning sleepyhead!" she smiles. "That's new." Dad remarks nodding at the necklace. "It's from my friend Daphne. It was in the letter yesterday." I yawn tiredly and pour myself a cup of tea.
"Speaking of, I wanted to get her a thank you gift. Is it ok if I go to the mall later today and pick her up a gift? I still have a few other gifts to purchase now that I think about it." I make a list in my head. "Ok, then. We have some gifts to ship off so get Hermione to go with you otherwise she'll stay in the library all break." Mum smiles. After breakfast I sneak up to Hermione's room. Sure enough, she's sprawled out on her bed with a mountain of books next to her.
I jump onto her bed startling her. "I need to buy gifts and you have to come with me!" without waiting for a response I grab her hand and drag her to my room. She groans as I sit her in my chair and start brushing her hair. "We need to tame this messy mane of yours Miss Gryffindor." I spray her hair to make it easier to handle. I don't want to completely get rid of her curls, but I don't want her walking around looking like she was electrocuted either.
When I'm done her hair is in a bun with a few curls framing her face. I grab a pair of skinny jeans and a turtleneck from my closet and hand it to Hermione. She changes and I put on a pair of warm leggings and a sweater dress. I slide into knee high boots and put Hermione in thigh high boots. "I'm not your dress up doll Amelia!" she pouts as I put a little make-up on her and spritz perfume.
"I wanted to take holiday photos with you and send them to our friends." I pout. She opens her mouth to argue some more but quickly shuts it and let's me put some jewelry on her. I grab my purse and we say bye to mum and dad before leaving.
I get very distracted at the mall and Hermione has to pull me towards our destination several times. "I'm telling Theo about this." she mutters. I straighten up so fast she stumbles backwards in shock. "No, don't tall him. He'll tease me to no end." I plead. She laughs incredulously and we walk into our destination. Daphne is easy to shop for, but Blaise and Theo are different. I find Hermione debating over two different meat advent calendars.
"Are you looking for a gift for Ron?" I ask. She nods. "He's the last person on my list and the most difficult to shop for." She mutters. I point to a sign that says you can make your own advent calendar and she blushes with embarrassment. "It's at times like this where it's obvious why I outscore you on some exams." I pat her shoulder sympathetically.
Once our parcels are wrapped up, I drag her to a photobooth. We take serious pictures to just downright goofy. I add the photocards to the parcels and we head to the Leaky Cauldron. I let Hermione ship hers off first since she has more. On the way back I pull her to an ice-skating rink. I'm slightly more athletic than she is but I've been attempting to get her to work out with me more lately. She falls a few times but eventually gets the hang of it.
We're snow covered, breathless, laughing, and stumbling over each other by the time we get home. Mum and dad are in the kitchen making dinner and we walk in a giggly mess. I pour us some hot cocoa while Hermione tells them about our day.
My necklace buzzing wakes me. It's Christmas morning and guessing by the amount of buzzing Theo's happy with his gift. I kiss the gem and roll out of bed. I'm not the first awake. Mum is making sticky buns in the kitchen when I stumble in. "Morning." I yawn as I hug her. She tasks me with making the fruit salad and eggs. We're done by the time Dad and Hermione wake up. after breakfast they clean up while me and mum relax.
I put my head in mum's lap and she strokes my hair. I feel like a kid again. dad and Hermione join us with scones and tea. I watch dad open his gifts first then Mione. Mum opens hers and then it's time for mine. I nervously open mine and blush immediately all the way to my roots. My parents have given me a 40 pack of condoms and a box of pregnancy tests with the note: DON'T BLOW THROUGH THESE TOO FAST. A small smiley face looks up at me from the bottom of the note.
I nearly forget to breathe. I cough trying to hide my obvious embarrassment. "Please tell me this is a prank." I choke out. Mum shakes her head and tilt my head back groaning. "What is it?" Hermione asks. "No way! You're still too innocent." I scoff putting my gift out of her reach. Hermione gasps and pouts. "I am not!" she rolls her eyes. "Do you understand why Ron was so upset your date to the ball was Viktor?" I ask. She shakes her head. "My point has been proven." I shrug.
Mum smiles at me then lightly whacks the top of my head. "What?! It's true. Most people have noticed and it's not exactly a secret." I mutter rubbing my head. Dad hands me a box and takes the other one up to my room despite my objections. I open this one so slowly dad is back by the time I'm halfway done. "It's nothing too embarrassing." Dad chuckles.
I take a deep breath and open the box. Inside is a book of poems and stories from powerful women dating back to at least 1,000 years ago. I gasp and a high pitch squeal leaves my mouth. I jump up and down excitedly and race around the room. I hug my parents then sit down reading giddily. I'm so wrapped up in my book I don't hear the owl at the window.
"It's a gift from Theo!" Mione calls teasingly. I snap my book shut and leap up. A small parcel and note are hanging from the beak of the owl. I hold my hands out and it drops the parcel and turns to Mione who already has a treat and water at the ready. I hurriedly unwrap the gift and gasp. Tears fill my eyes and I hear Mione taking pictures, but I don't care. I sniffle loudly and take a thin golden bracelet with mine and Theo's initials carved on the inside out. My tears begin to run down my face as mum comes back in the room.
"For heaven's sake Hermione don't just take pictures!" mum scolds running to me. I give her the box. "He sent you guys a gift too." I start crying. He sent mum a small golden necklace with a diamond pendant, dad received a stylish men's watch perfect enough he can wear it at work, and Mione he sent a book on different creatures in the Wizarding World and their histories and relationships with the wizarding community. At the bottom of the box wrapped up protectively he sent a small picture of himself, one copy for my parents and a copy for me.
I'm crying so profusely I can no longer see. Mum wraps me in a hug. "Sweetie, this Theo of yours is an absolute keeper." She whispers in my ear. I smile and laugh. She wipes my tears away and I put the bracelet on. I take a deep breath to calm myself. "Come on Lia. Come help me make dinner." mum leads me to the kitchen while dad and Mione fawn over their gifts.
I wash and prep the vegetables. "Amelia. Am I going to have to worry about him proposing as soon as you graduate?" mum asks suddenly. I turn to look at her in shock. She has both hands on the counter and her shoulders are shaking. "What?! Mum no. We haven't even gotten that far yet. Besides, we both still have things we need to work on." I murmur the last part and she turns to look at me. "What are you talking about?" she wonders.
"Well, you already know about my faults, but Theo, Theo is working through something entirely different than I am." I let my hands fall to my sides before clenching and unclenching them repeatedly. Mum puts her hands over mine. "He hasn't said how bad it gets it out loud but from what I've observed and how he reacts whenever his dad is mentioned… Mum, I think his dad hits him, no beats him. I've seen his arms. I've seen the scars. I just worry about him alone in a house with just his dad for weeks." My lip trembles and mum pulls me into a comforting hug.
"I mean… I've heard stories of how bad some of the other students' Pureblood parents act and I know just from how people react Theo has one of the worst ones but I… I can't see him right now and make sure he's ok." I shiver. Mum rocks us back and forth trying to calm me down. "How often does it happen?" mum asks. "Theo said it doesn't happen as much anymore because he's learned to avoid his father when he's disappointed or drunk, but I worry." Run my fingers through my hair.
Mum sighs heavily. "Look you only have another week and then you can see him. You just have to stay strong until then, ok?" she whispers, and I nod. We go back to making dinner and dessert. Dinners warms me up and I have no problems falling into a dreamless sleep that night.
I hug my parents' tight before following Mione onto the train. She immediately leaves to find Harry and Ron, so I wander the train aimlessly. I'm pulled into a compartment by a familiar pair of hands. I look up into Theo's eyes. "I missed you." I whisper. "I missed you too." He whispers wrapping me in his arms. he walks backwards until he's sitting down and pulls me onto his lap.
"You're wearing the bracelet." He mumbles. "My parents like you already you know." I murmur. A light chuckle escapes Theo's lips. "I know." he smirks. I roll my eyes and rest my head on his shoulder. I breathe a deep sigh of relief and nuzzle his neck. "You talked about your exes with your parents, didn't you?" he mumbles. I nod. "If I asked you to burn that dress you wore to the Yule Ball, would you?" he asks. I smile. "I already have. When I ended things with Fred, I burned all the things I had of his and over the break I burned everything I had from Jason." I admit.
Theo's eyes widen in shock. "You… you what… but I just… and…" I cut him off with a kiss. "Relax Theo." I mumble against his lips. He takes a deep breath and visibly relaxes. "You have nothing, nothing, to worry about." I whisper. "Ok, ok. I understand." Theo smiles softly lacing his fingers and mine. "Did you like the gift I sent?" I wonder. "Yes, I liked it. I loved the picture even more." His smile grows.
I blush a bit and shake my head. "What did your parents specifically say about me?" Theo asks. "Dad seems to be ok, but mum, mum said I should keep you around because you seem like a good guy." I smile. Theo hmms in satisfaction. I kiss him softly and he stops hmming. "I put the picture of you on my pillow. It's a nice picture of you." I whisper. His eyes soften and he tilts his head back. "You know what would make it complete?" I smile. He lifts his head up. "If I had one of your shirts or a jacket." I kiss his cheek.
"We'll see how you behave the rest of term first." Theo smirks and puts my head back on his shoulder. I have no concept of time until there's a knock on the door. "Are you two coming or not?" Blaise scoffs. I climb off Theo's lap and stand up. Theo doesn't let go of my hand and leads me to a carriage. "What do you mean by behave?" I wonder. "No skipping classes, no fights, and no psychoanalyses." He grumbles.
I frown. "I had no part in the psychoanalysis!" I pout. Theo shrugs nonchalantly and I yank my hand from his and sit on the other side of the carriage. Daphne and Blaise get in and I enter a conversation with Daphne about her holiday, so I don't have to talk to Theo. We walk up to the castle together chatting happily. I hear footsteps running towards and turn just in time to see Padma before she tackles me into the snow.
I'm winded for a minute then start laughing. "I missed you too silly girl." I smile. "Hermione was just telling us about her break and there was this weird pause in her story." Padma blurts as we get to our feet. Daphne eyes widen in interest. "What weird break in the story?!" I smile at Mione as she comes up the path followed by Parvati. "That one gift you freaked out over and thought was a prank." She smiles innocently at me.
The memory hits me like a ton bricks and I blush. "It was nothing." I try to wave it off, but my voice isn't convincing. I turn and head up to the castle. "You are blushing too hard for it to have been nothing." Daphne giggles easily keeping up with me. "What'd you get?!" Padma continues. "Ok, so my parents found out I was dating Theo." I sigh running my fingers through my hair.
They nod eager for me to continue. "Well, they also found out about my exes, so they got me a gift based on that. It was a two in one gift." I explain. "Get to the point!" Padma and Daphne yell shaking my shoulders. "They got me protection and tests since I'm dating Theo." I whisper going beet red. Daphne's mouth drops open, but Padma is still confused. Daphne whispers in Padma's ear she gapes.
"No!" she whispers. I nod solemnly. "A 40 pack of protection." I murmur. Daphne blushes and her hands cover her mouth. "What are you girls gossiping about?" Theo smirks draping an arm around me. We jump and scream in shock. "Nothing!" we blurt but we're all blushing too much. "Really! What were you talking about that's got you all blushing this badly?" Blaise pokes Daphne's burning cheeks curiously. Padma and Daphne nod at me.
"I didn't do anything!" I wail and run inside. I hide behind a pillar. I watch as Theo runs past and then emerge from my hiding spot and skip back to my friends in the Great Hall. "I can't believe your parents would get you that." Padma mumbles taking a sip of hot cocoa. "Well, like I said they found out about my exes and asked some detailed questions and based their gift off of our activity levels." I blush again.
Their eyes beg for more details, and I look around first. Daphne sent Blaise away when she saw me coming back and I'm sure Theo doesn't have any friends around. "Well, Jason I were together for an entire week over the summer. Plus, I had that one ex-fling from the end of third year." I sigh. "Why did that one end?" Mione wonders. "He called out another girl's name. Kind of kills the mood." I grumble. "He didn't!" Padma gasps. "Oh, he did. Not once. Not twice. Eight times he called out the wrong name." I clench my fists.
Hermione has shock written all over her face. "You're kidding me." Daphne gasps. "I'm not. I mean I'm good terms with him now enough to joke around but still he should've said something about liking another girl. Hurts like hell when they say another name." I drain the last of my cocoa. "Mum knows the whole story. Dad looked like he was going to pass out, so we didn't talk about it in front of him. They really like Theo though." I smile.
"Speak of the devil and he shall appear." Daphne smirks and nods to the doorway. Theo stands there panting looking around. "Someone's in trouble." Padma laughs when Theo focuses on me and waves me over. I pout and rise. "If I'm not back in 10 minutes tell my mum to give my 'gift' to Daphne. She seems like she needs it just as much as I do." I sniffle dramatically and wave as Daphne goes red.
Theo pulls me from the hall and into an empty classroom. "What was that all about?" Theo whispers. I feign innocence and skip over to a desk. "What do you mean?" I ask. Theo sits across from me. "What gift did your parents give you that freaked you out?" his voice isn't demanding or upset. I fidget and play with my fingers. Theo gets up and crouches in front of me. "How bad could it be?" he mumbles tucking my hair behind my ear.
"A 40 pack of condoms and a box of pregnancy tests." I mumble just loud enough for him to hear. He blinks up at me in surprise. Neither of us move and I'm pretty sure Theo stopped breathing from the way he's gone pale. "Theo. Theo…" I call his name softly as not to startle him. He starts coughing and walks around trying to clear his head. I watch him in amusement. "Your reaction is far worse than mine. You have no idea how much I had to convince my parents we hadn't gotten that far." I mumble.
Theo has begun pacing and I get up and stand in his way stopping his pacing. "Don't worry! If need be, I can give it to Daphne." I place my hands on his face forcing him to look at me. Theo takes a deep breath. "40? 40. Why? That's a lot. How long would it take to get through box like that?" he mutters. "Theo you're focusing on the wrong things." I pout.
Theo blushes and tries to look away. "Did you get any normal gifts this year?" he mumbles. "I got a book!" I smile. "So, that would be a no." he chuckles I lightly slap his shoulder but I'm laughing too. "Where would they get the idea that we needed so many though?" he asks. I start humming and turn to walk away. I speed away out of the classroom and down the hall with Theo hot on my heels.
After a series of turns, ducking, dodging, avoiding fellow students, and hiding multiple times I find myself at a dead end. I pant heavily trying to catch my breath. Theo's arms wrap around me. "Caught you." He whispers in my ear. What frustrates me the most is he isn't out of breath at all. He kisses my neck. "You didn't answer my question, Lia. Why? Is there some reason why you're avoiding answering me?" he whispers huskily kissing a trail up my neck.
"I… I don't know what you're t-talking about." I manage to get out. Between my lack of breath from running and his kisses it's hard to think. He turns me around and locks his arms around my waist. "Yes, you do." He smirks kissing me. I put my hands on his shoulders trying to keep my sanity. "I'll give you 30 seconds to answer." He chuckles. I blink at him uncomprehendingly and he starts the countdown. I stumble around for words but the kisses and time restraint our not helping.
"Time's up. No answer. You also talked about your exes over break. Ah, what should I do about this behavior of yours." He tsks. I open my mouth to object, but he silences me with a well-timed kiss. "Two weeks. No kissing, no touching, no pouting, no hugging, no cuddling, none of it." he kisses me softly but purposefully with every word. I groan and start to complain. "No complaining." He scolds kissing the top of my head.
My bottom lip juts out in the beginnings of a pout and he pokes it until I turn away. "You're evil. Two weeks. Two whole weeks!" I groan. Theo waves me down the hall escorting me up to my dorm. I roll my eyes and mutter to myself the whole way up and don't bother waving good-bye either. I unpack with an attitude slamming, throwing, and tossing things. "Amelia, you're scaring the first years. What's wrong?" Padma flops onto my bed and I tell her about the punishment.
"Wow, maybe I should avoid you two for the next two weeks." She mutters when I'm done. I glare at her and continue unpacking. I'm nearly done when I see something I was not expecting. I shriek so loudly Padma falls off my bed. She drops to the floor in shock. My darling parents packed the tests and protection at the bottom of my bag when I wasn't looking. I quickly throw an old blanket in the bag and toss the bag into the bottom of my trunk.
"I need fresh air!" I gasp stumbling from the dorm. Padma stumbles after me. I keep walking and I don't stop until I'm outside. I collapse into the snow shaking and gasping for breath. I lie down in the snow and stare up at the sky. An hour later my friends hurry from the hall and force me up to the school. Padma has filled them in and even Marietta is too shocked to speak. Daphne nudges a cup of hot tea into my hands.
"No way. Please tell me you're joking." Marietta gasps. I get up and motion for them to follow. I pull the bag out opening it slowly and take the blanket out. Marietta's eyes go wide, and Daphne's eyes go wide in shock. "See! I told you! I'm not joking you guys." I croak out. Parvati turns to me in shock. I had sent Hermione to go talk to Harry or Ron, but I decided to let Parvati join us.
"At least my reaction was better than Theo's." I chuckle dryly. "Why didn't you just tell Theo and avoid punishment?" Parvati wonders. "I tried but the truth still would've set him off. My parents asked so many questions over the break I would've been punished regardless." I groan and rub my neck. We stay in the dorm until dinner. "Pardon me if I avoid you two for the next two weeks." Marietta laughs.
Daphne nods in agreement. "Oh no you don't. I need your help with something." I say when she tries to leave. I whisper my plan into her ear. She sighs with reluctance but there's a flicker in her eyes that says she wants to help. "If I get in trouble, I'm spilling the whole plan to Theo." She warns opening the box. She takes several condoms out and leaves. I wave and ignore Marietta and Padma's looks of question.
I eat my dinner watching my plan in action. Blaise is questioning Daphne like there's no tomorrow while Theo smirks trying not to meet my eyes. That's when Daphne points at me. Padma and Marietta watch on with interest as Daphne pulls out two Magnum condoms. What happens next is so beyond my expectations. Theo spits out his juice soaking Draco, Blaise falls out of his seat onto the floor in shock, and Daphne turns and winks at me.
I give her a thumbs up and laugh as Blaise and Theo try recover some of their facilities. "You're in for it now." Padma whispers. "I don't know what you're talking about. Daphne is the one causing trouble. She took the simple instructions I gave her and multiplied it. I wasn't expecting her to take it this far." I throw my head back laughing. Blaise picks Daphne up and drops her off right next to me and strides back to his seat.
"I got in trouble." Daphne giggles. I high five her and hand her a cup of juice. "What'd you say?" I try to contain my laughter. "Ah, that. I told them you gave me part of your gift since Theo said you wouldn't need it for two weeks." Daphne glances to where Theo is being questioned by Blaise. "At least if we're in trouble we can be in trouble together." Daphne laughs as Theo spits out his drink again from something Blaise said.
I laugh and ignore the nagging feeling that Theo and Blaise are glaring. I hum to myself looking up at the Enchanted Ceiling. "You think we can get out of here without them noticing?" Daphne wonders. "I think so. You'll have to run at top speed once we're outside." I smirk. Daphne chuckles and rolls her shoulders back. We slip from the table crouching just out of sight until we're safely outside.
We nod at each other and then take off for our dorms. I close the door panting heavily and flop onto my bed. I close my eyes and drift off. Over the next week Daphne and I continue teasing Theo and Blaise relentlessly until we're both at a month's worth of punishment. It's really fun teasing them and Theo looks like he's about ready to cave at times.
"You two do realize your punishments extend through Valentine's Day now, right?" Marietta sounds concerned. I shrug and turn to Daphne. "Since we're still on punishment do you just want to spend the day hanging out with me?" I ask. "But of course. What should we wear?" she nudges me, and we start laughing. Marietta shakes her head and turns to talk to Cho. I clap my hands together as an idea hits me. "Leather and lace!" I gasp. Daphne's eyes go wide, and the excitement radiates off us in waves. "Sexy and chic! Bonus, Theo and Blaise can't really do much because of the 'no touching' part of the punishment." Daphne giggles.
We put our heads together whispering conspiratorially occasionally glancing at our boyfriends. "Why do I get the feeling if you two dress like that we might not see you guys for two weeks." Padma sighs. I blush at the innuendo hidden in her words and shake my head. "Oh, don't be such a worry wart. We'll only be dressed in our outfits for a few hours at most. We wouldn't possibly over tease them." Daphne laughs. Padma tsks and waves a finger at us. "When you two get in more trouble don't say you weren't warned." She sniffs turning her nose in the air for dramatic effect.
On Valentine's Day morning wake early and shower. I scrub and moisturize until my skin gives off a satiny, smooth, healthy glow then spritz on Theo's favorite scent. Padma watches with the occasional sad shake of her head. I slip into a pair of skintight leather pants with a chain belt. I pair it with a lacy but not too showy bustier shirt and chunky heeled boots. I let my hair down and put on a black choker and my makeup. I was going to use a light gloss but opt for a dark red lipstick. I spin around and look at Padma.
"You look very bad ass!" she gasps looking up from her book. I smile and toss my hair to one side. "Try to behave today Lia." Padma pleads but I'm already out the door. Daphne is just coming up from the dungeons and she squeals and jumps into my arms. She looks rather amazing in her leather and lace bustier, ripped skinny jeans with fishnet tights, and knee-high boots. Her hair is in a high ponytail revealing the piercings adorning her ears.
"We should go they're right on my tail." Daphne grabs my hand and we run outside just as Theo and Blaise make it up from the dungeons. We head down the path to Hogsmeade laughing and ignoring the looks from other students, especially males, as we walk. We stop in Honeydukes to stock up on sweets then we hit up Zonko's and the supply store. By noon we get a bit thirsty, so we duck into the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer or two.
I tilt my head back enjoying the warmth the butterbeer provides. "Enjoying yourself?" Theo growls softly in my ear. I jump and find Theo behind me and Blaise behind Daphne. I smile innocently. "Are you two joining us or do you have another meeting?" Daphne asks before I can. Theo slides in beside me. "Fuck the meetings." Blaise rolls his eyes. "You two have been messing with us on purpose. Don't bother denying it. We overheard Parvati, Marietta, and Padma talking about it earlier." Theo's eyes stay trained on my face.
I reach for my drink but find empty air. Theo knocks back my drink and I motion for Rosmerta to bring 4 new drinks. "Do you really have nothing better to do?" Theo grumbles. "Actually, Daphne has been filling me in on some of your more adorable moments from first through third year." I smile. Theo freezes and I take the opportunity to drink something.
"I didn't tell her anything too bad just the cuter things. In return she's been telling me some funny stories about you Blaise misbehaving in class when I'm not there." Daphne giggles. Theo recovers and he and Blaise exchange silent words. Blaise pays for the multitude of drinks and leads Daphne outside. "I really think you enjoyed playing this little game the two of you planned a little too much. Did you hate your punishment that much?" Theo rests an arm behind me and leans closer.
"We were just having a bit of fun is all." I mumble downing the rest of my drink. "Time to go little troublemaker." Theo pulls me to my feet and guides me outside and onto the path that leads to the castle. I fight back a little and he puts me on his back carrying me up the path. "Your punishment is over Lia. We need to talk about your behavior." Theo sighs. I grumble quietly to myself. Theo puts me down and I start walking since the castle is in sight.
Theo's arms wrap around me as we walk. "I said we needed to talk love. This doesn't look like talking." He whispers in my ear. I freeze and he kisses my cheek. "Do you want to know what else I overheard? I overheard the reason why you wouldn't answer my question. You really love me don't you Lia?" he turns my head and kisses me. "You love me too." I mumble. A faint smile traces his lips as he kisses me again.
I rub my neck and shoulders yawning. Exams are approaching and I still have to talk to my head of house about my career choices. Theo watches me silently as I study. He closes the book in front of me and I look at him with a pout. He pats his lap and I sigh. I sit on his lap and put my head on his shoulders. "You're stressing out again." he whispers playing with my hand. "I have my Career Advice meeting tomorrow and I have no idea what I want to do." I sniffle and sigh in frustration.
Theo sits me up straight. "How about you clear your mind first." He suggests. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. "Not working." I sigh after a minute. "What about now?" he asks kissing me softly. My mind slowly begins to empty. "One more time." I murmur. Theo chuckles quietly but kisses me all the same until my mind is blank.
"Now what do you see yourself doing in the future?" he asks. "You!" I reply with a smile and without thinking. Theo lets his head fall back. "Career wise Lia." He reminds me. "Ah, so doing you in the future is not off the table, ok!" I clap my hands together and think about how my current courses correlate to the jobs I could do. I can hear Theo mumbling and grumbling to himself, so I put a hand over his mouth. Theo stares at me with sad eyes until I remove my hand. "Sorry I was trying to think." I try to stop the sadness he's feeling.
"Where's the bracelet and the necklace Lia?" he asks. I tilt my head in confusion. "Ah, I had Herbology, so I took them off for a little bit." I laugh nervously. "You had Herbology this morning. It's the afternoon now." he pouts. "How would… uh, hypothetically ok? Uh, hypothetically what would be your hypothetical response if, erm, I accidentally hypothetically broke them?" I bite my lip nervously.
Theo tenses up and I practically hear the gears of his mind turning as he processes. I gather my things slowly as not to alert him and walk slowly from the library. I'm about 2 floors down from the library when I hear footsteps approaching. "Amelia Catherine Granger you get your ass back here right now!" Theo yells. I let out a startled yelp and take off running. Many other fifth years are just now being released from study hall.
I spy Daphne and race towards her. I hide behind her just as Theo reaches the top of the stairs. "You pissed him off again, didn't you?" Blaise groans. "I was just speaking hypothetically." I whine. Blaise goes over to Theo, and I use Daphne as a shield. They walk over and Blaise is fighting back a smile. "Hand Lia over please Daph." Theo smiles. "Don't do it Daph! He's so mad he used my full government name. Don't do it!" I plead.
Daphne looks conflicted. Blaise groans rubbing his face. Blaise pulls Daphne towards the dungeons leaving me with angry Theo. I go to run but his arm is around my waist and he's guiding me to an empty classroom. I sit on a desk, and he looms over me arms crossed. "Hand them over." he orders. I slowly take the bracelet and necklace out. "I was studying late and one of my books fell on top of them." I confess. The bracelet has an obvious dent in it and the necklace chain has broken in several places.
Theo stares in shock. I bite my lip waiting for him to respond as he examines the damage. "I know someone who can repair this, but next time just tell me when this happens, ok?" he sighs heavily. I fidget and play with my fingers. "Lia? Did you hear me?" he whispers softly. I nod still staring at the floor. He lifts my chin and gives me a quick kiss. "Maybe don't speak hypothetically next time. I thought the damage was going to be worse." He mumbles. I hop off the desk and throw my arms around him wanting nothing more than to feel him close to me.
He doesn't hesitate to wrap his arms around me. "I'm really sorry." I whisper. "It's ok. Maybe I can ask them to make it Lia proof so you can work with them on." he jokes. I whine and hit his chest lightly. He pins my hands behind me with one hand while the other rests on my hip. I stare up at him defiantly and he smiles. "Hitting me won't solve anything." He smirks.
I wait outside Flitwick's office for my meeting. "You can come in now Ms. Granger!" Flitwick calls. I walk in after taking a deep breath and pause instantly. Umbitch is sitting there giggling girlishly. Flitwick looks close to hexing her out the room. He waves me forwards and I sit in one of the plush chairs. "Have you thought about which career interests you most?" Flitwick asks quickly as my obvious dislike for Umbridge appears on my face in the form of a sneer.
"Yes, I have. I whittled it down to Alchemist, Arithmancer, Philosopher, and Potioneer." I reply. Umbridge titters in her chair. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "Is something funny to you Dolores?" there's so much venom dripping from my words she stares in shock. "I was just thinking that none of those suits you my dear…" I hold my hand up cutting her off.
"First off I'm not your 'dear'. Second, I don't know why you're talking when this is meeting between me and my head of house. Third I've already told you; you are not someone whose opinion I'm willing to listen too. So, you can zip your lips, sit back, and keep quiet." I snap. Flitwick shoots me a look. I try to smile pleasantly but can't. "Have you looked into tutoring? You'd be good at that. Or maybe you could just be a housewife?" Umbridge giggles. I clench and unclench my fists.
"Those are all good ideas Amelia, and you certainly have the skills and grades to aim for any of those fields." Flitwick smiles at me. Umbridge gasps and claps her hands together. "She can work in Muggle relations! We need someone like her who can translate the words of us wizarding folk to her kind!" Umbridge looks me up and down. I suck my teeth and roll my shoulders back. "Miss Granger there are some teachers who've said you can double your course load next year as long as you Outstanding's on all of your exams." Flitwick tries to redirect the conversation again.
"You should really know your limits dear especially since you are a muggle born. There's only so much you can do and attain in this life. Maybe becoming a meek housewife in the countryside would suit you best. Besides, just how well can you do on your exams especially mine since you haven't been in class." Umbridge giggles.
"Miss Granger is and has been in the top ten of her class since her first day here at Hogwarts! She has shown the maturity of someone twice her age on numerous occasions and is always willing to help others. She is a much better student than you were when you were here. Her grades surpass yours several times over Dolores! Miss Granger you can leave. There is no reason for you to sit here and listen to Dolores' evil words." Flitwick huffs looking angrier than I've personally ever seen. I thank him and hurry from the room. As I close the door and I can hear Flitwick reaming Umbridge.
I hurry down to lunch and flop next to Padma. I put my head on her shoulder and close my eyes. "Bad meeting?" Daphne asks sitting next to me. I open my eyes slowly. Padma and Daphne seem concerned. I tell the about the meeting and they're both furious. "I just wish I could've stayed long enough to hear the rest of Flitwick's scolding." I sigh. "Oh yeah. Theo sent me over with a message. 'No matter how upset you are you still have to eat'." Daph pats my head. I frown and shake my head. "No." I reach for my juice instead.
Daphne sighs and shrugs. "Well, I tried." She smiles and gets up returning to the Slytherin table. I put my head on the cool table. "Don't let her words get to you Lia. You're one of the smartest people in our year." Padma smiles and hands me a cookie. I raise an eyebrow. She sighs and points towards the Slytherin table. I know Theo's watching me, so I take the cookie. I nibble it but mostly drink the cool drink.
I listen to Padma talk about her meeting and how she needs to kick her studying up a notch. She heads up to the library at the end of lunch and I yawn tiredly. "Come on sleepy." Theo helps me up. I groan and he smiles. "You got so angry you tired yourself out." Theo sighs. I let him lead me outside and he lies on the grass with me on his chest. "Daphne told me about your meeting. How are you feeling?" he watches me with a criticalness I haven't seen.
I close my eyes. "I feel much better right now than I did earlier." I smile. Theo kisses the top of my head. "Am I allowed to slap Umbridge?" I ask with a yawn. "No, no you are not." he sighs. "Not even if she told me that because I'm muggle born, I should be a meek and mild housewife in the countryside or work in muggle relations to translate messages for 'my kind'?" I open my eyes so he can see the hurt I'm feeling.
His arms tighten around me. "You know if you hit her, you'll be expelled. I can't have that, Lia." His voice is barely a whisper and I have to strain to hear him. "I need you here with me." Theo brushes my hair from my face. I lay my head on his chest and take a deep breath. "She really ticks me off though." I pout. Theo rubs my back as I pout. "I can't even prank her from far away?" I whine. "Not even from far away." Theo chuckles.