Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any affiliated characters. I just happened to come up with the plot for this ship. All credit to J.K for her amazing universe that she allows us to play in.
Warning: Rated M. Cursing, sexual innuendos, lemons and fluff ahead.
My Beta is Grammarly, all mistakes are my fault. I humbly apologize.
Music is my Muse
This chapters song: Firefly, Ed Sheeran
Lyric of choice: Little one, lie with me. Sew your heart to my sleeve.
Aftermath
Chapter Six
Heart to Heart
Theo was waiting for her, looking very dashing in slacks and a dress shirt.
His eyes swept over her and darkened a bit before he stepped forward and took her hand bringing it to his lips. "You look lovely," he said in perfect French.
She smiled and knew she was blushing. "Thank you, you look dashing yourself."
He grinned at her and tucked her hand into his arm as he led her into a room to the right she hadn't noticed before. It turned out to be a dining room with a beautiful cherry oak table with plush chairs. The room was done in emerald green and a pretty blush rose. The ceiling was enchanted to look like a starry sky and the windows showed a beautiful moonlit garden which she could see had many magical plants and looked well loved.
"Is that your garden?"
He looked over at the window and smiled. "Tuily's garden. I bring her a new plant once a month."
Hermione smiled as she allowed him to help her into her seat. He sat down and poured her wine and then his own. She smiled as she realized there was an extra place setting and that the chair had a large pillow on it.
He smiled and said. "Tuily, she's here."
Hermione turned as a little elf bustled in wearing a pretty flower printed dress with a full skirt and what looked like Muggle children's shoes. She had a beautiful crystal encrusted flower in her hair which was curled to perfection atop her head. After Theo had helped the elf into her seat and tucked her in he bowed to her and then waved his wand towards the kitchen.
Hermione smiled as dishes drifted into the room a moment later with Tuily smiling happily and directed each dish onto the table.
"I hope you are hungry?"
Hermione nodded smiling at Tuily. "Very." She said earnestly.
Theo chuckled and started serving, Tuily first and then Hermione. "She cooked enough for an army so eat as much as you wish." He winked at her and then turned to Tuily. "You look lovely, Tuily. Is that a new flower?"
Tuily tittered and said in her soft squeaky voice. "Oh yes!"
Hermione ducked her head grinning as the elf told Theo all about how she ordered it by owl along with the dress just for tonight. Hermione got the impression that Theo had known that she had done that and he spent a good five minutes complimenting Tuily on her entire outfit. Hermione had to hide her smirk as she raised an eyebrow at him and said. "My dress is new too, Theo. Don't you like it?"
His eyes flashed but he proceeded to make sure he complimented her as well. Although the look on his face was very different as he made a lazy perusal of her mint green lace dress. She flushed and took a large sip of wine. He gave her a rather mocking look as if he knew that he had flustered her. Hermione took a deep breath and turned to reply to Tuily's questions. The little elf wanted to know all about her and Hermione found herself responding back in French, which delighted Tuily.
Theo was quiet really, he mostly sat back with a smile on his face listening to the two of them chatter away. Occasionally he would add a comment, teasing Tuily over something or correcting her when she bragged about him. Eventually though when Tuily started to yawn he called a halt to the conversation and moved to escort Tuily out of the dining room. Hermione watched them with a smile shaking her head as he bent half over in order to give the little elf his arm.
He treated Tuily as if she was his mother, with deep reverence and respect. Hermione had never thought to see a pureblood wizard act this way. Even Ron had never treated house elves as if they were an equal. But, he also had never had such a relationship with an elf she thought feeling slightly guilty for comparing Ron to Theo in such a way. She stood up and started carrying the dishes out of the room. Theo met her with a small smile and with a wave of his wand he lifted the dishes out of her hand and sent them off to the kitchen.
Hermione smiled and moved into the parlor to look for her bags.
"I sent them upstairs," Theo said silently.
She nodded. "I can help with the dishes," she said softly.
He grinned. "I know basic housekeeping spells, Hermione. You go ahead on up and get ready for bed. I left a sleeping drought on the bathroom counter. My bathroom, not the guest one."
She nodded and moved upstairs. Her bag and purse were sitting by his dresser and she smiled as she saw that his shirt was folded on top of the dresser waiting for her. She took it with her bag into the bathroom and changed.
OoOOOooOOooO
Theo came back into the room to find Hermione pulling out a dress and using her wand to unwrinkled it. "You wear Muggle clothes a lot." He said shutting the door behind him.
She looked up and shrugged. "French wizards don't really wear robes. They are all about fashion. My boss provides the clothes and I wear them. I have robes but-" she shrugged.
Theo grinned. "My mother never wore robes either, it was all about designer suits and she dressed up for everything. I remember sitting at breakfast and she was always perfect, from her hair to her shoes."
Hermione held up her dress and he smiled pointing at his wardrobe. "Hang it up."
She gave him a grateful smile and then turned around and stumbled a bit.
He moved forward sweeping her into his arms. "Did you drink the potion, Kitten?"
She nodded and said sleepily. "I forgot how quick the stuff worked."
Theo snorted and pulled her over to the bed, helping her in. "You stay put; I am going to get ready for bed and will be right back."
She nodded yawning and rolled over mumbling to herself.
When Theo came back he crawled into the bed and then sighed as she moved into him. "I never would have thought you were such a cuddly little kitten." He said pulling her into his arms and moving her hair off her face.
She sighed and said in a husky voice. "I didn't think I was, actually."
He smiled down at her but she had her eyes closed so she didn't see the look he gave her. She had just said a lot in that little sentence. "The weasel didn't like to cuddle?"
She let out a small sigh. "I suppose he does with someone else. Lavender doesn't complain."
Theo grunted, ah yes, Lavender, that was the chit he married. He tuned back into her mumblings however when she said a new name.
"I never really liked cuddling with Gaston either honestly."
He stopped twirling one of her curls around his finger and asked carefully. "Who is Gaston?"
She shifted and yawned again. "I dated him for a bit in Paris. He worked in their Embassy."
"Why did you break things off with him?"
"We weren't a good match."
Theo smiled at her simple and concise reply. "What made him a bad match for you?"
A small snort. "He had stinky feet."
Theo snorted and rubbed her scalp. "You broke up with someone because their feet stunk?"
She sighed and then said. "Well, there was also the small problem of me not wanting to sleep with him."
Theo went still. "Why couldn't you be intimate with him, Hermione?"
She shifted and let out a small sigh of disgust. "No, we could be intimate, but I couldn't sleep with him."
Theo grunted holding back his jealousy and focusing on something that had his heart racing a bit. "Like you sleep with me, little kitten?"
She nodded. "Yes, like this, I couldn't do this. Not even with Ron."
Theo's smile was wide and his arm tightened around her as she let out a soft sleepy sigh. He fell asleep that night with a smile on his face rather liking the fact that she was able to share something with him that she hadn't with anyone else.
She trusted him, and he didn't delude himself that he deserved that trust, but he was going to take it. Why? Because he was selfish and self-aware enough to admit it.
Notes:
Thank you for the love!
Next Chapter:
Things get complicated…
