4. From Afar (Theo/Colin)

Theo sat back in the library, books opened in front of him, watching the flashes of a camera from the corner of his eye. He wasn't actually interested in what the person was taking pictures of, just the photographer himself. He saw as the other Slytherin's started to walk towards the
boy and circle around him. He knew this wasn't going to end well, so he slowly put his quill down and started to rise from his seat.

When he was only a foot away he could hear some of the conversation coming from his housemates. He saw the camera hang loosely in the younger boys hands as his head was hanging low to his chest. He knew he had to do something; he didn't want to see this boy hurt, not ever.

"So Creevey, who are you stalking now with that camera of yours? You know you could be the top of your class if you put more efforts into studying and not in stalking." Draco laughed at the petite boy.

"Look, I'm not an Intellectual- I just like to take pictures. It's not stalking." Colin replied making Theo smirk behind Draco.

"Malfoy." Theo finally spoke up, making his housemate jump and spin around to glare at him.

"Yes Nott?" Draco replied.

"Why don't you leave Colin to his pictures and you stick with your books." Just when Draco was about to reply a teacher walked by the group, eying them suspiciously.

"Your lucky today Creevey." Draco turned around to say before nodding to the others to following him.

When everyone was gone Theo stood there staring at Colin. The boy was still looking to the ground and didn't look like he was going to move anytime soon. Theo moved forward and lifted Colin's face with his finger under his chin.

"Don't let them get to you. Your pictures are amazing, just like you." Theo saw the shock in Colin's eyes and smiled.

He didn't give the boy time to respond, he just turned and walked away, leaving him speechless with his camera. Theo knew that in time he would talk more with the boy that had caught his attention so long ago, but right now he needed to stay watching from afar, protecting and letting him grow on his own.