Relationships: Hermione Granger/Theodore Nott Draco Malfoy/Theodore Nott
Characters: Theodore Nott Hermione Granger Draco Malfoy Charlie Weasley Ron Weasley Padma Patil
Additional Tags: Divorced Hermione Granger & Theodore Nott Angst with a Happy Ending Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism Past Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy Broody Draco Malfoy Theodore Nott is a Mess Bisexual Theodore Nott Bisexual Draco Malfoy Ron Weasley Bashing
Series: Part 2 of Darkness and Stars
Summary: Eleven years after the disappearance of their husband, Harry Potter, Hermione has had enough of Theo's self-destructive behaviours and is ready to call it quits. Respecting her wishes, Theo leaves, and goes to the only person he thinks he can turn to, Draco Malfoy. With his relationships with his ex-wife and children strained, Theo leans on a broken Draco and together they begin to piece their lives back together.
Notes: In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the NottintheCards collection.
Where the Stars Pierce the Darkness
Chapter 1: 4 September 2021
"Hm," Theo answered his wife, not looking up from the reports spread out in front of him next to his untouched plate of food. It had been a few days since their youngest two children – Remus and Lilian – had left for Hogwarts, and he assumed that had something to do with what Hermione was talking about. Remus was entering his seventh year while Lilian was beginning her first year, though being the youngest of four Theo didn't share the same enthusiasm for their child beginning school as his wife. As Hermione said something else, Theo was too distracted by the work laid out in front of him to even attempt to break his concentration to give a vague response.
"Theo," he heard her say again, but he couldn't break his focus on his newest invention. A time turner that would allow a person to go back to an event and observe without actually being able to interfere with the timeline. Slightly the same as viewing a memory, where the traveller wasn't able to interact. They would instead be able to go back and just watch as history played out before them. Thus far, he'd managed to travel back a month and was able to view the holiday he and his family had gone on.
It'd been a good test, especially since he'd gotten to see what he'd missed on their trip while he'd been busy responding to messages from colleagues. Hermione hadn't been very happy with him when she'd realised that he'd brought his work phone along, but she'd kept her comments to herself. All the hard work he had been putting in for the last four years was paying off in big ways and the advancement in magic was something the wizarding world had been waiting for.
The shattering of a wine glass hitting the cased opening that separated their dining room from their sitting room jerked Theo away from his work. The smell of the cabernet that was now spilled across the wood floor hit his nose, causing him to furrow his brow in his wife's direction. He glared at her, lifting his own glass and taking a sip. After letting the wine settle his rising temper, Theo set the glass back down and used his hand to motion for her to speak.
"Did you hear anything I was just saying?" She asked, tears shining in her eyes that made Theo's heart hurt as he looked at his wife. They'd been through so much, the loss of their husband eleven years earlier being the biggest blow to their marriage. Harry.. the fractures that his absence had left behind never recovering.
"You have my attention now, I apologise." Theo took a deep breath, trying to keep himself from having an outburst. "What were you saying?"
"Lilian is in Hufflepuff and I want a divorce."
Theo said nothing as he looked across the table at his wife who hadn't moved. Her dinner was untouched, but the wine bottle they'd opened was nearly empty. "That's wonderful, Lilian will make her house proud." Theo looked back at his own plate of food, cutting into the roasted lamb that Hermione had prepared for them. "Harry would have been ecstatic, I'm sure. The same house as Tonks. Wonderful news." Theo shoved the piece of tender meat into his mouth, but it tasted like ash just the same as he slowly chewed.
"I want you out of my house, you already don't sleep here most nights and the majority of your belongings are already at your office. Please, take the rest of the weekend to get the remainder of your things, but I want you gone, Theo." Her voice wavered and Theo's eyes snapped up from the meal in front of him.
"No. No, I don't accept it." Theo's throat felt raw as he looked up at the woman he'd loved for the last twenty-two years. "I'll do anything."
"You've had eleven years to do anything. I've asked, I've pleaded, I've yelled, and I've fought. Now I'm tired." Theo stood abruptly from his chair, the wooden legs scraping against the floor. Rounding the long table, Theo dropped to his knees next to her. Taking her hand in his, he gave Hermione a squeeze that she didn't return. The bags under her eyes were more prominent than he'd noticed in years and his heart quenched at how much he'd ignored recently.
"Please don't do this," Theo begged, releasing her hand to wrap his arms around her legs. "Please, Hermione. I can't live without you."
"You already do."
ooo
Draco's hands were shoved deep in his pockets as he stepped out of the Leaky Cauldron on the muggle side of the pub. The thick snowflakes were falling and coating everything around, causing a glow in the moonlight. It was a beautiful sight, though Draco could hardly spare it a second glance.
His eyes were locked on the brunette woman standing near the curb with her fox fur mittens and the new matching beret he'd just bought for her. When Astoria turned her attention away from the street and noticed him, Draco's heart swelled. Her pale green eyes lit up and when a smile pulled at her mouth, the dimples she had were on full display. The tip of her nose was pink and her cheeks were rosy from the cold, but she looked like there was nowhere else she'd rather be.
Draco couldn't stop his own grin from widening as he took her in. She was his Goddess to worship, and oh Merlin how he was excited to get his fiance home and show her just how much he worshipped her.
Before he could take a step towards her, however, a blinding light illuminated behind her, his witch completely unaware of the danger approaching as she kept looking towards him waving her mittened hand.
"Astoria!" Draco screamed, pulling his wand from his robes, not caring in the least that he was breaking the statue of secrecy. Before the spell could slip from his lips, the car smashed into his love, hitting her in the back and sending her flying forwards.
With the hawthorn still clutched in his hand, Draco rushed from the curb to the street where her body had landed. His eyes glued to Astoria as he ran.
The snow was now coated in red, the dark colour standing out on the white snow. Crouching next to her, Draco waved his wand and began to mutter any healing spells that he could think of, but the odd angle her body laid, there was little to be done. Throwing his useless stick to the side, Draco pulled Astoria into his chest as he began to rock back and forth, clutching her body.
This couldn't be happening, their life together was just starting.
"Draco…"
"No, please come back to me. I need you," he cried into her soft hair. He could smell the clean scent of the shampoo she always used. No floral or flavoured scents, just the clean fresh air that one could take in after a rainstorm.
"Draco…"
Draco cried even harder into her hair as he held her tighter, unwilling to release this nightmare that plagued him.
"DRACO!"
The shouting of his name pulled Draco from the fitful sleep he'd been having. Damn dreamless sleep having worn off, Draco opened his eyes, looking up towards his ceiling. His heart was pounding in his chest after re-living Astoria's death again.
"Draco, are you awake mate?" He heard a slurred voice ask in the darkness of his room.
"What are you doing here?" Draco asked, reaching over to pull the chair and turn on his lap to illuminate the bedroom.
The smell hit him then making him snarl in his friend's direction. Theo smelled like he'd been at a bar for hours, the whiskey thick in the air around him. Draco's anger was pulsing through him, as he looked at his clock. 4:06 am.
"Theo!" Draco snapped, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and stalking towards his intoxicated friend. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
"Hermione asked for a divorce," the brunette wizard admitted, his steps uneasy as he made his way towards the bed. Pushing Draco to the side he said nothing else as he climbed into the spot Draco had just vacated.
Draco couldn't move as he watched his broken friend slip under the dishevelled covers, pulling them up so that he was completely out of sight. Theo's form curled up in the blankets and Draco let out a sigh as he watched the man. He tipped his head back and let out a frustrated breath when he heard Theo speak again.
"She told me to leave, so can I stay with you?"
Before Draco could tell the wizard to fuck off and go back home, Theo's breathing had evened out and he was already asleep. Draco stood over him, watching as Theo wrapped his arms around Draco's pillow, soft murmurs Draco couldn't nor did he wish to understand falling from his friend's lips.
With a huff of annoyance, Draco spun on his heels and swept from the room. Even if Theo hadn't woken him up, Draco knew that sleep would be evading him for the remainder of the night anyway. Deciding he could deal with Theodore Potter come morning, Draco walked towards his home gym, ready to work off the terror his nightmares always left in his body.