Heavy vibrations shook the ancient stone of Ravenclaw Tower. It thrummed through Dahlia's steady hands as she attempted to apply eyeliner. She sat criss-crossed on top of the cool, white-stone bathroom vanity, leaning as close as possible to the mirror. Eloise attempted to crimp her hair around Dahlia's reflection. They heard echoes from their bedroom of Juliet huffing in frustration as she slid into one dress after another, tossing the rejected outfits into a growing pile. Dahlia smirked into the mirror at Eloise's grinning reflection when they heard Juliet muttering about what Lucas might like. They were snickering quietly when Juliet barged into the bathroom. They quickly straightened their faces at her presence.
"Can I borrow this dress, Dahlia?" Juliet was winded from trying on so many outfits. She stood in a light pink, strapless corset dress with rousing detail on top. It barely covered her bum. She realized Tatters, Theo's house-elf, must have made it with his master's preferences in mind.
"Can I wear that shimmering, light blue one then? With the balconette top?" Dahlia nodded towards Juliet's pile of rejected dresses as she still sat undressed for the party in sweatpants and a bralette. Her makeup scattered around and smeared on the counter as she sat perched, getting ready for the party.
Juliet nodded in agreement as she turned, asking Dahlia to zip up her dress. Dahlia hopped off the counter and secured the zipper, putting her wind-swept tattoo on display as she stood fully reflected in the mirror. She had grown more fond and accustomed to it as the weeks had passed, even though she knew Theo disliked it and secretly wished it was gone along with her bond to Draco. She felt as if it marked her as a part of something. That she truly belonged somewhere in this universe.
Eloise's gaze landed on the reflected black ink. Her eyes sparked with thought.
"I gave Theo the drawing I made of your marking. I told him I think it's a narrative of sorts with the repeated glyphs. I'm hoping he can see something that we may be overlooking."
Her determined eyes moved to Dahlia's own in the mirror.
"I'm sure he loved that homework assignment," she muttered sarcastically. "He's trying to find a way to sever my bond with Draco. He thinks we're tied only in the dark magic it took to complete the ritual."
"Well, that's, um, an idea," Juliet mumbled as to remain optimistic on Theo's behalf. She appreciated his attempts as of late to secure a decent friendship with her.
"He hasn't mentioned that to me. He's been researching The Fates tirelessly." Eloise slammed down her hair tool on the counter with a bit of frustration. Dahlia jumped.
"Does he know Draco has a similar symbol on his right forearm, as well?" Juliet inquired.
"I would assume Amelia might have mentioned it to him. She was quick to tell you both after she saw it. Or, he's probably seen it since they are roommates and all." Dahlia began organizing the array of makeup products on the vanity as if this subject gave her anxiety.
"You two don't talk about it?" Eloise glanced at her curiously in the reflection with concern.
"There's no talking about it, only fighting, so we prefer to ignore it as much as possible," Dahlia finished with a sigh.
Juliet wasn't ready to drop the topic. She hardly ever got the chance to pry into the touchy subject.
"Do you still dream about him?" She leaned against the counter and peered at her wearily. They didn't dare to utter his name.
"Not since we all stayed at Theo's manor," she paused and pushed herself to share more with her friends even if it made her uncomfortable. She didn't want to emotionally combust at some point from bottling everything within herself. She was trying to get more comfortable with the idea she didn't have to carry her burdens alone. She continued, "he came to me in my dream after I got splinched to make sure I was alright."
Eloise and Juliet exchanged shocked, hesitant glances. Dahlia exited the bathroom and went to dig through the pile of dresses upon the floor.
"I don't know," she huffed. "Draco," she threw dresses wildly, "he's rude, inconsistent and manipulative." She paused as her heart guided her true north, "I hate that I miss him, and I hate that it's not Theo."
She pulled out the sparkling blue dress from the pile. "I can't imagine ever recovering if Theo were to leave me. The thought of it keeps me up at night and makes me so incredibly anxious. No one could ever love me like that, or understand me better. He's everything to me, whether it makes me happy or not." She shook her head in resignation of her heart as she struggled to zip up her dress.
Eloise walked over to help her. "He's known what he signed up for. Don't let him guilt you for what's out of your control," Eloise zipped her up with a quickness that had Dahlia inhaling sharply as the dress tightened around her chest. "You're doing your best given the circumstances. Both of those fucking losers are lucky they even cross your mind," she grinned.
Juliet sloppily poured shots of vodka on her desk. "Shit," she muttered as she spilled on her magical creatures textbook. It growled in response.
"Cheers to that," she finally blurted. "To all those lucky fucking losers," she pointed beyond the door, tossing back her shot glass.
She handed one to Dahlia. "To our true loves," she said, sincerely smiling at her friends. She emptied the shot glass and the vodka warmed her veins. "Till death do us part."
They opened their door and met the pulsing beat from the common room. Slytherin had played against Ravenclaw in a quidditch match earlier today and the afterparty was being held in their common room. She had worn her Ravenclaw colors during the game. Theo had only shaken his head wearing a grin that suggested she would pay for her disloyalty later in the best of ways.
She grabbed her friend's hands to help guide her through the alluring darkness. They ventured forward through the halls of dormitories, going deeper into the party.
She heard Xavier's deep voice suddenly whispering into Eloise's ear as they all stood close to stay together. She felt Eloise suddenly drop her hand. Dahlia assumed she must have given into him and the anonymity of the shadowed bodies that lined the halls. She gripped Juliet's hand a bit tighter as they continued on. The crowd became larger. Dahlia pulled Juliet into the heart of the common room. The domed circular center of Ravenclaw Tower glowed above to welcome them. The common room was briefly lit by blue beams that would shimmer through bejeweled clouds. Dahlia smiled , realizing someone had enchanted the ceiling to glimmer with stardust and the aurora borealis.
Juliet navigated them through the throng of students, then finally yanked her down onto a velvet loveseat. They were whispering about what they should do first — find drinks or jump right into finding chaos.
"Dahlia?" A voice called from the couch to her right.
She glanced over, and through the pulsing light she noticed the Slytherin prefect who had helped bring her to the hospital wing when she had splinched herself. His eyes roamed over her.
"Looks like you are feeling much better." He leaned into her ear so she could hear him through the crowd and music.
Dahlia instinctually turned her head away from him. Her eyes landed on Theo. A flame ignited his cigarette, lighting his sultry eyes which were aimed directly at her. He leaned against the circular railing within the center of the common room as his friends talked animatedly around him. He smirked, only for her, as she discovered him. He wore black jeans and a long sleeve shirt. She noted a girl brushed his arm as she passed paid her no mind, luckily. He blew out smoke as he tilted his head, his eyes remaining on her. He raised his brow with a slight nod, demanding she come to him this instant. Dahlia bit her lip, simpering before averting her gaze back to the prefect. She crossed her legs towards him. Theo's hot gaze upon her.
She leaned into his ear and asked, "what's your name?"
He moved back to look into her eyes.
"Aren't you Nott's girl?" He asked with confusion, as to assess if she was flirting.
She looked over at where Theo was standing. He angled his head at her as he blew out smoke, daring her to play this game. She turned back at the prefect.
"Would it scare you off if I was?" She gave him a teasing grin.
He shook his head as if he couldn't resist her.
"I'm Colin. You're a pretty thing," he whispered.
Dahlia placed her hand on his knee and glanced to Theo, but he was gone. Draco now stood in his place watching her in amusement. Not an ounce of jealousy in his gaze, just an irritating confidence that she was truly his. He grinned at her like the Cheshire Cat, taunting a secret.
She was so startled at his presence that she jumped when she felt warm hands brushing upon her skin. Theo traced his hand up the front of her neck to tilt her head up to him. He bent over her from behind the loveseat and bit her earlobe that was adorned with the sapphire earring he had gifted to her.
He whispered, "You want to play games, love?"
She leaned her head back against the seat as he ran his hand from her knee up her thigh. He brought her mouth to his with his other hand. She reached for a kiss, but he only pulled back with a coy expression to deprive her.
"Fuck off, Colin," Theo said into her lips. He couldn't spare him a glance.
They were in their own world. She hadn't spoken to him since the clock tower and she felt desperate for his missing touch. He brushed his fingertips across her cheeks and she reached up to wrap her hands around his neck.
"I love you," she spoke into his lips.
"Please fucking forgive me. I'm going to break all of them for you, I swear it." He pointed at the enchanted, star-lit ceiling and kissed her forehead.
He came around the loveseat and sat where Juliet had been sitting. Juliet had gotten up to sit on the arm of the chair where Lucas now sat across from them. Theo threw his arm around her. He played with her hand adoringly as Xavier, Eloise, Blaise and Amelia strolled over and sat on the couch to her right. Xavier broke out a velvet pouch from his pocket. He dumped purple power onto the marble table in front of them. He turned to Eloise, almost as to ask for permission. Eloise only sat back in the couch unimpressed. Xavier began cutting lines. The irony that Eloise, who had always been prim and reserved, was dating the son of the most infamous racketeer and drug lord in the wizarding world made her head spin. The fact that he was so wrapped around Eloise's finger made her smile uncontrollably.
Xavier looked up and nodded in their direction. "Want some, mate?"
Theo didn't respond right away. Xavier turned his ice-blue eyes to Dahlia. "And you, love?"
She nodded, leaning forward. She felt Theo stiffen at how quick she was to say yes. She had never done dreamdust so publicly. Her and Amelia had done it a few times in the bathrooms at muggle clubs. A part of her wanted to spite her father — tarnish the empire he had built and plastered her face across. Most of her though just wanted to dull the aching need to control all the unruly elements in her life.
He handed her the rolled up note. "Done this before?"
Amelia snickered at the question. Dahlia gave her a deadpan glare, annoyed she was revealing their secrets. What happened over their summers was their own secrets. Amelia got up and came to sit on the floor by Dahlia, not wanting to miss out on the rare opportunity to let loose with her.
Dahlia shook her head at her with a grin before taking the note and snorting a line. She felt someone lift her hair out of the way for her. She assumed it was Theo, or Xavier. He was always the gentlemen.
Goosebumps rose as the sensation dripped down her skin like rolling droplets. She held the note out to Amelia, who took it from her euphoric fingers. She tilted her head back in bliss as Draco grinned down at her. No, he wasn't grinning; he was scowling. It had been an illusion.
She turned to Theo, needing to make sure he hadn't left her. She let out a little gasp as he seemed to glow. His dark curls were pushed back and the shimmering light cut across his angular cheekbones and pouted lips. He was angelic. She touched his face.
"Are you a god, too?" She whispered.
He tore his furious glance away from Draco, who had dared to touch her. His harsh glare seared into Dahlia's growing pupils. Her sudden awe and adoration broke his sour mood. A smile cracked his lips as he laughed quietly at her.
"No, my Dahlia," he shook his head with love. "I'm just a desperate man."
She threw herself into his chest and sniffed him loudly.
"Dahlia!" He jumped.
"You just...you smell." She swooned.
She had meant to say he smelled so nice but hadn't been able to find the words to describe just how lovely he smelled.
"Let's have fun," she murmured into his ear. She shifted into his lap and crossed her legs.
He tucked her glowing hair behind her ear.
"Baby, I don't want it." He shook his head and rubbed her thigh.
"I liked you better when you didn't care," she purred into his neck.
Theo knew she was too high, or drunk, to mean anything seriously, but her words burrowed in his heart — especially after she had told him he cared too much what other people thought about him when she was perfectly sober. It echoed in his mind — she had said that she wanted to be a monster, something people feared instead or adored. He felt as if he was trying to restore a reputable image for them that she was hellbent on destroying ever since they met.
She cupped his face, then ran her fingers through his curls. She smiled as if he was the only person she cared about. In a moment of clarity, as he stared into her swimming eyes, he realized he was trying to become more respectable to impress the one person who was figuratively dead to her anyway. What would he do with her father's approval? Dahlia didn't seem to want it anymore. And the rest of the world and their snotty opinions? They could go fuck themselves.
He motioned for Blaise to hand him the note. Theo leaned over Dahlia and ripped three lines as she draped her arm over him.
"Fuck," Blaise muttered with wide eyes as Amelia's mouth fell agape.
Theo's heart fluttered as the dreamdust suffocated its beats. The sweetness surged through his veins. He looked at Dahlia whose hair was as white as the moon. He blinked hard, and she reappeared as her usual stunning self, only her skin shimmered like the dress she wore. He was breathless, taken by the beauty of her. He brought her mouth to his, kissing her deeply. She breathed harshly with need into his mouth. It was far too intimate for the setting.
"You're my fucking god," she mumbled breathlessly into his mouth.
She was pulled away from him by Amelia, who was attempting to lead her off to dance. For a moment, all he could do was watch her as he was paralyzed by the euphoria. Xavier scooted to Dahlia's vacant seat. Theo took his hand into his own. Xavier chuckled in amusement and patted his iron grip.
"Fucking...madness," Theo whispered.
Xavier grinned, thrilled to have his partner in drug-fueled crime back.
He leaned forward to catch Theo's gaze. "Want to go throw shit off the roof? Eloise showed me the terrace on top of the tower the other day."
Theo slowly turned his head to face Xavier. He quickly nodded in delight.
"Come on, Blaise!" Theo yelled loudly. He thought he looked like Dagadan in the darkness, Dahlia's toad-like snitch of a house-elf.
He grabbed Blaise's arm dragging him up the spiraling stairs after Xavier. "You'll never compare to Tatters!"
Blaise was thoroughly confused but followed, regardless.
This left Eloise and Draco sitting on the couch as Lucas and Juliet kissed in a drug-lusted haze. Eloise began dusting the remnants of the powder off the marble table and pocketed Xavier's pouch for safekeeping.
"Why do you put up with it?" Draco asked her curiously.
He noted that Eloise had seemed indifferent to Xavier's drug use.
"I don't put up with it. I know who he is. I don't have to control every aspect of his life," she scoffed and crossed her arms.
There was a long sober moment as they both sat in the center of debauchery. He felt like he might find a pearl of truth amidst the faithless.
"Do you think she'll come back to me?" He regretted the question almost instantly. He was terrified of the vulnerability he had spared.
Eloise turned her head to him slowly. Dahlia's words echoed in her mind. She couldn't meet his eyes, so she looked at his glass of firewhisky within his hand.
"No, she was never yours to come back to, Draco. You have her soul, but not her heart. And would you really want it anyway, if he broke it? Heartbreak changes people," she muttered as she remembered her own mother and how her world had turned blue when her father left.
She sighed, "I like Theo, despite his flaws. He thinks of her needs constantly. You didn't pick her, she was given to you, and so you think her love is owed. What have you done? Really, Draco? You make no small effort day to day. It's the little things that build substantial love. Why don't you get that?" She shook her head at him. "You know she wishes it was him, and not you," she muttered. It slipped through her lips before she could help it.
Draco didn't respond as he absorbed her snide words. He hadn't gotten the impression that Eloise liked Theo at all, which is why he felt that he might be able to pull a truth he wanted to hear from her. The words settled on his shoulders with a great weight.
Eloise saw his dismay. She thought he might have even looked heartbroken if she didn't know better — so she chose to offer him one kindness.
"I think if you had been kind from the beginning, things would be different. Maybe your whole life would be, but who knows." She shrugged in indifference.
She got up from the couch and went to find her own troubled love.
—
Theo looked over the ledge of Ravenclaw Tower as he cradled a chicken in his left arm. He hummed and brushed its feathers soothingly, his golden rings gleaming in the moonlight. The chicken nipped him and he hissed.
"This is such a great fucking idea," he shook his head in excitement.
"What are we doing again?" Blaise asked using the back of his wand as a hammer.
"We're building a coop, you bloody idiot, so the girls can make omelets as they please!" Xavier hissed.
They had smashed the wooden benches in hopes they could build something anew that would be more useful. Theo giggled to himself as Blaise heard a crack from far below the tower. Xavier whipped around.
"Theodore! Stop wasting the eggs!" He yelled.
"What are you three doing?"
The boys whipped around, facing the entrance to the terrace where Eloise now stood. They refused to speak, afraid they were in trouble.
Xavier stood and extended his arms proudly. "We are building you something grand, my dear."
He put his hands on his hips as he took in the broken slivers of wood that had been thrown together loosely in the shape of a cube.
She ignored his response as she saw something far more peculiar.
"Theo, why do you have chickens?"
He turned to face her, chicken in hand.
"Elo-wheeze," he rolled his eyes. "They're for the box, obviously."
"Where did they come from?" She asked stepping towards him, raising her voice.
"I accio'd them from the creatures corridor, where else?" He spoke as if she should have known this. He pointed in the far distance to where the magical creatures class was held.
She exhaled to calm herself. "Give me the chickens, Theo. Go find Dahlia."
He held the chicken closer to his chest. She motioned for him to comply. He sighed reluctantly and handed the chicken over. He then stood his ground for a moment in defiance.
"Go! And take Blaise," she demanded.
Theo startled and finally obeyed. Blaise looked over from where he squatted nonchalantly as he attempted to build a basket for the eggs.
"Come on, Blaise! We'll finish it later," Theo called over to him.
Blaise sighed in defeat before following. He had worked too hard for nothing. The two boys opened the door to the stairway and gripped each other carefully as they made their way down into the darkness.
Eloise sighed and turned her attention back to Xavier.
"You don't like it, darling?" He asked cheekily as he moved to pull her into his arms.
"No," she answered. She was soon enveloped by him.
"You sure?" He taunted, his lips against her temple.
She felt his smile upon her skin. She tried to fight the grin breaking on her face.
"Do you love me?" He asked.
She nodded.
"Will you love me forever?" He tilted her chin up to him so could look into her ocean eyes, an abyss he was surely lost in.
"You know the answer, so why must you ask?" She giggled softly.
"Because I enjoy hearing it." He traced her dimple.
"I love you," she finally answered. "But please clean this mess up."
He brought his hand to his heart as if hurt that she was returning a present.
She shook her head as she began repairing the wooden benches with her wand. He sent the chickens back to their home ruefully.
She sat on the bench she had fixed moments ago. He strolled over to her and took a seat next to her, as well. He pulled her close to him.
"You know, my mother has been asking if she can expect your RSVP back for our Christmas dinner soon."
"I told you, I can't leave my mum," she answered quietly shaking her head.
He watched her brilliant burnished hair blow in the gentle breeze.
"I could come to you?" He raised his brow.
"I don't know." She looked into the distance, anywhere but his eyes.
There was a long moment where neither of them spoke. Tension began to build.
"Are you embarrassed? Is that why you don't want me to meet your mum?" He leaned forward attempting to capture her gaze. "If you want me to lie about my last name, I will."
She shot him a hard glare. "There is no societal standing that matters in our home," she rolled her eyes.
"Then what? I would really love to spend the holiday together. I want my parents to meet you." He was pleading.
She shifted uncomfortably and muttered, "I don't have the things that you have. I don't even know what I would talk about with your family."
He stilled. He sat back and ran his hands through his unruly midnight curls. He pushed to sober himself knowing his deeply influenced words wouldn't much to her.
"We're not Malfoys. Nothing was given to us easily. My father built an empire from blood and dirt. They would adore you, I'm sure of it."
She tilted her head cynically. He only pulled her closer.
"You're brazen, fair and loyal. You are far too smart and beautiful for my poor soul." He grinned at her and whispered, "riches only go so far."
He kissed her fingers and continued, "would you love me if I was nothing? A dreamdust addict?"
She nodded.
"Then they will love you," she circled his thumb across the back of her hand.
She sighed as she agreed to meet his family. She put her head on his chest and listened to his rapidly beating, drug-fueled heart. She worried one day he might sweat her out, too.
—
Dahlia stared up at the changing constellations and shooting stars. She wasn't sure how much time had passed, or how long she had been holding Amelia's hand. She looked at her friend, who had the same starry look of wonder upon her face. They ran their fingers through each other's hair as the music pulsed. She tilted her head back a little further and begged The Fates to show her one vision of Theo. She touched her necklace and let out a shaky, tear-filled breath. She just wanted to see it once. Amelia quickly slapped her hand away from her neck to stop her from removing it. She looked back at her and Amelia shook her head in warning.
She eventually felt Theo's strong arms slip around her waist from behind.
"What's it like to be wanted by all?" He whispered into her ear.
"You tell me. I always worry you'll be stolen away." She leaned back into him.
He grinned madly at her confession. He enjoyed knowing she could be jealous too. He took her hand and spun her to face him. He tilted her chin up and kissed her lips softly. She parted her mouth for him so he could deepen the kiss as he ran his hands down her back then up to cup her face. Then she saw it. A flicker of an image.
She quickly ripped the necklace from her neck, breaking the clasp, to embrace it fully through the dreamdust and sensory stimulation. Theo quickly moved to hold it back to her skin as panic overrode his high. She took his hands and hushed him as he clutched the necklace in his fist. She let the vibrations ripple through her mind and the starlit, flashing sky lure her deeper. She didn't know if it was even possible, but she hoped he could see it too. She willed it in a serene suspension of time. She breathed into his mouth the essence of cosmic dust from which she was forged. She watched as his pupils quickly dilated. She tilted her head curiously.
"Do you see it?" She murmured.
He nodded. Somewhere in the endless possibilities, they were together. He watched her sneak out a second-story window as he waited below under a crescent moon. He saw himself stroll up to her tanning body during a beach holiday, a brilliant sapphire glimmering upon her finger as she blocked the summer sun from her eyes. He brushed her wet hair in a clawfoot tub as she rubbed her growing bump. He saw her seated under a grand Christmas tree as she begged a toddler to walk to her. In a different time, he had held her close, completely bare, as she nodded and muttered that she had never before. In a different reality altogether, she hugged his smiling mother.
He felt as if his eyes finally opened, even if they had only blinked briefly. In this moment, the magnitude of what she might build dawned on him. The realization of what she could create straightened his spine in candied horror. He wasn't sure if he had consumed far too many drugs, or if he shook from exalted reverence.
"Dahlia," he murmured.
She shook her head at him to keep him from ruining a moment.
"What are you?" He was truly bewildered. To hear her speak the words of what she was had been a lighter truth than experiencing it. His black heart felt only a flash of pity for Draco — to be tied to a cosmic beast of greater power.
"I'm yours," she whispered.
She brought their laced hands to her lips and began leading him through the darkness. He towered behind her, keeping close. They felt hands brush against their skin as they moved through the horde of swaying shadows. She led him to her bedroom. She quietly opened the door and peeked inside to see if any of her roommates were back. Confirming their absence, she pulled him into the room with her. He sat on her bed as she lit a lamp and took off her shoes. He motioned for her to come to him. She smiled, then padded over.
He reached out for her and placed his hands on her hips. He looked up into her revealing eyes. Waves of hope and hurt whirl-pooled within them. A power shifted in the air as he sat before her. She wasn't cut from the same fabric as him, or any of them. He thought briefly of the painting her father had of the Leviathan swirling impatiently in its looked down. She touched his cheek, guiding him back to her. It was a need for him to look at her.
A vulnerability shook the room as their honest eyes met. He knew he would never feel worthy of her Divine affection, and he was terrified that eventually she might leave him for the greater love her soul called for as her Sight strengthened.
She was unable to gaze upon the self-loathing doubt she saw cloud his eyes. She didn't think herself deserving of his whole heart and maybe one day, when he had enough of her mistakes, he would realize that too.
So she turned around and clutched her hands to her chest as if he might unzip her dress. He leaned his head against the small of her back instead.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
He felt her shake. "I'm sorry, too," she murmured.
He didn't ask what for. He didn't want to know. He only wrapped his arms around her middle in fear that she was just a sick illusion.
She turned off the lamp and moonlight cascaded into room through the pebbled stained glass of the high arching windows. He lifted his head from her and finally unzipped her dress slowly.
It fell to the floor, leaving her in nothing. She turned to face him. She dropped her arms from her chest as to expose her horrid heart. She wordlessly straddled his lap. She lifted his shirt and tugged it over his head. She took his belt off as he wrapped his arms around her. She shifted his pants to the floor and finally leaned her forehead against his.
"If I am ruined, will you repair me?" She finally asked with closed eyes. She couldn't voice her worst insecurities eyes open.
"I didn't mean it," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her middle more tightly.
"But it was the truth." She rested her head on his bare shoulder.
"Then there is nothing I wouldn't do for you," he murmured into her ear.
He lifted her head and brought her gaze back to him with his thumb. She brought her lips to his for a brief moment before reaching to her nightstand. She picked something up and held it within her fist.
She opened her fingers like a blooming flower. In the palm of her hand, was a ring carved from bone. She nodded for him to take it.
"I made it with my blood and essence." Her voice barely audible.
He grasped it curiously and held it up to the moonlight. Glowing, silver starlight permeated from inside the ring. He held it between them to study it more closely.
"So you can have a piece of my soul, too," she whispered in a small voice. "I don't want you to feel undeserving or unappreciated anymore."
He didn't know what to say.
She lowered her eyes to the ring. "You already had my heart, even if I didn't think I could give it to you fully. You stole it." She shook her head and raised her eyes to him again. "You're my thief," she laughed softly.
"Love is a lawless place, don't you think?" He answered as he grinned slowly, removing one of his signet rings.
"Trade you?" He smirked.
She took the ring from him. It was far too big on her own hand so she put it on her nightstand.
"I think you've had me swindled from the start." He brought her face back to his gently, needing her undivided attention.
He slipped the ring forged of silver and cosmic bone onto his finger.
"Thank you," he spoke into her forehead as he cupped her cheeks with his gilded hands. "Should I feel different?"
She snorted and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't know. Its a decorative symbol of my love. It might enhance your intuition at most."
"It's splendid," he whispered.
She brushed her fingers across his jaw as she felt their own bond, fortified by choice, strengthen between them.
She finally closed the distance and brought her mouth to his. He yielded, and held her more firmly against his chest. He ran his hand up her neck, brushed her temple and deepened their kiss. There was a fire lit within his touch. He gripped beneath her knees and stood. He nipped her neck as he placed her on her back amongst the pillows.
His mouth was warm and tasted of honey as he brought his lips back to hers. He moved with a sweet vulnerability and a reverence that was for nothing or no one but her. He cupped her face as if she was precious. He felt her thrumming pulse beating for him. She arched into his touch trying to bring him closer. He traced his hand down her stomach and gently pushed her back down. He wanted to take his time admiring her. He brushed his lips from her ring finger, up her arm, across her shoulder, collarbone and down her sternum.
She inhaled sharply as he flicked her breast with his tongue. She felt his hot breath upon her ribcage as he traced her mark with his mouth.
"You don't have to," she muttered, knowing he hated it.
"I will love all of you," he answered, a reforged respect in his tone.
He brought his gaze to meet the insecurity in her eyes. He knew what she thought of his feelings about her markings, and he felt the need to soothe her worries.
"It's alright," he whispered resolutely. He brushed his fingers over her ribs adoringly.
She drew her hand to his hip as to bring him forth. She knew neither of them needed anything more.
He didn't make her beg. He didn't make her wait, or ask nicely. He only cradled her head within his arm as he nudged her knees wider. She traced his swollen lips as he descended into her. She moaned as he exhaled into her mouth with his own pleasure. Nothing could ever be sweeter than baring their unshielded hearts.
They surged deeper as to change the tides and create a rift in time.
—
Theo stared at the ceiling of the Ravenclaw dormitory. He twirled his new ring around his middle finger as Dahlia slept on his bare chest. He could've gone back to sleep, like the rest of their friends lounging around the room, but he didn't want to miss this peaceful moment. He played with her hair as she slumbered in his shirt, recovering from the liquor and dreamdust. He smiled, remembering a time where he thought Dahlia Aldair would never partake in such things.
They were bandits on a time heist. He had seen his own future out there, and he would rip worlds to ensure it came to fruition in this reality. He would dig up the deepest roots of Draco within her heart if only to to bring her peace and smooth her scars. He brought the bone ring to his lips, hoping it would ignite something within him. She only nuzzled herself deeper into the crook of his arm and chest. He sighed, content and nearly happy.
Another one of his sigil rings grew hot. He hissed quietly. He then noticed a falling piece of burnt parchment drift downwards from the heavens. He snatched it before it could land on Dahlia's sleeping head. It said nothing, only coordinates. He hastily grabbed her journal off the nightstand. She mumbled in sleepy irritation. He wrote the coordinates feverishly to himself so it would appear in his own journal. He closed hers and put it back on the table. He scooted farther into the sheets and held her sleeping frame tighter. The parchment slipped through his fingertips and vanished into thin air.