ALL HALLOW'S EVE
1996
The moon was high and the veil was thin. Both students and stars alike whispered that it was indeed the night to let the spirits in. The wind gusted the mortal realm in wicked warning. One shouldn't invite the broken souls in as they might stay past morning. One soul in particular, dressed as a thief, had set his eye on a fallen angel who had rewritten all his beliefs.
The waning moonlight was richly colored like that of a burning flame, drenching all below in a candied hue. Cloaks blew in the fresh chill of the fall season past carved pumpkins piled high throughout the castle. The spirits left behind sighed in relief as they watched them pass, falling in harmony for this one eve of the year.
Dahlia Aldair skipped through the grand doors of the Great Hall, cackling loudly with Juliet, who was linked around her arm. The air was electric as the Hallowe'en Feast had commenced only moments ago. The ghosts waltzed high above in their best fashion, twirling in sync under clouded starlight to an enchanted quartet that had no musicians. The haunting melody pulsed in the air as students and staff alike kicked off their celebration of All Hallow's Eve.
Dahlia rushed to the Ravenclaw table, freshly adorned with Jack O'Lanterns and pumpkins carved in the shape of tiny eagles and ravens. Spiced cakes and candied sweets overfilled the pumpkins and platters. She screamed as a carved mouth nearly bit her as she reached to retrieve candy from its mouth. Black wax dripped from high candelabras decorated with orange streamers. Eloise grumbled to Xavier at Dahlia's side, daring him to catch the hot wax with his palm. "I mean unless you're a little bitch," she muttered.
Dahlia snatched a caramel-covered apple, then glanced to the Slytherin students.
Unable to spot his wild curls, she called across the tables. "Amelia! Where's Theo?" Her voice was boisterous with excitement for the evening.
Amelia turned with an exhilarated smile, along with a quarter of the table who now looked her way. "No idea, babe! Probably off preparing for later!" She yelled back.
"Aw, Aldair," Graham Montague called to her. "Looks like I'll have to do."
The Slytherin quidditch player winked as Eloise stood at her side and pointed a middle finger high in his direction. Xavier snickered and smiled proudly, throwing a loose arm over her shoulder as she took a seat.
"No thank you, Graham!" Dahlia called sweetly. "I'll let Theo know you were concerned about my needs!"
"She's only interested in captains," Lucian Bole, a beater for Slytherin, mocked his teammate.
"No," Blaise snorted. "She's only interested in men who know that women have vaginas," he teased loudly.
Lucas choked and Xavier doubled over at her side, threatening to fall under the table as if he was already drunk. He probably was, she realized, or at least high. Draco glared sourly over the entire interaction.
"Crack a smile, mate!" Blaise elbowed Draco in his side.
The corner of his mouth peaked upward, and Dahlia couldn't help but notice. She knew she was holding her gaze upon him too long, but she couldn't look away. He must have felt it as his eyes drifted to hers. A jolt of something near electric pulled at her heart and a craving she had yet to know thrummed in her veins.
He held her gaze as if he was unable to look elsewhere either. Unsure of what to do, she took another bite of the candied apple upon a stick. His eyes fell to her mouth without shame.
She turned to Eloise as she felt a blush warming on her cheeks. He couldn't have the smallest clue that she daydreamed about his hands sliding up her thighs in the darkness, or simply taking her own hand each and every day. She wished she could forget what it felt like to have his tongue in her mouth. How he looked transcendent in the moonlight that night. He couldn't know that she desperately wished to patch things up between them.
"What might you be going as tonight, doll?" Blaise bellowed across the tables.
Dahlia pretended not to care that Draco quickly sneered at Blaise on her behalf. He then turned his attention to Pansy at his other side. Dahlia pretended that wasn't a knife in the tender spot beneath her ribs too.
I hate her.
"Nothing nearly as troublesome as Amelia," she answered, her voice much softer with less fight.
He's not worth it. It was one stupid look. He won't ruin my night.
"I'm taking bets with Nott then!" Blaise called back, a boyish grin upon his sharp features. Amelia winked at Dahlia, ready to cause chaos together.
"Dahlia! Come on!" Juliet pulled her off the bench wearing a bright smile, giddy with anticipation. A larger group of Ravenclaw girls sent their laughs to the starlit eve behind her.
"I told you this was just a pit stop! We have to get ready! You told Padma you would do her makeup!" Juliet shook her arm until it felt like it might fall off.
"Yes! Coming!" Dahlia shouted over the flurry of voices.
She could hardly contain her own excitement for the night. She quickly grabbed as many sweets off the table as possible. She hesitated over a loaf of bread, knowing it might help with the ridiculous amount of liquor she was surely about to consume. She popped the loaf in her mouth and filled her pockets with candy before catching up with her friends. She felt eyes upon her back as soon as she turned.
"Snacks!" She muffled, holding up her loot. They laughed as she carried the bread by her teeth, skipping through the doors of the Great Hall and up to Ravenclaw Tower.
They pushed past a hoard of younger students who had gathered to hear the Grey Lady sing at the base of a tower. Mountains of sweets lay at her feet for the taking. She shimmered more brightly as the barrier between realms became faint. Her voice hit a high crescendo as they took the stairs two at a time. Juliet stuck her head out over the railing.
"I hope I'm screaming like that tonight!" She hollered down.
Dahlia burst into laughter. "Theo says Lucas has got phantom fingers!"
"Oh, he's quite talented with shadows!" Juliet yelled back.
"And how would Theo know?" Eloise exclaimed, following the large group through the bronze eagle who chose to transform into a frightening bat as the younger students entered. They screamed in terror.
"He swore that to the grave!" Dahlia kissed her crossed fingers and pointed to the stars as she laughed. "We may never know!"
Juliet barely even paused as she skipped towards the thick wooden door of their room. Dahlia unlocked their dormitory and sent the door swinging open with a twist of wrist as Juliet bounced inside. Eloise shuffled through the vinyls with her magic. The discs flipped through the air like pages in a book as the record player spun in anticipation.
Music broke into the night as Dahlia summoned their costumes as she stood in the center of their dormitory. Shoes, stockings and questionable dresses that could pass as lingerie flew from trunks and wardrobes. Juliet ducked as the silk fabric brisked by overhead, afraid it might strangle her with its loose threads. They landed at Dahlia's perfectly polished loafers.
"Here you go, my queen!" Dahlia snorted, tossing the petticoat and pile of periwinkle silk and frills in her direction. Juliet tapped her head with her wand and her hair transformed to a brilliant shade of rose gold.
"It's said Marie Antoinette had countless lovers!" She swooned as she fell back onto her bed, sending lilac and blush pillows soaring into the air.
"I don't think that's accurate," Eloise mumbled as she reached out to Dahlia for her own costume.
"What exactly is this, El?" Dahlia asked, her expression twisting in confusion as she held up the short, black velvet dress. White lace lined the off-shoulder sleeves. There seemed to be an identical petticoat to Juliet's costume to match.
Eloise snapped and her hair pulled itself into a loose bun atop her head. She placed a black silk bow with a tiny glass beaker adorned in the center of its knot.
"Marie Curie, the greatest female alchemist. Duh," she boasted, as if it was the most clever costume amongst them.
Dahlia picked up her angel wings, the tiny jewels that lined the tips of the feather glimmered in the moonlight that cut through the high-arching windows. It was far more clever than Dahlia's own.
"I see we're playing into Theo's savior complex tonight," Eloise surmised, eying the embellished white bodice of crystals and pearls that gave way to flowing, cloud-like silk that barely covered her bum.
Juliet snorted as Dahlia grinned shyly.
"It's more of a kink," she answered sarcastically, shimmying into the dress. Juliet helped her zip it up, and she lost a breath as she forced her cleavage high.
"You make such a lovely fallen angel, Dahlia. A perfect damsel in distress for the idiots," Juliet complimented with a smile.
"Why thank you," she laughed, pulling on her matching stockings — the nail in Theo's coffin for the evening. They sat high above her knees. He would be ravenous at first sight. Exactly what she was going for tonight.
The room quickly filled as their door hung wide open, the same as the rest of the dormitories in the hall of sixth and seventh year Ravenclaw girls.
Soon later, the smell of hairspray hung in the hall and music from various dorms muddled together in a thrilling beat. A cloud of body glitter and smoked roots danced in the air, most likely to Rowena Ravenclaw's horror. She was likely spinning in her grave, cursing them for their indiscretions.
"Dahlia!" Amelia called, strolling through the circling hall of light blue and cream stone.
"Dahlia!" She screamed louder as she searched. A third-year girl glared at her for screaming. Amelia barked in return then chuckled to herself. She so rarely got to roam the halls of the Ravenclaw dormitories and frighten fresh-faced children.
" Dahlia Aldair , I'm counting to three!" She screeched.
"Fucking goddess," Dahlia mumbled to herself, finishing her eye liner.
"In here!" She called loudly. She ran her hands down the front of her dress, smoothing the fabric and taking a breath in the mirror. She was ready.
"Merlin's fucking pants!" Amelia squealed, falling against the doorframe dramatically as she entered the room and spotted Dahlia.
"You look heaven-sent!"
Dahlia turned and gasped. Amelia stood dressed in cherry red silk. Orange-flamed crystals lined her bodice, mirroring Dahlia's own in a darker fashion. She might have truly been equally as alluring as the devil herself tonight with her dark curls piled high.
"You look fantastic, my love!" She placed a hand on her heart like a proud parent.
Amelia spun in a circle, posing confidently.
"Come on! Let's go!" Dahlia reached for Amelia's hands to drag her out of her dormitory and into the night.
"Wait!" Amelia paused. She stood in front of Dahlia and whispered a small enchantment. The lights dimmed, as if the small halo that formed above Dahlia's head was borrowed light.
"Perfect!" She clapped her hands.
Dahlia grabbed a small can from Eloise's desk and sprayed Amelia's chest with aerosol glitter. Amelia coughed like a burly man.
"Perfect!" Dahlia squealed.
"Alright, alright! Let's go!" Amelia pushed her through the door and into the night. They stuck to the shadows as they tore through the castle.
"Be quiet!" Amelia giggled.
Hand in hand, she pulled Dahlia through the dungeons. The sound of their heeled steps upon the damp stone complimented the heavy pulse seeping through the aquatic walls of the Slytherin common room.
"I told Theo you were dressing up as a seeker. You should have seen the vein in his neck nearly pop! I thought he was going to strangle me," Amelia barely whispered. Her low, enchanting laugh seducing even the halls as it echoed.
"You're heartless!" Dahlia snorted, slapping her arm.
Amelia wiggled the devil horns upon her head to emphasize the sentiment. She turned, walking backwards in the dimmest of candlelight and reached out to flick the halo above Dahlia's head, then her nose.
"I doubt that one certain seeker will be able to avert his gaze from you tonight…no matter how hard he tries."
Dahlia captured Amelia's hand as she reached back from her face, her crimson nails freshly painted. "That is entirely what I don't want," she lied.
It was exactly what she wanted, always now as he usually denied her even his gaze.
Amelia grinned, knowing her entirely too well. Dahlia knew she secretly preferred Draco for her, which made her advice all the more dangerous.
"I love Theo," Dahlia reiterated for the hundredth time.
"Oh, I know! I have to hear you scream it out! What happened to slowing down!" Amelia sighed as she threw her hands up in the dark.
Dahlia rolled her eyes.
"If it wasn't such an inconvenience to our circle, I'd tell you that we're young! Love them both!" She shrugged as if she contemplated if that was still the answer.
Dahlia sighed loudly enough for her to hear her frustration. "Theo's the one. He's good to me. He makes me laugh and he'd never hurt me."
"You two fight too often! Love should be easy, Dahlia!" She countered.
"I'm with him, not even thinking of Draco, for better or worse."
"It'll probably be for worse," she scoffed, only somewhat joking.
"I'm done with this conversation," she sang lightly, but meaning it entirely.
"Dahlia," she groaned in one last effort. "Draco Malfoy is inevitable," she whispered. "What did I tell you? He gets what he wants…"
She dropped Dahlia's hand as they came to the entrance of the common room. Amelia held out her palms and whispered, "Vrahnas."
The name of the creature said to sit on your chest during a night terror according to the Greeks. The coiling body of a stone snake revealed a door with the bending of its tail. She turned back to Dahlia as the handle turned on its own.
"I know you don't want to hear it, but remember that I've known them both much longer than you have. Theo will keep you from the world. Draco would gift it to you."
Dahlia swallowed hard. "Draco hates me," she mumbled. It was the closest she would come to any sort of admittance.
Amelia returned a flat look, although her eyes sparkled with renewed hope. "He hates everyone. It's a good sign if he hates you the most!"
Dahlia finally cracked a smile again. She couldn't help it. Only with Amelia could she be so outwardly vulnerable with her more shameful thoughts and desires. They stood by each other, always.
"I love you, no matter who you love." Amelia took her hand again and squeezed it.
"You ready?" She smirked.
Dahlia squeezed back. "Absolutely."
"Go do what you do best — break hearts," Amelia laughed before pulling her into the candied dark of the best party of the year.
It was a heady thrill, both a nightmare and a salacious dream. Dahlia stood breathless in the midst of such lavishness, ready to drink it all until she could take no more.
Tiny seductive fairies danced upon morphing clouds, forming chocolate puffs of wild creatures high above. Chandeliers made of black diamond whirled in sync as ghostly skeletons swing-danced between them in the high dome of the common room. Women dressed as black swans hung from sheaths of black silks, blurred at the edges as they were no more than enchanted shadows.
Dahlia smiled wondrously as she slowly stepped into the crowd of familiar strangers, masked and revealing more of themselves than wise.
She felt Amelia's hand slide away from her fingers, surely lost to Dahlia as she was taken by her lover.
Dahlia stepped into the heart of the party, and it was as if time slowed. The light beaming in rhythm to the electric music drenched her in celestial blue.
She felt his presence both across the universe and near — on the other side of the crowded dance floor. She stood still, surrounded by wildly moving bodies. He stood tall, dressed finely in a black tuxedo and face painted menacingly like a human skull. Only his silver hair revealed his identity, but she would know him regardless. The light painted him as a true fallen angel as it had in the jeweled mines they had gotten lost in — she should have kissed him then.
They were both drenched in heavenly light, she realized.
His crushing eyes found hers, as if he had summoned her here then waited patiently. She stepped closer, into the heartbeat of the dance floor and the center of his own heart. He remained still and strong, like it might take death to pull his gaze away from her. Finally. She thought this might be a fever dream as he stood planted in place as she neared. The sound drowned, and she heard only their sprinting hearts.
She took another step, her head tilting up now to keep his eyes where they belonged, on hers, as she closed in. No one looked as no one cared. The darkness and sea of masks paid them favors. It was as if no one else existed, mattered, except them.
Her fingertips buzzed in anticipation. She could reach out and touch him from here. She was so close. He gave no hint that he wanted to reach for her too. His face was caught in a permanent frown with the skull upon it, yet his eyes softened like he had loved her forever — but he couldn't. And neither could she.
I'm sorry, the words were ready to fall from her mouth. She was sorry for their fight. That he thought she had kissed him for only gain. That she wasn't as brave as him and couldn't admit it. That she had stolen his fate and fallen for another.
His brow furrowed as her mouth fell agape. He was meeting her eye now, willing to listen, yet she stood terrified — always terrified of the unknown. She would never jump, terrified of the heart-flattening crush that usually came after the thrilling free-fall. He was right — he was always right — she was a coward.
She closed her mouth, and he shook his head, angrier than ever with her. She had proven him right when he desperately wanted to be wrong for once.
She had lost his gaze, and it was a grave heartbreak.
"I'm sorry," she breathed, too late. He had thinned like a shadow, disappearing into the night.
Dahlia's stomach twisted. Probably to find someone who was much bolder, prettier, than me. Worth his time.
A coward — that's what she always was. Always twisting her truth to be something more presentable and less inconvenient; easier for all. Always breaking her own heart.
She stood alone in the dancefloor, pushed gently from the sway of bodies. Here she could admit to herself how horribly it hurt. She wanted to scream out into the ocean of her peers for keeping her bound and trapped with their nasty whisperings that never ended. Deep down, she knew it was her fault for caring all this time. She was the builder of her own cell.
She saw the familiar curve of Graham's lips as his smile reached out in her direction. She stole the drink from his loose hand without a thank you, then chugged it till she reached the bottom. The sweet burn of the whisky made everything okay again — or it soon would.
She stole another drink from Ian Vasey who lingered with a girl nearby. He welcomed it as Dahlia threw back his glass as it meant he had another hand to roam beneath the girl's dress.
Dahlia passed it to the boy who she had seen manage the quidditch supplies for Slytherin. He took it without question as he moved through the crowd, knowing she was the captain's highest priority and anything she needed would be met. She should be so grateful for Theo. So fucking grateful — and she was. But it was only half her truth.
Dahlia wiped the liquor from her mouth. Then she danced, alone, spinning madly by herself as if she was dancing in the rain. She moved wildly without reservation, letting the music and the dark anonymity set her free. She danced alone for a good while until Eloise took her hand and pulled her into a hug.
"I'm sorry!" She yelled over the music.
"For what!" Dahlia laughed.
Eloise spun her beneath her hand held high, wearing a pitying smile. "I saw everything. I know it's tough right now, and I'm sorry. I won't bore you with my speech. I hate that your heart is broken, and I'm just really fucking sorry."
Dahlia's heart swelled as she spun back into her arms. "You're all I need, El!" She yelled over the noise, over everything.
Eloise smiled back as Dahlia stood tall to spin her this time. Eloise bent down beneath her extended hand and circled. Dahlia then send her spinning into the crowd with a high laugh. It turned into a high yelp as she jumped in surprise.
"Boo!" He whispered into her ear, his arms snaking at her waist with a tight squeeze. She would recognize that rough grip anywhere. She let herself fall back against his strong chest. She glanced up, and the wisping illusion of a skull mask danced into a smirk. His golden eyes claimed her as they always did.
"I'm sorry, sir. I'll only dance with my boyfriend," she teased, pushing him back with her bum.
He took her wrist and spun her around to face him. "Oh, yeah? Where is he now?"
He grinned madly, liking this game very much.
Dahlia shrugged as he spun her out with the training only proper society offered.
"He lurks a lot. He's quite frightening. Wouldn't want to meet him in the dark," she answered as he brought her back to him, her back landing against his chest.
He crushed the feathers of her wings as he pulled her more harshly against him.
"Shall I cut his limbs off so he may never dance with you again then?" He drawled.
Dahlia escaped his grasp, or he let her do so if only to keep playing at this charade. She pulled him to her by the tie of his tuxedo, the very same as Draco's, and surely Blaise's. The Silver Trio united in appearance for the evening.
"It's best you avoid him," she giggled before pulling his tie again, his chest meeting hers. His eyes were hungry as she stood on her toes.
"He's a Nott," she whispered against his ear.
She pulled back to find his fiery gaze. He was doing his best to keep from stripping her there. He straightened his back, standing at full height and angled his skull-painted face down at her.
He was beautiful. Fucking beautiful. Everyone wanted him. She should be so lucky to have his heart. He captivated every nook of her mind. If he was poison, she would drink it all and suffer the consequences.
He finally bent over her, his hands roaming the edges of her stockings and her bare thighs beneath her skirt. All sanity quickly departed from his eyes. They were chaos, and in the center was her. He no longer cared they were in public. He snapped her stocking against her skin.
"Do you know what that means then, my darling Dahlia?" He mocked against her temple, brushing his lips against her forehead sweetly. She was precious to him.
She didn't answer, couldn't answer. All she could think about was getting his mouth upon hers as her skin felt all too hot.
He finally brought his lips to hers, mouth open for her. He held her back, needy and pleading, by the neck.
"That I will always take what's mine," he breathed into her.
She was his, and nothing else mattered. His opioid kiss was all consuming, numbing everything that was too hard to handle from her existence. Their mouths and hands moved as if no one else surrounded them. He gripped her waist roughly as her head fell back, breathless.
"You are so beautiful," he murmured, pressing his lips against her jaw. "And mine."
She breathed him, a forest of fresh rain, as he leaned down and squeezed her thighs beneath her skirt.
"Yours," Dahlia promised, pressing a handful of kisses against his smooth neck. "We should go..."
She didn't want to share their intimacy with the world any longer.
"Let me enjoy you in this outfit a bit longer," he begged, perfectly fine with the lingering eyes who saw his hand pushing up the ruffled silk of her costume.
"No," she whined. "Please. I want to go."
He finally picked his head up from her neck. He squeezed her tightly to his chest. She could feel that he wanted her too at the angle.
"Dahlia," he groaned, drawing out her name. He knew how much she enjoyed hearing her name in his mouth. He accentuated every letter like he never wanted the word to fully leave his lips.
She stiffened a bit in his arms, a drop of unrest weighing her down. He rarely ever wanted to leave a party until the last drop of liquor was consumed. He was the life of them, their orchestrator, leaving and returning for her throughout the night. She refused to let it be known that she wished he might follow her around instead.
She ran her hands up the buttons of his crisp, black shirt. She settled with her baby blue nails around his neck.
"Give me what I want," she sung. It was a threat that he might pay for doing the opposite later.
"You are such a spoiled, little hellion," he smirked, holding his ground with his nose pressed to hers. Dahlia could smell the firewhisky on his breath.
"You are not being a gentleman," she fired with a giggle.
"Is that not exactly why you love me?" He teased. "I can take you here and now, if you would prefer?"
She slapped his chest and he chuckled low.
"My perfect angel," he leveled. "Let's enjoy the night and I'll spend all day in bed with you tomorrow. I promise, baby. There is nothing I want more," he whispered. His pupils danced beneath the shimmering lights.
She tilted her head. "Did you do dreamdust without me?"
He grinned like a fox.
"Oh, did you want some?" He mocked as he tickled her sides.
She nodded with a wide smile. He shook his head like he didn't believe her.
"Oh, that's just too bad," he replied, kissing every inch of her exposed chest.
Dahlia loosened from his grip and pushed through the crowd of dancing bodies. She looked over her shoulder at the skull-faced thief who chased after her. She laughed loudly as she snaked through the crowd. She looked throughout the darkness as she skipped. He followed close.
She finally spotted their friends gathered around a wide, rounded table. Amelia sat upon the arm of Blaise's chair, Draco at his side with Pansy leaning over him dressed as a black cat. Eloise sat in the chair to his right, Xavier draped over the back whispering smart card moves in her ear.
Dahlia swayed up to the table and sat on the arm of Eloise's chair. She smiled upwards, noting her arrival, and Xavier ruffled the top of her hair. She recognized Zacharias and Ernie from Hufflepuff also at the table.
"What's wrong, babe? You look flush," Amelia called over.
Draco's eyes stayed focus on the game, ignoring her completely.
"Just out of breath," Dahlia sighed, gripping her bodice with a smile.
She eyed the purple powder upon the table, strewn out as if the pricey delicacy were nothing more than table sugar. Amelia remained observant as ever, even drunk, as Theo wrapped his arms around Dahlia's waist tightly.
"Buy in, Nott!" Blaise called.
"Fine." A hint of annoyance in Theo's tone.
Theo kicked a chair over and pulled her down on his lap, his grip a little too tight. He threw a note for a thousand galleons on the table.
"Do you want some, Dahlia?" Amelia smirked, pointing to the dreamdust on the table.
She did, but the tensing of Theo's jaw had her hesitating.
"Don't, love," he whispered into her ear, passing her his glass of whisky instead. His hand pressed into the highest point of her inner thigh beneath the table. It was deeply immodest. "I love you, baby," he murmured.
Dahlia shook her head at Amelia before laughing as Theo brought his glass to her mouth. She closed her eyes, tilting her head back for him.
Amelia pursed her lips at Theo. Blaise placed his hand over her whitening knuckles, silently pleading for her to call him a manipulative lunatic later.
Amelia looked to Draco, who had numbed himself to the evening entirely, per usual, as he stared blankly at his cards. Dahlia was Theo's prize, and he wanted everyone to know it. How could Draco stand for this? Theo's blatant cruelty. How could he give up so easily?
Theo sensed Amelia's returning glare in his direction. He looked to her from Dahlia's lips as he poured his drink down her throat. It was vengeance for every snide comment she had made regarding his worth to Dahlia. She curled her lip, ready to snap. He smirked back at Amelia, knowing he had become her best friend's entire world.
—
The Black Lake was a reflection of the hallowed stars here in this lazy bend of water on the edge of the small graveyard by the local village.
The water lapped gently against the rocky shore as Dahlia took loose steps through the untamed grass towards it, Theo's tuxedo jacket draped on her shoulders. Her wings had been long lost in the evening. Dahlia wasn't sure of the time, but she was sure the sun would soon rise.
She had finally stolen him away from the party for good. They were alone now, and this was her favorite time to have him all to herself.
"Didn't take you as one for lurking in graveyards," Theo teased as she irreverently sat upon a tombstone to remove her tall heels, where the grass met the shore. She was sobering up, but still a bit liquor-touched as she struggled with the clasp.
"Let me help you," he chuckled, strolling behind her with his hands in his pockets.
He kneeled down in front of her and put her dirty heel on the expensive fabric of his knee. He glanced up, meeting her eye with love as he loosened the clasp. His face was bare now. She wasn't quite sure when he had removed the skull illusion from his features, but she had missed his golden skin beneath it and was happy to see it go.
"I used to come here sometimes," she revealed.
Theo tossed her shoe to the side, then pulled down her stocking and kissed her knee.
"With other boys?" He whispered dramatically, feigning scandal in his voice. He was so confident that she hadn't brought another soul here.
Dahlia laughed softly as he took her other foot in his hand. He smiled at the sheer notion that he had gotten her to laugh.
"Alone," she emphasized. "I would spend hours here after my mother died."
Theo's face hardened. He became more gentle in his touch. "You know the abandoned storage room on the outer wall of the castle I showed you that one morning?"
Dahlia nodded, remembering that morning had been the first time he had confessed that he had fallen in love with her.
"I found that space out of necessity in my own grief for my own mother," he revealed. "Sometimes you just need a place of your own to think."
She smiled, understanding completely. A new piece of his puzzle revealed.
He pulled down her other stocking and kissed her knee, his gaze never leaving hers. "Thank you for sharing this place with me."
Dahlia ran her fingers through his curls. Every moment spent here at Hogwarts without him felt like a waste. She ran her thumb across his cheekbone. He didn't flinch away. Instead, he leaned into her touch.
"I never wanted to be in love," he whispered. "Look what you've done to me." A pitiful laugh rumbled in his chest as he placed his forehead on her knees, still kneeling before her.
Dahlia leaned forward and rubbed her hands gently along his back, tracing her favorite stars. When he was quiet and calm — these were her most favorite moments with him.
"I didn't think you could see me," he added softly.
She saw the insecurity in his eye that he kept hidden away from most as she brushed his forehead in her lap. He also held the world's opinions on his shoulders, but that was a battle for a different day.
"I didn't see much for a while, but of course I saw you. I love you, Theo. I'll fight your bad days with you," she promised, bending over to kiss his cheek.
"Come on," she whispered against his cheek. "You made me a promise earlier," she insisted.
"Here?" Theo lifted his head curiously.
She nodded towards the lake. "Are you afraid?"
"Dahlia, love, fear is only a healthy dose of self preservation," he quipped, now standing tall.
She hopped off the tombstone and began to untuck and unbutton his rumpled shirt.
"Oh, fucking hell," he groaned more to himself.
"Scared of the monsters out here?" She teased, opening his shirt wide to reveal his tanned chest. She placed her hands on his bare stomach and admired the view. It was always so startling apparent that he was a well-trained athlete.
"Oh, I know better," he hummed low, bringing his mouth down to hers. "The only monster worth fearing is right here, luckily seducing me."
Dahlia pulled her lips back before he could close the distance. She ran her hands along his smooth muscles, pulling off his shirt completely. It fell to the ground. She pushed off his jacket, and his eyes landed on her bodice, then drifted up to her eyes.
Dahlia reached back and unzipped her dress. She held it to her chest as she threatened to spill out, teasing him horribly. He reached out for her hand, and Dahlia let the dress fabric pool at her feet as she took it.
He guided her hand to the buttons of his pants where they hung low on his hips. He moved her fingers, sliding apart the clasps. He took a step toward her and hovered his mouth over hers again. Since she had been rude enough to pull back once, he would make her close the distance this time.
She reached beneath the hemline of his pants and ran her hand along the length of him. He breathed a moan through her lips and grinned wickedly. He pulled her tightly against him, but held his mouth still.
She craved the whisky taste of his mouth. She pushed her hips against his, where she stroked him again. She moaned softly, feeling his hardness. He took it greedily, licking her bottom lip.
She couldn't take it anymore. He would always win.
She finally pressed her mouth to his eagerly and hungry. She pushed down his trousers and he came to his knees. He kissed the soft spot below her naval as he pushed down the lace of her underwear. Dahlia stepped out of them, then took his rough hands in hers. His head fell back to the sky as if asking for patience as he usually pleaded of them. He didn't want to be teased any longer, but he would let her lead him tonight.
He interlaced his fingers with her, a strong hold, as she slowly pulled him into the frigid and shallow water within the crook of the Black Lake. It formed a crescent moon where the stars reflected brightly upon its surface. They danced at once as the water rippled beneath her step. She inhaled sharply.
Theo pressed his front against her back and held her tightly. Her murmured an incantation and moved her hands within his over the water. It began to warm, creating their own paradise away from everything that gave them troubles.
"You're welcome," he whispered, smug.
Dahlia led him deeper beneath the water. She watched the small lock of his jaw as he focused his magic on keeping her warm — keeping the smile upon her face. The steam rolled off the surface and sent their worries to the stars. Nothing could hurt them out here.
Draco was far enough away to give her peace here.
When the water rose to her shoulders, she turned to face him. He was a shadow in the night, devouring all moonlight. It touched his skin lightly as if it feared him. Only his teeth gleamed as he smiled, before quickly pulling her into him to be lost.
His wet hands pulled at her hair as his mouth crushed against hers. He hoisted her onto his waist with ease, the cold of the night a delightful contrast to the warmth of the water and his skin. She wrapped her legs tightly around him as he memorized the shape of her mouth. She was safe here, even when exposed to the beasts of the night. In his arms, nothing could hurt her.
"I love you, Dahlia. I can't live without you," he prayed against the center of her neck.
She lifted herself higher, pressing on his shoulders so he could guide himself inside her. She lowered herself with a held breath, afraid the perfection of the sensation of the first, claiming thrust may end when she exhaled. Her mouth hung open, whimpering, and he closed his eyes, newly drunk as she tightened around him.
She touched the side of his face, keeping his mouth and eyes on her. She wanted him to know that no one else could ever feel as good as this. He understood, his eyes lighting aflame at her open possessiveness as she showed him a rare and wide smirk.
"My heart is yours," he answered firmly, placing her palm upon his chest beneath his golden-ringed fingers.
He placed his other hand on her lower back, forcing the sweetest spot against him as he let her push herself into his hip and move along his cock however she pleased. He grinned devilishly as he allowed her to find her pleasure upon him. Beneath her was the only occasion he let himself fall out of complete control. She was his goddess. His only reason to exist.
"Do I feel good, Dahlia?" He murmured against her neck as she moved.
"Yes," she answered, breathless.
He pushed harder into her and held her in place on top of him. She whimpered in response.
"That's not good enough." His tone was rough and desperate.
She pushed her hips against his as he held the curve of him deep inside, too deep. The point of his teeth revealed in the starlight as she began to shake upon him, her skin pebbling where exposed to the cold.
"That's…"
Better. The words she was looking for was fucking better.
He had set fire to her world. She would never be at peace again, forever riding the high of his unforgettable touch. His kiss was permanent ink, seeping deeper into her skin and igniting her veins with his inferno. To have the entirety of his love, to hold his obsessive heart, was a dizzying gift. She was lovesick, numbed entirely of her past pains and doubts by his irrevocable love that thrummed through her veins.
"I love you baby," she breathed, pulse quickening. Her chest crushed to his as if she wanted their hearts to match in beat as his did, even far from here.
He stumbled over words, grinning in innocent surprise as she called him something other than his name. It was all too rare.
He quickly recovered as he felt her begin to tighten around his cock. It stole his sanity, if not his entire soul. "Dahlia…"
She nodded, beyond words.
He lifted her higher, faster, quickly determined to follow her over the edge. It was the intimacy he suddenly craved with that singular word — what he meant to her — in the place of his name.
He pleaded for a moment longer as they locked gaze.
She couldn't give it to him. It was the sweetest thing, coiling tightly before lashing out in a surge of euphoria. She gasped, digging her nails into his cheek and the muscles of his back. The sound of her breathless pleasure had been all he needed. He groaned as he came, shadowing her even in this.
He moaned her name, lyrical as a lullaby. She wanted to return the intimacy, speak his name so preciously that it might haunt his dreams.
Her tongue pressed to the roof of her mouth as she felt a saccharine kiss upon the back of her mind, unfamiliar and endless.
She closed her mouth quickly, clamping her teeth together and refusing to let the cursed name leave her traitorous lips. She thought her heart might have stopped, and in the fresh beat she murmured a name anew, hoping he heard it somehow through the inner workings of the universe.
"Theo…" A fool's promise against the lips that swore a reckoning in the light of dawn — a promise to a new day to try harder, to be better.
"I love you," she promised, mainly to herself.
He rubbed her flushed cheeks gently. The steam refracting marvelously in the first golden rays of morning. This is where their hearts met each day, the heir to the moon and the son of the sun. Their hearts desperately grasping at the crossed stars on the equal horizon.
"I love you more," he whispered, pure and honest.
Dahlia hated that he might be right.
