summary: four months have passed since the night on the astronomy tower. finally, everything is back to normal… or is it?
warnings: extremely big trigger warning for the whole series, in this chapter: mentions of murder, illegal activities, mentions of blood, wounds,
note: finally the epilogue is here! so sorry for keeping you guys waiting this long, hope you’ll like it :)
please let me hear what you think in the comments!!
four months later,
hogwarts
the emerald dress wrapped around your body like a second skin, fitting like it had been made for you, or more so, magically altered.
theo’s hand was tucked into your own as you followed him through the party. it was a victory celebration after a won quidditch match. the slytherin parties were a lot more formal than the ones you were used to from your own house.
“that was a dangerous thing, they way you passed that quaffle in the last half of the game” pansy said to draco, just as theo and you entered the circle.
pansy’s face lit up when she saw you and the others send a friendly smile too.
“ace” blaise beamed, as he rubbed to the side of the couch he had been lazily hanging on, “come here, love”
theo tapped your hand and nodded, as you let go of his grip and sank down into the cushion next to blaise.
“we were just discussing quidditch strategies” mattheo explained when you had settled in. “specifically we were discussing what a glorious player i am, to be exact. any input?”
mattheo sent you a warm smile. the kind of smile that made you lower your guard and feel safe in his presence, while still not fully trusting him at the same time.
mattheo had been the first of the slytherins to return back to normal after burbages murderer had been found.
after one of his best friends had turned out to be the killer.
you remembered the night on the astronomy tower like it had been yesterday. you, pressed close to theo's chest, him moving a hand through your hair as you cried into his sweater.
you would never forget the expression on his face. the way he had furrowed his brows. the way he had tried to understand what happened.
both blaise and you sitting on the wooden platform, bloodied and bruised. the railing of the tower destroyed and enzo nowhere in sight.
it must’ve been a horrendous sight.
then came pansy and draco, following theo like shadows, no questions asked, their faces tight with worry and something unspoken. they must’ve followed him from dumbledore’s office directly.
you had asked theo later, what had made him come to the tower, especially during his questioning by the teachers.
he couldn’t put into words how he had known. just that he had a bad feeling. and blaise, who hadn’t shown up to the questioning altogether didn’t make that suspicion any more fleeting.
pansy and draco had crossed the platform before either of the three of you could’ve told them to stop.
pansy’s cry of shock was etched into your memory. the way she had fallen back against draco, who had caught her like he already knew which sight awaited them. he had stared down onto the ground without a word. he had held pansy, while his eyes stayed frozen on enzo.
his longest friend. someone he had trusted like a brother.
draco malfoy wasn’t a trustworthy person. still, he had placed his faith in the wrong one.
mcgonagall had arrived only seconds later. she took a short look off the edge, a sound of surprise and shock still stuck in her throat, when she looked back and escorted the five of you back to the castle.
the night had been spent in dumbledore’s office. a tea that you wouldn’t drink in front of you. theo and blaise on either side.
the others had been sent to sleep after they had gotten a potion from madam pomfrey. both blaise and theo had insisted on staying.
while you answered questions about what had happened between enzo and you on the tower, his body had been clad in a white veil, sent to the infirmary and moved behind a row of heavy curtains—out of sight, but never out of mind.
theo and you both told the teachers everything. the reason behind burbages death, why she had to die in the first place. and enzo’s scheme with neville and why he had found death in hogwarts too. and finally what enzo had been planning to do to you, once he had killed you, which had led to his own demise. falling into hogwart’s cold snow, lying soft, without being caught.
you had left out the part of the nocturne society. you didn’t want to drag theo’s friends into this more than necessary.
blaise had saved your life, you owed him as much.
dumbledore had investigated the matter, but it was quickly decided that the things you had told them were the truth and thanks to blaise, everyone had believed that enzo’s death was what it was: a simple accident.
“you know that i have no idea” you shrugged. “but you’re the best player i know, of course.” you held up a finger, stopping mattheo from breaking into a victory hollor. “after my boyfriend, obviously”
“it’s okay, love” mattheo nodded, winking at you. “i know you’re just saying that because he’s here right now”
you laughed about mattheo's joke. so did the rest of the slytherin's. the party wandered on and you felt like yourself, for the first time since the evening on the tower.
"guys" you said, catching the slytherin's attention a little while later. "i'm gonna head off to bed"
"i'm gonna walk you" theo suggested, standing up.
"no, it's okay" you said with a shake of your head. "it's not so far to the gryffindor common room. don't worry"
"okay"
it had been hard for theo to let you out of his sight after he had almost lost you the last time he had left you on your own. he was working on being a little more relaxed.
he had to understand that hogwarts was safe again, for all of you.
"goodnight" you said, waving at your friends. you looked around the room, trying to spot blaise to tell him goodnight too, but couldn't find him, so you just went without seing him.
the hallway of the castle stretched long before you. the warmth of the soft lantern light, jumping up and down the walls. you curled your coat closer around you, the cold making you shiver.
you thought about the evening, how you were finally a full part of the slytherins. how peace had welcomed itself back into your life: with theo's friends, with theo and also harry, hermione and ron.
it hadn't been easy to grieve neville, but you were glad that you had had them.
a loud thud echoed through the hallway and you froze, your smile dying on your face.
you walked around the corner slowly, preparing yourself for whatever was waiting, a close grip on your wand.
there, against the side of the wall was a dark spot. a dark coat, belonging to the person groaning on the floor.
your steps echoed on the ground and the person looked up.
"blaise!" you made surprised. maybe he had had too much to drink. something that made him weak in the knees and awfully tired.
"ace" blaise groaned as an answer. he swung his arm to the side, the coat followed.
you gasped at the reveal. his light shirt was blood soaked and a knife was still sticking out of his stomach.
you ran forward, putting pressure onto the wound. tears formed in your eyes. "blaise, who–"
blaise was already losing conciousness. you pressed on of your hands onto his wound and used the other to charm a patronus to call theo and the others.
the rain outside intensified as if it could feel that something had just broken your last hope.
you gripped blaise's body, pulling him into your lap. the blood seeped onto the floor. and just for a moment, it looked like words were forming on the ground in front of you.
blaise's blood turned into letters.
i know what you did.
and then, it was gone again.
blaise shuddered, reaching for your hand on his wound, as he turned his gaze to look at your shocked expression. "don't tell them" he said, his voice almost inaudible. you tilted your head to hear him. "it was an accident"
his eyes closed.
there were just blaise and you on the ground in the hogwarts hallway. the rain slapping against the castle outside. blood seeping onto the floor. but somewhere in the shadow, hiding where you couldn’t see them: someone else.
𝔞. 𝔫𝔬𝔱𝔢: i adore reading shy and timid heroines that are coaxed out of their shells. as such i adore writing them too. i'm also not incredibly well versed about the hotd universe. whatever i know is based only on the show, so it's possible there are errors. still, i hope you enjoy.
𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰: reader is quite shy but not overly so. smut, intercourse (p in v), horrible “riding a dragon” puns
“you wish to ride a dragon?” prince aemond’s voice startles you enough for you the drop the pillow you’re holding.
it’s freshly fluffed, about to be placed on the bed you’d made so neatly just minutes ago. and now the pillow sits on it awkwardly while you stare at the prince like a scared little deer.
“my prince…” you manage a faint squeak, “i was—”
“telling the other maids how you’d be a stellar dragon rider, i heard,” the prince’s mouth curls into a little smirk you’ve come to know well from stolen glances. you stare at his feet, too afraid to meet his eyes. well, eye.
“i didn’t mean…” you fidget with the hem of your frayed dress, wondering what the punishment would be. lashings? cleaning pigsties for a week? a month?
“but you said it.” aemond’s voice still has that tone to it that you can’t quite decipher. and so you stand frozen while he looks at you from across the room. “tell me, my lady—”
“i’m no lady,” you pipe up, shutting up instantly when you realise you’ve interrupted a prince. the prince. “forgive me, my prince, i didn’t mean to interrupt. i…i…”
“you’re no lady,” he hums, as if you aren’t standing there shaking like a leaf, “what shall i call you then, little sparrow?”
his voice is soft like it always is—never boisterous like the king’s or stern like the dowager queen’s. it’s quiet and lilting and compelling. as much as you don’t want to meet his gaze, you find yourself doing exactly that.
“on second thought,” he crosses his arms behind his back, taking graceful steps towards you like he’s gliding on the floor, “sparrow…has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”
“it does, my prince,” you smile to yourself quietly, “if you like it then i like it.”
for anyone else it would have been a lie. for king aegon, it certainly would have been a lie. but for the prince…when he says it, it’s like the name belongs to you. so much so that for a moment you forget where this conversation first started. until you find prince aemond standing directly in front of you, towering over you that is.
“so tell me, little sparrow,” he says again, voice so soft it skitters down your bones and makes you shiver in the middle of a long, hot summer, “you wish to ride a dragon?”
“the truth?” you ask, feeling a little braver than before.
“i’ll have nothing but that.”
for a moment you chew on your lip, a nervous habit taken up in lieu of biting your dirty, already worn fingernails. aemond’s gaze snags on it, though, and quickly you let go, begging your body to be a little more brave and keep meeting his eyes. it’s not everyday you get to see so much of him. in fact, it’s the first time you’ve gotten to see so much of him.
“they fascinate me, your dragons,” you begin, “sunfyre, mostly.”
“my brother’s dragon,” the prince raises an eyebrow, looking at you with much more curiosity than before. “not vhagar?”
“she scares me, to be honest…” you admit, flushing a little when the prince’s smirk turns into a full blown smile. the smile stays for just a fleeting moment, enough for you to store it in your memories like a stolen sweet.
“she does that, yes,” he chuckles. it’s barely audible and yet pride blooms in your chest for having coaxed that sound out of him.
“i…” you look around a little awkwardly, at the mess in the room that’s yet to be cleaned. it’s not that you don’t want to stand here and talk to him, if anything, that’s the one thing you want the most. to stand here and talk to him about his dragons, and have him tell you about them. have him tell you about himself too…
but if you don’t do your tasks on time then there’s consequences to face. consequences the prince won’t save you from. and so you give aemond a guilty smile.
you must go and you must go now.
“of course,” aemond bows a little, stepping aside to make way for you.
quickly, you fix the pillow to where it was originally supposed to be and gather the old linens in your arms. then you curtsey as fast as you can and leave.
you leave and are almost our the door before aemond’s voice freezes you mid-step.
“if you ever wish to ride a dragon, little sparrow… you know where to find me.”
the day passes, and all you manage to do is think about aemond. you think about him as you wash the linens and hang them to dry, you think about him while you help the kitchen maids with the pots and wipe the floors of the keep.
you think about him as you eat and gossip away with your friends.
you don’t tell them though… all they know is that you were the one to clean his room in the morning and gather his linens. nothing more.
they will never know anything more.
if you ever wish to ride a dragon, little sparrow… you know where to find me.
that… is for you and you alone.
you do get teased a little for your absent-minded smiles and your lack of attention to their gossip. you get teased and asked if any of the stable boys have caught your fancy. stable boys…nothing more. not a soldier or a knight or a lord. certainly not a prince.
and yet when night falls you find yourself idling in the hallways that lead to his quarters.
if you ever wish to ride a dragon, little sparrow… you know where to find me.
“does the prince need hot water?” you ask one of the maids, “for…for his bath…”
she looks at you in confusion. “malina’s already taken it,” she says, “minutes ago.”
and so you drop the apple in your hands and hurry outside towards the prince’s room. malina is old, she can’t have gone that far can she? just like you predicted, she’s there when you turn around the corner, carefully balancing the hot water in her hands while a few other girls carry similar pots. you quickly cross the gap and call out for her.
“let me,” you offer, arms outstretched, “you can go rest, malina. i’m done for the day, i can take this.”
she smiles at you gratefully while grumbling about old knees and hands you the pot. and so you set on your way, hiding a quiet smile and ducking your head when one of the guards gives you a strange look.
the prince’s bedroom is awash in the glow of candlelight. for a moment, the excitement in your belly turns to disappointment. he isn’t here… of course he isn’t, he’s important and busy and has more things to do than sit in his bedroom all day thinking about you like you’ve thought about him.
“you’re back, little sparrow,” the softness of his voice send flutters in your stomach. the other girls look towards each other, quiet looks passing between them. you know this would take precisely half a minute to spread around the keep. and yet it does not bother you one bit.
“my prince, we’ve got water for your bath.”
“ah,” he nods and gestures vaguely towards the bathing chamber.
one by one all of you enter, emptying the buckets in the brass tub until it’s full of steaming water and soaps and oils. one by one the others start leaving, their job done…
the towels are on the counter, the candles are burning, the tub is filled—there’s nothing more to be done. you know he usually prefers to be alone. and yet you linger.
you linger until aemond targaryen enters the bathing chamber, naked as the day he was born.
and then you turn around fast enough to bump into the wall.
“you startle easily, little sparrow,” aemond laughs. “never seen a naked man before?”
you have… that’s not the problem. you’ve just never seen a naked man as…well-endowed as him. your back still to him and your heart in your chest, you nod. there’s a slight splash as he settles into the tub. some of the spilled water licks the soles of your feet. finally, timidly, you turn.
at least under the cloudy water he’s not so naked anymore. although his (now wet) chest certainly does nothing to calm your racing heart.
“tell me,” aemond says, “did you think about dragons all day?”
well…
“maybe,” you hedge, “a little.” and it’s not a lie. you did think of vhagar for a little, and sure it was only to think about aemond riding her into the skies, but she was there in your thoughts. briefly.
“and what do you know about them?”
from most people it would have been a condescending question, one to point out your intellectual capabilities or the lack thereof. from aemond it’s simply curiosity.
“i know they’re gods. i know they’re old and powerful and only someone with valyrian blood can claim one. i know targaryen babes get a dragon’s egg for their cradle.” you answer rather proudly.
“very good,” aemond nods. “come here. sit.”
you look to where he’s pointing, at a little step stool in the corner. and then you see where his eyes are pointing, at a spot right by the tub.
“do you read?” aemond asks as soon as you’ve settle by the tub. you blush, a little embarrassed.
“i can’t…”
“no worries,” his voice turns gentle, “i was going to give you a book about vhagar’s riders. now i will just have to tell you about her myself.”
that startles you a little. surprised, you look at him again, really look at him—at his face that’s soft in the candlelight and his one eye that twinkles with mischief. you look at the leather patch covering the other, at the scar that runs around it.
“can i ask why, my prince…”
“well,” aemond moves a little, sitting up straighter so a little more of his chest is now visible to you. the water cascades down pale skin, the candlelight creates hypnotising patterns that are pretty enough that you almost reach out and touch.
touch the water and the light and the skin. touch him.
but that’s a silly thought for silly girls.
quickly you ball your hand into a fist and look at him again only to find him smirking.
“as i was saying,” aemond says a little pointedly, “you can’t be scared of her if you wish to ride her someday now, can you?”
your heart thuds so loudly in your chest, you wonder if he can hear it. perhaps the entire red keep can hear it, perhaps king’s landing.
“i can’t ride her, she’s yours and… and she’ll kill me if i… she’ll burn me alive if i even go near her! and that’s if the guards don’t take my head first—”
“hush, little sparrow,” aemond moves fast enough that you have barely any time to stop rambling before he’s out of the tub and kneeling in front of you, his finger on your lips. not that you need it really, the situation is entirely enough to stun you into silence.
you gape at the prince, at his beautiful, wet body that looks like it’s gleaming golden in the candlelight. you gape at him kneeling on his knees for you. a nobody.
“will you stay quiet or will i have to make you?” he asks, his tone a little coy.
heat coils in your belly, “would you like to, my prince?”
and that’s more bold than you’ve ever been in your entire life. but now that you’re here and desperate and wanting so so much, you can’t really let shyness snatch it away. and so you straighten up a little, letting your eyes roam freely on his body.
there are scars on his skin, of course there are, but even they look beautiful. then there’s the muscle honed by hours of sword training. his beautiful silver hair is damp from the water and gleaming like molten metal. you reach out and touch—just one strand that’s managed to stick to his cheek.
aemond groans.
leaving would be wise… leaving right this second would be even wiser, and yet when aemond tugs on your wrist and pulls you closer, it’s you who kisses him first. it’s heady, dizzying, intoxicating. he tastes like night air and burns like fire.
you feel quite the same.
your frayed old dress is quick to go as soon as he pulls you up—discarded by the tub casually. it gets half caught up on the edge but neither of you notice, too lost in the kiss. to caught up in the feel of the other’s body.
you know he knows this room like the back of his hand. you don't need to. you can trust him at least in this regard—to lead you to his bed and fuck you any way he wants.
“little sparrow,” he half-speaks, half-moans, “i want you. i want you right now.” it’s a needy and desperate confession, and it turns you on even more, makes your blood sing.
his hands are fast and nimble, eager to remove the last layer of clothes on you. still, the prince takes a moment to watch your hair come loose from your bun and cascade down your shoulders, his lips parted in awe and pupils blown out wide.
you watch him. simply because he looks beautiful.
“like what you see?” aemond teases and and you flush.
it’s certainly a sight—the two of you standing opposite each other, entirely naked and about to devour each other.
he walks backwards, eyes firmly on your body, lingering in all the places that make you feel like the only woman on he’s ever been with. he walks backwards till he eventually finds the bed and sits.
“come here,” aemond says, beckons more like. and so you do—walking with a deliberate sway to your hips that his eyes train on until you’re standing right in front of him. knees touching his.
“beautiful,” he says, looking up at you in awe.
you’re not entirely sure it’s true. you’re no lady in the court or a pretty foreign beauty. you’re no beautiful woman of the night, but hearing him say the words is still a delight. he makes it sound like he’s consumed by your beauty (even though it’s likely the lust that’s hazing their thoughts).
and yet he makes you feel like his own little midnight sun—bright, unique, central to his universe.
you from before would have never though such stupid thoughts.
and now you let him pull you onto his lap.
you kiss him again, slow and sensual this time, rolling your hips against his, grinding on his thigh. it’s a deliberate torment, a torturous build-up so he could finally relieve the ache between your legs.
“please, my prince” you breathe, “touch me.”
so he does, gently gripping your waist to keep you in the steady rhythm while his mouth moves down to your breasts. his tongue flicks around your nipple, drawing out a gasp and making you arch your back. you want more, so much more.
aemond seems to sense the need.
in one fluid movement, he’s on his back, and you on top. his cock brushes against your clit, drawing out whimpers. moonlight filters in through the windows, illuminating his face only just so that you can see his swollen lips—red, delicious—you can’t resist stealing another kiss.
can’t resist tangling your hands in his silver hair and tracing a finger down his cheekbones, his jaw. he hisses with every movement, hard and throbbing beneath you.
“are you ready for me, little sparrow?,” he moans, lowering you on his abdomen. his erection is pressed against your ass now—ready is what you are… ready and aching, eager to feel him.
“p-please, my prince…”
aemond tuts. “say my name…”
your heart speeds up a little in your chest. it’s one thing to be sleeping with the prince, it’s another to forget your manners entirely and address him like he’s your equal.
“i c-can’t,” you whimper, moving your hips in a desperate attempt to feel something.
“i’ll stop this if you won’t” aemond says it like a promise, and there’s no way you want to risk it. if there’s even a slight chance of him stopping and leaving you here like this, a mess at his mercy…
“a-aemond,” you whisper his name like it’s an unpredictable thing. his breath hitches in his chest. “aemond please…”
“good little sparrow…” his hands come to rest on your waist, lifting you up and gently guiding you down on his cock, filling you in inch by inch. you splay a hand on his chest, barely registering his racing heart. all you can focus on is how good he feels; hard and stretching you out. filling you to the hilt.
“so perfect,” he hisses. his hands grip your ass, fingers digging into the soft flesh while you roll your hips on his pelvis; too eager and desperate and full of want. you can already feel a bruise blooming on the back of your thighs where he grips so possessively.
“so are you, m–aemond,” you breathe, already consumed by the feeling of his cock hitting you over and over, in just the right spot. his hand reaches down and between your legs then, finding your clit and rubbing it in circles until you’re screaming his name and practically soaking him with your slick.
aemond moves his hips too, thrusting up, fucking into you till a continuous string of curses falls out of his mouth. his chest glistens with sweat, sticky and warm and beautiful in the moonlight.
you’re lost in the pleasure, but you traces the scars on his chest—the faint dusting of hair and freckles, little nicks and cuts and faint bruises. you trace every part of him like he belongs to you somehow. like you belong to him too…
you suppose you do… at least that much is true.
the pleasure builds and builds, your thoughts swirl more and disappear entirely the more he thrusts into you. he’s figured out your pattern—the rhythm that makes you tick and drives you crazy. and even when your thighs burn and tremble, you can’t seem to slow down.
all you want to do is soar up and up and up until…
aemond’s hand is between your legs again, flicking your clit so roughly that it makes you cry out. and that’s what drives you over the edge.
you moan his name again, chanting it like a blind devotee as waves upon waves of pleasure crash over you. you’re vaguely aware that you’re gripping onto his shoulders tightly, vaguely aware that you can feel his cock twitching inside you, coating your walls with his release.
gasping, you throw your head back, letting the orgasm wash over you. the loud, filthy, wet sounds are softer now, slower in pace as you both come to a stop. no one says a word—not a single teasing word or praise—there are only your breaths, out of sync and loud.
you slump forward, resting your warm cheek on his chest, hearing his heart beating loudly in your ear.
“is that how it feels…?” your voice is ragged from screaming his name yet dripping with coyness. “is that how it feels to ride a dragon, my prince?”
aemond laughs—a real booming laugh that makes his chest vibrate and makes the sound permeate your skin, makes it settle bone deep.
“i should say yes, shouldn’t i, little sparrow?” his fingers thread through your hair, much gentler now, lulling you to sleep almost. “do not worry about it. you’ll find out soon enough anyway…”
The Sparrows with a sibling they think doesn't have powers HCs
A/N: So sorry for the wait! And the lack of Christopher, I tried but I really suck at writing for him and I think it'd take another 3 months if I kept trying. Also fair warning this is on the angsty side.
Request
Masterlist
Marcus Hargreeves
-Both as a child and an adult Marcus barely acknowledges you exist, his life revolves around the sparrow academy which you've always existed just on the outskirts of
-As your sibling he does feel a loyalty to you though, he lets you stay at the academy and use Reginalds funds as much as the others so long as you don't cause any trouble
-Of course you're completely excluded from the sparrow academy, despite your siblings vast fame most people don't even know you exist and Marcus won't ever let you join any of the families 'buisness' talks
-So while he's not mean or malicious there is a lot of disrespect and neglect there that builds resentment inside of you
-He's as shocked as you are to learn you have powers (very strong ones at that) but he's quick to collect himself, trying to reason you into letting him integrate you into the sparrow academy and follow his lead like your siblings
-Marcus is good with people, he says exactly what you want to hear, first easing your fears about your new powers and then more importantly giving you a glimpse of the belonging and connection you've always been denied in an attempt to get you to fall in line
-However it's likely too little too late
-Marcus does care about you and he wants to resolve things peacefully, however if you prove to be a threat to the sparrow academy he's completely willing to make an enemy out of you
Ben Hargreeves
-Ben's always looked down on you and unlike Marcus he won't hesitate to verbalise that
-Despite that and generally not thinking you're worth his time he doesn't actually dislike you though, he sort of appreciates your gentler personality, not that he often let's that show
-You're the only sibling he doesn't have to compete with which may make him underestimate you but it also makes you the only person in the world he'll even slightly lower his guard around
-Which, play your cards right, could lead to a tentative friendship between you two, however friend or otherwise Ben is really no good for your self-esteem
-He feels personally betrayed to learn you have powers as crazy as that sounds, jumping to conclusions and assuming the worst of you
-His default is distrusting people so he feels like an idiot for ever not seeing you as a threat and it doesn't help that part of him is still loyal to Reginald so it's easy for him to believe the lies the old man tells about you
-Beneath his anger and confusion though, if Ben cares about you even a little bit that isn't going to change
Fei Hargreeves
-It would seem you're totally irrelevant to her, she barely acknowledges your existence as a child, and as an adult that's only slightly better
-Plus she's kind of a loner so since she's not forced to be around you like she is the others and she likes to spend her free time by herself it's only natural you hardly see each other, let alone talk
-However she actually knows you better than you realise, she's a careful and observant person and like your siblings you're not immune to her spying from time to time
-Because of her perceptiveness she's actually the first to suspect that there's something weird going on with you though she keeps that hunch to herself
-She's probably the most calm and reasonable about learning you have powers and tries to talk some sense into your more reactive siblings
-She encourages them to give you time and space to let this bombshell sink in before they get involved because that's what she would want in your position
-She herself doesn't bother you, not interacting with you any more than usual unless you initiate, she does however have a bird watching you at all times
Alphonso Hargreeves
-Alphonso can be a real dick to you sometimes, but unlike the others it's not because he feels some kind of sense of superiority over you, it's more out of jealousy
-He resents the fact that you don't have the same pressure on you or the same heavy workload and essentially feels like you got off easy compared to him and the others
-He doesn't tend to go out of his way to antagonize you or anything but for someone that's usually pretty easygoing his pointed coldness towards you stands out
-He's definitely blindsided to learn you have powers and it takes him a while to wrap his head around, but he is actually more willing to get your side of the story than some of your siblings
-He still doesn't really get where your pain is coming from because he'd switch childhoods with you in a heartbeat but now that he realises you are genuinely hurting he's a lot more open to understanding
-Ultimately despite being more sympathetic towards you than ever before Alphonso will still go along with however the other sparrows decide to deal with you, for better or for worse
Sloane Hargreeves
-Sloane is the nicest to you by far, partially because that's just who she is, but also because you're both different enough from your other siblings that you form an unspoken alliance
-However as kids you never got the chance to get too close as Reginald noticed your bond and kept separating you
-So while you're glad you can finally be friendly as adults you're still not as close as you could of been, you do try to catch up but the years of forced seperation has created a wall between you
-So has your apparent lack of powers, because though it's absolutely not her intention Sloane can be so patronizing and insensitive about your status as the ordinary one
-As shocked as she is to learn you have powers she's quick to look on the bright side and tries to encourage you to as well, though on the flipside she does also feel terrible to realise the depth of how manipulated and isolated you were
-She's an absolute blessing when it comes to helping you understand and control your power, as a literal genius with experience handling her own superpowers and the kindest person you know she's the best mentor you could hope for, things would of been so much worse without her
-She's firmly on your side throughout this whole ordeal, constantly vouching for you and prioritising what you need no matter what the others say or do
Jayme Hargreeves
-Obviously Jayme never gives you the time of day, but really it's not like she's more apathetic about you than she is about anything else in her life
-Honestly she even likes you more than numbers one to three because at least you never try to tell her what to do, so she's not totally against your company
-Actually she's kind of a very typical sister, you're not friends and she has no problem snarking you but you're family and she'll have your back if you need it
-Even though she had no idea about your powers she isn't all that surprised to learn the truth about you, mostly because she knows this is the exact kind of bullshit Reginald would do and she always thought him keeping you around was a bit suspicious
-She's calm but reasonably cautious when it comes to dealing with the new-you since she has to admit that that is one intense power you have
-Personally she has a hard time seeing you as a threat but like Alphonso she's not going to stick her neck out for you if the sparrow academy decides to do things the hard way
Diego bonding with Sparrow academy Reader (that’s it take this prompt however you so please)
warnings: subtle pining, hints towards a romantic relationship, soft!diego
a/n: when I read this ask the first image that came to mind was Diego in a moonlit motel room with the reader and I just ran with it lmao
The motel room is dark, the permanent stench of old cigarettes and carpet stains mingling together in a scent so strong it makes you feel dizzy with nausea. The pale moonlight seeps its way through the blinds and illuminates your features in the dark, and Diego finds he likes it better that way. In the cover of the night you can almost forget you’re on opposite ends of the same fight, and strangely, you find it comforting to know him not as Number Two of the Umbrella Academy but simply as Diego Hargreeves, your friend.
“Thanks for coming,” he utters softly, the fatigue from being on the run clear in his voice.
“My family says my sense of empathy is a weakness,” you reply with a meager shrug, the hint of a smile on your lips, “I’m just hoping we prove them wrong.”
“We’ll see, kid,” Diego offers with a weak chuckle. He isn’t sure if the thumping in his chest is from the act of fraternizing with the enemy or fraternizing with you, but you seem to be the only Sparrow willing to hear the other side’s plea for aid in returning to their own timeline, so he has no choice but to blindly follow your lead. This is your turf now, not his, and you’re the team’s only chance at getting things back to the way they were.
“Why’d you bring me here?” You finally ask, eyes glancing around the dingy room in subtle disdain.
“It’s the only place we can talk without interruptions. Our siblings aren’t exactly best buddies,” he retorts sarcastically. “I’m not one to back down from a fight, but I can’t- I won’t fight Ben. There has to be another way.”
“I’m sorry,” you say gently, hand coming to rest comfortingly upon his bicep.
“I’ve dreamed of seeing him again, came up with about a million scenarios in my head where he came back, thought of ways in which I could have stopped it from happening in the first place, but none of that could have ever prepared me for what happened when we got here.”
“Hey,” you call softly, carefully taking his calloused hands in your own, “you won’t have to fight him. There is another way, and I’m going to help you find it. Just... Just give me some time, okay?”
“Time,” Diego repeats with a wry chuckle, “time is a bitch.”
“So I’ve heard,” you reply with a meager smile, one that Diego can’t help but return. In this lighting you look like an angel, and in a sense you are, going out of your way to get the Hargreeves back home even if it could land you in hot water with your own family, and for a moment he thinks of what it would be like to keep you, to take you home with him and see where whatever it is that’s growing between you two goes. It’s selfish and stupid, but you can’t blame him for his wishful thinking.
“Thank you,” he says again as he gives your hands the gentlest of squeezes. “If we get home, it’ll be because of you.”
“When you get home,” you correct with a comforting smile.
“Right,” he chuckles quietly, “when.”
When he gets home, it’s going to be hard saying goodbye to you.
𝔞. 𝔫𝔬𝔱𝔢: this might make sense on its own, but i do think you should read part one for added context
𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰: fingering while on dragonback (poor vhagar, this is the targaryen version of joining the mile-high club i think), fluff apart from that
“she won’t hurt you as long as you’re with me,” aemond reassures you for what might just be the millionth time. still, with every step you take, you wring your hands together and pray to the seven gods for whatever’s to come.
in the stillness of the night, your senses feel heightened. every footstep, every distant laugh and squeal and animal sounds ring loudly enough in your ears that they might as well be made right next to it. you clutch your cloak tighter, looking to aemond who does the same.
“my prince…”
“hush, little sparrow,” he breathes. it’s a soft whisper, mostly so he won’t attract any attention, and yet your body obeys like it’s a command. “do you not trust your prince?”
“i-i do, but…”
“and do you not trust his dragon?”
well, that’s certainly debatable. how do you know you won’t instantly be burnt to a crisp the moment vhagar gets the tiniest whiff of you? how do you know you’re not marching to become her next meal?
“you don’t,” aemond says like it’s a firm statement. and perhaps it is. she is ancient and powerful and a god. you are just a servant girl in the red keep.
“do you not trust your prince’s ability to command his dragon then?” aemond’s voice is low, careful. your body reacts to it instantly as a warning shiver passes down your spine. you must tread carefully.
“i do, my prince.”
“then there’s no need for you to worry, is it?”
there are a thousand different things to worry about, you think to yourself—sneaking outside the keep in the darkest hours of the night, sneaking outside with a prince, riding a targaryen dragon, sleeping with the prince… more times than one…
“i suppose not,” you answer just as quietly.
“i haven’t been outside the city gates all that often,” you confess a bit more freely once you step outside the gates. “it’s…different.”
“is it?” aemond’s voice holds the same curiosity it always does whenever he’s asked you a question about yourself—never condescension or a patronising tone, always a genuine desire to know the answer.
“the air smells better,” you laugh.
aemond hums, smiling at you as you continue to make your way to his dragon. you know it’s not far now, vhagar usually sleeps right outside the gates so the prince can ride to her whenever necessary.
and now as you hear stirring and great big breaths echoing in the distance, your heart picks up again, thudding wildly in your chest the closer you walk. there’s anticipation thick in the air—thick and cloying and suffocating, and you wonder if it would be wise to just turn around and make a run for it.
but then aemond stops just a few steps ahead of you and turns around to extend his hand.
“are you ready, little sparrow?”
the no is right there on the tip of your tongue. no i’m not, i will never be, lets just go back to your bed. i’ll keep you warm. that’s what you wish you were saying, instead you give him a shaky little nod and watch the prince’s face split into a gorgeous smile.
“ynot!” aemond’s voice rings out in the crisp, quiet night.
the beast stirs.
if it weren’t for the prince holding your hand, you would have dropped to your knees right then, you would have dropped to your knees and curled into a ball praying for swift death. one look at her, and you know there’s not running away from her.
there’s only aemond who stands there like a shield between you while you cower behind him as vhagar stands to her full height.
you have seen her in the skies before, patrolling the areas around the red keep and king’s landing, flying like a giant bird in the vast skies. but up close she is bigger than you could have ever imagined.
she’s big and beautiful and beastly. involuntarily you whimper.
“they sense fear, little sparrow,” there’s a teasing note to his voice as you press yourself into his back, peeping at her from behind him.
“well, i am afraid,” you snap, not even bothering to apologise and grovel for taking that tone with him. aemond seems anything but offended, though. he seems rather amused.
“do you wish to touch her, little sparrow?”
no. no no no. absolutely not. no! but aemond seems so eager and despite the fear coursing through your veins you can’t find it in yourself to deny him this small pleasure.
“um…”
“come,” he leads you by the hand. closer and closer and closer until she moves again and you yelp, practically jumping onto him and burying your face in his chest. aemond’s sharp laugh rings in your ears. this is beyond embarrassing that a simple movement of her head should have you shaking like a leaf.
but aemond’s arms around you feel nice and reassuring. so much so that you hold onto him a little tighter.
“lykirī, vhagar,” the prince murmurs. you don’t know what the words mean, all you know is that hearing him speak in high valyrian has a few butterflies fluttering in your stomach, clearing away some of the dread.
“lykirī…” he breathes softly, approaching her with you still clinging to him, a little bit less now that she’s still again, looking at you with her giant yellow eye.
up close you can see just how leathery and thick her skin looks, battle worn over centuries and tougher than even diamonds perhaps. aemond raises your hand that he’s been holding, and before you have the chance to beg him not to, places it on her neck.
your heart stops beating entirely.
vhagar’s nostrils flare like she’s sniffing you. sizing you up more like… perhaps she’s wondering if you’d even be worth one bite to her. her hide is the strangest thing you have ever touched, unlike any other sensation you have ever felt in your entire life.
“what did you say to her?” you ask in a hushed voice. aemond stands behind you, his body pressed against yours, his hand atop yours as you stroke the dragon with shaky, hesitant movements.
“i told her to be calm.”
“you told her to be calm?” you laugh, “what’s she got to be scared of? me?!”
“would you rather she startled?” aemond teases and that shuts you right up.
the fear in you dissipates the more you stroke her. she’s calm after that, only huffing slightly every once in a while. slowly you even gather the courage to move a little closer to her. all the while aemond watches. you can feel his eye on you at all times, never once wavering, never once looking at anything else.
“should we fly then, little sparrow?” aemond asks after a while. you freeze again. fly… on her… sure you’re no longer scared she might burn you to a crisp but to fly on her…
but you’ve trusted aemond thus far, and he hasn’t let you get hurt. what’s a little more trust then.
“you need to let go of me, little sparrow,” aemond laughs, urging you to let go of the arm you’ve been clutching for dear life while sitting in front of him.
the dragon’s still on the ground and you’re already so high up… what happens once she starts flying?
“mm? oh, sorry,” you mumble, letting go and straightening just a little.
“i’m going to keep you safe,” he murmurs in your ear, raising goosebumps all over your body.
his fingers trail up the side of your thigh, over the leathers he’d lent you for this specifically. it already feels odd enough to be in trousers but that’s nothing compared to the feel of a saddle beneath you. still, his touch soothes you a little, calms your racing heart.
the night is still dark, with no moon in the sky. a million stars twinkle above you, and as much as it scares you, you can’t wait to touch the heavens just a little. see if you can pluck a star from the sky.
“vēzot!” aemond commands. beneath you, the beast flaps her wings.
there’s a great rumble, a sound louder than any thunder you have ever heard. it’s her, you realise, it’s vhagar’s cry as she frees her wings and leaps into the air, up and up and up until you realise you’re half-screeching and half-laughing, hysterical and awed. this is…beyond anything you’ve ever experienced.
wind rushes through your hair, making your eyes water at first. your hair will be a tangled mess after this, much worse than when the prince has his way with you, and yet you can’t care less as all of king’s landing lays right below you—building’s tiny as a grain of rice, lights burning below you just like the stars that twinkle above you.
“aemond!” you grab his arm, screaming over the wind, “aemond look! the red keep, and that—” you point somewhere to its east, “that’s the sept, and oh! that’s…”
one by one you point to the buildings and the streets you’ve only ever roamed so far. the more you recognise them the more excitement floods in your veins. vhagar’s gliding over king’s landing now, gentle and soothing, only flapping her wings whenever necessary.
“it’s beautiful, isn’t it?” somehow his voice still carries over the wind, over the blood rushing in your ears. it would… after all he speaks the words right in your ear, kissing the shell of it and flicking his tongue over it right after.
“hold the reins for me, will you?” aemond asks, his voice hoarse, deep.
“w-what?”
“hold the reins, little sparrow…”
it’s an order as he nudges your hands with his, urging you to take a hold of the leathers. you know you’re not really steering the dragon, not with your inability to speak any high valyrian or your lack of valyrian blood. still, it feels like the biggest responsibility in the world. bigger still when vhagar grumbles the moment you close your hands around the reins.
but aemond’s there to pat the dragon. “rȳbās, vhagar,” he commands again and the dragon goes back to the way she was before, calm, gliding on the wind.
“she listens to you…” you murmur in awe, more to yourself than to him. because of course it’s a stupid observation, she’s his dragon, of course she listens to him. and yet it’s awe inspiring to you that he can command the dragon the way he does.
prince he may be, but he’s still a mortal man… it astonishes you that he commands so much power with just a few words.
“you listen to me too, little sparrow,” aemond breathes softly, placing little kisses over the shell of your ear just like he had before. his hand, now free, rides up your thigh, over your stomach, while the other rests on your hip, holding you in place.
“aemond was it? not…my prince?”
your eyes widen when you realise. of course, in your excitement you’d forgotten all manners, addressing him by his name like he’d given you permission.
“my apologies, my prince, i—”
“i like it, little sparrow.” he pushes his hand inside your trousers, shutting you up instantly.
his fingers are cold from the night air, a shock to your system as soon as he touches your clit—cold, rough fingers, touching the softest, warmest parts of you.
his fingers move, tracing circles and vague shapes until you’re a moaning, quivering mess, writhing just so you can feel a little more friction. it’s just the right pressure, the right pace as he works you up. your hand falls slack, only loosely gripping the reins now, back arching off his chest lightly as you moan as loudly as you want.
there’s no one to hear you high in the skies above king’s landing. no one to catch you in the act. all your sounds belong to him and him alone. and you won’t deny your prince those simple little pleasures.
this is nothing like you’ve felt before, nothing like how your own hands make you feel. this is like tiny bolts of lightning right under your skin as the wind rushes all around your body.
“that–that feels so good…”
aemond hums behind you, keeping up with the pace he’s set. his fingers dip between your folds, teasing and inching towards your opening—keeping you on edge. the reins are bunched up between your fingers, back pressed to his chest. as he nips at your neck, right over your pulse point, using his other hand to play with your nipples; stimulating, sending jolts through your whole body.
“always ready for me, aren’t you little sparrow?” he breathes, peppering kisses down your shoulder. his finger circles your entrance, rough and thicker than your own, better than you’re used to.
it’s enough for you to cry out—whine really. because you want him, need to feel him. but he’s taking his own sweet time.
“what was that for, huh? needy little thing,” he taunts, “what do you want?”
between the words and his gruff voice, all thoughts vanish out of your head for a second. he hasn’t even properly fucked you yet, and your head is already starting to feel like mush.
“you, please,” you all but beg, “want your fingers in me, please my prince…”
“not afraid of vhagar anymore, are you?” his taunting tone gets you going more.
this should scare you to death—to be at the mercy of a dragon so high up in the skies, and yet with aemond’s fingers buried between your legs and his hardness pressing into your ass, none of it matters. none of it except chasing that high he makes you feel every single time.
you spread your legs wider. your hand reaches back, caressing the nape of his neck, scratching it in slow sensual circles. hearing him groan is enough to calm any residual nerves that remain. sure, the effect you have on him is minuscule compared to what he’s doing to you, but it’s a small victory regardless.
aemond falters for a brief moment, head thrown back as you feel the spike in his heartbeat. it makes your own skip a beat. but he recovers quickly, teasing your folds a bit more, finger circling your entrance.
“my good girl,” he whispers, lips pressed to the shell of your ear.
before you even have the time to react to that, he slides a finger in, just the tip first, teasing, before he pulling the finger out again and thrusting it in. it’s faster this time, rougher. your insides feel like liquid, melting further and further with each graze of his callouses, with each thrust.
you scream his name as loud as you can, louder every time his thumb presses into your clit, chanting it so thoroughly, reciting it like a prayer and chasing your high.
it’s frankly a surprise that you still have the ability to speak because every single part of your body feels like it’s melting, blood zapping through your body, pushing your heart into overdrive.
this time when aemond thrusts in, it’s with two fingers. you cry out at the sudden stretch, the burn that accompanies it. he falters when you jolt forward.
“did i hurt you, little sparrow?”
hurt?!
“no, i—” it takes you a moment to gather your thoughts, and to take the whiney edge off your voice. “that felt good… better than before. keep going, please, just—”
the prince doesn’t let you finish, pushing his fingers inside you again. the hilt of his palm crashes against your clit, rougher than before, and you body trembles from all of it.
“perfect little sparrow,” his tongue flicks against your ear, “taking me so well.”
his words add to the heady intoxication. your head spins, completely blanking out on anything else—the dizziness from your desire and the vertigo of being so high up, that… you think, is the most addicting feeling you have ever experienced.
all that matters right now is aemond and his hands and his voice. his lips latch onto your neck, sucking on your sweet spot and peppering kisses, and this time the buzzing that fills your ears is nothing like before.
now as your legs shake and spasm, you know you’re close.
his fingers keep moving in and out, plunging into you, drawing out wet and obscene sounds until you feel them hooking inside you, without warning. when he parts his fingers inside you, stretching you more, it’s enough to push you over the edge.
with a cry, you slump against him, gushing onto his hand, incapable of doing anything else as waves of pleasure crash onto you, blinding you almost.
for a second the world falls away, tilts on its axis, as you experience a mind numbing orgasm on the back of a dragon you were terrified of mere hours ago.
“aem…” you falter, gasping as he continues to slide his fingers in and out, letting you ride out your orgasm.
“shall we go back to the keep, little sparrow?” he whispers a moment later, “continue this without traumatising poor vhagar.”
you laugh, it’s a throaty chuckle more than anything. aemond’s fingers are still buried deep inside you, making you clench around him.
in apology you stroke the dragon. “she’s a good girl.”
“oh, is she?” aemond asks, and you can already imagine his arched brow as he stares at you with a little smirk, his eye glinting in the darkness.
“lets go back to the keep, my prince,” you nod, “the things i want you to do to me are better suited for a bed anyway…”
summary: you and theo begin to investigate the murder, while trying to keep the operation under wraps and each other save from the killer
warnings: extremely big trigger warning for the whole series, in this chapter: mentions of blood, a corpse, murder
note: hello guys, welcome back to the second episode of nbnc!! i hope you like it so far! if you have any theories, do not be shy and share them in the comments!!!
you were staring at the wall across from you. dumbledores office was different than you would have imagined. you could hear the teachers voice, but it didn’t really reach your eyes, your mind wandering back and forth between what had happened prior.
professor burbages face was such a clear image in your mind. way too clear, way too disturbing. you could feel her eyes linger on you, feel the pain that had etched itself onto her features and the wetness of the blood on your fingers, that you had picked up as you had fallen back into the snow.
you felt theo’s arms around you, as he pulled you into the castle. you had felt his quick heartbeat against your ear, his shaky breath had been louder than yours and you hadn’t been able to stand on your own.
“it’s okay” he had muttered, pressing you to his chest, as if to shield you from every bad thing in the world. “you’re okay” his voice was muffled as he spoke into your hair, hiding his own face as if to gain some sort of comfort from the close proximity.
“did you see anyone?” mcgonagalls voice reached your ears and your mind broke free off the memory.
you shook your head, not having the ability to speak. theo send a worried glance in your direction. you were fiddeling with your hands in your lap, the look of terror still on your face.
“there was no one there” theo said. “we didn’t hear or see anything apart from what we told you” his voice had grown aggravated through all the questions you had had to answer. “can we please continue this another time?”
“just a few more questions, mr. nott” dumbledore said softly, holding a bowl filled with lemon drops towards you. both theo and you shook your head.
theo sighed, but nodded at the professor’s request. then, all of a sudden, he reached over and took your hand in his, so you could hold onto something and knew that he was there.
you looked up and theo send you a reassuring smile.
you ended up at the common room at half past three. the questioning had continued all throughout the night, with the teachers grappling to find answers. you were sure that they knew more than you, as they exchanged mysterious glances at everything theo and you told them.
you couldn’t stop thinking about it and you were so incredibly scared. you wished theo was there, he was the only one that understood what you were going through.
you climbed the stairs to your dorm, deciding that it was to no use to sit around the common room all alone. hermione was fast asleep when you opened the door. the teachers had probably informed them that you were being held back, but probably without disclosing the real reason.
you got rid of your uniform and changed into your pyjama. you took another glance at hermione, before you quietly walked to her bed and crawled under the blanket. she stirred a bit in her sleep, but didn’t wake up, as you pushed your face into the pillow next to her.
you needed some sort of comfort and just knowing she was there was enough to send you to sleep, the exhaustion taking over before your mind could wander back to the nights events again.
the next morning, the castle felt strangely quiet. you awoke after hermione, who had probably already left for breakfast or something else. for a moment, you simply lay there, staring at the ceiling, letting the stillness linger. but the memories crept back in as they always did—professor burbage’s face, the coldness of the snow, and the horror that gripped you when you realized something was terribly wrong.
you slipped out of hermione’s bed, there was no point in staying any longer, pretending that a few more hours of sleep could wash away what had happened. your limbs felt heavy as you dressed, your mind replaying the details over and over. every time you closed your eyes, it was there again—her face, twisted with fear, and the blood, so much of it, on your hands.
downstairs, the common room was empty, except for theo, who was waiting for you. his back was turned, his posture rigid as he stared into the fireplace.
“theo” you said in surprise. he turned around and send you a soft smile.
“i couldn’t sleep much” he muttered, “thought you might want some company”
“but the password?”
“it was way too easy to find out” he shook his head, laughing softly. “you guys should better change it” he added, a bit more worried, realizing the danger a security breach like that held.
you quickly nodded, your eyes wandering over his features that softened when he noticed the tears brimming in your eyes.
he stepped closer, pausing for a second, before he finally opened his arms, so you could cry against his chest.
“i’m sorry” you muttered, ruffling your nose. “i’m sorry”
“what for?” theo asked, voice calm and warm like he could send all your fears to sleep with a simple word. “you saw something terrible and rightfully it messed you up, it messed me up too”
“i’m glad you’re here” you whispered and you could feel him nod his head. “you’re the only one who understands”
“just like you” he smiled as you stepped back. “but i’m also here because of something else” he waited for your permission to explain.
“go on” you urged, cleaning the left over tears from your face with the back of your hand.
his hand went into the pocket of his trousers and he took out a folded piece of paper that he then held in your direction. you took it and opened it up. “professor burbage had that with her. outside”
your eyes studied the symbol on the paper. it looked familiar, but you couldn’t quite place it. the lines were sharp, forming an intricate design that seemed purposeful, almost like a rune. your heart started to race as you stared at the symbol, trying to pull the memory from the back of your mind.
“i’ve seen this before” you whispered, but your voice was uncertain. “i don’t know where, but i’ve definitely seen it”
theo leaned closer, his eyes scanning the paper along with you. “i thought the same thing when i found it. it was clenched in her hand. almost like… like she was trying to hold on to it.”
“did dumbledore see this?” you asked alarmed. “why did you take it?”
“i didn’t think properly before i did, it was the first thing that i saw, i realized only later that she had probably held it in her hand. otherwise it would’ve been wet”
“this is evidence, theo” you shook your head, brushing back your hair with the piece of paper still in your hand. “you can’t just take evidence from a crime scene!” you scolded.
“well, i didn’t know it was a crime scene when i took it” he excused. “apart from that, maybe the rune entails a secret message or something? something the killer could’ve used to get burbage outside”
your eyes widened, before you quickly nodded. “okay” you pushed the paper back into his hand. “what do we do now? go to dumbledore and tell him?”
“because that worked so great before” theo said softly, but you could hear the annoyance in his voice.
“he just said that we can’t be sure it’s a murder”
“well it looked like a bloody murder, didn’t it?” he grimaced, “all the blood”
“yeah” you agreed. “it definitely did. but what do you suggest we do if we won’t tell dumbledore? who could we tell then?”
“no one” theo shrugged. “we keep it between us, until we find out more”
“find out more?” you asked surprised. “do i look like sherlock holmes to you?”
“no, but you come close to doctor watson”
“ha ha” you shook your head and crossed your arms, before you thought for a second. “alright” you finally said “let’s get some breakfast, i might know someone who can help with that after”
he nodded, ready to leave the common room, but you held him back by his arm. “but not together, no one should know what we’re trying to find out. and no word about professor burbage, we don’t even know if it’s public knowledge yet”
“okay” theo muttered. “for someone who claims to have no idea about this, it comes to you pretty naturally”
“i’ve read a lot” you shrugged, but couldn’t bite back the smile that crept onto your face. “come on”
theo and you split up. you sat down at the gryffindor table next to ron and across from harry, while theo wandered off to the slytherin table to join his own friends.
“morning” harry greeted. “where have you been so long?” he wondered, before he raised his brows and touched your cheek. “have you been crying?”
you shook your head, quickly wiping over your cheeks to get rid of the remaining wetness. “no” you muttered. you couldn’t even trust your own voice. theo and you had sworn not to tell anyone what you knew and that probably included your brother. he would find out soon enough anyway.
“good morning” dumbledores voice rang out loud and clear throughout the hall, before harry had the chance to question you further. “something terrible happened yesterday” he paused for a second, before he added. “professor burbage has been found dead”
waves of shock went through the hall, as gazes were exchanged and heavy whisper broke through.
you looked at theo across from you. neither of you had thought that the teachers would share the news so fast.
“we can’t be sure what happened yet, but professor slughorn is currently trying to inform the aurors in the hope that we will soon have an answer to every question you might have” he smiled softly. “for now, please remain calm and—“
the door to the great hall flew open, revealing professor slughorn, who quickly hurried inside. “albus!” he called loudly, not caring who was listening “the castle—, it’s been” he shook his head, as if to try and rearrange his thoughts. “a terrible snowstorm has cut every tie to the outside world” he finished, having reached the teachers table, face reddened and trying to catch his breath.
no one in the hall dared to matter a word, not even ron, as the three of you stared up at the teachers table where dumbledore and slughorn were hurriedly whispering with each other.
“alright, alright” dumbledore nodded finally, as slughorn sank down in his seat. mcgonagall slightly tapped his shoulder in comfort, but slughorn looked like he was about to faint as he wept a hand through his thinning hair.
“it seems like another problem just introduced itself” dumbledore’s smile was unwavering, but you noticed a hint of discomfort on his face. the same discomfort he had worn the day before, when you had told him about professor burbage. “it’s seems that a magically forged storm has reached the hogwarts grounds. there is no need to worry, as this will be taken care of. as stated before, please remain calm, make sure to stay together and continue on with your day”
“magically forged?” harry muttered. “and what about professor burbage? what does she have to do with everything?”
“i don’t know” you replied warily, locking eyes with theo across the hall, before you nodded to the door. “i have to go” you told harry and ron, before you got up to leave.
“what? where?” harry tried to reach for your hand, but you drew it back quickly. “you’re acting strange, y/n. what’s going on?”
“nothing” you shook your head, quickly searching for an answer that would leave him satisfied. “well, i have this uh— girl problem that i need to talk to hermione about” you eventually replied, acting as if you were embarassed.
“oh” harry muttered, while ron’s cheeeks quickly grew rosy, as he averted his eyes. “okay, then go on” harry encouraged uncomfortably. “but, let me know if you need, uh, any help, yeah?”
you nodded and finally left the hall with a last wave to your friends. “bye” they answered your greeting, before they quickly turned their heads, falling into conversation with neville and ginny.
theo, who had caught your hint, met you in the corridor outside the great hall. “did you know they would tell everyone?” you blurted out as soon as he arrived.
“what? no!” he shook his head. “what’s even worse is the storm. do you think there’s a connection?”
“maybe the killer is not finished” you muttered, finger pressed to your chin, thinking.
theo kept silent, watching you with wide eyes, as he thought about what you said. “that means—“
“yeah” you nodded “he’s still here and his next victim is too”
“shit” theo shook his head, his hair moving and a few curls falling into his eyes. he tried to push them back, but it was to no use. his hair perfectly displayed how he was feeling on the inside. he sighed. “you might be right, but we have a chance to stop him, before anyone else gets hurt, so what do we do? you said you knew someone who could help with the rune?”
“hermione” you simply answered.
“of course” theo smirked. “who else?”
as you had expected, hermione hadn’t been at breakfast, not so late in the morning at least. not even the approaching christmas feist was an excuse for her to rest.
you found her in the library, sitting at a table, accompanied by various stacks of books. she was concentrating on a piece of parchment, as her finger expertelly swerved over the book in front of her.
“wait” theo said, holding your arm, before you could walk around the shelf you were standing behind.
“what?”
“maybe i should wait here” theo shrugged. “we agreed to tell no one that we are trying to find out more, remember?”
“yeah, uh, of course” you nodded, outstretching your hand to take the piece of paper with the rune on it into your own hand.
“i’ll wait here” theo promised and you smiled at his assurence.
hermione didn’t even look up when you called her name. she blessed you with ignorance, as she turned the page of her book.
“oh, y/n” she finally said, when you repeated the calling. she pushed one of the stacks of books to the side, so she could have a proper look at you. “are you alright?” she asked, brows furrowed as she stared at you in deep concentration.
you answered her question with a stunned expression to which she sighed, concluding she had to explain herself. “well, you slept in my bed last night, which you only do if you’re feeling unwell or scared” she paused and took another look at you “and you’re in the library before eleven”
“maybe i just wanted to sleep next to someone?” you muttered, cheeks turning red as you thought about theo hearing that you had been so scared the night before you had to sleep in someone elses bed.
hermione shot you a look that clearly said, don’t be ridiculous.
“okay, fine” you nodded. “professor burbage was found dead. i found her”
“i know” hermione said as if you were talking about the weather.
“how?” you asked confused. “dumbledore only announced it before i came here”
“you speak in your sleep” hermione informed. “i went here as soon as i finished eating. i’m trying to find out something about the magically forged snow storm outside”
“how did you—“
“my parent’s letter arrives every tuesday, eight a.m. sharp. this morning it didn’t” she shrugged. “that could only have two reasons: first, my parents forgot to send it, which they never did in six years and let’s be honest, they’re dentists”
you nodded, as if you understood the correlation between the punctuality of letters and dentists.
“or” she went on “somehow the owls had a problem coming through, which they never had before, not in a thousand years” she pointed to the edition of a history of magic in front of you. “then i took a look outside and there it was: snowstorm”
“yeah, okay” you nodded, impressed that she had found out all of that on her own.
“sorry” you winced, before you held the piece of paper in her direction. “professor burbage held this in her hand when i found her”
“this is evi—“
“it’s just a copy” you quickly lied, not willing to risk her going to dumbledore about this. she was your best friend, but she was still hermione.
hermione inspected the paper, before she sighed once more. “would you please tell nott to stop hiding behind the shelf? his eagerness is distracting me”
you didn’t even question how she knew about that, as theo stepped around the shelf and into the open. “hey, granger”
“hello” hermione didn’t even aknowledge the boy, instead she kept staring at the rune. “so you were there too, huh?” she finally said, as she gave the paper back to you.
“huh?” theo muttered, taken aback by her question.
“how did she look?” hermione continued without being fazed by theo’s lack of an answer. it seemed that she had already made up her mind about his involvement. “was there blood?”
“a lot” you nodded.
“well, it was obviously murder” hermione concluded. “but not by magic as it seems.”
“so you don’t know what this is?” you asked. she had not mentioned anything about the rune. “i think i have seen it before, it seems familiar”
“of course i know what it is” hermione replied almost offended. “and you recognize it, because you have seen it before. it was the coat of arms for an old underground organization at hogwarts— the nocturne society”
“of course” theo smiled in recognition. “it apparently got forbidden a few years ago”
“and rightfully so” hermione nodded, as she pushed one of the opened book into yours and theo’s direction. “here. they had connections to the dark arts, sometimes that ended in some real trouble”
you overflew the passages, which talked about various situations where the doing of the organization had led to injuries or other incidents in the school and grounds around it.
“well, why would someone draw this coat of arms on a piece of paper and give that to professor burbage?” you wondered.
“maybe to threaten her?” theo shrugged.
“actually” hermione interrupted, her voice cutting through the room as she glanced between you and theo. “it’s a warning. there have been rumors that the organization had returned, with new members of course, but this was always their way of warning those who came too close to their business”
“so professor burbage might have found out about something she shouldn’t” you concluded. “but would one of them go as far as murder? i mean if it’s someone from the nocturne society it has to be a student, right?”
hermione nodded. “a student with a broken moral compass and no respect for rules”
“i think rules are the least of their worries, granger” theo laughed.
hermione crossed her arms, unimpressed. “well, i wouldn’t know about any of those delinquents” she looked between the two of you, before she added “but i hear your friend riddle has a special appreciation for the dark arts—and certainly no less for forbidden underground organizations.”
you and theo exchanged a glance, before you nodded. “thank you hermione, you’ve been of great help”
“of course” hermione smiled and you and theo got up to leave, but she held you back. “be careful with him” she send a pointed look against theo’s back. “someone who’s so close to people who practice the dark arts might not be far from practicing it himself. he could be dangerous, y/n”
“i’ll be careful” you promised, intentionally ignoring everything else she said. “don’t mention it to harry”
“i won’t” hermione assured. “as long as you get out alive”
you caught up with theo, before he had even noticed you were missing. hermione continued her research on the magically forged snowstorm as the both of you left the library and her behind.
you found mattheo in the corridor to the slytherin corridor. he wasn’t alone, but heavily making out with a girl, which turned out to be millicent bulstrode. they didn’t notice either theo or you as you approached and theo had to physically tear them apart, after repeatedly calling mattheo’s name didn’t work.
“nott” mattheo groaned loudly, millicent still in his arms. she didn’t even acknowledge you.
mattheo furrowed his brows, as he noticed you behind theo. “potter” he exclaimed surprised. “came for a kiss, i suppose?” he kissed the air in front of him.
“hey!” millicent muttered, slapping a hand against mattheo’s chest, but making no move to leave.
“we need to talk to you” theo said coldly, not impressed by mattheo’s attempt to flirt with you.
“we?” mattheo laughed. “who’s we? you and potter dating now or what?”
“no” theo muttered between clenched teeth and even though you didn’t knew him well, you could tell that he was beginning to get angry. “we need to talk” he repeated.
“well, you can talk to me later” mattheo smirked unimpressed. “i have other things to do” he took a look at millicent, before he returned his eyes to theo and you. “everyone has to wait their turn.”
“you disgust me, mattheo” theo spit, before he took your arm to lead you out of the dungeon. “come on, we’ll come back later”
you nodded, quickly tearing your eyes away from millicent and mattheo, who had already begun kissing again. “is he always like that?” you asked and theo sighed, before he nodded.
“usually he is a bit more likeable”
“i hardly believe that” you laughed and theo smiled at you. “but maybe we can use the spare time to look for more clues in professor burbages office”
“you think that is a good idea?” theo quirked a brow, clearly challenging you.
“well, you thought investigating a murder was a good idea, so i won’t take any judgement from you”
theo laughed and you thought it was the most beautiful sound in the world. you found it almost unbelievable how close the two of you had grown over the span of hours. theo had been practically a stranger all those years you had spent in the same school, but now he felt like he was the closest friend you had. trauma was a really bonding experience it seemed.
professor burbages office was right behind her classroom. a small staircase led up to the door, that held all the clues you were searching for.
“it’s locked” theo concluded when he tried opening the door.
“did you bring your wand?” you asked, but theo shook his head and you had to do the same, after he returned the question.
“well” you smiled, kneeling down in front of the keyhole. “then we need to do it the muggle way” you grabbed one of the bobbypins out of your hair and pushed it open, leaving a long and thing metal stem. you picked the lock expertly and the door sprung open in a matter of seconds.
“where did you learn that?” theo asked, surprised by your unusual skill.
“my aunt loved to lock the kitchen when harry and i were children” you shrugged. “sometimes we were so hungry, there was no other way”
theo nodded and you missed the look of compassion on his face, when you walked into the office before him.
once in the office, you split up, each of you searching a different half of the room.
you sorted through a stack of paper in the cabinet that stood at the back of the room, when you heard theo sigh loudly.
“this is just a bunch of school stuff” he muttered. “i had hoped for something clearer”
“like what?” you laughed.
“i don’t know” he shrugged, as he opened another drawer. “maybe a death threat?”
“i think the killer might be a bit smarter than that” you exclaimed, right as your eyes fell on an opened bottle on the dresser next to you. you raised your brows, before you took the bottle into your hand.
to burbage—
for when the pressure gets too much. consider this a parting gift.
you frowned, rereading the cryptic message. "parting gift?" you glanced at the wine again, and suspicion clawed at your thoughts.
suddenly, a sickening realization dawned on you. the note wasn't a friendly gesture—it was ominous, almost mocking. as you examined the bottle closer, a faint but unmistakable scent lingered in the air—bitter almonds.
poison.
“theo,” you called, your voice tight as you held up the bottle. “come look at this—”
but before you could finish, a loud noise echoed from outside the office. both of you froze. heavy footsteps approached. they weren’t casual, nor hesitant. they were deliberate.
theo shot you a sharp look, his hand instinctively moving toward professor burbage’s wand that was still laying on top of her desk. you quickly placed the bottle back on the dresser, your heart pounding in your chest.
the footsteps grew louder, closer. someone was coming. someone who might have known exactly what you were about to find.
theo moved to the door, his face tense as he mouthed. “what now?”
before you could answer, the handle to the office door rattled.
EPISODE 03: i ain't letting up, until the day i die
pairing: theo nott x potter!reader
summary: you find out more about the nocturne society, chemistry between theo and you grows, while other problems arise.
warnings: extremely big trigger warning for the whole series, in this chapter: mentions of murder, illegal activities
note: welcome back to the third episode of nbnc! i’m so excited to have you all back and to hear your opinions on this weeks episode!!
you reacted first. before the door flew open, you had reached for theo’s arm, dragging him into the wardrobe behind you. you were standing pressed close to each other and listened to the voices coming into the office.
you sighed internally when dumbledore’s calm voice reached your ears. he was talking to snape, who muttered uninterested replies, whenever dumbledore asked him something.
you and theo stayed in the wardrobe. you were glad that it wasn’t the killer, who had come back to get rid of whatever proof he had left behind, but that also meant that the teachers were in the posession of your best clue now.
at least you had been able to have a look at it before snape and dumbledore had entered the office. they were quicker than theo and you, just overlooking everything before they left, locking the door behind them.
theo and you started breathing normal again.
“that was close” theo muttered, pressing a hand to his chest. you nodded, not able to form coherent sentences.
“they took the wine” you finally said.
“at least we saw it before they did” theo nudged your arm, trying to lighten the mood.
“you're right”, you sighed, before you smiled again “we know the murder weapon now, that's pretty good”
“the killer has to have some knowledge of poison to have pulled this off” theo concluded. “i mean getting a teacher to drink that… impressive”
“yeah, right” you nodded, deep in thought.
“now let's leave before someone else gets here or they decide to come back” theo nodded to the door. you followed behind him, but your eyes caught on an envelope peeking out from beneath the stack of papers on professor burbage's desk. you were about to look away, but something familiar tugged at your attention.
it was the way the "t" was written on the envelope, sharp yet elegant, almost calligraphic—the same way someone you knew always wrote their name. the memory flashed in your mind.
“let me,” theo had said, gently taking the parchment from your hands. “you wrote everything else, your hand must be sore.”
you watched as he carefully wrote both your name and his, the sweeping lines of the "t" so distinct it looked like art.
“if i had known your handwriting was this pretty, i’d have made you write the entire project,” you’d joked, grinning.
now, the realization hit you like a cold gust of wind. you knew this handwriting. you knew exactly who had written that letter. you used the time you had while theo already up to the door, testing the handle, and slipped the envelope into your pocket. you would ask him about that later. maybe it was nothing important.
“can you open it again?” theo smirked, turning around at you, while you quickly distanced yourself from the desk.
he quirked a brow at your weird behaviour, but didn’t question it as he watched you bend down in front of the keyhole and pick the lock.
you walked down the stairs, through the classroom and slipped silently into the dark corridor, heart pounding but steps measured. theo followed closely behind, but you could feel his eyes on you, watching how you moved quickly, quietly—like you’d done this a thousand times.
when you reached the end of the hall, far enough away from the office, so no one would suspect anything, theo exhaled softly, clearly impressed. “you’re quiet for someone who’s always in the thick of things” he muttered, a smirk playing on his lips. “like a little sparrow, flitting through danger.”
you raised an eyebrow. “sparrow?”
he shrugged. “small, quick, and always finding a way out. suits you”
you smiled at the nickname before you nodded. “yeah, i guess”
“you look worried” theo searched your face for answers, he was used to you laughing at the things he said.
“it’s just— that was really close” you said softly, before you stopped in the middle of the corridor, a heavy sigh escaping your lips.
theo waited for you to continue, but you didn’t. “it’s something else, isn’t it?” he asked softly, the worry on his face almost matching yours.
“i just don’t know why someone would do that to her” you finally admitted. “this whole day i have been focusing on finding out what happened. so much even, that i forgot that an actual person died, someone i knew and liked. professor burbage was a great woman, she didn’t deserve what happened to her”
“you don’t know that”
“what? theo, she was a human being—“
“all i’m saying is that you didn’t really know her” he interrupted. “you knew the person she wanted you to see and after all we found out today, she wasn’t who you thought. i mean if she was really involved in that club..” he let the rest of the sentence hang in the air, not bothering to finish it as you stared at him in disbelief.
“do you really think that?” you whispered. tears spilt from your eyes at the realization that you were the only one of you two, who was actually sad about professor burbage’s death.
“no, i don’t know what i think, okay?” he muttered, feeling bad as he saw the effect his words had on you. he took your hand in his. “don’t worry, we will find out who did it” he promised, brushing a hand through your hair.
as you looked up at him, his blue eyes glistening back, you understood how much his promise meant to you. you trusted him, more than you probably should. but spending time with theo felt like spending time with someone you had known for all your life. maybe that was because he felt like a mirror of your soul.
both of you were the black sheep of your respective friend groups, never quite fitting in, yet never feeling different enough to leave. you both wore the same mask: tough, independent, and unbothered. but underneath, there was something raw, something lonely.
there were moments—like now—where you felt your walls crumble around him, just as his seemed to crack before your eyes. you recognized the same unspoken sadness and shared isolation that neither of you ever voiced aloud. it was this unspoken bond, that drew you to him more than anything else.
“okay” you nodded, believing him.
theo smiled at that. “now come on, let us find mattheo”
the way through the castle took way shorter than you remembered, maybe because theo didn’t let go of your hand for the whole way. the temperature dropped quickly when you walked down the stairs to the dungeon.
mattheo was still leaning against the wall of the corridor, green light illuminating his face. his lips were swollen, puffy and red and he looked like he had just smoked something, head hanging back against the wall.
“riddle” you called, waking him from his slumber.
“potter” mattheo greeted, eyes snapping open quickly as he heard your soft voice speak his name. he was no fan of your brother, but he had to admit that there had always been something about you that intrigued him. “made it official, huh?” his brow lifted as his gaze dropped to your hand, still intertwined with theo’s. you both quickly let go, putting a careful distance between yourselves.
“we still need to ask you something” theo finally announced after half a minute of silence had passed.
“i remember that, yeah” mattheo nodded. “i will help you with whatever, as soon as i get a kiss from potter over here” he puckered his lips.
your eyes narrowed in disbelief as you uncrossed your arms, stepping forward. you opened your mouth, but before you could say something, theo had stepped in front of you protectively.
“not happening” he muttered, voice cold and sharper than you had ever heard him talk before. “and if you don’t stop playing, i will make sure you will never even look in her direction again”
mattheo huffed. “who’s friend are you, nott?” he asked, rolling his eyes, before he sighed. “fine, i’ll help, but you owe me one” he pointed a finger in theo’s direction. “empty room whenever i need it”
“sure” theo shrugged, relaxing and making room for you to speak to mattheo.
“do you know anything about the nocturne society?”
mattheo’s eyes grew dark. “how do you know about that?” he asked, stepping forward threatingly.
theo interjected, before mattheo could come close to you. “professor burbage had that in her hand” he took out the rune and held it in mattheo’s direction, who studied it in deep concentration.
“i have never seen this before” he finally said. even you could tell that was a lie.
“please, mattheo” you pleaded and he looked surprised at the mention of his first name. “we just want to find out what happened. nothing will happen to the society, but someone who is a member might be the killer”
mattheo’s gaze grew soft as his eyes fell on you. you had never thought that mattheo riddle of all people would look at you like that. “there’s a party. every wednesday night. that’s where you’ll find your answers”
“a party?” theo drawled unbelieving. “is this a trap, mattheo?”
“no” mattheo sighed and his voice sounded honest. “the society has been dangerous before it got forbidden, but it’s nothing like that now. it’s just for fun. go to the party and see for yourself. the society has nothing to do with what happened.” he paused, before he added. “but a few members have mentioned burbage and an old dark magical object they were trying to steal from her, maybe that’s what you’re searching for”
“not dangerous, huh?” theo huffed in disbelief and you could hear the anger bubbling in his voice. “we talked about this, mattheo” he muttered, trying to be quiet enough for you to not understand, but failing in the process. “there’s already enough trouble surrounding your name, don’t make it worse”
“it’s not like that, theodore” mattheo replied sharply.
“okay” you interrupted the staring between the boys. “when does this party begin? and where is it?”
mattheo threw one last look at theo, before he took out a piece of paper and pushed it into you hand, not missing the way theo grabbed your arm in protection. “i won’t cut her hand off, nott” mattheo muttered with a roll of his eyes. “quit the ridiculous behaviour”
“sounds rich coming from you” theo replied, but still dropped his hand.
“just open it at nine o’clock tomorrow night and it will guide you” mattheo told you. “make sure to wear the right attire. it’s a masquerade ball”
“thank you” you smiled, touching mattheo’s arm in a friendly manner, before you turned to leave. you walked up a few steps, until you stopped next to a portrait, waiting for theo, who was still talking to mattheo. you felt like it was the right thing to give them some room.
theo waited until you were out of earshot, his expression hardening as he turned back to mattheo. “if this is a trap and anything happens to her, riddle, i swear—”
“relax, nott” mattheo interrupted, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. “i’m not your enemy here. you should be more worried about who’s actually behind all of this. and trust me, it’s not me.”
theo’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing in warning. “it better not be. she’s trusting you, and if you screw this up—”
tattheo raised his hands defensively, chuckling darkly. “i get it. you’re protective. but maybe you should tell her the truth, loverboy, instead of trying to scare me off. we both know that you weren’t at the astronomy tower out of pure coincidence”
theo’s fists clenched, but he said nothing. instead, he turned away abruptly, leaving mattheo standing there, still smirking as if he had won something.
as theo caught up with you, he saw you waiting a few steps ahead, your eyes scanning the corridor, lost in thought. he walked beside you, shoulders tense. “you okay?” he asked, his voice softer now that mattheo was out of sight.
you nodded, offering him a small, reassuring smile. “yeah. i just… didn’t expect him to be that helpful. i thought it’d take more convincing.”
“me too” theo muttered, glancing back briefly before looking at you again. “we just have to be careful. that party... i don’t trust any of them.”
“we have each other” you smiled softly, “so i’m not scared”
theo grinned at you, a soft blush flushing his features. “me neither” he took a look at the clock that adorned his waiste, before he sighed. “i better walk you back to your common room, it’s getting late and we need to be well rested if we want to catch a killer”
“high standards” you laughed, before you nodded. “sounds like a plan”
it was silent as you walked through the corridors in the direction of the gryffindor common room, before theo finally broke the silence.
“can i ask you something?” he said softly. “not about all of this, but.. something about you?”
“of course” you nodded, intrigued to hear what he wanted to know.
“how do you do all that? stick up to what people expect from you? fill the role of the perfect sister of the chosen one? it sounds stressful”
“it is” you shrugged. “but it’s always been like that, so i got used to it i guess. i’ve been harry’s sister all my life and even before hogwarts people had expectations of how i had to be. the strategy is to just be what they want you to be. it saves you a lot of headaches”
“but why? why don’t they just get used to who you really are?”
“well, it’s always been easier that way” you shrugged. “and i guess no one was ever interested in that to be honest”
theo turned his head to look at you with an intensity that made your pulse quicken. “i am” he said, his voice low but filled with so much sincerity that it almost overwhelmed you.
both of you stopped walking, turning to look at each other instead.
theo’s blue eyes seemed to pierce right through you, their sincerity hitting you harder than you’d expected. there was no teasing in his tone, just theo—raw and honest.
your breath hitched in your throat, your heart doing backflips at his words. you couldn’t help but smile, warmth spreading through your chest like wildfire. for a moment, it was as if the world had gone quiet, leaving just the two of you standing there, connected by something unspoken but powerful.
“theo...” you whispered, not knowing what else to say, but somehow feeling like he already understood.
the tension between you crackled in the air, electric and intoxicating. you could feel the heat radiating from theo as he drew closer, his eyes flickering between yours. the world around you faded away, leaving just the two of you in that moment. you could see it in his gaze—a mix of longing and uncertainty—and you knew you were close to something beautiful.
just as you leaned in, your breath mingling with his, the faint sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor, shattering the intimacy of the moment.
“do you hear that?” theo murmured, suddenly alert, his brow furrowing as he glanced down the hallway.
you quickly pulled back, heart racing from both the near kiss and the unexpected interruption. the footsteps grew louder, the rhythmic sound drawing closer with every passing second.
your heart beat even faster, as you felt uneasy about someone coming. it was close to nighttime. and usually, no one who had good intentions would be running around then. your eyes fell onto the broom closet behind theo’s back. “there, go!” you quickly muttered, pushing him to the door.
you weren’t sure who was approaching or if they even posed a threat to you, but you were rather safe than sorry.
you closed the door, just as the footsteps grew so loud that the person had to be close.
the closet was small, too small even for one person. the cramped space was dark and filled with the faint scent of wood polish and broom bristles. your chest pressed against theo’s as your back touched the wood of the door. you could feel the warmth radiating from his body, his breathing steady despite the tension in the air.
“this is the second time in a day we’re hiding in a closet” theo said lowly, his voice nothing more than a rasp. your head felt empty as a goosebumps wandered over your body and you forgot all about the possible danger in front of the door.
your breath hitched as you took in the way his gaze flickered from your eyes to your lips, a silent question hanging in the air. the tension built between you, electric and undeniable, drawing you closer together. it was as if an invisible force compelled you to close the gap, and you leaned in instinctively, the weight of everything else falling away.
you nodded softly and in one fluid motion, theo tilted his head slightly, and you felt the soft brush of his lips against yours. it was hesitant at first, a gentle exploration that quickly deepened as you both melted into the kiss. his hands found their way to your waist, pulling you closer, while yours curled around the back of his neck, fingers tangling in his hair.
you titled your head, allowing him to come closer, as you softly gripped his hair. you felt the beat of his heart as the kiss deepened, each movement becoming more urgent, as if your bodies were trying to communicate what your hearts had been saying all along. the broom closet felt like it was shrinking around you, yet somehow, the confined space made the moment even more intimate.
his lips were soft and warm, igniting a fire within you that spread through your veins. the kiss was intoxicating, like tasting something you had longed for without even realizing it. the world outside faded completely; the footsteps, the threat of discovery, all vanished in the heat of this shared moment.
you broke the kiss softly, leaning your forehead against his chest, not ready to face his gaze.
“look at me, sparrow” theo whispered. you could hear from his voice that he was just as breathless as you.
you looked up to meet his eyes, your cheeks crimson red as you stared at his swollen lips and remembered that you were the reason for it.
“what was that?” he asked, his usual smirk threading through his words, but his gaze was serious. “did you mean it?”
your heart raced as you processed the question. “mean what?” you replied, though you knew exactly what he was getting at.
his fingers brushed your cheek, lingering just above your skin. “this,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “us. whatever this is. did you really want to kiss me, or was it just the moment?”
“i wanted to” you admitted, feeling a rush of shame. “i didn’t know it would feel like that, though. i thought i’d be more scared”
theo chuckled softly, the sound warm and inviting. “you never have to be scared of me.” he said “probably everyone in this school would hate us being together, but there’s something about you, something that makes me want to take that risk” his sincerity wrapped around you like a warm blanket, and you couldn’t help but smile.
“really?” you asked, searching his eyes for the truth. “you want to take a risk for me?”
“yeah” he replied, his thumb grazing your jawline as he held your gaze. “you’re more than what you show everyone else. i see that. and i want to know everything about you.”
the way he looked at you made your heart flutter. “okay” you breathed.
the rest of the way to the gryffindor common room felt like walking on clouds. theo kept holding your hand, this time intentionally, after you had walked out of the closet, making sure that whoever had been in the corridor was gone.
you said goodnight to theo, before you said the password and watched the portrait open. you made theo promise to be careful on the way back, before you stepped inside.
it took about thirty seconds for you to remember the letter you had taken from professor burbage’s office. the one with theo’s handwriting, you had planned to ask him about.
he was already gone when you opened the door to the corridor, so you decided to speak to him tomorrow. you got ready for bed, changing into your pyjama and brushing your teeth.
hermione was already fast asleep when you slipped into your bed. you tried shutting your eyes, but there was no way you were going to sleep anytime soon. the events of the day kept your mind occupied as you stared into the air.
you lightly illuminated the room with the light of your wand, before you grabbed theo’s letter from your bedside table.
you longed to be close to him again and maybe, if you just read a few lines of the letter, you could finally go to sleep without thinking over it again and again. you opened the envelope, that has definitely been read before, your eyes flying over the written words on the paper.
the smile on your face died fast, as you sat up, to grip the letter with both hands.
‘your presence here is unwelcome, and you are playing a foolish game that will have consequences.’ you read. you could almost hear how theo spit these words at your beloved teacher— the one he didn’t even feel sorry for getting murdered. ‘this evening, i expect you to be at the entrance of the astronomy tower.’
your breath hitched. the astronomy tower. burbage had died right beneath it.
you couldn’t believe what you were reading. maybe it was just a coincidence, a bad, bad coincidence. surely, you couldn’t have been mistaken about him. theo, with his quiet demeanor and his moments of kindness, couldn’t have been capable of something like this. he couldn’t.
you clung to that hope, until your eyes fell on the last line.
‘make no mistake, burbage. make the right choice before it’s too late. consider this your final warning’
your heart dropped. you had been so wrong about him. the words stared back at you, cold and unforgiving. the weight of their meaning crushed the air from your lungs.
maybe, you thought, theo had killed professor burbage.
EPISODE 06: i wasn’t letting up until the day he died
pairing: theo nott x potter!reader
summary: theo and you try to process past nights events, when you stumble upon a hint that could reveal the real killer
warnings: extremely big trigger warning for the whole series, in this chapter: mentions of murder, illegal activities, mentions of blood, wounds, manipulation, grooming
note: welcome back to the sixth episode of nbnc! i’m so excited to have you all back!! so so sorry this is so late, but i had so much today, i hope you still like it :) (ps: epilogue will be published on thursday probably)
please let me hear what you think in the comments!!
the next morning began like it was the most dreaded thing in the world. which wasn’t so far off, if you remembered the final moments of the night before.
neville was dead. sweet, nice, harmless neville. and he had died because of you. because you did everything, but keep out of things that didn’t concern you.
you had ignored the first warning, that draco malfoy had brought. and neville had been the final one.
the next one to die would be you, if you didn’t finally stop investigating this whole thing.
the common room was dead silent when hermione and you came down the stairs. silent whispers hang in the air as people were crying, just finding out about the news.
a few younger students, who didn’t have much to do with neville, looked concerned and had the decency to whisper or leave the room all together.
harry and ron looked as bad as you and hermione.
they had waited for her, harry clasping his arms around the girl as soon as she came close. ginny was nowhere to be seen and ron informed you that she didn’t wanna get up.
ron and harry both send you frosty glances and quickly left you behind when they walked to breakfast. they acted like you had betrayed them, and they weren’t even far off.
hermione whispered a soft “sorry”, before she followed after them.
maybe you could fetch a piece of bread from the kitchen? you were too ashamed to sit alone at breakfast, with the burning gazes of your friends in your back.
but it didn’t come to that.
“ow!” a voice called when the portrait swung open and hit the person standing in front of it.
“theo?” you asked confused at what he was doing here.
“morning” theo was rubbing the back of his neck where the portrait had hit him.
“serves you right!” the fat lady commented “a slytherin shouldn’t be lurking here”
“lurking?” you repeated, quirking a brow.
“i wasn’t lurking!” theo defended. “i was waiting for you and seemingly underestimated the distance i should’ve held”
you nodded, your smile dying down as you suddenly remembered standing in front of the portrait together with theo the night before. your throat tightened.
“hey” theo cooed, pulling you close to his chest and softly brushing a hand through your hair to calm you down. “i’m so sorry, sparrow”
“it’s my fault theo. i should’ve stopped once we received that warning”
“it’s not your fault” theo argued, shaking his head. “i insisted that we continue to investigate. if anything it’s my fault, you did nothing wrong.”
“i’m scared, theo” you muttered, tears soaking the fabric of his jumper. the material was soft, feeling warm against your cheeks. “we have to stop, before someone else gets hurt. i couldn’t bear being the reason. if something happened to my friends or you—“
“shh” theo whispered, pressing a kiss to your hair. “we’ll stop. no ones gonna get hurt. and nothing’s gonna hurt you, okay?”
you nodded against his chest as he pulled you impossibly closer. you breathed in his smell that gave you so much comfort. a mix between nicotine and fabric softener. a feeling of home, even if he had been so foreign a few days ago. it felt like theo and you were the same. like you had been destined to find each other.
theo loosened the hug, taking your hand as he started walking down the corridor.
“wait” you shook your head, freezing in your step. “where are we going?”
“to breakfast of course” theo smiled softly, but quickly sensed your uneasiness, his smile turning into a frown, “what’s wrong?”
“well, my friends basically shunned me”
“what?” theo laughed, before he realized that you were serious. “shit, really?”
you shrugged, frowning at him. “i don’t think they think i’m at fault or anything, but they’re pretty angry i’ve been hanging out with you all that time.”
“well, slytherins are the bad people, right?” theo smiled softly.
“theo” you muttered, shaking your head. “that’s not what they—“
“but it is, sparrow” he interrupted. “i can’t even blame them, just think about that stupid ball yesterday and how everyone there was part of my house. there’s a killer on the loose and they’re just afraid that you’ll get hurt”
“i don’t think you would hurt me. not like that anyway”
theo laughed. “i wouldn’t dare. and as soon as dumbledore finds who did this, there might be less suspicion around our relationship”
“so, you’re not breaking up with me, because my friends are acting like you’re the killer?”
“what does it look like, sparrow?” theo muttered, pushing his hands from your cheeks into your hair to pull you closer, before he connected your lips in a short kiss. “ready?” he asked, leaning back and looking at you.
“ready” you nodded with a soft smile. it looked that with theo everything didn’t seem as bad.
you could feel your friends’ and your brother’s gaze burn in your back when theo and you walked into the great hall. even though they were too far away for you to understand a word, you felt like you could hear every question and every malicious input the group of gryffindors were discussing about you.
for them, this was the ultimate betrayal, the final proof that something was deeply wrong with harry potter’s corrupted sister.
“it’s alright” theo assured, squeezing your hand that was gripping his like a lifeline. “don’t think about them”
your arrival at the slytherin table was met with various surprised looks from the surrounding slytherins but also theo’s friends.
“y/n!” pansy was the first to speak. she robbed to the side, freeing the space between her and mattheo for you to sit. you exchanged a glance with theo, who gave you an encouraging nod, before you settled between the black haired girl and mattheo.
mattheo and enzo both smiled at you. malfoy shortly looked up from his papers to send you a nod, while blaise was still busy arranging food on his plate.
“hey blaise” you smiled, trying to be friendly.
blaise looked up at the sudden greeting. “uh hi” he muttered, obviously confused. “have we met?”
you blankly stared at him, not even remotely knowing what to answer to that.
“yes” theo finally said, jumping to your rescue. “of course” he shook his head, not able to hide his smile, because he found the situation so ridiculous. “don’t tell me you don’t remember y/n, she was the reason you got through divination!”
“hm” blaise muttered, studying your face. “oh! ace, of course i remember you! why didn’t you say that sooner?”
you shook your head, a relieved smile playing on your features admist the awkwardness resolving itself.
“thanks by the way” blaise smiled, pressing his hands together and doing a little bow, before he pushed a plate with a pancake he had coated in jam in your direction.
“uh thanks” you smiled, taking the plate with a grateful smile. “and you did thank me. only yesterday actually”
“huh, i don’t remember” blaise shrugged. “do any of you guys?” the rest of the slytherins shook their heads and theo and you exchanged a confused glance, before blaise leaned over the table and winked at you. “never happened”
“o—kay” you nodded, raising your fork and knife and cutting the pancake in front of you as you began to eat.
“so did you find out who did it?” pansy wondered, as she filled your glass with orange juice.
“no” theo shook his head. “we decided it was for the better to stop looking for answers. after what happened to longbottom yesterday, i mean—“
“it was gruesome” you added “i know all of you didn’t really like neville, but it’s just terrible”
“it is” mattheo nodded and he had an unusual caring look in his eyes when he glanced at you.
“we loved to poke fun at longbottom” pansy muttered. “but he didn’t deserve that”
draco lowered the papers, looking at his friends and then at you and to your surprise he didn’t say anything to contradict their words, but simply nodded.
“you don’t know us well” enzo said. “but just know you can come to us if you need anything, loyality is the most important thing among slytherins”
“enzo is right” mattheo added, exchanging a look with theo, who glanced at him warningly. “we’re here if you need us”
“thank you” you smiled, looking at all of them individually.
“yeah, like literally” blaise giggled. “it’s not like we can go anywhere while this stupid snow storm is still happening”
“i completely forgot about that” theo muttered surprised. “they still didn’t figure it out?”
“far from it” draco finally threw the newspaper onto the table, seemingly finished with reading. “they won’t say it, but all of them are disturbed, especially after what happened yesterday. they’re scared it’ll happen over and over again until we can either leave or the killer is caught.”
“he seems to be smart, right?” pansy asked theo and you.
“well, i guess” you shrugged. “i’m not sure i’m the right person to ask”
“you two seem to have found out more than the teachers” enzo shrugged. “seems like you are”
“well, we found out a little, yeah” theo nodded, before you exchanged glances, silently discussing if it was smart to share the information you had gathered. maybe a controlled share was the best way to proceed.
“we figured out that probably neither the nocturn society nor the artifact had anything to do with the murder. the motives would be too weak”
“yeah” theo agreed, “we also found the weapon”
“the murder weapon?” draco perked up, throwing the newspaper fully onto the table.
“yes” you muttered and you noticed how all sytherins hung on your lips, just waiting to hear what had killed their teacher. “poison. very complicated potion, but also very deadly”
“shut up” pansy said as she leaned back on the bench, mouth wide open in disbelief. “and you tell us you don’t know if he’s smart”
“pansy’s right” mattheo agreed. “not using their wand and brewing a complicated potion? that takes intelligence and planning”
blaise nodded. “the killer had the intention to kill and he knew how to do it without getting caught”
“well, it can’t be a gryffindor then, can it?” enzo joked and theo shook his head.
“we have to stay focused, enz. we were so close” he looked at you. “too close probably. the killer felt threatened, means we’re just a hint away from catching them”
“but the killer thinks that he’s smarter than you” pansy pointed out. “you might be close, but he’s always two steps ahead of you”
“he watched every step” draco added. “knows every secret”
you looked up at theo, before your eyes flew over every single person sitting at the desk. “that means..”
“…it’s someone we trust” theo added.
your mind froze at the sudden realisation. of course! how could you have been so stupid? it was always someone who had been close. someone who believed in himself enough to pull this off. someone who knew that he had made no mistake.
or had he? your mind wandered back. images flew threw your head.
the chandelier ratteling to the ground at the ball, blaise showing you the artifact and telling you about burbage, enzo warning you about the danger it beholds, pansy offering an unexpected allyship, draco giving away warnings, mattheo’s cryptic information about the society and finally burbage’s office.
no, the killer had clad himself in smoke and mystery, but he had forgotten about one single detail.
one single thing that made him distinctive, something that could only be connected to him, as he was smart enough to not have anyone know about his schemes. no alliences, no accomplice. just him.
and now you knew how to identify him.
“i have to go” you said suddenly, standing up from the bench and collecting your things in a hurry. the slytherins watched you in confusion and even theo seemed to be utterly left in the dark. “the library book” you said to him as if it was a reminder. “you promised to come with me to bring it back, remember?”
“uh, yeah, right” you had almost let a sigh of relief break from your mouth at theo’s quick thinking. “thanks for your help guys” he nodded.
the slytherins still looked suspicious, as you waved at them and left the hall in a quick step, closely followed by theo.
his hand was on your hip, just as you reached the hallway in front of the doors, pulling you to a halt. “what is it?” he asked, still not being able to make sense of your hurried escape.
“we forgot something” you explained. “god, theo, we forgot the most important thing ever”
“what?” theo furrowed his brows, his breath hitching at the new information.
“he was smart, he was so smart” you shook your head in disbelief. “but the murder was personal, oh it was so personal” you laughed and theo watched you almost in horror.
“what are you talking about, sparrow?” he asked helplessly “oh for god’s sake just—“
“—the message on the wine!” you spluttered and you had almost done a triumphant dance, if theo’s hands hadn’t been gripping your shoulders this hard.
all colour vanished from his face as soon as the words registered in his mind. “no” he muttered, shaking his head. but he knew in that moment that you were right, his mind wandered back to the message, —to burbage - for when the pressure gets too much. consider this a parting gift.—, and the image was as crisp as day.
“handwritten” you finally said. “she knew him, right? she trusted him, just like we did. she drank it, because she knew it was from him, he wrote it because he wanted her to know that it was him. that he had been the one to betray her, the one to kill her”
“shit, y/n”
“there’s always something distinctive. in every handwriting. the m’s i write almost look like birds. hermione has the neatest handwriting ever, but she curls her g’s a bit too much. and you, you write the t in such a particular way i would recognize it anywhere”
“that’s amazing, sparrow” he smiled impressed. “but dumbledore has the message, how could we check?”
“we don’t have to” you grinned, “i noticed it when i read it the first time, but i was too stupid to make any sense of it”
“so?” theo urged. “what is it?”
“the e” you simply said. “it’s the e. it’s not the normal one most people write, he writes them like a mirrored three. we have to get back to burbage’s office”
“okay, that’s good, no amazing actually. but the message isn’t there anymore, sparrow”
“theo, we might not know everything about the killer, but we know one thing for sure: he was probably a student in one of her classes. and do you remember how her classes were?”
“an assigned essay each week, of course” theo realized. “the proof’s been inside that stupid office all this time.”
theo and you basically sprinted through the halls. you couldn’t reach the office quick enough. it was as if every moment counted, every second could decide the future. and every minute in which you still didn’t know the killer’s identity was a lost one.
you picked the lock, just like you had done when you had broken in the first time, theo standing in front of the classroom to keep watch, before you called him inside, revealing the opened office door.
the contents of the room were in the same state you had left it in a few days before. the desk was still filled with various stacks of paper, which was to your advantage.
“this is gonna take forever” you groaned, pushing one stack in theo’s direction.
“not if we sort out the papers of people that haven’t been near us this week”
“that would make the circle of suspects very scary” you mumbled.
theo shrugged. “as you said before, we trusted them, it has to be someone we know”
“so who would make the cut?”
theo thought for a second, before he began counting names in a low voice. “mattheo, pansy, draco, enzo, blaise”
you nodded, feeling sorry for him. theo had questioned everything these past few days and he had told you multiple times that he wasn’t sure if he could trust his friends. that couldn’t be easy.
you sighed, before you added: “ron, hermione and.. harry”
theo and you exchanged a worried glance, both absolutely disturbed from the chance that the killer was someone so close. but it was the only possibility and you both knew it, as you silently sorted through the essays.
the never ending stacks only seemed to grow as you worked through the papers, not seeing an end yet.
suddenly, there was a disturbance in front of the door. it sounded like someone was rattling on the door to the office. theo and you exchanged hurried glances. but it was too late, both of you had grown far too comfortable, launching on the ground, papers around and in your laps.
the sigh of relief was silmultaneous as the disturbance revealed itself to be a patronus charm, with a message attached. pansy’s voice rang out in the little office.
“the teachers just took mattheo with them” she muttered in a hurry. “they think he did it, they’re taking us in for questioning. i know that he didn’t do it, theo, but they believe it’s him”
the patronus disappeared and left theo and you speechless.
“shit” theo scrambled to his feet. “shit, shit, shit”
“it’s okay” you assured, standing up and gripping his hands, that had been trying to rip out his hair. “you’ll go and answer any question, yeah? i’ll sort through the papers and come as soon as i find the proof. they can’t arrest him if i have the proof”
“are you sure?” theo looked from the papers to you and back. he was unsure about leaving you alone, but you nodded.
“go!” you encouraged, pushing him in the direction of the door. “go”
theo nodded, walking out of the door, but quickly dashing back inside to give you a quick peck. “thank you” he softly said against your lips, before he left the room fully.
you smiled after him, before you got right back to work. in the span of five minutes, you had a small stack with essays from everyone on your suspect list, including your own brother.
harry’s was the first one you checked. nothing.
pansy’s essay was absolutely chaotic and she tended to draw hearts instead of points onto her i’s, but there was no sign of a mirrored e.
mattheo and blaise were fine too. they had written little to nothing, but you could tell enough from it.
hermione’s was neat as always, her writing not faltering and it would’ve suprised you if she had ever even thought about writing her e’s the way you were searching for right now.
the next paper you threw open, made your breath hitch. not only because the handwriting matched the one on the wine message, but because there was a little post it note plastered onto the page.
‘wonderful work as always, darling, can’t wait to see you after dinner tonight’
you and theo had been wrong. yeah, burbage had trusted her killer, but not because he was a student or someone she knew. the killer wasn’t the relative or a friend of her victim. no, the killer and the victim were the same person.
“i wish you wouldn’t have found this”
his voice was the first thing you heard. then pain. you fell forward, the essay slipping from your hands as your head made contact with the hard floor beneath you. your sight was black as you felt him bend over you, your hand searching for anything you could use to fight him. you gripped something, bringing it close to your chest, before the pain registered once again and you lost consciousness.
by the time you woke up, you couldn’t tell how many minutes had passed. the first thing you felt was the cold breeze of the evenings wind. maybe it had been hours since he had taken you, or maybe you had been in that office longer than you could remember now.
you couldn’t move a muscle, probably a hex that was resting on your body.
your eyes snapped open, scanning the room, or more lack of, around you. you were laying in the middle of the wooden platform of the astronomy tower. the very same platform theo and you had talked on only days before, minutes before you found the body of your teacher.
“hello” he smiled, stepping around you and helping you to sit up against a box behind you.
“i would’ve never even thought” you shook your head, tears brimming at your eyes.
enzo giggled relentlessly. “oh, don’t cry, angel” he caught one of your tears with his finger. “i should be the one who’s sad” his mimic changed dramatically, as he took on a whiny voice, “i tried to talk her out of it, but she was so far gone. she told me that the murders had been necessary to fulfill what the artifact had needed from her. but she regretted it and couldn’t live with the guilt.” he paused, smiling at you, before he fell back into his previous role. “i’m so sorry, theo, i tried to catch her but i was too late”
you closed your eyes, silent tears rolling over your cheeks. “she broke up with you, that’s why you killed her, isn’t it?”
enzo laughed. “our relationship was magical and she broke it off from one day to another, like it had meant nothing, like i had meant nothing”
“it wasn’t your fault” you shook your head, trying hard to keep together, despite the hatred that was ready to flood your features. “you are a victim, enzo, she used you, she manipulated you”
enzo stared at you unimpressed. “she loved me” he corrected. “and i loved her too. i did everything for her, was her good boy. and what did i get? not even a proper conversation. she just decided it was over”
“she hurt you” you nodded. “you didn’t deserve that”
“of course i didn’t” he laughed like a maniac. “that’s why i made sure she knew that too. it was almost too easy to paint myself as innocent. the stupid society, the idiot blaise and his artifact, all these bloody people, they played their part perfectly.” he grinned, “even theo. i have to admit that he was the riskiest part of the plan, but he was susprisingly easy to manage. and that just because he decided to fuck potter’s sister, who would’ve thought?”
you looked away, not giving him the satisfaction of a reaction.
“i’ve been in love too, i know how it’s like. you lose sight for everything else. just like at the ball were you two were too occupied making out until that chandelier almost ripped you to shreds. would’ve made a great show, by the way”
he shrugged, before he continued to speak. “the only thing that complicated things was that stupid snow storm”
“complicated?” you repeated in disbelief. “gave you all the time in the world, didn’t it?”
“it wasn’t part of the plan.” he shook his head “charity summoned it. couldn’t have been worse timing. she wanted to give blaise and the other idiots more time to figure out how to work the artifact.”
it was weird to hear the professors first name escape enzo’s lips, without so much as a second thought, like it was his nature to call her by her name. which it was, but it freaked you out nonetheless.
“too bad she gave you time to investigate her own murder, huh?”
“you disgust me” you spit.
“i only had to do what was necessary, angel” he moved a piece of hair behind your ear.
“neville was not necessary” a bit of movement entered your body, making you able to lean back to escape his touch.
enzo frowned. “of course he was” he stood up, looking down onto the ground from the railing. “someone had to find that potion for me. what a shame that longbottom enjoyes to read so much.. pardon enjoyed”
another few tears rolled over your cheeks, your head already hurting from all the crying.
“had to get rid of him just to be sure, god forbid he would’ve made that connection. i was lucky, i guess” he turned around and looked at you, smiling even brighter as he noticed that you were crying even more than before. “and the message it send was just a bonus. how else could i make sure you stay far away from that stupid investigation. but you’re not so good at listening, right angel? we wouldn’t even be here if you had just stayed in line. and i find it awfully impractical that i have to kill such a hot girl, but you’re too young for me anyway” his smile send shivers down your spine.
“i can’t believe she drank that poisoned wine, because i don’t think she loved you, enzo, she used you, that’s all”
“don’t you dare” enzo stepped closer, anger evident on his face. “she was fucking obsessed with me. blinded by love. she drank the whole bottle because she missed me”
“she never loved you”
“she died thinking about me. i was there” he admitted. “that night, i opened the door for her, she said my name before she fell into the snow.”
you huffed. “you were there?”
“well, i had to slip the rune into her hand and make sure someone found her in time. luckily theo and you were right there, like actors in a play.” he paused, a few beats of silence passing by. “is that a game for you guys? stumbling over bodies, investigating murders and then fucking in broom closets? that get you going?”
“shut up”
enzo giggled obnoxiously, shaking his head as his laughter died down. “nah, baby” he grinned. “your turn to shut up.”
he reached for your body, picking you up with ease. “you and me could’ve been a great pair, if you were like twenty years older” he walked you closer and closer to the edge. until only the railing was between you and the ground beneath.
you could feel the wooden beam press into your back. enzo’s breath was hot on your face as he stared down at you. you could tell from his face, that he enjoyed this. almost like it was a game to him, like a sick fantasy that he could get off to.
he caressed your cheek, before softly loosening your ponytail. “makes it look more dramatic” he smiled, as he watched your hair move in the wind.
he pushed you back slowly, like he was trying to let you down easy, almost like you would float to the ground. but the desire in his eyes told another story, he was blood thirsty and he would keep anything you’d give him.
your body gained more and more movement as the hex wore off. enzo furrowed his brows when he felt you pushing against him, body to body.
“trying to keep it interesting, huh?” he laughed, watching attentively as your hand grabbed his underarm. it made you uneasy to see the relaxed reaction he had to you fighting back. like he knew perfectly how easy he could overpower you if he wanted. he was just entertaining you, just enjoying your miserable tries to free yourself from him.
there was no situation where you had a real advantage. both of you knew that. you could only hope for a wonder, but then, you could feel your legs again.
it was like you knew what to do immediately. you moved your arm fast, it was so surprising you really got it free. then your left knee flew up, kicking enzo in the balls, just as you moved his body closer with both hands on his shoulders.
he groaned from the sudden pain, his body collapsing to the ground. it gave you enough time to get away from the railing, but not enough to reach the stairs before he was on his feet again, pressing your back against his chest. “nice try, angel” he whispered into your ear. you wanted to throw up from the tone of his voice.
so cocky, totally unbothered.
he started dragging you back into the direction of the railing again. you tried to make yourself as heavy as possible, trying to make it as hard as possible for him to overpower you.
“don’t be difficult” he groaned, slowly becoming annoyed at your relentless trying. your hand went through the air, grabbing onto a thick beam, that was not fully brought on, but only leaned against the rest of the construction.
you kicked against it. one, two, three times. enzo looked up from the sudden sound of the beam falling forward. on it’s way down, it hit both of you, as your tried to gamble away.
now the head injury was joined by a gush on your arm. enzo was bleeding at the leg and both of you stayed unmoving for a second. the heavy beam, claiming the middle of the railing as it fell against it, hit the ground with a thud.
“well, that makes it easier” enzo grinned, eyes on the empty space were the railing used to be, before stumbling back onto his feet just as you did.
you sprinted towards the stairs, but before you could reach them, enzo had stepped in your way with open arms. “you’re not leaving yet already, are you?”
you stumbled back, well aware that the missing railing was practically a free passage for you to fall to your death.
maybe there was no escape. maybe you would die by falling off this stupid tower, maybe you would die, becoming the killer that enzo would direct you to be as soon as he would tell his story.
a silent movement behind enzo made you look up. blaise had climbed the stairs, stepping onto the plattform.
your reaction had to have been hopeful enough for enzo to suspect something, as he spun around, facing his friend with a look of surprise.
blaise wasted no time as he reached out and hit enzo in the face. the younger boy stumbled back, holding his bloody nose, before he regained confidence, the surprise finally leaving his body, as he leaped over the platform, throwing himself at blaise.
blaise jumped back, but was still taken to the ground, as enzo began hitting him merciless. he reached for a piece of wood beside him, hitting blaise so hard, that blood splattered into the air and a sharp breath left your mouth.
blaise kept lying on the platform unmoving as enzo climbed off him and turned back around to meet your gaze. there were driplets of blood all over his face, his own, mixed with some of blaise’s. he opened his mouth, widely smiling at you, exposing his teeth to be as blood covered as the rest of his face.
“your turn, angel” he dashed over the platform fast, ripping you away from the wall, you had stood against and moving you closer and closer to the edge. “third time’s the charm, right?” he grinned.
you closed your eyes.
his steps were slow, deliberate, clearly enjoying every ounce of control he had over you. killing was like breathing to him. like it was the only thing that brought him joy. and this person, this killer, was totally different to the person he had been before. it was like something had been awakened in him, ready to strike as soon as needed.
a thud made you open your eyes again. a disbelieving laugh left your mouth as you noticed that blaise had sat up. the wound on his head bleeding, but he was alive.
again, your reaction triggered enzo and he turned around searching for the cause of the noise. his susprise was just as present as yours, ultimately being sure that he had killed his friend.
blaise’s survival was like newfound hope for your body, you pushed enzo back, changing sides, as he was now the one closest to the railing, or the nonexistent one to be more precise.
you reached for the piece of wood he had hit blaise with and quickly hit him in the stomach. enzo stumbled back and before he could dash forward, you hit him again.
you noticed the beam of wood on the floor between him and the railing too late. enzo stumbled back from the second hit, trying to find his balance, as the back of his feet hit the beam and gravity did the rest.
it was like he fell back in slow motion. your hands let go of the wood you had used to hit him as your ran forward, trying to hold onto his hand or any part of him. but it was too late.
you were sure you would’ve fallen off the edge too, if blaise hadn’t pulled you back at just the right time.
“no!” you screamed as you realized what had just happened, you stared down onto enzo’s unmoving body on the ground beneath the tower for only a second, before blaise moved you back towards the stairs.
you both fell onto the floor, the shock draining you and making your bodies heavier than usual.
“i killed him, i killed him” you cried against blaise’s chest. blaise stared straight ahead, just as traumatized as you, before you could feel him shake his head.
“no, he fell” he corrected. “he fell, it wasn’t you”
“i’m sorry, i killed him”
“no, ace, you didn’t” he moved you back. “look at me. it’s important that you know you didn’t. he fell”
you nodded, tears falling off your face, because they were running down your cheeks so quickly.
“repeat it” blaise said. “you have to repeat it: he fell”
“he fell” you repeated, your voice only coming out as a whisper.
“again!”
“he fell” you said, less unsure, louder, clearer.
“there you go” blaise nodded, pressing your face against his chest to comfort you. “not your fault”
you continued to cry together for what felt like hours, but was only mere minutes. not one of you dared to move or look over the edge to find enzo’s body on the ground. your very short sight of his body and the blood on the snow had been enough to keep you from it.
heavy footsteps echoed through the tower and the next thing you saw, was theo make his way onto the platform, a worried expression on his face. “what happened?” he asked, while blaise helped you stand and you stumbled into theo’s direction.
blaise nodded as your searched for a confirmation.
you fell into theo’s arms, while blaise’s nod of permission wandered through your mind. you breathed, a sigh of relief and clear air wandering into your lungs for the first time in hours.
