#theophne

[camelliacats]

you're nobody until somebody loves you (11-20/∞)

100-word drabbles for a range of ships. *Requests always welcome! Repeats allowed~*

Chapters 11-20: [FFN] [AO3] | ←   →

Pairings/Characters: Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley, Teddy Lupin/Lily Luna Potter, Daphne Greengrass/Theodore Nott, Rowena Ravenclaw/Godric Gryffindor, Colin Creevey/Romilda Vane, Petunia Evans/Sirius Black, Sybill Trelawney/Severus Snape, Lee Jordan/Marietta Edgecombe, Orion Black/Walburga Black, & Piers Polkiss/Dudley Dursley

Rating: K

Words: 1,000 collectively

Additional info: romance, angst, fluff, pre-Marauder era, Marauder era, Harry's era, Next Gen era, 3rd person POV

Summary: Song by Sammy Davis, Jr., 100-word drabbles by mew. So is unrequited love always unrequited? | Various pairings, eras, etc. Includes het, slash, femslash, cross-gen, next-gen, but nothing too bad. Read it all or only what you like!

11: FleurBill

                "May I 'elp you today, monsieur?"

                "No, no, it goes like this: 'May I help you today, sir?'"

                "May I 'elp you today, sir?"

                "No! 'May I HELP you today, sir?'"

                "May I be of service today, sir?"

                "NO—oh, well, good enough, then. I guess that's one way of avoiding those seemingly pesky h-words… Um, let's see…"

                "Would you 'ave dinner wiz me aftair work?"

                "What? No, no, that's all wrong. It's, 'Would you have dinner with me after…work…'"

                "Well? I do not 'ave zat much patience, William Weasley."

                "Oh, um, yeah… I mean, yes! Yes, Fleur. Yes."

12: TeddyLilyluna

                Once upon a time, Teddy picked up a young Lily Luna Potter who ran at him, screaming about the amazing first year she'd had at Hogwarts. He picked her up in his arms then.

                And then! One day he picked her up when this git—Scorpius Malfoy, his cousin, of all people!—broke her heart. She fit so delicately in his arms that day, too.

                And then! Lily walked to him from across the room, her bitten nails hidden in her sleeves like the little girl she'd once been. Not anymore, though.

                And, oh, she was in his arms again…

13: DaphneTheo

                She'll chew her lips as much as she wants, thank you very much.

                Daphne's got plenty of reasons to—Pansy's so bloody bossy, Astoria's doing Merlin-knows-what with Draco (and at their age!), Blaise is being a pompous…well, yes, you get the point.

                "You're practically eating your lipstick, Daphne," Theodore states.

                She pauses and looks at him. He didn't even look up at her, his nose still in his magazine. He always seems to know what she's doing even if he's not looking.

                She sticks her tongue out at him, returning to her thoughts… Draco and Astoria…? Really…? Ho hum…

14: RowenaGodric

                The castle was a beautiful find. It was good that Godric had had the presence of mind to claim it and come to them with the school idea. Well, the school idea was one they'd shared for a little while now, but now their dream was coming to fruition.

                Rowena mused who would claim what part of the castle. Salazar was probably already hiding out in the dungeons. Helga was likely to be down in the kitchens, making a meal for them.

                All Rowena needed was this, her library. Her books, her peace and quiet…

                …here comes Godric…to "ruin" it.

15: ColinRomilda

                Unbelievable!

                Colin will always clearly remember how he was mesmerized by Harry upon his arrival to Hogwarts. Colin will always feel the same way. Harry will always be his idol and friend, and Colin would never shirk that for anything. Honestly, Colin might trade his camera if he has to make sure he and Harry always stay in touch. Harry's just that great a guy. Dennis is almost as amazed by Harry as Colin is, but Dennis doesn't get it the way Colin does.

                However, Harry doesn't seem that great a guy now that he's unwillingly wooed pretty, pretty Romilda.

16: PetuniaSirius

                Every now and then, Petunia would see them. It didn't matter that Petunia didn't like them coming around—Lily and their parents were fine with it. But visit they did, and Petunia narrowed her eyes, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder so as to ignore them.

                "Oi, James, I thought you and Lily were friends," the tallest one, Sirius Black, calls to James Potter, who's snogging Petunia's sister.

                "Leave them alone, Sirius," the frail one, Remus Lupin, says as he fiddles with the fraying edge of his sweater.

                Sirius winks at Petunia, who scoffs. She really hates their kind.

17: SybillSeverus

                Insanity runs rampant. Sybill knows that better than anyone.

                She was there in their school days. She didn't know he'd been there when she made a startling prophecy also about which she didn't know. But she was there for much of their teaching careers, too.

                It stings somewhat, though, watching Severus turn into something he's not. Sybill wishes she hadn't come back this year, with Dark magic clinging to every bit of the school…clinging to every bit of him.

                Severus—she wishes she could foresee the Dark powers leaving him alone. She'd make them leave him if she could.

18: LeeMarietta

                In hindsight, maybe it was rather cruel that Marietta's attractive face was scarred.

                Hermione didn't think of that, did she? Lee knew that not even Fred and George would've been that bad…all right, maybe Fred would've convinced George they would have to do something about Marietta, because she did betray the D.A., but…

                Marietta only said something because she was worried—about herself, about her friend, about—maybe even about the D.A. to start. Lee can almost understand that; he might do the same thing for the twins if he were in her position.

                So he'll tell her that.

19: OrionWalburga

                He didn't want to stick to tradition. He wanted at least some time away from the Black family. He wanted to test the waters of the world outside of Black Manor. He wanted to see if making a name for himself could be worth it.

                He was raised to be a good boy, though. He was going to be the next Black patriarch. She was going to be the next Black matriarch.

                But Walburga's eyes were on him when his were on the world. When he finally looked at her, her eyes were dead, blank.

                Marrying was such a mistake.

20: PiersDudley

                When Potter left, Dudley deflated. He kind of became a—a good person.

                Disgusting.

                Dudley used to be so tough and dominant and—and cool.

                Charming.

                Dudley now cared about his family and his future. Did he even need it?

                Coddling?

                Potter was a funny sort, but Dudley never said why. He worried more that his future might lead down the same path.

                Not listening.

                Dudley tried new things—this and that and even the most surprising of things. Piers couldn't let him go alone, could he?

                Shutting up now.

                Oh. So Dudley…is ready to try Piers?

                How exhilarating.

Remarks for—

Ch13: This was supposed to be DaphneDraco, but I liked this better. ;]

Ch14: OMM! The 1st time I've written the founders!

Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave an anon/unsigned review via the FFN link or comment via the AO3 link at the top of the post, especially if you enjoyed this!

~mew

And if you want to support until the ride ends, please swing by its FFN and AO3 versions and consider liking and reblogging these posts on my HariPo fic tumblr!

[kittenshift-17]

****Chapter 26 of Howl for Me is live!****

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11211762/27/Howl-For-Me

The Ministry enacts a Marriage Law, magically pairing couples who'd never in a million years agree to even speak, let alone wed. Paired off with Malfoy, Hermione has to suffer the added indignity of the Ministry banning all contraception and forcing fertility treatment and aphrodisiacs on them all. Draco's secret makes it worse.

[magicmastertheo]

Family Secrets

"Daddy," A thirteen year old with bright blue eyes and golden blonde hair said. Her sweet voice was hesitant, and Theo immediately looked up from the paperwork he was going over at his desk. "How did Grandma Helen die?" 

It was a simple question yet the words felt like they were wrapping around Theo and choking him. Perhaps it was strange that Aurora had never asked about how the grandmother she got her middle name from had passed away, but Theo had sort of liked it that way. Even now, he found it hard to speak about his mother. Telling good stories often made him just as upset as thinking about her death and the toll it took on his relationship with his father. 

Theo leaned back in his chair and tossed his pen down on the desk, rubbing his temple. "Why do you want to know, sweetheart?" Maybe he should have just come out and told her about it all, but Theo was curious as to what had sparked his daughter's question. Did Daphne say something? Or Astoria? Was his daughter looking through some of his old things? 

Feeling a little more confident, the long-legged girl moved the rest of the way into her father's study and sat down in one of his chairs, crossing her legs and leaning forward. "I was just wondering. You've never mentioned it before. I asked Mum once but she said you would tell me eventually and that it wasn't her place to say." 

Theo stared at his daughter who was such a mix of himself and Daphne. Looks wise, she was almost an exact copy of her mother. She had the same startling, piercing blue eyes and perfect golden blonde hair that curled right at the ends and tucked around her face. When she was about to cry, she got the same look Daphne made, biting down on her lip and blinking too fast. Personality wise, the Nott girl was a toss up between both of her parents. She was bold, fierce, and relentless like her mother, but was a little more calculated like her father. The way she thought about things and planned them out like she was always playing a game reminded Theo so much of himself, but the way she played out those games was entirely like her mother.

"Is it bad? Is that why you don't want to tell me?" Aurora knew her father like the back of her hand, that was for sure. She'd always been his little princess, the absolute light of his life. It was strange to think that he had once not wanted kids. Now his daughter was about to enter her third year at Hogwarts and Theo was already missing her terribly. 

"It's just not something I talk about a lot," Theo finally said, keeping his voice even as he thought about what to tell the girl. Was she old enough to know the truth? Honestly, Theo wasn't even entirely sure of what the truth was....all he had to go off of were memories and some of the strange things his father had said to him before he had died. "Grandma Helen died when I was very young, you know that. I don't remember a lot."

"I heard Mum and and Aunt Story talking once about how...." Aurora trailed off, looking like she was rethinking what she was saying. A look of determination came across her face rather suddenly as she spit out what she was thinking. "They were talking about you being able to see thestrals and how you used to be able to see them at school but you never said anything and never acted scared of them."

There it was - another feature that made Aurora so like her father. She was always listening. When it seemed she was off in her own world and withdrawn from everyone else, she was really paying attention, assessing everyone else and gaining knowledge that she wasn't meant to have. "Did you see Grandma Helen die?" her voice was quiet now, knowing that this was probably a sensitive question. Her eyes met her father's nonetheless, begging him silently to tell her the truth.

"I did," Theo admitted. 

BOOM! Theo looked up from the puzzle he was working on, the pictures on the pieces arguing with each other about where they were supposed to go. His mother didn't usually make a lot of noise. The only thing loud about her was her laugh. Sometimes she would sing to him at night, but even then her voice was soft and sweet. The young boy scooched off of his chair and walked through the house, looking around. "Mum?" He walked out on to the back steps, the brick hot from the sun beating down it all day. It seemed as if half of the gardens had exploded. There was a small fire burning up some of the flowers and plants...and there was his mum, lying in the middle of the explosion, barely moving. "MUM!" Theo took off down the steps, panic filling him. What was happening? Before he could get all the way done, there was another boom, this time even louder, and the fountain near the end of the steps where Theo was exploded along with a few other things. He fell down the remainder of the steps, barely caring as he scraped himself up and got hit by the debris. "Mum!" he was practically wailing now, his fear and shock taking over him. There was a shadow over by part of the fire, a few hooded, cloaked figures whipping past. "Help!" the young boy said as he moved to his mother, shaking her. "Mum...mum say something to me...Mum no....HELP!" 

"But you don't really remember it?" Aurora asked, one of her light eyebrows raised curiously.

Theo let out a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest, as if this physical movement could shield him from her questions and protect his memories. "I don't think I'll ever be able to forget it." That was the truth. It had happened so long ago, and yet the memory was still burned into his brain. 

"Was she sick?"

Part of Theo wanted to tell Aurora to stop asking questions, to go to bed or go read or go owl her cousins...but that wasn't the way Theo treated his daughter. He never sent her off with unanswered questions, never left stories untold, and he always respected her. "No, baby girl, she wasn't sick." 

Aurora tried not to show any surprise, but her eyes gave her away just like her mother's would have. They grew like saucers and the way she bit her lip showed her concern without her having to say a word. "Was she...did someone...?" Aurora had heard all the stories about the wars, how her grandfather had been on the wrong side both times and how her mother and her father had been at the final battle of the second one. She'd heard plenty of stories about evil and the misuse of magic to know that there were wizards and witches who did no good with their powers, but instead hurt others unnecessarily. 

"I'm not entirely sure, not even now. I saw people there that day, but I'm not sure if it was them who caused the accident or if it was something Grandma Helen did." 

"Don't say that. You weren't there when she died." Theo's voice was harsh as he looked through the bars of Azkaban at his father. Their visit wasn't monitored, mostly because the board had decided Theo was of no threat to helping his father escape or get away from his punishment. His father would rot here, die a prisoner for the crimes that he had committed, and although it was sad, Theo wasn't sure he could imagine life in any other way. This was the last time he was going to come and see his father, the last time he was going to talk to him or even give him the time of day. The final judgment of his trial was over and Theo knew that after this day, there was no point in coming back. It was time to walk away, cut the cord...not even Daphne knew Theo was there at the moment. He was supposed to be at work or at home packing for his get away with his girlfriend...but here he was, giving his father the time of day he didn't deserve. 

"All I'm saying is that it could have been worse, Theodore."

"Right, because watching my own mother basically burn to death was an absolute delight."

"You're always so snappy with me. What happened to your mother was a tragedy - I never wanted things to turn out that way."

Theo's eyes snapped to meet his father's darker ones. His own blue eyes narrowed into a glare. If looks could have killed, the older Nott would have dropped dead. "What do you mean you never wanted them to turn out that way?"

"We don't get to determine every ending, Theodore. There are some stories that don't have happy endings, in fact, most of them don't. People change, minds are altered, life makes people see things in a new way...."

"And you changed your mind then? About mum? Or did she? Was she mad at you? Did you kill her?" Usually Theo would have never been so bold, but he felt protected with the bars between him and his father.

Immediately, Theo regretted his words though. He could see the hurt in his father's eyes, that sense of betrayal."No. I didn't kill Helen. I would have never done that. No matter how angry she got, no matter how much she pushed for things to change...I did care about her. I loved your mother, Theodore."

"So those weren't your friends there that day?" He might have felt bad for his question, but he couldn't help but press on now. This was his only chance to get answers, even if they brought him no peace.

The color out of his father's face drained and Theo knew immediately he had found his answer. When the older man didn't reply, Theo shook his head. "I saw them there. You might not have lifted the wand to cause those explosions yourself, but you might as well have. You took her away. You killed her and you know it. You killed her and now you've lost me." Without a second glance, Theo turned on his heel and walked away from the cell, not even saying goodbye to his father for one last time.

They both sat there in silence for a minute, Theo replaying old memories in his mind while his daughter stared at him. They were both tough and stubborn, hardly ever sharing their feelings or letting anyone into their own little worlds. Few could penetrate their boundaries and knock down their walls. Aurora and her father had a special bond because of this. She knew the way he hid himself from most people because she did it too and Theo understood that even though his daughter was popular and constantly surrounded by people, not very many of those people actually knew her. Maybe that was why they had always gotten along so well, why Aurora and her mother's relationship could sometimes be strained the same way that Theo's was with Daphne. 

Very quietly, Aurora got up and moved around the desk, wrapping her arms around her father's shoulders and burying her head in his neck. "I'm glad I have her name," she whispered very quietly. It was better than saying "I'm so sorry, daddy" or any other pitying statement. Aurora knew better. She knew that pity wasn't a game Theo ever played. It was better to be strong, to carry on, to keep fighting against every single thing. "Do you think she would have liked me?" 

The blonde girl kept her arms draped around Theo's shoulders as he nodded. "She would have loved you, Princess, just as much as your mum and I do." Pulling back, Theo grinned brightly, ending the sad moment between them. "It's late, Aurora. You should go try and settle down. Maybe tomorrow we can go do something fun? You can invite your cousins if you'd like." 

Aurora nodded, smiling back as she headed out of her father's den. "Night, Daddy." 

"Sleep well, princess," Theo said, waiting for his daughter to leave before he leaned forward and put his head in his hands, closing his eyes for a minute. That was a conversation he had never wanted to have, a minute of revisiting old memories that he continuously ran from for years. He'd never even admitted to Daphne that he'd gone to see his father that day, never really told her what had happened when his mother died...

The work was definitely a lost cause for the night. Theo fled his home office and went to go find his wife, walking quietly through the house. He found her downstairs, reading a book in the firelight of their living room. "Don't you look picturesque." In all honesty, it reminded Theo of their days at Hogwarts where reading by the fire was one of the things they liked to do together. Back then, it was usually Theo reading while Daphne cuddled up next to him...but Theo knew sometimes Daphne would sneak down and read by herself for some peace. She'd done it for a long time...he knew because he paid attention...he'd always been observing her, finding little reasons to like her more and more. 

With a wave of his wand, Theo started up the record player in the corner. Entering the room all the way, Theo picked the book up out of his wife's hands and tossed it aside before pulling her up off of the couch. "Dance with me." It wasn't exactly a command or a request, but instead was somewhere in between. It was moments like these that Theo was so glad for the life that he had. His father might have made poor choices, and Theo had made a great deal of his own...but he fixed them, and this life, this moment right here was living proof of that. He had a daughter upstairs probably owling her cousins or her friends and a gorgeous wife who was currently dancing with him in the firelight of their living room. 

The new memories were definitely much better than the old ones, and hopefully when Aurora grew up and had a family of her own, she wouldn't have any family secrets to tell like Theo did. The only stories his daughter would have to tell her kids would be about how her father and mother made goofy faces at each other and still held hands and kissed in public, and how at family get togethers her father and Uncle Draco told stories about Slytherin house, about how her parents believed in love and second chances and told her every day that acting on words meant more than just saying them, and of course, she would be able to tell her children how her mother and father never stopped seeing her as their angel, a little gift that they never knew they needed. Yes...Aurora would be able to tell lots of stories when she got older, but all of her family secrets would have to do with love instead of sour memories. If Theo left nothing else worthwhile in this world, at least he would have a daughter, filled with the hope of a brighter future. 

@daphne-q-greengrass

[magicmastertheo]

Heartfelt Apology

Arguing had always been one of the main ways Daphne and Theo communicated. However, after they got back together, the arguing had decreased tremendously. They still bickered about...well, basically everything, but it was never mean. They were just two extremely opinionated and educated people who liked things to be done their own way, but that didn't stop them from being together. This fight was one of their worst and as Daphne stormed out of his bedroom and then out of the apartment, Theo felt like his heartbreaking. It was like the sound of the front door slamming mimicked the one of his heart shattering into bits. Without a second thought, he fled the bedroom and took off after her. It wasn't like she could have gone far, they lived in the same bloody building after all.

He caught her halfway up the steps to her floor. Reaching out his hand, he grabbed her wrist, holding her there so he could catch up. "Wait," he demanded, his voice no longer angry, just determined. "Don't leave. Don't walk away from me. Not now." He took a breath, his eyes meeting hers. "We aren't doing this anymore. This isn't a game. We're adults damnit and running away from each other when we're arguing isn't an option anymore. I need you to stay. I need you. Don't walk away from this, from us....come back and fight with me some more or tell me I'm stupid and selfish and that I work too much and that you wonder if I'm really in this so I can look you dead in the eyes and tell you how much I love you and how I'd give anything up for you to make you stay with me and how invested I am in this relationship because you mean everything to me and I don't know what I'd do if I lost you again. Please. Just come back." 

[magicmastertheo]

Hold me Close

"Are you scared?" Theo asked, drawing circles on the back of Daphne's back lightly with his finger tips. The question appeared on his lips before he had a chance to stop it. Sometimes, when he got extremely comfortable like this with her, it was hard to stop the words from passing out of his mouth. Usually he was so guarded that he could control himself, pick and choose what he wanted to say...but not when it was like this, not when he felt so open, so vulnerable. 

He was pretty positive her parents didn't know that she was over at his house. Usually he would have snuck over and spent the night at the Greengrass mansion, but his house was feeling especially lonely tonight and he hardly felt like leaving or traveling to go anywhere. He was a little surprised when she agreed so quickly to come over. They were back together now, but he still felt as if things were rocky, that they didn't have the solid foundation that they had before they broke up right as the war was really starting to break out. "Of what's going to happen now, of being with me, of...the future?" Maybe it was a strange question, but he couldn't get past it. He was scared. He was afraid of how long it would take for the courts to make a ruling of his father, he was scared of the ministry raiding his house for the millionth time and he was most certainly afraid of whatever the future held for him. 

[magicmastertheo]

Begging - future Theophne mini para

"Let's have another baby," Theo said very seriously, his blue eyes lingering on his wife's face, watching her reaction. Their six year old daughter was over at her friend's house for her very first sleepover and Theo had decided to come home early and surprise his wife. "We could have another. Just one more. We're not that old....we still have time..." Theo used to practically beg Daphne for another baby when Aurora was younger, but he had dropped the subject for years. Aurora was their little princess, their absolute angel, and Theo wanted another. He'd understood Daphne's complaints back when their daughter was a bit younger...but now....he wanted another...and he wanted some real reasons as to why they shouldn't have one.

[magicmastertheo]

Somebody's Heartbreak

Aurora Helen Nott wasn't usually one to cry - unless she was forcing tears to try and get her way. Much like her father, she was good at hiding her emotions. That combined with the stubbornness of her mother lead the young girl to hardly ever show the world what she was really feeling, although she let her thoughts flow fairly loosely from her lips. When Theodore Nott came home one summer day to find his fifteen year old daughter sobbing rather hysterically, he was absolutely flabbergasted. Aurora had always been a daddy's girl but Theo had never been good at dealing with these sorts of things.

"Aurora, Princess, what's wrong?" Theo tried to soothe, opening the cracked door to Aurora's room and taking a peek inside. The blonde girl was curled up with one of her large stuffed animals, weeping into it. He felt his heart break a little as he looked at his daughter, knowing that if she was this upset about something, it had to be rather terrible for her. She sniffed, but couldn't even manage to stop her crying when she noticed her father was there. "Nothing!" she lied, just like her mother would have. Shaking his head, Theo moved into the room, walking over to the bed and sitting down next to the young girl.

"Daddy, I said nothing is wrong," she was trying to wipe her tears away now but they wouldn't stop coming and Theo could see that her resolve was weakening. He reached out and tucked some of her hair behind her ear, frowning slightly. "Did you and mum have an argument?" Theo guessed, wondering if he had an upset wife somewhere around the house as well. Aurora sniffed and shook her head no before bursting out into hysteric tears again. "Lucas went behind my back and shagged that total cow Juliet because I wouldn't do anything but snog." Shocked for a moment, Theo froze, unsure of what to do. Part of him wanted to comfort his poor daughter, and the other part of him wanted to go kick whoever this boy was in the arse. Besides, when had Aurora become so interested in boys? Bloody hell, when did his little baby start snogging?

"Princess..." Theo scooted up on the bed, pulling Aurora against him and letting her cry. "Rory, sometimes people aren't going to turn out to be who you think they are. Boys can be especially...deceiving at your age." Petting her hair as she cried against him, Theo thought back to all the tricks he pulled, especially when it came to Daphne and Astoria. He wasn't exactly about to spill all that to his daughter, but he suddenly felt a pang of guilt for his actions all those years ago. "Baby, you are absolutely brilliant and any boy who would pass you up just for a quick shag is an absolute mental case. You're worth more than that." Aurora sniffed yet again, obviously trying to calm herself down a little. "Now why don't you go get dressed and clean up a little and mum and I will take you downtown to go shopping, alright?" 

Theo kissed the top of his daughter's head and then got up and headed to the door, giving her a bright smile as he ducked out and went to go find his wife. 

[magicmastertheo]

Nowhere Else I'd Rather Be

It was completely black in Daphne and Theo's room, but that didn't mean that Theodore Nott was asleep. Lately, the thought of becoming a father was stirring a lot of old memories and Theo. It wasn't all necessarily bad. Mostly, Theo couldn't wait to be a father. He was nervous, but the fact that Daphne believed in him and the even simpler fact that he was going to have her by his side gave him all the confidence in the world. The couple had made a lot of mistakes, but this baby was certainly not one of them.

"Daph, are you asleep?" His low voice broke the dead silence of the room. In response, his fiance groaned a little bit, flipping on to her back and blinking up at him a few times as if to say "really, this better be important". Giving her a half smile, Theo rested his hand on her growing stomach. In just a few short months their little oops child would be there. 

"When we were sixteen and I told you we couldn't leave together and that we should break up..." His voice shook, quivering a little. Even though they had gotten back together later on, he had never exactly shared with Daphne why he couldn't cave like all the other times and why he refused to date in secret even though he wanted to be with her so badly. "I tried, I really did. I told my father that I loved you and that I would do anything to protect you. He told me I was foolish and that I was going to get you killed...that if we disappeared, he would make sure that we were found and that your family would be...well he said he couldn't guarantee their protection." 

Theo could see Daphne's bright blue eyes in the dark but he avoided them, instead watching the outline of his hand rub her stomach gently. "And when I told him that I wouldn't let you get hurt if we were found, he just laughed. He told me that me standing in the way was no good, that they would just kill me too - that being his son didn't guarantee me any protection." Sucking in his breath, Theo finally met Daphne's eyes. "He told me he would do it himself if he he had to - if the Dark Lord called him to do it - kill you and me if I stood in the way. He said he didn't want to...but that he would and I...I couldn't tell you that. I knew what you would say, knew that you would make me run away, that you wouldn't let me stay there with him or any of them if you knew that he was so obedient to the Dark Lord, that he would rather obey him than protect me..."

Theo moved his hand from Daphne's pregnant belly and cupped her cheek, leaning in and kissing her softly. "I'd do anything for you. And little baby no name." Curling up into a sleeping position, Theo wrapped his arm around her, literally holding everything his world consisted of in his arms.