Molten Silver

"Hello," said Draco, holding out a hand to Theo, who nervously took it. "I'm Draco. I didn't catch your name... ?"
"Theodore," answered Theo, flushing bright red when the boy with molten silver eyes shook his hand eagerly. "But - but you can call me Theo."
Draco was his. Only his. Staring into those molten silver eyes, he thought he could get lost forever.

Notes:

This is the first fic I've ever posted, even though I've read thousands. Note that English is not my first language, but I did my best. I wanted to give this ship a try because it got my attention, even though it's not the most popular. Thank you for reading! Make sure to give kudos.
NOTE: I OWN NOTHING BESIDES MY OWN MISTAKES!
Read the dates!

Work Text:

June 5th, 1986; Pre-Hogwarts

“Theodore, this is Draco.”

He shifted his eyes up. They’d been previously glued to the floor, studying every crease of his polished dress shoes.

The boy his father had introduced - Draco - stared back at him with curled lips, smiling. He was slightly taller than Theo, slim and lean. His eyes shone a molten silver hue, and his soft, platinum blond hair was swept to the side. He had a comically pointy nose. His cheeks were flushed red due to the summer heat, and his skin was smooth and the color of porcelain.

His father had told him about the Malfoy heir in passing. Informing him of his upcoming birthday party, which they would be attending. He’d also told Theo that he wanted him to strike up a friendship with the young Malfoy, due to his wishes to create a business tie with the old family.

“Now, Lucius,” his father turned to face the older Malfoy. “How about we leave these two boys so they get to know each other? While we discuss more personal matters, shall we?”

“I agree, Theseus.” Lucius acquiesced. The two men shot a glance at each of their sons before taking their leave, stepping away with the promise of bringing more wealth to both families.

“Hello,” said Draco, holding out a hand to Theo, who nervously took it. “I’m Draco. I didn’t catch your name… ?"

“Theodore,” answered Theo, flushing bright red when the boy with molten silver eyes shook his hand eagerly. “But - but you can call me Theo.” He attempted a smile.

Draco laughed. “Theo. Well, do you want to play with my dragons?” He suggested, and at Theo’s raised eyebrow, he clarified, “I always play with them when my friends come over. I think they’re coming over today too!”

Theo nodded, biting the inside of his cheek.

Draco continued enthusiastically, “I’ll introduce you to them, Theo!” He exclaimed. “You’ll like Pansy and Blaise. They are great friends! Vince and Greg are, too, but you’ll like Pansy and Blaise better I’m sure.”

Without warning, Draco grabbed a hold of Theo’s hand. Quite literally dragging him up the grand staircase of Malfoy Manor. Down a long, cold hallway until they reached a door.

Draco threw it open and re-established his hold on Theo’s hand as he dragged the shorter boy inside. The room was decently sized, stuffed to the brim with different types of toys and stuffed animals. Draco fell to the ground and landed on his rear, crossing his legs and reaching for a wooden trunk.

Theo followed, fidgeting with his fingers. He carefully lowered himself down, directly across from Draco.

He’d retrieved two dragon figurines from the wooden trunk. He handed one to Theo and proceeded to tell him their names.

“That one - ” he gestured to the blue dragon Theo held in his hand. “ - is named Barnaby. Pansy always tells me the name is ridiculous, but what does she know.” He lightly shook the green dragon he held in his own hand and brought it close to his chest. “This one is my favorite. It’s named Draco, of course. The best name of all!”

Theo smiled, amused. He was usually quite reserved, or so he’d been told by his father many times, and had never played with another boy his age the way he was at that moment. Draco seemed like he was genuinely enjoying Theo’s company, even if he’d barely talked.

They played with Draco’s dragons. The blond had stood up and waved his figurine around the room, mimicking flying. Theo did the same, rising to his feet and running around in circles with the dragon in his hand, pretending it was a big beast, spitting fire at Draco’s green dragon.

“No, Barnaby! How dare you!” Draco screamed dramatically. Making fake choking noises with the back of his throat as he lowered himself back to the ground - the dragon in hand - and laying the toy down on the carpet, a tragic death.

“It was necessary, Draco! I could not let you get away with your evil plan!” Theo said, his dragon standing in triumph above the fallen.

Draco broke out in a laugh, now laid out on the floor with his hands clutching his bouncing stomach. His smile was contagious, Theo noticed. From the first laugh he produced, Theo was gone, laughing along with him.

“That was brilliant!” Draco said, sitting up and facing the brunette. “We should’ve met earlier, Theo. I like you. You’re my friend now!”

“Am I?” asked Theo, now suddenly overwhelmed. “I’ve - I’ve never had a friend before.”

“Well,” the blond smiled, placing a hand on Theo’s shoulder. “I’ll be your first one.”

He smiled back.

Draco sprung up from the floor. “Do you like Quidditch? We could play with my toy broom!”

Theo shook his head, nervous about telling his new friend that he, in fact, had no interest in any type of sport. “I… I don’t. Not really. I prefer reading.”

“Do you?” Draco tilted his head. Then he smiled again. “So do I! While I do like Quidditch, I also like reading. We should read together!”

“We… really?” Theo’s eyes widened. He didn’t think someone as talkative as Draco would enjoy the same activity he did.

“Yes!” Draco reached for his hand again, and then they were gone. Sprinting down the hallway, and Theo didn’t know how long they’d been running for until they stopped. Theo bumped into Draco’s back and blushed at the sudden proximity.

Draco turned. “This is the Manor library! I come here every night with Mother, and I read The Tales of Beedle the Bard to her. Can I read it to you?”

Theo was taken aback for a second, and then he nodded eagerly. “Yes. Yes, I would like that. What is your favorite story?”

Draco looked to be thinking about it. After a short minute, he answered, “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot!”

Theo smiled broadly. “That one is my favorite too!”

Draco laughed. “Come on, then! Father will be calling for dinner in half an hour!”

Theo followed the blond through the double doors of the library, and as he sat down on a pillowed armchair and listened as Draco crisply pronounced all of the words from the short fairytale, he decided he rather liked him.

When Draco finished reading the story, he looked up at Theo, whose green eyes had been glued to his person from the moment they sat down.

“Happy birthday, Draco.” said Theo.

“Thank you.” Draco smiled, showing off his perfectly straight teeth.

Theo wanted to be in his company forever.

September 1st, 1991; First Year

He risked flagging down Draco, informing him of his place at the Slytherin table, the moment the Sorting Hat screamed out the blond’s intended house. The same one as Theo’s.

Draco rushed over - thankfully - and plopped down next to him. He smiled as his tie was transfigured into one which was silver and green, and then looked at Theo with happiness flooding his eyes of molten silver.

“I can’t believe we’re in the same house, Theo!” He said in a cheerful tone that was reserved for him, only for him. He never used it to address anyone else. Not Parkinson. Not Zabini. Just him. Him and only him.

“Yeah, neither can I.” Theo smiled, but felt his lips drop when Draco flagged Parkinson over. She was sorted into Slytherin too.

“Hey, Dray!” She said cheerfully, sitting across from them and running her fingers through her raven black hair. “Ugh, I cannot believe the audacity of that Potter. Rejecting you like that!”

Theo knew what she was talking about, he’d witnessed it all. Draco walked up to the notorious Boy-Who-Lived and introduced himself just as he’d done with Theo, only for the Potter boy to reject him for a Weasley - seriously, a Weasley! - and though Theo knew Draco had been rather rude, it still did not quell the feeling of indignation that coursed through him following Potter’s rejection.

When they’d returned to their carriage, Draco had sputtered about “the audacity of Potter” and had vowed to make his life a living hell; to which Crabbe and Goyle easily agreed.

Draco and Pansy proceeded to complain about Potter and Weasley as a unit, but Theo did not join in. He wasn’t completely comfortable in Pansy’s presence - or Zabini's, for that matter - and usually avoided speaking when they were around.

The only person he was comfortable with - the only person he’d ever been comfortable with - was Draco. Always Draco.

Always Draco.

Now, it wouldn’t be just him and Draco. Pansy would be there. Blaise would be there. It wouldn’t be just him and Draco spending entire days reading in the Malfoy Manor library with just each other’s company.

He wasn’t just Theo’s anymore.

He was also theirs.

He was confused at the surge of jealousy that ran through his veins.

Zabini came along a couple of minutes later, a Slytherin tie wrapped around his long neck.

He had the audacity to sit down on Draco’s other side, while Pansy had found company with the Greengrass girl - Daphne.

Through the whole feast, Theo had been unable to hold Draco’s attention for long. Whether it was because of Zabini’s tales of Italy. Or Pansy’s whiny voice as she invited him over to her house. Or Crabbe and Goyle’s grunts of pleasure as they ate, Draco’s attention was pulled away from Theo more than he liked.

He wanted to be the only one who could talk to him. The only one that shared jokes with him.

Draco was his. He was. He was sure he was. Draco was his first friend. He’d said so himself.

Draco belonged to Theo.

He now wore his platinum hair in a slicked back hairstyle. Though his eyes remained the same shade of molten silver. He reminded him of a prince from one of the fairytales he’d read. Tall and - and handsome. His eyes captivating and shiny with mirth, his face flushed prettily.

He was a prince.

A prince who saved his princess when she’s in danger. A prince that cheered up his princess when she was sad. A prince that was brave and charming.

Theo couldn’t help but think of how Draco had saved him. From loneliness, by offering to be his friend.

He watched as Blaise kept his attention with a story about going swimming in a lake in Italy.

“It was so deep, my toes couldn’t touch the sand!” Zabini said, eliciting a gasp from Pansy. “Oh you have no idea, Draco! I bet there was an evil sea monster there, I felt something touch my leg!”

“No way!” Greengrass gaped, covering her wide mouth with her hands. “Did you see it? Ah, was it ugly?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t see it.” Zabini continued. “But I bet it was! I bet it was ugly and covered in scales, ready to feast on the unwary!”

Draco perked up. “I bet! Theo and I read about a giant squid - a giant squid! - that lives in the Black Lake. You can see it from the windows of the Slytherin Common Room!”

“Oh Merlin!” Pansy screamed. “No, I’m scared now! What if it eats us?”

“It doesn’t eat students, Pans.” Draco corrected, lifting his arm and wrapping it around Theo’s shoulders. “Tell her, Theo! Tell her about the Giant Squid just like you told me!”

“Um… er…” Theo gulped, unnerved by the attention Draco had brought upon him. “Well - well it lives in the Black Lake. The Slytherin Common Room is in the dungeons, and has big, big windows. It passes by sometimes. It - it has never eaten a student, though…”

“That is good, we don’t want to get eaten!” said Zabini, looking like Christmas had come early because food had finally appeared before them. “Mmm, the food is amazing in Italy. My nonna and I ate some fish by the oceanside…”

Theo tuned Zabini out. Draco had shifted his attention back to the dark skinned boy, as had Pansy and Daphne.

Theo entertained himself by watching Draco’s reactions to Zabini’s words. His eyes widened everytime he said something unbelievable. His nose scrunched up everytime he spoke about an unpleasant experience. His lips curled in a smirk when he told a story about a girl he’d met, and he’d teased Zabini endlessly through the remainder of the feast.

“Blaise and Nina sitting on a broom, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” he taunted, over and over again. Pansy and Daphne laughed so hard that tears of mirth escaped their eyes. Zabini put a hand over Draco’s mouth, shutting him up.

“I do not have a crush on her!” he exclaimed.

“But you found her pretty!” Pansy teased, smirking.

“I did not!” Zabini claimed, though the slight warmth on his cheeks contradicted him completely.

September 1st, 1991; First Year

Theo had been assigned to a dorm which he shared with Draco, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle. Fortunately, Theo’s bed was placed right next to Draco’s.

He’d walked in last, only to see his cat, Lint, curled up on his bed. The rush of thankfulness he’d felt once he realized that Draco was sitting on the bed beside his was indescribable, and he’d silently thanked Salazar for his services.

Now, however, he laid awake with his head resting on the soft pillow and blankets covering his body up to his chin. His eyes were wide and his ears were alert as he listened to the gentle swoosh of water outside the walls of the dorm.

He was terrified that the squid would break the window and that water would flood the dorm. He was also scared that the squid would eat every last one of them as well.

He knew he’d told Pansy and Daphne that such a thing had never happened, but for some reason, he was still terrified.

So, he scrambled out of bed and threw open his curtains, noticing quickly that Draco’s were drawn, as well. He stepped out of bed, and tip-toed the short distance over to Draco’s bed, and gently slid open the curtains.

His friend slept soundly. His hair was messy and his fringe fell over his forehead. His chest rising and falling slowly with every breath he took. Theo reached across the mattress, and shook him awake with a tentative hand.

Draco rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he sat up. “Theo? Theo, what’s wrong?”

“Draco,” Theo whimpered, crawling into the other boy’s bed carefully. “I’m - I’m scared.”

Draco frowned. “Of what?”

“What if the squid does eat us all?” said Theo, his eyes wide.

Draco chuckled. “Oh, Theo. That isn’t going to happen! You told me yourself.”

He looked his bed over, and shifted his body to the side, patting the empty space beside him in invitation. “Come on, you can sleep with me if you’re scared.”

Theo did not need to be told twice. He immediately removed his feet from the cold floor and cuddled underneath Draco’s warm blankets. The blond laid back down, bringing the covers up to his chest.

He turned his head in order to face Theo, and rubbed the side of his face against their shared pillow. “Good night, Theo.”

“Good night, Draco.”

But Theo did not fall asleep. Draco’s body visibly relaxed, his eyes falling shut with the promise of rest. Theo scooted closer until he rested his head against the blond’s shoulder.

He was still scared of the squid, but now he felt less scared. He gripped Draco’s hand, and threaded his fingers through his; a comfort he did not know he needed.

He shifted closer to his friend’s body, his head still resting on his shoulder, and fell asleep.

It was the best night's sleep he’d ever had.

November 15th, 1993; Third Year

They were kissing.

Draco and Pansy. They were kissing.

Theo had had a very bad day. He’d failed the Transfiguration quiz McGonagall had assigned them with a frightening P. The professor had told the class to study for the quiz weeks ago, but amongst all of the different assignments Theo had to turn in that specific day, he must have forgotten.

Oh, his father was going to disown him

He’ll be disowned. He’ll be a disgrace.

Salazar help me.

Not only that, but he’d nearly blown up his cauldron during Potions. Snape’s sneer had been telling enough, and when he’d requested Theo’s presence after class and recommended that he acquire a tutor, Theo was only happy to get away from the Potion’s master.

“Perhaps you could ask Mr. Malfoy. He’s my top student.” Snape had advised, and Theo had agreed.

So imagine his surprise when he walked into the Common Room in search of Draco, only to find his face glued to Pansy Parkinson of all people.

The pair did not notice Theo come in, it seemed. Because they did not part ways. Draco’s hand snaked its way around Pansy’s neck, and Theo watched in horror as the black-haired witch parted her lips and allowed Draco to plunge his tongue into her mouth.

They were in front of the fireplace. The Common Room was deserted apart from the three of them, and Theo felt a weird sort of emotion clog up his throat.

He felt like he was being drowned in the Black Lake, and quietly snuck upstairs. Draco and Pansy were still oblivious to his presence.

He fell into his bed, and Lint crawled into his lap, rubbing her head against the material of Theo’s jumper and requesting attention.

He felt tears flood his dark green eyes, and he bit his lip to keep it from quivering.

Why was he kissing her? Why was he kissing Pansy?

Why did Theo have to see it?

He didn’t want to see it.

The thought of him inching closer to her, his captivating molten silver eyes looking into hers, before placing a kiss on her lips.

He barely noticed as a tear made its way down his cheek.

But why was he so bothered by it? Why was he so bothered by him kissing her?

Those molten silver eyes he saw way too often in his dreams. Always so tender. Loving. Looking into his own as he gripped his hand.

He’d always been possessive of Draco. From the moment they became friends, Theo longed to be in his company. From their reading sessions at the library, where Draco would read him stories out loud. To their excursions after curfew, where they headed down to the shore of the Black Lake and threw rocks across the crystalline water. He was his. Draco was his. He always felt jealous whenever Blaise talked to him, or Pansy, or fucking anyone.

Jealous.

Jealousy. He recognized the feeling way too well.

He was jealous of Pansy. Jealous that she was the one who got to kiss Draco.

He wanted to be the one who got to taste him.

Theo did not know how, but somewhere along the way of their seven-year-long friendship, his feelings towards the blond had shifted from being platonic to being… to being something else.

Now that he realized this, he finally broke down into loud sobs.

Damn him. He had feelings for Draco.

He had feelings for Draco. Romantic feelings.

He felt so jealous. He longed to stomp downstairs and push Pansy away and claim Draco’s lips. He wanted to hold his hand and run his fingers through his hair. He so desperately wished he could run his fingers through his hair as he rested his head on Draco’s shoulder. Maybe he would run his fingers through Theo’s hair.

The sound of his sobs ricocheted against the walls of the dorm, and he wanted to sink below his covers and never come out. He did not pay attention as Lint tried to comfort him by meowing gently and nudging her head against his hands, which had risen to cover his face.

Behind his closed eyelids, he saw those molten silver eyes he could stare into forever. He imagined himself being in Pansy’s place right as their lips connected; but instead of being in the Common Room, they were out by the shore of the Black Lake. Twinkling starlight being reflected on the surface of the water as Draco finally, finally, kissed him.

He was so immersed in the fantasy that he did not notice the door of the dorm creaking open. Nor did he notice the footsteps approaching his bed. He was only snapped back into reality when the mattress sunk down, and then there was suddenly a hand on his shoulder.

“Theo. Theo, are you alright?” It was him. His voice. His touch.

Theo looked up, and saw the same eyes from his fantasy. The only difference was that right now they were filled with concern instead of love like they’d been in his mind.

Theo scrambled for an excuse. “N-no, it’s - it's just that I…” Think for fuck’s sake, Theodore! “... I failed McGonogall’s quiz.”

“Oh… Oh, well, maybe she’ll let you retake it? I failed one as well, last year. I threw a tantrum, but she eventually agreed to let me retake it.” he said, shifting his eyes down, thinking. When he looked back up, Theo could only think one thing; kiss me. Oh Merlin, please kiss me.

He did not.

“I could help you study? I did quite well, of course.” He smiled. That fucking smile…

“Um… I also - Snape said that you could tutor me for Potions? I almost blew up my cauldron today…” He asked, and Draco only nodded.

“Sure! Potions is my favorite subject, as everyone knows.”

That same day, both boys stayed up late into the night. Sitting on Theo’s bed as Draco explained the different spells required to pass the Transfiguration quiz, and not giving up until Theo mastered every single one of them. He also talked him through the brewing process of the Antidote to Common Poisons, even going as far as lenting Theo his own notes.

“You know,” Draco said, after countless hours of revision. “I had my first kiss today.”

Theo froze. He looked up at his friend who sat opposite him, and took a moment to admire his appearance. His skin was pale, looking soft to the touch as he sat below the light being produced from their wands. His hair gleamed like a halo made of white gold, and his cheeks dimpled as he smiled.

At that moment, Theo wanted to jump across the space that separated them and adhere his lips to his.

He finally answered after a beat. “Uh… did you?”

Draco nodded. “Yes, right before I found you up here. I kissed Pansy! I’d been wanting to do it for a while, and today I finally got the confidence. It felt weird, you know? At first, anyways. But then we got more used to it and I - Merlin, I liked it.”

Theo felt that eerily familiar emotion swell inside of his chest, and he fought to keep the tears at bay. “You liked it? Do you… do you like her? Pansy?”

“No. I don’t.” Draco said, scrunching up his nose at the idea. “I liked the kiss. I liked kissing. But I don’t like Pansy, she’s just a friend.”

“Oh, well…” said Theo, eyeing Draco’s notes for the hundredth time since their conversation took a turn. “I’ve never kissed anyone, so I wouldn’t know what it feels like.”

“That’s okay, mate.” said Draco, placing his hand on Theo’s shoulder. The action being done with the purpose of comfort. But Theo couldn’t help but wish he would bring it up to his face and trace Theo’s bottom lip with his thumb. Fuck.

Draco kept talking. “I’ve noticed Greengrass eyeing you lately. Perhaps you could kiss her!”

“Daphne?!” exclaimed Theo. The thought of kissing Daphne - or any woman, now that he thought about it - sounding very unappealing. “Absolutely not!”

Draco chuckled. “Oh, come on Theo! She isn’t so bad.”

Theo grimaced. “Blegh!”

They shared a laugh, then. Both giggling like little school girls who’d gotten asked out by their crush - Theo thought it was ironic, because he was in his crush’s presence at that very moment - and he found himself feeling flustered.

Kiss me, please…

But Draco didn’t. He never will.

December 5th, 1993; Third Year

Theo had always disliked Quidditch. He thought the sport was unnecessarily violent, and never in a thousand years would he ever understand why everyone held it at such a high standard. Perhaps it was the competitive nature of many of the players, which was a quality Theo lacked. He was hardly competitive, and only thought about his achievements when it came to success. Being competitive sounded exhausting, in his opinion, but unfortunately for him one of his friends was competitive to a fault.

He watched from his sitting position on the bleachers as Draco whizzed around on his broom. He’d dragged Theo outside with him after dinner, saying he needed to get more practice in order to beat Ravenclaw in their next match. He was incessant as he walked through the snow coating the grounds of Hogwarts now that it was early-December, Theo trailing after him and burying his freezing hands into the pockets of his cloak.

Draco chased after a snitch at worrying speed. His broom flew through the air so fast that it looked like a blur of brown and green, with an accent of platinum blond.

Theo tensed as Draco directed his broom downward, the tip pointing at the floor. He plummeted towards the ground, his arm still out, and Theo shot up to his feet.

He got mere inches away from the ground before pulling up, snitch in hand. Theo retook his seat, rolling his eyes at his friend’s utter stupidity. How could he head for the ground at such speed? Risking his life? This is why Theo hated Quidditch; too much was at odds and no semblance of morality existed in the air during matches.

Draco stopped next to him, still mounted on his broom, the snitch caught in between his pointer finger and thumb. He shoved it into his pocket, and eyed Theo over before extending out a hand.

“What are you doing?” asked Theo, furrowing an eyebrow.

“Come on! You’ve never flown, not even when we were kids and you straight up refused during First Year flying lessons. Come on, Theo! It will be fun!” his arm was still outstretched, his hand waiting for his.

“Absolutely not, are you mental!” Theo did not get up. He wouldn’t get up. “I’m not getting on that death machine, there are not enough galleons in this world that could convince me to do so!”

Draco was quiet for a minute, before speaking with full sincerity. “Do you trust me?”

“What?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do, you idiot!” Theo exclaimed, flushing angrily at the implications of Draco’s statement. I’d trust you with my life…

“Then get on the fucking broom, Nott.” Draco said, wiggling the fingers of his waiting hands.

Theo reviewed his options for a second. He could refuse and walk back to the castle feeling cold and lonely. Or, he could agree and have an excuse to be close to Draco. But he’d still be risking his life…

“Fine.” Theo agreed, and took Draco’s hand.

The taller blond pulled him onto the wooden stick of death, settling Theo behind him, who wasted no time before wrapping his arms around his torso and squeezing the absolute life out of him.

“Fuck, Theo. Loosen your grip, you’ll bloody choke me like this.” Draco demanded, but chuckled all the same. Theo did not loosen his grip, however, and continued hugging him with all of his might.

He rested his head against the nape of Draco’s neck, feeling his scent seep into his nostrils. He smelt of musk and mint, undoubtedly cologne, with a faint hint of sweat due to the practice. How he could sweat in this weather was beyond him.

“Ready?” asked Draco.

“Ready.” answered Theo, and they were off.

They soared up into the sky, and shot up through the clouds until they faced an unobscured half moon. Theo’s hands were tinted red with cold, but the rest of his body felt warm as he hugged himself as close to Draco’s body as humanly possible. His scent was a comfort amongst something unfamiliar, but as he gazed into the moon, he couldn’t help but think it wasn’t that unfamiliar at all.

Draco had craned his neck up, looking at the sky and the countless clusters of stars that stained the blackness. He smiled, and released his hold on the tip of the broomstick in order to point at a specific group that was placed north.

“Draco. My namesake.” he said, and Theo removed his head from it’s previous hiding position behind Draco’s shoulder, and followed the structure of his arm up to the tip of his finger and looked at the stars.

Draco. Theo’s favorite constellation.

“I can see it.” Theo said, rubbing his nose into the material of Draco’s Quidditch robes.

“Scorpius.” he said next, pointing at another cluster of stars Theo did not recognize.

He furrowed his brow. “What is it?”

“It’s my favorite constellation.” Draco explained, his lips curving into a pleased smile. “I think I’d like to name my child Scorpius one day.”

“You would?” asked Theo, flabbergasted that Draco would want children. From his perspective, the blond hated the little nuisances - if his treatment of First Years was anything to go by - and did not think it was something he saw in his future.

“Yeah.” he answered, then he turned his head slightly and watched Theo from the corner of his eye. “You’ll be the godfather.”

The godfather…

“Okay.” Theo agreed, resting his head against Draco’s shoulder blade once more, looking out towards the castle and away from the mesmerizing blond born from the stars. “Sounds like a plan.”

Perhaps he would never be the second parent. Perhaps it would be Pansy. But Theo would take it. He would take being in Draco’s life in any way he could, even if it was a platonic role.

Scorpius became his second favorite constellation from that point forward.

March 12th, 1996; Fifth Year

He pushed Theo down onto his bed, crawling on top of him and feasting on his neck as if he was starved. He was pretty sure he would end up leaving love bites, but he did not find it in himself to give a shit; Theo wanted him to mark him. Make him his, even though he’d been his and only his ever since they first met on his sixth birthday.

Theo’s shirt lay discarded on the floor, and he felt his lips trailing a path down his flat stomach, all the way to the buckle of his belt. He heard the metal cling as he removed it, then felt goosebumps erupt all over his skin as he unbuttoned his pants and slid them off his legs, followed by his underwear.

He grabbed him in his grip, and stroked him deliciously before bringing his lips to his tip, kissing it lightly before looking up at him with those molten silver eyes.

“Can I taste you, Theo?” he asked, even as his tongue had already darted out past his lips and swirled around his swollen tip.

“Yes. Yes, please Draco. Taste me, please.” he begged, his body writhing as his tongue licked a ribbon of saliva up his length. Repeating the action with one hand wrapped around the base and the other gripping his balls.

“You taste so sweet, Theodore.” he took another lick, savoring his taste in his mouth as he took the tip in between his pink, parted lips. Sucking lightly. “Just like I always imagined.”

Theo lifted his head from its resting position on the pillow, and looked down at his lust-filled eyes. “Really? You imagined this?”

“So many fucking times.” he said, opening his mouth and taking him all in. When Theo felt his tip hit the back of his throat, he spasmed. But he seemed unfazed as he removed his mouth and licked from the base up to the tip once more, creating so much pleasure that Theo was about ready to implode. He continued talking as his tongue performed the most delicious motion against the side of his length. “I fantasized about you every night with my hand down my trousers, wanking myself dry to the thought of you coming in my mouth. Will you come for me, Theodore? Come for me, love.”

He took him into his mouth all at once again, shifting his hand around the base in the same rhythm his mouth had adopted. Theo felt the bubble that had built inside of his navel crack, and he spilled himself into his mouth and watched as he licked every drop.

“So good, Theo. So, so good…” he gripped his waist and turned him around, laying him out with his stomach resting against the mattress. “Lift your hips for me, love.”

Theo obeyed, and lifted his hips until they met his hands as they grabbed his hips. He removed one, and Theo waited patiently as he sucked two fingers into his mouth and plunged them into his hole.

Theo whimpered. Barely coherent as he leaned over his body, now glistening with sweat. “Look at you, so desperate for me. Wanting me to fuck you so, so badly. How badly do you want me to fuck you, Theodore?”

“So, so badly… So badly, Draco. Please.” Theo released another whimper when he curled his fingers and hit that spot which made him see stars. He reached an arm around his quivering body and gripped his sensitive cock in his hand again, pumping him languidly.

“Begging for my cock. You’re such a good boy, Theodore.” he removed his fingers, and Theo groaned at the loss of the pleasure that had been building inside him again. “Do you know what happens to good boys?” he asked, just as Theo heard the noise of a zipper hissing against metal.

“What?” he asked, still bent over on his hands and knees, offering his arse to him.

“They get to come.” without warning, he buried himself deep inside Theo, hitting that spot that made him moan again. And again. And again. And again.

Theo was a quivering mess, feeling so much overwhelming pleasure that a tear rolled down his cheek. He took his hand and pushed Theo’s head down onto the pillow, shifting the angle of his arse and making the feeling of him pumping in and out of him so much better.

“Fuck, Draco! Fuck!” Theo exclaimed, burying his face into the softness of the pillow as his pace increased. His rhythm, paired with the sensation of his hand pumping his cock, brought him over the edge and he came harder than he ever had in his life.

He kept the pace going until he came, too. Spilling himself into Theo and resting his body on top of his after he lowered his hips back down.

He kissed the tender spot below his ear and whispered, “I love you, Theodore.”

Theo’s eyes snapped open, and all he saw was the canopy of his bed. The intricate design swirling against the material in patterns his post-orgasm mind couldn’t comprehend.

He dragged himself up onto a sitting position, and looked down at himself. His hand wrapped around his own cock, his cum staining his stomach with evidence of his desire for someone he shouldn’t want.

For fuck’s sake.

This was a daily routine for Theo; during the day, he'd stroll around and pretend everything was okay. He’d pretend he was a normal, teenage boy who was very heavily affected by Umbridge’s new six-feet-apart rule that dictated boys and girls had to stay away from each other. Because of course, he wanted to be close to girls, right? Instead of fantasizing about his best friend sucking him off, it was an unnamed girl with her head in between his thighs.

Of course it was. Yeah…

But, throughout his life, Theo had accepted that he was different.
Girls didn’t interest him in the slightest and they never had. That was just who he was. Whenever Zabini would talk about having sex with a girl inside a broom closet, Theo would pretend to be interested and would make little interested noises whenever the other boys did.

While, in reality, Theo was one-hundred percent, undoubtedly, a homosexual.

He was gay. He was so gay, he could make up for the lack of gayness at Hogwarts.

He was gay, and he was in love with his best friend.

Who was, decidedly, not.

Theo often wondered if Draco was perhaps bisexual. His obsession with Potter was pretty suspicious, in Theo’s opinion. But then, he remembered all of the contributing facts he offered during the aforementioned talks with Zabini, and he scratched away that possibility.

Fuck.

Now, as he looked at his softening penis that had been rendered dry after a fantasy had made home inside Theo’s brain, he huffed. It was always the same one; Draco being on top, fucking him extremely roughly, and then telling him he loved him.

A lot of times, he’d tried imagining different blokes fucking him instead of Draco. He’d tried imagining Fred Weasley doing pretty naughty things to him in a broom closet, and when that didn’t give him the pleasure he craved to reach without having to think about a certain molten silver-eyed blond, he imagined he was being fucked by both Weasley twins. One fucking his mouth, the other fucking his arse.

Nothing.

He proceeded to imagine Potter. Potter telling him to ride his dick in the Gryffindor Common Room, and while that had gotten him close, it still wasn’t enough.

It did not compare to Draco.

Then, during Fourth year, he tried to imagine Diggory bending him over the edge of the Prefect’s bathroom tub. After that fantasy, he actually came. He came without thinking about Draco. Success.

Unfortunately that success was short lived, however, because when he tried to imagine Diggory commanding him in his black, pristine robes as he cried in his bed after the Yule Ball because Draco had gone with Pansy and not him and he felt so jealous he wanted to claw his eyes out of his skull, his progress was lost.

Double fuck.

He was so in love with Draco, it was a no-return road.

Even after all of these years, he still wanted to be the one who held his hand. He wanted to fall asleep with his body pressed up against his back. He wanted to waltz with him by the shore of the Dark Lake and tell him he loved him over and over again. He wanted to run up behind him in the halls and wrap his arms around his torso. He wanted to fly around on the backseat of his broom like they had that night in Third Year; when he’d told him his favorite constellation was Scorpius.

He’d looked for it every night since then.

But with all of those fantasies came the crushing realization that they would never come true. They existed only in his mind, with only him as a witness. Draco didn’t love him. He never would. Theo was his friend. Only his friend. He was his little, clingy pet who he hung out with due to pity. He was his quieter friend that never got the same attention he did. Draco’s feelings were purely platonic. It shot an arrow into Theo’s heart and it hurt, it hurt so bloody much he wanted to sit down on the floor and cry.

He often did.

March 15th, 1996; Fifth Year

It was Pansy’s birthday. Draco and Daphne had bought her a basket of sweets at Honeydukes, and had sung ‘Happy Birthday’ to her in the Slytherin Common Room alongside the other members of their house in their year.

Theo had not sung a word.

Now, he was walking around the third floor corridor on his way to Charms, which was a class he always liked to arrive early to due to his fear of not only Umbridge but also Flitwick. The man may be half his size, but he’d scared the ever loving fuck out of Theo since he was a First Year. He’d not seen either Pansy or Draco since lunch, and he froze the moment he heard it.

A moan.

It was so faint, so quiet, that Theo was sure he imagined it. It was coming from a locked broom closet, and Theo stood directly in front of it with his heart beating so fast he was sure he was on the verge of a stroke. He should just head to Charms, he thought. He should just save himself the trouble. But, he had a weird feeling bubbling in the pit of his stomach that he could not ignore, which was what prompted him to retrieve his wand from the inside of his robe’s pocket and cast an Alohomora.

They do say curiosity killed the cat.

It was Draco. Pansy’s legs around his waist as he had her pinned to the wall, thrusting into her at a fast pace. Over and over and over again. Her moans were much louder now that the door was open, and Theo waved his wand in order to silence the room. Neither of them had noticed him.

“Fuck, Draco. Draco! Faster! Please!” she begged, clawing at his shoulders and yanking his hair. His beautiful hair that did not deserve to be yanked. Theo felt like he wanted to vomit everything he’d eaten at lunch.

“Fuck, Pansy. You feel so good, so good around my cock.” Draco whispered in her ear, taking her earlobe in between his teeth. The words so similar to the ones he muttered in Theo’s ear inside of his mind during those lonely nights in his bed.

“Draco, I’m going to come. Fuck, I’m going to come!” she announced, and her legs tightened their hold around his body. Pansy spasmed with pleasure as it hit it’s crest, and Draco continued fucking her until he came as well.

Once they both deflated, he pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and muttered, “I love you, Pansy.”

Crack.

Theo could practically feel his heart snap in two. His chest was swarmed with pain as he watched Draco whisper those three little words to someone that wasn’t him. It wasn’t him. It would never be him. It would never…

He groaned, and ignored the tightening of the skin around his eyes as the pair turned to face him. Draco immediately dropped Pansy’s legs and moved to cover her, unbothered by his own half-naked form.

That image would haunt Theo’s mind until the day he finally died.

“Uh… I think you forgot a silencing charm, Malfoy.” Theo informed, keeping his voice as stern as possible. “I could hear you out in the hallway…”

Draco immediately dropped his defenses and moved to redress. “Thank Salazar you noticed, Theo! Imagine if fucking Umbridge heard us, Pans? We would be bound to detention.”

Theo took his leave. He exited the broom closet and practically sprinted down to the dungeons. The Common Room was deserted as Theo ran across it and up the stairs leading to the dorms. Now settled on missing Charms.

Once he was safely concealed behind the wooden door of his dormitory, he fell to his knees in agony. Heartbroken sobs erupted from his throat as he gripped the furry carpet with his fingers, trying to quell the ache inside of his chest.

Out of all the mistakes he’d ever made in his life, falling for Draco easily beat all of the others into first place. While it was hardly a choice, it still didn’t make him feel any less foolish. How could he have been such an idiot? Such a prize fucking idiot that went and fell in love with his best friend while knowing - fucking knowing - those feelings were completely one-sided, and would always be one-sided.

He watched through blurs of tears as they fell and stained the carpet he was kneeling on top of. Until a pair of feet walked into view and the person bent at the knees, and he was suddenly faced with the concerned, deep blue eyes of Daphne Greengrass.

“Theo. Theo, what’s wrong? Are you okay? What happened?” she asked, cupping his face and wiping his tears away with her thumbs. Her eyes looked so kind. So worried for him and his melancholic state that he just cried harder. He choked and fell forward, and Daphne instinctively wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him against her chest.

He didn’t know how long they sat there, his tears falling and staining Daphne’s wool jumper. She stroked his hair, telling him everything was going to be okay. Nothing was okay. Nothing could ever be okay. He felt so much pain coursing through his body, he briefly wondered if a person could die from heartbreak.

Once he calmed down, the sun had set and the water of the Black Lake shone a rich navy. He shifted from his position against Daphne's chest and sat up, looking at his golden blond friend and voicing the feelings that he’d buried so deep inside his heart he wished they would’ve been lost.

“I love him, Daph.” he confessed, and at Daphne’s confused facial expression, he clarified. “I shouldn’t. Fuck, I really shouldn’t. He’s my friend. He’s - he’s my best friend but… but I don’t want us to be friends. I want us to be so much more.”

Daphne’s features softened, and she reached out a tentative hand and ran her fingers through Theo’s dark brown locks. “I know, Theo. I know. I’ve always known.”

“You - you have?” he stared at her, dumbfounded. Tears still leaking from the confines of his eyelids and falling down his red-stained cheeks. “H-how do you…”

“I’ve seen the way you look at him when you think nobody is watching.” Daphne explained, smiling softly. “The way you used to glare at Blaise whenever he talked to him told me everything I needed to know. Ever since I first met you back when we were eleven.”

“B-but no. That's not right. I’ve loved him since I was thirteen not…” Theo’s eyes widened in realization. All of the jealous glares, as Daphne had so eloquently described them. All of the times he felt his cheeks redden whenever Draco touched him. All of the times they were in close proximity and Theo felt happier than he ever had in his life. Ever since that first day - his sixth birthday. Ever since…

“Well, I’ll be your first one.”

“FUCK!” Theo bellowed, and proceeded to rub his eyes with heels of his hands in an attempt to delay his tears. The evidence of his distress flowed out of him, though, and wet his skin with pain.

And as Daphne replaced her arms around him, he thought that perhaps he hadn’t loved Draco since he was thirteen.

Perhaps he’d loved him all along.

March 31st, 1998; The War

“I think he’ll be alright.” he watched as Narcissa Malfoy dragged a wet towel across her only son’s forehead. His eyes were closed and he looked so relaxed. Laid out on his bed looking picture-perfect and innocent. Then, his body trembled under the blankets, and he remembered why he was even sleeping in the first place.

“Why would she do that?” he turned to face the Malfoy matriarch, who stared back at him with sad, light blue eyes. “Why would… to her own nephew…”

“I guess Bellatrix saw it fit to put him through pain.” answered Narcissa, patting Theo on the shoulder with her delicate hand. “After all of the events that took place and their outcomes… he’d been at fault.”

“That does not excuse her torturing him!” argued Theo, staring down at his friend’s sleeping form and feeling a pang inside of his chest. “She fucking tortured him to the brink of insanity!”

“Do not say such crude words, Theodore.” commanded Narcissa, as she stepped towards the door of Draco’s bedroom. “He’ll wake up and he will be alright. Serves him well for doing something so utterly foolish.”

Narcissa left, leaving Theo alone with Draco’s still form in a quiet room - his room. Theo walked over to the edge of the bed, and plopped down next to his sleeping friend.

He convinced himself he’d been delirious. His brain could hardly process the scene that had transpired hours ago in the Malfoy Manor drawing room, as he shrunk beneath his father’s disappointed eyes. He’d been angry over the fact that Theo hadn’t taken the Dark Mark, even though Draco had. His father, the great Theseus Nott, had pushed him down a path of darkness throughout most of his sad, sad life. Ever since his mother passed.

He couldn’t process the events because he’d witnessed Draco Malfoy - pureblooded bigot extravaganza - stun his own aunt in defense of the most notorious Muggleborn of her age; Hermione fucking Granger.

He had stunned Bellatrix, dragged Granger’s limp body across the cold floor of the drawing room, handed her over to the Weasel, and hit with a Crucio originating from his own father’s wand in the span of three fucking minutes.

Then, following the Golden Gryffindor Club’s escape, Bellatrix had risen and descended all of her wrath upon the blond. She’d tortured Draco with the same fierce determination and anger she’d tortured Granger with. Until he was a sobbing mess on the floor, choking on his own pure, pureblood.

Now, Theo sat beside him. Narcissa had knelt down next to him after all of her insane sister’s anger had been spent. She’d levitated him upstairs, and Theo had waited outside for hours as she healed him with countless potions and exhausting healing spells.

“You fucking idiot.” Theo muttered under his breath, brushing the blond strands of his fringe away from his forehead. He shivered when his knuckles made contact with the hot skin, and he trailed his thumb down his face, over his cheekbone, and down to his lips. “You could’ve died. Was it really the most appropriate time to show your chivalrous side, Draco? You always did have a knack for dramatics.”

He felt a light giggle escape his throat, and continued his thumb’s exploration of Draco’s features. Dragging it over his eyebrow, jawline and chin and returning to his lips.

“I don’t know what I would’ve done if you died. If Bellatrix had decided her fury justified your murder… I think I would’ve gone insane. Twice as insane as her, mind you.” Theo bit the inside of his cheek, his eyes glued to every crease of Draco’s face. Every strand of his hair. Those molten silver eyes concealed by his eyelids. He could sit there forever, admiring him. He was, undoubtedly, beautiful. “It is expected after all, for me to go insane if you were to die. You’re my best friend, you annoying prat. You’ve always been.”

He didn’t know where his confession stemmed from, but he continued talking from his seating position over Draco’s body.

“You’ve always been my best friend. Even if I hated playing with your sodding dragons the day we met. You - you brought out another side of me. A side I was proud of. Fuck, seeing you almost die at Bellatrix’s hand made me realize how much is at stake right now, and in case you never wake up, In case I never get to say it to your face, I wanted you to know that I appreciate you, I always have and I always will. Perhaps you may not love me the way I want you to, perhaps you never will. But it still doesn’t invalidate how much I care about you. How much I…” he hesitated. Wondering, should I say it? Is it worth it? He decided it was.

“How much I love - I love you.” The words had made their way out of his lips, and he realized the only reason he even confessed was because there was a slim chance Draco was listening. He didn’t twitch. He didn’t open his eyes and tell him he loved him too. Nothing happened. The room was as still and quiet as before. The light breeze outside the Manor walls still rustled the leaves of the tree outside of Draco’s window. His breathing was steady. His chest rising and falling with every inhale of air.

It changed nothing.

He didn’t know why he did it. It was like his mind had been severed from his body. He didn’t know why he leaned down. He didn’t know why he brushed his lips against Draco’s lightly. He didn’t know why he expected him to kiss back. He didn’t know why he was upset after he pulled back, only to find everything still the same. Nothing had shifted. Not a creak in the wood. Not a quicker intake of breath.

Nothing.

Still nothing.

He brought his hand up to his lips after he pulled back, his mind swarming with the thought that he’d kissed Draco. It had been brief, but their lips had touched.

He’d been unconscious.

Theo suddenly felt sick.

He scrambled out of Draco’s room and headed down the hallway and into the library.

He headed straight for the little corner where he and Draco had read The Wizard and the Hopping Pot all those years ago. He sat down on the same armchair his six-year-old self had occupied during the most memorable day of his life.

“Can I read it to you?”

He reached for that same copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard and searched for the fairytale that housed so much emotional value. He read it. Then he read it again. And again. And again. And again.

It was the break of dawn, when the door creaked open. Theo listened as the clack of dragonhide leather shoes echoed against the wooden floor. The noise got closer and closer, until he saw the object of his affection turn the corner.

“I knew you’d be here.” he smiled, and Theo took a moment to take in his appearance. The dark circles under his eyes were a stark contrast against his pale, porcelain skin. His hair was unruly, sticking out at irregular angles. His arm was bent around his waist, clutching himself as he winced in pain. He’d changed his clothes, now sporting a pair of lounge pants and a black shirt. Still, his molten silver eyes possessed that same look of livelines, even after the countless rounds of the Cruciatus he’d endured. That look, it only existed whenever he looked at Theo.

“How?” Theo asked, closing the fairytale book and giving Draco all of his attention.

“I know you.” was all he said, as he settled in the same armchair his younger counterpart had used. He crossed his legs, maneuvering himself so he mirrored his position from the day they met. It was almost… alluring.

Theo brought his knees up into his chest, the scene acting as a recreation of the past. “I don’t know if I should be glad or terrified.”

Draco laughed. “Perhaps it’s both. Glad with a smidge of horror.”

He noticed the book sitting at Theo’s side, and gestured for him to pass it along. Once in his grasp, he flipped it open and seemingly did the same thing Theo had; he searched for The Wizard and the Hopping Pot.

“I’m feeling rather nostalgic.” he said, looking up at Theo.

“You don’t want to talk about what - ”

“Can I read it to you?”

Theo’s lips curved up before he answered. “Yes. Yes, I would like that.”

April 14th, 1998; The War

It was Theo’s birthday.

It was Theo’s birthday and Draco was hugging him. Theo rested his face in the crook of his blond friend’s shoulder, and proceeded to subtly inhale his scent. He still smells like mint, musk and cologne. He smells like his Amortentia cauldron did in Sixth Year.

“Happy Birthday, you tosser.” said Draco, pulling back. “I can’t believe you’re eighteen. It feels like a lifetime since we were kids playing with dirt outside the Manor.”

Theo laughed. “I know. You’re not too far behind, though!”

“That is right.” Draco smiled, and swivelled around on his heel, heading in the direction of the kitchen. “I actually got one of the house elves to make you a cake!”

Theo followed, hearing his shoes clack against the marble flooring of the hall leading to the kitchen. His father, Lucius and the other Death Eaters had gone out in search of Muggles to torture that day, which was a fact Theo stored in the back of his head. He also ignored the door leading to the dungeons as he followed after Draco, acting like there hadn’t been a cluster of prisoners down there just mere weeks ago.

Draco returned with a chocolate cake in his hands. He beamed as he set it down on the kitchen table and conjured a candle, lighting it with his wand and placing the gesture in front of Theo.

He swung his arm around Theo’s neck, pushing their faces so close together that their cheeks were squished against each other. It took all of Theo’s self-control to restrict himself from turning and placing a featherlight kiss on the blond’s cheek.

“Happy Birthday my dear friend!” he said, in a sing-song voice. “May Voldemort not kill us, and may our families stop being little bitches and move on from this incest bloodfuckery!”

Theo laughed, and he briefly wondered if Draco was drunk. Then, he grabbed a knife and cut into the cake, appreciating the gooey goodness that seeped from in between slices.

Draco scooped up some frosting with his finger, and rubbed it onto Theo’s cheek. The brunette turned, gobsmacked, only to find his friend laughing his arse off. He always loved when Draco laughed.

“You motherfucker!” Theo proceeded to do the same, scooping up some frosting with his finger and rubbing it onto Draco’s face.

Thus proceeded a self-proclaimed food fight. Draco rubbed his palm against the top of the cake and proceeded to put his hand on Theo’s face, leaving behind a trail of frosting all over his features. He retaliated by grabbing a handful of cake and smushing on top of Draco’s head and all over his hair.

“Oh now it’s on!” Draco declared, and so the fight continued.

By the end of it, both wizards had frosting and crumbs of cake all over their faces, necks and upper arms. The cake had been levelled, and when Draco conjured a bottle of Ogden’s, Theo was only happy to indulge in the alcoholic beverage.

Presently, they were sat on the floor, resting their backs against the kitchen island, still covered in layers of chocolatey goodness.

“Happy Birthday, Theodore.”

“Thank you, Draco.”

Theo had concluded he was in love with Draco long before that day, but it marked the moment where Theo realized he could never live without him.

That day he fell even harder.

October 19th, 1998; Post-War.

“I apologized to Granger.”

They were currently in the Great Hall, peacefully eating dinner. Blaise was sitting beside Draco and opposite them, Pansy was sitting next to Theo, with Daphne on her other side.

Draco’s declaration had set off a round of ‘Oohs’ and ‘Ahhs’ produced by Blaise, who’d been long convinced that Draco had harbored a secret crush on Granger ever since the Yule Ball in Fourth Year.

Pansy, however, looked apoplectic as Draco denied Blaise’s claims. While the relationship between the two had ended in Sixth Year due to Draco’s task, Pansy had never gotten over the ‘Great Betrayal of Draco’ as she called it and still resented the blond quite a bit.

Theo felt sick at the notion that Draco could like Granger.

Not because of her heritage or other bigotted bullshit, but because the Muggleborn witch was everything he was not. She was attractive - even Theo, who was a homosexual, could admit this - smart, compassionate, kind and most importantly, a girl.

He had noticed, that day of the Yule Ball, how Draco had kept his eyes on Granger when Pansy was distracted or when he wasn’t making faces at Theo during the waltz. He’d thought he’d been hallucinating - Draco despised Granger. Surely he couldn’t be attracted to her, could he?

“Come on, mate! We’re over all of that, now. The war is bloody over! Just admit it, we all know it!” Blaise urged him, nudging his shoulder, and Theo’s heart sank when he saw a faint blush swarm onto Draco’s cheek.

“I know no such thing.” said Pansy, admiring her perfectly-manicured nails as she scooped some stew into her mouth. Her face was impassive. Unnervingly stoic.

“I don’t like Granger. I only apologized to her, Blaise, and we’re having a study section in the library after dinner.” Draco commented, feigning indifference as Blaise hollered from his place beside him.

“Ah yes,” laughed Blaise, taking a sip of his alcohol-infused pumpkin juice. A mixture Theo - and everybody fucking else - found particularily disgusting. “A ‘study session’. Really, Draco, I don’t think you have the same definition of ‘study session’ as I do.”

Daphne said nothing, and only shot Theo a glance from Pansy’s other side. She was the only one aware of Theo’s feelings for his friend, and would always comfort him whenever he got upset over him being with someone else. So, what she was doing now.

Suddenly, the woman in question appeared at their side. She flushed as she touched Draco’s shoulder, and the blond turned with a smile, probably already knowing who was standing behind him.

“Hey, Malfoy. Do you want to get going?” asked Granger, hugging her books to her chest and eyeing Draco with nervousness.

“Sure, Granger. I just finished eating.” he had, in fact, not. His plate was still mostly full, beef and potatoes stacked on top of each other. Still, that did not keep him from running off with Granger.

Blaise, Pansy and Daphne were not aware of the heroic act Draco had performed that day at the Manor. Him defending Granger and saving her from Bellatrix’s torture, right as she lowered her knife down to her forearm in order to ‘brand her’, was easily one of the most shocking displays Theo had ever seen.

He deflated, looking down at his soup.

Of course he liked her. Of fucking course.

Blaise kept talking about Draco and Granger’s ‘forbidden love’ throughout dinner, earning various annoyed scoffs from Pansy. Daphne still hadn’t commented,

After, Theo walked out into the hallway with a loose posture. What were they doing right now? At the library? Were they snogging?

He heard someone come up behind him, and turned only to find Daphne running up to him, her golden blond hair flying behind her like a cape. Her eyebrows were furrowed as she looked at Theo, waiting until the corridor was deserted before speaking.

“Theo I’m - ”

“Don’t, Daph. Don’t. Just don’t. I knew this was going to happen. I already lived through it, I can do it again.” Theo assured her, but it did nothing to quell the pain in his chest or to erase the pitying look on Daphne’s face.

“Theo, you know I love you.” she walked up to him, lacing her arms around his torso and burying her face into his chest. “And I know you… I know you love Draco. But, Theo, I think you should start trying to move on.”

Theo knew Daphne was right. He needed to move on. He needed to find someone else. Someone who elicited the same feelings from him that Draco did. The same feelings of appreciation, affection and love.

“I know, Daph. But, how do I do that? How do I just… move on?” he asked, causing Daphne to crane her neck upwards in order to look at him. Theo had had a growth spurt during the time between the end of the war and the present, and was now much taller than he used to be. Not as tall as Draco or Blaise, but still rather impressive.

“You could… you could start trying to date? Finding new people?” she suggested. “Maybe Draco isn’t the one for you. Maybe - maybe there is someone you’re going to love more.”

Theo considered this possibility rather impossible. He couldn’t imagine loving someone else as much as he loved Draco. He couldn’t imagine dreaming about someone as much as he dreamt about Draco. He couldn’t imagine wanting to hold someone’s hand or wanting to thread his fingers through someone’s hair as much as he wanted to with Draco. He just… couldn’t.

“Maybe.” he conceded, looking at Daphne’s hopeful deep blue eyes. “But… but I don’t - do you really think I could love someone else as much as I love him?”

“I think you could.” Daphne assured, smiling at him.

Theo felt a flutter of hope. Images flashing behind his eyelids, of him with a faceless bloke. But, the more he analyzed the images, the more the faceless bloke started to look like Draco.

He wanted no one else. He wanted Draco.

But he had to try wanting someone else.

“Okay, but where am I going to find someone that also likes blokes?” Theo asked, wholeheartedly. As far as he knew, he was the only homosexual in his year. He’d never heard of anyone else dating the same sex, and that just squashed his hope, which was already scarce.

“Well, I know that in the Muggle world the concept of homosexuality is quite taboo, and I also know that pureblood families don’t really accept them either.” said Daphne, thinking. “But, your father is in Azkaban right?”

He was indeed, and since he and Theo were the last remaining Notts, he didn’t worry about how his family would take it. He didn’t care about his reputation much, either. He was who he was, no matter what anyone said. He was gay, and he took pride in it.

“Maybe you could search within the Muggleborn community,” suggested Daphne. “Or, a half-blood?”

A half-blood.

“Sure,” said Theo. “I could start there.”

Daphne smiled, and the pair headed back down to the dungeons.

Though once in bed, the faceless bloke had a face.

And that face possessed a pair of molten silver eyes.

February 23rd, 1999; Post-War.

Draco and Granger had made their relationship official.

Draco had walked into the Slytherin Common Room hand-in-hand with the notorious Muggleborn and announced, out loud, that they were in fact dating and that he would not take any bullshit or prejudice from anyone.

Granger had smiled fondly at him, and rested her head against his shoulder. Draco had kissed her temple, and Blaise had cheered like a madman.

Meanwhile, Theo had tried dating. He really had. But, he had no luck in finding a bloke who also liked blokes. When he did, every guy he met only wanted to experiment. None of them wanted a relationship. None of them were willing to give him a chance at something outside of the sexual department.

Theo had given in. He’d had sex with all of his dates if only to fill the growing void inside of his heart, which increased in size everytime he spotted Draco with Granger.

Kissing her. Holding her. Running his fingers through her crazy curls.

Theo had lost all hope, and continued his nightly routine of fantasizing about Draco in all sorts of ways. He would imagine them going down to a lake together, hopping into the water and kissing under a waterfall. He’d imagined them dancing in a field of dandelions, hands clasped together as they twirled around like children. He’d imagined them travelling all over the world; to Paris, Vienna, Prague, New York. Them strolling through each city, Theo trying his best to read the brochure provided and Draco being annoyed at the scorching sun.

He felt his heart crack every time he imagined Draco doing these things with Granger. Because he was going to do them with Granger. Not him.

He couldn’t help but resent her.

He wanted to scream at his friend. Telling him he belonged to him. Telling him he was the one.

He never did.

“Hey Nott, do you want me to set you up on a date?”

Theo snapped his eyes up, locking gazes with Blaise who was sitting on the couch opposite him. A smirk adorning his lips.

They were currently in the Common Room doing a Charms assignment. Theo had been grateful when McGonagall announced that he would be allowing them to return to Hogwarts in order to retake their Seventh Year. He was eternally grateful.

Draco grunted from his place next to Theo, both sitting on the floor. “You should. Theo, come on! I’m sure Blaise won’t disappoint with his choice in dates.”

Blaise nodded. “Yes. I have this cousin, she just graduated from - ”

“Blaise.” Theo interrupted, looking at his friend with impatience. He turned to look at Draco, who was already looking at Theo. “I’m not going to go on a date with your cousin.”

Blaise raised an eyebrow. “Why? Come on, Nott!”

“Because - because I’m…” he took a deep breath, it had been a long time coming. “Because she’s… because she’s a girl.”

Blaise looked confused. “And that’s a problem… why?”

“Because I’m gay, Blaise!” Theo snapped, his grip tightening around the stem of his quill. “I’m gay! If any of you took time out of your precious day to pay attention to me, you would’ve realized that I don’t care about girls and I never had! Your silly talks during Fifth Year? Did you ever see me actually contribute, Blaise? NO! You didn’t! Because you don’t give a fuck!”

Blaise, for the first time in his life, had been rendered speechless. His mouth was agape as he looked at Draco, who hadn’t removed his eyes from the side of Theo’s face.

Theo continued. His temper finally reaching it’s breaking point after all these years. “I’m fucking gay, Blaise! I’m a homosexual. I like blokes. I like dick, and I don’t give a shit about what you think! If you don’t approve, fine. I don’t care. This is who I am and you know what? I’m fucking proud of it, and I’ll wear a fucking rainbow on my sleeve to prove it!”

“I don’t - I didn’t… Theo I’m - had no idea!” Blaise sputtered. “I’m… Theo I’m sorry that I - ”

“Oh shut the fuck up!” Theo said, returning to his work with red cheeks.

Draco, however, hadn’t said a word. Blaise slumped down onto the couch, bringing his fingers up to his mouth and fidgeting with them, thinking Theo’s confession over.

“I’m glad.” Draco finally spoke, after five tense minutes of silence.

Theo snapped his head to the side, looking at him with wide eyes. A sudden feeling of hope rose within his chest. He was glad? Why was he glad? Did he… was he…

“I’m glad you finally gathered the courage to tell us.” he said, and Theo’s hope was squashed by the sole of Draco’s dragonhide shoes.

Blaise sat up in shock. “WHAT?! YOU KNEW?”

“Of course I knew, Blaise. I’m not a fucking idiot.” said Draco, licking his lips and looking back to Theo, placing a comforting hand on the skinnier wizard’s shoulder. “He’s my best friend. I noticed. I always knew.”

He smiled, widely. Showing off his white teeth. “Congratulations, Theo. I’ll buy you that rainbow myself.”

The back of Theo’s eyes suddenly stung with impending tears. He knew. Draco knew he was gay and didn’t hate him for it. He stared at him for a few minutes, taking it in.

He hadn’t noticed that a tear ran down his cheek, staining his skin. He was so overwhelmed with emotion that he couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. Couldn’t think.

“I thought… I thought you would hate me for it.” and he had. He’d thought about it many times. All of the scenarios his mind conjured consisted of Draco scowling at him after his confession, and hexing him. Calling him a slur and leaving.

He was so glad he was wrong.

“I could never hate you.” said Draco, suddenly looking offended by Theo’s assumption. “Fuck, Nott. You could kill my parents and I still wouldn’t hate you.”

Theo reached for him, pulling him into a crushing hug.

Thank you. Merlin, thank you.

He felt another pair of arms envelop him, as well. Looking over his shoulder, he realized it was Blaise.

Once the hug broke, Blaise sniffled.

“In case it wasn’t clear, I’m sorry, and I support you, too.”

May 7th, 2003; Post-War

“Granger and I are engaged!”

Draco had barely stepped out of the Floo of Blaise and Theo’s flat before he shouted the news. He smiled broadly as he informed his friends of the next step he would be taking in his relationship.

Blaise hopped off of the couch where he and Theo were sitting, watching Muggle television, and hugged Draco.

“Fuck yes, Malfoy!” he celebrated, rubbing his knuckles into Draco’s scalp. “Tell me I'm the groomsman? Why am I even asking of course I am!”

“Of course you are, you tosser.” said Draco, pushing Blaise away in order to prevent harm from descending onto his scalp.

Theo hadn’t moved, still sitting on the couch with his legs pulled up into his chest, a bowl of popcorn at his side.

Draco was getting married?

Throughout the years, Theo’s feelings for Draco had faded away. Slowly, but surely. He’d dated other people, including a Muggle bloke who’d been shunned by his family for being bisexual. Him - his name had been Daniel - and Theo had moved steadily with their relationship. Theo had gone as far as introducing him to Blaise, Daphne, Draco and Granger. Of course, it had been hard. The bloke was a Muggle after all. Their enamour had ended naturally; the feelings were just not strong anymore. They called it quits about a year ago, and Theo had quelled his sexual need with one night stands ever since.

His feelings for Draco had faded so much that when he saw him with Granger, it didn’t sting him anymore. He didn’t go back to his bed and imagine situations that would never happen anymore. He didn’t fantasize about him anymore. For the first time in a while, they were simply friends. No stupid jealousy. No stolen glances. Nothing.

But when he announced that he would be bonded to Granger for the rest of his life, everything came crashing back down to him.

He was going to be someone else’s. Officially. For life.

The surge of jealousy overwhelmed him again, and he nearly choked on the popcorn he’d been eating.

“I’m Draco. I didn’t catch your name... ? ”

“You’re my friend now!”

“Well, I’ll be your first one.”

“Can I read it to you?”

“Come on, you can sleep with me if you’re scared.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Scorpius. It’s my favorite constellation.”

“I knew you’d be here.”

“Happy Birthday, Theodore.”

“I’ll buy you that rainbow myself.”

He wanted to slap himself. Everything he was feeling, he felt like he was being dragged away by a strong current. He felt like he was being suffocated by gallons of water. His feelings… why? Why did they have to return? He willed them to stay gone. He’d lived happily for the past four years…

You’ve been alive, but have you really lived?

“Theo?” Blaise’s voice filtered into his ears and snapped him from his trance. He looked up, only to see his two friends standing in front of him.

He hadn’t reacted. Hadn't congratulated his friend.

Fuck, he’s a shitty person.

He stood up, and wrapped his arms around Draco’s slim neck. “Congrats, Malfoy. When’s the wedding?”

That dazed smile, the smile that always overtook Draco’s face whenever he spoke to Theo appeared on his lips. Only this time, it wasn’t due to him. It was because he was going to be marrying the love of his fucking life. For fuck’s sake.

“It’s in October. I did apologize to her in October so it’s only fitting.” he said, his voice laced with excitement.

He was going to belong to someone else. Forever.

He wasn’t going to belong to him anymore.

He belonged with him

Draco belonged with Theo. Reading fairy tales. Admiring the night sky while sitting on a broom. Rubbing sugary frosting across each other’s faces.

Draco belonged with Theo.

Not Granger.

Never Granger.

Draco continued. “We’ve also decided to move out of the flat. It’s getting pretty cramped, and we’ve talked everything over. Since I proposed to her… we want to have kids.”

Kids.

“I think I’d like to name my child Scorpius one day.”

Theo’s heart shattered. He practically felt the broken pieces of his heart littering the insides of his body. He felt them pierce through his insides, drawing blood.

It really was over, wasn’t it?

“That’s really great, mate! Though, I think you’ll need to work on your dad skills. You didn’t really have a good example…” commented Blaise, wincing.

Draco only laughed. “Oh I know. But if Granger thinks I’ll be a good father, then I only have to believe her. She’s proved me wrong about everything up until this point.”

Theo was still bleeding.

October 14th, 2003; The Wedding Day

Theo frowned at his reflection in the mirror.

Today was the day.

Today was the day he would lose Draco forever.

He frowned as he tightened a maroon-coloured bow tie around his neck. He frowned as he adjusted his cuffs and inserted his cufflinks. He frowned as he combed his hair, making it look as good as it could.

You’re losing him today, you might as well look dashing.

Ever since the wedding announcement in May, Theo had made himself scarce while Blaise, Daphne, the She-Weasley and Narcissa helped with the preparations. He knew he was being an arse, Draco’s sad facial expression whenever they saw each other - which had decreased since the announcement - was telling enough, but Theo couldn’t find it in himself to care anymore.

Draco and Granger had bought a house in Berkshire in mid-June, right after Draco’s birthday. Theo, however, had been busy screwing around and doing his best to ignore all of the events that were happening in his friend’s life.

Draco had tried to visit him during his period of being promiscuous, but Theo had always assured him that he was fine. He didn’t need to worry. He needed to go back to Granger. He needed to go back to his new, amazing mansion in fucking Berkshire - Berkshire!

Now, he was settling himself at Draco’s left side, as he stood on the altar waiting for his soon-to-be wife. Blaise was standing next to Theo with a smile on his face, looking almost more excited for the wedding than Draco was.

George Weasley had also been chosen as a groomsman. After the war, Draco had apologized to the Weasley family, and he and the remaining chunk of the Weasley twins had struck up a close friendship. Which had been, in a few words, shocking to Theo.

Music rang through the air, ricocheting against the walls of the ballroom the wedding was being held in. The doors were thrown open, and Granger came walking out, escorted by both Potter and Weasley.

Theo looked at Draco, watching as an unnamed emotion crossed his eyes. He watched as tears appeared on the rim of his molten silver eyes, his heart consumed with emotion as his future wife made her way down the aisle.

He took her delicate hand in hers, and helped her climb up the remaining steps until they stood face to face, the expression on Granger’s face identical to the one etched onto Draco’s refined, aristocratic features.

Theo stood to the side, and watched the man he loved since he was six-years-old bind himself to another person.

“I vow to love you and cherish you for the remainder of my days. I vow to respect you and protect you until I take my last breaths. I vow to love you with everything in me…

Until death do us part.”

He tuned out Granger’s vows, choosing instead to listen to his own mind.

I swear that to you. I’m yours. I’m always going to be yours.

He didn’t pay attention when they were pronounced husband and wife. He didn’t pay attention as every single guest made their way to the backyard in order for the reception to take place. It was as if his body was moving on autopilot, his mind losing control of his actions.

A soft waltz started playing - the same one that had been played at the Yule Ball, Theo noticed - and Draco took Granger’s hand, leading her out onto the dance floor and proceeding to have their first dance as husband and wife.

Soulmates.

Daphne urged him on after the music stopped playing, only to make way for another piece to start up. She pulled him out, took his hand in hers and began to sway to the music.

Theo didn’t move. He was stoic.

An hour into the reception, Draco clinked his spoon against a glass of champagne. He stood up, Granger at his side, catching the attention of every single guest present.

When he announced that he and Granger were expecting a child, Theo had enough.

He stood up, the legs of his chair scraping against the floor, and walked away.

Every other guest was busy cheering, but Theo was only focused on getting the fuck out of there. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t watch Draco celebrate with the person he loved. He couldn’t. He was aware he was being extremely selfish, more so than his normal standards. But he didn’t care. He didn’t. He just needed to get away. He needed to leave.

He crossed the threshold of the living room, and was about to throw powder into the fireplace when he heard it.

“THEO!”

It was his voice, echoing from behind him. Theo knew he should’ve ignored him. He knew he should’ve just left. But he didn’t. He turned.

There he was. Looking as handsome as ever in his wedding robes. His hair immaculately tousled atop his head - “Granger likes it best that way” - and looking at him with concern.

“What is going on? Why are you leaving? It’s not over yet.” he said, taking a step closer to his distressed friend.

When he placed a hand on his shoulder, Theo broke.

“I can’t. I can’t. I fucking cant!” he pushed the blond away, causing him to stumble backwards and away from him. His touch. He’d pushed away the touch of the only person he wanted to be touched by. “I can’t. I can’t do this anymore!”

Draco regained his balance, but ultimately kept his hands to himself. “What?! What can’t you do, Theo?! What the fuck is going on with you? Ever since I told you and Blaise that I was marrying Granger you’ve been acting like such a dick! What the fuck is your problem?!”

“Do you want to know what my problem is?” Theo’s eyes met his molten silver ones, his face red with anger. “Do you remember when I came out to you? That day, in the common room? Do you remember that you said you always knew?”

Draco looked confused but nodded anyway. “Yes. yes I do remember. Did I offend you? With my comment? I didn’t know Theo I’m sorry - ”

“NO!” Theo bellowed. “That was the best thing anyone has ever said to me, and that is the fucking problem! That it came from YOU! That I knew I was gay because I fucking loved you!”

“W-what?” Draco looked taken aback, his brows drawing together. He shook his head before speaking. “Theo, I love you too - ”

“NO! NOT LIKE THAT!” Theo couldn’t hold his screams at bay anymore. His feelings had been bottled up for so long that he’d exploded into a tornado of agony.

“I LOVE YOU AS MORE THAN A FRIEND! I’VE LOVED YOU SINCE I WAS FUCKING SIX-YEARS-OLD!”

Draco froze. He didn’t respond. He only watched as Theo heaved. Furious tears making their way down his face, sticking to his chin and falling the rest of the way.

“Fuck! I love you! I’m in love with you! And I can’t - I can’t bare to see you with her! I can’t deal with the pain! I can’t keep pretending that you’re not the only person I’ve ever loved in my entire life!”

His voice was raw as he confessed. The pain of his feelings making its way out and past his lips. He couldn’t handle it, and Draco wasn’t responding.

The object of his affection sucked in a shaky breath, and finally spoke. “Theo I’m… I don’t know how to - ”

“Keep your words to yourself, Malfoy. I’m leaving. You don’t have to say anything. I don’t want you to do anything besides shutting the fuck up.”

He threw the powder into the fireplace, unbeknownst to the fact that it would be the last time he’d ever speak to Draco.

Later on, he made the choice.

They were over.

June 5th, 2004; Post-Wedding

It was his birthday.

It was his birthday and Theo wasn’t there to celebrate it.

They’d celebrated every single one of his birthdays together ever since they met. When they were six-years-old and unaware of all of the events they would live through. Together.

Always together.

After the wedding, Theo had moved out of his and Blaise’s flat after the dark-skinned wizard offered a mouthful about how he’d ruined Draco and Granger’s wedding.

“Your best friend? I can’t believe you, Theodore.”

He was secretly thankful to Draco. He hadn’t told Zabini about his confession.

Or anyone else.

He’d moved to a small town in East Sussex, settling down with only a cat for company.

He’d brought his melancholy upon himself anyway.

He still thought about his last interaction with Draco often. The last words he’d said to him after more than a decade of friendship.

“I don’t want you to do anything besides shutting the fuck up.”

He still hated himself for it.

Now, he browsed the local library, looking for a copy of the Wizard and the Hopping Pot. He and Draco read it everyday on his birthday, and even though they were apart, a slice of Theo’s heart would always belong to the moody, arrogant blond.

He searched the shelves, until he heard someone call out to him.

“Nott? Is that you?”

Theo turned, only to be met with his own face being reflected on a pair of round spectacles. His hair was messy, messier than usual. The infamous lightning bolt scar still evident on the rosy skin of his forehead. The only difference he could pinpoint from the last time he saw him was the light stubble grazing his jawline and chin.

He was smiling, Theo noticed. He looked amused.

“I knew it was you. How have you been? I haven’t seen you since the wedding.” he informed, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Long time no see.” Theo said, angling his body so it faced his. “I moved here after that. I did cause a spectacle. What are you doing here?”

“Auror duty. Supposed Death Eater sympathizers have been spotted in the area, and of course I was sent.” he smiled. His smile was… quite charming.

“Ah, I see.” said Theo, abandoning his search for The Wizard and the Hopping Pot. “Well, nice to see you after so long. Never knew you were the type to read.”

“I’ve picked up hobbies.” He offered as an explanation. “Hey, do you know any good coffee places around here? I’m in desperate need.”

Theo nodded. “Yes, there’s one down the street.”

“I see. Thanks, Nott.” he conceded, stepping away.

“Hey,” Theo said, before he could walk out and away from him. “I can walk you, if you want. I also need coffee.”

He smiled. “Come along, then.”

“Alright, Potter. Last one there is a rotten egg.” he joked. Potter laughed.

And so, molten silver started shifting and turning green. Only now, his feelings were reflected back.

FIN.

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Molten Silver

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