theodore nott: facing death with them

                                    

                                          
you sit side by side, knees touching, the silence between you heavy. where you sought refuge, hoping for a moment of peace, now feels more like a sanctuary for your final moments. "are you scared?" he whispers, shattering the quiet. his voice is rough, laced with vulnerability.
you look at him, your eyes meeting in a silent understanding. without a word, you give a small nod that feels like a confession of unspoken fears.
his eyes darken, a mix of sadness and resignation in their depths. "me too," he admits, his voice barely above a whisper.
your fingers find each other, tangling together almost instinctively. your hand squeezes his, holding on tightly, desperately, as if trying to cling to life itself.
his eyes remain fixed on your clasped hands, his thumb tracing a pattern aimlessly over your knuckles. a faint smile tugs at the corners of his lips, his eyes still focused on your hands. "don't let me go," he says, his voice low. "not until the very end."
a lump forms in your throat, your heart aching at the plea. you squeeze his hand tighter, holding onto it like a lifeline. "i won't," you assure him, your voice wavering slightly. "i promise."
suddenly, a cacophony of sounds outside, sharp cracks, screams, and roars seep into the hidden chamber. you tense, your heart racing in your chest, but before you can turn to look, he pulls you toward him, wrapping his arms around you, shielding you from everything outside. his hand finds the back of your head, guiding your face into the crook of his neck.
"don't look," he whispers urgently. he presses your face into his neck, his hand holding your head firmly against him. "just close your eyes and focus on me, on my voice, on my heartbeat. just don't look."
"i'm here," he murmurs, his chin resting on the top of your head. "focus on me. nothing else matters but this."
your body trembles against his, your breath coming in ragged gasps. but his voice, his steady heartbeat, they drown everything else out. in this moment, nothing else matters. just him.
"i'm here. i have you. just focus on me." he murmurs, his hand rubbing small circles on your back, a gentle, rhythmic motion that somehow manages to ground you.
the moment you were dreading finally arrives. the door crashes open, a deafening noise that reverberates in the small room.
his body tenses around you, his arms instinctively tightening their hold. you can feel his breath quicken, his heart pounding faster. but his voice remains steady, his words a desperate murmur in your ear. "don't look," he repeats, his voice barely above a whisper.
but despite his command, your body tenses, your mind urging you to look, to face the horror that has broken into this sanctuary.
he feels your body shift, your attempt to look betraying you. he holds you tighter, his arms wrapped around you like a vise. "please," he whispers, desperation creeping into his voice. "don't look. just focus on me."
chilling, footsteps, heavy and purposeful, echoes in the chamber. there's a pause, a silence thick with dread, and then a voice cuts through the air like a knife. "found them."
he tenses further, his breath hitching in his chest as his body stiffens against yours. yet, he doesn't move. his arms remain tight around you, his body a shield. his voice is no longer steady, his murmurs becoming more desperate. "stay with me," he pleads, his voice trembling slightly. "just focus on me, on my voice, on my heartbeat. please."
with your face buried in the crook of his neck, you feel his body tighten further, his arms squeezing you as if he can protect you from the inevitable.
"i want to be the last thing you see," he murmurs, his voice tinged with a painful finality. he pulls back slightly, just enough to look down at you, his eyes locking onto yours.
his gaze is intense, filled with fear and acceptance. "i don't want your last memory to be anything but this," he whispers, his hand gently cupping your jaw, his thumb brushing against your cheek. "just... look at me, focus on me, and remember me, alright?" the world seems to shrink, closing in until only he and you exist. his gaze doesn't waver, his hand still cradling your face as if he's trying to memorize every detail.
and just as a spell is thrown in your direction, his eyes soften. the tension drains from his body, a flicker of resignation passing through his gaze. his lips part, and with his final breath, he whispers three words, barely audible but echoing in your mind forever. "i love you."