nine

THEODORE'S HEART SUNK TO HIS FEET AT ARABELLA'S WORDS. Of course he knew the story about Larissa Brooks. She had been a fifth year when they were first years. There were endless stories and rumors about her untimely death, which had unfortunately happened on school grounds. The most popular rumors ranged from dark magic to murder to poison, but he'd never actually heard the true story of what had happened.

The autumn air was still warm from the lingering sunlight, sending an array of pink and orange hues, as the clouds and skies blushed from the heat of the sun. The sun dipped low behind the distant hills and forest as a gust of faint wind rustled the ivy that clung to the ancient stone walls of the castles. Arabella took a seat on one of the many stone-crafted benches that laid underneath the arches that lined the exterior hallway. From here, the vast expanse of the school grounds stretched out beneath them and the pair could hear the excited dinner chatter of their schoolmates, flowing out from the Great Hall. Theodore watched her every move, staring at her as she watched the sun set, her eyes following a flock of migrating geese that were flying in the horizon.

"I did." He replied carefully, approaching her before taking a seat next to Arabella. "It would've been her 22nd birthday today." She sniffled, dropping her head to stare at the granite floors that had been weathered by time.

"I can feel her in the halls Theodore. In the classrooms. I feel her in every breath I take, and sometimes - it's like it's suffocating me." Her voice shook as she spoke, and Theodore watched as she lifted a trembling hand to wipe the tears from her eyes. Her hands fell into her lap, and she picked at her cuticles. He observed silently, not knowing what to say to her. He wanted to say something that would make it all better, anything, but he didn't know what to say. He could see that she was trying to be strong, to mask her emotions and bottle them up to be released later in private.

"But, I'm oka-"

Instead of speaking, he took her hand tightly. She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with the tears she was trying so fervently to hold in. He gently pulled her into him, eyes locked on hers and she fell into his arms. He held her close to his body while she sobbed into his shoulder. He could feel the dampness and warmth of her tears as they seeped into the fabric of his shirt. Her sobs racked her body, her hand tightly gripping his arm as he stroked her back comfortingly.

Arabella clutched at Theodore as he held her, as though he would disappear and fade away if she let go of him. He instinctively tightened his hold, letting her know that he was there. His lips lightly brushed against her hair, a gesture so subtle but it spoke more than words ever could about the way he felt about Arabella.

He held her, and she cried in his arms until the stars appeared.

•

Mattheo Riddle often spent time alone. He liked being alone - most people talked too much. He knew he had a bad reputation. Being the son of the Dark Lord didn't exactly make you Head Boy or the most popular guy at school. Beyond a handful - and even that was a stretch - of Slytherin friends, he hadn't met anyone whose company he enjoyed. That was until he'd spent a drunken night watching the stars with Arabella Brooks, the most unlikeliest of pairings. He thought it was a fluke, maybe a cruel glitch - until she'd went and punched one of her best friends in the face for him. No one had ever stood up for him like that, and it made him feel uneasy.

He'd spent the last week wandering the forest as his Animagus. It slowed things down, and helped him when his thoughts were all jumbled up.

But now, it was time to come back to Hogwarts.

•

"Theodore. Please go to the party." Arabella pleaded with Theodore, who had planted himself on the couch of the Gryffindor common room, and refused to budge. Once Arabella had calmed down thanks to Theodore, the duo had snuck into the Hogwarts kitchens, stealing miniature pumpkin pies and Yorkshire puddings.

"I know you wanted to go, you were talking about it for half an hour earlier." Arabella argued, through a mouthful of perfectly sweet pumpkin pie.

Theodore shook his head. "No, I think I'm gonna stay in today. You know, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Besides, I'm getting too old for all that now." He said, and Arabella couldn't help but to roll her eyes at his immaturity. But in reality, she was grateful she didn't have to be alone today.

She opened her mouth to poke fun at him, but just as she did, she heard a group of students bickering at the entryway painting. Her eyes widened and she bolted up from the couch, grabbing Theodore's hand. It wasn't really allowed for different houses to enter each other's common rooms. It wasn't strictly enforced, but if Percy Weasley was one of the Gryffindors about to walk in, they'd certainly be in a pickle.

Theodore quickly caught on, also hearing the approaching voices. They didn't have time to hide in the dormitory, and besides, Arabella didn't know if all of her roommates had gone to the Hufflepuff party tonight. She quickly yanked open the door to the minuscule broom closet in the back corner of the common room. They rarely ever used it, and it was shielded by stacks of various Muggle board games brought and accumulated by past students, and heaps of chopped wood for the fireplace. Stepping around those things and rushing inside, Arabella pulled Theodore in after her, before shutting the door as quietly as possible, just as the painting swung open to let in the Gryffindor students.

Voices in distant conversation and the sound of multiple footsteps filled the tiny closet, and Arabella didn't even notice how close she was standing to Theodore. The closet was pathetically small, really only meant to store cleaning supplies, a few mops at most. It wasn't much larger than the size of a small wardrobe, and the two students were pressed tightly against each other.

"Stop fidgeting, Brooks." Theodore hissed, moving his hand to steady Arabella, who had been trying to shift herself to create more room in between them. The Gryffindor students had annoyingly and unfortunately planted themselves in the common room, and it sounded like they were playing a drunken game of Would You Rather.

"Why won't they leave?" Arabella whispered back, starting to feel quite claustrophobic in the tiny closet. "Why'd you come in here with me? You're allowed to be out there." Theodore asked, a hint of amusement in his tone despite his pained expression. Arabella was silent, before letting out a quiet snort and laugh. "You're right. Why am I in here?" She asked, laughing quietly alongside Theodore. They giggled together quietly in the broom closet, praying they wouldn't get caught.

The two stayed pressed up against each other, until the voices drifted away and their legs started to fall asleep. 

When Arabella noticed that the voices disappeared, she cracked open the closet door, peeking through cautiously. "Hey." She whispered, nudging Theodore, who was half asleep with his head leaning on Arabella's shoulder. "Theodore." She said again, and he grumbled as he woke up, standing up to his full height. Arabella opened the closet door fully, bringing in a gush of cool, fresh air. 

"They're gone." She said, stretching as she wedged herself out of the tight space between herself and Theodore, her legs feeling slightly weak as the circulation returned. "Merlin, I can hardly stand up straight." She muttered under her breath as Theodore peeled himself out after her. "You should leave, before someone else comes in. I don't want to get in trouble." Arabella said, looking back at Theodore who was stretching leisurely. 

"You sure? You don't want the pleasure of my company?" He asked, clearly in a joking mood as Arabella rolled her eyes. "If you don't leave, I'll leave you down here. No one would know that I was the one who let you in." She threatened, making Theodore smile. 

"Right. Unless I told them that you did." He replied, leaning down towards Arabella like he always did to annoy her - poking fun of the difference in height between the two of them. She took the opportunity to grab his ear, using it as leverage to drag him out of the common room and into the narrow hallway that led to the Fat Lady painting. 

"Ow, Bells - hold on." He whined, following her lead. 

She let out an annoyed huff as the painting swung open to the dim hallways, lit only by the flickering oil lamps posted on the walls. "I'm going." Theodore mumbled, rubbing his ear as Arabella finally let go - only when the Slytherin boy was out of Gryffindor grounds completely.

Despite the throbbing in his left ear, he smiled sweetly at Arabella, the usual, mischievous look in his eyes back once again. "Good night, Bells. See you tomorrow." He said, turning around to walk away. Before he could get too far, Arabella called after him - loud enough to make her wince in regret and check for any unwanted listeners nearby.

He turned around, one eyebrow raised in quiet curiosity. "Thank you—for staying with me today," Arabella said, her fingers lightly resting on the doorframe, her voice laced with a hint of embarrassment as she avoided his gaze.

His gaze softened. "Anytime, Brooks." He replied, voice low.

Before Arabella could stop herself, her hand slipped from the doorframe, and on a sudden impulse, she ran to him. 

The moment her arms wrapped around him, he hesitated, but there was a small tug at his chest, so minuscule he barely noticed it - a pull that made him instinctively return the embrace. He found himself holding her a little tighter than he meant to.

They stood in silence, neither of them speaking, each lost in their own thoughts of how the person they were holding - wasn't what they'd expected at all.