「 DO YOU LIKE MY LEGS 」

FOWLEY KEPT TRUE TO HER words.

Theo woke up late the next day and when he went into the kitchen, he was greeted with the rare sight of Blaise and Corben working harmoniously with Fowley. Well, maybe harmoniously wasn't the right word.

Blaise worked at the counter while Corben wrestled for the kettle with Fowley who insisted that she didn't need help in the kitchen and how scandalous it was that they would even dream of cooking when she was there. Theo imagined no one had ever offered to help Fowley in the kitchen. When he was a child, he had felt bad for Fowley once and tried to make breakfast, but his father had been quick to put him in his place and threaten Fowley with clothes for letting Theo into the kitchen. He hadn't tried to help her afterwards.

"We are not trying to steal your job, woman," said Corben with a tone that suggested this wasn't the first time he was having this argument. "We just want to help make breakfast for Theo."

"That's sweet," Theo said and walked into the kitchen. Both Blaise and Corben smiled broadly upon seeing him while Fowley rushed to him and looked up pleadingly.

"Master Theodore, will you tell them that Fowley does not need help?"

Theo smiled. "They know that. It's okay, Fowley. You can let them work."

Her face fell at the lack of support. "But it is not right. They should not be working. This is Fowley's job."

"It's just for one day," Theo assured her. "You can work with them. I'm sure they don't know where the dishes and ingredients are kept, so why don't you help them?"

Fowley looked like she wanted to argue but she was bound to obey orders and the indirect order from Theo moved her in the direction of Corben, who asked her where she had hidden the tea leaves.

Theo scuffed toward Blaise, who was beating a mixture of eggs - and some other things Theo couldn't recognise - in a bowl. "Can I help?" he asked.

"No, we're almost done. Sit and wait."

"You don't look like you're almost done," Theo remarked. "What are you making?"

Blaise abandoned the bowl and led Theo by the shoulders before pushing him down on a chair. "You'll see soon enough."

Theo wasn't wrong when he'd said they weren't almost done. It was another thirty minutes before they finally left the kitchen counter and brought the food over to the table, where Theo had already laid down the plates. They had made almond toast and tea. The intoxicating scent of burnt sugar stimulated his nostrils and Theo felt his hunger increase as he pulled a plate toward himself.

It was only when he was halfway through his slice of toast that he remembered. "Where's Father?" he asked Fowley.

"He left early," she answered. "You were all asleep."

Corben looked at her through a mouthful of toast. "Did you enjoy making breakfast with us, Fowley?"

She hung her head, though she looked quite pleased with herself. "Fowley is supposed to work alone. She isn't supposed to let anyone work when she's here. If Master Nott finds out -"

"Master Nott won't find out," Theo interrupted, giving her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "And if he does, I don't think he has time to care about who made breakfast."

"But you did enjoy working as a team, didn't you?" Corben asked, grinning. "I told you, it's fun."

"Fowley isn't supposed to have fun."

Eventually, they gave up trying to convince her. She shuffled away to randomly clean some dishes and the kitchen counter. As they sipped their tea and chatted, Theo went silent for a minute. Then he asked, "Did you guys bring shorts?"

The randomness of the question halted the other two midspeech. Corben cast a suspicious glance at him. "I did, yes. Why?"

Theo placed his teacup on the table and beamed. "Then get dressed. We're going to the beach."

Corben's suspicion didn't lessen. "You have a beach in the woods?"

"Of course not. It's right outside the woods."

Corben groaned and dropped his head on the table, striking his cup and spilling some tea in the process. "Ugh. More walking."

But they obediently went upstairs to get changed. Theo hung back to talk to Fowley, who had gone busy clearing up the table. "Thank you, Fowley. For accepting them."

She turned her large, glassy eyes on him. "They makes Master Theodore happy. They don't hurt him like Master Nott does."

Theo was momentarily taken aback by her train of thought. Then he smiled. "Yes, looking like me doesn't necessarily mean they would have my back, right?"

She nodded her head solemnly. He helped her pack a bag with food and water, and then he too went to his room to change into beach appropriate clothes. Almost an hour later, they were at the porch waiting to depart whilst Fowley fussed over them.

"You needs more water," she scolded, brandishing a water bottle before them, looking quite intimidating for someone as small as her. "It's a long walk to the beach and Master Corben will get thirsty."

Corben looked utterly touched at the sudden declaration and he accepted the bottle with an elaborate bow. Blaise stuffed the bottle into the bag which was already on the verge of bursting and asked Fowley, "Do you want to come with us?"

She looked blank for a moment. "Where?" she asked.

"To the beach."

She continued to look blank. "Fowley does not understand what Master Blaise means, Sir," she said politely.

Blaise didn't lose patience. "Well, Mr Nott isn't home. And I suppose you're done with most of your chores - you've been working since dawn. You can come with us. You might like a change of scenery."

Realisation seemed to pop in Fowley's head and she instantly looked horrified at the idea. She began to sputter. "No - Fowley isn't - she cannot ... what an idea - the beach! Oh, what would the other house-elves say if they hear Fowley goes to the beach?" Then, as though looking at Blaise would be an offence to her entire species, she turned and hurried away, leaving Blaise staring blankly after her.

Corben's laugh zapped them out of their thoughts. "Well, you tried." He swung on his heels and pranced out into the opening in front of the house. Theo picked up the bag and led Blaise away after shutting the door.

"Thank you for that," he said. "I knew she would never agree, but thanks."

Blaise turned a worried look at him. "I just thought she might like some fresh air. She works so much."

Theo laughed. The psychology of house-elves was challenging to understand if you didn't have one in your house. But having lived with Fowley for seventeen years, Theo sometimes still found himself striving to fathom how her mind worked and how she saw the world around her.

They followed Corben down the path and into the woods. "Well, I've only just introduced her to the idea that she's allowed to have different opinions from the family she lives with," he explained. "She needs time."

Despite Corben's complaints, he seemed to quite enjoy the trip through the dense cluster of trees. They walked over the paved path that ran unevenly over the forest floor, and Theo patiently answered each and every question Corben had whilst Blaise trailed silently along behind them. After a while, Theo got off the path and ventured into the trees. Corben halted, shocked. "We're going in there?"

He looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Yes. Relax, I know the way quite well."

Corben followed him after a moment's hesitation. "How could you possibly know the way? It's just trees."

"Yes, well, I've lived here for seventeen years. I know my way around."

He hauled the bag of food over his shoulder and followed a familiar direction that wasn't marked by any discernible path. But Theo knew the woods like the back of his hands. He'd spent more time roaming around here and observing the trees than he'd spent in his own house. Corben fell in step with him a few minutes later.

The woods weren't very dense, so the sunlight streamed in through the web of foliage above them, forming a crisscross of light and shadows underneath their feet. Theo weaved around the trees, following a seemingly random pattern, though he knew what he was doing quite well.

They spotted the edge of the woods long before they reached it. A faint hum reached his ears and Theo stopped, smiling. "Do you hear that?"

"Is that the sound of the waves?" asked Corben, clearly awe-struck. Theo was aware that he had never seen the ocean before and he felt a flutter of pleasure at the thought that he was responsible for the look of bliss that took over Corben's face as he strained his ears to better hear the sound.

"Sure is," he said. "It will get louder the closer you go. Come on." He hooked their arms together and dragged him across the last remaining metres of the woods. He heard Blaise following behind them.

The water floated into vision as they reached the edge of the trees. Corben gasped audibly. Then he shot an accusatory glance at his brother. "I can't believe you never brought me here, Blaise." As Theo let go of his arm, Corben broke out of the woods and walked down the rocky pathway toward the beach, slowly and with eyes looking around with innocent wonder. Theo waited for Blaise to catch up with him, then they made their way forward.

"You're awfully quiet," said Theo.

"Corben seems happy enough with you," Blaise muttered.

Theo stopped and faced him, letting a frown crinkle his brows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Blaise smiled, though Theo could tell that it was forced. "Nothing. Let's proceed."

Corben had already reached the water, hovering uncertainly at the boundary. Then he turned and began to stroll along the edge, not letting the water touch his feet when it reached the shore. Theo chose a dry spot and dropped the bag, took off his slippers, and flopped down on the warm sand. Blaise stretched out beside him.

They didn't speak for a long time. This was one of the things Theo liked about Blaise. Even when they were sitting in silence, they didn't need to speak to enjoy each other's presence. Granted, Blaise was insufferable at times and not really a pleasant companion, but when he was at least a bit tolerable, Theo thought they could sit in silence in an empty room for hours without getting bored.

"Father wants me to get married to Daphne," he said, remembering their discussion from the day before. Blaise snorted.

"Why am I not surprised?"

Theo looked at Blaise to respond but was suddenly distracted by his bare legs that were stretched out in front of him. He opened his mouth and instantly forgot what he'd wanted to say. Blaise didn't seem to notice his ordeal. He was leaning back slightly, supported by his arms behind him, his long fingers digging into the sand. His gaze was fixed on Corben, eyes squinted under the sunlight.

Theo blinked a few times and wrenched his eyes away. "He even started to write a letter," he said. "To invite Daphne over. I stopped him before he could go past one line."

"You shouldn't have stopped him. You could have had a good laugh with Daphne if she arrived."

"That's true," Theo admitted.

"Did he get angry?" Blaise asked, looking at Theo for the first time. Theo determinedly did not return the gaze.

"Not really. He told me to think it over. He knows I'm gay, apparently," he added after a moment's thought.

Blaise leaned toward him, concern showing on his face. "Did he give you a hard time about that?"

Theo frowned and shook his head. "He didn't. He didn't actually act like it was a big deal. He seemed to think that it was a delusion."

Blaise snorted again. "Of course he did. Ignorant bastard."

Maybe it was weird, but Theo felt oddly attracted to Blaise whenever he insulted his father. Realising that his face was heating up, Theo quickly changed the track of their conversation.

"Anyway, he didn't bother me after that," he said. "But I kind of provoked him; that was when -" he stopped and bit his lip. He should not have said that.

Blaise's eyes glinted mischievously. "That was when you tripped over thin air and hit your face at the edge of a table?"

Theo groaned inwardly. Blaise's uncanny ability to see through him was quite annoying. Or maybe Theo wasn't a good liar. He dug his fingers into the sand and drew random shapes.

Blaise shuffled toward him, lowering his head to peer into his face. "Tell me what happened."

Theo stubbornly remained silent. He scooped a handful of sand into his palm and raised his hands, spreading his fingers to let the grains rain down like a curtain of dust.

"Theo, please." Blaise gripped his wrist and shook it so the rest of the sand fell away. "What did he hit you with?"

"His hand."

Blaise looked like he didn't believe him. "That's impossible. That's quite a sharp -"

"It was his ring," Theo interrupted. "The - the stone on the ring. It has edges."

"Ah."

Blaise reached up to touch the scar on his cheek, his touch so soft that it felt like a breath brushing over his skin. Theo shivered.

"I don't get why you insist on coming back here," Blaise whispered. "I've told you so many times that you can come live with us -"

Theo pushed his hand away, straightening up. His voice came out harsh when he said, "Look, I didn't come here to talk about my abusive father. Let's forget about it. Just pretend that I hit my face on a table." He paused, looking anywhere but at Blaise. He continued with a softer tone. "And I'm not going to come back here after this. I just missed my room."

Theo was exasperated. He began to wish they hadn't come to the beach at all. He huffed and attacked the sand beside him, making and destroying more shapes. Blaise crossed his legs and laid his long bony arms over them, interlocking his fingers together. Theo was, once again, momentarily distracted.

His distraction didn't last long this time though, for Blaise said with a hint of amusement in his voice, "Do you like my legs?"

Theo's eyes almost popped out of sockets. "I'm sorry?"

Blaise wasn't looking at him, but he had a smirk plastered over his stupid face. "You keep staring at them."

Theo knew he was blushing furiously, but he couldn't look away. "No, I don't," he managed to say. He knew quite well how big of a lie that was.

Blaise laughed. "It's okay. I know I have handsome legs."

Theo rolled his eyes, no longer embarrassed. Blaise had the remarkable talent of ruining moments, and Theo had to admit, it came in handy quite frequently.

He looked toward the shore and experienced a moment of panic when he couldn't find Corben. But looking closer, he noticed a dot moving across the water, quite a significant distance from the shore. He stood. "Don't you want to get into the water?" he asked Blaise, who remained seated.

"Not really, but I don't think you'll take no for an answer."

Theo grinned as Blaise rose with an exaggerated groan.

With their bag left on the beach, they joined Corben in the water. Theo stayed on the shallow side, enjoying the feel of the waves crashing at his feet. But Corben came over a minute later and dragged him further where the waves grew in height and intensity. He retaliated by splashing water at his face.

They ran around in the waves for at least an hour and when they returned to their resting point, they were soaked from head to toe. Theo had a distinct taste of salt lingering on his lips and he rinsed his mouth with water before flopping down on the sand. Thankfully, Fowley had remembered to give them a towel which he used to wipe away the excess water from his hair. Tugging at the collar of his shirt to keep it from clinging to his skin, he pulled out three sandwiches from the bag.

They feasted on the sandwiches and water with their bodies covered in gritty sand. Corben didn't want to leave but Theo insisted that they needed a long shower before lunch. In the end, Corben obliged with the promise that they would come here again the next day. Laughing, Theo wound his arm around his shoulders and side by side, they walked home.

Fowley announced that Tristan Nott had come home while they were away but had left soon afterwards. Good timing, Theo thought to himself as he went to his room to shower and change.

Theo thought that he had never felt as happy during all of the hours he had spent in this house as he felt in the few hours he spent with Blaise and Corben. Today, things were more interesting as Fowley joined them as well, barging into their room every few minutes to offer them biscuits and cakes and tea. At one point, she got into an argument with Corben who insisted that he could make better fried eggs than her. Theo demanded a contest and they marched collectively into the kitchen.

Corben and Fowley cooked a fried egg each and Theo and Blaise were asked to be the judges. Fowley passed with flying colours, for Corben had burnt the side of his egg whilst hers was a perfect sunny-side up. Theo suspected he had done this on purpose, though he couldn't be sure whether his protest of utter indignance at the judges' verdict was an act or not.

Tristan Nott didn't come home that night and they ate their dinners peacefully. Theo would have loved to stay up and chat, but they were all very tired from the long walk through the woods so they said goodnight and went into their respective bedrooms. Theo changed into his pyjamas and sat on his bed, unable to keep from smiling.

He lay down and remained in that position for several minutes before rising again. After a moment's hesitation, he left his room and walked along the hall until he reached the bedroom on the other end. He knocked.

"Come in," said Blaise.

Blaise was lounging on the bed, reading a book. Theo leaned against the doorframe, feeling lost all of a sudden. Why had he come here?

"Are you alright?" asked Blaise. He put his book away and looked at him worriedly. "Is your father home?"

"No, no," said Theo quickly. "Um - I was wondering - do you want to see the library?"

Blaise regarded him for a moment. "I thought you weren't allowed in there."

Theo raised an indifferent shoulder. "I find that I care less and less about what my father wants."

A faint smiled appeared in Blaise's. "Let's go then."

The library door wasn't locked and it creaked open when Theo pushed it. Blaise was right when he'd said he wasn't allowed in here. But Theo had come here plenty of times when his father had summoned him in. Before the Dark Lord came back, Tristan Nott had spent a lot of time in the library and if he needed Theo, he would send Fowley to fetch him. Those were the only times Theo had been here - standing across the desk from his father. He wasn't allowed to touch any of the books.

The desk, though unused, was still here, on the same spot. It stood toward the right wall, with a high backed chair behind it. The walls were lined with tall shelves filled with worn hardcover books. There were potted plants at intervals on the floor, with succulent purple leaves, fresh and alive. Fowley surely came here regularly to water them, for Theo was certain his father would never bother to do it.

Blaise walked slowly inside, moving along the shelves and staring at the books in the same impressed way Corben had stared at the ocean this morning. Theo stifled a laugh and went to the desk, settling himself down on the large chair. He felt like royalty.

Blaise seemed to have forgotten that Theo existed, so immersed was he in the hundreds of books in the room. That was fine with Theo. He was usually quite content watching Blaise while he dove into one fictional world or another.

Blaise walked past each shelf, squinting at titles and running his fingers over the spines of the books. A greedy look had come over his face, like he wished to shrink all of the shelves with a charm and stuff them in his pockets. Theo wouldn't stop him if he did decide to do that.

Finally, he chose a book. It was quite large and worn around the edges. He read the back cover of the book, then flipped through it. Seemingly satisfied, he looked up and toward Theo. Theo had the feeling that Blaise had forgotten he was there.

He strode across the library and up to the desk. With a serious look on his face, Blaise gave an elegant bow and said in a fake posh accent, "Mr Nott, will I be permitted to take this book to my room to read?"

Theo pulled up an equally serious look. "You're permitted to burn that book, for all I care."

Blaise scowled. "Why would you say that?" he said in his regular voice. He looked around, and not finding a chair, pulled himself up onto the desk, facing Theo. "What's so special about this library that he would keep it out of bounds? I doubt that he cared much about these books."

Theo shrugged. "Show of power, I guess?"

Blaise nodded but his attention drifted from Theo. He surveyed the book in his hands with such acute concentration that Theo remained silent, not wanting to interrupt his thoughts. When he had decided that Blaise wasn't going to talk, Blaise looked up and asked, "Do you think I can finish this book before Easter break ends?"

Theo couldn't help but laugh. "You can take that book with you."

Blaise's face lit up. "Really?"

"Sure. Why not?"

"And I take it you don't care what your father thinks?"

Theo shook his head. "Like I said, you can burn -"

"Shut up."

Blaise examined the book with care, handling it like it was a rare and precious object. Theo didn't want to interrupt him, but a thought that had been nagging him since Christmas began to push through the surface. He cleared his throat, bracing himself, and asked, "Can I ask you something?"

There must have been something in his voice, for Blaise froze. He set the book on the table and met his eyes. "Of course."

Theo rapped his fingers on the desktop, not wishing to ruin the moment, but not wishing to let it go either. He swallowed a lump in his throat and said, "You said that you were jealous of Luna."

He scrutinised Blaise for any sort of reaction, for him to look uncomfortable and to pull his gaze away. But though he looked discomfited, Blaise did not break eye contact. This seemed awfully bold of him, but Theo found that he loved this particular trait of his.

"Well, when you took her out of the train," he continued, "what did you expect to gain? Did you think I'd give you more attention if she wasn't in the picture?"

Unknowingly, his voice had gone harsh, so Theo stopped speaking and took a moment to catch his breath. Blaise spoke after a few seconds. "I wasn't really thinking rationally." He finally looked away. "Amycus Carrow came to me after I'd got off the carriage. He told me to fetch Luna, so I went and did. I'll admit I didn't have time to think it through."

Theo felt his hands shaking. "If he'd asked you the day before - if you had time to think - would you still have done it?"

"I want to say no." Blaise took a deep breath and hugged himself, as though he was cold. "But I honestly do not know what I would have done."

Theo appreciated his honesty but it also meant that he couldn't ask the other questions that were crowding his mind. He didn't think he wanted to know the honest answers to them. So he leaned back in his chair and stared sideways, trying his best to not let his tears fall.

"I'm sorry," Blaise said softly.

Theo stood and put the book back in Blaise's hands, forcing a smile into his face. "It's yours now."

They left the library and Theo closed the door gently behind them. On the third floor, Blaise stopped by his bedroom, about to say goodbye, but Theo spoke before he could.

"Will you come into my room?" he asked. He realised he normally wouldn't have been brave enough to ask something like this, but the darkness of the hallway and Blaise's face hidden in shadows gave him the push he needed. "I'm not really sleepy. And I wouldn't mind some company." He bit his lips and plunged on. "You can stay there, if you like. There's enough room for the two of us, I think. Um."

Blaise considered for a long time. Maybe he was surprised at the offer, especially given their last conversation in the library. Maybe he would reject. Maybe he was creeped out. Maybe he didn't want to be Theo's friend anymore. Theo wished he could sink into the ground forever and was about to dismiss it as a joke when Blaise said, "Sure. Should I bring a pillow?"

Theo took a long time finding his voice. "I have an extra pillow, so it's fine."

"Okay. I'll get changed."

Theo nodded and practically sprinted back to his room after Blaise had disappeared into his own. He jumped into his bed and pulled the blanket around himself, regretting having said anything to Blaise at all. Why did he ever have to open his dumb mouth?

Blaise knocked on his door all too soon. Theo gave a squeak of fright, then pushed the blanket away and attempted to look normal. "Come in," he said in what he hoped was his regular voice.

Blaise entered, still clutching the book in his hands. He had changed into a pale grey t-shirt and ... and a pair of shorts. Theo's mouth moved of its own accord and spoke before he was able to stop himself. "Why are you wearing shorts?" He immediately sank his teeth into his lips.

Blaise looked down as though he hadn't realised he was wearing shorts. "I always wear shorts to bed," he said in a maddeningly calm tone.

"No, you don't."

Blaise grinned as he climbed into the bed. "Really? You seem to be very interested in my legs lately, Theodore."

Theo opened his mouth to retort but clamped it shut again. He couldn't trust his own mouth anymore. So instead, he huffed noisily and lay down, turning to face the wall.

"You don't mind if I stay up late reading, do you?" Blaise asked.

He had been so eager to read the book - how could Theo ever refuse? "Not at all." He thought for a moment. Then he looked over his shoulder toward Blaise. "I'm glad you're here."

"You mean in your bed -"

"You know what I mean!" Theo replied hastily, deciding to never speak to Blaise again.

He dragged the blanket over himself and closed his eyes, curling his legs up close to his chest. From behind him, Theo heard Blaise turning the pages of the book, followed by a soft whisper - "Don't hog the blankets."

⋆

i couldn't write for two days because i was so stressed about the election and i don't even live in the usa

anyway, any american readers, hope you all stay safe <3

on a lighter note, anyone participating in nanowrimo this year?