𝖂innie desperately wished for some coffee. She had never wanted the substance more than that morning in almost sixteen years. She had endured an awful night trying to escape Professor Umbridge's quills and snotty eyes. ( It had been two days since the meeting in the Room of Requirement, and Winnie spent most of her time trying to practice the spells and avoid Theodore Nott. ) It also hadn't helped that everyone everywhere seemed to be whispering and talking about the upcoming quidditch match that night — Winnie absolutely hated the sport, and with Gryffindor going against Slytherin, she wanted to be as far away from the bloody mess as she could.

         She had already planned to hide away at her table in the library, perfectly content with pretending the world did not exist. Thank you very much!

       It certainly didn't help that her skin was feverous, her tie laid against her bedpost back in her dorm room, knitted blazers off and forgotten as she chewed relentlessly at her fingernails. They were bloody and chipped from the sharp edges of her teeth, and shivers trickled down her spine, creating goosebumps against her skin. The pride her sister, felt suffocated her at every chance they got, mixing with the slight fear her fellow housemates got with each passing day. Winnie no longer knew how to separate others' emotions from her own. She felt their pain, their fear that overclouded her own.

       She couldn't even feel her fear about the impending future that awaited her at home; instead, others choked and ruined her. She thought of that now as she made her way to Herbology, the outside air blowing against her flushed skin, despite the goosebumps appearing on her arms, sweat beaded at her forehead with the shaking of her fingers.

     Winnie entered the greenhouse, finding people already off in pairs, whispering to the partners. Instantly, she felt the familiar prickling of pins and needles against her back as she turned her gaze toward her partner. All emotions that swirled in the room sliced off, leaving nothing but the numbness of her own swirling in her head. Against her better judgement, she sighed in relief, shoulders unstraining from the built-up tension she had gathered over the past few days as she made her way towards Nott.

      He had begun to watch her every move since the horrid hand print, and while she tried to avoid him at every corner, Winnie, too, had found herself paying more attention to him after that. While the blonde was comfortable ignoring his presence, her watchful eyes had picked up things about him that she simply couldn't forget, no matter how much she wished to.

       She noticed that he almost always had a smile, but not the dimpled one she saw when he laughed at something she said. It was half filled with emotion, cutting off the tiny dimples in his cheeks. It didn't crinkle the corner of his green eyes, nor did he shake his head, causing small bunches of his curls to brush against his forehead untimely. It only tilted the pink of his lips against the olive of his skin, only a smile that was put on for show.

      She noticed that he greeted people he didn't even know in the hallways, flashing them hello as he passed. That same, almost smile trickled against his features as he raised his hand in a greeting. The more minor children had begun to say hello when they saw him, breaking out into wide grins that cherished him in adoration.

      Theodore Nott was positively captivating in a way she had never noticed before. She had also seen that he almost always had a swarm of girls following him, especially after Potions. His hair stuck to his forehead with droplets of humanity when his robes were discarded, leaving him in a white Oxford blouse with his tie hung loosely around his neck, sleeves rolled to his elbows as he strolled carelessly down the hall. Winnie couldn't admit when a man looked ... even slightly good at all, but Merlin helped her.

       Winnie laid her leather bag on the wooden table, sliding onto the small stump they were given as chairs. The chill December air turning in through the open door gave her a silent relief against the back of her neck, trickling down and into the back of her Oxford blouse. She reached into her purse, grasping a claw clip before twisting her hair back. The blonde tucked strands of hair behind her ear as her legs crossed against her knee.

    Her eyes shifted towards Theo, finding him twisting a quill between his fingers, bouncing it back between all the knuckles of his left hand. Winnie watched, hazel eyes tracing his knuckles and the quickness of his silver quill turning them over. As if feeling her eyes watching him, he inclined his head towards her. Distant gaze clashed with hers as she pressed her lips into a line.

     She had a choice, she realized.

      There were two ways she could take this now, two different roads she could walk down. One, walking away from the brunet and never accepting his help, in her mind, this was the most logical one. She didn't owe him anything. It was simple to turn away and go back to simply hating him. She felt he would give up too, that he would see reason and go back to merely hating her just like he always did. Two red lines connected together would simply exist, pulling further away as grief and sorrow filled it. Yearning to be pulled back together until finally, it would snap, and nothing would be left.

       But the other road, the road that looked all the more frightening. A world where she would be what... a friend? No. Winnie Buldstrode didn't have any friends, and she doubted she could ever just be a friend to the boy. But she would be something. They would be something. The red invisible string tying them together would go stronger, would pull them closer until it flowed into one. Moulding two and two together like puzzle pieces making one whole. This path started with an outstretched hand and ended as a complete set.

     Her eyes moved to his face, watching the tilt of his lips and the curve of his shoulders. Rigid with tension and stress that she could practically feel despite the buzzing of nothing coming from him. Her heart pounded in her ears, causing the headache to pound just as loudly. The two roads stared back at her, a world of black and white versus a world of colour, a world built by herself, or a world built upon possibilities. Her eyes turned away as she began to chew on her nails. Could she do this? It wasn't as if she was simply accepting his hand to help her. She was tying him into her unbelievably messy life.

      She had a choice, and so Winnie Bulstrode picked a road.

      "Okay," she spoke softly, her voice a whisper as she shifted in her seat. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the boy stiffen, his head turning to the side to look at her as she continued to stare at the table.

       "Okay?" he replied after a moment, his voice a whisper that moved around her, and she wondered for a moment if she had heard it all. Then she looked up, her eyes meeting him, and for the first time, it was as if she was seeing him clearly. The thought brought her comfort, and she fought back a smile. He wasn't the boy she hated, he wasn't the boy who showed up everywhere after she punched Draco Malfoy, and he wasn't just Cordelia's annoying git friend. He was Theodore Nott, a stranger at the best of times. They were strangers to each other at the end of the day. They didn't have expectations of each other because they knew little to nothing about one another.

      "Fine, you can help me," she spoke with a twitch of her lips as she held out her hand, watching as the boy's eyebrows were drawn together. His forehead wrinkled as he stared down at her. Her cheeks flushed slightly, realizing he also had a choice now. An option to leave or a choice to return. She secretly prayed to Circe or whoever was watching them that he picked to replace her.

      "Glad you finally saw reason," his hand fell into hers like a puzzle, moulding together as she smiled. Shaking his hand, feeling the toughness of his warm hand engulfing her smaller one. His Nott ring on his thumb twinkled silver, and an engraved N stuck out. Twisting around it were blackbirds, twirling and moving like they were real.

      Their hands fell apart as the class started, their eyes staying trained amongst each other until they were demanded elsewhere. The two fell back against their chairs in a newfound air swirling around each other. New, new ground surrounded them, a sense that would usually drive Winnie into a fit and cause her to scurry away. Instead, she placed her hands on her lap, twisting her Grandpa's ring, whispering that she was okay. That there was no reason to fear.

        And as they moved to work on their new project, Theo sent her a smile before walking to get their plant. For a moment, she found herself smiling at his back. Yes, it would be all okay after all.

༺♥༻

           𝕾he would be lying if she said she wasn't in an incredibly better mood for the rest of the day. Of course, that is as good of a mood you can be in knowing a deranged psychopath can be at your house during Christmas break. Oh yeah, and the possibility that she could very much die from this.

        But still, at least now, she wasn't walking around and grumbling about a headache every few minutes. No, she will not admit it had anything to do with a brunet smiling at her in Herbology! She would tell you that it had all to do with Hermione Granger, who seemed to have been walking on air and smiling as if she got all O's on her O.W.L's. When Winnie had questioned her about it as they studied in the library, Hermione simply shrugged and said it was Quidditch.

          Which Winnie knew was a lie, of course, but hadn't bothered to question her anyway. Simply gave her narrowed eyes glares as the brunette scurried off to the quidditch field.

           She wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed, but she knew it was nearly dark by the time Harry Potter ( out of all people! ) came storming down the library halls. About sent Madam Pince into a fit as she yelled for the boy to be quiet, which only earned an eye roll and a scrap of a chair as he slumped across from her. Harry's hair was shot out in many directions, and a cut was split across his bottom lip. Dry blood coating against it, Winnie verbally frowned as she watched the boy remove his glasses and pinch his nose.

         "What the bloody hell happened?" Winnie whispered harshly. Seeing a crack in his round glasses, she huffed. She took out her wand and repaired them as the boy muttered a small thanks. She felt his rigid anger twisting around her heart, tasting like coffee grinds in her mouth. "Look, tell me because you made the long trek here, and I'm not about to hear you grumble, Harry Potter." She glared as the boy looked up at her, his eyes narrowing before she finally sighed and lifted her hand. Holding her pinky out as he stared at it before finally sighing and wrapping his pinky in hers.

        "Malfoy happened," Harry finally spoke, the boy's name coming out like a curse rather than a name. Winnie sighed, closing the book she was reading and laying it on the table.

         "What did he do now?" She sighed tiredly, wrapping her arms across her chest as the boy slumped forward. His head fell down onto the table, arms dangling off his knees.

          "Gryffindor won, no thanks to the Slytherins singing a ridiculous song about Weasley being their king," Winnie's eyebrows furrowed slightly, making a mental note to ask Cordelia what the bloody hell that meant later. "Anyway, of course, Malfoy had something to say. He insulted Molly, and well, the twins and I ended up hitting him," he paused then, looking up warily as if he expected her to yell at him for hitting someone.

       "Oh, Harry," she snorted slightly as she rolled her eyes. "I'm not above violence or anything. The bloody menace deserves it, I'm sure." She waved, looking back at the ceiling as Harry laughed bitterly.

        "It gets worse," he drawled under his breath as the female smirked slightly; she had no doubt it did. "Umbridge got to us," the smirk vanished off her face as she sat up straighter, watching Harry's face twisting into a scowl once more.

       "Oh no," she mumbled as the boy rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair and causing the raven locks to clump on his head.

       "We're banned from quidditch for the rest of the year, she even took my bloody Firebolt, and worst of all, Malfoy gets nothing," the boy muttered bitterly as Winnie scowled, not even the slightest bit surprised. The pink frog seemed to have a soft spot for all Slytherins, especially Draco Malfoy and his stuck-up arse. "That's actually not why I came here, though," Harry spoke after a moment, his voice losing its bitter edge.

       Winnie turned back to look at the male, watching as his eyes turned solemn, his fingers digging into his trousers pocket. "What is it then?" She questioned, watching as he pulled out a folded piece of parchment, his face flushing red and quickly shoved it back into his pocket. Weird. Finally, he pulled out a small silver chain, and at the end was a silver coin much like the DA one that sat in the pocket of her robe. "Are you giving me a necklace, Potter? I think Cordelia would prefer the gift, though." She teased, watching as the boy's face flushed crimson.

      "Shut it," he gritted out, now toying with the chain as he twisted it around his finger. His face stayed flushed as he stared at the blonde across from him, his eyes blown wide with his eyebrows drawn down together. Her stomach twisted into knots, her smile falling as she started turning the ring on her finger.

      "What is it? You're scaring me a little with that serious look on your face," she joked, trying to crack a smile but failing as the boy breathed heavily from his nose.

       "Mione told me," his words were short, whispered, and for a moment, Winnie blinked, her lips flowing into a frown. She stared down at the necklace in his hand, mind going blank, or perhaps, the answer was rolling on the tip of her tongue but tasted too bitter to speak. Hermione told him what?

       "What? I don't understand," she trailed off as Harry ran a hand through his hair once again. Before finally sitting up straighter, his shoulders square and eyes hard as he stared at her. She felt as if she was being schooled by a Professor, causing her to shift slightly in her chair, continuing to stare back at him.

       "I know what's going to happen over Christmas," he spoke more sternly, his voice a whisper as the female's mouth suddenly ran dry. Her face drooped as colour vanished, her hair standing on edge as fear slowly crawled back into her heart and mind. Unable to hold his gaze, she turned her head to the window she stared at days before with Hermione.

       "She wasn't supposed to tell," Winnie mumbled slightly, hearing Harry shift in his seat.

        "She did the right thing; you should've told me. I could've helped sooner, I could've-"

           "What would you have done, Harry? You can't do anything; it's going to happen. I just have to find a way out," she snapped, looking back at him to see his stare just as hard at her.

       "You don't think I don't know what it's like? He wants me, Winnie. I know what he is capable of. You could've told me. You know I would've done anything to help," he argued, his voice rising slightly, causing the librarian to send the two a glare, which went unreceived between the two.

      Winnie stared coldly back at the boy, green eyes so much lighter than the ones that followed her mind for days. Green eyes filled with frustration and anger. She couldn't understand why it mattered so much to him? They only started talking a month ago. It shouldn't matter. He had too many things to worry about, let alone her.

       "We aren't friends, Harry. Why does it matter anyway," she muttered, looking out the window. For a moment, it was silent, just the blonde watching the sky slowly turn black while yellow lights flowed around the castle. Finally, the boy snorted, catching her attention as she snapped her gaze back to him. "What's so funny?" She questioned as he shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.

      "Hermione said you do that," he said, nodding his head at her as she narrowed her eyes. "She said you don't have friends. You don't see people as friends. But just because you don't see us as friends, we see you as one. And I help my friends, especially when it comes to this," his voice lost its amused stance by the end, instead filling with an emotion she hadn't known. Sincerity, honesty. Everything she lacked twisted inside her, turning her stone feelings into something that banged against her stomach. That made her throat clog, and her lips pulled into a frown, guilt. She felt guilty.

       The male sighed, standing up and taking the chair next to her. His fingers still held the silver chain as Winnie eyed him silently. She watched as he placed it on the table in front of her, leaning back in his chair and staying just as silent as her. The blonde stared at him, raising an eyebrow, only for him to do the same back toward her. She scowled, turning away and instead to the chain on the table. Slowly, she lifted her hand to touch the chain. She picked it up between her fingers and stroked the pendant with her thumb.

      "What is this?" She questioned softly, looking up at Harry, whose lips tilted slightly before he leaned forward. His elbows lay against the table as Winnie eyed him warily, her back straight against her chair.

        "It's a portkey of sorts," he paused, placing his hand under the rim of his top, pulling out a silver chain with the same pendant hanging. "It connects to mine, meaning when activated, it'll take you to where I am, no matter how far. All you have to do is place it in your mouth and see yourself coming to wherever I am." He finished, putting the necklace back in under his top. The female blinked, staring at the boy before returning to the chain in her hand.

        "I-I but... why?" She questioned as she looked back up at him. A small smile moved across his face as she looked down at the table before backing up at her.

       "We're friends, Winnie, whether you want to admit that or not," he chuckled, standing up as he pushed his glasses up his nose, her head following him as she watched him stand and move in his chair. "Hermione made it. She thinks of you as a friend too. You're not alone in this. We won't let you become one of them. You have a place to go," he squeezed her shoulder before leaving and walking through the aisles. Her eyes followed him until he was no longer in sight, and brown eyes trailed down to the necklace she clutched in her hand. Staring at the metal as her fingers stroked the pendant, tears unknowingly kissing her cheeks as she took the chain tightly in her fist.

        You're not alone in this.

         Winnie Buldstrode didn't know what it was like to not be alone, and she felt her heart shatter at the thought that maybe she wasn't as alone as she thought.

༺♥༻

        𝕿he silver pendant lay against her chest, pooling warmth and comfort around her like a blanket. The moment she saw Hermione Granger at dinner, she swung herself at her and hugged her. She insisted that she was the most brilliant witch and was forever thankful. Hermione insisted it was no problem, but really it caused the blonde to have hope. Hope dwindled inside of her heart and warmed the creaking bones and headache that sat upon her shoulders since her sister's words.

     She felt like she had an out, which is not much she can say about other areas in her life.

       "Well, you look positively radiant," Theodore Nott's voice rang around her as she snapped her head from the homework she was working on. A peanut butter sandwich sat half-eaten beside her, with steaming hot cocoa swirling in a blue mug. The boy strolled into the kitchens, his Slytherin robes billowing behind him as he reached her and snagged the last piece of her sandwich. Taking a huge chunk out of it before she could even protest, her mouth falling open as he grinned, continuing to eat her sandwich.

      "Hey! I was eating that!" She argued, glaring at him as he simply shrugged his shoulders, taking a seat across from her. Swallowing the chunk inside of his mouth before sending her a wide smile.

        "Oh my bad, 'cause it looked like you were doing anything but eating," he spoke innocently as the girl rolled her eyes, returning to the Transfiguration homework laid out before her. "What's gotten you into such a good mood? Was it your stunt this morning on deciding to be nice? You even had me shocked," he teased as she glanced up at him, shaking her head and dipping her quill back into her ink bottle.

       "My happiness has nothing to do with you, Theodore," she drawled casually, missing the way the male flinched slightly at the use of the name. It became increasingly quiet. Scraping the quill across the parchment was all that could be heard. Pausing, she looked up at the brunette to see him staring coldly down at the table. Her hand froze, eyes widening for a sliver of a moment. "A-Are—"

      "Don't call me Theodore," he cut her off briskly as she blinked, green eyes meeting hers. His lips were pulled into a tight frown, eyebrows drawn together as wrinkles crossed his forehead. But that wasn't what made her lips pull to a frown. It was his eyes, full of emotion she had never seen in them before. Sadness exploded in her chest, causing her to swallow thickly, hollowness emptying out into her bin as she watched his black pupils blow wide and swim with sorrow. His mask dropped before her, leaving him bare in her hands. She shifted in her chair, itching to ask him why, but that was personal. A personal fact she didn't wish to know — oh, but she really did — individual facts come with an attachment. You become no longer a stranger. She felt fear prickle at her lungs and heart, so instead she looked away.

        "I'm sorry, I didn't mean," she paused, licking her lips as she stared at the words written across her parchment. "I'll call you Theo," she spoke, smiling as she looked up at him. Watched as his eyes swam in mossy creaks before finally snapping close, his mask falling in place with a nod of his head. She sucked in a breath, feeling nothing once again as she looked down at her forgotten work.

      "We should probably talk about your," he paused, shoulders tightening against her muscles as Winnie reached for her hot cocoa. Sipping the sweetened drink slowly,, "This needs to be done, Winnie. It'll only get worse." Her bottom lip slipped between lips, chewing slightly on the skin as she stared at the parchment. Winnie knew he was correct that her empathic magic would only worsen. It already has. Her fingers shook every few minutes, and her skin always felt feverish while her insides turned with ice.

     Even though she accepted his help, she wasn't ready. She wasn't prepared to open that bridge yet.

      "Heard quidditch was interesting," she spoke finally, surprising the boy who had pulled out a book from his bag, his fingers pausing on the comprehensive rectangular book, eyes watching on their own as she glanced up. The bushy of his eyebrows knitted downwards, pinching together his face as she tightened her hold on her mug. "Look, I know I have to figure this out, but I-I," she paused, chewing on the inside of her cheek before blowing out a heavy sigh. "I'm not ready. I'm fine. I haven't had any more outbursts, so please, just for tonight, don't give me your annoying dad a stern look and leave it for one night."

     Winnie didn't have the heart to stare into his eyes as the words left her mouth, so instead, she stared into the swirling heat of her mug. It was silent here, feeling nothing but the grief of her own heart and fear bubbling under the surface. Felt her fingers threatened to shake, causing her hands to fall to her lap as she intertwined them. Nothing but herself coated her skin, and she breathed in deeply before letting the air coax its way out of her lungs and into the air around them.

     "It was fine up until Malfoy opened his mouth," Theo grumbled finally, giving in to her plea with a simple distraction. Winnie didn't need to hide the relief that flooded her system, for he already knew one of her deepest secrets, despite the secrecy she held for everyone else. He already knew the scariest, most unresolved part of her life. So the relief written across his features was purely for him and him alone.

        "What about 'Weasley is Our King?'" She questioned, raising an eyebrow, watching as Theo dramatically rolled his eyes.

        "Oh, don't even get me started. That blasted song is all I've heard for weeks," the boy grumbled, still scowling as he placed the black book in front of him. Winnie's face brightened half an inch at his words.

       "Now I just need to know what this song is," she grinned, picking up her mug. Bringing it to her lips as she eyed the boy in front of her, watching as he stared at her, and some tiny part of her realized slowly that this was perhaps the first time they had ever engaged in a conversation that wasn't entirely filled with irritation.

       "Well, everyone knows our favourite blond-haired ferret," he started as the female grinned, sipping her drink. Theo's elbows came to rest on the table in front of him, his eyes meeting her as he continued talking. "He wrote a song specifically meant to torment Weasley," he paused as her eyes widened, lips grinning at her expression.

      "You're telling me Malfoy wrote a song," she spoke in disbelief as the boy nodded his head, her eyes wide as she scuffed slightly and shook her head.

       "Oh, but he did, even had us all sit and learn it for bloody weeks. He was earnest about this too, thought it was bloody brilliant, which I suppose it was." Theo's words stopped in his mouth as the girl across from him broke into loud laughter, her head falling back as she covered her mouth with her hand.

       "I'm sorry," she paused, wiping her eyes and shaking her head. Laughter still falling out of her lips, "I just imagined Malfoy waving his hands around and directing everyone with the words and rhythm of the song," she smiled widely as she turned her gaze to Theo. Watching as his green eyes burst with light, watching her, his lips pulling into a wide smile. Causing the corners of his eyes to crinkle, white teeth sparkling, eyes flaring with light and warmth. Winnie couldn't help but smile just as wide back at him, existing purely for him at that moment.

        "Believe it or not, that's what he did," Theo insisted as Winnie's lips twitched, and she laughed again. This time the sound was quieter, her hair falling around her out of its hold. The white light from the ceiling casts down around her like a halo. For a moment, Theo was memorized. She took a mental picture to save in his memory, laughing and smiling as if the world was chaos and horror. Theodore Nott thought her laughter was the best sound in the world, and suddenly all he wanted to do was make her laugh.

       "Nutter," Winnie snorted, shaking her head, knowing for a fact when she saw the platinum-blond male again, she would be making fun of him for his dramatics.

        "You have no idea," Theo sighed, smiling as he shook his head lightly. Brunet kisses his forehead, his fingers returning to his book as he pulls it open. Winnie expected to see word after word; instead, a gasp left her mouth as her eyes landed on the paper. Watching as paper after a form moved past in charcoal, sketches of flowers, faces, hands, and even magical creatures zoomed past.

       "You sketch?" She questioned as she found herself moving to stand behind him. Her body moved against his back, ignoring the way he stiffened slightly. She placed her hand flat against the table, her other hand slowly touching the edge of the paper. Eyes absorbed in the detail and black sketches lying on white paper. "Theo, these are," she paused, flipping another page, landing on a drawing of an owl moving through the air. "Breathtaking, you're excellent," she finished looking over at him. Her cheeks flushed as she noticed how close their faces were. Green eyes swirled in a pool of brown as their eyes met. His breath stirred over her, and her nose brushed against him slightly as they stared at each other. Colour swirled in on his cheeks as he reached his hand up barely. His finger curled into a loose strand of honey hair, tucking it behind her ear.

         She flushed deeper, warmth hitting her face and neck. Her mind was screaming at her to pull away. They were too close, far too tight, really. They were barely even friends. They should hate each other, yet her eyes stayed glued onto his. His eyes swirled like the hue of a new spring, trapping her, enclosing her in warmth. Bright and soft all at once, flecks of gold twirled around his pupil. They were the kind of green that only comes as summer approaches. Strength built between them, and Winnie couldn't help but think they were beautiful.

        She felt his breath ghost across her lips. She knew if she moved an inch, her lips would come entangled into his own. She wondered if he would be soft against hers, as intoxicating as a Firewhiskey. She asked if she could become high on the simple feel of his lips.

       A crash emitted throughout the room, sending Winnie flying from the male as her wand slipped into her hand. Eyes wide and cheeks as bright as cherries, she heard a squeak from the far corner.

       "Tipsy apologizes, Miss and Mister, Tipsy didn't mean to drop the glass, very sorry," a tiny elf stared at them with watery eyes, leaning down so close to the floor that Winnie expected her nose to hit the concrete.

       "I-It's okay," her voice wavered slightly, only causing her face to grow warmer. She avoided Theo's gaze as she moved to grasp her bag, throwing it over her shoulder. Her feet carried her to the door for a moment, getting ready to run as she remembered every moment that had passed. The feeling of his breath against hers, his eyes wide and bursting. She wondered if she would've let him kiss her, the answer that rang in her mind caused her stomach to twist nervously.

       But then the colour of his eyes burst into her mind, and she froze, her hand on the handle. If she left now, she knew her progress would be ruined. She knew it would fuck with his mind, and she couldn't blame him for it. Sucking in a sharp breath, she slowly turned around, awkwardly shuffling on her feet before finally looking at him, only to find him already looking at her. His eyes widened slightly as his mouth fell open. He expected her to run.

       She hated that.

        "You aren't running away," he mumbled silently, her lips pulling to a frown, and she twisted her silver ring. She could feel the pendant burn against her chest, her throat clogged up as she stared into his wide eyes.

        "No, I'm not," her voice was a whisper, but it moved around the kitchens. Her eyes silently pleaded with him to take it, to understand she wasn't leaving and she was trying. She hated the way he looked at her like he had been wounded. He expected the worst of her, and she couldn't even blame him.

       "Why?" He questioned softly, and Winnie felt her shoulders slump. A laugh left her lips as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the same one he had tucked behind her earlier.

       "I don't know," she answered truthfully because she didn't. She really didn't know if she should run. Every judgmental call inside of her yelled to run. Staying wasn't something she ever did. Waiting wasn't how she survived, and yet she persisted. Her eyes fell to the floor, the ring twisting on her finger. She heard shuffling of feet, not daring to look up until finally, she felt something nudge her shoulder. Slowly, she looked up at Theo, finding his lips pulled into a smile as he stared down at her. Despite herself, she smiled back.

        The two walked out of the kitchens together, quiet as their feet hit the floor, until finally, they reached the staircase that led her to the Gryffindor common room. She turned, eyeing him as he stood, still smiling and looking at her.

        "Goodnight, Theo," she spoke softly, smiling as she stepped onto the staircase. He watched her for a moment before running a hand through his hair.

        "Goodnight, Winnie," he winked, smirking before turning on his heel and walking towards the dungeons. She froze, watching him go, her lips pulled into the tiniest smile. Before she turned and continued her way towards the Gryffindor tower, Merlin help her.

EDITED APRIL 26TH, 2023 // awh here they start. baby winnietheo