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( chapter two. )

❝ overtime ❞

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BEHIND THE ENCHANTED WINDOWS, the light of the Moon lit up, and in that instance, I realized I had stayed in the office for too long again.

It was a huge success for me. Especially that I didn't even notice time passing by.

I rolled up my sleeves when, for the first time in hours, I lifted my head from the letters of the magical typewriter and looked around. Almost the entire floor was empty. The only office that still had the lights on... was the one right in front of me.

Theseus's office. Of course... That's my bloody luck.

I saw him rubbing his eyes, swimming in tiredness,  flipping paper after paper, the stack of folders and binders grew every second just as  the wrinkle on his forehead deepened. I was ashamed to stare a gush at him like that. I no longer had any right to do that. Deep in my heart, it felt like I was threating, hurting and betraying Leta, even though she was not around. I haven't seen her since morning.

Who would desire to be that woman who longs for her first love even after ten years, while he already has a new girlfriend?

I would not. I certainly would not. I can't be that woman. I just can't.

I had to be the woman who is able to work with her ex-boyfriend with a head held up high, almost ten years after their breakup. There was no other way if I wanted to keep my career and my independent life.

"If all aurors were as desirable as you, we wouldn't have to chase anyone, because they all would fall at your feet right away!" Suddenly a hand smoothed along the side of my hair and spoke to me in light tone, but... it was certainly assaulting. I was so scared by the voice that i had to grab my wand, and quickly looked up. Two kid-like, auror trainees stood in front of me, one of whom had just placed my ordered dinner on my desk.

As a result of his sentence, my throat tightened and I had to bite my tongue so I wouldn’t speak back.

I was at higher position than them. Much... Much highter. But... I couldn't say anything back. Not a word.

"You know, Lyra... Everyone is talking about how... Fit are you, under those blouses? Maybe you could show some skin!" these kids were stuck in their teenage years. Bloody arseholes...

Both of their eyes wandered down my chest. I unbottoned the upper two clasp of my blouse, after lunch, because it was extremely hot in the office. In retrospect... it was not the best choice I ever made. I granted them perfect view inside my shirt, my boobs were perfectly visible for them in their point of view. Out of my free will. But they still felt like... I'm asking for it.

"Sorry, boys, I can't fool around with minors. They would throw me in the Azkaban!" I hissed at them, barely moving my mouth, and as fast and unobtrusively I could, I grabbed my dinner and the two binder full of reports I've finished in the last hours.

I acted perfectly confident and calm, but in reality, my legs was shaking hard as I rushed through the corridor in high-heels, straight into Theseus's office. In the whole process... I felt their gaze on my back – and my butt.

That two little fucker.

Theseus didn't flinch behind his desk at the sound of the closing door. Nor the clattering of my heels. As if he would be in a totally different universe.

"How is the Ministry's favourite heartthrob today?" my words have found deaf ears. He didn’t even look up to bumping my shoulder against one of the shelves and knocking down a paperweight. I stepped closer, sighed and placed one of the food barrels in front of him, with his favorite dinner in it: american cheeseburgers from the Leaky Cauldron.

Surely because of the smell, Theseus finally raised his head like a hunting dog that just picked up the scent of its prey . With a smug grin, I hopped down in the leather armchair in front of his desk, after dropping my two finished reports next to the dinner, like I've done the job well.

"Remind me, please, why I'm not a professional quidditch player?" Theseus sighed loudly, as he tossed over his own binder that he previously worked on and looked at me like someone who is seriously suffering. I just rolled my eyes as I starvingly bit on my own burger. It was delicious and such a refreshment to my empty stomach that I unwillingly moaned loudly. Theseus laughed ... Probably the first time that day. "And... What did you just call me?"

"I asked you, if you would care to listen to me, how is the Ministry's new favourite heartthrob doing?!" I mumbled, kind of disgustingly as I tried to press out my words between two salad piece.

"I'm perfect well, thank you for asking!" He said while he threw a napkin at me, indicating that I really should wipe the food off. I hummed at him, as an answer and a reaction. After two heartbeats time, Theseus raised his eyebrows, as high that they nearly reached his curls on his forehad. All while he started to use his stool as if it would be a rocking chair. With a chair that certainly was not made to swing with. At all. Let alone to perfectly serious Head of the Auror Department. "Not that I want to complain, but what's with the nickname? Because... I could live with that! It's much better than...how did you say exactly? Ah, yes! Neighbouring bastard or annoying co-worker! "

I must admit, I called him much, much harsher names before. Loudly too. In my head... Always.

I flipped away these thoughts and the bad memories that came with them, and I just shook my head. I felt a smug grin forming in the corner of my lips as I crossed my legs. It was that kind of grin that has been programmed deep in my genes, along with the rest of my family. It was almost the only genetical thing I liked.

I tried to not care about how smoothly he talks, how lightly his words fly, kind of bantering and flirting. It was totally usual with Theseus. I should have reminded myself... not to fall to that. Not to believe him. Not to talk myself into it. I didn't need to fall again, after all the time I've been hurt.   I should have taught myself how to turn off my emotions.

One familial, genetical thing I couldn't call as my own.

"I did not create it!" I raised my free hand as I would swear on something higher power and I already laughed on the inside. "The highly acclaimed newsletter called you that this week. Trust me, I actually would call you something seriously worse!"

"No!" Theseus moaned loudly, his grin disappeared, smacked his head to his chair's headrest as the seat got pushed back on its four legs. "Oh, no, please, no! Please, tell me this is not my nickname in the office now! You, I can manage, Lulu, but... Seriously, they call me like that behind my back?"

I gestured with my hand while the mayonnaise dropped from my fingers. I tried to not show it, but I was having so much fun.

"That's it, I must quit! What a shame that a young man could get called heartthrob this easily! What a world!" Theseus bowed his head down to the table, shook it like this would be the end of the world.

Accio newsletter – I loosely pronounced the spell in my head, made its movement with my clean hand so the newspaper-like, thin stack of papers could fly up from my own desk , in our direction.

"Here, feel free to read!" The small, amateurly stapled block of papers landed in front of Theseus. "It was Cynthia's turn to write."

"Of course it was her who wrote this. No one else would think of using the term heartthrob." I was struck by the sweet scent of his familiar cologne as he rose a little to catch the small office newsletter written this month by a very young and very beautiful novice auror girl.

"My favourite part is where she calls you "charmingly ravishing" and "unprecedently brave"!"

"Unprecedently brave? I just did what any other sane person would have done!" Theseus growled, continuing to read the crumpled little publication that spread hand to hand at the Headquarters. I seriously hoped the stain on the picture of Theseus came from a soft drink and not... from elsewhere.

"Maybe Cynthia doesn't really know any sane person! And by the way, she isn't really the easiest person to work with either. She always stuffs in some incomprehensible abbreviations into her reports and I have to run after her if I want to write them down properly." I complained and Theseus glared at me with and expressive look. Okay, I must admit that sometimes I didn't really mind to chase down Cynthia down the halls as she wasn't the worst person either. In fact... because of her looks, I would rank her quite upscale in the order that exists in my head.

When they began to rumor that she modelled for nude photos before becoming an auror for some wizarding magazine,  I shamelessly walked through the wizarding quarter to find just one copy.

And... I did. It was quite a... Satisfying evening.

"This is beginning a lot like workplace harassment" but this still didn't stop Theseus to scroll further.

"You can't seriously say that this doesn't flatter you in the inside just a little bit!" I rolled my eyes and this time I looked up at him from rummaging in my salad leaves. I was looking for wandering cucumber pieces in it, which I made pretty bloody clear that I don't even want to see among the buns.

"It's just that... I'm pretty sure that this violates a lot of safety- and personality laws."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that Cynthia wants to violate something regarding you..." laughter erupted from me as I imagined Cynthia throwing herself on Theseus.

 
"Let's see who's on the cover!" Theseus simply waved at me, and as I continued to... feed, he immersed himself — excited enough, by the way — into the two thin columns of gossip. The vibrations of his face made it clear when he was reading which shocking or scandalous line.

"What are you thinking? Quite interesting, huh?" I asked, after some time when I thought enough minutes had passed for him to be able to read the news.

"Can you imagine? Ryans caught with Mandy? You don't think that's absurd?" Theseus chilled, almost shocked. "Seriously, who would have thought of them?"

"Yeah, what a world, huh?" I grinned some more, with a know-it-all smile.

"Well, there was that rumor last month that Mandy was caught with you in the broom closet! This is rather elegant compared to that!" thank Merlin, that newsletter didn't reach the Department of Mysteries. It would have been just a scandal then.

"You certainly know what it's like to be caught in the broom closet!" I tossed back that napkin that he previously threw at me.

For a split second, both of us froze. In retrospect, I regret that those words came from my mouth and didn't think them through.

There was an unspoken agreement between us not to talk about our past. Even if we knew that almost everyone had heard of it. We still avoided the topic and tried to stay on boss and subordinate level. The ex-boyfriend and girlfriend label ... was too painful to even say out loud.

And with that sentence, I managed to scrape a wound that didn’t heal properly. Not even after ten years. In none of our brains. I would say because one does not forget first love. But that wouldn't be true. I wanted to forget. Quite regularly. Yet I didn't know how, and deep in my heart ... I could never erase our relationship's traces. Because every single of our moments changed me, Lyra Alura Black, inside and out. I couldn't deny that from myself.

I knew well that I can't erase Theseus Scamander of... Myself. Not just my life, or my body, or my soul. But my whole being.

If I close my eyes, I still see myself in the Hufflepuff common room, nesting on the couch, curled up next to Theseus, planning our future. Happiest moments of my life.

But in the same time, I saw myself in the Astronomy Tower, in my life's – and probably Theseus's too – hardest, most painful moments.

I had to hug myself, pressing my nails into my upper arm so I could find my way back to Earth. Just to see that there, in the present, Theseus bowed his head, and he couldn't even look at me.

I understood.

I'm sorry, Thees.

"So... How's Newt doing?" I shook myself and straightened my back. I didn't want our rare, shared moments to end like... that. I had to change the subject and Theseus's younger brother provided the perfect tool. Sorry, Newt. Theseus froze for a second, his face trembled. He had to force himself to look up to me... but in the same time, he had that cliché grin. "His travelling ban got lifted?"

"He tried again yesterday, but... you know Newt." Theseus sighed again and I nodded with a light smile. "And of course, you wouldn't take my help. And... ah, I don't wanna dig into that! He will try again."

There was no need to explain further. I knew what's Newt like, I could picture it perfectly well what he'd done in the courtroom in front of the authorities. If I had been inside, I would have laughed at the tired grimaces of Theseus.

"But... He is just finishing up his book. It's premiering in March in the Flourish and Blotts. I'm sure he would happy if you'd come. He always tells me how much he misses you." that felt good. "Leta and I are going too. You know to... Support Newt and all."

"Yeah, of course!" I nodded, but my smile froze in the second he mentioned Leta. I didn't want him to see so... I just flew where the wind blew me. "As we are here... Where is Leta? I haven't seen her since morning."

"She had to go home earlier. Newt promised again that he'll come to dinner."

"Then why are you still here?" I looked at the clock incomprehensibly.

"Because Newt promised... like five times before and he never came." I glared at him. "You know I love my brother, I care about him, I want to know what's going on in his life. But if he closes himself up in his shell... I can't do anything with that. Of course, Leta is trying. But this time... I wanted to ask him something."

"What?" I asked back as I collected the leftover pieces of meat and tomato on my fork and hummingly lifted it to my mouth. Merlin, this stuff is delicious! I should have bought another burger! There's surely not any normal food at home...

"To be my best man." Theseus didn't look my in the eye as he said those words. He stared at his dinner as if you could cut through the burger with his glaze.

In that moment, I had to lift my hand to my mouth so that the food would not fall out of it, and I had to squeeze it on my fork, because all the force left my body.

Best man. Wedding. Marriage.

Theseus is marrying Leta.

Ten years ago, I believed that I would be the wife of Theseus Scamander by now. That we will run away and elope, away from our family. We will create our own home and our own family, beginning our life together. The life we chose for ourselves, next to each other. We sat next to the fireplace and we planned and we dreamt.

And what I had to endure from my father when he found out about all that.

I never really thought about that fact that Theseus started to date with that Leta Lestrange after me. That he chose a woman whose family – and her especially – had been avoided in the wizarding world. Theseus had always been a little uptight, strong willed and pedantic, but never a blind follower and definetely not someone who breaks under society's pressure.

I don't know how they met, but I always believed that – however hard it was to admit – their relationship was healthy, real and... Happy. They never had a problem with expressing their love or care. I knew from Newt that he and Leta were best friends in Hogwarts. And the fact that Leta was one of the reasons that my father kicked Newt out of school, indicating that... they probably felt more for each other.

But... People move forward. They find newer and newer loves in life.

I had to accept... everything. It was finally time. And even if I didn't accept it... My time was far gone to do something about it. Years ago.

Leta and Theseus were... Real. They loved each other, they chose each other and promised to fight for each other till the end.

Even from this... it was visible that Theseus loved Leta more than he ever loved me.

"Well, that's... wonderful, Theseus! Congratulations" I faked a smile that seemed real for the world. But Theseus knew me. He could predict my next move or my thoughts, just from my eyes. Back in the day we even had this really special and unique legilimency connection. But now... The last time I heard his voice in my head was... ten years ago.

Theseus wanted to believe my smile. He convinced himself that it's real.

"Congratulations..." I breathed out of myself again, powerless-ly. Then... I took a deep breath and... Tried to change the subject. "And if we're talking about siblings. Belvina swored me to ask you something."

"What does the sweetest Black sister want from me?" Theseus asked back sarcastically so my smile was finally really real. "I'm afraid I'm not too good in gossips."

"Well, Bel still thinks that you... may can serve her... one little gossip." this time it was my turn not look up to him.

I didn't really had the stomach for the question but... Bel wanted to know. Not just because of her job, but because... It was Belvina's personality. She wanted to know everything. And this time... I was curious too.

If a war is coming, I have to know.

"We both read the paper this morning." I began gently, implying to what I really mean, maybe he figure it out on his own and I don't need to say it out loud. "Just... Bel wants to know... how much we should worry."

"I have no idea, Lulu..." Theseus shook his head tiredly. That whole night he never looked as fatigue as then. When he gently said my nickname – which only he used in the entire world, even after our breakup –, I got goosebumps. I remember the moment he left for war and I didn't even know that I would ever see him again.

And I had to admit... I was pretty sure that now, as Grindelwald had freed himself and will walk the streets of Europe without supervision, without regulation, that fear would soon take over again.

"He is... Much smarter than us. Way too much step ahead. Can see every single next move of us. And because of me... He got a step advantage which would not have happened if I..."

"Don't..." I interrupted him and after a little hesitation, I caressed his hand. "It's not your fault. He deceived much much more experienced wizards before. You were not his first, nor his last."

I could feel that guilt is eating him from the inside.

Almost a year ago, not long after Theseus has been named Head of the Auror Department, he had to make contact with Percival Graves of the MACUSA. The number of anti-magic rallies rose in New York by the "no-majs" and this fanatical group named New Salem. We had to work together with the americans, partly because of that and partly for the search of Grindelwald. Graves was President Picquery's right hand man.

However, for a long a time, no one knew that it was actually Grindelwald in Graves's shoes. Theseus had been writing letters to Grindelwald.

And that... Broke Theseus.

"It's not your fault!" I repeated once again, rising from my seat so I could grab his hand a little more tighly and more stronger so he could feel how sure I am.

Theseus looked up and in contrast with those little inters, he did not want to see inside my blouse, even if he could have, considering that my buttons were off. It wouldn't be any new there for him.

But no, he did not glared at my breast – and for that, I was honestly flattered. He stared at my necklace and the medalion that was on that. I haven't opened that thing in years, because I didn't want to gaze with my memories.

Theseus gulped and then... almost in perfect sync, we leaned back in our chairs.

It's best not to think about it.

"I should... I should go. It's getting quite late." Theseus nodded in silent agreement. Multiple times. I stood up from my chair, my legs were shaking and I practically run out of his office. Without looking back.

I Apparated home. But my home was the last place I wanted to go to.

hello hello, wizards, witches and muggles!

here's the brand new, translated chapter!

and, as i promised, here is our darling theseus!!! i'm very very curious what you guys think about him and his relationship with lyra.

so... i really hope you enjoyed this chapter, if you did – or if you did not – spare me a comment ❤❤❤