The mention of the night terrors caught Theoโs attention, but he did not seize upon it. Not tonight. If Lux wanted him to know more, she would tell him. He had always afforded her that dignity.
Instead, his thumb moved slowly across her knuckles.
โThen no more Draco.โ
A faint+
smile touched his mouth as his eyes settled upon hers.
โAnd I have no intention of breaking your heart, Lux.โ The words came without wit this time. โI spent far too long pretending I didnโt want it in the first place.โ
He leaned in, brushing his lips gently against hers +
Theoโs mouth curved faintly.
โPerhaps I played my part a little too well with your brother.โ
For years Draco had known him as the aloof oneโthe charming, disinterested Romeo who never stayed anywhere long enough to have his own heart involved. It was hardly surprising he +
assumed Lux would eventually become another casualty.
โHe thinks Iโll break your heart.โ
Theo turned towards her fully, taking the wine gently from her hand and setting it aside.
โThe trouble is, darlingโฆโ His fingers slipped through hers. โDraco has never understood that +
A quiet laugh escaped him.
Theo picked up his glass and crossed towards her at an unhurried pace.
โDarling, your brother has been insisting I keep my distance from you since we were fifteen.โ
There had been warnings, certainly. Some disguised as jokes. Others delivered with +
all the pompous severity Draco could summon when attempting to play protective brother. Theo had listened to every one of them with appropriate solemnity and ignored nearly all of them.
He lowered himself beside her, one arm stretching comfortably along the back of the sofa.
+
โAs for why Iโm dangerousโฆโ His eyes travelled over her face. โI didnโt say I was.โ
He smirked.
โI said telling me that you were ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ was dangerous.โ His fingers found a loose strand of her hair, idly drawing it back from her cheek โThere is a distinction.โ
๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ธ.
Theo lowered his glass.
Something about the casual certainty of it caught him more effectively than it ought to have. His amusement remained, but it changedโbecame quieter, warmer.
โAll mine?โ
He closed the small distance she had left +
between them. His fingers found hers, threading through them naturally.
โThat is a rather dangerous thing to tell me, darling.โ His thumb swept once across hers.
โBut since youโve offeredโฆโ
Theo leaned closer, his mouth brushing a kiss against hers before lingering there +
Theoโs mouth curved at the apology, though there was something softer behind it than amusement.
โLux,โ he said, drawing her name out just enough to make the reprimand affectionate. โI was teasing you.โ
He reached for her hand, turning it within his own before brushing his +
thumb slowly across her knuckles.
โYou neednโt apologize for having a life that occasionally fails to arrange itself around my convenience.โ A faint smirk appeared. โThough naturally, I would consider such an arrangement preferable.โ
His gaze remained on her, studying her +
โAh. Thereโs my girl,โ Theo murmured, his gaze finding her and remaining there. โI was beginning to wonder how much longer you intended to keep me waiting.โ
๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ - ๐๐ป๐๐ฅ๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐๐๐
๐จ ๐บ๐๐๐
๐ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
The evening had begun the night before, if Theo was being honest with himself.
Blaise had poured the second round of whiskey with the lazy precision of a man who believed glassware existed purely as decoration, and +
๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐๐ข๐บ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ต
Theo had discovered there were few things more tedious than a Ministry ball arranged to celebrate ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ง๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ.
The word itself had appeared on everything. Invitations. Banners. Menus. Even the little gold cards +
๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฆ ๐๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐๐ข๐บ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ต
Theo had discovered there were few things more tedious than a Ministry ball arranged to celebrate ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ช๐ง๐ช๐ค๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ.
The word itself had appeared on everything. Invitations. Banners. Menus. Even the little gold cards +
drink. Not slowly this time. All of it.
He placed the empty glass on a passing tray.
Draco looked at him.
โWell?โ
Theo straightened his dinner jacket.
โIโm going to dance.โ
A slow grin appeared on Blaiseโs face.
โWith Pansy?โ
Theo glanced toward the dance floor.
+