Wolves Without Teeth ── theodore nott ¹ ( UNDER EDITING )

chapter fourteen

          𝖂hispers of excitement swirled through the early morning hours of Hogwarts, students packing their trunks for the return home during the holidays. Elves scurried through the kitchens, busing themselves over the last breakfast before most of the students left the comfort of the castle. Slytherins in the dungeons whispered about their families, grinning and laughing about family parties they would attend. Hufflepuffs giggled and sang poorly to muggle songs, throwing clothes into their trunks. Ravenclaws ( already packed the night before ) took a break from their studies, instead playing games quietly among themselves, outwitting one another with a wide grins.

         Inside the Gryffindor Tower, there was an empty hole of missing students. A family of redheads and a certain raven-haired boy had disappeared in the middle of the night, leaving in a frightened state of worries for a father. Leaving behind a pale, worried Muggleborn who had insisted on staying until the next day. All the while, her mind buzzed over worrying about Arthur Weasley's state and then worrying about a particular blonde-haired female who hadn't arrived in her dorm last night.

        Both Gryffindor and Slytherin students had noticed a missing part from their house, each bracing their own concerns for them. Because, as each student awoke in the comfort of their dormitories, Theodore Nott and Winnie Bulstrode were nowhere to be found. Instead, they lay deep within the castle walls, hidden in a room that changed depending on one's wishes. Their heads connected throughout the night as their bodies intertwined, unknowingly welcoming the warmth and comfort neither one had in their life.

       While Hermione paced, worried over her, Winnie Buldstrode slowly began to wake. Her eyes squeezed together tighter as she shoved her face into her pillow, a grumble leaving her lips. The slight shuffling of paper disturbed her further, seemingly believing it was Hermione awake and working on her homework so early in the morning.

        "Hermione, would you stop? Some of us like to sleep," Winnie grumbled under her breath, scrunching up her nose as her hand reached out toward her blanket. Only to come in contact with the clothes she wore yesterday, a blanket nowhere around her.

       "Sorry, love, but I'm afraid Granger is nowhere around but do keep scrunching up your nose like a rabbit. I believe I may have found your new family with them," a voice that was very much not Hermione Granger's, swam around her ears, causing her hand to freeze as she opened her eyes. Blinking rapidly as a hunched-over, Theodore Nott came into her view. Her body instantly jolted into a sitting position, eyes wide as she stared at the male.

          "What the fuck?" She swore, blinking furiously as she looked around the room. Memories of pulling the male into the room with her the night before came back into her memory, his words floating around her mind as she groaned. Placing a hand to her forehead as she fell back against the coach, "Bloody fucking hell."

         "Good Morning to you, too; such good manners you have," the male drawled as the female opened her eyes to stare at the ceiling. Her lips pulled into a scowl as she pushed herself up again, narrowing her eyes at him.

         "What did you do?" She questioned sternly, pointing the finger at him, only for him to roll his eyes and swat her finger away.

         "I did nothing! You were the one who fell asleep first," he defended, copying her action by pointing the finger at her instead.

         "And you didn't wake me up?" She retorted, glaring at him as he rolled his eyes, closing the book he was reading and placing it on his lap.

"I'm sorry, but you looked bloody well tired, and no offence," he paused, shooting her a look as she raised an eyebrow. "You look like the type of witch to cut off a man's prized jewels for waking her, and well, I kinda like my prized jewels." He finished by sending her a wink as she scowled, collecting her hair into a bun, not wanting people to see her with a tangled mess of hair.