Regency in Diagon Alley [Theodore Nott | Harry Potter AU]

Chapter Sixty-Eight

"Is it alright if I ask about her?"

Theodore sighed, he continued the game they were playing of drawing patterns on their palms as he thought hard about what to say. It was one of those nights when they stay up to talk about their lives, the first few Theodore told about his adventures with Grindelwald while she told him about the challenges she faced in Danu. The next he told her about Martis and its celebrations, while she told him about the Tri-Wizard Tournament and who won ("Beauxbaton won," she told him; Theodore winced, "Must be a slap on the face for Hogwarts and Durmstrang considering the war." "It was, and they wouldn't stop gloating. McGonagall said they made a parade when leaving the vicinity."). Then he talked about the time he was annoyed by his grandfather and his "gifts" of maids for him to release his frustrations to, while she spoke about Roman presenting Colin as her new assistant like he was some gift.

Then, it became silent as they played a game they liked: drawing patterns on each other's palm and try to guess it. And each one they got it right, until they both decided to up the difficulty.

"She was the daughter of one of the wizards in my grandfather's court, that's one." He began. "Long, dark hair that reached her waist, brown eyes, she was tall, and she was beautiful. I won't lie about that."

Carina hummed in amusement; she broke their game so she could flick his forehead. Theodore laughed and played that it was so strong that he was sent falling back to the bed, she took this as an opportunity to crawl on top of him and straddle his lap. Leaning down, hovering her face over his, her hair serving as a curtain around them, she said, "we never lied to one another – we may have hidden things, but we never lied – so don't start now. Was she as beautiful as Helen of Troy?"

"Helen has always been a mystery to me, so I can't say that she is. But she was beautiful," Theodore caressed her locks. "Maybe it was the dark hair that had me blindly following her to her room, because you both had a similar shade."

"What was her name?" Carina murmured.

"Aglaia."

"One of the three Graces."

"You know your myths."

"Then she must be a real beauty."

"Or" he got up, taking her with him. He pulled her legs, so she was close. "Because her father had two other daughters named after the other two and wanted a complete set. He had five sons and three daughters – she was the youngest."

"Why does it feel like her father and her mother did not stop until they had the last girl to complete the three Graces?" She laughed.

"I had the same thought... how do you feel talking about her?" Theodore asked softly.

She shrugged. "After you told me, I was afraid that by talking about her, I would bring life to her – that my worse fears would come true... that you prefer to be with her, that you're only here out of duty." He was about to argue on that but she stopped him, placing a hand on his chest and said, "but I was wrong, and I was wrong to doubt you... I should never have doubted you. I won't be mad, but was there really no chance for you to have liked her at least?"

He sighed not in annoyance but with the gravity of their talk. "She asked me the same thing, you know, if I loved her."

Carina prepared herself for his answer, even if he told her already that there was only her. There was still a flicker of fear.

But then he said, "And I told her no. Whatever it was we were feeling now was just our bodies reaction to it, but I don't love her, I will never love her. Because to love someone meant giving a part of their soul to another and I already gave mine to you," Theodore kissed the side of her lips and then her cheek. "It was then we both made an agreement that it was just physical and nothing more. Just nothing... may I ask about him?"