No Way Out

Chapter 22

I wake to a pounding on my door.

"What the hell" I sit up rubbing my eyes. I check the time on my phone 12:48am. Who the hell is pounding on my door at 1am.

I get out of bed now annoyed at the disruption of my sleep and open the door. Stood before me is a tired and upset looking Theo.

"Theo?" I ask a little unsure because I can only see his face from the glow of the moonlight in the water outside my window.

"Theo" I say again more sure stepping closer to him.

"Nova" he says voice broken and rasp.

"What's wrong?" I ask instinctively reaching for his face but when I touch his skin it's wet.

"Nova" he says again barely a whisper.

"Theo, have you been crying?" I say face softening.

"She touched it" he rasps "I-I-told her not to".

I pull Theo into my dorm and shut the door behind him locking it just in case. I sit him on my bed and turn on the lamp on the other side. Even with the light coming from behind him I can see the red and swollen skin around his eyes. He's been crying for a while now I can tell.

"Theo what happened" I lift his face up to look at mine and wipe away his tears.

"Katie Bell" he sighs "s-she was the g-girl we choose to take the necklace" he stutters.

"Ok" I nod to show him I'm listening "what happened" I ask softly and Theo's face falls remembering whatever horror he's about to tell me.

"S-she wasn't supposed to touch it" he says voice cracking "we told her not to touch it".

"Theo what happened to her" I say almost desperately.

"Sh-she touched the necklace" he says says barely a whisper.

"I-is she" I start but can't finish the sentence.

"N-no. McGonagall was there a-and Hagrid. They got her back to Madam Pompfrey just in time" he gets out and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Ok" I nod breathing deeply "she's going to be ok. Madam Pompfrey is the best nurse at the school" I nod.

"Nova, she touched it" Theo rasps "I could've killed her".

"Hey no" I say lifting Theo's head again. "Don't say that. Don't think like that. Don't do that to yourself Theo" I plead making him look at me.

"She could have died Nova, I could have killed her" Theo say his voice breaking and more tears fall from his eyes.

"But she didn't" I try "she's going to be ok Theo" I pull Theo into a hug. Holding onto him because if I let go he'll succumb to his emotions.

"I almost killed a little girl" he sobs into my shirt.

"Shhhh, it's ok" I soothe holding him tighter. "It's going to be ok".

Theo sobs into my shirt for hours. Somehow we move from our position to laying in my bed. I hold Theo until he falls asleep. His soft breathing and even rising of his chest tells me he's asleep. I look at the boy next me. When he's asleep he looks younger. Maybe this is the age he's supposed to look. We are only just kids. Theo is 18 and me almost 18. We shouldn't have to deal with such evil at this age.

I move a stray hair off Theo's face. Wiping the remaining tears off his face I place a soft kiss on Theo's cheek.

"Goodnight Theo" I whisper "we will get through this. Together".