Smoke and Stars - A Theo Nott Story

The Stars On The Dark Day

Theo had to admit: over the past couple of weeks, Aria tried. Some days, she struggled. He knew she would struggle some; progress was never linear. But, slowly, she became better. She started out eating some fruit or yogurt once a day, much more than she ate in the past (and he was keeping track. It was his job as her boyfriend to keep an eye on her). Then, she moved to a small salad, on lucky days even a sandwich. Theo did his best to support her, telling her how proud he was every time she finished a meal and distracting her while she ate so she didn't think about how much she was consuming. When Enzo and Astoria were there, they did the same. Over the course of a few weeks, Theo watched as her cheeks slowly filled out, as her ribs became less visible. And every time he saw her naked, he told her how beautiful she was. Because it was true. He didn't care how much she weighed. She was beautiful beyond all of that.

But the best moment, the moment where he truly saw the most progress, was two days ago. Aria ate a sandwich and an apple for lunch, a normal, healthy amount for her. But later that night, at dinner, he watched as she munched on some crisps and took a bite of Enzo's biscuit. It was progress. Wonderful, beautiful progress. Later that night, in her bedroom, he kissed her senselessly and told her how proud he was. Because he was proud. Immensely.

Today, though? Today he had no idea how she was doing. He wished he did; he was always worried about her, always. But today... well, it was different.

Theo skipped his classes. He didn't want to be there and—despite the fact that Aria was pushing him to do better in them—he didn't want to pretend to be. He didn't show up for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. He couldn't bring himself to be hungry, not today. Mattheo understood. He brought Theo a pack of cigarettes and a bagged-up sandwich, saying nothing. He was used to it. He knew what today meant.

Enzo stopped by in the afternoon while Theo was smoking at the Black Lake. It was his fifth cigarette of the day. Aria would scold him if she knew. Her brother said nothing. He patted Theo's shoulder and handed him an apple, muttering a soft apology under his breath.

Even Draco came and checked on him when Theo was walking the grounds, again, smoking a cigarette. The blond boy told him that he gave Professor Snape an excuse about Theo being sick. Then, he started talking about something to do with the Greengrasses, though Theo didn't listen. He was too far away, his mind somewhere else. Malfoy would understand.

On this day, everyone understood.

Well, everyone but his girlfriend. Come nightfall, Theo was smoking the last of his cigarettes, staring out at the stars reflecting against the Black Lake. He was going to have to see her—and he wanted to see her, he really did—but not today.

Today was reserved for something else.

Aria didn't get the memo though. He was surprised she waited this long to find him, though perhaps her classes distracted her. Plus, they very rarely saw each other outside of nighttime. He had Enzo to thank for that bitter truth.

She stormed into the Astronomy Tower, her eyes fiery and passionate. She wasn't quite angry but she wasn't quite happy either. "Where the hell have you been?" she seethed. "I've been waiting for you for two and a half hours and I haven't seen you all day!"

Theo turned back to his view of the lake, taking one last drag of the cigarette before letting it fall. Aria walked over to him, probably about to give him a piece of her mind, but something stopped her. The tears in Theo's eyes, the ones that always threatened to fall on this day but never did. "Theo?" she asked, her voice much softer this time. "Theo, what's the matter?"

"It's December 6th," he replied. His voice cracked on the day, like it too wanted to ignore just what day it was.

Aria sat in front of him, grabbing his hands with her own. They were so soft compared to his rough, calloused ones, the ones with subtle cigarette burns on the surface of the skin. He always healed them—easy to heal things when you're a wizard—but he kept the fresh ones as a reminder. A reminder of why he smoked. A reminder of why he drank. A reminder of why, until he met her, he was alone.