𝐁𝐎𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐁𝐁𝐋𝐄, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐭 ¹ | ✓

𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄 | 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦

𝐁𝐎𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐁𝐁𝐋𝐄
chapter nine | friends don't know the way you taste

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              𝙃onestly, it felt like a dream whenever Theodore's lips met Elena's and whenever he held her hand. It was a dream neither one of them wanted to wake up from, but like every good dream, nightmares invaded them sometimes. But they both didn't want to happen now. It was too early, too magical for that to happen now. They wanted to live in their magical bubble for a little longer. Where Malfoy couldn't harm them, where Brianna couldn't tell Elena what and what not to do, where Malfoy couldn't remind Elena that she was as ugly as a troll. It felt safe inside their magical bubble, and that's all that mattered right now.

They were now in Potions, stealing glances at each other and smiling at each other. Malfoy noticed this, as well as Brianna and they both vowed to ask them what in Merlin's name is that after class. Elena quietly giggled when Theodore made a funny face at her, and she hid behind her hair when Brianna raised a brow at her. Elena knew then that she had a lot of explaining to do, but that could wait, Christmas was in a week's time and she didn't want to worry herself about stupid things like her friends not wanting her to be friends with a Slytherin.

"This is nice, don't you think?" Theodore asked, raising a brow at Elena, who raised a brow of her own. "I mean like not having to pretend that we're not friends in Potions because we're partners."

"Yeah," Elena agreed, smiling at him and Theodore smiled back just as brightly. "It's more than nice actually. It's—"

"Magical." Theodore finished for her and she nodded, it truly was magical. Here she was, standing in a classroom, across the person who drew the same card as she did and she was perfectly happy with him. How could it not be magical?

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             𝙀lena handed Brianna her gift, which were cakes from her mother, who oddly seemed to like Brianna after the whole Malfoy thing back in August. Brianna had decided to stay with Elena, seeing as her mother was flying to New York. She then moved to Jake, giving him a pair of socks and a new quill, as he had borrowed hers and never gave it back. She gave Cedric his last, which was a keychain she had seen and liked last week. It had a little Snitch ornament and she knew the Quidditch Captain would like it. Brianna had given her a box filled with treats, Jake had given her fudge and Cedric had given her a necklace. Elena had thanked her friends and told them that she needed something from Professor McGonagall and she quickly left before they could ask any questions.

Cedric had cornered her the day after he found her in the greenhouse with Theodore. He had told her that he wasn't angry, that he was actually genuinely happy that she was making new friends rather than keeping herself locked away in a bubble that was soon to burst. He then demanded to know if Theodore was truly a good person and if he was serious about their friendship. Elena, remembering the way his lips felt on hers, had told Cedric that Theodore Nott was the best person to ever exist.

That's why Elena now made her way towards the kitchens. She had told Theodore last night that meeting up there was safer, as no one ever came to the kitchens, except the Hufflepuffs and occasionally some Gryffindors. (Namely Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.) When she stepped into tee kitchens, a house elf bowed to her and she smiled at him, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles and the house elf practically cried. She had gently told him that it was alright and when he asked what she wanted, her eyes had landed on Theodore and she said, "I've got all I need right there, but some tea would be nice."

Theodore had let an amused chuckle erupt from his lips and he smiled at Elena. "You made it, I thought I'd have to eat all these by myself." Theodore waved towards the table across them and Elena's jaw dropped. There were hundreds—no, it had to be thousands—of strawberries on the table, complete with chocolate ranging from white, milk and dark. Elena had actually squealed and hugged the living lights out of Theodore.

"Thank you." She whispered in his ear. "Now I feel silly for getting you this." She murmured, pulling out the gift she had for Theodore. The Slytherin however, pressed his lips against hers, savoring the sweet taste of her strawberry chapstick before he took the gift from her hands.

"Nothing you get me is silly Elena Eve," He whispered, his voice sending a shiver down Elena's spine. "Nothing." As he opened his gift, Elena turned to the strawberries. She wondered how on earth Theodore knew that she liked strawberries, as she never told him. She shrugged it off however and began her feast.

"Hey Theo? I've been meaning to ask for quite some time now," Elena began, wiping her mouth off with the back of her hand. It was an old habit she had gotten from Brianna and maybe the reason why her parents had disliked Brianna at first. "What are we?"

Theodore furrowed his brow in confusion. "Whatever do you mean? We're friends, are we not?" He asked, watching as Elena sighed and he motioned for her to come closer and he wiped away the chocolate on the corner of her mouth.

"I know, but friends don't know the way you taste." She whispered and Theodore sighed. It was true. Friends don't kiss each other or hold hands or give each other super extravagant gifts. No, that's what lovers did.

"I know." Theodore agreed. "And I'd like to keep it that way." He whispered before his soft lips met Elena's and he savored her sweetness. She tasted like strawberries and magic.

"Aha! I knew McGonagall wouldn't be in here!" Brianna Kelps suddenly bellowed out and Elena's eyes went wide as she pulled away from Theodore, who blushed a slight red when his eyes landed on Brianna. "I thought you said you hated Theodore Nott!"

Elena blushed as she looked at Theodore. "I don't. And he doesn't hate me." She shrugged. "We're not friends, we're lovers."

Brianna Kelps just had to ruin the moment. "Just like the card?" She asked, unamused. "Charming. I just don't get it El, why'd you hide it from me? Don't you think I would've danced at the fact that you actually have someone to make you feel good?" Brianna cocked a brow at them.

"I didn't tell you because you hate Theo, I didn't tell you because you would've gotten the wrong idea. I didn't tell you—" Elena sighed. "Because I didn't trust you Brianna. You're not exactly someone who can keep secrets to yourself."

"Well that's nice to know Elena." Brianna's eyes darkened. "Hey Theodore? Did you know that her aunt is a convicted murderer who murdered my dad? Did you know Elena was found nearly dead last year? Did you know about the scars she sports under those robes? No? Of course you wouldn't know, because I can't keep secrets to myself." Brianna shook her head. "I'll talk to you once you're done being a bitch."

Elena sighed when Theodore raised a brow at her. She needed to come clean.

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