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

chapter thirty two

             She isn't exactly sure how long she stands there, with her eyes closed and that same fear twisting and poisoning her insides. The sounds of leaves crackling and snapping, rustled around her, as she stood glued to the groove of wet grass and broken sticks pelted around her feet. The soft wind kisses the pale apples of her cheeks, brushing back her air and snagging her awake.

All she knows is that when she finally decided to move, the woods had fallen into a vast void of darkness. It touched her everywhere, sneaking in under the crevices of her robes and brushing against her spine. Creating goosebumps along her skin, and as her eyes adjust to the darkness, she believes it's due time to leave the forest.

She pulls out her wand, holding it between slightly shaken fingers, the words 'Lumos' leaves her lips as the tip of her wand glows a luminous white. It's then that she realizes Theo has come to a stand, favouring his left foot while his right holds little weight to it.

"Where did they go?" He questions, making the female let out a sigh. Winnie realizes that she had to explain this to him as if she even knew where exactly to start with that. But as another crack singles from around them, her eyes squinting as she peers out into the darkness of the mist-filled woods, she decides it can definitely wait.

She isn't about to find out what exactly a Grawp is.

"Come on, we're leaving," she announced, turning and walking down the curved gravel path she had walked against earlier. Stopping, she turned her head and the wand was facing him, "can you walk?" She questions, only to wince as he starts to limp towards her. Winnie frowns then, walking towards him then, gravel crunching in under her shoes as she stops beside him. Her free hand reached out to drag his arm over her shoulder. He had to lean down slightly, back hunched over as she crossed her arm across his back. She hopes it hurts.

They walk in silence, her wand trained out in front of her, their feet hopping along as half of his weight leans on her. The side of his body pressed into her own, heat radiating into the fabric of her clothes, cooling the goosebumps that trailed across her skin. She tries not to think about how she suddenly doesn't feel as afraid when he's next to her.

"Are you going to answer my question?" He asked suddenly, startling her as she glanced up at him. Through the moonlight, she could make out the curve of his nose, the way his eyelashes danced across his skin with his eyebrows pinched forward.

"I will when we get out of this damn forest," she replies, swallowing thickly as another rustle of the leaves dances around them. She paused, aiming her wand over towards it, only to see a tiny brown bunny hop out from between the bushes.

"And she's scared of a bunny," he mutters under his breath, as her lips fall open. Her eyes narrowED up at him, seeing a slight smirk fasten against his features, dimples popping out of his left cheek.

"I'm not scared of a bunny," she argued, starting to back up the path. She thinks she heard a fluttering of wings up above them, but not daring to give him any more work to annoy her with, she simply straightened her spine. Her fingers tighten against the hold on her wand, holding it further out.

"Sure you aren't," he drawled, and she wonders where he has the nerve to be such an annoying brat. She grinds her teeth, shifting her weight to align him better against her as his arm stays wrapped around his shoulder.

"I could stab you right now," she threatens, not really sure where it comes from or even why. She just suddenly feels the overall urge to stab him for being an overall menace, or perhaps she could push him.