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

Chapter Four

"Theodore, I..." Carina was loss for words. After he simply vanished without a trace, without reason, felt like she was looking at a ghost or that her mind was playing tricks with her, and any moment he would disappear as soon as she reaches out to touch him. But she was not imagining this, because the Theodore who left did not have a glistening scar at the base of his neck trailing to his jaw nor did he have a cut at his upper lip, and because the Theodore who left a year ago did not have a growing beard, he always kept his face shaved clean.

Music has resumed in the hall, people were dancing and chatting once again, but to Carina it was still silent. Everything around her was just a blur. The only thing she saw was Theodore, and the only thing she heard was her heart beating ten times faster than it should. If possible, he could even hear it with how loud it was.

Theodore smiled. He was about to say something, Carina hoped he would. She wanted an explanation on where he has been, but she also just wanted to hear him speak again after imagining his voice every time she read their previous letters. Anything, she would be satisfied why anything, just so she could hear his voice, his actual voice. But both of their wishes were not answered as someone called for her name.

"Carina, are you well?" It was Cedric.

She was surprised to find Cedric standing beside her but then remembered that they were dancing and talking just mere moments ago. How could she just forget something like that?

"I am, I was just..." Carina stuttered and turned back to Theodore, looking displeased but his eyes softened as soon as she turned back to him. "I was not expecting... to see you again."

"Neither was I... I believe I wrote a very dramatic letter of saying that I was leaving for good," Theodore chuckled.

He was laughing, she thought. He finds his letter funny – he finds the only thing she had of him funny. Was it funny that she almost went mad of wondering why he left? Was it funny that she literally cried on Roman's feet moments after she read his parting gift? Because it was not. The memory of suddenly finding out still played in her mind from time to time, whenever something would remind her of him. How Rose suddenly approached her as she was just to retire to her bedroom and handed her a package – the book – and she read his letter. It was no laughing matter to her – the panic, the pain, the heartache...

Carina glared at him.

"It is not a laughing matter." She said, her voice stern but it still cracked as she felt a lump in her throat.

Theodore's smile dropped as soon as he glare and heard the change of her voice to a stern one. One that he knew would start a fight.

"Carina..." he spoke in a calm voice; he was about to reach to her and take her hand, but someone else's appeared and took it.

It was Regulus.

And it was not just Regulus that has approached them, but also Tom, Charity, Maisie, Ginny, Harry Potter. All waiting and prepared to intervene in case there was a scene. The sudden grasp made Theodore flinch, and when he turned, he saw Roman shaking his head.

"My niece has been dancing all night, Nott." Regulus began. His voice cautious and sending a warning. "I think it is time we retire."

"No, I'm not tired –" Carina began but stopped when Charity wrapped an arm around her. She turned to her aunt and saw the woman's empathic and the message that said, 'people are looking'. For the best, she reluctantly lets them take her away, but she needed to say her goodbye. "Yes, it has been a long night." She spoke, forcing herself to stay composed. "And I am quite tired... maybe we could catch up sometime, your Grace."