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

chapter fifty six

    Everything feels strange as of late.

Truth be told, Winnie Buldstrode doesn't quite know what to make of her mother's visit. Her chest still tightened with every thought about that day, shame burned on her tongue at the very thought of how weak she had succumbed to. She had weeped in front of the women who held her at arms length for so long, all she ever wanted was her mothers love, but she isn't sure if she would even call that love. Love shouldn't hurt.

While Harry had been a constant string tied to her hip since that day, always speaking unspoken words of truth and comfort to her, it wasn't even enough to cure the confusion and hurt in her brain.

What was the point of her mother calling her to be there? All of it for nothing, Winnie still knew very little and the very thought burned her.

It was the very reason why she found herself at Hogsmeade once more, this time she sat in a much cleaner, warmer booth in the Three Broomsticks. An odd ray of sunshine blessed the outside world that day, the air still nipped unforgivingly on the faces of passers by. Winter still holding it's grips even as the snow had started to melt into a pile of brown mush, peads of dead grass picking up below the mess. Spineless trees shook in the wind, shivering without it's coat to keep them warm.

Winnie's hazel eyes stayed glued to the outside world, a buttebeer warming her hands as she watched people trickle by. It was an Hogsmeade trip that day, making many groups of student huddle together and giggle with sweets from Honeydukes. The sight made her crave the jumbo sour keys, causing her to make a mental note to stop by before she left to meet Harry at the Weasley's store.

Her eyes caught onto a flock of green, eyes narrowing as a familiar silver haired boy came into set. His shoulders tightly pressed against Theo's, and while her heart threated to squeeze painfully just as it always did at the sight of the boy, she steaded her gaze away. She did not need to know what they were playing at, the duo that one could believe were always best friends.

She knew better, and the very thought brought on an idea so cruel she found herself squeezing her glass tightly.

Draco Malfoy had not mentioned if Theo had taken the mark as well, but the close proximity Theo had to both Draco and Cordelia didn't leave much up to the imagination. Which still unfortunately didn't comfort her, if he did have the mark, why wouldn't Draco tell her? The prat didn't owe her anything, but surely he would've loved to rub it in her face.

'Winnie, apologies for being late. Padfoot keep begging me to bring him," Remus sighed, though a grin chastised his lips as Winnie felt a grin of her own twist onto her lips. WInnie had wrote to Remus nearly an hour after she had calmed down from seeing her mother. Remus may not be related by blood, but she needed him, needed the comfort of a parent that she knew would never look at her with disappointment and would never hurt her.

"Of course he did," Winnie laughed lightly, imagining Sirius in his velvet robe begging to come as Remus tried to leave their little home. A smile stayed fastened onto her face as she stood, allowing herself to be pulled into a hug by the male. Winnie quickly found she often overlooked hugs.

A smell that solemnly reminded her of late summer nights occupied by curling up and reading book with Remus beside her, some muggle music playing or a muggle film playing for Sirius. Nights full of hot chocolate and baked goods from her days when she could do nothing but bakes. Rare nights where they laughed amongst each other, and those nights when Harry was allowed to stay for awhile, joining in on the comfort bubble they grew to have. It was home, it was familiarity that she yearned for.

Her arms tightened around Remus' neck, taking in breaths of chocolate and earthy scent that was completely Remus. His own arms tighetned around her back, her eyes squeezing shut as her fingers gripped the wooly fabric of his cardigan. Winnie felt his lips kiss the side of her face where scarrs danced around the pale of her skin, gentle and protective as he let go.