Luck of Nines

72

         Harry slid into the room, "Hello."

       Theo stared back at him, thin and skin still tinged in an unhealthy pallor, but much taller than before, not nearly as feeble and sickly in his appearance as when he'd left them in Hogwarts. His pale hair was still long and limp, but it was more healthy now. Harry noticed a thin, fading scar that went along their cheekbone underneath their left eye.  But those dark eyes were hard as rock, dangerous, that of a cunning apex beast, but even now as they recognized him, as they stared piercingly, Harry recognized the distinct lack of threatening intent.

So he simply looked back, basking in the overwhelming scents and feel of the room.  Theo had gotten shakily to his feet after only a moment though, the quill abandoned atop the papers he had been working on as he made his way quickly around the desk, "You're awake." It was said more as if Theo was letting himself know than anything else. 

Harry responded anyway, Theo didn't mind his occasional silences, but always seemed pleased when he verbally responded to their comments, "Yes."

Theo paused, still partially leaning against his desk now that he had rounded it, and then his thin face broke into a smile, first his lips twitching upwards and then growing wider as if he was fighting it back, not quite believing he was trying to smile either, and then he had doubled over in gasping laughter that shook his whole frail frame.

       Concerned Harry crossed the distance, one hand lightly pressing on Theo's back in concern and comfort, Theo grasped onto Harry's other arm though with a shockingly strong grip, dragging himself upright to hug Harry tightly shaking with the unnatural laughter the whole way.

It took several minutes of Theo clutching his shoulder tightly, arms wrapped around his neck, clinging, in a sort of hug shaking with dry laughter and tears, before he had calmed down enough to speak, "Sorry it took me so long."

"I think it was longer for you." Harry answered, accepting the contact easily now that the other had calmed, truthfully while could still feel the imprint of Azkaban and insanity's cloying grasp attempting to draw him back into that protective, savage hunger, but he couldn't remember much. It came in flashes and feelings, but that was all.

"If you can say that so easily, maybe it was." Theo smiled, Harry recognized the look again much like the glint in their eyes, Theo was no longer young or weak or innocent, he had made himself a force to be reckoned with, but there was a lot else in that smile which he couldn't understand, "I don't suppose there was much room for growth there, but you don't seem to have changed at all..."

Harry tilted his head to the side in thought, observing them quietly some more, "I think I have, just not as much as you..."

"Does that scare you?" Theo asked. He wasn't asking about Harry's change.

"Not particularly... I don't think you'd want to hurt me. I'm glad you've gotten stronger and can protect yourself now."

"Yes..." Theo smiled, moving carefully away and leaning against his desk to speak the appropriate human distance apart, "Ron still wants to do more than just be on the defensive, but I suppose politics don't suit me much after all."

Harry hesitated slightly, a part of him wondered if he wanted to know, "How are the others? Draco... was waiting by the boats back in Azkaban, wasn't he." He recognized Theo as Theo now, the largest, heavyset beast which had pinned him down. Which... he had tried to kill. Harry fought to hide his disgust.

               Theo regarded him carefully, the air already tense was now a lot more and part of Harry wanted to flee, but instead he braced himself as Theo spoke again, "Yes, do you remember what happened while you were... detained?"