Prince of Ruin

Chapter Nineteen: Coco

One of us summoned washcloths from the bathroom as well as our bedding from the bedroom, just creating a little nest on the floor of the sitting room. We were close enough to the fire that we could feel it but it wasn't too hot. Neither of us felt up to standing long enough for proper showers so we did the best we could with the washcloths before falling into our nest.

"The party was fun," I admitted. "Sans Ariella."

"It was." Theodore agreed, I rested my head on his chest and he toyed with a lock of my hair.

"Did you bite me?" I asked, looking at my shoulder, where there was definitely a bite mark still visible.

"Yes." He answered, sounding quite proud of himself. "You did this." He showed me his arm with the half moons marked into the skin.

"Good." I chirped.

"Animal."

"Says the man who bit me." I sat up, stretching my arms up over my head. Theodore frowned at me sitting up and propped himself up on his elbows.

"We don't have anything else to do today." He informed me as if that was why I moved.

"I'm aware." I crossed my legs and looked down at him. "have you heard back from the ministry yet? Any of the departments you applied for?"

"No, I don't expect to before Monday." He replied, flopping back down, his hands behind his head. My eyes slowly trailed down his body, the blanket up around his waist then back up to his face.

"How many did you send in?" I asked. A sheepish look crossed his features. "Theodore?"

"Just one." He admitted.

"One?" I knew there had been one he really wanted- but I assumed he had sent out multiple applications.

"It's the one I really wanted to work for the whole time- but my dad told me I would never get in." He was looking basically everywhere but at me, his eyes trailing from the ceiling to the bookcases to the fire.

"Which one is that?" I asked.

He remained silent. In that moment I wanted nothing more than to get up, go down to that stupid office that I had never actually seen the inside of, and strangle Rochester Nott with my bare hands.

"Theodore."

"The Department of International Magical Cooperation." He sighed. I stared at him a moment and I could actually see him turning in on himself.

"I think you can do it." He jerked his head up to look at me.

"Really?"

"Yes, why not? you got great grades in school. You did great work in your department before from what I was told."

"What you were told?"

"I might have asked around about you."

"yeah?" He asked, a smile replacing the look of insecurity.

"Yes," I admitted, just happy to have him back. "What does Rochester know anyway?" I asked. "What does he even do in that stupid office of his?"

Theodore gave me an odd look.

"Finances."

"What?"

"Finances, he's an accountant for a lot of high-ranking members of pure blood society and the ministry. It's how he kept out of Azkaban after the battle of Hogwarts. He knows their financial secrets."

I slapped my knee, the blanket muffling the sound.

"I knew it! I knew he wasn't actually slick enough to just not get caught!" The odd look grew deeper. "Don't worry about it." I dismissed. "The point is, he doesn't know anything. You've totally got the job."