The Deal I Made With Theodore Nott - NL x TN

37

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"Neville!"

"Ten more minutes." I huffed.

Theo groaned from beside me, our shagging went well into the early hours of the morning and we were paying the price now. The sound of someone running up the stairs echoed off the walls but for some reason it wasn't enough for me to peel open my eyes.

Big mistake.

The comforter flew off of Theo and I, leaving me desperately attempting to cover myself. Theo didn't seem to care as much but it definitely woke him up as well.

"OH MERLIN NO!" Dove screamed out, attempting to cover her eyes. She turned around, facing the other wall as a waterfall of curse words fell from her lips.

"What the fuck Dove?!" I exclaimed. I attempted to slip on my pajama bottoms but fell over in the process.

"I didn't know you were naked!" She argued back at me.

"You two have the oddest friendship." Theo chuckled as he sat up smiling. Thankfully I was able to get fully dressed rather quickly but Theo was still blatantly naked. Dove turned around only to be smacked in the face with the sight of the Slytherin wizard again.

"Theodore put some damn pants on!" She yelled at him. He rolled his eyes and yawned loudly but ultimately gave in to her request, slowly pulling on a jumper and pants with reluctancy.

"I'm sorry Dove, I didn't know it was so late in the day." I noted while I hugged her tight.

"That's alright, I guess we are getting a little too old to be popping into each other's rooms unannounced." She replied with an embarrassed tone.
"So Theo's here.... Does Nan know Theo is here?"

My smile fell a nervous blush creeped up my neck.
"Uhm- well- not exactly." I said, scratching the back of my neck.
"Something came up so she had to go away on business for a few days. It's not like I planned this."

Dove turned to face Theo angrily.
"I tell you the deal is off, so you come crawling back to my best mate?" She scoffed.

"Dove."

"No. It's okay Nev, let her talk." Theo said, a content expression resting on his face as he sat at the edge of my bed.

"Oh- In that case I think you, Theodore Nott, are incredibly selfish. I don't care what struggles you have going on at home, that doesn't give you the right to string along Neville as if he isn't a person with feelings. You giving him a taste of a relationship then ripping it from him over and over is entirely unfair and I'm done being a little play piece in your sick game. Neville likes you- he thinks highly of you and that's the only reason I'm not going to kill you right here and now. But I believe it's time for you to decide if you want to be with Neville for real or not at all." She explained.

I cringed at Dove's words despite them being true. If it weren't for what Theo said last night, I might have been inclined to clap for her.

"Anything else?" Theo asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

She shook her head. Theo got up from his spot on my bed, walking up to me and taking my hands in his.

"Neville Longbottom? Will you be my very real, serious, and public boyfriend?" He asked me.

"Are you going to be embarrassing like this from now on?" I asked.

"Maybe, is that a deal breaker?" He replied.

"No."

"Then yes."

We laughed and I jumped in his arms.
"Yes, of course I'll be your boyfriend."

"I feel like I missed something." Dove noted.

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Theo and I spent the next hour explaining everything to Dove, down to the details about Theo's father and how he ended up on my doorstep.

"Wow, who would have thought there was even more to this than I even knew... you two have been carrying this heavy weight just the two of you? All this time?" She asked.

"I guess so, saying it all out loud makes it sound far more dramatic than it actually is." Theo replied.

"Theo-"

He turned towards me, his cheerful smile now permanently on his face. But I wasn't as quick to comfort.
"You almost died, this is very serious."

"Yeah, but it's okay now. Don't worry." He smiled.

"What about your father?" Dove questioned.

Theo stood up from the couch, anxiously looking through my family's bookshelf.
"I'll figure it out, it will be okay."

Dove and I shared a concerned look. I just shrugged my shoulders, not knowing where this odd mood had come from.
"When does Nan come back? Dove questioned, changing the subject.

"Tomorrow." I replied plainly.

"Tomorrow is Christmas." She stated matter of factly.

"Yeah- and?" I questioned.

"Today is Christmas Eve."

"Okay I think we have the days down now." Theo laughed, but now my head was reeling and I stood up abruptly the second I comprehended what Dive meant.

"Shit." I exclaimed.

"Nan knew I was showing up today, she probably meant for me to go with you." Dove noted with a calm tone.

"Go where?" Theo asked, curious now by my reaction. Then he saw how nervous and upset I was.
"Neville? What's today?"

"It's Christmas Eve, I always visit my parents on Christmas Eve." I answered attempting to hide my foul mood.

"Oh." He replied bluntly.

"Neville, what if you just didn't go this time?" Dove asked. She wasn't trying to upset me, but it didn't matter what was said about my parents.
It would always upset me

"I can't skip a year, I go every year. I visit my parents every Christmas Eve Dove, you know this." I exclaimed. I was pacing but I don't remember when I began, my breath was getting faster and I felt that tightness in my chest again.

"Let's all go."

Dove and I looked at Theo with surprised expressions.

"I mean, if it's alright with you Nev. let's all visit them together, they deserve to be wished a happy Christmas. Why is it any different if your grandmother isn't there, hasn't Dove gone before?" He asked.

"No, never." Dove replied flatly.

I'd done everything I could in my power to keep that part of my life private. The ministry made my parents trial so public that my baby pictures were in the papers just as much as Harry's. I hated the attention. It wasn't always positive and I had no way of knowing if people were genuine or not.

So I never talked about my parents, never opened up. I treated them as if they were dead because it was easier that way.

"I don't think you understand what it means to be tortured into insanity. They aren't all there- it's not pleasant." I tried to explain.

"More so a reason for us to go with you, we can support you." Theo stated.

"Help us understand Neville." Dove added.

I thought about it for a long moment, then finally I was certain. I didn't want to hide away anymore. If Theo could be brave than so could I.

"Okay."