End of Sallow

I'm everything you need me to be

Theo stood in the Sallow living room clenching and unclenching his fist, trying not to panic. He couldn't find her.

There had been an argument between her and Sebastian. She didn't like that she was left out of planning to find Podex. Sebastian wasn't hearing any of it. He didn't want Charlie in danger again. Not with the numbers he'd seen and the numbers that Alec had given him about who still was under Podex's power. The numbers were still ungodly high.

Charlie had stormed off and hadn't returned. It'd been twenty minutes and Theo had checked the entire house. Nowhere to be found. He was tired, which was why he was starting to panic. He wasn't thinking straight, and he knew it.

But it didn't help that they still hadn't found Podex. And Podex wasn't about to give up anytime soon. He'd been crazed in the castle, angry and violent, more so than usual. Charlie didn't need to be wrapped up in it again, and it terrified him.

Should he go back? Maybe he could play informant. Either way, it would keep Charlie safe from everything.

"You alright?"

Theo turned to find Tessa coming down the stairs, looking at him thoughtfully.

"I..." he hesitated and looked at her sheepishly. "Charlie..?"

Tessa's expression softened as she smiled at him. "Check on the roof, sweetheart."

"The roof?" He repeated, unsure if he'd heard her right. He apparently had, because she nodded and walked past him, raising her hand to touch his hair as she went. It must have been a sight, as it was a motherly gesture, but she had to reach up in order to do it. Still, he appreciated the gesture nonetheless before he turned to walk outside.

He found where she had a makeshift stairway to the roof. Boxes piled up just so, and Theo used that to climb up. And there she was, glaring up at the sky. As if she were mad at the universe and she was going to make it pay for her struggles. She was perfect.

"Sitting up here won't change anything, you know." He said, coming to take a seat next to her. She didn't startle, just looked up at him.

"It changed my mood."

Didn't seem like it. She still looked angry, though her voice was soft, so... that was something, he supposed. He felt her eyes on him before she asked her next question. "What's wrong?"

He sighed. He really was letting his emotions go, it seemed. Not bothering to hide his expressions anymore. "It's getting closer. Podex didn't give up on Hogwarts, and I'm afraid of what his plan is." He told her honestly.

"Well, it's not to attack the school. I'm pretty sure we have more students than he has people."

He nodded, though he didn't think that accurate.

Suddenly, Charlie moved, laying her head in his lap. His hands hovered, eyes scanning her face. What was he to do here? Touch her hair? Face? Did she even want to be touched?

Charlie laughed and he his eyes met hers. Seeing them crinkle at the corners made him relax ever so slightly. "I forget how new you are to relationships. You always exude confidence in everything you do, it's nice to see you human every once in a while." She told him.

He gave a small smile. "I'm very human, Charlie." He said, deciding to play with her hair. The soft locks twirled around his fingers and he heard her give a contented sigh. "I'm also terrified of your father," he admitted with a smile.

"We're just talking," Charlie laughed, eyes closing. "There's nothing to be scared of."

She had nothing to be scared of. Theo, not so much.