The Babysitter (Dramione Fanfiction)

The Portrait and the Lady

He knew it was a stupid thing to do, but his bloody heart wouldn't listen to him. Now, Theo found himself inside the Muggle coffee shop Luna frequented. Her eyes immediately settled onto him, and he knew there was no turning back anymore.

It gave him some relief that it wasn't only him who wasn't sleeping properly these past few days. Luna's eyes were unnaturally glassy with dark bags underneath. She seemed oblivious of the paint streaks on her chin, and Theo was tempted to reach out and wipe them away. But he held his hand back, afraid that she would run away from him again.

"I... well... I didn't think you'd agree to meet me," he awkwardly greeted, lowering himself down on the chair opposite her.

He had never seen her so restless before. Theo always believed nothing would fluster Luna Lovegood, because she was always the one who made others feel that way, what with her eccentric thoughts and blunt words. And to see her like that because of him... Theo had no idea what to make of it.

"I didn't either," she replied in a whisper, her eyes now firmly glued on the table top. "But I'm here."

Theo swallowed, remembering how close he was to kissing her, and his heart gave another terrible ache. "Why did you run away?" he suddenly blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity anymore.

He believed he had been open enough about his intentions, and it had somehow hurt his pride when she left just like that. He had given Draco an earful for ruining his chance, threatening to blast him off from his life if things didn't work out between him and Luna. Of course, his best friend made it up to him by treating him to the Leaky. Theo had drunken himself to oblivion, praying to the gods above that Luna would at least leave his thoughts during his inebriated state, but all he thought about and dreamt was her.

It had honestly terrified him shitless.

"I was scared."

His eyes widened at the sincerity in her words. Her freckled cheeks were splattered with red, but her eyes held misery and Theo wanted to reach out once again, if only he could dispel that distress in her eyes.

"Why?"

Her blue eyes finally connected with his brown ones. "I don't know," she confessed, thickly swallowing as she tucked a stray strand behind her ear. "I..." Her hand crept to her heart and she lightly clenched it, her eyes turning terrified. "I... I've never felt this way before."

Theo wanted to laugh, in relief or happiness or something else, because damn it all, he bloody felt the same.

"Me too," he said, thickly swallowing to keep his emotions at bay. "Damn it, Lovegood, me too."

She quirked a small, shy smile and continued, "I don't plan on returning to the Wizarding World, Theo."

It was scary to think how that didn't bother him, for he was vigorously nodding his head. "I know," he assured. "I don't expect you to."

"I don't think you understand the magnitude of what I'm saying," she expounded, but her smile had widened and was blinding. "I... I might not use magic anymore."

Theo closed his eyes, heart thrumming with emotions he could not decipher.

A world without magic seemed daunting for him as a young Pureblood, but after the War... He was so tired, of the Wizarding World, of his family name, of... of being a wizard. Unbidden thoughts of a quaint house, in a Muggle neighborhood, conjured themselves in his mind. He imagined a nice hearth, with him perched on the couch, changing the channels on the telly to seek for his favorite show. And then, there was Luna, happily sitting beside him, holding tightly onto his hand, as she absentmindedly painted on her small sketchbook.