She whispered

by Lucas Chesterton

  ‘It’s our home,’ Thea says boredly, her hands on her hips as she watches Rose’s confusion. ‘I am helping my father organize a fundraiser for advances in magical medicine. There will be a garden social, followed by a silent auction of hundreds of magical artifacts.’

  ‘Magical artifacts?’ Rose asks.

  ‘Don’t worry, Rosie. Nothing dark,’ she explains. ‘My father has a very beautiful collection of historical items that he inherited from his maternal side of the family, as well as items my mother’s family collected at Highwood Manor. We have no need of any of it at Sandwith, so we thought we could put it towards a good cause.’ Thea must see the reluctance in her eyes because she lets her impatience falter slightly as she gives Rose an encouraging grin. ‘Your mother will likely be there. As Minister for Magic we hope to garner her support in a new department designed specifically for research into Magical Medicine.’

  ‘What would I have to do?’ she asks, her voice stuttering slightly though she is comforted by the thought that her mother might be in attendance. ‘I am not very good at public speaking if you hadn’t noticed.’ Thea laughs, heartily.

  ‘No no no, nothing like that at all,’ she assures. ‘You would come over for afternoon tea and we’ll sit in the gardens and talk to my father before the social. The rest of the night you’d just be observing, and enjoying yourself of course. Are you able to enjoy yourself?’

  ‘I do fine enough,’ Rose says, attempting a joke and she is rewarded with another laugh from Thea.

  ‘Good girl,’ she says.

  The clock on the wall dings quietly and she then hears the bell tower toll that the hour is growing close to curfew. Rose stands, placing the invitation into her satchel and nods her thanks.

  ‘I’ll think about it,’ she tells her. ‘And I’ll get back to you about the potions lab schedule.’

  ‘You’re leaving?’ Thea says and Rose is slightly taken aback by the look in her eyes as she does.

  ‘It’s nearing curfew. We have that career showcase tomorrow.’

  ‘To think, our idea of a quasi-Friday night is studying potions schedules. And doing homework,’ says Thea and Rose does not admit that this is precisely the kind of thing she enjoys.

  ‘Must be catching on,’ she replies and Thea raises an eyebrow. ‘On my way here I ran into Albus and Lysander in the library doing precisely the same thing.’

  The corners of Thea’s pink lips fall slightly at the words, but Rose doesn’t think much of it as she turns towards the door. She whispers a friendly ‘good night’ before passing down the steps, getting a few side glances from a group of Slytherin third year girls as she does. She looks like a sore thumb, still in her Gryffindor robes, and they all seem to take notice as they whisper and giggle and Rose does her best to ignore them.

  She feels better once she’s out in the corridors, more room to breath and less curious glances. She toys absently with the strap of her bag on her shoulder as she rounds each corner and feels her steps increase as she makes her way through the dungeons. She’s just rounding the corner to the main staircases when she bumps into a figure taller than herself and nearly falls over her own feet but he catches her by the arms at the last second.

  ‘Are you alright?’ he says, standing her up and she takes a moment to find her balance before she nods. When she meets his eyes, she realizes she is looking up at Scorpius Malfoy.

  ‘Yes,’ she says instead of ‘oh’ because somewhere in the back of her head she can hear Thea’s reminder. ‘So sorry,’ she said. ‘I was in my own world I think.’

  ‘Not at all,’ he replies, and his smile is so wide she can’t help but smile herself though her glance falls to her shoes. ‘I was walking so quickly and not even paying attention.’ She doesn’t reply but she does manage to look up from her shoes and can see him shifting just as uncomfortably as she is. She’s not at all certain why.

  ‘I was just in the dorms, Thea’s that is,’ she clarifies and he nods. ‘We were working on the potions project.’

  ‘That doesn’t really surprise me,’ he says. ‘Though with the two of you as a pair I’m sure I have my work cut out for me to keep up.’ She can’t help but blush as she tries to change the subject.

  ‘Your sister invited me to some gala she’s planning at Sandwith Hall,’ she says and she watches the awkward amusement on his face change to surprise.

  ‘Theodora invited you?’ he asks, his brows furrowed slightly. ‘She invited you to our house?’

  ‘Is Sandwith Hall an actual house though?’ she asks with a laugh. ‘Because from the sound of it I expect something a little more grandiose.’

  ‘Yes, uh…I suppose it is,’ he agrees, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. Rose feels her awkward grin starting to fall.

  ‘I don’t have to go,’ she says. ‘If it would make you feel uncomfortable.’

  ‘No,’ he says and it’s so quick that he pauses for a long moment, pink flushing on his pale cheeks and then clears his throat. ‘That is to say, I’m sure it would be nice. We don’t have many guests. I’m glad she invited you.’

  ‘Me too,’ she answers though she isn’t entirely sure why seeing as she hasn’t yet made up her mind if she’s going.

  ‘Are you going back up to the tower?’ he asks and she nods, readjusting her bag on her shoulder and he turns. ‘Mind if I walk with you?’

  ‘Oh,’ she says and she feels Thea in her mind screaming. ‘Weren’t you on your way to the dungeons?’ she asks to recover and he slowly shakes his head.

  ‘It wasn’t important.’

  ‘Ok then,’ she says and starts slowly off towards the staircases, Scorpius Malfoy at her side.

  She feels a childish grin pull at her cheeks and she’s in no hurry to be rid of it.

  THEA

  She doesn’t mean to dream.

  In fact, she’s fairly certain these damn potions are suppose to suppress the dreams and so she’s slightly taken aback by the flash of sunlight through the trees as she walks barefoot down towards the beach.

  It’s not a dream, she tries to tell herself, it’s some sort of memory, but it sounds like a whisper from underwater as she says it and her dream self seems so blissfully unaware. She loves the feeling of hot sand on her feet and she dances carelessly out of the shade of the trees and out into the sunshine.

  She pulls down her sunglasses and the shore winds threaten to remove her hat but she holds it steadfast to her head as she bares her teeth at said wind, with a wide smile. She loves summer, she thinks. No, scratch that, she loves summers on this island; real, genuine summers that smother her in salt and sweat and she can taste the heat on the tip of her tongue.

  There is freedom on this island, a freedom Thea has never truly known in all of her life and she wonders how she can bottle it and keep it for her own. The beach is small and deserted, perfect for this little adventure and and she spins back towards the shade as she pulls her tank top over her head, tossing it aside into the sand.

  ‘Are you coming?’ she calls out and from behind one of the trees she sees a blond head of hair peek out.

  ‘I don’t know Thea. I’m not sure if I can do this.’

  ‘Of course you can,’ she calls out, crooking her finger. ‘No one is here. It’s just me.’ There is no response and Thea sighs. ‘Don’t make me drag you out here myself.’

  There is a reluctant groan and then finally she emerges from behind the tree and she glances around anxiously as she joins Thea out in the sun. She isn’t glancing around, instead at Thea who is tugging now at the strings of her bikini top and their eyes meet in a moment of anticipation.

  Thea feels nervous for the first time in a long time as she lets the bathing suit fall down into the sand next to the shirt. Dominique lets her eyes take in Thea’s body, meticulously memorizing the curve of her breasts and the milky white flesh that accompanies them.

  It’s a clothes-optional beach and Thea has spent several hours researching this exact spot when Dom said she thought it
would be fun to find one to explore. Now that they’re here she can see that maybe Dom isn’t as brave and Thea feels as though it’s her job to show her that she is.

  She steps closer, closing the gap between them and Dom’s eyes dart around. Thea’s fingertips graze her chin and her searching stops.

  ‘I’ve never done this before,’ Dom whispers and Thea can feel her breath on her own lips.

  ‘Been to a topless beach, or kissed a girl?’

  ‘Neither, or rather both,’ she says and her voice shakes slightly.

  ‘How is it that Dominique Weasley has never kissed a girl?’ Thea teases, her words slow and she places her lips gently on Dom’s cheek. The blond’s eyes flutter shut.

  ‘Since when do you kiss girls?’ says Dom and she’s trying desperately to keep her cool but she’s melting in Thea’s hands.

  ‘New for me too, actually,’ she replies and Dom allows her eyes open just enough that Thea can see their warmth.

  She doesn’t stop herself then, leaning in and even for her it’s torturously slow because it seems to take forever before her lips are on Doms but when they are she feels herself relax into them as if she’s the one melting. Dom is only momentarily taken aback but she soon leans into it, her mouth covering Thea’s and there is not only curiosity, but want that hangs between them.

  Dom’s hands no longer hang at her side but they slide over Thea’s hips and trace at the bare skin under the hem of her denim shorts. She smiles at the invitation and lets her hands tug at Dom’s yellow shirt until their lips are briefly separate by the fabric being pulled between them and over Dom’s head.

  When their lips reunite, Thea is surprised by the amount of fervor in Dom’s kisses but she indulges her, nibbling gently until Dom’s lips part and Thea’s tongue slips into her mouth. There is a soft sound, so feminine and beautiful that Thea feels her body react similarly as she deepens the kiss.

  There is bliss in this moment, in this memory, and the hot sun warms their skin so that when Thea’s flesh presses against Dom’s she can feel that heat turning into a thin damp layer of sweat as they try and pull each other closer.

  She’s in a haze when Dom finally pulls away and she wonders briefly if her own lips are as raw as hers. Dom grins mischievously as she too tugs on the strings of her bikini top and lets them fall around her until it joins Thea’s on the sandy shore. She grabs Thea’s hand, her fingers soft against her own and she pulls her, tugging a now reluctant Thea who has not had quite enough kissing. But she relents, allowing Dom to drag her into the ocean and they both laugh as the cool water hits their skin while they dive under the waves.

  It’s cold, much colder than she remembers and for a moment Thea feels the breath leave her lungs as she gasps at the chill. When she comes up for air she is shivering and the sky is no longer bright but instead engulfed in a harsh darkness. She searches for Dom, the jovial laughs gone as she looks for the blond but finds only icy cold waters and her breath appearing out in front of her.

  She can’t feel the ground, the water is too deep and Thea struggles to stay above the water as the sea’s icy clutches bear down on her and her muscles grow tired of thrashing. There is no air in her lungs as she starts to shout out to Dom and all that comes out is a strange whispering sound. The only warmth comes from her hot tears as they stream down her face and she knows this is no longer a memory, but a dream after all.

  A nightmare.

  ‘Thea!’ she hears and it’s distant as she sinks under the depths but the sound makes her want to fight. ‘Thea, what the fuck!?’ she hears, closer now as something grabs hold of her.

  She reaches out to it, fighting her way to the surface and the sound, the very worried sound that drags her upwards and she gasps as she reaches the surfaces, her lungs taking in cold air that burns as it rushing into her lungs. When she opens her eyes she doesn’t see Dom’s blue eyes. Instead she sees brown, warm like the woolen fabric currently being shoved over her head and wrapping around her torso where her pajama tank clings to her in the rain.

  The warmth is inviting and she lets it lull her eyes shut as arms wrap awkwardly around her and she feels herself fall into them as her legs give out. Rain drips down her face until suddenly it doesn’t and soft hands are replaced by calloused ones as they pat gently at her cheeks.

  ‘Thea!’ the voice shouts and she tries desperately to open her eyes as she feels her body lift from the ground and press up against someone’s hot skin.

  Her eyes fight to open and just under her lashes she sees brown eyes again, wild with panic as they glanced down at her and then up and she smiles as she tries to think of something funny to say that will ease the moment. But her mind can’t keep up as she dissolves slowly into some sort of unconscious state. She can only muster one word and she decides it will suffice as she sinks into his arms and feels her mind slipping away from her as she speaks.

  She’s not entirely certain how she ends up in the Hospital Wing or where on Earth her pants have gone as she lies under the cotton white sheets of her hospital bed. It creaks as she moves and the noise prompts movement from her left and she squints at the blur.

  ‘Need these?’ she hears and she can make out the voice and blond hair of her brother as he places black framed glasses in her hands.

  ‘Can’t you just do the spell?’ she asks, surprised by the hoarseness in her voice. The frames allow him to come into focus and he shrugs.

  ‘That would spoil all the fun,’ he says and his voice is dry but she can hear the humor he attempts and she rewards him with a hand gesture that makes Madam Millwynn gasp.

  ‘Miss Malfoy!’ she says and Thea slides her glasses up the bridge of her nose to hide the rolling of her eyes.

  ‘Are you sure these are mine?’ she asks when they slip again. ‘They’re a bit of a strange fit.’

  ‘They’re mine,’ he says and it makes sense now as he points his wand at the bridge of her nose and the fit tightens enough that they’re still a bother but are no longer slipping off her face. ‘I wasn’t allowed up in your dorms for obvious reasons but the Headmistress said she’d get your belongings once you’d woken up and we figured out what happened.’

  ‘I expect by the state of me that I was sleepwalking,’ she says boredly and Scorpius’ eyebrow rises.

  ‘Did you forget your potions?’ he asks her and she scoffs.

  ‘I learnt my lesson the one time,’ she reminds him. ‘I think I can manage to swig a few potions before bedtime.’

  ‘Well they clearly didn’t work,’ he says and his voice isn’t impatient like she expects. ‘Father had Madame Herwyn come in from London to do an exam. She’s in the potions lab as we speak.’

  ‘You wrote to him?’ she asks, sitting up quickly. Her head spins slightly at the hastened movements.

  ‘Actually it was your Headmistress,’ a voice says, his pace quick across the stone floor and she sighs.

  ‘Papa, before you say anything���’ she starts and is surprised that when he reaches her he engulfs her in a hug. Scorpius’ expression mirrors her own as she slowly reaches around his back to reciprocate the embrace.

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ he says quietly, his palm to her face when he pulls away. ‘We’ll figure it out.’

  ‘It’s just sleepwalking,’ she reminds him, her tone firm and he glances to Scorpius. ‘The real question is what kind of mischief did I get up to whilst wandering the halls of Hogwarts?’

  The joke is intended to ease the tension but neither one of them does as little as crack a smile. Scorpius is looking at their father, his eyes narrowed slightly the way that always reminds her that he’s a true Ravenclaw. But she doesn’t plan on giving him any time to solve whatever puzzle he thinks he’s stumbled upon.

  ‘I don’t know why she bothered you,’ she tries to brush off as Madame Herwyn walks through the doors, holding her skirts and she looks at Thea with a brightness in her eyes.

  ‘You’re awake,’ she says and Thea let’s her frown deepen.

&
nbsp; ‘Of course I’m awake,’ she says impatiently, trying to pull back the covers but Scorpius’ quick wandwork has the blankets pull back over her, tucking in at the creases around her legs and the mattress. ‘Madame Herwyne please tell them I am fine.’

  ‘I’m afraid, my dear, that I cannot. The potions are,’ she starts and glances at Scorpius before continuing. ‘Well it’s my professional opinion that they must be growing ineffective. Clearly they aren’t potent enough to keep you asleep through the entire night as they are intended.’

  ‘I don’t understand why a simple bought of Dreamless Sleep potion won’t do the trick,’ Scorpius says, his brow furrowed in thought. ‘If she’s just having nightmares and sleepwalking…’

  ‘It’s more than that, Scorpius,’ her father hisses, much too quickly because Thea can see the sting in her brother’s eyes at their father’s tone.

  ‘Well then what is it?’ Scorpius asks slowly and when neither of the adults in the room can muster an answer she clears her throat.

  ‘It’s obvious isn’t it?’ she says and everyone’s eyes drift towards her. She avoids her father’s look of defeat. ‘I messed up my own dosage. It’s not the first time, it’s happened.’

  ‘You just said���’ Scorpius starts.

  ‘I was wrong,’ she interrupts. ‘I know you think highly of me, brother dear, but I am only human.’

  ‘Theodora,’ her father says but she doesn’t look at him.

  ‘I know, Papa, I’ll do better. I promise. I was exhausted from Quidditch and working on that Gala. I don’t know what happened but I clearly missed a vial.’

  ‘If the gala is proving to be too much with your school load���’

  ‘No,’ she says quickly. ‘I can do both. Once the match is over this weekend, I’ll have more time to focus. I’m fine.’

  ‘If you’re certain,’ he says and she allows her eyes to meet his. Neither one pushes because they both know what this means.

  ‘I am.’

  Her father stands then and lets her hand fall gently back into her lap. She fidgets with the frames around her nose as he straightens his robes and glances over at Scorpius. There aren’t words between them, only a glance full of longing and she realizes for the first time how similar they seem. She’s always been her father’s daughter, but as Scorpius grows there is no doubting that he too is his father’s son.