WHEN LUNA LOVEGOOD ASKED OPHELIA what the real relationship between her and Theo was, Ophelia told her the truth. 

"It's just dating for fake," she shrugged. "I wanted to make Colin jealous for kissing Cooper."

"It looks real to me," Luna had given her opinion.

Ophelia then just brushed it off as being too good at acting to convince everyone.

But later that night, she couldn't sleep. It suddenly dawned on her that she and Theo were long gone in trying to convince everyone else of their relationship.

At this point, they were only trying to convince themselves.

When they kissed in empty corridors and broom closets, there was no one there, yet they had both agreed that it was to convince everyone they were together.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

It had become a real thing.

So Ophelia decided to put a stop to it.

However, the next morning, when Theo greeted her by giving her a hug, like he did, every day, Ophelia decided that she didn't want to lose this.

She liked being in a relationship, even if it was fake.

"Theo, we need to talk," she blurted, her grey eyes looking up at him earnestly.

"Is everything alright?" he had asked her, concern written all over his features as he pulled her aside.

She nodded, twisting two of her fingers awkwardly. "What are we doing?" she finally asked. "Because I know for a fact that this isn't fake dating..."

Neither of them understood how they had gotten to this point. 

But if they continued down this path, someone could get hurt.

"Then we fake break up," Theodore suggested. "We remain friends instead. Our job is done. Creevey got jealous, and he's stopped bothering you, right?" 

Ophelia nodded. She had told Theo what had happened when she had last interacted with Colin, and since then, he had left her alone.

But why did Ophelia feel a slight twinge of pain from a real breakup, when this was just a fake one?

"Problem solved?" Theo asked, his blue eyes boring into hers, daring her to protest. Ophelia wanted to say no. She wanted to admit to him that she liked the fake dating, especially the kissing part. But she knew that they were breaking all their rules.

"Yeah," she said, her voice breaking a little, forcing a smile onto her lips. "Perfect."

Theodore's eyes had darkened slightly, and he had already taken out his box of cigarettes when Ophelia snatched it from him and glared at him. "None for you today," she chastised.

"Give it back, Lia, you're not my girlfriend," Theo remarked irritably, trying to seize it from her fingers, which she had hidden behind her back.

"But I am your friend, and I think that counts for something," she defended, the spark in her eyes igniting at his challenging tone.

Theo took a deep breath and sighed. His dark eyes swirled with a thousand unspoken words that Ophelia could no decipher.

"Fine," he said, his tone frustrated. "Whatever."

"Why are you so grumpy?" Ophelia asked, annoyance written on her face. "Jeez, they're just cigarettes. They're bad for you. I'm trying to help you over here."

"That's not what I'm— You know what? Never mind," Theo stated, shaking his head and clenching his jaw. 

Then, he walked away.

By now, Theo had told Blaise that he had broken up with Ophelia, who told Pansy Parkinson, who had told Tracy Davies, and the news had spread until eventually, all of Hogwarts knew that the couple had just decided to remain friends.

Only Blaise knew the truth; that they had never been dating for real in the first place.

Throughout the day, Ophelia found it immensely difficult to concentrate on her studies, her mind constantly drifting to Theo. She walked past him a couple times in the corridor, and she would wave to him, and smile but he would never reciprocate with more than a curt nod.

Is he really that mad I took his cigarettes?

She was thinking about giving them back to him. Indeed, during her classes, she found herself playing with the box, wondering what was so fascinating about the cigarettes that he couldn't give up. 

Later that night, Ophelia had gone to the room of requirement to check up on Draco, who was having a panic attack.

She had found him on the floor, crouched in front of the vanishing cabinet, clutching his head in his hands and sobbing hysterically. Next to him lay several dead birds, and Ophelia instantly understood that the vanishing cabinet had failed to work once more.

"Dray, you're okay, I'm here," she said softly, wrapping an arm around his back. 

"I'm running out of time," Draco whispered, showing her the latest letter he had received from Aunt Bella.

"No, you're not. You're supposed to be focusing on education, not planning to murder the teachers," Ophelia's lips pressed together in disapproval. "No one blames you, it's a lot to handle."

"Slughorn still hasn't gifted the mead to Dumbledore, what if someone else gets poisoned?" Draco whispered. "Like that Bell girl?"

"I'll find a way to sneak into his office and get it, okay?" she suggested. "Would that make you feel better?"

"Thanks," he murmured, burning his head into her neck. "You smell like mother," he mumbled, and Ophelia fought to hide her smile, trying to imitate the way her mother stroked Draco's hair to soothe him even more.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked softly.

Theo had joined them a few hours later, whilst Ophelia was writing her transfiguration essay on changing the colors of different objects. 

This concept was usually one that many people overlooked for being too easy, but the truth was, it was taught in sixth year for the amount of concentration needed. She had already learnt non verbal spells, which Professor McGonagall had taught her a little early, seeing as it was a sixth year concept and she was already doing sixth year transfiguration, so non verbal magic was needed. 

"Isn't this sixth year material?" he drawled over her shoulder, a sullen expression on his face as he peered to look at her work.

"Yes, I'm doing sixth year transfiguration. I already did my transfiguration OWL, remember?" she reminded him. "How's the day without cigarettes?" she asked, turning to face him and crossing her arms.

"Shitty as fuck," he remarked irritably, taking a seat on the worn-out, old couch next to Draco, who was figuring yet another way to murder Dumbledore. "Can I have them back?"

"No," Ophelia shook her head with a little smile. "You're doing so good without them."

Sure, he was in a horrible mood, but Ophelia was trying to get him to stop smoking completely. This was progress.

"Give them back, Lia, I won't ask twice," Theo demanded, his jaw clenched tightly, to the point where the blonde could practically hear his teeth stuck together.

"No, it's not good for you. You'll thank you later."

"Stop being a bitch," Theo scowled.

"I would prefer it if you could refrain from calling my sister names, Nott," Draco threatened. "She is far too pure to be called a bitch. Apologize. Now."

Ophelia didn't need an apology. In fact, she wasn't even offended by Theo's comment. She had been called far worse by some of the gossipers at Hogwarts.

But there was something rather calming about the fact that Draco was so fiercely protective over her.

"Fine. I apologize," Theo's jaw clenched even tighter, if that was possible, but this time, they were accompanied by his fists.

"It's getting late, it's almost curfew," Draco stood up. "I'll finish tidying up here."

"Go," Ophelia shook her head. "You need the break. I'll do it."

"I'll help," Theo was quick to interject, but Ophelia didn't want Theo to help her. She couldn't take his horrible mood.

"Thanks," Draco looked eternally grateful.

"Leave, I'll manage," Ophelia told Theo. "Go to bed."

"Don't tell me what to do, Malfoy," Theo scoffed. "You're not my girlfriend."

"So you keep reminding me," the Gryffindor bit back, her tongue igniting. "Yes, I'm not your girlfriend. I never was, anyway, and I never will be!"

She said all of this out of spite, out of annoyance, because the Slytherin boy had been nothing but bad-tempered, moody and grouchy all day. 

Besides, it was the truth, wasn't it? 

Ophelia had zero feelings for Theo, and he had no feelings for her. They had merely been dating for mutually beneficial reasons nevertheless.

"Here're your cigarettes! Take them and leave!" She had taken them out from her pocket and flung them at his chest, where they fell off the floor with a thud, since Theo did not possess reflexes quick enough to catch them. "I don't want you near me when you're so grouchy. And neither do I want you next to me when you're high and smelling of smoke."

Theo's sarcastic laugh echoed throughout the empty room, kicking aside his cigarettes with his feet, showing her they meant nothing to him. 

"You're so fucking clueless if you think I'm mad because you took my stupid cigarettes," he exclaimed. 

"Then why are you treating me this way?" Ophelia's voice was still getting louder, but right now she had crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing automatically to glare at him with great annoyance. "What have I done to make you mad?"

Theo opened his mouth to speak, but closed it quickly, shaking his head. "No reason. Nothing," he said coldly, shrugging nonchalantly, turning his back on her and heading towards the door.

Ophelia wasn't stupid. Yes, she was very oblivious, and definitely naïve, but she certainly wasn't stupid.

Theo was obviously not telling her something.

"What?" Ophelia yelled, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to look at her. "Stop lying to me! I know there's another reason—"

But her words faded into nothing when Theo grabbed her jaw with both his hands and forcefully brought his mouth to collide with hers.

It was rough. 

It was angry. 

It was reckless.

But most of all, it felt right. 

His mouth ravaged hers, his lips singing symphonies of innumerable intensity as they painted his essence over every little bit of her lips. She could feel every beat, every thrum, every note his lips sung, all over her body, the silent melody of the song replenishing her with life and filling her heart with dancing butterflies.

They had only stopped fake-dating for less than a day, but to Ophelia, it felt like forever since she had last felt his lips, despite the fact that they had kissed just the previous night.

But not like this.

No, this was pure, unrestrained passion.

Theo had no excuse for kissing her. And Ophelia had no excuse for choosing to kiss him back.

His hands found their respective places on her waist and her hair, pulling her close and completely flush with his body, leaving no space at all but a hairsbreadth. And her hands were pressed onto his chest tightly, frozen in place from where she had been about to push him away, but now changed her mind. Instead, she looped all of her fingers into his collar and pulled him closer, leaving no space between, completely careless about the fact that she was choking him.

Ophelia poured everything into his lips; every bit of regret, sadness or anger she felt dissipated into the sparks that ignited her soul on fire with every second their lips adjoined. She was afraid; perhaps this would be the last time they kissed... this would be the last time she could have him this close before they had to go back to following the rules.

But it ended, like every moment does, leaving both of them breathless and swollen-lipped.

Ophelia's eyes widened slightly, her fingers still hooked around the collar of his shirt, swallowing thickly, too dumbfounded to vocalize her thoughts.

"What was that for?" Ophelia demanded, her lungs dying to be quenched with oxygen. Looking into his eyes, she noticed something very peculiar. His eyes were dark, and his smirk was ever present, and he looked completely high.

"You talk too much," Theo drawled, his thumb caressing her lower lip slowly, causing it to drop in surprise ever so slightly, and part her lips.

"No I don't—" she murmured softly, but the rest of her words were once again, stolen when he pushed his thumb into her lips, very gently.

Ophelia's heart burst into flames, and she was hot all over, her cheeks exploding with blooms of crimson and rose.

His thumb felt very foreign in between her lips, softly pressing down on her tongue, her swollen lip burning very slightly at his touch.

Her eyes had widened completely as she gawked at him, utterly transfixed into place.

He was studying her every move with a curious expression on his face, his eyes so dark they were almost black, waiting, watching her every move like a predator nearly about to pounce.

She gulped. She couldn't breathe.

Until he pulled his thumb out and continued caressing her bottom lip with the wet pad of his thumb, pretending nothing had happened.

"Don't test my patience, Lia," he issued the waning in a low, dulcet tone, his raspy voice sending shivers throughout her entire body and filling her with dread. 

There was no knowing, let alone telling what he would do.

"Theo," she gasped softly, her voice the sweet caress of a bee hovering above the flower, her mind racing in a hundred different directions, her thoughts scattered all over her head. 

Her mind was fucked. Utterly fucked up.

"You want to know why I was mad?" Theo asked, his tone still low, though sounding like he had swallowed a mouthful of ice. "Because I wouldn't be able to kiss those pretty lips of yours any more."

Someone shoot me now. My ears feel like they've been burned.

"I... I... uhm..." No, she had never been left speechless before, never in her life. There was nothing she could think to say to reply to his declaration.

"Cat got your tongue, Principessa?" Theo drawled, his hand coming to rest at her waist. "Tsk, tsk... Pity. Weren't you the one shouting at me just minutes ago?" he tsked. 

The blonde had never been spoken to in this manner before. She was so used to everyone either worshipping her, or being afraid of her.

Theo leant close to her ear, lips caressing the hollow beneath her jaw, eliciting yet another shiver from her.

"I want to date for real, Principessa," he said softly, his other hand moving to press against her left cheek, where she could feel the cold metal of the rings sear into her skin and leave an imprint. "Would you be okay with that?"

Her cheeks were flaming, like her ears, and her nose, and every flaming bit of skin he touched. 

All over, she was burning red.

The Malfoy heiress had always been stubborn, hard-headed and extremely hard to convince to sway from her own path. She had never let anyone make her decisions for her. Her word was always gospel.

Yet she was so utterly fucked up, so completely under his spell, that she nodded her head and said yes. 

{ so. that happened. i hope you liked this chapter. PLEASE spam me with comments. i mean like actually spam. so i actually noticed i had LOADS of silent readers, who don't even bother to leave a review or vote, and lemme just say this: i wish you would :(
it means the world to me. sooo, 350 votes for the next chapter to be released. and, i'm marking this book as mature from now on.
also, thank you for 600k reads !!
question for y'all: what do you want to be in the future?
i want to be a teacher. and a chef. i'm studying to be a teacher atm.
anyway, hope y'all are okay, sorry for bothering you with my incessantly long a/n. i just hope you liked the chapter. please tell me if you did.
lots of love,
jasmine. xoxo }

{ APR 03. 2024 }