Chapter 18

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I picked at my food, trying to discover the right time to go about this.

"How's Hogwarts, Lexus?" Mr. Nott asked me.

I set down my fork, giving him my full attention. "It's good, I received an outstanding in potions."

"That's very impressive, I didn't think Snape even gave out that grade," Theo added like he didn't already know.

"You're a natural." Mr. Nott gave his warmest smile, which was just above a lip curl.

But she wasn't a natural, she was good, she studied hard and learned every lesson and every potion so that Snape would have no choice but to give her the grade she deserved.

"She was the first to get an outstanding in four years. She stayed up nearly three nights in a row studying." Theo tried to correct gracefully, but his father had no response for that.

It was my mother's time for only the basics of polite conversation. "I made passing words with Lady Shafiq, they plan to follow in our footsteps and betrothed their daughter before the New Year.

"She's four," Lexus stated, they at least waited until she was six to link her life to Theo.

I tried to glance over at Theo, he pushed his plate away, avoiding my eye contact. I felt his hand slither over to mine, I narrowed my eyes at the small ounce of affection. We hadn't touched since the night I found him with his Hufflepuff girlfriend. Back in the nights, his guilt convinced him to stay with her after the bludger bat incident.

Marcus shrugged, "They assured she wasn't dense and decided to make arrangements early."

"They're just babies." I fought, squeezing Theo's hand.

"You and Theo have set such a good example, I'm not surprised this would follow." Mr. Nott was unpausing and unsurprised. Lexus wondered if he ever had emotions at all.

"How- I- Surely, it's too early. I mean, they can barely speak." The glare from her mother was strong enough to take her out of the chair.

"I want to end the betrothal," Theo said suddenly, sucking all the air out of the room.

There was a deadly silence. My brother reached into his cloak, finding his wand.

"The only way this betrothal ends is in marriage." Theo's father's voice was hard. "That is the agreement we made. Nott's are true to their word."

"I never made such an agreement. Lexus never either. The wizarding world is changing. The pureblood order is falling apart and I don't want to be dragged with it." Theo's voice was strong and permanent. If he had regrets, he didn't show them freely.

"More of the reason to confirm the bloodlines sooner. Our support will make great waves in the community. Thousands of generations will not go to waste due to outsiders." His father insisted, his sternness keeping my mother and brother at bay.

"I am not an outsider. And I am telling you I will not go through with it."

No one spoke. I noticed house elves, disappear into the shadows. The air grew thicker and the candles burned a little less. The portrait of Theo's mother that delicately painted on her details and watched over the house from above the fireplace was now empty. Most of the portraits were empty.

"I should have known." My mother muttered, across the table, gathering her things. "Lexus. Let's go. I believe the Nott's have a family discussion on their hands."

"No, ma'am." I stood up, standing next to Theo, telling him I wasn't going to leave him. "I don't want this betrothal either."

"Allow me, mother." Marcus offered.

Theo's father had stopped cutting his rare beef now, realizing the seriousness in our voices and what they could lead to."What is this? Enough of this blasphemy."

"I've been seeing someone," Theo admitted. I froze. Everyone else sped up.

He tore the last of my brother's patience. He aimed the Serpensortia spell right at his chest.

Theo countered with a shielding spell for both of us. He shook me. I felt the movement but I could not get my brain to catch up to the situation. Not until I saw Marcus wind up for another curse did my body start functioning again. I jumped from my chair, standing as close to the only safe person in this room.

I added another shield. The magic in my wand not failing me this time, it was strong and true. Flint magic against Flint magic would fair much better, with the same strengths and weaknesses in specialties.

Our parents yelled back and forth, trying to control their own anger. And then my brother on top of it all.

"Sit down!" Theo's father's voice balances on the line of boredom and anger. "All of you!"

Lexus took one glance up at Marcus to know she could not be a sitting duck in whatever he planned beyond this. "Marcus, don't."

"We protect our own." Marcus's eyes were red with fury.

"I will protect him," I swore.

He chuckled at that, "You're choosing him, the boy that just said he doesn't want to marry you, over your own blood."

That was exactly what he wanted. He was waiting for the fight. We were playing his game in making him the favorite child. Everything would be handed to him now that he defended my mother when I didn't. This also meant, if I didn't leave now, I might not be able to leave the manor without ministry input at the age of 18. Who knows if I'd starve to death by the time they get jurisdiction. I felt the chill of the house dungeons crawl up my spine as a warning.

With my attention turned to battle my brother, I didn't have the sense to keep an eye on my mother.

"Accio!"

My body lurched in her direction.

"No!" Theo lunged, clamping onto me and apparating out.

Between the summoning spell latched onto my insides and the dramatic, impulsive jump through space. My stomach created war with Christmas dinner. If it was anyone with less apparition talent, we would have been splinched.

Theo's hand lightly and tentatively rubbed my back as I coughed and fought to keep down my meal.

"What the hell, Theo? Was that really the best time for that?" I chastised between coughs.

"I didn't really know I was going to do it until I did it. I should have warned you." He shook his head.

"Yes, you should have!" I head my head instead of looking at him. My knees were scratched on the cobblestone where we landed but I didn't care. "Our parents are going to gut us."

Theo's face dropped, "I love her, Lex."

I stopped fighting. Forcing myself to take a deep breath. "Why couldn't you tell me before? I could have helped you with this. This affects the both of us, and if we want to end this, we have to do it together."

"I thought-"

I cut him off, "You could have talked to me. You're my best friend, I thought we trusted each other."

"I thought you would be mad." He sunk back on his heels, putting his hands in his pockets.

"I was! I was mad you lead me on. You made me seem like a fool. You should have been honest with me from the very beginning. I wanted to you trust me enough, instead, I had to figure it out myself."

"I- I- didn't mean to. I didn't think you would agree. And I didn't want to put you in this position with your mom. I hate her. I hate the way she treats you. I see it in your face. That little panic in her face when I said I wanted to end the engagement was the beginning of a long line of failures. Because as much as you're trying to protect me, I never thought of how much I needed to protect you." He admitted. He couldn't even look me in the eye when he spoke like this. It was too personal for him, it was just easier this way. "I know you're not ready yet, but when you are, when I have your permission, I'm giving that nasty woman every bit of hell she has deserved from the first time I found you locked in the dungeons."

I put his face in both my hands, making him look at me while I forced him back into reality. "We can't. They'll kill us. They are still my blood."

"I'll take your blood to Azkaban then." His features were determined. It worried me in ways that used to make me proud. "Blood doesn't excuse what they did to you. When Pansy and I found you I thought you were dead, Lexus!" His voice was broken, he held nothing back now. "You hadn't eaten in days and your hair was three shades darker with dirt. I can't live thinking that every time you go home I might never see you again. The world is changing, Lex. We can take them down. Lawfully. And then the Pureblood order with it. "

"Theo, whatever you are thinking of doing. I am begging you not to. This is a road that ends only one way." My voice was too stressed to stay strong. The black sheep of the Pureblood families are always the lost and forgotten. I wouldn't be able to lose him.

"I won't let the next generation go through what we did. My kids, your kids will not be raised in a world like that. Lex, I know your heart is not Black." His eyes wrote the promise. "When you realize it, we will go through this together. Just like everything else."

"We are going to take down the abusers, cheaters, and rapists that burned us."

That word hit my stomach in the shape of a bolder.

He sighed, "When you're ready, there's a file with your name on it locked in my safe. We'll go through it all. Together. Our families are darker than even we know."

I shook my head, over and over again. "No, we are not. Burn it. Throw it away. Never mention it again. What do you not understand what they will do to you."

He's going to get himself killed.

"Please think about it. We will explain everything to you on New Year's if you would like."

"We?"

He studied my face for a second, "Pansy and I."

I didn't know if I should feel betrayed or cared for or left behind. Every part of my life seemed lost.

"Where are you going to go?" Theo asked me, even if he had plans, he would abandon them to make sure I was somewhere safe.

She hadn't even thought about it. She hadn't thought about running either.

"My mom has never cooked a bad meal. And nothing makes her happier than a full dining room on Christmas."

A smile came to Lexus's face before she even registered it. "I'll stay at Hogwarts. What about you?"

"Susan wants me to meet her friends from back home." His smile tried to hide in the corner of his mouth.

I smiled, "Of course."

He rolled his eyes at me, knowing I was making fun of him for being such a love-struck fool. He pulled his wand back out, getting ready to apparate again. Before he did he looked back at me.

"It wasn't that I didn't want to marry you." He confirmed.

"But you don't love me. Not in the way you want to be loved." She admitted for the both of them.

"And not in the way you should be loved either." He came back, wrapping his arms around her. It was a hug they both needed. On the run from their parents and breaking a million rules. Even if they weren't connected by a promise to marry, Theo was still one of her best friends. Getting rid of an out-of-date marriage promise would not stop that.

"Merry Christmas Theo." She said with her head tucked into his shoulder.

"Merry Christmas, Lex."

--

Ah, I wonder where she's gonna go. Mmhmm.

B


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