By The Shore at Midnight

Midnight meant nothing to Theo anymore. The few hours his brain let him sleep, if at all, resided very far away in the early hours of the morning when his body finally gave in to the utter exhaustion. His brain never got exhausted. When he wasn't feeling sorry for himself, he was feeling guilty. Sometimes he was lost in the reliving of the worst days of his life - committing murder over and over and over again in the hospital halls; standing in cramped office with Mali and other faces, yelling at her and then being dragged away from her - over and over and over again.

He thought about Mali a lot. She'd been his one thing, his little light in all this darkness, and not only had she been taken away from him - he felt like he'd snuffed it out. Now there was something to feel sorry for himself for. Mali was going through the exact same thing as him now, and he'd made her feel like it was all her fault. He said that to her; nearly right after he told her he loved her. You didn't do that to people you loved. He was a liar, a coward who couldn't take any blame for himself. Luna and everyone else, they were all right.

Theo no longer felt the flames of anger or defensiveness; not for any longer than a couple of seconds before they were blown out. He was too tired. Let them be right. He was a terrible person - just start at what he did to Mali and go backward from there, you'll see. Theo was in the midst of such a roundabout when he heard a loud knock on the door. Bloody reporters - didn't they know what time it was? When Theo was home alone, he had started to just ignore these visitors. Eventually they went away. His family was home now, though, sleeping - he could hear their faint snores down the hall. It was a bit late for shows of taking responsibility and facing consequences and all that, but the very, very least Theo could do was protect their sleep from the visitors he was bringing to the house. He pulled himself out of bed and went to the door.

The woman there hadn't visited his home before like so many of the other repeat offenders, but she was recognizable. Bright, bubblegum pink hair usually was. He was pretty sure he recalled seeing that head bobbing around the Ministry the day he went to confess his crimes. So, she was an Auror; Theo would have felt his blood freeze in his veins, if it weren't for the massive confusion surrounding the way the woman introduced herself shortly thereafter. Nymphadora Lupin. People called her Tonks. Sure, she was an Auror; but she was also Mister Lupin's wife. She beamed up at Theo, holding her hand out to him.

Theo lifted his hand, but it went to scratch nervously at the stubble on his face. What the...what the fuck? Was she trying to get him to leave? Did he really have to explain the concept of house arrest to an Auror? Tonks stared at him and Theo stared at Tonks for some moments before the woman just reached into the doorway and grabbed his arm, promising they were going somewhere fun. Theo had no chance at all to resist. No wand, and he couldn't exactly punch an Auror in the face. He had just enough time to grab a man's jacket (turned out to be Jon's, but it would fit) from the rack by the door before the pink-haired woman was tugging him outside and Disapparating the both of them.

The pair reappeared a short time later very far away from the Ashland home. They were on a beach, the wind whipping around them, the air positively salty. Theo had to admit it felt bloody spectacular, best feeling he'd had in weeks. Tonks still had a hold of his arm, and was tugging him along the sand. Theo went willingly, the unfamiliar feeling of a smile stretching unused muscles on his face. He had absolutely no idea what was going on, this could be the drop off point for Azkaban Island for all he knew, but Tonks' good mood was contagious and Theo was in no position to complain about being in such a lovely place after being stuck in his house for so long. Tonks didn't seem like she was about to throw him in prison, either. Surely such an occasion would be a bit more somber? The pink-haired woman was shouting down the beach now, laughing, and two other figures loomed out of the darkness. Tonks hurried her steps and pulled Theo along behind her, stumbling through the sand. He concentrated on not falling on his face while she completed the trajectory toward their apparent targets.

Someone shouted his name above the wind, and that prompted Theo to look up. In the thin light of the moon, he could see their faces now. Mister Lupin...and Mali. "What? For real?" His words stumbled as much as his feet. He was talking to Tonks but his eyes were stuck on the dark-haired witch hurrying toward him now, afraid the wind would whip her away at any moment and reveal this all to be a dream.

If it was a dream, it was a very solid one. Theo and Mali collided in a tangle of arms, very solid and very real, wrapped around one another. Theo immediately felt a warmth that had been lacking flood his system. Mali was talking, apologizing, but Theo was overwhelmed with how delightfully good she felt in his arms - solid, real, and warm. He near lifted her clear off her feet with how tightly he hugged her. When he was done trying to pull her as close as possible to him, his hands wandered to her face. He tilted her head to look at him, and Theo kissed her - too long to really be appropriate with two other people standing right there, but he'd been thinking about that for weeks. That said more than his words ever could, but he gave it a shot anyway, if a bit breathless after. "I didn't mean any of it. I love you so much." He barely heard the happy noises around them, eyes only for Mali, happy as hell to be in her presence. What else mattered?

The past didn't matter, the murders didn't matter, and the pair watching them didn't matter. All that mattered in the moment that their lips met was the fact that they were together now. No amount of past transgressions or prying eyes could ruin it. Theo's kiss added splashes of color and vibrancy back to what had become a dull grey existence. Mali smiled into the kiss but it regretfully broke and there was space between them again. Not a lot of space, mind you but even a millimeter felt vast after their weeks without so much as an owl. It was over, at least for now because the man was standing there, living and breathing, in front of her.

The word 'Love' sounded beautiful rolling off of his tongue. He was really here. Mali couldn't stop touching him, just to be sure. She took his face in her own hands, reveling in the feeling of his rough stubble under her palm. Fingers grazed over his cheek, combed through his hair. A clearing of a throat behind her snapped her out of her lovesick focus. Mali turned her head to listen to Mister Lupin, arms slipping around Theo's waist and heart plummeting, did they only get that brief moment? She was very grateful for anytime at all but.. No, he was thanking her. When had their relationship changed in a strange way, motivated by soul and life saving. Mali's eyes trailed down to the man's stomach, frowning at what she knew had to be nasty scars. It was hell working without a wand but working with someone else's wasn't much better. The magic was sloppy, not even dittany could help the mess she called healing.

The (former?) Healer nearly interrupted him to ask him if he was healing alright but she bit back the question. A couple hours. It felt like more than they deserved but she'd gladly take a few hours with Theo before they were back to being isolated from each other. She waved at the woman with the pink hair. So this was the Auror wife he spoke about the first time he was her patient. Mali liked the woman instantly, she seemed fun and bubbly and just like someone you wanted to get to know. "Thank you. So much, thank you!" Words she wasn't so good with at the moment, later she would be able to express her gratitude a little more eloquently. The couple (They were cute and reminded her a little of Theo and herself) retreated down the sand and Theo recaptured her full attention.

"I--Wow!" Where did one begin when you hadn't seen someone so integral and important in weeks? "I really like Mister Lupin. I think we'd be friends if things were different." Or were they friends now? It certainly was starting to feel that way. They saw each other often enough and Mister Lupin was doing something incredibly kind for her. "They're risking a lot for us." An Auror and a Professor. Their lives would be ruined if they were caught. All four of their lives would be, any hope of convincing the general 'them' of their innocence would be gone if they were caught out of bounds. Enough about that, though, that would only lead to guilt at what their actions were putting others through. Mali smiled up at Theo, running her fingers over the stubble on his chin, trailing down his neck and to his chest to find his heart beat. Real. So, so real. The thump over his heart under her palm cemented it, this wasn't some vivid dream. "I've missed you so much."

They could stand there for the full few hours but Mali decided they should sit. She pulled him down in the sand with her, settling next to him with her legs folded. "Tell me everything. How have you been? Don't leave a single thing out." Before he could answer, Mali tilted her head up towards the sky. "It's a beautiful night. You can hardly see the stars in London." London was a bright and busy city, even in the middle of the night. It reminded her of one of her fondest memories, of them together in Meg's garden, Mali coaxing Theo to stay home and safe with her rather than going charging into a werewolf attack. She found his hand and laced her fingers through his. Mali would have to let go eventually, and it would come to soon but for now Theo was there. She had him, and she could pretend that she would never have to let him go.

A grin felt foreign on her face now, it had been so long since she'd had a reason to do it. Weeks, in fact. But with Theo's fingers playing through her hair while she was trying to listen to Mister Lupin brought the biggest one yet. It was innocent and sweet, pure love and nothing else. It was distracting, true, but Mali managed to catch most of what Mister Lupin was saying as she reached up to guide his hand away while fixing Theo with her best attempt at a reproachful look. It was promptly ruined by a smile creeping back in, she couldn't help it. Mali felt like she was falling in love all over again, every little thing she missed about Theo was emphasized during their reunion. Gods, he was really here! Right here, playing with her hair and being adorable and wonderfully distracting. It didn't matter how many times she touched or felt him, heard his voice it was hard to believe.

Simple little words like 'I know' were nearly as sweet to hear as 'I love you' simply because it had been weeks since she was able to hear a single word from him. They could talk all night about nonsense or the weather and it would still be one of the best nights of her life. The words themselves weren't important, the company was. Theo was certainly her favorite company, no contest. "He really is." Mali agreed, nodding. "His wife seems nice, too." Mali was glad for that, good people needed nice people in their life. Mister Lupin certainly deserved all the nice people after what he'd given them. Mali had Theo, if only for a few hours. She could never repay Mister Lupin for that. All the talk about being together and missing things, Mali's hand left Theo's chest in favor of his face again. Fingertips grazed over his cheek, thumb brushing lightly over his lips and then his stubbled chin. She wanted to remember every inch of Theo's face, commit all it's lines to memory so she could remember it vividly when she missed him again. "Me too. I've written you a letter almost every day. Maybe you can read them when everything's done." There were some wordy declarations of love, heartfelt apologies and silly letters about nothing in particular. "It can't go on much longer, can it?" How long were they allowed to keep them confined without any sort of trial or finishing their investigation? It was maddening, that they couldn't really do anything to hurry it along. Sit and wait, let the aurors have their investigation. She was sure they were doing everything as quickly as they could, the wait was just agonizing. "We'll be cleared and then everything can go back. I'm sure of it." It was hard to be anything but hopeful in such a beautiful place with such a beautiful person.

Sitting in the sand with Theo was nearly as magnificent as sitting in Meg's garden with him. Mali leaned into Theo when he put his arm around her, telling him "Just a bit." Her fingers disentangled from Theo's so she could reach an arm around his waist, hand resting on his hip. He wasn't much protection from the cold sea breeze, truth be told, but he gave her a pleasant feeling in her chest that warmed her up from the inside out. Mali tilted her head as he kissed her, enjoying the sensation his lips left behind on her cheek. "I think the stars would be beautiful anywhere, as long as I'm looking at them with you." He made everything seem just a little brighter, stars included.

The conversation couldn't stay light and sweet forever. Theo led them into the awkwardness, trailing off like he was searching for the right word before settling on 'okay'. None of this was okay, it might feel like it now because they were together but it wouldn't last. "Mostly." she nodded before her head found his shoulder. If nights like this awaited them after everything was over, she could get through it. "I feel really guilty and people get awfully brave behind a quill."

Mali would've played the part of respectful listener well, she owed Mister Lupin and his wife her attention, but the wink did her in. It broke her resolve and she cracked a grin, biting on her lower lip to suppress a laugh. Theo quickly chased away thoughts of botched healing and nasty scars. There were no scars on his handsome face, and that's all Mali had eyes for, especially when their chaperones wandered down the shore to give them some space. Mali was glad for that, it would've been awkward for them to stand there and gawk at them. No amount of chewing on her lower lip would bite back the laugh when Theo mused over hair colors while coiling up some of hers around his finger. "Mm.. Dunno." she said lightly, taking a few loose strands to examine. "Maybe acid green, you know, to match my healer robes." Oh, that was a terrible path for her to wander down. Mali's face fell a split second after she mentioned healing and there was a sharp pain in her chest. Healing. She missed it desperately and was uncertain if she was going to be able to go back.

They didn't have enough time for her to fall apart, and the scruff of Theo's chin under her fingers brought her back to now, not the future. The thought was shoo'd from her mind and her smile was back almost as instantly as it disappeared. The pain in her chest melted away with the rest of her when Theo kissed her fingers, her heart thrilling. "They're not much. Just silly little rambles really." But she looked forward to giving them to him all the same. "Not talking to you is really hard." Harder than deciding to help him back at St. Mungo's. "Especially because I didn't know if you were really still mad at me." Their rough departure was bound to come up sooner or later and the words caught in her throat like a hard lump. The feeling of Theo under her fingers made it easier to feel hopeful, especially when he played along. She wasn't sure if she believed that he really believed it but she appreciated the effort. The edges of her smile strained a little and she nodded. "Yeah, maybe it is. They haven't found what they're looking for to damn us to Azkaban. It's encouraging, at least. It's just really, really hard. I miss you, and I'll miss you again when we have to leave. It's not fair." The emotions that were brought up began to threaten to break her composure, voice cracking but she managed to keep it together. Mali had cried enough in the past few weeks to last a lifetime and didn't want to take up precious time with tears now. Besides, anything was possible with Theo, right? Including getting through being away from him.

And Theo was so incredibly sweet, offering his jacket. "Maybe later." she said, snuggling in closer. "You're keeping me warm enough for now." Theo thought that she was cheesy and that made her grin grow and she could feel it in her cheeks. "I learned my cheesiness from the best. That's you, if you were wondering." He stole another kiss from her cheek, using that beautiful word again. Enough teasing, Mali caught his chin to turn his head, kissing him full on the lips. It was magic. Better than all the charms and potions in the world. "I love that." They couldn't kiss for a 'couple of hours' although Mali wouldn't mind trying, but there were things she had to know so she could stop worrying about Theo later. How Theo was coping, how Theo's family was coping. Her dads didn't quite understand when she explained it, but they tried to be supportive. Mali knew almost nothing of Meg or Theo's brother. And if people were saying vile things to her when she didn't even actually hurt someone... what could they be saying to Theo?

His comment about people being brave to his face hurt her heart, poor little thing that it was. She frowned, fingers tracing little circles against his side. "I'm sorry." They could both be sorry for each other, it was terrible. "S'not fair." She was back to fairness, it was hard not to be. Hufflepuff were just, giving her a strong sense of what was fair and what was not. The question of reporters made her insides squirm uncomfortably. Mali didn't want to burden Theo with worry about her own dealings with reporters and lying wasn't so hard anymore.. "A few. It's not too bad. Has someone else been mean to you besides Meg? Does she believe you?"