Splintered ⋆
Pairing: Theo Nott X Fem! Character
Masterlist
𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 : Jules spent years hating Theodore Nott. He was cruel, arrogant, and always knew exactly how to get under her skin. But in fifth year, everything changes when the two agree to a fake dating arrangement to make certain people jealous. What starts as teasing and stolen glances slowly turns into late-night conversations, lingering touches, and feelings neither of them were supposed to catch. Theodore becomes Jules’ escape from the pressure, expectations, and loneliness that follow her everywhere. But some people are destined to destroy each other no matter how hard they try to hold on.
warnings/tags: 18+ content (read responsibly!) fake dating trope, enemies to lovers , swearing, emotional constipation, sexual tension/ suggestive banter + character "glowup".
word count: 3k
Trigger warnings will be placed before chapters when necessary.
Please read responsibly ♡
notes: Jules is so “you seem so sad for a girl in love” coded
Juliet woke with a groan, sunlight stabbing through the curtains and right into her eyes. Her head throbbed faintly, but it wasn't just from Firewhisky — it was that weight on her chest, the one that made everything feel heavier than it had any right to.
She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling, wishing she could just stay there forever. What the hell was I thinking? Pretend-flirting with Theo? Making a show for cedric? Honestly, even she could hear her own brain tutting at her.
It had seemed clever at the time. Distract herself. Make Cedric jealous. Feel a little bit of control over her own heartbreak. But now...
the memory of Theo's smirk, the teasing, that ridiculous line about the rules being "more for you than me" made her feel worse than ever. And the kiss — bloody hell, that kiss. She swallowed hard, wishing she could shove the memory somewhere deep and lock it away.
She groaned again, burying her face in the pillow. I've made a proper mess of it.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor — students heading down for breakfast, laughing and chattering. Juliet pressed her face harder into the pillow. She didn't want to see Cedric. She didn't want to see Theo. She didn't even want to get out of bed.
I shouldn't have agreed to any of this, she muttered. Merlin, I'm a idiot.
Eventually, with a long, shaky sigh, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Fingers twisting in the hem of her shirt, she ran a hand through her hair. Classes, breakfast, people staring... she'd have to face them all and pretend last night hadn't happened. Pretend she was fine.
She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to steady her breathing. Alright, Jules . You can do this. Just... survive breakfast.
Pale morning light filtered through the tall Slytherin windows. Her chest still felt tight. Last night kept replaying in her head: the music, the laughter, the clinking bottles... and Cedric with Cho. The image wouldn't leave her. Her stomach twisted.
And then Theo popped into her mind.
She'd left him at the party — right in the middle of their little game — and knowing him, he was probably annoyed somewhere, arms crossed, glaring at the ceiling like she'd personally ruined his night. Juliet groaned, burying her face in her hands again.
Bloody idiot, she muttered. I can't deal with him today. Or Cedric. Or... anything.
She thought back to the party — Theo's grin, his teasing, And she'd bolted, leaving him hanging. She wasn't even sure if Daphne had seen what they'd been doing.
Juliet was too busy trying to get Cedric to see she'd forgotten all about Daphne
Juliet tugged at her shirt, forcing herself to sit up straighter. She'd have to face him eventually. She drew a deep breath, trying to remind herself it was all pretend. It's just for show. Just a game.
A soft knock at the dorm door made her jump.
"Jules? You up?" Astortias voice was gentle, but sharp enough to make her sit up properly.
Juliet managed a weak smile. "Yeah... just getting ready."
Pansy stepped in, giving her a look that was equal parts sharp and concerned. "You look wrecked. Rough night, after you left then?"
"Something like that," Juliet admitted quietly, brushing hair from her face. "Just... didn't sleep properly."
Tori gave her a small, knowing look. "Don't let it eat at you. And... breakfast's soon. You'll have to see everyone... including him."
Juliet flinched at the mention of Cedric, but she nodded. "Yeah. I'll manage."
By the time she was dressed, hair tamed, and a careful mask of calm in place, she felt only slightly more ready to face the day. Still, her stomach churned at the thought of Cedric, and knowing Theo would be watching didn't help one bit.
she drew a shaky breath and muttered under her breath, "Alright, Jules. Just survive breakfast... and maybe later we can head off to Hogsmeade together get some fresh air." Her sister said
" that sounds lovely " Jules smiled feeling less tensed knowing she'd be able to have girl time with her favorite girls
With that, she slung her bag over her shoulder and headed for the common room, bracing herself for whatever chaos awaited
The Slytherin common room was quieter than usual for a morning, the low hum of early risers drifting from sofas . She could hear the clatter of cutlery from the Great Hall below, faint chatter. Her stomach twisted at the thought of facing Cedric, even if it was just a glance across the hall.
By the time she reached the Great Hall, the morning sunlight was streaming through the tall windows, and Cedric's familiar honey brown hair head was already among the students, laughing with Cho. Juliet's chest tightened painfully. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to walk past, keeping her gaze firmly on the floor.
No staring. Pretend it doesn't matter.
She slid into an empty spot at the Gryffindor table — the one that always felt safest next to her best friend Fred — and set her books, hoping her carefully maintained calm would hold under Cedric's eyes.
Juliet slid into the seat next to Fred, grateful for a familiar face. He gave her a small, understanding nod, as if to say I've got you. The Great Hall was buzzing with chatter and the clatter of cutlery, but all she could see — all she could feel — was Cedric and Cho across the room, wrapped up in their own world.
Fred nudged her lightly with his elbow. "You alright, Jules? You look like someone just told you Hogsmeade's closed for the year."
She forced a laugh, poking at her toast. "Something like that," she admitted quietly, not wanting to draw attention.
Fred reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze. "Jules... listen. You can't control who you like, and you can't control what Cedric does. Even if you're making a bloody fool of yourself, it's okay. That's why I'm here," he said, his voice gentle and reassuring.
Jules let out a small, tired laugh, her chest feeling just a little lighter. " love you, Freddie," she murmured, smiling at him.
He grinned, a flash of warmth in his eyes. "I know, you do idiot. And I love you too. Now, chin up, yeah? Breakfast's not going to eat itself, and neither is your pride."
Juliet rolled her eyes but felt a small, genuine smile tug at her lips. For a moment, the ache of last night — Theo, Cedric, the "plan" — all of it, seemed a little more manageable with Fred there.
Fred noticed the flicker of a smile and grinned. "There it is," he said softly. "Knew I could get one out of you." Juliet laughed under her breath, shaking her head. Maybe things were still a mess — but at least she wasn't facing it alone.
Juliet's laughter lingered as the rest of their friends slid into place around the table — Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, all halfway through their usual morning chatter. The familiar noise, the easy rhythm of their voices, was grounding in a way she hadn't realized she needed.
Ron was already reaching for his third helping of bacon, Harry was pretending not to notice, and Hermione was rattling off reminders about homework due dates. For a little while, Juliet could almost forget everything — Cedric, the party, the kiss. Almost.
Ginny snorted. "Rough night?"
Juliet sighed, rubbing her temple. "Something like that."
Fred leaned back in his seat, mock-serious. "more like Firewhisky, bad ideas, and even worse blokes."
Juliet threw him a look. "You're not as funny as you think, Freddie."
Hermione shut her planner with a firm snap. "As much as I'd love to hear about everyone's poor life choices, we've got Transfiguration in ten minutes, and McGonagall's not feeling merciful this week."
"Brilliant," Juliet muttered, pushing her plate away.
Fred chuckled, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Come on, Jules. You can spiral on the way there."
She rolled her eyes but stood up. For a fleeting moment, surrounded by friends and normalcy, she almost felt like herself again — the version of Juliet who wasn't tangled up in heartbreak or games.
Then a familiar voice cut through the chatter behind her.
"Morning, Greengrass," Theo drawled, his tone smooth and lazy. "Sleep well after last night's performance?"
Juliet froze mid-step, her pulse stuttering.
Fred turned his head, frowning slightly. "Performance?"
Theo's smirk deepened, all feigned innocence. "You know, the party. Dancing, drinking, pretending to have fun — she put on quite the show."
Juliet forced a thin smile, trying to sound unbothered. "You're hilarious, Nott. Truly."
"Just saying," he replied with a shrug, eyes glinting. "You have a flair for dramatics."
Fred narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly not catching the subtext but still reading her discomfort. "Alright, that's enough early-morning entertainment," he said, stepping in just enough to draw Juliet toward the door. "Come on, Jules. You’re gonna be late."
She didn't look back as they walked away, but she could feel Theo's gaze on her the whole way out of the hall — sharp, knowing, a silent reminder of the deal between them.
Fred said something about McGonagall and detentions, but it barely registered. Her chest was tight again, the weight pressing harder than before.
So much for surviving breakfast.
*
The corridors outside Transfiguration were crowded with students spilling out of classrooms, the air thick with chatter and the scrape of shoes against stone. Juliet kept her head down as she shoved her books into her bag, already moving toward the door before McGonagall had fully dismissed them.
She just needed air.
“Greengrass.”
Theo’s voice slid through the noise behind her.
Juliet closed her eyes briefly before turning. “What now, Nott?”
Theo leaned lazily against the stone archway outside the classroom, tie loosened slightly, dark hair messier than usual. Like he hadn’t bothered fixing it after the party. His expression was amused, but there was something sharper underneath it today.
“You disappeared last night,” he said. “Bit rude, honestly. One minute you’re dragging me around like your own personal distraction, next minute you’ve vanished.”
Juliet tightened her grip on her bag strap. “I didn’t realize I owed you a goodbye.”
Theo pushed off the wall and stepped closer. “Didn’t realize you were the type to run away.”
“I wasn’t running away.”
“I thought we were past the lying to each other stage, love.”
His voice stayed smooth, teasing. Juliet looked away.
Students brushed past them in the corridor, laughing loudly as they headed toward the staircases, but the noise felt distant now, muffled beneath the pounding in her chest.
Theo studied her face for a moment, his smirk fading slightly.
“You look exhausted,” he said quietly.
“Thanks.”
“I mean it.” His eyes narrowed faintly. “You looked miserable all breakfast too.”
Juliet let out a sharp breath. “Can we not do this right now?”
“Do what?”
“This.” She gestured between them helplessly. “The teasing. The comments. The pretending like any of this is funny.”
Theo tilted his head slightly. “Funny? Greengrass, you looked ready to cry every time Diggory touched Cho.”
The words hit like a slap.
Juliet’s jaw tightened instantly.
“Shut up.”
Theo’s expression flickered — not smug now, just observant. “So I was right.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“No?” he asked softly. “Because from where I was standing, you spent half the night staring at him.”
Juliet felt humiliation crawl hot beneath her skin.
“Why do you even care?” she snapped. “The whole thing was your idea anyway.”
Theo gave a quiet laugh, though it lacked its usual bite. “Correction — I actually couldn’t care less. You just made a fool out of me last night.”
“Oh, please.”
“You got what you wanted, I’ll give you that. You made Diggory jealous.”
Juliet’s chest tightened painfully.
“You think this is fun for me?” she said suddenly, voice cracking despite her efforts to stop it. “Watching him with her all the time? Pretending it doesn’t bother me? Merlin, Theo, I already know I’m making a complete idiot of myself.”
The words rushed out before she could stop them.
Silence settled between them.
For the first time since she’d met him, Theo Nott looked completely caught off guard.
Juliet looked away quickly, blinking hard. “Forget it.”
But Theo stepped closer before she could move.
“Greengrass…”
The teasing tone was gone.
Her breath caught slightly.
He was close enough now that she could smell smoke and mint lingering on his robes, close enough that if she looked up properly she’d meet those sharp dark eyes she usually avoided for too long.
“You don’t look stupid,” he said quietly.
Juliet swallowed hard. “Feels like I do.”
Theo stared at her for another second, something unreadable flickering across his face. Then, without thinking, he reached up and adjusted the collar of her robe where it’d folded awkwardly beneath her hair.
The gesture was small.
Careful.
Far too gentle for Theo Nott.
Juliet froze.
And that was exactly the moment another voice drifted down the corridor.
“Cedric, wait—”
Juliet’s stomach dropped.
Cedric appeared at the end of the hall beside Cho, mid-conversation, but the second his eyes landed on them, he stopped walking.
Specifically, he stopped at the sight of Theo standing far too close to Juliet.
At the sight of Theo’s hand still resting lightly against her collar.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Cho glanced between them curiously.
Juliet’s pulse hammered violently against her ribs.
Cedric’s expression stayed composed, but something in his face shifted — subtle enough most people would’ve missed it. His eyes lingered on Theo’s hand for half a second too long before flicking back to Juliet.
Theo noticed.
Juliet could tell immediately by the way his posture changed ever so slightly beside her.
A quiet sort of tension settled into him.
Then, slowly, Theo lowered his hand from her collar, though he didn’t step away.
Instead, his mouth curved into the faintest smirk.
“You missed a button,” he said smoothly, eyes never leaving Cedric.
Juliet nearly forgot how to breathe.
Cedric looked at her for another lingering second before forcing out a small nod. “Greengrass.”
“Nott.”
Theo inclined his head lazily.
Cho smiled politely, entirely unaware of the strange tension thickening the corridor. “See you in Charms?”
Juliet opened her mouth, but Theo answered first.
“She’ll be there.”
Cedric’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
Then he finally looked away, continuing down the corridor with Cho beside him.
Juliet watched him leave, her chest aching all over again.
Beside her, Theo exhaled quietly.
Then, after a beat, he muttered, “You’re exhausting when you’re miserable, you know that?”
Juliet let out a startled laugh despite herself.
Theo glanced down at her, something unreadable softening briefly in his expression before the usual smirk returned.
“There. That’s better.”
And somehow, that unsettled her even more.
