She turned to look at her frowning boyfriend and gave him a look to match his. 

“Theo,” she had whined. 

“You’ve already drank enough, if you drink something else, you’ll get sick.” He had sat up to whisper in her ear and there was a piece of her deep down that knew he was right. She was currently happy and drunk and she had drunk that last drink quite fast. Another would probably move her to the next level of drunk that she did not want nor need for a casual get together with friends. 

“I might have one a bit later, Draco, thank you.” Theo slouched back down, happy with the compromise. 

“Merlin, Nott,” Draco scoffed, “you keep her on a tight leash.”

Theo suddenly wasn’t slouching anymore nor was she sitting on his lap. 

“You were happy and drunk, another drink only would have made you feel worse.” 

She took a deep breath and bit her tongue as they came to a red light. It casted a shadow on Theo’s face as he turned to look at her. He kept one hand on the steering wheel but brought the other to give the flesh of the thigh closest to him a squeeze. He left it there as she sighed. 

“I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just saying you’re controlling.” 

His gaze wasn’t harsh, but it still let her know that he wasn’t happy with her response. 

She did her best to change her face in a way that would please the boy who had a small tick in his jaw. She widened her eyes and wet her lips, sinking into her seat slightly and glancing at the large hand still sprawled over the top of her thigh. 

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it.”

That made his gaze soften. 

It was true. 

She had been in the same house as Theo for seven years when she first started dating him and had been in the same circle for the same time. 

She had seen him yell at first years to get out of their spot, she had seen him lead all of their group projects and she had seen him get angry with new people on the Quidditch team because they couldn’t understand his new formation. 

But she had only really realised this in their sixth year during the Sytherin’s annual end of year celebration. There was a bottle of firewhiskey and a deck of cards that Theo was currently dealing. 

She had known amost since their first day that Theodore Nott was attractive, but it wasn’t until a couple of months ago that she had decided that she was going to do something about it. And doing her best to make sure she was in his line of site at all times, she had somehow ended up next to him in the circle, trying to keep up with the rules he was currently explaining to her. 

“-and if you don’t, you drink. Does that make sense?” She was nodding even though she was still caught up on the first rule he had started with. 

He had finished dealing and was looking down at her in a way that told her he knew she was lying. 

She didn’t mind. 

Nor did she mind when he said, “how about I help you for the first round?” 

And she wasn’t surprised either when it was her second turn and she had been staring at her cards for less than thirty seconds before he grabbed them out of her hands and said, “here, let me have a look.” 

It reminded her of how he’d grab the parchment out of anyone’s hands whenever he didn’t trust them to write in enough detail for their group tasks. 

“Play this one,” he had said, already throwing down her card before he handed her deal back to her. 

She didn’t really mind this. She still chose to date him halfway through their last year and it wasn’t until the next year’s celebration that she came to the realisation that she even kinda liked it. 

She was sitting in his lap and he had a cigarette in his mouth. He tried to blow it away from her but sometimes it would waft back and she would try to stop her nose from scrunching up. Their relationship was still too new for that. 

She blamed the red plastic cup in her hand for the reason she asked, “Can I have a go?”

Theodore had been laughing at something Blaise said, but in the second he had turned down to look at her, Blaise had turned to Pansy and she took his opportunity to nod at the cigarette in the hand that wasn’t gripping her waist. 

The chucke lines on his pretty face smoothed out and he let his hand drop as he immediately said, “No.” 

She pouted at him. 

“Why not?” She was giggling and she wasn’t entirely sure why, it did nothing to change the harsh angles of his jawline nor the serious look she was now on the receiving end of. 

“They’re not good for you.” 

“You do it.” 

“That’s different.” 

She giggled again, giving him a faux confused look at his contradiction. 

“Please,” she whined. She really had no desire to smoke said cigarette, she just wanted to see where this would go. 

“No,” he said, “end of discussion.” 

There was a fluttering in her tummy and Theodore wasn’t entirely sure what it meant, but he didn’t miss the way her body gave a slight twitch at his words. 

And in his defence, after seeing that boy with a cigarette in his hand almost everyday for the last couple of years, she could count the times she had seen smoke blow from his pretty mouth on one hand since that incident even if his clothes stil smet like smoke. 

But it wasn’t until that night that they had spoken about it. And it was hard to tell whether that small confession in Theo’s car had changed the amount of control he usually used over her. 

As shown by the events that had led up to that conversation, Theo had always kept her on a tight leash at parties. 

“I just care about you, s’all,” he’d shrug when she gave him a pout everytime he cut off her drinking. 

“Come straight back though,” he’d instruct when she’d get up from her designated seat (his lap) and go with Pansy to the bathroom. 

“Stay where I can see you,” he’d whisper when she went to go join Pansy on the dance floor. 

And he was even worse when he wasn’t at said party. 

It had been three years since they started dating, over a year since the conversation in his car and a few of her friends from her work had convinced her to join them in testing the new club that had opened in Diagon Alley. 

When she came out in a tight back dress that rested just below the flesh of her bum, she didn’t even react when she saw the muscle jump in her boyfriends jaw. He had come over to hers to annoy her while she was getting ready. 

“I’m not annoying,” he had scowled when she said this to him. 

He was driving her in and he only came early so he could make sure he knew exactly what the night would entail. 

“You don’t like it?” He was sitting on her bed and she made her way over to him, nudging his knees with her own so she could stand in between his legs. His hands rested happily on her hips, rubbing the fabric of her dress he wished wasn’t covering her pretty skin. 

When she let out a playful giggle he tore his hands away, only to bring them back to make a loud slapping noise as he brought them down on the flesh of her bum. She squealed as he continued to give it a tight squeeze making her body draw closer to his. 

“You know I love this dress,” he whispered over her small gigges, “and I don’t care when I’m there, people know not to mess with me.” She wanted to roll her eyes at his corny words, but refrained knowing she was already pushing his buttons by wanting to wear this dress. “But I won’t be there tonight, baby.”

His voice was soft and she was letting herself melt into his touch. His hands were now rubbing the fabric covering the flesh he had tortured and she was feeling content. 

Which was why she was sure she had gotten whiplash when he said, “So go change.” 

He was using the same tone he had used when he told her that he wasn’t going to let her smoke. She could almost hear him say, ‘end of discussion.’

She turned her head to look at him, her mouth slightly agape in shock at the change in her boyfriend but he kept his gaze firm and she was quite dumbfounded at what had just happened so she kissed the top of his head and moved herself out of his embrace to go change. 

She hadn’t thought too much about what she was wearing. She had only been out without Theo a handful of times and she had never had to worry about what she wore, only ever choosing what she felt best in at that moment in time. 

She came out in another black dress, but this time it was longer. 

“How’s this?” She had asked when she came out to show Theo again. 

“Better.” He stood up this time to walk over to her. 

When he was standing in front of her he placed the palm of his hands under her jaw, his thumbs resting on her cheeks. His palms were soft and warm and she let her head sink into his touch. 

“If anyone bothers you, you know I’ll be there straight away.”

“I know,” she said, going on her tippy toes to place a gentle kiss on his lips. And she was truly grateful for that. 

In the car, Theo continued. 

“Message me as soon you’re ready, I’ll be there straight away. Cover your drink. If you feel even sightly off, just let me know. Trust your intuition. If you go anywhere else, let me know as well. And if anyone-”

“Gives me trouble I’ll let you know.” They were parked outside the club, but the car was still on. Theo turned his head to raise a questioning eyebrow at her. 

“Don’t be a brat.” 

“I’m sorry,” she sighed, “I know you’re just looking out for me, I promise I’ll keep you updated the whole night.” 

“Good girl,” he mumbled as she leaned over to kiss him. 

“I love you.” 

“I love you pretty girl, have fun.” And what that, she slammed the door. 

He watched her walk over to her friends and then began his drive back home. 

The whole drive home his mind was full of worry for the pretty girl he had just left barely seconds ago. 

What if something happened to her? Whenever he was there he made sure she could let her guard down and of course, he trusted her and knew she was more than capable, but he couldn’t help himself. 

When he got home he sent her a message. 

‘home x’ 

‘did you get in okay?’

He stared down at the two bubbles that had come from his phone. He tried to get his mind off it. 

He got out a book, but all he was doing was looking at words, he wasn’t comprehending anything. 

Five minutes had passed. 

‘my love’

‘please answer’

He tried to make himself a snack. But he found he wasn’t actuay hungry.

Ten minutes. 

This wasn’t good enough. She needed to answer him. Did she not know that he was going crazy wondering about all the horrible things that could have happened to her?

He pulled out his phone and rang her number. 

She didn’t answer. 

He was seconds away from going there himself. He knew it was crazy, but there was a part of him that wanted to go in with her. Sit at a tabel by himself so she could have her fun and he could still keep an eye on her. But even he thought that might be going to far. Except now he knew that that was what he should have done all along. 

He was twirling his keys in his hand, seconds away from going there himself when her pretty picture filled up his screen. 

“Theo?”His heart started beating again when he heard her voice.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, we were just on the dancefloor. I’m sorry.” And he could just imagine the sheepish look that was overtaking her pretty face. 

“It’s okay my love, please just keep your phone on you, yeah?” 

“Ok Theo,” she said, “I will, I promise. I love you.” 

“I love you my girl.” 

He waited until she hung up the phone and put his keys back down. 

Now that he knew she was okay, he feared he may have been a bit dramatic. But he coudn’t help it. 

He was sure that it had come from his father. His father who was quick to temper and was aways the leader in his group of friends. It wasn’t a trait he was proud of, but the pretty girl he called his girlfriend claimed not to mind and he had to trust her on that. 

It was later that night that the discussion had been brought up once more since that night in his car after Draco’s party. 

Theo had picked her up and she was tipsy in his bathroom taking her makeup off with the makeup wipes he had bought for her after a night out when she didn’t have anything to take her make up off and had whined the whole night. 

“Be quiet, I’lll buy you some tomorrow.” He had grumbled when they were in bed and all he wanted to do was sleep after hearing her moan and groan for the last forty-five minutes. 

“My friends thought it was weird when you rang me.” He wasn’t sure she really knew what she was saying, but her words still made him sit up in his bed where he was waiting for her to join. 

“What do you mean?” Her eyes were closed as she stumbled back into the bathroom to put the wipes away. Theo had already dressed her in her pyjamas and he watched her stumble back to the bed to join him. 

As she pulled the blanket up she giggled out, “They think it’s controlling.” 

“What did you say?” He asked, turning to his side and putting his weight on his elbow so he was looking down at the pretty girl with her head on the pillow. 

“I said,” her eyes were closed and she finally opened them to meet his, “you have no idea.” 

Theo frowned and before he could move to turn the other way, her hand shot up and grabbed his jaw.