Isla stood numb in the middle of the room. Her skin was still warm from where Draco had held her. So warm. It was burning, stinging. The print of his palms yet flushed with emotion, even if he'd walked out minutes ago.

She was breaking again.

He made her break and crash and fall to the indefinite ground of not knowing what to do, what to think — even where to go.

So she stood there, still and hushed. Tears rolled down her cheeks as Theodore walked in, and marched up to her, taking her jaws in his palms and angling her face up to meet his. Her eyes leveled his. His heart ached because of it. Oh, how it hurt seeing her like this.

''Love...'' He whispered, his thumbs brushed over the sorrowful pearls that streamed, ''I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.''

Her lips parted, wishing to say something. She wanted to yell and scream at him for letting Draco in there, for saying that she was safe when she truly wasn't, but she quieted down just as fast. He loved his best friend. Theo wanted what was best for them both. She couldn't argue that. She didn't want to.

Isla loved that about him. She adored that he still, after everything, cared so much for Draco. That no matter what happened, no matter how much his best friend managed to hurt people, he was still there, looking after him.

She crashed against him. Her nose was buried in his chest as his arms wrapped around her, placing his head on top of hers. Isla cried again. She cried and cried. Not truly sure why she was crying now, but she was.

Her fingers tensed around that key in her hands, the key Draco had left her with. The key to a place he promised would be theirs, no matter how things turned out — she could always go to that house, and he'd be there.

''I think I know what you need.'' Theodore held his tone low, nodding against her. He just needed to take her away. He couldn't have her there anymore, not when she was hurting as much as she was. ''Let me take you somewhere.''

Isla didn't care where he wished to take her, only that he didn't leave her. She couldn't bear to be left behind anymore. She could stand the thought of anyone walking out on her ever again. She would go anywhere with him, for him.

Leading her across the upper floor and down the stairs, he halted at the sight of his mother.

''Theodore, where are you going?'' Placing her hands on her hips, she scowled at the two, ''No. Theodore, you can't leave again. You've been home for no more than a few days.''

He tucked Isla closer against him, holding her so steady, ''I don't care.'' He said, his tone done. He was clear about this. He didn't mind himself at this time, just her.  ''I don't care, mother. I'll be back this weekend like promised.''

''But you can stay here, both of you—'' She looked after them as he led Isla towards the front door. His arms strong across her body, his steps sure unhesitant, ''Theodore—''

''I'll be back this weekend, mother.'' He wrapped his hand around the handle before he ripped the door open, both of their wands in his hand, ''End of discussion.''

Mrs. Nott didn't dare to speak more. She knew how much that crying girl meant to her son. He'd told her all about Isla and how he adored being with her. If Theodore felt like he needed to leave, it would probably be for the best.

''Be careful at least,'' She faked a smile, nodding towards them, ''Wherever you're taking her, both of you, please be careful.''

_____

Theodore took her to an old family house of theirs, located far out in the countryside. He loved being there as a child himself when the world turned a bit too overwhelming. His mother let him stay there with Draco during the summers, playing and forgetting the real world.

Now he was the one taking her there, giving her the mercy of some peace and quiet, away from everyone and everything.

The two stayed there for days. The whole week that passed, they stayed there. Never did he leave her side, not even when she showered. She didn't want him to. She asked him to join her, and he did.

He slept on top of her, like always. His head on her chest and his arms folded around her, burying his head in the safety she brought. She liked that. Isla wanted him to sleep close to her. It made her feel so needed, so wished and craved for. She couldn't sleep if his body didn't weigh hers down.

It got her thinking. Every night as she combed her fingers through his locks, his warm limbs over hers, she thought.

Isla thought about how she and Draco used to sleep. She always slept on top of him, her whole body almost, and if she didn't — Malfoy would sleep with his chest pressed to her back. Holding her close and safe. He'd hide his face in her hair and breathe her in. She liked that too.

Theodore took good care of her, he cooked for her, he walked around the opens fields until his feet were sore because she wanted to, he even went out for a late-night swim in the icing cold river that ran by that little house, all because she asked him to.

He kissed her shoulders in the shower, kissed her knuckles as they laid on the couch at night, he held her when they slept, he smiled and laughed when she did. He was so gentle when she wanted him inside her. He was so respectful when he towered her in the sheets, pushing into her and taking all her pain away. He swallowed every moan she gave. He was soft the moments afterward. He cried when she did. He cried when she didn't. He cried when she didn't know.

She cried too, a lot, out of nowhere, and he made sure to be close when she did.

They needed this.

Isla and Theodore both needed these days to gather themselves, to be them. They didn't have that as much as they used to anymore.

He always had to go home. She was left behind. She made him promise not to go home without her anymore. He said he wouldn't. He'd take her with him if she wanted him to.

It did them good. It made them see, feel, be more clearer about everything, but even the good needs to come to an end, and after skipping a week of school — it was time for them to go back.

''Hi, you.'' Theodore slipped down onto the step of the stairs behind her, looking down at her as she was sitting outside, staring out over the yard, ''We need to talk about something.''

She huffed, wrapping her arms around her knees tighter, holding herself as the early spring air seeped around them, ''I know...'' Her voice was thin, barely heard, ''I know we do.''

His hands moved over her shoulders, bringing her back against him so that her spine would be pressed to his torso, ''We need to go back.''

Closing her eyes, she leaned back, her head falling to his chest, his chin resting on the top of her head, ''I know we do. I just wished we didn't.''

Isla loved it here. It was calm, easy, needed. Her problems didn't seem to exist where they were staying. Neither of their troubles did. It was simply them, and only them.

''You can always come back here,'' He kissed the back of her head, his arms sheeting around her throat, over her shoulders, ''We can always come back here, whenever you need to get away — tell me, and I'll take you here.''

She nodded slowly as she tilted her head forwards, placing soft kisses along his wrists, ''Only if we come here when you need it too. Tell me if you ever need me, Theo, and I'll come here with you.''

He smiled against her, holding her tighter, ''I will,'' Feeling her body as it moved with him, she looked up at him from above, but she didn't speak. She just admired him in silence.

Her eyes scanning every detail of his alluring illusion, taking in all the breathtaking pieces of him.  Feeling as if she penetrated his soul, reaching far beneath his blocked surface. Oh, how Isla admired that boy and everything he lived to be.

''What?'' He asked, ''What are you staring at?''

''You're beautiful,'' She said calmly. His smile faded. ''Not just how you look, Theo. You're just so beautiful. Everything about you is beautiful.''

''Isla, what—''

''I don't know what it is about you...'' She turned around, seating herself in his lap, ''But everything is just so beautiful...''

He frowned, arching back to see her properly, ''I love how you see the world, Theo. I love how you put things in perspective, and how you live after that, how you see everything. Not just for how it is, not how it treats you, but how you view it, how you feel about it... There's a lot of beauty within you.''

His hands grasped at her spine, feeling how she sunk onto him completely. Her fingers tangled in his messy curls as she whispered, ''I don't say it enough, but you... you are so beautiful.''

Theo's face fell, his brows lifted, the corners of his mouth hung. He'd never heard something like that coming from her, from anyone. No one ever spoke to him as she'd done.

''Isla...'' His forehead rested on hers, ''I—''

''I am so in love with you...'' She cut him off, brushing her nose against his, ''Everything about you, Theo. I love you, and I don't tell you that enough.''

Arching back, he scowled at her now. He had no idea where this was coming from, all he wished to tell her was that they were going back to school, and it took a turn he'd never figured, ''What?'' He sounded startled, ''What did you just—''

He shook his head. She smiled, ''I love you, Theo.''

His lips parted, wanting to say something, but she pushed her mouth to his. Kissing him.

''We're going back today, and I just...'' She whispered against him, ''I wanted you to know that before we left. I want you to know that I love you away from everything and everyone. That my love for you will never be affected by someone else. It's just us. You and me.''

Isla drew a breath, bending back and looking at him. He was shaking, ''I love you for loving me through everything. I love you for never giving up on me, for never letting me give up on you. I love you for everything you do, for running after me in a towel, for getting me wherever I need you, for always showing up. I don't tell you that enough, not close to how much you deserve to hear it, but I do, Theo. I love you.''

Tears. He had tears in his eyes, so did she.

''Thank you,'' He needed to hear that. She had no idea how much he needed to hear what she was speaking. Theodore always believed that his love for her got pushed aside, that she didn't notice, when she really saw him all along. His hands moved over her spine, traveling up to her jaws as he held them, making her see all of him, ''I love you, Isla. More than you know.''

He did. Oh, how he loved that broken girl seated on his lap. He loved her more than he'd ever loved anyone. It was as if she was made for him, as if the world had created her bones to fit with his, her heart to beat with his own, her soul designed to match the one he owned.

Isla was everything to him, and he was even more to her.

They paused at that moment, slowly taking each other and the beautiful place they'd been staying in, before they both knew that they had to move along.

''I think it's good, going back. I think we need our friends.'' She huffed into his head, convincing herself, before she crawled off his lap, reaching her hand out for him to take, ''I just walked out on Leo and Mila. I have no idea what's going on there.''

''Then we better get back to them,'' Theo took her fist in his, dragging himself up and wrapping his arms around her. He pushed his lips against her forehead, ''And we'll come back here, soon.''

''Soon,'' She smiled against his chest, feeling as if everything would be alright after all, ''We'll come back here soon.''

_____

They landed outside the castle. Their fingers tangled as he led her through the corridors, all the way down to the Slytherin dungeons. ''I'll follow you to your room,'' He muttered, gesturing for her to walk ahead of him up the stairs, ''See if Leo is there.''

''Such a gentleman,'' Isla smirked, walking up the steps, ''But I'm sleeping in your room. I don't want to sleep without you.''

Theodore smiled at that, nodding to himself as he marched after her, ''I didn't expect any less.''

Halting right outside her door, Isla drew a heavy breath, preparing herself to go back to normal. After almost two weeks away from school, she knew that her mother would've sent her dozens of letters, cursing her for not taking her classes seriously. It was foolish, she knew it was, but after what she'd been through, she deserved a well-needed break from life as she was used to it.

Theo reached past her, hooking his hand around the doorknob and shoving it wide. They stopped hastily. Both of them blinked in utter confusion.

''What are you—'' Isla frowned, standing petrified as she watched her best friend stuff his bag full of his clothes. She peered around the room, seeing all the empty hangers and open drawers, ''Leo?''

The boy's head snapped, smiling widely as he noticed them, ''Finally!'' He breathed out, ''Took you two long enough.''

Theo placed a hand on her shoulder, pressing his chest against her spine, ''Leo, what the hell are you doing?'' His voice was raspy, low as he witnessed the same thing Isla did. Their room was a complete mess. Things were thrown around. Clothes spilled wildly over the floor.

''We're dropping out of school.''

Isla scowled now, dragging her brows together as she stepped over the threshold, her arms crossed, ''Leo, what are you on about?'' Shocked and startled at the way he said it so nonchalantly, ''What do you mean dropping out of school?''

''Yeah,'' He forced more clothes down his trunk before he kneeled to the floor, reaching under his bed, and pulled another bag out, throwing it onto her bed, ''Someone offered to help us, with my case and the Ministry.''

''Someone?'' Theodore sounded suspicious as he followed Isla's movements, walking into their room, ''What do you mean someone? Someone, we know?''

''I don't know,'' He shrugged, heard as unbothered, ''I don't care, to be honest, I just want help. If we don't fix this, I'll be sent to Azkaban, and Mila has to marry someone she doesn't know.''

It twisted in Isla's stomach at that, feeling so bad at the way she simply walked out on all of them, leaving them to mend their own problems while she healed from hers, ''Leo, we can't just—'' She stalled her words, giving Theodore a quick look across her shoulder, ''We can't just drop out of school. My mom—''

''I talked to her.''

Her eyes broad, her lips parted, ''You what?'' She nearly snapped, ''You talked to my mother about dropping out of school?''

''Yeah...'' Leo turned to them, scratching the back of his neck, ''About that... Your mother was here the other day, looking for you. She was quite upset because apparently — Malfoy showed up at your house, looking for you, so she got worried. I told her you were with Theodore, and she... she realized something was wrong with Mila and me, so I told her, and she thinks it's a good idea for all of us to leave. She wants us to fix this.''

Isla couldn't comprehend a thing her friend spoke. She just looked at him.

''All she wanted was for you to send her a letter, telling her where you're staying and if you need anything.''

''That's...'' Theodore muttered behind her, pressing his lips against the side of her head, ''That's kind of her, right?''

''Yes, but—'' Isla tried to speak, but she was quickly hewed off again.

''You need to pack, so we can leave while everyone is at dinner. The teachers aren't very happy with your absence.'' Leo continued packing his bags, ''They've been asking quite a lot about you.''

She couldn't bother less what the teachers said or what they wished for. They kicked Draco out. She was still upset by their lack of understanding in that matter, ''So what? We just... we just pack and go?''

''Yes.''

Theodore gave a weak chuckle from beside her, looking down at her, ''You just get packed, and you leave, love.''

Shouldering him to the side, playfully, she rapidly gripped at his arm, ''You'll come with us, right?'' Her tone was hesitant again. She couldn't go anywhere if he didn't follow, ''I know you wanted to be back in school, but—''

''Of course, I'll come.'' He said, giving her a comforting smile, ''But if we're leaving school — I have to speak to my mother. I just... I just walked out on her too, but you can come. I promised you—''

Her head shook. She knew how important his family was to him, and if he felt like he needed to go home to sort things out before joining them, she wouldn't want to interrupt that, ''It's fine,'' She tilted her head against his arm, ''Just find us as soon as you can, please? I don't want to be without you.''

''You know I will,'' His hand took her jaw in the palm of it, leveling her chin upwards to kiss her, ''I'll be there in a few hours.''

Leo muttered something below his breath as he reached down his pocket, pulling a note up and handing it to the brunet, ''The address,'' He said, before he strode up to Isla's closet, dragging her clothes out, ''That was all the letter said, that the person could be of help and that we could find them there.''

Theo nodded, sticking the paper into his own pocket without looking at the street written on it, ''Well, I'll meet you there before... nine.''

Isla held onto him for a few more minutes, breathing him in before he disappeared from in front of them. She felt alone again. The second he wasn't there, she felt empty.

''So...'' Leo placed his hands on his hips, ''Let's go then, shall we?''

Isla walked up to her bed, staring down at all of her belongings. It felt strange to her, seeing how her whole life could fit in a trunk, ''Isn't it weird?'' She asked, ''That we're just trusting that note and that we will be staying with some stranger? What about Mila? Shouldn't we wait for her?''

''She'll meet us there, but I don't care, Isla,'' Leo picked his bags up, his wand held in his fist, ''I really don't care what or who helps us, as long as we fix this.''

She understood the feeling. She wished someone could fix her worries too.

Nodding, she took the handle in her hand, walking across the floor of their room. She looked around for a quick second, taking that room in. She'd miss it. Even if it was ruined for her now, all the memories of Ava, Draco, Theo — everything they've been through for the last couple of months. It felt ruined, yet it felt okay, walking away from it and doing something meaningful for once.

They would save Leo and Mila. That was all she meant to focus on now.

It would be okay.

_____

It was dark outside. The night had taken over the skies. The moon climbed across the treetops around them. She held onto Leo for dear life as they traveled through magic, finding their way to the person granting them mercy in something impossible.

Isla didn't know how this soul meant to help them. She'd gone over those bylaws, every rule that was set around the marriage laws, she'd studied, over and over without luck. She didn't know how someone else would be able to do something she couldn't.

Standing in front of a huge mansion, she squinted at the darkness, nearly feeling as she'd been there before, but there weren't any lights on this time. She couldn't see a thing.

''Leo...'' Isla whispered, silently not to draw any attention to them. The shadowed house stood majestic before them, ''I think I've—''

They were cut off by the front door sliding open.

Her heart stopped. Shaking her head and backing away.

''No—'' Isla trembled, seeing the boy stepping out on the gravel. She'd indeed been here before, ''Absolutely not.''

Leo frowned, his head snapping from her to the blond standing with straight shoulders, his head held high, ''Oh—'' The boy pushed his lips together, looking back at his best friend as she stumbled.

''No.'' She breathed as he walked towards her, passing Leo and halting right where she stood, ''No. I don't—''

He was close. He was so close to her again. The pain was back, pounding through her veins. It hurt. Everything started to hurt terribly. Back. She was back to square one.

He towered her, gritting his jaws as he eyed her down.

''Please,'' Isla couldn't look away if she so wished, ''Don't do this to me.''

''Clarke,'' He swallowed, not taking his eyes off of her once, ''Welcome back.''

_____