theodore's pov : 

i was roaming around after curfew even though it was wrong but i didn't care. i never did unless it was pansy, draco, blaise or daphne. i remember how i used to be the happiest kid among my friends as i had everything i aspired for ; my mother, friends, a school and good marks.

 my father burnt down my entire world in a flicker of seconds when he put forward his wish to make me a death eater, to follow his lord voldemort. 

it still pained me when i thought of the night mother and i broke down crying because she told me we had no way out. we are and will always be portrayed as the bad guys in other's eyes, no matter how hard we try to make ourselves a better human being. 

i promised mother that even though we have no way out, i won't give up, i would find a way to get ourselves out of the hell hole. but i was too late. mother left me alone. 

was it because she found my promise futile or whether she loved her husband too much to let him go or stand against him. either way, it broke my heart. i was fifteen now and i had to stand up for myself even if it meant going against my own father. 

i was broken out of my thoughts when i bumped into someone and that someone was anshika ahuja ; a gryffindor, bold, fierce and beautiful. she was different but not in the way in how she walked or talked, the way she presented herself to the outer world amused me.

 if someone made fun of her for failing muggle studies, she would make sure to pass with flying colors the next time and that would be a slap on the person's face who made fun of her. if someone bullied her for the color of her skin, she would literally beat them up. 

"watch where you're going nott." she huffed and fixed the stack of papers she was carrying. 

"roaming around, are we?" i just had to make that idiotic dialogue. 

"you are, i am not." she simply responded which made me smile.

 "you are but you won't admit." i smirked, stuffing my hands in the pocket of my trouser to look chill and cool while my heart just prayed to the god to give me enough speed to dodge her punches if she decided to go off on me.

"whatever." she scoffed, clearly uninterested in talking to me because i was a slytherin and we were supposed to be throwing nasty remarks at each other.

 "your hand looks nice by the way." i tried to cover up my smirk with a small, genuine smile and it seemed like it worked when she stared at me wide eyed.

 "what?" she chuckled, looking down at her henna-stained hands before meeting my eyes. 

"yeah that looks amazing." i added. "oh." she nodded her head in acknowledgement,"thank you. do you want me to apply henna on your hands as well?"

to say that i was surprised would be an understatement, she always made a last impression on me. "can you?" i questioned back.

"of course, i can." she shrugged with a small smile trailing on her lips. a wave of frisson washed over my features when i realized that i made her smile. "thank you. when do you think you would be free?" i asked genuinely.

"on the weekends. let me know when you are free. write to me beforehand." she said and hurtled past me when she heard some footsteps.

"alright." i called after her and waved at her even though she had her back towards me. 

she's sweet. 

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a/n: so i decided to add random flashbacks. :)