For Ann

He doesn’t take it to heart when his friends pull away from him to focus on their own families after the battle. His best friend, Ron is leaves to grieve for his family’s loss while Hermione left the country to try and find her lost parents in Australia. It’s been hard for everyone involved and Harry doesn’t think he can even muster up the strength to finish his education after everything but he pushes through because there is nothing else for him to do.

Taking slow but confident strides down the long dark hallway, only lit by the slight luminous glow of his wand, Harry breathes in the smell of old books and ink behind the lingering scent of candles that are still lit in every few corners of the library. This is where he enjoys most of his time these days, the Library. The comforting feeling of isolation and solitude surrounding him immediately as he enters the calming atmosphere. Harry is glad that it’s one of the places that has somehow avoided most of the destruction during the battle. Making his way towards a specific corner, out of habit, Harry startles at the sight of another person’s shadow illuminating the wall almost ominously in front of him.

‘Theodore Nott…’ his mind supplies him with the automatic identification of the boy. Realising that the reason he probably hasn’t seen the boy before today is because Nott had to deal with his family being imprisoned for the reveal of being Death Eaters, Harry tries not to make it obvious he is staring.

He must have definitely made it too obvious as the brunette in front of him slowly lifts his head and raises an aristocratic eyebrow at him. Flushing in embarrassment for being caught, Harry awkwardly raises a hand to gesture at the couch that Nott has chosen to settle himself in, asking for permission to join him.

Nott takes a moment to respond, staring almost incredulously at Harry’s still raised hand before inclining his head in acceptance. Letting go of a breath he didn’t even know he had been holding, the boy who lived makes his way to share the couch of his ex-enemy. Trying to ignore the boy next to him, Harry flicks his wand sharply, calling some books he had previously started reading to pass time. Only getting a few pages in, Harry all but abandons his cautiousness as he slowly keeps glancing at Nott beside him. Feeling uncomfortable with the awkwardness, Harry opens his mouth to ask a question before closing it again really quickly, mentally scolding himself for even thinking of starting a conversation with someone who might still want to potentially kill him for revenge or something of a similar sort. He returns his attention back to his book, a story about a monster who ends up isolated and alone by the end of the story. Running his hand across the wrinkles of the pages, he reads the passage of loneliness in the character's internal monologue, ‘I am alone…’ he lets out a small exhausted exhale. ‘Great. Now I’m feeling empathy for a fictional character,’ he mentally scoffs at himself.

Not wanting to feel even more sympathy for himself, he takes another small peek at Nott, only now noticing the other boys long lashes that seem to flutter down gently to touch his upper cheeks with every blink he makes, the rustle of each page with the boys large hands holding the book with one hand as his other elbow is resting against the armrest with the connecting hand delicately allowing his chin to rest upon them, and one of his legs folded to rest his ankle on the top of his other knee, the picture perfect aristocrat. Finding himself staring once again, Harry is too slow to realise that Nott is now staring back with an obvious look of questioning. Sucking in a startled breath, Harry’s words stutter together as he tries to make an excuse for himself, “u-uh-... so-... what- umm… what book are you reading?” he asks pathetically as his voice trailing off at the end of his question.

An amused smile plays on Nott’s lips as he slightly lifts the book up for Harry to see clearly, “it’s called ‘For Ann’,” the other boy says.

Harry makes a sound of interest which was clearly the right noise to make since Nott’s expression smooths out into a gentle wistful look, gazing at the cover with obvious adoration. This time, it’s Nott that makes the offer to the newly turned saviour as he positions the book closer to the middle, allowing Harry to choose the distance of their shared space. Only taking a moment to hesitate, the boy who lived moves slightly closer to the other boy so they can read together.

‘This isn’t so bad,’ Harry allows a vulnerable smile dance across his lips.

.oOOo.

The next time Harry sees Theodore Nott, he doesn’t hesitate to give the brunette a small shy wave of his hand before sitting next to him, pulling out a book from his admittedly dirty bag,  to read as a pastime. Observing the book cover in Nott’s hand, Harry is slightly disappointed when he doesn’t read, ‘For Ann’, on the cover. Hearing an amused chuckle echo off the walls of their secluded area, Harry flushes red in embarrassment once again, as he seems to be doing more often in Nott’s presence.

“Looking for this?” Nott asks teasingly as he waves his wand, allowing the book to sail into his waiting hand. Patting the space in between them, Nott silently asks for Harry to move closer. Giving the boy a small smile, Harry slowly moves closer so they can read together. Almost three pages in, Harry frowns as he takes note of the way the other boys’ hand is shaking slightly, frown deepening as he makes the connection that Nott is straining his hand just so Harry can read. The guilt makes Harry move closer and closer until their thighs touch.

Hearing a breath hitch beside him, Harry tilts his head slightly in confusion before he makes the self-realisation of their intimate position. Not wanting to make a big deal out of it, Harry pretends to not notice as he mentally sweats throughout the ten second awkward tension that seems to have risen. Stubbornly keeping his eyes glued to the pages, he ignores the burning feeling of Nott’s eyes on his face, glancing at their connected thighs and back up again. Instead, Harry stares at the way the other boys’ hand seems to have crinkled the pages slightly from clenching them tightly, no doubt when he felt the connection of their legs- ‘no. Stop it, Harry,’ he mentally berates himself, ‘think of something else.’

Nott’s pale fingers slowly move to turn the page as Nott himself comes back to his own senses. Too intent on reading the pages, Harry doesn’t realise their continued closeness until he feels a hesitant arm around his back. Freezing his eyes to one spot of the page, Harry takes note of how Nott’s attention is completely focused on his face and reaction. Taking a small breath, Harry barely allows a glance at the arm just to confirm it is indeed across his back, the warmth of the limb not lost on him, before mentally thinking, ‘oh, screw it,’ and allows Nott to take all his weight as he leans his whole side against the taller boy, wedging himself comfortably almost under Nott’s arm, and his head on the boys’ collarbone, just under his chin. Harry hears a small exhale of relief before feeling the arm across his back tighten around him and the weight of Nott’s head on the top of his head, essentially cradling the top half of his body.

Sighing in content, Harry glances at the book he remembers reading when he first met Nott here, sitting atop the low table that resembles a coffee table. ‘I am alone…’ he remembers reading. Glancing up at Nott, he feels an uncontrollable smile grace his expression, ‘maybe not anymore.’

Nott glances back when he feels the shift in Harry’s head and Harry feels his smile widen a bit further at the soft expression Nott has towards him on his features. A warm feeling bubbles in his stomach at the content etched in the taller boys’ smile and the comfort identified in the boys’ eyes. Knowing that Nott is feeling the same makes the giddiness bubbling in his chest rise a few more times, as if his stomach is doing flips inside himself and he knows that if he were to look at himself through Nott’s eyes, he would see the same expression settling into his own features. Taking a quick glimpse at their shared book once again, Harry glances gratefully at the title that gave him this opportunity.

For Ann.