Growing up he believed tration was everything.

It was of the utmost importance to be proper. To do his duty.

His group of friends had never talked about it, but it was generally agreed that they shared their parents positions on most things. Some were... slightly more zealous in their way of going about things than others, true, but generally speaking, there was never a question about their position.

Eleven years of no one and nothing to contest his beliefs.

Everyone around him shared his father's views, and all the adults he knew and respected did so too. Not one person in his social environment had anything to say that wasn't in consonance to everything he had heard since he was born.

He had never really stopped to question if he actually believed the things his father taught him. It wasn't his place. But more than that, there was the fact that he had no reason to doubt his word, his knowledge or his wisdom.

When his father spoke at parties or events, mosts adults that surrounded him nodded slowly in agreement or listened intently. Wealthy, well connected, well bred people stopped to listen when his father spoke.

There was simply no reason to think he was wrong about anything… other than how many sweets he should or shouldn't partake in.

And then September the first of his eleventh year on Earth came upon him.

Most of the people in his House weren't unknown to him. Social awareness was, after all, part of his upbringing. Always know who's the most influential person in the room, who he is speaking to, and to make it his business to be a part of that conversation.

And yet, the dynamics between the Houses seemed to change everything.

Suddenly, the percentage of people around him that believed what his father believed decreased dramatically. Even more so for the number of adults that shared his views.

They were a minority now.

While the self-examination process began almost immediately after this realisation, it took a few years for it to bear any results. The doubts didn't present themselves immediately. After all, there was that lingering thought that if everyone he ever knew held certain beliefs, it had to be for a reason, right? And more so, how can so many well educated, intelligent, successful and wellbred people be so wrong? How could they all be wrong?

But then there was Hermione Granger.

The tiny witch couldn't have known it at the time, but she was living proof, walking evidence, that his father was wrong.

She single-handedly shattered the belief system he had been taught simply by being herself, for, if that system stood true, she wouldn't exist. She shouldn't be possible.

And yet she outperformed Draco, Blaise and himself at every turn. Them, who had grown up around magic, knowing of its existence and having access to impossible to find books and exceptional tutelage before attending Hogwarts.

They just couldn't possibly be right.

There was no Universe in which they were right and someone like Hermione Granger existed. If one premise stood true then the other had to be categorically and unequivocally false.

And there was no doubt in his mind ghat magic came more naturally to Hermione Granger than breathing to any other human being.

So he acted as was expected, but soon enough, his personal beliefs and conviction, were no longer in agreement with that of his peers or his father.

By the time he was out of Hogwarts, it didn't matter. His father was in Azkaban and despite his name and all that had happened, he had been accepted into the Department of Mysteries.

He was to be an Unspeakable.

It was years before Theo would call Hermione a colleague and even more months before she would actually agree to go for a coffee. He could tell she had no idea he had meant to ask her on a date, but he would keep asking until she did.

She was astonishing. It was clear to Theo that it had never occured to the woman how truly exceptional she was.

It took four coffee outings for her to figure out that he might possibly be asking as more than a polite coworker might. So he asked her to dinner, trying to let her know that indeed, he was interested in more.

She said no the first time, something was clearly going through her head a thousand miles an hour. However, the very next day she had walked into his office and informed him they would be going to dinner at eight. And not a minute after.

He chose to reward her by not fighting the smile that threatened to overtake his face. Had he been around his Slytherin friends he would have feigned indifference and simply nodded. She seemed surprised and then pleased, and left without a word.

By date two, Theo was irreparably taken with her. There was no way she could have known how often she had featured in his ponderings through the years, but now that he had access to her in a more personal context he realised she was also intoxicating.

And so, now that he feared he could lose her, every neuron in his brain was working overtime to find a way to keep her forever.

There were two major hurdles in front of him. Charlie Weasley and Marriage.

He couldn't have anticipated either problem had he tried.

He supposed the most pressing one, and the more irreparable one, was one Charlie Weasley. If he didn't deal with him sooner rather than later, there would be no point in worrying about Hermione's views on marriage.

Which was why, he almost caused his witch to choke to death with with a breadstick, when he voiced those very thoughts during breakfast the next day.

"I've been pondering on a couple of issues," he started. "Should I be more concerned about the fact that you're still in love with the Dragon Tamer or the fact that you feel that marrying me would strip you from your liberty and individuality as a witch?" He asked casually before taking a sip of his wine.

The coughing fit that followed, while not fully unexpected, hadn't really been planned. Shocking her and catching her off guard, he found, was the fastest and most effective way to obtain an unrefined reaction out of her. She was getting better at guarding herself from those very verbal offensive strategies, but she hadn't impoved such that Theo couldn't get what he wanted.

It took her a few long moments to recover but once she did, she didn't look like she had a better answer just because oxygen could now freely reach her brain.

Lovely.

"I think Weasley is the most immediate problem," he continued. "For two reasons, really. The first being that, by no accident, you neglected to tell me you'd been in a serious relationship with him for three years not long before we started seeing each other. The second being that you have strong feelings for him, as recent as today."

The nonchalant way he spoke was clearly making her uncomfortable and it gave him confidence in his approach to the subject.

"Theo…" she started after a moment.

"I'm not sure, though," he interrupted "what the better strategy would be. Or further more, I'm doubtful of having the means to do anything about either issue."

He stared at her straight in the eye then. Theo hoped against all hope that the woman could see, that she knew, that she-

"I love you, Hermione."

The statement lingered in the air for a moment. Neither of them was breathing.

But Theo knew she wasn't ready yet.

"I know you love me too, even if you won't say it. And I understand, I'm in no hurry. Unlike you, I've no doubts my feelings for you will remain no matter who you grow to be, so I'm certain I'll be here if that changes."

A pregnant pause followed and he tried very hard not to read too much into it.

"Unless… you decide it's him you want to say it to."

"Those are two very different and unrelated issues," she replied very calmly.

"So there are two issues," he caught.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. I won't let you put words in my mouth especially when they're based on unwarranted insecurities." He could tell she was growing aggravated.

"I would hardly call them unwarranted."

Not for the first time Theo wondered if this relationship was doomed from the start.

"Hermione, you neglected to share with me you had a very serious relationship, with no small amount of effort on your part. I've been under the impression that you've lived in London since the end of the war," he tried to explain calmly.

"Yes but—"

"Imagine our roles were to be reversed. Knowing what you know, having lived that relationship, would you not feel somewhat upset, worried if you were me?"

Hermione bit her lip and looked away, unable to overcome his reasoning.

"So, once again, should I be worried?"

"I don't know yet," she said in what felt like a soft confession.

"Then I suggest you find out and let me know."

…

AN: Today's rec is another heart shattering one because apparently I love well written pain-shots. I already rec her as an author, oldie but one of the best in my book, atruwriter and the story happens to be a one-shot Fremione called Just in case. My heart still aches. Enjoy.