A/N: Okay, so I know I've been super bad with updates recently and I realised it's because I didn't love where this story was going anymore. So I'm putting Expectations on hiatus for now while I figure some things out in the story line and decide exactly where I'm going to take these characters that I love so much (that JK has lovingly bestowed us with). I definitely intend to finish it. I've just changed my mind about how I'd planned to finish it originally.

Massive thank you to everyone that reviews/follows/faves/cares about this story. I want to send you all the cyber hugs/hearts I can because your words are so encouraging.

Also come interact with me on Tumblr if you want to (don't be shy)! I'm magpiecircus on there too.

But anyway, a quick Theo interlude to give you something in exchange for this story going on hiatus. Hope you enjoy!

When he shut the door behind him he heard the sounds of glass smashing and crashing coming from the sitting room. He sighed. Was it too much to ask to have a quiet Christmas Eve? First Draco drops that bombshell about Weasley and now he has to deal with his father.

He walked to the sitting room and just watched quietly from the door for a few moments. The drinks cart had been knocked over. There was scotch seeping into the antique rug. The painting above the fireplace was in pieces and smouldering. And Theo's father was standing in the middle of the room throwing the glasses from the drinks cart at the far wall.

"Dad." Theo announced himself.

His father turned sharply. "Oh, there he is. Been off wi' Lucius' boy again 'ave you?" He was clearly drunk and his words were slurring together.

"I've been at Draco's, yes. And I wouldn't call him Lucius' boy to his face. He has a short temper and since he now ranks above you I don't think he'd take kindly to it."

"Bloody Malfoys. Always too big for their boots." He threw another glass.

"Dad. What are you doing?"

"Your mother picked this drinks cart. Don' know why I let her, really. She 'ardly ever used the bloody thing." Another glass shattered against the wall.

"You're wasting good scotch is what you're doing." He walked in and picked up the bottle that was spilling into the rug. "What's got you so worked up?"

"Don' spill that scotch, boy. Almost as ol' as you." He went to grab the bottle off Theo but missed and fell to the floor. Theo tried to help him up but he shrugged him off. "Where's your mother, son? Genevieve! Genevieve, come here! Gennie! Where are you?" He yelled.

"She's not here, dad. You know that. Come on. You need to go to bed."

"Piss off. I need my wife." This time when he went to swipe the bottle from Theo he succeeded and he downed what was left.

Theo sighed. "She's not your wife anymore, dad."

"I loved her."

"If you say so."

"I loved her!" His father pushed him against the wall.

"Okay fine, you loved her. But that doesn't matter now does it!"

From the fury in his father's face, he really thought his father might hit him, but then his face crumpled and he started sobbing.

"Nothing matters." He sputtered through his tears. "Hasn't for years."

Theo sighed. "Come on."

He guided his father to the couch and sat him down. With a flick of Theo's wand, the majority of the damage righted itself. He'd never liked the painting so that was no loss, but the rug would probably mean he'd have to brush up on some of the more complicated cleaning spells.

He summoned a glass and filled it with water, and handed it to his father who had moved to lying down, his head at one end of the couch.

"Drink this."

"Son." His father mumbled and took a sip.

Theo sat on the coffee table in front of his father and made him drink the whole glass of water.

"Why did she leave me? We weren' s'posed to leave each other. Took my Lizzie too. Why'd she have to take Lizzie?"

Theo rolled his eyes. His father did this every time he got this drunk, started rambling about his wife and his daughter.

"You know why, dad." He said gently.

His father closed his eyes. His mother had left when it had all started again. She'd been willing to forgive it the first time around, but not the second. A matter of weeks after Theo's father was publicly outed as a Death Eater, his mother took Elizabeth, who was barely three at the time, and moved to a house that she put under the Fidelius charm, with the Greengrass matriarch as secret keeper.

"Fucked it up. Fucked it all up." He mumbled and Theo had to lean forward to hear him.

"It's better for them to be gone. You know they can't be around this."

His father nodded. "Fucked you up too. One of us now. You shouldn'a been. Shoulda gone wi' your mum."

That was new.

"What?"

"Shoulda gone with Gen. Bloody 'ogwarts."

Theo watched him for a few minutes. Of course his mother had tried to take him for the holidays. They'd exchanged several letters on the topic, but he'd been young and stupid and had wanted to fit in with his friends and impress his father. Draco had told him that one day they wouldn't have to put up with people looking down their noses at them for having fathers in the Dark Lord's inner circle. Well, he hadn't been wrong. What he hadn't known was the fact that both of them would have grown up enough to not want it by the time that it happened.

Theo sighed as he watched his father. "Why can't I hate you, dad? You got me into all this. Why can't I just hate you, like Draco does his father? It would be so much easier."

He wondered for a moment whether his father would answer, but then a soft snoring sound came from him, and he knew that was the end of it. He went to the drinks cart and pulled a hangover potion off the bottom shelf, leaving it on the table next to the glass of water for when his father woke up. He tried a few quick cleaning charms on the rug to get the worst up and decided the rest could wait a few days to be fixed. He was more upset about the spilled scotch than the rug anyway.

Theo woke early the next morning, panicking. As soon as his eyes shot open, the nightmare he'd been having drifted away and he couldn't put his finger on what exactly it had been about this time. The blind panic was still there though. His t-shirt was drenched in sweat and he'd managed to tangle himself in the bedding. The room felt too stuffy and he couldn't seem to take a breath to make it all go away. He stood and walked to the balcony doors, throwing them open and taking a deep breath of the cold air. He sagged against the balcony wall in relief and took a few more breaths until his heart rate had returned to normal. The sky was just starting to get light but he could still see stars and there was frost on the ground. He felt himself smile. He was seeing his family today. One day of normality in his shitstorm of a life. One day. He envied Draco. How Draco managed to be curating some weird domestic bliss with Hermione in the midst of the dystopia they were living in was beyond him.

After quickly showering and dressing he checked on his father. He was breathing, and he'd have one hell of a sore neck from the position he was in on the couch but he'd be fine.

"Merry Christmas, dad." He said softly before walking out of the house and apparating away to a house in Scotland that was around the same size as Draco's. He knocked lightly once and then opened the door. His mother came rushing into the hall holding a mug in her hands with a tea towel over her shoulder. Her face broke into a smile when she saw him.

"Theo! Oh, my boy." His mother walked up and kissed his cheek before Theo pulled her in for a hug. "You're here earlier than I thought you'd be. I've missed you, darling."

"I've missed you too, mum."

"Come on. Let me look at you." She held onto his shoulders and scanned him, her mug still in hand. "You've lost weight."

He rolled his eyes. "You say that every time."

"Well, you have. You do look less tired than last time, darling." She put her hand against his cheek. "But you do need a shave. And you'll stay here tonight anyway? Get a proper night's sleep? Let me make you breakfast in the morning?"

She said them all with an inflection in her voice that made them sound like questions, but Theo recognised them for the demands that they were and he knew that even if he protested, his mother would not let him leave tonight.

"If you insist." He smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine, darling. You know me. Same as ever." She smiled, but he couldn't help but think she looked smaller than the last time he'd seen her, and her face looked tired too.

"Lizzie still in bed?" he asked, deciding not to comment on it. Maybe she'd just had a bad night's sleep.

"Yes, I'll put the kettle on and then go and get her up. She'll be over the moon you're here already. She's been raving about her big brother for days. She misses you terribly."

"I miss her terribly."

"Well, well, well. Look what the kneazle dragged in." Daphne's voice came from above him and he looked up to see her leaning against the banister at the top of the stairs, wearing a green jumper over black leggings, her blonde hair in a loose plait down her back. She still took his breath away, even after all these years.

"You get down here now, you old wench." he grinned.

"I'll go put the kettle on." His mother said and squeezed his hand as she walked back into the kitchen.

"Old?" She feigned a look of offence. "I'll admit to the wench part but… old? You wound me Theodore Nott. Need I remind you that I'm two months younger than you?"

"You'd never let me forget it. Pedantic witch."

"Smartass." She smirked.

"Come here." He demanded, hoping she recognised the plea in his voice. And she did. She flew down the stairs and straight into his arms. He held her tightly and she buried her face in his neck. Gods, he'd missed her.

"Theo." She said, and her voice sounded hoarse.

"I'm here." He said and his throat started to burn.

"I can see." She breathed out and it tickled the hair on his neck. "You survived another six months."

"Yep. I live to eat death another day."

She huffed. "Don't joke."

He pulled away slightly and cupped her face in his hands. He noticed the tears in her eyes, a rare sight for Daphne to share with anyone.

"But you're okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine." She nodded, her hands gripping his jumper. "Merry Christmas."

He chuckled. "Merry Christmas, Daph."

He kissed her on the cheek and pulled her into another hug, giving her time to compose herself before they went into the kitchen.

"So, where's Tori?" he asked as they sat at the kitchen table.

His mother and Daphne exchanged a brief look. Daphne cleared her throat and stared down into her black coffee.

"She's gone." She said and stood up, walking to one of the cupboards.

"What do you mean gone?" he asked.

"I mean she's shacked up with some guy and we've barely heard from her since. Are we out of sugar, Gen?"

"What guy?"

"I got it out already, darling. It's on the table."

"Oh, I didn't see it there." She sat back down.

"What guy, Daphne?"

"Oh, just some guy she knew in school. Ran into him in Diagon Alley in like October, was it, Gen?" she said as she added two spoons of sugar to her coffee and stirred it.

"I think so, love."

"And two weeks later she told us she's moving out to go and live with him, because she can hardly have a normal relationship when her home is under the Fidelius charm." Daphne imitated her sister. "Whatever. She's an idiot. She can't come here anymore."

"She changed." His mother said quietly. "Just in that short space of time. There was no talking her out of it. We get the feeling he's a little… possessive."

"Why can't we just bring her back? He'd never find her."

Daphne laughed. "Theo, sweetheart, you know what she's like. She's more stubborn than me! You tell her not to do something, of course she's going to do it. We've made our peace with it. We've just got to let her do her thing."

"Well, who is he? Do I know him?"

"Unlikely. You remember Adrian Pucey?"

"Vaguely. On the Quidditch team? Couple of years ahead of us?" Theo tried to remember him, but he'd been fairly quiet, only socialising with a couple of people in his own year.

"His younger brother. That's the only info we got on him. I didn't even know Pucey had a brother."

"Me neither." He sighed. "At least he's not a Death Eater, I suppose."

"Silver linings, eh?" Daphne winked.

Theo insisted his mother let him wake Elizabeth up, so while his mother started on breakfast, he crept into her room and knelt by the side of her bed.

"Lizzie?" he said gently, and she started to stir. "Lizzie?"

She opened her eyes and Theo noticed again how similar they were to his own. Hers were far more striking though, much greener than his own.

"Morning, princess." He smiled.

"Theo!" she squealed and jumped up, throwing her arms around his neck, giving Theo a mouthful of her dark blonde hair. But then she suddenly pulled back and crossed her arms, looking at him through narrowed eyes.

"You okay, Lizzie?" he asked in confusion.

"I'm mad at you." She pouted.

"Why's that, princess?"

"You missed my birthday. Again."

"Ah, sweetheart, I know. I'm sorry I couldn't come and see you."

"You always miss my birthday." She said, with a slight whine to her voice.

"I really am sorry. It's… it's work. My boss won't let me have time off."

"That's mean."

"He is rather mean." He smiled sadly. "Do you think you can forgive me?"

She pouted again.

"I've got presents for you."

Her expression didn't change. He should have known she wasn't one to be bribed with gifts.

"I'll let you put your vegetables on my plate at dinner." He grinned and she grinned back.

"Okay." she said.

"Come here, princess." Theo said and pulled her into another hug. "Mum's making breakfast. Do you want a lift?" he winked and when she nodded and grinned he hauled her onto his back and gave her a piggyback downstairs.

After a day of laughing and teasing and catching up that had Theo feeling like his chest was expanding in the most wonderful way, they crashed in the living room, each with mugs of hot chocolate. His mother sat in the armchair writing in her new notebook with an expensive new quill Theo had gotten her, while Theo read out loud from a book he'd gotten for Lizzie. She was leaning on his arm and reading ahead over his shoulder. Daphne sat in front of the fire, quietly watching them, a small smile on her face.

After a little while Theo noticed Lizzie's muttering had stopped and she had closed her eyes. He watched her eyes flutter as she dreamt. It was moments like this that he longed for, that his heart broke for. He wished so much that he could see her every day. See her grow up and mature and teach her about the world and comfort her when she was upset. Twice a year was just not even close to being enough. She'd be a teenager before they knew it. He prayed that she wouldn't drift away from him. It was so hard for her to have a normal life here. She had no friends, no teachers. Only his mother and Daphne and… well, she didn't even have Astoria anymore by the sounds of it.

"Right. I think it's bedtime for me and her." His mother announced.

Theo smiled down at the sleeping girl and gently woke her. "Bedtime, princess." He whispered.

"But I'm not tired." She protested and then yawned.

Theo chuckled. "Try saying that when you haven't just woken up."

"Come on, you. Teeth, pyjamas and bed." His mother said.

She pouted at him and he chucked her under the chin. "Listen to your mother." He pulled her into a hug. "Night, princess. I'll see you in the morning."

"You'll be here?" She grinned.

"If all goes to plan." He kissed her forehead. "Night, Lizzie. I love you."

"Love you too, big brother." She hugged him again and then went to hug Daphne as well.

"I'll see you both in the morning." His mother said and they left the room.

Daphne sat silently in front of the fire for another five minutes, sipping slowly at the mug in her hand. When no more sounds came from upstairs she stood, placing her mug on the coffee table and sat beside Theo. He went to put his arm around her but she moved to rest her head in his lap and stretch her legs out along the couch.

"Hey." She said as he started brushing his fingers gently through her hair, something he had learned over the years calmed her and practically turned her into a purring, contented cat.

"Hey." He said back. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Fine. Just need a bit of comfort."

This was the only time she let herself be vulnerable. When it was just the two of them. He admired her strength, how she managed to hold herself together for everyone. She'd always done it in school. It was necessary in Slytherin to not show vulnerability in public. But it still took him years to get past her walls. And then all too quickly they'd had to end it. He hated it. Not having her around. Not being able to talk to her or hold her or kiss her or fuck her or fall asleep next to her. She'd offered to stay, said she could handle it, but he'd told her he couldn't live with her being put through that. Being the wife of a Death Eater was bad enough, but at least it had a little protection. But the girlfriend of a Death Eater? There was only so much one person could handle before they broke. So they'd agreed to just be friends.

He sat there, slowly brushing his fingers through her hair, thinking what it would be like if the Dark Lord had never come back. He prayed to deities he didn't even believe in that Draco and Granger's plan would work. That the resistance would become powerful again. That the Dark Lord could be killed. Gods, if that worked… He could be with his family again. When this was all over he'd be free. When this was all over him and Daphne could be together. When this was all over he'd… be in prison with the rest of them. He sighed. Maybe he should help the resistance, try and redeem himself.

"Theo, you okay?" she asked, sleepily.

He sighed. "When all this is over, do you think there's any way I'll be able to get out of going to Azkaban?"

She sat up suddenly and only when she spoke did he realise his slip-up. "What do you mean 'when this is all over'?"

"Nothing, nothing." He brushed it off, avoiding her eye. "Just fantasising, you know."

"Don't lie to me, Theo. Please. We don't lie to one another." She stared at him, searching his features. She reached for his hand and put her fingers though his.

"There's…" he sighed. "There's a chance," he said, trying to choose his words carefully, "and I mean like a one in a hundred billion chance, that things could... go back."

"What do you mean?" she curled her feet up under her so she was fully facing him.

"You know I can't tell you everything." He said and she nodded.

"But?"

"But… the resistance may have a dragon on their side." He said carefully. "One that appears to have a plan that he thinks will work."

Her eyes widened almost imperceptibly.

"But the best-laid schemes o' mice an' men-" he started.

"Gang aft agley." She finished for him. "But… him?"

"Shocked me too." He nodded and squeezed her hand. "I don't think it'll work. I didn't want to get your hopes up-"

"They're not. Are you…?"

"I'm not involved. Part of me thinks he's an idiot and part of me thinks he's a genius but the part of me that thinks he's an idiot speaks louder and makes the good point that it's dangerous as hell and I'm not risking it."

"No. Good. Sounds like a fool's errand." She looked away from him then, as if calculating something.

"What are you thinking?"

"Nothing."

He smirked. "I thought we agreed not to lie to one another."

She smirked back and looked straight into his eyes. "If it works?"

"We'll be free… ish. Lizzie and my mum and Tori will be safe. I'll be in prison but you-"

"We'd run. Somewhere they can't be bothered to look for you. The five of us, we'd start a new life. Lizzie could go to school. Tori would make new friends easily. Your mum could even find someone."

"You got this planned out already, sweetheart?" he smiled sadly and cupped her face in his hand. She turned her head to kiss his palm and then looked up at him, her eyes wide and vulnerable still.

"And us?" he asked, knowing they were on treacherous ground. They didn't talk about their history when he visited. They didn't touch more than to hug or a rare cuddle on the couch as this had started.

"We'd be married." She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Wouldn't we?"

He couldn't bring himself to speak. Just nodded at her words and ran his thumb over her lips. This was dangerous, dangerous territory. He loved her so much. But he'd had to force that love into a box he never opened for the last six years.

"Do you still love me?" she whispered and he felt her opening that box up, letting his love for her flood his body and he didn't even realise he'd moved until his nose brushed hers.

"So damn much." He whispered back and then he pressed his lips against hers and everything he'd been squashing down into that box for six years came pouring out. They broke apart a minute later, both breathless, knowing they couldn't go further down that road.

"If – and I'm telling you Daph, that's a big if – if it works, if they pull it off, the first thing I'll do is marry you. You won't have even heard yet. I'll just turn up one day and whisk you off to Gretna Green with the rest of them in tow. We'll be married before he hits the floor." He grinned.

She laughed and he was reminded that it was one of the most beautiful sounds he knew.

"I love you." She whispered and pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth. "No matter what."

"No matter what." He echoed and hugged her.

"Happy Christmas, Theo." She whispered in his ear and squeezed him tighter.

"Happy Christmas, Daphne."

She stood and wished him goodnight, and he was left to put all those feelings back into that box he kept. And, he suspected, she was probably doing the same.

A/N: "The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men/ Gang aft agley" is from the Robert Burns poem To A Mouse.