Beautiful
Title: Beautiful
Category: Fluff
Rating: PG
Written For: Drabble Challenge #4 over at minor_pairings. Requirements were that a Hufflepuff must be involved.
Summary: Eloise Midgen has always been ashamed of her looks. Theodore Nott helps her change that.
“You look very lovely tonight, Eloise,” said Theodore, his eyes intense as they stared at her. She stiffened as he twirled some of her golden brown hair with his fingers.
“Don’t josh me,” she whispered. Theodore was probably lying to her. Everyone else did. Then they laughed at her behind her back.
Eloise reached up and closed her fingers around his, taking them away from her hair. Theodore looked confused and she lowered her eyes. Then he squeezed her hand softly. With his other hand, he lifted her chin. “I’m not,” he said. “You do look lovely.”
Eloise’s insides squirmed as he stepped closer to her. When he cupped her cheek, her breathing faded. All that remained was her bundle of nerves and numbing insecurity. “T-thank you,” she managed to answer.
Their eyes locked. Eloise felt highly uncomfortable. Theodore began to rub the skin of her cheek with the pad of his thumb. While it felt warm and gentle, Eloise was fighting a wave of nausea. Why did he have to lie to her? She knew she wasn’t pretty. Last year her face had been a crater of acne. She had never been thin. Why was it that every other boy noticed, but he felt he had to hide his feelings about it from her? Why did he have to toy with her?
And why the hell was he now leaning toward her as if he wanted kiss her?
Just before his lips made contact with hers, she smacked him with her golden handbag. “Theo!” she cried out, half embarrased and half relieved.
“Eloise - ” he said, sounding slightly frustrated.
“I just...don’t come any closer, please!” The tears welled up quickly in her eyes. Why couldn’t the ground just swallow her whole?
“What’s wrong?” he asked, the concern in his voice evident.
Her own voice was small and shattered. “I’m, I’m not...pretty - okay?”
Theodore rolled his eyes. “Yes, you are. I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you are right now, in this moment.”
Eloise let out a very forced sounding chuckle. “It’s the robes,” she explained. They were made of a svelte, sexy material that molded to her figure. The pearled sequins made the dress robes sparkle.
“No, it’s not. It’s you that I think is beautiful.”
She fought the desire to bury her head in her hands. “Look, Theodore, you don’t have to keep up this facade, all right? What’s the point? You can have any girl you want! I - just...you don’t need to be with me. No one does. I - I’m not good enough.”
The look on Theodore’s face was disbelieving and taken aback. “Do you hear what you’re saying, Eloise?”
“Yes, I do!” she said hysterically, blinking back the tears. “I’m only saying what I’ve been told my whole life. They laugh at me...”
“So what?” Theodore said. “Who cares what other people think! They don’t see what I see.”
“What do you see?”
“I see you. You are beautiful, on the outside and the inside, even if you don’t believe it. Why else would I invite you here,” he gestured around the gardens on his manor, “to meet my family, to spend Christmas with us, to put you through the inevitable agony of my mum’s cooking?”
Eloise was at a loss for words. Theodore sat down on one of the benches in the garden and loosened his bow tie, his brow furrowed with thought as he stared at her. “Because, Midgen,” he said, patting the seat next to him. She sat down. “Because, I like you. I care about you. I wouldn’t invite anyone else.”
More tears welled in her eyes, now for a completely different reason, and rolled down her face. Theodore leaned in so that his mouth was barely an inch from her ear. “Believe me?” he whispered to her, his breath causing her body to jolt with anticipation.
“Yes.”
Her eyes fluttered closed as she felt his lips trace a path down her neck to her lips. They rested there briefly and he brought his fingers to rest on the nape of her neck, caressing her skin lightly. She opened her mouth slowly, the rest of her shaking with nerves. His tongue touched hers then, and Eloise felt herself slipping. She didn’t know where to, but she did know she didn’t want to be anywhere else.
The kiss ended entirely too soon.
Eloise struggled to catch her breath and rested her head against his. Theodore was smiling. “Thank you,” she told him.
“Why?” he asked, lifting her hand and kissing it.
“For being beautiful.”
A/N: I hope you guys liked this one. It's my first time writing either of them, and the first as writing them as a couple. I think this one is one of my favorites, though. :)
Category: Fluff
Rating: PG
Written For: Drabble Challenge #4 over at minor_pairings. Requirements were that a Hufflepuff must be involved.
Summary: Eloise Midgen has always been ashamed of her looks. Theodore Nott helps her change that.
“You look very lovely tonight, Eloise,” said Theodore, his eyes intense as they stared at her. She stiffened as he twirled some of her golden brown hair with his fingers.
“Don’t josh me,” she whispered. Theodore was probably lying to her. Everyone else did. Then they laughed at her behind her back.
Eloise reached up and closed her fingers around his, taking them away from her hair. Theodore looked confused and she lowered her eyes. Then he squeezed her hand softly. With his other hand, he lifted her chin. “I’m not,” he said. “You do look lovely.”
Eloise’s insides squirmed as he stepped closer to her. When he cupped her cheek, her breathing faded. All that remained was her bundle of nerves and numbing insecurity. “T-thank you,” she managed to answer.
Their eyes locked. Eloise felt highly uncomfortable. Theodore began to rub the skin of her cheek with the pad of his thumb. While it felt warm and gentle, Eloise was fighting a wave of nausea. Why did he have to lie to her? She knew she wasn’t pretty. Last year her face had been a crater of acne. She had never been thin. Why was it that every other boy noticed, but he felt he had to hide his feelings about it from her? Why did he have to toy with her?
And why the hell was he now leaning toward her as if he wanted kiss her?
Just before his lips made contact with hers, she smacked him with her golden handbag. “Theo!” she cried out, half embarrased and half relieved.
“Eloise - ” he said, sounding slightly frustrated.
“I just...don’t come any closer, please!” The tears welled up quickly in her eyes. Why couldn’t the ground just swallow her whole?
“What’s wrong?” he asked, the concern in his voice evident.
Her own voice was small and shattered. “I’m, I’m not...pretty - okay?”
Theodore rolled his eyes. “Yes, you are. I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you are right now, in this moment.”
Eloise let out a very forced sounding chuckle. “It’s the robes,” she explained. They were made of a svelte, sexy material that molded to her figure. The pearled sequins made the dress robes sparkle.
“No, it’s not. It’s you that I think is beautiful.”
She fought the desire to bury her head in her hands. “Look, Theodore, you don’t have to keep up this facade, all right? What’s the point? You can have any girl you want! I - just...you don’t need to be with me. No one does. I - I’m not good enough.”
The look on Theodore’s face was disbelieving and taken aback. “Do you hear what you’re saying, Eloise?”
“Yes, I do!” she said hysterically, blinking back the tears. “I’m only saying what I’ve been told my whole life. They laugh at me...”
“So what?” Theodore said. “Who cares what other people think! They don’t see what I see.”
“What do you see?”
“I see you. You are beautiful, on the outside and the inside, even if you don’t believe it. Why else would I invite you here,” he gestured around the gardens on his manor, “to meet my family, to spend Christmas with us, to put you through the inevitable agony of my mum’s cooking?”
Eloise was at a loss for words. Theodore sat down on one of the benches in the garden and loosened his bow tie, his brow furrowed with thought as he stared at her. “Because, Midgen,” he said, patting the seat next to him. She sat down. “Because, I like you. I care about you. I wouldn’t invite anyone else.”
More tears welled in her eyes, now for a completely different reason, and rolled down her face. Theodore leaned in so that his mouth was barely an inch from her ear. “Believe me?” he whispered to her, his breath causing her body to jolt with anticipation.
“Yes.”
Her eyes fluttered closed as she felt his lips trace a path down her neck to her lips. They rested there briefly and he brought his fingers to rest on the nape of her neck, caressing her skin lightly. She opened her mouth slowly, the rest of her shaking with nerves. His tongue touched hers then, and Eloise felt herself slipping. She didn’t know where to, but she did know she didn’t want to be anywhere else.
The kiss ended entirely too soon.
Eloise struggled to catch her breath and rested her head against his. Theodore was smiling. “Thank you,” she told him.
“Why?” he asked, lifting her hand and kissing it.
“For being beautiful.”
A/N: I hope you guys liked this one. It's my first time writing either of them, and the first as writing them as a couple. I think this one is one of my favorites, though. :)