The Deal I Made With Theodore Nott - NL x TN

20

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The next weeks passed by without much excitement. Dean and Seamus had given up asking who had beaten me up days ago. Dove, on the other hand, wasn't giving up so easily. She had been spending more time with Theo to keep up appearances but her obsessive questions were obviously getting to him as well.

Things with Theo weren't much different than they ever were before. Sure there was passing looks and a gentle hand graze here and there, but nothing anyone would notice.

The big Slytherin vs Gryffindor game was coming up and everyone was talking about it. Dove was talking about the after parties but Ginny Weasley couldn't shut up about the game itself.

"We will win, I have zero doubt in that." She said proudly, her head comfortably laying in Luna's lap as we all studied on the green together.

"Don't be so sure, Theo said the Slytherin's have a few tricks up their sleeves." Dove said without thinking. I visibly cringed at the name, she noticed.
"I'm sorry." She mouthed out to me, I chose to ignore it.

I shook the melancholy feeling I had in my chest and attempted to move the conversation along.
"What does Blaise say about the game Luna?"

Everyone's heads snapped to me, looking at me with confused expressions.

"Did I say something wrong?" I questioned.

Ginny fell into a fit of laughter while Luna looked down at her with a smirk. Dove shook her head at me and let out a chuckle.
"Luna and Blaise broke up a week and a half ago." She noted.

"What? Really?" I asked, obviously surprised.

Luna nodded, seeming fine and unfazed by the statement. When I thought about breakups I didn't think someone could look so content.
"Are you alright?" I asked her with worry.

"Yes of course, it just wasn't meant to be. The right soul found me and persuaded me so."

"Oh who?"

Again everyone's eyes looked at me as if I'd said the most insane thing ever. Ginny again falling into a fit.
"Ginny silly." Luna replied.

My eyes snapped between Ginny and Luna, remembering how good they have been getting along lately. I internally cursed myself for not noticing sooner.

"Merlin, I'm such an idiot." I stated while burring my face in my hands.

"It's alright mate, you've just been a little hazy lately is all." Dove noted.

"I have?" I questioned. The group nodded in reply.

"Here, but not completely. Your mind is elsewhere it seems." Luna explained to me.

I hadn't noticed my best mates were dating, and most importantly I hadn't noticed myself. I thought time was passing as it normally did but I guess Luna was right. My mind hadn't been on what's in front of me, not since that night Theo defended me.

"Neville."

Dove's voice pulled me from my thoughts.
"Huh- what?"

"Don't you have potions?" She asked.

"Shit!" I exclaimed, collecting all my things off the grass and rushing towards the castle.

At the beginning of the year I would have contemplated just skipping the lesson, but thanks to Theo's helpful advice I'd been doing much better in potions. It didn't hurt that Blaise Zabini was now my cauldron partner as well. I wondered how I hadn't noticed him and Luna not working out when he had been working closely beside me for weeks now.

I wouldn't go as far to say he and I were close but he definitely wasn't a stranger anymore. Blaise was extremely intelligent, patient, and kind. He was easy to get along with.

As I approached the dimly lit hallway in the dungeons that led to the classroom I heard a familiar set of voices.

"What do you mean you'll be in Paris?"

"Theo, I'm sure it will be fine."

"You said that last time."

"I know.... But this is out of my control. I swear I tried everything I could."

I coughed to make myself known before attempting to push through Theo and Blaise.
"Sorry, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop I'm just trying to get to class." I noted without making eye contact with either of them.

As I brushed past Theo he gripped onto my arm, stopping me in place. I finally looked up to meet his eyes. I hadn't seen this expression on his face in a long time, concern, worry, no it was more extreme this time.

It was fear.

"Are you okay Theo?" I asked gently, taking his hand in mine as I did so at the beginning of the school year. He pulled away this time, swiftly and purposefully. It made me feel cold.

"I'm fine, it's nothing." He finally stated, turning away and walking away without another word.

I watched him leave, Draco Malfoy appeared from around the corner and Theo pushed passed him without acknowledging his presence. Draco looked towards me with suspicious eyes and I shrunk at the attention.

"Cmon Neville, we're brewing something new today." Blaise said cheerfully, pulling my attention from the dark glare of Malfoy. I nodded and followed Zabini into the potions room.

I felt my mind wander, I was used to this feeling by now. I couldn't help thinking about Theo at this point. He was too important to me to just forget, especially when he looked at me the way he did today.

"Neville."

"Yeah?"

"You've been stirring the potion for too long." Blaise noted.

"Oh- right. Sorry." I said, stepping aside so he could take over. I wasn't even sure what potion we were mixing or the steps to do so. I felt bad I was inconveniencing Blaise.

"It's okay, it's fixable." Blaise said with a smile. He seemed fine, content even. This made me quiet curious.

"I'm sorry about Luna, I didn't know you two broke up."

Blaise kept his content smile secured on his face but he didn't look up from his focus in the cauldron.
"It's not a big deal." He said plainly.

"What are you doing in Paris?" I asked, trying to relieve the tension. Though it seemed I'd done the opposite. The wizard seemed to tense up more than usual.

"Worried about Theo?" He asked in a whisper with a slight chuckle.

"N-no, that's not it." I stuttered. Blaise looked at me with a cocked brow, telling me he didn't believe me.
"No really, I was wondering about you."

Blaise let out a sigh as he continued adding things to the bubbling potion. He looked like a weight was on his shoulders. Blaise Zabini was usually so laid back and cheerful, it was odd seeing him in such a state. I'd noticed he was someone Draco, Pansy, and Theo leaned on. This made me wonder who he had to rely on.

"It's just something to do with my mum is all." He finally explained.

"Alright." I replied plainly, not wanting to dig any further.

"Anyway, what do you smell?" Blaise asked.

"What?" I questioned.

Blaise nodded towards the pink potion in front of us.
"The amortentia Longbottom, we have to write down what we smell." He explained with a chuckle.

"Oh- right." In all honesty I had no idea what amortentia was, how to brew it, or what the smell meant. My head was somewhere else entirely. So when I leaned down to smell it I wasn't expecting the fuzzy feeling I got when the scent reached my senses.

"Uhm, broom polish." I paused and took in another breath. "And Lemons."

The sound of metal hitting the hard ground made me jump in surprise. Everyone's attention locked onto Draco Malfoy and his spilled cauldron.
"Sorry professor. It slipped." He said plainly before looking directly at me with a dark expression.