Potter

Chapter 76

"I don't really care at this point."

"Oh, stop that." I tutted, picking up a roll of gauze from one of the opened draws for the sole purpose of chucking it at his head. It bounced off easily, but his nose crinkled up in protest.

"What? It's true. I've got no fortune, and almost certainly now that I've joined you lot, no real future. As if anyone is going to want to hire a Death Eater's son."

"A Death Eater's son who turned and now helps the Order." I corrected gently, and Theo scoffed.

"I do not help the Order of the Phoenix." He said. I shrugged.

"You help me, so you help the Order." I said it firmly. "You're under my protection, I guess you could say. You and Blaise both."

"I feel coddled- You're coddling me. I'm down right smothered."

"All with the deepest affection, I assure you." I promised with a wry smile. It fell though slightly, turning into a frown. "Don't do anything stupid though. The Order trusts you on my word. Anything you do that's stupid falls on my head."

"Have I ever been known to do stupid things?" Theo snorted, ignoring my pointed look. "The stupidest thing I've done is piss off the Carrows- And that was for your sake, mind you."

I nodded slowly. "Fair. But still be careful. If anything were to happen to you, I know quite a few people who would be rather upset. A certain pretty blonde in particular."

"Yes, I'm sure Malfoy would be quite devastated." Theo agreed somberly, the gloomy expression turning into an amused grin as I chucked another roll of gauze at his face.

_

Besides annoying Theo and shuffling healing items around, I tried to put a purpose into everything I did.

I knew that the time Ariana would come to fetch us would be later, that everything wouldn't begin to build till the evening. But I also knew that I should be ready for it as best as I could be, and took what time I had.

When I dressed, I dressed purposefully into clothes that would be practical in the midst of a battle- a light sweater, worn jeans and boots that had seen better days, but would stay on my feet in the thick of it. Practicality was my best friend- That, and the muffin I had managed to grab from the newest basket we had retrieved from the pub. I munched on it slowly as I sat in front of the radio, tinkering with it.

While we couldn't listen to Potterwatch twenty-four-seven, we kept an ear out for muggle stations, knowing what they took as natural disasters and accidents were more than likely the actions of Death Eaters, Dementors and other such things. It was a bit depressing, and morbidly amusing at times when they'd blame the destruction of a muggle cabin on an earthquake rather than what probably had been giants.

"By the time this war is over, London might be rubble." Neville said with a sigh as the broadcast ended. No one disagreed, and I only grimaced. The rubble was going to be a lot closer to home than that. I leant back in my chair, kicking my feet up onto to the table and pushing back so the two front legs of the chair rose up off the ground.

"It better not be. Lily wants a flat there." Lavender chimed from where she sat on the floor by the radio, cross-legged as she worked on knitting what appeared to be a scarf. It had gone to be several squares longer than one would expect though, and I was starting to wonder if she merely continued knitting for something to do rather than to make something.

"I do." I agreed with a small nod. "It would definitely put off my plans if any future potential flats are destroyed."

"And then where we would hot chocolate movie nights?" She teased. I chuckled quietly, nodding in agreement. From where he was leaning against the wall, Theo rose his eyebrows, watching amusedly.