Black [Theodore Nott]

Chapter 55

"You alright?" Carina asked as she sat down beside Theodore.

Theodore got up from his resting position and turned to Carina with a yawn.

"Never better." Theodore answered.

"You look like shite." Carina stated.

She took note that Theodore looked a bit pale than usual and the bags under his eyes deepened.

"But I look better than Roman, that's for sure." Theodore smirked teasingly.

Carina didn't react to that, instead she placed a hand on Theodore's fist and looked at him with worry.

"Theodore, what' wrong?" she asked.

Theodore sighed.

"It's nothing. Just can't find the right side of the bed."

"Maybe you need some Draught of Peace – or something to get you to sleep." Carina said with concern.

Theodore sighed, he placed a hand over hers and gave her the most reassuring smile he could.

"I'm fine, honest. You shouldn't worry too much."

•†•

The following day, Carina had joined Harry and Ron down at the Great Hall. Ron was telling her about Harry's sudden wake-up-call in the middle of the night when he was suddenly suspended in the air by his ankle – as if his ankle were caught by a snare and had him dangling upside-down.

"Let me guess." Carina said, "It's the Prince that taught you that."

"Yeah..." Harry said.

Just in time, Hermione joined them with Roman at tow. Hermione made sure that Roman and Carina sat beside each other before she took the seat at Carina's other side. Carina and Roman did nothing to acknowledge each other's presence. Harry, who knew that none of them would fill him and Ron of what had happened decided to speak.

"Can I about what happened?" Harry asked.

"Let them fix it." Hermione said.

"What is there to fix?" Ron asked, "Don't tell me they had a row again."

"It's their thing." Hermione said.

"We wouldn't have had a row someone wasn't such a prat." Carina muttered.

"You know that it was just a thought." Roman said.

Before the two could even continue, Carina placed the Muffliato Spell around her and Roman – when she had learned that the Half-Blood Prince had spells self-invented from Harry, she asked him to teach it to her and found it very handy – and the two of them moved a bit far from the group.

Harry, who knew what Carina did, rolled his eyes and let his hands fall on the table. Unbelievable, he thought.

"Really?" he said as he watched Carina and Roman fight and mutter discretely whilst he, Ron and Hermione only heard buzzing sounds from them.

"I can't believe that she patronized that book of yours." Hermione said, glaring at Carina.

"You had to admit, it's very handy." Ron said, "But it would be better if she didn't put it and let us know what they're fighting about."

"From what I know." Hermione began, "Roman said some things out of line."

"Like what?" Ron asked.

Hermione pursed her lips, her eyes at Harry.

"It had something to do with Sirius." Hermione said.

"What?" Harry said.

His eyes trailed to the two, who now looked like were now just talking about something serious.