Black [Theodore Nott]

Chapter 65

"Now, remember. Slughorn usually eats early, takes his short walk and then returns to his office." Hermione said.

"Right. I'm going down to Hagrid's." Harry said.

"What? No!" Hermione said. They all got up and went to stop Harry. "You've got to go see Slughorn. We have a plan –"

"No. I've got a good feeling about going to Hagrid's. I feel like it's the place to be tonight, know what I mean?" Harry said.

"No." Hermione, Ron and Carina said.

"I did say one drop is enough." Carina said.

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing. Or at least Felix does." Harry said.

He then left the common room to get to Hagrids, when he passed a couple of Gryffindors, he said a very not-so-Harry-ish "hi!" to them, leaving the group of Gryffindors confused.

"Felix?" Carina asked.

•†•

A loud bang was heard in the Room of Requirement. Theodore stood at the side as he watched Draco threw an object to the pile of junk above them in pure anger.

"Our mission is to get this cabinet fixed." Draco told Theodore.

"And it is. Why are you even angry?" Theodore asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Because you forgot!" Draco yelled, "I saw you... and Black."

Theodore felt his heart drop. His arms fell from his chest and in instinct reached for his wand that was at his side. Draco saw that Theodore wasn't going to speak so he continued.

"At the corridor when you were supposed to be here!" Draco said.

"It's done!" Theodore said, "The cabinet's done! All we need to do is wait for the right time – we spoke about this with them, they told us the when to expect their arrival..."

"But you let yourself get distracted." Draco said.

"And you didn't?" Theodore said, "You had more slip-ups than I do, Draco... Katie Bell, Weasley!"

"You were the one who said to use poison." Draco said.

"But I didn't tell you to give it to a daft Professor!" Theodore said. "I've been saving your arse since the start of this year! I've been covering for you every time you missed classes, every time you think of making a scene!" Theodore was now holding Draco by his robes.

"And you got yourself distracted by Black." Draco sneered. "Have you forgotten? She's a member of the Order and you're a Death Eater."

Theodore pushed Draco back.

"I haven't forgotten." Theodore said.

"Well it looks like you did." Draco said, "And don't think I don't know about that little present you gave her and Alston..."

Theodore's glare at Draco hardened.

"... If you think simple charms could protect them, then your wrong... Sirius Black wore the same thing, but he ended up dead anyway..."

It was in a flash; Theodore had his wand pointed at Draco's face just after the Malfoy boy spoke.

"Don't even dare..." Theodore said, threateningly. "If you even think about touching them... of touching her... I will kill you, Malfoy."

"It's not me who you should be worried about, Nott." Draco said. "I thought from the two of us it's you who'd have their head straight. You have to wake up, Theodore... there's a war coming... and she's fighting for the other side..."

"You think I don't know that?" Theodore said, removing his wand from Draco.

"I think you're still living in that little dream world of yours, Theodore. And you need to wake up."

•†•

Theodore went back the Slytherin common room past midnight. He stayed at the Room of Requirement a bit longer after his and Draco's row. Draco was right, he thought, and he never suspected to even say those words. He shouldn't have kissed Carina, if he hadn't kissed her then there wouldn't have been any more problems. Just by having a relationship with her would get her killed –

He needed to end this. He thought. He needed what he had with Carina and needed to do it right now –

"Where are you going?"

Theodore froze, he turned and saw Roman standing by the fireplace with his wand in his hand. From the looks of Roman's face, he was angry, but why?

"I have to go somewhere." Theodore said.

"To that abandoned corridor to meet Carina?" Roman asked.

Theodore felt his blood run cold, for the first time his eyes showed fear. Fear of Roman.

"Roman –"

"I saw you two the other day." Roman said, "I just didn't say anything... how long?"

Theodore sighed, "A few weeks now – the day Malfoy was brought to the Hospital Wing when Potter almost killed him."

"That long." Roman muttered.

"Roman. We planned on telling you, we just didn't know when..."

"I made arrangements with my cousin who's at Belgium,." Roman said, "He'll have a portkey ready for us to take when I say so and from there we could Apparate to Romania, we'll be safe there, my Uncle works at a dragon reserve, he could help us ... I did just as you asked."

"Roman..."

"Don't." Roman said.

Roman went to the stairs to their dorms, but was stopped when Theodore grabbed him by his robes and had Roman face him.

"If you're angry, don't throw it at Carina, throw it a me – punch me, hex me, jinx me – I don't care, just don't hurt her." Theodore begged.

"I'm not angry." Roman said, "I was chasing the wrong girl... I knew the moment I saw you two at the Black Lake last year... the way she looked at you... it was how I wanted her to look at me... but I knew that would never happen."

"I'm not going to apologize for that, Roman." Theodore said, "And you know it."

"And I don't expect you to." Roman said, "A war is coming – you said it yourself – just swear me that you won't anything happen to her..."

"I swear on my mother's grave." Theodore muttered.