House: Gryffindor

Position: 5th year Stand-in

Category: Themed

Prompt: Draco/Theo

Word Count: 4147 excluding Header, A/N, and Title

Beta: CK and Tigger

A/N: This was written for The Houses Competition Year 2, Round 3.

Warning: Mentions of violence and abuse and some OOC behavior.

What Else Are Brothers For?

Draco watched as Theo tried to slip out of the room unnoticed. He was skirting on the outside of the room, walking half hidden in the shadows. His eyes constantly darting across the chamber, making sure no one noticed him. He stopped at the portrait hole and gave one final look around as he slipped out.

Draco shot up from where he was sitting, unfolding his legs, and strode towards the portrait hole. His steps were hurried as he climbed through. He stopped on the other side, trying to listen for echoing footsteps but could hear none. Draco took his best guess and started to jog slowly down the hallway. He peered around every corner hoping to catch a glimpse of the tall, brown-haired student, but every hallway was empty.

He was just getting ready to turn back to the dungeons when he heard a door slam shut somewhere in front of him. He quickened his step before reaching the closed door. He drew out his wand and tightened his grip on the door before throwing it open.

The classroom was abandoned, empty, and undisturbed. The layers of dust were unbroken and no trail of footsteps could be found. Draco took a few steps into the abandoned classroom and spun around, his eyes surveying every nook and cranny. He walked to the large wooden desk and peered behind the furniture; no hidden persons were to be found. With a heavy sigh, Draco turned around and walked down the corridor, his heavy footsteps echoing throughout the stone passageway.

Theo watched from an alcove behind a statue as Draco made his way back down the hall. His head throbbed with guilt but there were just some things that he couldn't tell Draco. The days where they shared everything with one another were gone; Draco wouldn't understand.

Theo shook his head sadly staring in the direction that Draco had just left before turning down the corridor. As he was walking, memories of Draco assaulted him. Both young boys, chubby and eager, gripping their brooms between their legs as they wobbled in the air. Both boys sitting in finishing school, enchanting notes to sail towards one another behind their tutor's back. Both boys running through Mrs. Malfoy's garden, their knees grass stained and hair wildly blowing in the wind. Their cheeks flushed and both wheezing for air as they laughed and hid behind a tree watching as Mrs. Malfoy chased after them, her hand gripping her dress as she yelled after them for ruining her precious plants. Images of Draco and Theo with their heads bowed towards the floor as a red-faced man yelled at them.

Both families were prominent members in pureblood society; his mother, while she was alive, was close friends with Narcissa and they were almost always at each other's houses, gossiping, and leaving the boys to their own devices. Both he and Draco had been brought up in similar ways. They both had certain duties as the sole heir to their family name and it had been a comfort going through the same strict upbringing with another boy his age. They had both leaned on each other when they disappointed their fathers and helped each other focus on their studies. Now that they were at Hogwarts nothing had changed between them—they studied together, pulled pranks, and were always seen together.

Theo rubbed his hands over his face trying to displace the memories as he remembered why he was doing this. Why he was hiding this from Draco.

The next morning, Draco stomped over to Theo's bedpost intending to demand an explanation out of him, but he wasn't there. His bed was still made, the comforter looked undisturbed in the night, and his dresser and cupboard looked untouched. Theo hadn't returned last night.

Draco quickly threw on his robes and gelled his blonde hair back before trudging to the Great Hall. The large oak doors were thrown open for students to enter at will for the breakfast hours and allowed Draco an unobstructed view of the Slytherin table that was tucked in the corner. The green banners above it were a beacon to him as he dragged his feet across the Great Hall, his eyes scanning the sparse table expecting to see a tall, gangly boy. Instead, he saw two fat, oafs beckoning to him. Draco took one last look over the table before trudging over to Crabbe and Goyle and piling his plate with eggs.

He would see Theo in Charms class. No matter what Theo was trying to do, he would still care about his grades. If his grades slipped, his father would be very disappointed in him and punish him. Theo would do anything to avoid seeing his father. He hated his father; he had for years now after that one incident and was yearning for the day that he could escape.

Nine years ago...

Theo was sobbing as he entered Draco's playroom, his eyes red and puffy, a big welt on his cheek. Draco immediately jumped to his feet and ran to his friend.

"What happened?"

"My father," a young Theo sobbed, "he….he…," the boy's voice was wobbling as he tried to control his wailing. "He, my mother, I couldn't stop him, he told me he'd kill me next." His voice was coming out in a rush now, the words all blending together, but Draco's ears had perked up on the word 'kill.'

It wasn't unusual for families of the Sacred Twenty-Eight to use fists as a form of punishment. Draco's own father was very harsh on him and punished him this way many times, even knocking him unconscious a few times. The eldest Malfoy would sometimes even elicit punishments on his favorite house elf and playmate, calling Draco soft when he cried and begged him to stop; he had never heard of anyone getting killed though.

Draco had no words, as his young mind tried to process this information. He leaned forward and touched Theo, rubbing his back like his mum did for him when he was upset. Theo's tears had eventually dried and his dry heaves were spaced out more evenly. He was staring out the window when Draco's mum came to retrieve him.

Her lips trembled as she informed Theo that his father was here looking for him. She bent down to look into Theo's eyes and told him how sorry she was, clutching him tightly to her chest as silent tears spilled from the corner of her eyes. She took a deep breath and dragged herself away from him, her shoulders straightening as she wiped at her own face. Her face was now a blank canvas as she looked back at Theo and led him from the room.

Draco had learned that Theo's mother had died that night and he and Theo were the only ones who knew that she had been murdered by his father. His child-mind didn't comprehend that at the time but as his innocence faded with age, he began to fully understand what had happened that night and he had vowed he wouldn't let Theo go through anything like that alone again.

That was why he had to figure out what Theo was hiding. If Theo didn't want to tell Draco what he had been running off to do the last couple of days, then it must be horrible indeed; a chill made its way up Draco's spine. He had heard the rumors that the Dark Lord was using children to do his bidding, using them to gather up information on Hogwarts and spy on Dumbledore. There was no doubt in Draco's mind that Theo's father would offer up his services to the Dark Lord. Mr. Nott was a harsh man with a deep-seated hate towards Mudbloods. He was ambitious and cruel and would do anything to rise higher in the Dark Lord's ranks.

Draco squared his shoulders as he entered Charms class, his eyes finally landing on the gangly boy that towered above the rest of the students. He went to Theo's side and greeted him but Theo only nodded at him in return, and he quickly found his seat. He sat silently as Professor Flitwick began lecturing.

"Where did you go last night?" Draco whispered through clenched teeth. "You didn't come back. I tried to wait up and next thing I know it's morning and you never came back. What's going on?"

Theo avoided looking directly into Draco's grey eyes and instead seemed to focus on a point behind him as he answered. "I was in the library studying; end of term exams are coming up you know, and I need to pass." He shrugged nonchalantly and turned away from Draco.

Draco had known Theo long enough to pick up on the signs that he was bluffing; he pursued his lips before beginning to talk and clenched his hands under the table. He had avoided looking at Draco and tried to seem carefree about the whole thing. Draco's concern was quick to turn into anger.

"Don't bloody lie to me," Draco hissed at him. "I looked in the library before I gave up looking for you last night. You are one of the top five students in the class; you are in no more risk of failing then I am a sprouting wings. Besides we always study together. Where were you?"

"Mr. Malfoy, if you are not going to pay attention then I am going to have to ask you to leave. Ten points from Slytherin," Professor Flitwick said.

Malfoy glared at Theo one last time before turning his attention back to the center of the room, where Flitwick stood on a stack of large books, lecturing them on Alarte Ascendare and the repercussions of performing the charm incorrectly.

"Sorry Professor," Draco muttered as he slouched back into his seat.

He watched Theo out of the corner of his eye. He was sitting straight in his seat thumbing through his book before pulling a loose piece of parchment from the center of the book. His eyes lit up as he discovered it. His eyes scanned the page, a smile gracing his lips. Draco sat up straighter, craning his neck to see what was on the parchment but Theo had turned away from him, blocking his view.

Draco huffed as he returned to slouching in his chair, doodling in his own notebook as Flitwick droned on in the background. Before long, the chime sounded for the end of class and Draco rushed after Theo as he exited the class.

He called after Theo but he was ignored. He ran after him and grabbed at his robes, stopping him and forcing him to turn around. Theo turned grudgingly, his brown eyes flickering to Draco's face in annoyance.

"What is going on?" Draco demanded.

"Nothing, drop it, okay? Just bloody drop it," Theo barked.

Draco stepped closer, looking over his shoulder cautiously before whispering in Theo's ear, "Is it the Dark Lord? Did your father…"

Theo's eyes widened in surprise, "Wha…what?" He started before he registered what Draco had said to him. "Oh, ah, yes," Theo said, his voice rising so that it sounded more like a question. He coughed before adding, "Yes, yes, that's it." He lowered his voice. "That's why you need to stop following me Draco, it's dangerous."

"Yes, but I can help!" Draco whined.

"No. You. Can't." He punctuated each word with a steely gaze. "Stay. Out. Of. It."

He tore his sleeve from Draco's grip before striding up the stairs to the next class.

Draco followed slowly behind him, his mind reeling. He knew Theo wasn't going to tell him; he must figure it out for himself.

Theo had avoided Draco for the rest of the day. He would sit himself between two Slytherins and would dart out of the room at their release. During Transfiguration, the rest of the Slytherins looked at Draco curiously before he shrugged and left the classroom with Crabbe and Goyle flanking him.

Theo hadn't sat with Draco at lunch or dinner, and he was now beginning to get irritated with the constant chatter of the two blunderheads that had surrounded him in Theo's absence.

Draco finally lost his patience at dinner and slammed his hands down on the table. "Do you wankers ever talk about anything besides Quidditch?"

Draco rolled his eyes at their lack of response before storming out of the Great Hall. He ran into Hermione Granger on his way out of the hall and he shoved her away from him.

"Watch where you're going, Mudblood."

"You ran into me!" she exclaimed before stomping away from him.

"How dare you talk to me that way you filth!" he called after her, his voice shrill with anger.

She sent him an angry glare but didn't bother answering him.

He stormed down the halls, shoving other students harshly out of his way. Finally making it to the sanctuary of the Slytherin boys' dormitory, he flopped down on his bed and closed his eyes. His mind was heavy with Theo's lack of trust in him.

He jolted awake on high alert, having dozed off unexpectedly. He blinked the sleep from his eyes as he surveyed his surroundings. His eyes took in the green curtains of his poster bed; his familiar desk was jutting out in front of him and his bag was still sitting on the chair.

He slowly sat up and rolled his shoulders, loosening them. It was dark and Draco didn't see anyone else in the dormitory. He slowly got to his feet and was making his way towards the door when his eyes landed on a satchel in the corner sitting on Theo's desk. He stared at it, warring with himself. He felt his feet involuntarily move towards Theo's corner of the room.

Draco shifted from one foot to the other before he quickly examined the room, ensuring he was alone. He quickly threw open the buckled bag and started digging around in Theo's bag. He found his charms book and pulled it out, squinting in concentration while he thumbed through the pages. His fingers landed on the loose piece of parchment and he grinned in triumph.

He pulled it out and held it up towards the light. He read three words, My Dearest Theo, before the whole paper exploded in a cloud of black ink.

Ink was raining down on Draco's face, and he cursed at Theo for charming the parchment. He threw down the inky mess on Theo's bed and ran towards the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror and scrunched his face in disgust as he took in his appearance. His face was covered in blank ink and his pale hair was streaked with inky spots. Draco quickly splashed water on his face and scrubbed his skin raw. When the only remnants of ink were sticking to his pale blonde hair, he turned the water off.

He barged into the common room, banging open the door. His eyes narrowed as he spotted Theo in the corner, lounging on a chair. He made his way through the bodies lounging in front of the fire and the oversized furniture that adorned the room before stopping directly in front of him.

Theo took in his appearance—Draco's red face, his black tipped hair and his angry eyes—before bursting into fits of laughter.

"That's what you get for snooping," Theo forced out as he gripped his stomach and doubled over. 'You look ridiculous! Never go emo!"

Draco scrunched up his face in confusion. "Emo?"

Theo sobered up quickly, his face evening out before he turned back to his books. "Yeah, something I learned in Muggle Studies; they are kids who wear all black and stuff," he mumbled. Then, looking at Draco's confused face, he said, "Nevermind."

"I don't remember learning about that in Muggle Studies."

"Yes, well you don't bloody pay attention in that class, do you? Fall asleep every time," Theo pointed out.

"I don't see why we have to take it anyway; that old coot is losing his mind, making Muggle Studies a part of the core curriculum. The whole thing is barmy."

Draco flopped down into the chair beside him. The silence was awkward and uncomfortable, Theo's secret lying heavy between them.

Draco was tapping his foot on the ground and examining his nails in disinterest when Goyle tried to get up off of the floor, where he was sprawled out reading a Quidditch magazine, only to fall back to the ground again. Someone had tied his shoelaces together and he was floundering around on the ground like a beached whale. The whole common room was filled with laughter, Theo and Draco both calling out insults at Goyle. His distress had broken the tension and allowed the two comrades to fall into their easy friendship again.

Draco had thought everything had returned to normal that night as he laid in his bed. He knew nothing could ruin the friendship that he and Theo had created; there were too many secrets between them, too many years of friendship for something this insignificant to tear it apart. Theo would tell him when he was ready. He was repeating that mantra in his head, drifting off to sleep, before he heard Theo slowly drawing back his curtains next to him. Draco woke up instantly, his heart racing as he tried to keep his breath even. This was it, this was his chance.

Theo soundlessly made his way across the room. He opened and closed the door noiselessly, Draco watching with squinted eyes through an opening in his bed curtains. He let out a heavy breath and found his slippers. The blood rushed through his ears as he grabbed his wand and followed Theo.

He had just entered the common room as the portrait door swung closed. He quickly ran across the room and stuck his head out of the doorway, watching Theo's tall, gangly form moving with unexpected grace. His shoulders were squared in determination as he skirted around a squeaky floorboard and darted around the corner.

Draco rushed after him. He silently following behind him at a distance, his body shaking with anticipation or fear, he didn't know. He kept track of every turn Theo made, scrambling after him and craning his head around the corner before every turn.

Draco was peeking his head around a corner when he saw Theo give a vigilant survey of his surroundings before opening the door and stepping in. Draco's slippers aided in his attempt to be silent, muffling his feet as they scraped the ground. He slowly made his way towards the door and crouched before it.

As he approached the wooden door, he heard muffled voices from behind it. Between the pulsing of his ears and the thickness of the door, Draco couldn't make out what they were saying, but he heard Theo's muted gruff tone and an accompanying sing-song voice respond. He heard Theo grunt and his blood ran cold. What was the other person doing to Theo?

He stood up, shouldered the door open and rushed into the room. His wand was raised, but he soon skidded to a stop. Theo was snogging a thin girl with blue lined robes. She was perched on the desk, her legs wrapped around Theo's waist as his fingers ran through her hair, when her wide blue eyes met Draco's.

She pulled away from Theo and dropped her legs from around his waist. She tugged on his sleeve but he continued to nuzzle her neck and whisper in her ear. She elbowed him hard before he pulled away and looked down at her questioningly. She simply nodded her head in Draco's direction.

Theo spun around and quickly shielded the girl with his body, blocking her from sight. He just stared at Draco with tight eyes and thin lips, losing his pallor with each passing second. Draco's eyes darted back and forth from Theo to the patch of dirty blonde hair sticking out from behind his shoulder. Draco opened his mouth before snapping it closed again, his cheeks reddening. The pieces began to fit together: the sneaking out, the skip in his step lately, the dreamy look on his face, the letter, 'My Dearest Theo,' and the look of bewilderment as Draco suggested he was doing the Dark Lord's bidding before nodding in agreement. Theo was dating someone and hadn't wanted Draco to know about it.

So many emotions played across Draco's face; in any other situation it might have been comical. His eyebrows shot up in surprise before quickly scrunching into confusion again, his mouth going from being agape to being pulled back into a thin line. His eyes were still darting back and forth between them with suspicion. Draco finally dropped the hand that was poised in the air and straightened himself.

The air was thick as Theo and Draco just stared at each other, Draco shifting his weight from one foot to the other and scuffing his shoes on the floor. Theo looked ready to speak before he was shoved out of the way from behind by the witch.

"Hi," she said calmly. "I'm Magdalena Williams, Theo has told me all about you." She extended her hand towards Draco.

Theo sucked in his breath as he stared at her outstretched hand.

Draco's face drained of color. Williams, she was Muggle-born. His face twisted in disgust as he stared at the offending hand reaching towards him.

Her smile faltered as she dropped her hand and stepped back beside Theo.

"Please," Theo whispered. "Please, Draco, don't say anything."

His eyes pleaded with Draco as he wrapped his arms around the girl next to him and pulled her closer to him.

Draco narrowed his eyes at the action before grinding his teeth and spitting out, "She's a Mudblood!"

"Draco, I know and I don't care. Please, I love her."

Draco's eyes widened at the admission. He looked at Theo's hands rubbing comforting circles on her shoulders, saw her clutching at his robes, and tried to process everything. His head was reeling. Theo didn't care that she was a Mudblood? He had always hated them. He was raised to hate them. Draco's mind flashed to different moments where Draco was ranting about Mudbloods and their inferiorities, Theo just sitting silently listening to him rant, silently shrugging noncommittally whenever Draco turned to him. He had never actually said anything degrading towards Mudbloods; he had never actually agreed with anything that Draco had said.

Draco stared up at him, disbelief lacing his eyes.

He took a step back before turning and fleeing. His slippers fell off his feet but he kicked them to the side. He was breathing heavily and his legs were cramping, but he didn't dare slow down. He heard the heavy thuds of Theo chasing after him before he felt the boy's arms around him, tackling him to the ground.

Draco struggled under him, but Theo pinned his arms at his sides. Draco kicked out and tried to throw Theo off, but his weight held him down. Theo hovered above his face and stared straight into his eyes.

"Draco, listen to me; I am begging you not to tell anyone."

"Your father will kill her," he said, thrashing about. "What are you doing?"

"Draco, I love her."

"Truly?"

"Yes!"

Draco could see the sincerity in his eyes and he smoothed his hand over his face. He was suddenly exhausted.

Theo fell to Draco's side and stared up at the ceiling. Draco could hear him counting under his breath; whether it was the stone bricks or the seconds before his fate was sealed, he didn't know. He was most likely wondering if he would be cursed to watch the love of his life die at the hands of his father, just like he had watched his mother die.

Draco sighed heavily before talking to the ceiling. "Theo, I would never tell anyone your secrets; I thought you knew that by now."

Theo took a weighted breath in relief before sitting up and turning to Draco. "I'm sorry I doubted you, I just know how you feel about people like her."

Draco shrugged., "I trust you, Theo. If this is what you want, then I will support you. I will always have your back."

"Thank you, Draco. Thank you for being the only person I can count on."

Draco sat up and looked him straight in the eyes, his steely grey meeting Theo's warm, chocolate orbs. "What else are brothers for?'

They sat like that a long time, the tension between them completely dissolved, replaced by something stronger, brotherly love.