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Round 7: Daphne Greengrass/Theodore Nott

Crash! Daphne Greengrass jerked awake. Grabbing her wand from her bed side table, Slowly passing her dorm mates, Daphne creeped down the ancient winding stone staircases.

"Lumos," she whispered, descending towards the common room where the crash originated from.

Holding her wand in front, she remembered Professor Snape's words in dueling class, "Attack first, defend later."

Swallowing heavily, she entered the common room.

Unable to sleep due to the conflicting thoughts bouncing off his head, Theodore Nott went to the common room for a cup of cocoa.

He couldn't believe how much Pansy sucked up to the High and Mighty Drcao Malfoy. Theodore thought back to that afternoon.

'Pansy, I need more Newt's eye from Professor Snape for my potion,' Draco informed Pansy

'Of course, my darling Drakie-poo, just give me a moment." Pansy immediately got up.

"Oh, but Pansy, you were helping me with McGonagall's Transfiguration essay,' he said, feeling annoyed.

'Pansy! I need them now," Draco shouted.

'Sorry Theo, I'll help you later, Draco needs those Newt's eyes right now," Pansy said.

Theodore snorted, he'd read that text long ago, he only needed to add the Newt's eyes after two hours of simmering. Draco could have gone and collected it himself. He was always second place compared to Slytherin's very own Golden Boy.

Taking a mug of cocoa from the tray in the back of the common room, he proceeded to remove the stasis charm that kept it fresh and hot. Theodore was so lost in though that he did not notice that he had walked into a lamp until it fell to the ground with a resounding crash.

"Damn it!"

Feeling the presence of someone behind him, Theodore whipped around. Freezing immediately when he felt a wand pressing into his jugular.

"Who are you?" Theodore asked the person, whose face was hidden behind the shadows.

Hearing her child-hood best friend sound so helpless, her hand wavered. No, as much as she wanted to, she knew the Professor would berate her endlessly if she didn't check.

"What is my childhood nickname for you?" A familiar female voice asked, sounding deadpan.

After a moment's hesitation, Theodore said, "Dory."

His child-hood best friend stepped out, "Sorry, if I didn't checked and you turned out to be an imposter, Professor Snape would have killed me."

Daphne walked through the maze of sofas, couches and beanbags toward the tray of hot cocoas.

The flash of brown hit Theodore like the Hogwarts express, the shine of her hair, the sparkle in her eyes, and the fairness of her cheeks. With Daphne's light chocolate brown hair tied back in an elegant yet sloppy ponytail, the curve of her neck was exposed. The slope of her neck had the softest looking skin, her nose was –

"Theo?" Theodore snapped out of his trance.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Did you here my question? I've called your name numerous times already, you've been staring into space." Daphne stared at Theodore curiously.

"Oh, its nothing, just thinking about … things." Theodore said cautiously.

"Hmm, okay. I'm going to go to bed. Try not to knock over more lamps, or you'll wake the entire house." Daphne said, smirking.

"What? Oh, yes. Have a good night." Theodore murmured absentmindedly.

Daphne walked back to the girls' dormitories, wondering the whole way up what had gotten into her friend.

What had he even seen in Pansy? Oh, right. It was probably because she was always nice to him; even if she worshipped Draco. She was so much better before Draco had come and messed her up. Oh well, he'd keep trying to convince her not to hang around him too much. It's never worked though, he's mesmerized – or hypnotized her or something. Hmm … I'll ask Daphne tomorrow if she'll go to with me accompany me to the biennial yule ball.

With that thought, Theodore drank the last of his cocoa and went to bed, never even stirring.

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