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What's going to happen to our favorite couple?! What is Theo doing in my story?!!?!? READ TO FIND OUT!
"Erm… Theodore would you like to wait inside the Manor until Draco returns?" Hermione glanced at her silent companion as they strolled out of the owlery. She found herself to be as much a resident of the Manor as Draco was; Draco allowed her everything the Manor offered: the large kitchens, extensive library, beautiful gardens, astronomy room, and much much more. Hermione knew that she still had some exploring to do, but seeing as it was Malfoy Manor, she was still a bit apprehensive about strolling its hallways.
"Certainly, that would be fine."
Hermione nodded, and continued to walk with him.
"And Hermione?" She looked up at him inquisitively. "You can call me Theo, if you'd like."
Hermione quirked an eyebrow and wondered what he needed to see Draco for. Theo and Draco seemed like complete opposites; how did they ever get around to being friends? It seemed like every Slytherin was friends with every other Slytherin. Hermione wrinkled her nose; evil slimey ferrets traveled in packs. She almost laughed that she referred to Draco as an evil ferret once again, knowing full well that his personality had evolved from its former… rodent-ness.
Upon reaching the Manor, Hermione kindly asked one of the house elves to put tea out in the library. She noticed Theo wrinkle his nose up when they walked inside, and wondered why he would be repulsed by the beauty and comfort of the Manor. Although she didn't feel quite comfortable here yet, she knew that it was decorated with the utmost style and luxury.
She joined Theo in the library, musing about when Draco would get home. After picking up a large book that looked to be about a thousand pages, Hermione slumped into a chair and watched as the tall man skimmed through the bookshelves.
"I'm sure I can entertain myself in the Malfoy library, Hermione. You don't have to stay with me." Theo softly said as he looked for a book to read. Hermione was already curled up on an oversized chair with a novel that she hadn't quite finished yet.
"Oh, don't worry I spend most of my time in here anyways." Hermione smiled at him and pointed to her book.
"Ah, I see… another bookworm such as myself." Her book was quite ridiculously big in her small hands. "I saw you quite often in the Hogwarts library, most likely researching for parchments that weren't due for two weeks. I never quite understood how you obtained those assignments so far in advance." Theo chuckled as Hermione's cheeks tinged pink.
"I wasn't the most placid student, I suppose. I do believe I was a bit too pushy with getting assignments from professors." She laughed softly at herself when she remembered explaining to her professors that she simply had nothing else to do and must get those future assignments.
"Your determination made you an excellent student, Hermione. It shouldn't be something to be ashamed of." Theo's eyes sparkled as he regarded her. "After all, I was the third best student at Hogwarts after you and Draco. I should know what academic zeal feels like."
Ah, a man after her own heart. She looked at him in awe for a couple of moments, and then turned back to her book. Maybe she and Theo could forge a sort of friendship.
"Theo, did you go to university?" Hermione asked. Surely an academic like him would have gone when Voldemort was no longer a threat.
"Unfortunately, no. I put off higher education while Voldemort was a threat and I haven't gotten around to applying or obtaining recommendations from Hogwarts. I fear it might be too late for me." Theo looked down, a slight sense of disappointment being revealed on his stoic face. "I doubt it is too late for you, Hermione. Everyone knows your name; you could do anything you wanted." His hazel eyes sharply regarded her, willing her to respond to his assumption.
Hermione scowled at this; everyone knew her name but obviously no one cared. However, she didn't voice this. "Everyone thinks I'm either dead or still in hiding." Hermione said, satisfied that her voice didn't waver at the thought of her friends.
"Are you not still in hiding?" Theo gestured to the walls around him. "Seems like trading one hiding place for another, wouldn't you say?" Theo's lips were slightly upturned and it made Hermione smile back.
"I suppose you've got a point there."
After a couple minutes of silently reading, Hermione spoke again. "What would you say if I said I'll apply to universities if you do the same?" Her chocolate eyes lit up as she tried to strike a deal with the intelligent man in front of her.
"Hmm…" Theo stroked his chin as he thought of the possibilities of what returning to school might mean for his career. Though his father was a Death Eater, Theo tried to disassociate himself with the Dark Mark on his arm as much as possible, and his reputation was relatively unscathed at the end of Voldemort's reign. Since then he had become a successful sort of magical building contractor, but found his career was stunted due to his lack of further education.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt for me to apply, now would it?"
Hermione beamed at him. "Excellent, let's both apply! I can access my Gringott's account now because no crazy Dark Lords are after me, so I'll actually be able to pay my way through university."
"What would you like to study?" Theo inquired, his pale face completely placid. Hermione found herself drowning into his honey colored eyes before thinking of his question.
After thinking for a couple of moments, Hermione replied, "There is a Muggle chemistry and Wizarding Potions program at a Wizarding Paris-Descartes University… I wanted to go there after Hogwarts. There are some other Potions programs at other universities that interest me as well. What would you hope to study?"
"I'm quite partial to Arithmancy. Paris sounds lovely."
Hermione flashed him another satisfied smile. "That was my second favorite subject at Hogwarts." Theo's lips once again slightly upturned although his eyes showed much amusement to Hermione, and both returned to their books. Although Theo was enigmatic and at times robotic, Hermione found herself enjoying his company.
~*~*~*
When Draco returned home an hour before dinner, he did not expect to hear two voices emanating from the Malfoy library.
"Yes, he always was such a cheater, wasn't he? I knew it!" Hermione laughed fervently as Theo revealed that Malfoy often cheated during Quidditch matches versus Gryffindor.
"Of course he was a bloody good seeker, but I guess he loathed you Gryffindors enough to do that." Theo smiled at the woman across from him, noticing that she had completely forgotten her book. He gave himself a proverbial pat on the back; one had to be quite the conversationalist to make a bookworm lose track of their book. It slipped from her attention and closed shut, but she didn't notice.
At the sound of someone clearing their throat, Hermione and Theo's heads whipped around to see Draco standing at the entrance of the library.
"Draco! It's dinnertime, already? Time has simply escaped us, hasn't it Theo?" Theo nodded, but looked gravely at Draco. "When I was delivering a letter at your owlery, I met Theo and he's been waiting for you to arrive. I hope you don't mind?" Hermione tilted her head to the side, wondering why the library had suddenly become so tense.
"Of course not, Hermione. The house elves are just now setting up dinner. I will meet you there shortly." Draco caressed the small of her back as she walked by and gave him a curious look. She didn't appreciate being dismissed, but would ask Draco what that was all about later on. Giving a small wave to Theo, Hermione made her way to the dining area.
"By the way, Hermione…" Hermione turned back at the sound of Theo's voice and poked her head into the library. "You were on page three-hundred-and-seventy-four." He winked quickly at her, and she flushed deeply, staring at the forgotten book in her hands.
"Erm… of course, thank you." She exited.
~*~*~*
Quickly shutting the door behind Hermione, Draco turned to Theo and wandlessly muttered a silencing charm on the library. When Theo felt the tinge of magic being cast, he inclined his head at Draco's talent. "Impressive. Still the show off, I presume."
Draco's gaze quickly turned corrosive as his steel eyes turned a shade darker. "What were you doing with Hermione in my home, Nott?" Draco scowled when Theo sneered at him, realizing that he had gotten under his skin.
"She's quite a lovely young lady, is she not?"
Draco huffed in annoyance at Theo's tone; he was one of the purebloods who would become fascinated with anything rare, beautiful, or dangerous and would stop at nothing to own it. Despicable.
"You leave her alone, Nott. She's been through a lot. If she knew the truth about you, she wouldn't hesitate to hex your bollocks off."
"And would she do the same if she knew the truth about you, Malfoy?" Theo said acerbically. Draco could feel his pulse rise as he clenched his fists.
"What do you want?" Draco's deadpan voice belied his anger and irritation with the former Death Eater in front of him.
"Simply to call upon an old friend. I'll Floo in sometime, mate. Maybe I can spend some time with Hermione, eh?" Theo clapped him on the back before disapparating with a pop, leaving Draco in the library alone. He quickly pinched the bridge of his nose then ran his fingers through his hair. What in the hell was Theo doing here? Why did he come back after all of these years?
~*~*~*
"Now, Draco. You've been given your assssignment. Should I have any doubtsss about your ability to complete it?" A snake-like voice hissed from underneath a dark hood and it caused Draco to shudder in repulsion as he kneeled before the figure. Severus Snape had taught him Occulumency, and he quickly shoved any thoughts that would betray his loyalties to the back of his mind.
"Of course not, milord. My wand acts in accordance to what my lord desires."
"Sssuch loyalty from someone as young as you, Malfoy. You impresssss me jussst as your father does. You will have a higher place amongst my ranksss soon enough." A horrid cough wracked the skinny frame from beneath the Dark Lord's cloak, and he wheezed before Wormtail comforted him with a goblet full of what Draco assumed to be something equally vile as Voldemort.
"Thank you, milord. Long live Lord Voldemort."
After the dark revel was dismissed, Draco collapsed upon his bed, absolutely exhausted from having his mind constantly attacked with Voldemort's advanced Legilimency. However, his mental fortifications did not betray him and the Dark Lord was pleased with him.
Father would be pleased with him.
Although Lucius was a wretched father, he began to see the benefits of neutrality in the great war that was to come. The Malfoy name had already been dragged through the mud in the Wizarding world, their Gringott's accounts were taking a beating from keeping Voldemort alive, and the Malfoy Manor had effectively become Death Eater headquarters.
Draco couldn't look his mother in the eye anymore as he realized that she was slowly dying of heartbreak. Her lovely gardens were her only sanctuary away from the Death Eaters, and Draco would often find her here with a book or being consoled by his father. Her lovely home, once teeming in beauty and style was becoming a dark, dungeon-like abode for an evil man with whom she did not share the same "philosophy" on blood status.
Shortly before Draco had received his first assignment as a Death Eater, his mother had passed away quietly in her sleep; she was probably unwilling to continue this life. Draco had never seen his father show any such strong emotion as the day when Narcissa Malfoy had left him; his face twisted up in grief and ultimate sadness as Narcissa's pain was replayed to him over and over again. Though he did not sympathize with his father, he felt as if he had become more human on the day of his loving mother's funeral.
A firm knock on his door caused Draco to spring up in bed. It was Lucius, no doubt, coming to check up on him after the dark revel. It was customary for Lucius to give Draco a pep-talk about upholding the Malfoy name, however his talks were more lackluster ever since the death of Mother.
"Enter."
Lucius strode into his son's room with purpose, setting his cane against the wall and shutting the door behind him. After whispering a few wards to keep any eavesdroppers from discovering what they were conversing about, Lucius turned to regard his son. He had matured quickly in the months following his Hogwarts years; Narcissa had become exceptionally proud of her son as he rescinded the ways of the Dark Lord and became a more tolerant wizard.
"Draco."
"Father."
"Are you ready to carry out your assignment?"
"Yes, I can accomplish it for the greater good." He paused. "There will be bloodshed, but it is necessary to keep any suspicion away from our family."
"Excellent, son. I will be accompanying you, along with Aunt Bellatrix."
Lucius leaned to clap his son on the back, a rare show of affection as he was faced with the murder of innocent Muggles all to save face for the Malfoy name. However, if he didn't carry out his assignments, then it would bring their loyalty under suspicion. This would not do if the Malfoys were to work on being neutral in the war.
After the attack, Draco would send a Patronus to the Order of the Phoenix members, who would be able to round up any straggling Death Eaters who wanted to be entertained with the torture of Muggle civilians. Although tonight he would become a murderer, he hoped that some of his fellow Death Eaters would be sent to Azkaban.
It was a routine occurrence; some of the lower Death Eaters were none too bright and Voldemort would not suspect any betrayal if some of them were incarcerated.
Wiping his sweaty palms on his Death Eater robes, Draco grabbed his wand and quickly exited his room.
~*~*~*
Theodore Nott's untimely visit had reawakened repressed memories that were stashed at the back of Draco's mind. He took deep breaths to clear his thoughts, and strode to the dining area to join Hermione. His soul quickly became unburdened as soon as he saw her smiling face, quietly waiting for him so she could begin eating.
"You didn't have to wait for me…" Draco said softly, brushing his hand against hers as he sat down at the table. His blood began to pound when she gasped against the contact and drew her hand away quickly. 'Mm… soft skin…'
"It's no problem. Is Theo not joining us tonight?" Hermione motioned to the empty place setting across from her. When Draco shook his head, a house elf snapped its fingers and the setting disappeared.
"What's wrong? What did he want to see you about?"
"Hermione, Theo is someone that I don't want you to associate with." Draco said, his voice grave. He didn't meet her questioning eyes, and preferred to stare into his bowl of soup.
"What's the reason for that? He was being a perfect gentleman, Draco… You don't have to worry about any improprieties."
"I don't have to worry about that because he knew that I was coming home at any minute; if you were somewhere else then I don't think he would been so gentlemanly." Draco spat at her, angrily mashing his spoon into his chowder.
"Is the chowdah not good, Master Draco?" A house elf squeaked.
"It's FINE."
"Draco, what's the matter? Just talk to me!" Hermione's cheeks flushed with anger, not realizing what had made him into a sudden prat.
"Just STAY AWAY from Theodore Nott, Granger!"
Hermione glared at him; he used her last name. It was like they were back at Hogwarts with him barking "Granger this, Granger that" at her again. What a child.
"I do not keep the company of such rotten children."
Hermione stormed off out of the dining room and Draco heard her slam the door approximately 30 seconds later. His brain was officially turned off as he finished his meal in silence and frustration.
Ahhh…!!! A fight! Oh noes!
Why is Theo such a bad guy? Sniffsniff.
Why is Draco so riled up?
Please review to find out!!! I hope you're enjoying my story :)
Love!
