AN: Thank you readers for your patience. Thanks to my three wonderful guest reviewers. The story is far from over. This chapter is quite a serious one. Wish you all a happy new year. And enjoy.

Hermione did not know long she could keep staring at Draco Malfoy, slack jawed, open mouthed and eyes bulging. It was his low pitched drawl that brought her back to her senses.

"I asked you a question. Granger, what the hell are you doing here?" He pushed off his back foot towards her and wobbled mid-step.

She stepped back.

He groaned, bringing a hand to clutch at his temples. "Well?" A bottle clinked as he brought his other arm through the entrance. Hermione put two and two together; shaky unsteady steps, glazed red eyes and a close to being empty firewhisky bottle. Perhaps she could work this to her advantage. She mustered as much conviction into her next words. "Listen to yourself, Malfoy. What would I be doing here anyway? A Gryffindor outside the slytherin dungeons! You have obviously been drinking too much and now you're hallucinating." She admonished. "Get a grip!"

Malfoy was not buying into it. He put a hand out to swipe at her. Reacting swiftly, she stepped back and to the side. "Don't try to pull some shit on me! Tell me what you're doing here."

She countered, "In truth I'm tucked up in bed in the Gryffindor dorms. If I'm festering in some corner of your mind, I'll be wherever you are. Did you think of that?" Her finger reached into her robes, grappling for her wand between the folds of fabric, trying to maintain some semblance of composure.

"You're real!" He said in a low simmering voice. "I know you are real!" He pointed at her. The bottle slid from his hold and smashed onto the ground into five pieces and glittering glass dust.

Her pulse kicked up a notch.

"If you don't tell me what your plan is here, I'll hex you into the middle of next week!" It was not an empty threat.

Her fingers closed around her wand and tugged it lose from her pocket.

"It's all a dream, Draco!" She laughed.

"Dreaming of a Mudblood! Not likely!" Malfoy snarled.

Hermione swayed from the verbal slap. Then again, she hadn't quite recovered from the first one. "Hex me then! I promise you the curses will pass straight through your pillow." She was tying her tongue in knots and sealing her fate with it.

"Just watch me, Granger!"

So when the long overdue tug on the back of her skirt came instructing her to duck, Hermione didn't think twice about it. She threw herself into the floor, scraping her knees as she pulled them into chest and rolled over her spine and out of harm's way. "Reparo!" She shouted. The glass bottle righted itself in the entranceway but not fast enough to stop the door from shutting. Damn! Had Malfoy noticed? No, he looked preoccupied and shell shocked. The space where Hermione had stood was now taken up by three detached and floating hands, each one carrying a wand. Before Draco had time to pull out his own wand, a salvo of muffled screams hit him straight in the chest.

"Stupefy!"

"Obliviate!"

"Jelly legs!"

Ninety kilograms worth of Draco Malfoy fell in slow motion, a growing shadow that ploughed face forwards into the cobblestone floor, with arms by his side. The rush of blood in her ears meant that sound did not register but in the pin drop silence that followed after the fall...it had to have been very loud.

Ginny peeped her head around the alcove at Draco's still and ghostly form. "Is he dead?"

Angelina ripped the cloak's hood offer her head. She let out a long breath, hand on heart. "Oh my God! That was so close."

"Just breathe," Katie instructed.

Parvati fanned herself. "Are you okay Hermione?"

Hermione rushed to get her breath back as she stood up, every joint clicking in her ascent. "Crabbe and Goyle!" She panted. She gestured to the entrance. "They won't be far away." It took a few seconds for the girls to resume coordinated lung ventilation and speech. As soon as she regained both, Angelina started issuing orders. "We've got to move him. Now!"

Parvati pointed to the alcove. Angelina seized an arm while Katy took hold of the other. All the girls ran into help and proceeded to lug Malfoy, who was no light weight. He had plenty of bruises come tomorrow, Hermione thought.

"Rosettes for a poodle." Angelina answered, eyes twinkling in bitter humour. She folded his legs up, tucking him into the narrow space.

"That's perfect." Parvati said.

Katy wiped seat off her brow. "Shall we drape the cloak over him?" It was a sensible idea; the longer Draco went unnoticed the better.

"No." Hermione interjected. "We need it more than he does. And who's to say he won't come round sooner than we expect?"

Parvati nodded. "You're right. We'd be giving him an invisibility cloak as an early Christmas present."

Harry would not be pleased, Hermione thought. But then again, this was Harry's mess that she had been dragged into. Why should she give a damn over what pleased Harry?

Angelina squatted down beside Malfoy and pinched his cheek hard. "No response. He's out cold."

"Well I did stun him!" Pav said hotly.

"I'm not saying that you didn't!"

Katy interrupted. "How many spells did we hit him with?" Her tone laced with concern. Malfoy's lips were turning an unpleasant shade of blue.

"He is cyanosed." Hermione observed.

"Enough spells." Angelina deadpanned. She rose to standing and noted the closed doorway, ignoring Hermione's disappointed sigh. "Sticking with same plan. Katy, Pav and I will be under the cloak. As soon as Tweedle dum and Tweedle dee land on the scene, we'll follow them inside. Mione and Ginny – stay in the alcove until we open the door from the inside.

"Tweedle dum?" Ginny said perplexed.

"Crabbe and Goyle!" Pav snapped. "Honestly, keep up carrot-top!"

"Cut it out, the pair of you!" Angelina growled.

Hermione motioned to the firewhisky bottle in her hands. "Do you still want this, Angelina?"

Katy said. "No you better keep it Hermione. And be careful!"

"Come on!" Angelina ordered brusquely. "Get in positions, now"

Two minutes later, the stones in the wall rolled silently, revealing the oak door, a tall chubby male stepped into sight. His head turned, scanning the empty corridor outside for signs of life. For signs of Draco whom Hermione and Ginny were currently perched on. Sadly, without stilettos, Hermione thought. Her breath hitched as Crabbe stepped over the glass bottle by the door. Under the cloak, Angelina gritted her teeth. "Okay, Ladies. We're moving in."

It did not come as a huge shock when Blaise stormed out of their room. He lifted himself clean off the ground, and turned sharply out of the room like a gentleman. A very classy exit - if he hadn't battered the door down with his left shoulder before he reached for the door knob. When Blaise slammed the door behind himself, he practically wrenched it off its hinges and hurled the detached door back onto the frame. Steps that thundered in the corridor were quick to fade to distant pattering like rain. Blaise had been in such a hurry to leave, he had forgotten to grab a set of robes. Theo exhaled deeply and sank further into the headboard. After 5 unaccounted minutes of staring unseeingly at the wall in front of him, he snapped his notebook shut and brought his knees up, allowing the notes to slide off his lap. The book landed on its spine with a gentle clunk. The flapping pages fell into flustered disarray. He didn't give a damn. Theo had had a shit day. He did not need to analyse why. He closed his eyes and counted to ten taking long steadying breaths. His hands wandered to his temples, massaging them in smooth unending circles. Some thirty minutes later his chest rose and fell evenly in REM sleep.

Even sleep was not kind to him. Blaise made several impromptu appearances to this point it was becoming a bad joke. "Can you just leave me alone? You're following me everywhere."

Dream Blaise shrugged. "Not my fault."

"I thought we weren't on talking terms." Theo clarified. This was getting too complicated for him. He could still feel the alcohol swirling round inside his skull.

"We're not." Blaise snapped.

"So..." Theo questioned. "Shouldn't you be somewhere right now?"

Dream Blaise looked at him quizzically.

Theo had to clarify himself. "Shouldn't you be entertaining female company right now? It's what you normally do when you are licking your wounds- find the nearest willing female and...And screw them."

Blaise laughed softly. "Say the word sex, Theo. Get with the times. And as for licking, my willing female usually does it for me...and more."

"I don't need to hear." Theo bit out.

"Jealous?" Dream Blaise perched himself comfortably on Theo's bed, forcing him to shift to make room. "Cause you never experienced..."

Theo interrupted heatedly. "How do you know that I haven't already experienced."

Blaise snorted. " Please! You? An uptight, arrogant prick – aren't you planning to stay celibate for life?" Without warning, Blaise reached for Theo's arm.

He withdrew it reflexively and fixed his best get-back- glare on Blaise.

"There you go." Triumph was stamped all over Blaise' face. "You can't stand being touched. Deny it all you want but you know I've just proven it to you. Imagine the horror of having to shake hands with anyone, accidently brush shoulders with anyone, give your grandmother a hug." He said and shuddered dramatically. "So traumatic! And to offer yourself to a lover- unthinkable!"

"You'd know all about offering, wouldn't you?" Slag!

Blaise ignored him. "I can't understand how you can go on living, Theo! I mean, the way you are – you can't even have sex."

Theo bristled. "Pittance from Blaise Zabini- slytherin house's finest man-whore - what next?"

Blaise smiled sympathetically at the reference. "Call me a whore if you want to. I'd rather be that than a monk."

Theo said. "I told you before; I am not a virgin..." Theo drew himself short. It almost sounded odd for a boy to refer to himself as a virgin- it was the sort of label that applied to girls like Bulstrode, Granger and ... that was about it.

Blaise interrupted. "Theo, that's just hard for me to believe and trust me I'm not the only one. I accept that you are just different and you don't give much of yourself away."

"There's nothing wrong with that." Theo countered. "You give too much away."

"To whom are you referring?"

Theo said brazenly. "Your mother."

"She's dead."

"She's been dead for nearly a year and still you think of her. She killed your father."

Blaise stilled. "Theo, she didn't kill my real father. I told you this back in fifth year."

Oh, had Theo ever forgotten? He had nearly regurgitated his dinner at Blaise's revelation in fifth year. They had been sitting playing wizard's chess in the common room. He had said it in such a measured tone, his white knight taking out Theo's bishop in one fell swoop. "I think you should know something about me, Theo." Blaise knew the weight of his words yet he threw them like stones.

I think you should know that I was born out of wedlock. I think you should know about my muggle father. At least I think he was muggle. I guess that would make me a muggle's bastard son. Does that make me a half blood?

Theo couldn't remember how he had contained his shock from leaking out onto his features that night. His fingers shook as he moved a pawn forwards.

It was Blaise' turn now. The white queen moved 7 squares diagonally, smashing into Theo's castle.

Theo swallowed past the constriction in his throat." Muggle spawn may be good enough for the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs but they are not fit to wipe the floors of Slytherin house. Everything would change for you if you were indeed a half blood.

"Everything?" Blaise had fixed him with a hard stare.

"Yes." Theo told him resolutely. "You shouldn't have told me. You shouldn't have told anyone." Had he thought Theo's support would give him some sort of immunity? Had Blaise wanted Theo to tell the other boys on his behalf? "I am a Nott." What possessed you to tell me in the first place? The Nott family hailed from purer bloodlines that poured ditchwater on the Malfoys.

Blaise' response had been one of total detachment. He threw the ball into Theo's court and said play. "So what will you do, now?"

What? Theo had not been caught off guard for a long time. When he found his voice, he said. "Why would I need to do anything? It's your secret."

"It was my secret. But now I have told you. So tell me Theo, what will you do now?"

Wracked with indecision for weeks afterwards, Theo oscillated between wanting to make the knowledge public and not wanting to spill. Nott recognised a strong responsibility to his pureblood peers to inform them of Zabini's suspicions but without hard evidence to substantiate his claims, for example a name for the muggle father, he could not raise perhaps he should have pressed Blaise harder for a name – any muggle name? Theo shook his head. It would have been opening a can of worms and why would anyone with pureblood association want to bring up such a disturbing topic. (Not that it ever stopped Blaise.) If he spoke out without supporting evidence, he would be slandering the Zabini family name and soiling his family's reputation with little to gain. No, he decided after much debate that was not the appropriate line of action.

He could not however ignore it. Some information was impossible to unlearn. Had it been his secret and his father a ...a whatever, Theo would have taken the knowledge with him to the grave. He would never have placed the burden of such truths on a fellow pureblood and expected their silence. What was worse was Blaise had no expectations of him. He talked about muggles freely in private in their room, musing on how they worked, ate, played and how they lived out their days. He never asked for Theo's discretion. He probably guessed that all the free information and muggle fascination was providing ample arsenal for Nott should Blaise turn against him. That didn't stop him talking about it either. Initially had been the only reason that Theo had listened to Blaise' ramblings about pubs, fishing and Sunday lunches.

And now with passing months it wasn't just Blaise' secret. It had become Theo's as well. A gnawing uncomfortable truth that a mere mention of would make bile rise into Theo's mouth. Being privy to information that difficult to disprove and impossible to deny, some days made him angry. If the knowledge ever reached his father that Theo associated with a self confessed half blood, his father would disinherit him, sell their family estates (probably to the Malfoys) and drink himself to death. It was no laughing matter. As for Zabini- he had plenty of Italian cousins to play kings and queens on his future assets.

But this talk, this information Theo vowed would stay between them. Imposing rules on Zabini was as effective as imposing rules on toddlers. However rules were necessary. Tongues could not afford to loosen over firewhisky. Other acquaintances and budding friendships could not be encouraged or tolerated. Out-of-house, extracurricular activities with females of lesser blood were to stop on his watch. Any pillow talk would destroy them both. Theo would rue the day he failed to relay the revelation to his peers. Theo recognised his delay in informing his peers had cost him. Blaise's Achilles heel was now his own. Ally or not - He would sooner put Blaise in the ground in a suit and shoes, than go barefoot running with Blaise and show the world. As far as Theo was concerned, Blaise was pureblood elite, regardless of Blaise' confusion. That was how they presented themselves to the wizarding world and to their house.

His judgement of late - Theo's romp with half blood Tracey Davis; his drinking earlier in the evening would not go without due reflection. Had the thought crossed his mind that if he ditched Blaise' partnership altogether, there would be far fewer complications in his life. Had he? He would be lying if he said he had not. His alliance with Zabini had been in its sapling stages in fifth year. It would have been easier then to pull a sapling out by its roots in fifth year but he had put it off. Saplings grew over time. Trees needed chopping.

Blaise snorted, bringing him back to the present which was...his dream? He was sure of this still being a dream. "I don't approve of some of my mother's decisions but I don't love her any less for her faults. In fact I have forgiven her. She wanted a better life for me."

"Did she tell you that?" Theo did not think it was possible to find a more selfish woman.

"I love her Theo." He said. So simple and frank with honesty and sincerity he didn't sound slytherin. "That's why I think of her. Anyone else?"

Now was his chance. Theo offered a second name. "Me."

The corner of Blaise' mouth lifted. "I haven't forgiven you yet."

"Do I need forgiveness from you?"

Blaise pondered on the thought. He said slowly. "Yes, I think you do. I think you want my forgiveness, you callous SOB." He imitated Theo's perfect British accent. "I need nothing from you! - you crack me up sometimes!"

Their alliance strengthened into a solid partnership that served both of their interests but

Of late Theo noticed an increasing area of overlap or grey space where he considered what Blaise's interests were before making his own decisions. Sometimes Theo found himself taking action that brought about no personal benefit for him. It surprised him every time when Blaise reciprocated this unusual behaviour- often double or triple fold. He could only conclude that their partnership was shifting further into the grey space and further from black and white zones of self interests and manipulations. Merlin along knew how long Theo could sustain this shift for.

I need nothing from you.

They hadn't been opponents in a long time. Not since fifth year had they played chess on the black and white chequered boards. He had no idea what held their alliance together. But it seemed nothing had become a growing grey expanse.

"Anyone else?"

"Yes." Theo asked, steering the conversation as far from their non alliance as possible. "The girls."

"What all of them?" Blaise looked surprised. He made a show of counting on his fingers and before giving up. He laughed. But the smile dropped from his face and he became serious again. "Let me ask you a question."

"About what?" Theo said

"Tracey – you liked her."

Theo's face became stern and lined. "I don't want to talk about Tracey."

Blaise held up both hands in surrender. "Fine but I introduced her to you."

Theo pre-empted the next question. "If you can see every thought and every motive, you know everything there is to know about someone without any effort on your part and then you don't need to give yourself away. I didn't feel obliged to give Tracey anything. I realised a lot of things about of her in the space of seconds. I tried blocking it out but it was too much.

"When?" Blaise asked.

Theo shrugged and rolled his shoulders back. "At a party in the common room." Yes, that party.

"Was it when she touched you?"

Yes. It had been fine. Until she had loosed his tie and reached inside his shirt and all hell came rip roaring into him. Into his mind.

"Does touch hurt you?"

What. The question threw him off guard.

"Does touch actually cause you pain?" Blaise asked.

Theo couldn't believe he was hearing this and considering giving Blaise the truth. Well, if he was dreaming the whole incident, it did not matter either way. "I don't know." He stuttered uncharacteristically. "I think I am conditioned to expect pain on touch, so yes on most occasions. But the severity varies depending on the other person and the emotions behind their words."

Blaise mused. "If your Legilimens is weak and touch enhances it. Why not just undo the conditioning?"

Theo's tone hinted finality. "My conditioning is not up for discussion."

The door opened.

Theo sprang up from the mattress, eyes opening too quickly to adjust to the light. He held a hand in front of his face as a shield, equally wary of this late night visitor.

"What do you want, Blaise?" He croaked, vocal cords rinsed with salt and gravel. He coughed unsuccessfully to clear them.

Blaise stood in the doorway, taut as wire. This usually spelled trouble. Theo glanced furtively in his lap. He spied his wand between the folds of duvet and noted its position in arms reach.

"Don't just stand there. Why don't you come in?" He called out. The other wizard shifted from side to side. Theo could sense reluctance on Blaise's part. Blaise did not want to be here. He thought of trying to reach out to his mind but Blaise, whom he had practiced on countless times, would sense his approach and counter it with a wand. No, he would not welcome the brief invasion. Theo cocked his head to the side realising something- Blaise was dressed in a set of robes which almost fitted him. Warrington's robes or perhaps Montague? It was an indication of the length he would go to avoid Nott. He would rather borrow robes off a seventh year than return to collect his own from their shared room. This begged the question; why had Blaise returned?

"Is there something you need Blaise?" Theo said, anger rising. Do you need a gilded invite to vent to your satisfaction? Do you need permission to cross the threshold and enter the room? What do you want for Merlin sake?

"Flint sent me to get you." Blaise ground out.

Theo said icily. "Running errands for Flint already?"

"Fuck off."

Theo settled back down on the mattress. If Tooth fairy flint wanted to negotiate a diplomatic ceasefire he could wake up another student and do so. Theo was officially in bed and sleeping. "Blaise, you know me so well. So pass the same message onto Flint!" He turned over onto his side and snuggled under the duvet.

No sounds of retreat. The door did not shut and the light stayed on. It appeared an equally defiant Blaise was not going anywhere.

"Any other messages that need relaying?" Theo yawned.

"You have to come down to the common room. Everyone is waiting for you."

Nott snapped. "Whatever for?"

Blaise opened his mouth but sound followed after a moments delay. "We found Malfoy unconscious outside the dungeons."

"He shouldn't have drunk so much then." Nott muttered into his pillow.

"Pardon?"

"He should have held his drink better!" Theo shouted.

Blaise said coolly. "Malfoy had been stunned!" He paused. "We want to talk to you about it."

Theo stilled. And that was the real reason that Blaise had come back. He rolled onto his back and turned his head towards Blaise. "You think it was me?"

Blaise echoed his words. "Was it you?"

"I asked the question." Theo said, poised and intent on an answer.

Theo was too proud to defend himself against baseless accusations. Blaise held that long unflinching stare till his eyes were straining and Theo's expression became pained. "No." He breathed. "I don't believe it was you."

If Theo was relieved by the response he did not show any signs of it. "Does Flint plan to interrogate me in your place, then?"

Blaise asked, changing the topic. "Could you bring him round?"

"You want me to bring Malfoy round?"

"Yes." Blaise confirmed. "And I'll tell Flint it wasn't you."

He sat back up and swung a leg out of bed. Blaise signed inwardly at this 'progress' as Nott was showing sign of getting ready. "Accio." A comb flew to his outstretched hand. Theo raked the comb through his hair superficially, till his hair felt in place. "I don't need you to do that for me." He stopped. "But...thanks."

Blaise' lips twitched "It's not a problem." He handed Theo a set of robes off a hanger in their shared wardrobe. "Be down in five minutes."

"Blaise –wait!"

The Italian froze like a statue and turned as slowly as a revolving door in a hotel lobby. "Is there something you want, Nott?"

Nott let out a harsh breath. "I...I...I have no idea what you are thinking right now."

Coming from Nott, this was a shattering confession. A blunt admission of weakness. Even of defeat. Blaise said, choosing words with absolute care. "Then perhaps you should listen to what I say."

Nott shrugged. "People don't always say what they think."

Blaise smiled wryly. "I am not going to spare you the truth just because we're acquainted."

Not didn't laugh as intended. He looked torn on the verge of saying more and wanting to cut out his own tongue.

Blaise said encouragingly. "You'll have to tell me. I can't read minds."

"You've always been hard to read. "

But you've been trying "Perhaps you are getting better at blocking out my thoughts." Blaise considered. Theo had promised. many months ago that he would not invade his mental privacy without consent. Today he realised that in cultivating and supporting their friendship, Theo had to do just that. Looking back, they had always been in tune with each other. Their conversations were serious, sincere or downright sarcastic. Conversations flowed easily. No small talk. He realised this was because of Theo's ability to reflect like a mirror. With brutal honesty he should show Blaise the dirt in his image, his weaknesses that needed hiding and a silent sincere appraisal of his strengths. Then again, Theo was listening to thoughts and not words. Blaise was superficial in his speech but his ideas were fixed.

He guessed that Theo was angrier with himself for going back on his word than Blaise ever would. In fact, Blaise was surprised at his own reaction or lack of one. "You do what you need to, Theo." Blaise heard himself say. "I'll wait outside."

The door closed for a second time that night. But this time Blaise had closed it, not slammed it shut.

Theo threw his head back on the headboard with a loud clunk and to the empty air around his head, he told. "That's the problem Blaise. I am losing it. Without my Legilimens, I am losing you."

Everyone was assembled in the common room. Like Spanish inquisition, Theo thought ready to hold court and with their minds already decided on the sentence. He couldn't be bothered with this. He came down the stairs, with uncharacteristic swiftness two and three at a time, dodging Pansy as she launched herself at him.

"What the fuck have you done Nott?" She screamed. "Have you seen Draco! "

He nodded sideways at Blaise, who took hold of a hysterical Pansy and gently pried her from Theo's coat tails. "Come one Pans. It wasn't him." They followed him down the stairs at a slower pace.

"Well who else could it be? Huh? Have you seen how terrible Draco looks?"

Blaise rushed to explain. "Theo's been in his room the whole time, sleeping off the firewhisky. I swear it Pans. I took him there!"

"No!" she continued to shriek and battered him with slaps as he tried to take her wrists and hold her.

The whole of sixth and seventh year girls and boys were gathered in all manner of night clothes and robes in the centre of the common room around a sofa. A sofa where the son of slytherin probably lay bleeding, Theo snorted. The sooner this day was over, the better. Shit was just getting worse the second. Several of the girls sat around the sofa fussing like hens. Crabbe stood a little off the side by the glowing green fireplace, features thrown into shadow, with Goyle resting a hand on his shoulder. Theo expected the pair would need the most convincing of his innocence.

As he descended the steps, the confused chatter fell into a hush. It was Tracey who stood up first from her vigil. Theo's expression closed off instantly. Her lips pursed, eyelashes batting to quell God-knows-what emotion. Theo was no expert on reading the female psyche but maybe Tracey was considering that if she had offered herself to Malfoy like a sacrificial straight-up slag, Malfoy probably wouldn't by lying like a broken doll, after a duel with the ex.

He stopped on the stairs, bringing Blaise who was carrying Pansy to a jerking halt. And their gaze met. She angled her chin towards the sofa/altar and back up at Nott, moist eyes baring emotion openly. He knew her better than she knew herself. And her delusions needed correcting. Don't flatter yourself. I didn't fight him for you, Davis. He fixed her with an icy clinical glare that cut through the mask to the core of her. Then he turned away. Grim satisfaction showed in his eyes briefly as he resumed course towards Malfoy. If he had looked again, he would have seen her hug her arms around herself and remove herself from the crowd. But he never looked.

Theo pushed his way through the students, with Blaise taking up the rear. He barrelled into Flint. The gorilla straightened up to his full height of six foot 4 - the same as Nott and bared his teeth. "You better have an explanation."

"For what?" Theo snapped. "Sleeping?"

He could feel the press of bodies as they moved closer in on him. Someone elbowed him in the stomach. Another push and Nott shoved back. He jostled into Flint. "If anything happens to Malfoy, I'll fucking deck you." The big man growled.

Shouts rang. "Hex him Flint!"

He argued. "I was in my room the whole time, Flint. Drink doesn't agree with me."

Flint ground his back teeth. "Yeah your drinking doesn't agree with me either."

"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" Chants broke out, rising in tempo and volume.

"Nott , you jealous bastard!" A girl screamed.

Theo said smoothly, uncaring of whether he was heard or not over the cries. "The day a Nott becomes synonymous with bastard is the day the rest of you become Muggles."

The crowd was effectively silenced. The prince of slytherin had no reply – for once.

"Move aside, Flint." Theo said in the same steady tone. When Flint was slow to comply, an impatient Theo stepped around him and walked and knelt by the sofa. Students gathered closer around him. He coughed conspicuously at Daphne. "I need some room to breathe, Greengrass."

She scowled but got the message instantly.

Theo spent several minutes, examining Malfoy's unconscious form. After five minutes of total silence, he came to following conclusions. "Multiple attackers. Probably three. Bilateral fasciculations and absent knee jerk on lower limbs."

Blaise looked at him quizzically. As did the rest of the common room.

Nott translated. "Likely usage of jelly legs charm." he paused. "Malfoy's been stunned. The reason he is slow to come round is due to the excess alcohol in his system and any memory charms playing havoc with his cortical functioning."

"Do you think he would have seen his attackers?" Blaise asked.

"Possibly." Nott answered vaguely.

"Can you reverse the memory charm?"

He didn't answer with words. With utmost care, he pulled up Draco's upper eyelids and peered in. The pupils were dilated to the size of dinner plates. Atropine a chemical in Belladonna (deadly nightshade) had a similar effect, referencing McInnis Herbology for Muggles textbook. He moved closer wading through realms of Draco's subconscious, and a murky grey curtain rose in front of him, blocking his passage. A definite memory charm. He moved closer and tried to pull the curtain to one side. His hand cut through the grey and it parted and resealed around his fingers like the dawn mist. His brow furrowed with concentration. There had to be a way of getting around this. He ran through a mental tick list of all the reversal spells he knew from weakest to strongest. The sixth on the list rustled the grey curtain. On a hunch, he repeated the spell and reached for the top left corner of the grey veil, pulling it down gently. He only hoped that Draco had the opportunity to see the attackers. If he didn't, Theo would have to retrace his steps, look for unusual identifiable scents, or worse still plod through his amygdale and examine for unusual emotional responses. At the end of all of that, he would have to connect his own dots, and build his own profile of the attaAs he was going through his options, the grey curtain fell silently in a heap. Theo stopped and looked ahead. The last person on Earth he would ever assume an attacker stood before him in freeze frame.

Hermione Granger.

Hisheart needed restarting. He shook himself violently. There had to be a mistake. It couldn't be. It he refused to believe it. She was not capable of destroying his potion without a crippling emotional backlash. How could she have the malice to hex Malfoy? But buck teeth and mouse brown hair stuffed in a lopsided bagel bun continued to stare right back at him, with eyes the size of dinner plates. Or maybe he was seeing the reflection of his eyes ? An unmistakable bottle of firewhisky swung freely from one hand and a wand was held firmly in the other, pointed in his direction. His logic screamed self defence. She wouldn't attack Draco otherwise - intentionally, or with provocation. Scratch the provocation part, her mother Theresa mentality hadn't stopped her from clawing Theo's face in the forest. What if she was intoxicated? The cogs worked furiously in Theo's brain. Granger's current mental state, whether or not it was alcohol induced, left her vulnerable. He had to find her and work out what the hell happened before someone else did. Lungs burning for air, he withdrew from Draco's mind, not before reinforcing the memory charm.

"Theo?" Blaise asked tentatively, when Theo had regained his faculties. "Theo did you see anything?"

Theo had to lie. At the same time, it had to believable. "Yes. " He said stoically. "It was Potter."

Ginny tried to manoevre herself into a sitting position, in a resident broom closet impossibly smaller than their alcove. Outiside, their shared broom coset, she could hear the slytherin riot growing louder.

An anxious Hermione said,"We don't have an invisibilty cloak. We're not going to be able to leave without being seen. Ginny we are so screwed. The slytherins are searching every room, dorm and broom closet. They are going to find us!" She paused. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Nope."

"I can't believe we lost the others. girls. What if they're caught?"

Ginny replied. "Well they won't know where we are. So that works out in our favour."

"Ginny, if you don't stop moving, I'm going to start spitting out my own ribs. Ouch!"

"SHUSH!"

"Can't breathe here." Hermione choked.

"Got it."

"What?" Hermione asked wearily. Ginny reaching over herself like a contortionist, dropped a heavy glass bottle in Hermione's lap. More firewhisky.

"What do I need this for?" Hermione said.

Ginny winked. "For some Dutch Courage."