DRACO:

He didn't want to lie to her. There were just things that he wanted to do before telling her, and speaking to Theo was absolutely one of them. If it went bad, he would try and pick up the pieces, but he didn't want Granger worrying about anything she didn't need to worry about. . Yet. He had extracted himself from their limbs being tangled apart on the couch with the excuse that he forgot he had to help with Blaise something. She either believed him or was allowing him to go off and do whatever he actually needed, because her eyes flickered with recognition before she smiled and let him leave after a chaste kiss.

He thought he might actually sweat at how nervous this was making him and he knew that it wasn't something to be so nervous about. Theo had always been supportive of his choices, even when he disagreed with them, so the problem of leaking the information wasn't too hard pressed in Draco's mind. There was always that constant worry of people knowing too early. He wanted to just graduate and move on with Granger without having to worry about any shite that stemmed from blood purity in these goddamn walls.

There couldn't be another day that he went on without talking about her with someone and narrowing down his list of friends took about two seconds to get to Theo.

Being in the dungeons again was strange as he walked down stairs and down corridors to the darker and gloomier area of the castle. The contrast was so absolutely jarring to what his new dorms were like with the airy space and open windows. As soon as he entered the Slytherin common room he felt slightly more relaxed. It was quite honestly a snake pit, but it was familiar ground all the same. "Look who's decided to slum it with us." He heard emerge from Flint's mouth as he flipped over a page of the Daily Prophet and barely glanced up to him. The blonde smirked slightly at the recognition from a few lingering students.

"Where's Theo?" He asked with a quick narrow of his eyes to scan the commons before Flint shrugged slightly.

"I don't keep up with your pets, Malfoy."

THEO:

Theodore's father had died in the war. Contrary to popular belief – and realistically, only known to Draco – Theo didn't regret losing his father for a single ventricle of a moment. He had even refused to find his father's body; he was so eager to put the past behind him. This had earned Theo a black mark on the registry when it came to pureblood associations. Not that he really cared. He had his inheritance, he had his life, and he had finally gotten rid of a diseased mentality that had been plaguing him since the beginning of his miserable existence.

His childhood attributed to his personality greatly. While Theo's home life was beyond agonizing, Theo accommodated to a great amount of humor and tomfoolery to cope with his father's temper. Sarcasm had become a very lucrative defense mechanism, and pranks were the name of his game. He never cared for politics. In fact, they bored him beyond repair. This was usually why he appeared to keep to himself most of the time, and also why Draco continuously stated that he 'could dress him up, but couldn't take him anywhere'. Theo seemed to revel in this notion, deciding plainly that he would prefer to stay at home anyway, where a bottle of firewhiskey was seemingly bottomless and pants were optional.

While the Slytherin dungeon inhabitants sulked over their losses, Theo was a light in the darkness. He found a certain amount of joy in their suffering, knowing that their pouting was over ludicrous beliefs. All of it just made him laugh.

He was on his way into the Slytherin common area when he heard Draco's voice and instantly, there was a new pep in his step… which was proverbially crushed when Flint decided to open his big mouth.

"Hey," Theo began, pointing an accusing finger in Flint's direction with a look of rather convincing offense on his face. Flint looked cordially up at him. "I'll have you know, I'm house trained." He let his finger remain pointed at Flint for an extent, as though waiting for the bloke to retort. When he didn't, Theo brandished a bright, snarky grin in Draco's direction. "Draco, good to see you."

DRACO:

His voice was a breath of fresh air to say the least. Theo had always brought a certain light to the dark, gloomy dungeons in a way that nobody had the beliefs or gall to do themselves. His charisma wasn't dwarfed into fake politics like most of the Pureblooded sort anyway. It was fun and intoxicating with a sort of humor that just made you feel comforted to be in his presence.

"I've been busy with scheduling." Draco makes the excuse, immediately hating that he wasn't around as often as they used to be through the years in school. It was the work, plus his classes, plus the fact that he couldn't act normal around Granger in public, so he had to make the best of his time in the dorms. All this boiled down to the fact that his best mate saw him sparingly.

"Let's take a walk." He says quickly, glancing to Flint who seemed disinterested to say the least. Practically pushing the other boy back up the steps, he cleared his throat when they emerged from the dorm and clasped his hands tightly behind his back. It was always interesting to him how their steps fell into line with one another. There was a way that Theo always carried himself in situations he didn't understand, though. It was a skill that Draco also harnessed although absolutely different. Draco had the ability to charm a room with a simple few sentences and that sort of smile that it seemed all Pureblooded boys were taught at a young age. Theo didn't charm anyone at all, but he had a way of drawing the attention and interest of every man and woman around him to the point where they couldn't help but be fascinated of his presence. It had always caused jealousy to rise in the blonde's chest in their earlier years of friendship.

"I wanted to tell you something." He says finally as they're just emerging from the dungeons and down dimly lit corridors that flicker in shadows from the torches hanging on the walls. How fitting of a setting.

"It's about Granger."

THEO:

Theo had made a noise in the back of his throat; an exaggerated half-growl, half-complaint of 'gahhh' as his neck was grabbed and he was pushed away from the Slytherin dorms and into a more private setting. Unlike Draco, who always had a certain air of prowess, Theo was clumsy and often tripped over himself. Yet another reason he was unfit for pureblood get-togethers. At Pansy's last birthday party, she had scolded him for accidentally knocking over a swan sculpture in front of all the attendants. Just before he was escorted from the premises, however, he had managed to sneak off with some stolen Parkinson stationary. Since then, he was content with getting his revenge by sending Pansy letters… from herself… from the future.

Upon reaching a more secluded area, Theo was released and looked wildly around the premises. It might have seemed exaggerated, but he was genuinely ensuring that no eyewitnesses were in the immediate area. He was just much less sleuth about it than Draco was. He wound up doing a full 180-degree turn before Draco began to speak and his attention was on his best friend again.

There was a small pause as Theo adopted a befuddled expression, appearing as though he were trying to remember just who Granger was. Of course, Draco knew that wasn't the case. One of Theo's most admirable traits was that his brain raced a mile a minute, which meant he came to conclusions much quicker than most. Where Draco went through deductive reasoning, Theo knew – mostly through instinct – what the real situation was. The difference between them: Draco could explain his thought process, where Theo had difficulty remembering what set it off in the first place.

"Why? Because you're shaggin' 'er?" Theo asked, unblinking. He knew. Of course he already knew. He paused for a moment, shrugging. "What's the big deal?" And of course, classic Theo, his subject almost immediately went off course. "You know; I was thinking of casting a jamming charm on Flint's drawers. So they only come out two inches. That way, he can see everything, but he can't get at it…"

Theo made a miming motion of attempting to open a jammed drawer for emphasis.

DRACO:

He sighed slightly and rubbed his temple when the boy began twisting around very obviously. Safe to say that if someone had been listening in they would be absolutely tipped off by the boys clumsy glancing around as if they were doing a drug deal. It was charming in a. . .Strange way.

His mind was thumping with a sort of worry and fear wondering exactly how Theo would take the information and what would happen afterward. Would he get more serious and really stare him down? Maybe there would be a bit of an awkward pause as he tried to soak in the information. It wouldn't effect their friendship. . Would it? His head was beginning to hurt as all the situations flicked through his mind.

Draco blanks for a good ten seconds.

That jamming idea was absolutely brilliant and he would get back on that in a second, but for now he just sort of put up a finger as if to pause his friends speech and really soak in this information. "Wait. Wait..." A hand runs through his hair as if figuring this out was some sort of complicated math equation that needed complete and utter concentration.

"Who told you that I was shagging Granger?"

What's the big deal?

Draco hadn't realized how much of a relief it would be to actually be completely accepted by someone as Theo always had. To be able to talk to someone about Granger and for them to understand. Fuck. He needed this more than he thought. "How did you know?"

THEO:

He was thrown off of his usual, wayward train of thought when Draco stopped him. Upon being asked who told him, Theo made an offended expression almost instantly, clasping a hand over his chest. Nott had almost staggered back, deeply insulted by the insinuation of gossip. Theo never partook in gossip, normally because he just didn't have the attention span, nor the patience for it. Whenever Pansy came around with her usual droll, Theo habitually tuned her out and would often wind up interrupting her when some other topic sprung to mind. She would curse him and leave… and he would begin preparing another letter.

This had been going on since the beginning of the new school year. She still had yet to catch on.

"Wh—" Theo sputtered, then his expression adopted that of exaggerated anger. He pointed directly at Draco for effect. "Alright, I've decided I'm definitely mad at you for ditching me this year. Uh-huh. Oh yeah." He nodded forebodingly, and perhaps Draco could see the gears in his mind, churning up a rather horrid prank. However, this time, he kept on topic, much to his own surprise. "In case you've forgotten, I've got a pretty perceptive eye. And I'm smart…" he paused, then corrected himself, "most of the time."

There was a lingering pause as Theo's expression relaxed and he motioned to his best friend with both hands for emphasis.

"You're taking on a dorm with a pretty girl and no adult supervision. Which, by the by, is completely irresponsible – and that's coming from me, so I'll give you a second to let that sink in." He took a deep breath and dropped his hands to his sides, deciding to only motion with one hand now. His spiked hair bobbed slightly. "Also, you're... you. Do the math, mate, it wasn't a hard deduction."

DRACO:

He cringed as he was called out for ditching him and seemed to think of retorting for a moment before just letting it go. Draco didn't want his hair charmed pink for three days, like when Theo got pissed at him in fourth year. Draco scoffed loudly at the insinuation that taking on a dorm with a pretty girl would just naturally lead to sex which. . .Yes. Alright that was a fair assumption, but he still felt he had the right to be offended.

"We are adults. We don't need supervision. I'll have you know that it's not just shagging. Most of the time. I mean we have been doing a lot of shagging. And it's really good shagging, with multip-. . .I'm getting off topic now. . .You've known this whole time and you haven't said one thing to me."

Draco hadn't even realized the playful grin that had stretched over his lips. Theo had always just had a way of bringing out the less 'broody mcbrooderson' side of him, as Theo so nicely put it.

"You know how Mother and Father are. If they knew. . .Well you know what would happen to me. I've decided that I just need to wait until they're dead and I can tell the tombstones about her." Of course that was a totally illogical thing that wasn't very likely at all given the average age of Wizards and Witches and how damn long his parents would last just to spite him. "I also REJECT the thought that I would sleep with any pretty girl I had to dorm with. "

THEO:

We are adults.

That statement alone made Theo roll his eyes dramatically in response. They were all around the age of eighteen, they just felt like adults because they were forced to grow up and face a battle that could have potentially demolished their entire way of life. Of course, there was no explaining this to Draco. Not since the epic disagreement of last Christmas, where both of them bickered on the topic of adulthood in the garden outside of the Manor, having attempted to get away from the horrid noise Bellatrix was causing within the melancholy walls.

Of course, this expression had almost instantly merged into a big, dumb grin as Draco himself began venturing off-topic. By the time he caught himself, Theo was chuckling low, nodding along, and simply encouraging the blonde to realize the state of his own maturity through his words. Digging a grave without Theo ever having to put in the effort. This was a treasure, indeed.

As the conversation melded into a more serious tone, Theo's smile faded, though he still maintained a natural air of quirkiness, as usual. Even during topics of life and death, there was something… surreal about his presence. Theo had a natural aura of wit and humor that he couldn't seem to get rid of, even if he tried.

"Well… that's stupid," he quipped at the mention of keeping Granger hidden until the death of his parents. "Evil never dies, you'll be waiting forever, and who has the patience for that?"

This was where the sarcasm came in to play.

"I think the word you're looking for is RESEMBLE. You RESEMBLE the thought. Word choice, Draco, word choice." Nott shifted in his stance a little. "Look, I never said anything because I figured it best to let you come to me on your own. If it was a serious thing, you'd find me. If not, you'd go through whatever motions and deal with it yourself. But since you found me…" his eyebrows wiggled for effect, "I'm assuming it's serious?"

DRACO:

Theo had always been the one to call out the things that Draco had always just assumed were pureblooded needs. Acting happy when you weren't. Doing things to appease your parents. Becoming a Death Eater. There were just things that Theo hadn't agreed with and made them quite clear, when his best mate was actually willing to listen which was quite rare.

The stupidity of keeping Granger hidden wasn't lost on him of course but what else would he do? He had never been very open about intimacy or relationships anyway, so what was the big deal if they just never told anyone and lived happily together in a bubble? The war had forced shite to happen too quickly most times anyway so wasn't it a right for the both of them to just live in peace?

Serious. Hm. There were a lot of ways that could be interpreted and as the blonde thought of Granger with her hair draping down her back humming to a song in her head and moving her hips slightly while she finished breakfast, his heart thumped.

"Yes. It's pretty serious." A hard punch is landed on Theo's shoulder for the eyebrow wiggling, though. "We didn't plan it. It sort of just happened and when she went back for the holidays she broke it off with Weasley. As soon as she got back, we sort of. . Well you know." His arms crossed over his chest now at the thought of her first day back and quickly abandoned it because he could feel his skin begin to heat.

"I haven't really asked her what she wants to do in terms of secrecy. I assume it's a weird conversation, yeah? Like 'Oi do you want to fuck me in secret forever and never be acknowledged by any of my peers nor family?'. I'm just not sure how to approach that."

THEO:

There was another strangled, choked growl of 'gahh' as he was punched in the arm, which swiftly merged into an elongated 'owwww' as he rubbed the stricken area. Theo looked at Draco with the expression of a man whose pride was severely damaged by the incessant pummeling. He was always so violent!

Not like Theo was any different, which was proven when Draco had finished his little rant and Theo had – without hesitation – replied with a single, solid smack upside the blonde's head. For a moment, Theo's arms waved around in silent fury, as though actively trying to make his best friend see the bigger picture standing right in front of him.

"Wh—how—are you kidding me right now?!" Nott continued his awkward flailing through his stuttered speech, still at a conclusion that Draco had yet to catch up on. "Look, mate, I might not know Granger at all, but I can tell you from my own – albeit failed experiences with women – that whatever she's doing, she's doing on your behalf. As Slytherin as I am, I can tell you now, tossing that idea in her direction will be both insulting, and will likely cost you at least three months of shagging, if not more. We've both seen enough of her personality growing up to know that she's not the type to keep up with a secret like this without it completely eating her alive. She's not the type to accept being buried like some shameful secret. She's Potter's bloody best friend and a Gryffindor, sort yourself out."

Now mid-rant, Theo took a moment to steal in a breath, his chest heaving as though he had run a mile. He always did have a knack for making himself breathless when he went on tangents like this. By now, he was shaking his head at Draco. In moments like this, Theo always did shimmer with a hateful sort of logic.

"I understand everything going on with your mum and dad, and I've got news for you, mate, your mum – pureblood beliefs aside – would never abandon you to the dogs. That's fact number one, right there. She could rant, rave, and scream at you until the cows came home, but there's a reason she did everything she did in the war. There's a reason Potter vouched for her. What she did, she did for you. I doubt she'll throw that away on account of this thing you got with Granger." He threw up his hands just then, mocking surrender. "Now your dad, he's a different story. He's going to be the real problem here. Speaking on a more shallow note, though, did you ever think that this might actually be good to go public with? A war hero and a former Death Eater? McGonagall's been shoving unity down our throats all year. The Ministry's been looking for something like this to placate the masses and pacify muggle-born bloody insurrection. I'm not saying this should be the reason you go through with anything when it comes to Granger – because it shouldn't be with something this serious – but I am saying it's an idea that you can sell to your parents soften the blow, if-or-when you tell them – and it should come from you."

Silence hit them like an anvil.

"Besides, you can't keep this a secret, mate. You might as well be prepared for the fallout. Backup plans for your backup plans. That's what you told me once, remember?"

DRACO:

The heavy thwack of his hand hitting him made Draco flinch and rub the back of his head with a slight groan but deciding not to retaliate given that he could hear the beginning of a long rant coming from his friend. That was the one thing that was agitating as it was helpful with Theo. He went on tangents that seemed to tear into you and last for hours at a time even if it had only been a few minutes.

He knew somewhere in his chest that she would have been insulted if he ever said anything along those lines. Who wouldn't be? Nobody wanted to be a secret or something hidden away in a closet and only taken out during the times they were used. She wasn't a broom, after all. He couldn't even imagine looking her in the eyes and telling her that he never wanted to tell anyone about them.

The speech about his parents made him tense slightly and he twitched at the notion. No. His Mother would never abandon him long term, but she would also never bloody well accept any relationship with a Muggleborn, let alone Hermione Granger.

Lucius would seethe and scream and shout and demand that Draco be removed from inheritance and although most Pureblooded wives were weak and submissive, he knew damn well that his Mother was unflinching. He'd seen it plenty of times with his Father's quick temper and how she refused to bow to it.

Eyebrows furrow at the thought of using the relationship as a. . Unity celebration? He detested the thought that they were shoved together for some bigger agenda but then again Theo wasn't wrong. It would calm down what had started as whispers and were beginning to become a movement. Muggleborns and their disgust with modern Wizarding society and some even spoke of there being an overthrow of power. Draco had ignored it with a complete blind eye. If there was some other sort of war or the like, he would prefer to just die than to have any part in it.

"Yes. I remember. I know you're right, I just want to go on pretending that my way of thinking is logical for a little while longer. Thanks."

He waits a few long moments before speaking again. "Alright. I'm done. You're right. I should tell my parents, and then Granger can deal with her friends and then. . Then if it gets out to the world we'll deal with what happens, I suppose."

THEO:

Nott had always been – perhaps – the most personable among their year, when it came to Slytherins. Still, he never quite lost his sneaky streaks. Where the others busied themselves with political competition and ruining reputation, Theo didn't ever have a reputation that could get ruined in the first place, which meant that he had the option to be brutally honest, make his dormmates' lives a living hell with countless pranks, and more importantly, he was able to speak from the heart when necessary.

"Don't think I'm undermining the situation you're in, Draco," Theo warned, wagging a friendly finger in the blonde's face. "I'm not blind. There's no part of this that's going to be easy, but of course, you know that. There's nothing wrong with wanting something for yourself, and wanting it to stay as it is, but that all reaches a point where it's not about just you anymore."

His hands slapped against his sides, eventually sliding into his pockets to show that his rant was calming down and that he was reaching a very calm, honest note of this conversation. He nodded along as Draco spoke, glancing briefly down at his feet with a loud, somewhat frustrated sigh, before casting his gaze back up to his best friend again.

"I get that. I do. I've told you this before, I don't make the decisions, I just give you the options. You decide where to go from there. However, I will say one last thing on the matter." His hand sliced through the air briefly, smoothly. His wild gestures gone. "You need to decide if this is something worth fighting for. If it is, then great. If not, then, well…" he shrugged helplessly, "secrets don't make good foundations for these types of relationships."

Theo sighed loudly just then, removing his hand from his pocket and extending his arms out humbly, as if presenting himself. "That's it. That's all I got."

He let the silence fall between them for a moment before clapping his hands together and rubbing them in a lucrative manner.

"Now, can we talk about me for once?"

DRACO:

There's nothing wrong with wanting something for yourself.

Draco had never truly wanted anything for himself since he was young. There was no room for thinking of his own wants when trying to keep his family alive and well. His own wants were drowned out in the sea of pale faces and torture not quite sure when humanity would eventually return and stay. The fact that it wasn't just about him anymore? That is what struck him the most. Theo was right, as he often was. Granger was half of whatever relationship they had going. She had half the say in what happened to it.

Was it worth fighting for? Was the way she smiled at him in the mornings and pressed kisses along his jawline worth it? Or how her teeth clenched and jaw set when she was about to tear into him in a rant about something he's said. Or how she looked in the light of the moon through windows, laid out on the couch so invested in Hamlet that she hadn't bothered to even look up to greet him. "It's worth it." He says after a moment of silence.

Smirking when Theo had finished his tirade and said he was done, Draco finds himself leaning against the wall and nodding to his friend. "I mean if we have to." He teases before gesturing forward as if Theo had the floor to speak.

THEO:

It's worth it.

Theo couldn't help but grin at this notion. Cocky, snarky, but a grin nonetheless. He always did get a sliver of pride whenever he saw something genuine come from his best friend. Draco was often set in his pureblood ways, aristocratic airs and all. It was rare when Theo managed to yank a genuine response from the lad, so this conversation was certainly a treat.

"Well, shite," Theo began, reaching out to clap a friendly hand on Draco's shoulder, "you're in trouble, then."

The jest was innocent enough, even if they both knew the truth. However, as the topic progressed, Nott's eyes seemed to light up with an impervious excitement.

"Fantastic, because I've got a lot to tell you. First of all, I've been sending Pansy letters from her future self, which is just fantastic. Uh, I made Flint smack himself in the head with a book, which actually took a while. I paid everyone five galleons a piece to call Blaise 'Blane' all day, and it was totally worth it. I put a bloody glove in Goyle's satchel and tried to convince him he'd committed murder… that one was a bust…"

And so they carried on.