A few people have pointed out that Sr Nott should probably be locked up in Azkaban right now...
*cough*
Yes, he probably should. Mea culpa. So just assume that this is already a slightly AU timeline where he wasn't present at the Ministry Battle or somehow snaked his way out of being caught and sent there! This chapter is rather important for a lot of reasons, you'll see, so it needed to stay in.
I also apologize for the lateness. Hopefully, things can get back on track :D
Thank you to my reviewers: kingphobes, KrankyKitty, happiness800, FreyaWrackspurt, viola1701e, mega700201, Royan Granger-Nott, xXMizz Alec VolturiXx, Aetzfeder, ForeverTheWinterTiger, sophiecambellbower, caprubia and Guest!
Guest: I think it's amazing Theo hasn't turned out worse tbh! There will be other times that will try Hermione's character and moral, don't you worry! And yes, we will continue to get more of Pop-Culture King Theodore lol
Sep 21
Theo and Hermione stood in front of the heavy wood and metal gilded doors. Theo's shoulders were ram-rod straight, pushed back as he stood with his chin in the air. His expression was cold. There was a malicious glint in his eyes that reminded Hermione of Draco back at Hogwarts. His entire posture was uninviting.
It was incredible to Hermione how swiftly and without issue that Theo could switch his personality and mood. This man was entirely different from the bubbly Bash that was endearing and made every man feel like they'd been chums forever, and even more different from the Theo she was seeing at home. She got the impression that Theo, the true one, was one that very few saw. She reminded herself she should be so lucky to be considered trustworthy enough to view him at his very vulnerable moments.
Or, at least, Hermione did not want this Theo standing in front of the doors to his old home to be his true self. She did not want to be living with a monster, tied to it, for the rest of her life. She liked to hope that the Theo at home was the Theo that he was released and unbridled, but she could only hope.
For all she knew, at home, it could be one part of a grand facade.
Theo looked over at Hermione, examining her with a hint of disgust. She scowled back, biting her tongue, angry at herself for perhaps imagining herself so foolish as to think Theodore Nott was wholly the good person she saw outward. She should know, and she did know, that he had done very bad things.
But hadn't she too?
"Look haughty," He hissed quietly, almost not moving his lips at all.
Hermione shot him a wayward look, "What?"
"Look haughty," He repeated. Her confusion was not in his words- she'd heard them fine- it was in her understanding of them.
"How am I supposed to just 'look haughty'," Hermione muttered back, "Be more precise."
"Look like you've sucked on a lemon," Theo schooled her, "Imagine you have all the money in the world and there are thousands of people who have none and you could be their savior or their worst nightmare. And imagine that you like that feeling of control, and on most days, you'll choose to tease and tempt them, but never help."
"That sounds horrid!"
Theo smiled, just for a second, "Yes, that's the spirit!" He nudged her shoulders good-naturedly, just a hint of the person behind this stony mask before he rolled out his shoulders. He stood straight again before he vanished again. Before Her Theo was locked away to Theodore Nott, very much the scowl of a man she recalled during Hogwarts years.
Hermione tried to do as he said. She imagined that everything she saw to her was incredibly displeasing, that even the sage bushes climbing the walls of his house (while she might find the idea of it charming) was one of the most abhorrent things she'd ever seen. She tried to look bored, as though Bash had dragged her here when in reality she wanted to be off...needlepointing? No, that was too tame. She wanted to be organizing a charity that was more about getting drunk with other high-society wives and less about the actual fundraiser. Yes, that seemed apter.
Theo spared a glance her way. She must have looked exactly how he imagined, for just before the doors creaked open, Theo sent her a thumbs up.
Fantastic.
A wrinkled little creature opened the door. A house-elf. Hermione hardly should have been shocked, if the Malfoys had one, chances are that the Notts did as well. Theo's eyebrows pulled down with a sad sort of recognition, but he swiftly replaced it with a look of utter uncaring.
"Is the Master home today?" Theo spoke over the elf's frail greeting, "I have urgent business with him."
"Who shall Twitzel say is here?"
"Master Lihote. We've just moved here from abroad," Theo looked anywhere but at the elf, appraising the house like it was his first time seeing it, but Hermione could tell something about this elf tugged at some heartstrings that he could not afford, "Tell Master Nott that we were recommended to seek him out by Eric Penderghast."
The elf snapped away. Hermione raised a questioning eyebrow as they walked into the receiving hall.
"An old childhood friend. Name dropping, just to get in the door." Theo said with a casual shrug.
"But don't you think-,"
"My father will think he forgot us, that Eric had once spoken of me in passing. It would be quite the high-status faux pas to admit that he didn't recall. Luckily for us, even if he's wracking his brain trying to think of the mention, he'd never show it. Trust me," Theo replied smoothly, not a care at all. As it was, his attention was elsewhere.
Now that they were alone, he looked about the house with a mixture of longing, sadness, and hatred. It was the strangest combination of things. Hermione had no doubt he was seeing ghosts of the past in every inch.
"Same as you recall it?"
"Almost perfectly," Theo echoed, his eyes seeming to be miles away, perhaps in another time entirely.
There was a loud banging and the squealing of the house-elf, though Hermione only caught the end of the discussion.
"-So sorry, Master, of course, Master-," The elf broke off with a horrible wailing and the sound of something thudding heavily against the wall. Hermione visibly flinched, rage coiling in her stomach. Theo saw her expression and shook his head firmly.
Hermione managed to regain her aloof composure just as Thaddeus Nott opened the door.
Hermione nearly lost her breath all at once. Standing in front of her was an older Theo. When Theo claimed that he inherited none of his looks from his mother, he truly meant it. It was as though Theo had been cloned of his father. The only difference was Thaddeus' wintery white hair, indicating a blond or ginger colour in his youth. Otherwise, it was startling to Hermione how similar they were.
No wonder the portraits worried about Theo. They must have thought this was nothing more than history repeating itself.
"Mister Nott, I presume?" Theo was the first to speak, coming forward and bowing low, "Exactly as Eric described. My godfather."
"Ah, yes. You'll excuse an old man for not recalling names as well, but I do remember Eric speaking fondly of you." Thaddeus said, an absolute lie, reaching out to grip Theo's arm. Theo gave Hermione a quick look, so brief, a ruddy 'I told you so' sort of expression that had her halfway between slapping his arm and laughing. She restrained herself as Thaddeus continued to examine Theo, "Strong grip, I see."
"I'm Sebastian Lihote. May I introduce my wife, Emilia?"
"Pleasure, sir," Hermione said, reaching her hand out to shake. Instead, Thaddeus lifted her dainty palm to lay a kiss to it. Hermione tried not to shudder.
"A beauty, how'd you manage that?" Thaddeus asked, smiling lewdly at her. Hermione swallowed hard, covering it with a giggle, as though he enchanted her. Theo didn't have to say it, but it had seemed that Thaddeus had preferred younger women. The thought made her gag in her mouth.
"Well, my parents set up the very best match for me. Eric helped, of course. Good wizard, may he rest in peace. We've only just relocated here. Both of our parents were living out of England for our entire lives, but I've been offered a job at the Ministry. I was told I had a friend here if I could be so bold."
"Eric's godson is always welcome here. And don't apologize for boldness," Thaddeus waved him away, "It will get you farther in life than cowering. Of course, if you have the right...attitude."
Thaddeus shepherds them away, taking to Bash instantly. Hermione wondered why even bother with this charade if his goal was to kill him? She noticed Theo glancing at the clock on the wall a couple of times, but she was unsure why he was stalling, or what he was waiting for. Hermione, while she still wasn't entirely on board with this death, would rather they get it done and get out than be interrupted by a last-minute house call from Voldemort.
Thaddeus brought Bash and Emilia into his study, pouring Bash some expensive Wizarding bourbon while calling Twitzel, who now had her ears bandaged, to make Hermione some tea, saying something about how women weren't meant to drink 'man's liquor'. Hermione, feeling like she had nothing to add to this entire conversation, just kept smiling quietly. She wasn't much a fan of that sort of alcohol to begin with.
She tried not to slide out of her vigilant mood, but the discussion between the men was so droll. Twitzel, with her wide neon-green eyes, was so much more interesting, offering Hermione a springy lemon-ginger brew.
Thaddeus asked a lot about Eric, mostly about the estate and apologizing for not being able to make it out to the funeral, while dropping 'hints' about living in England. Who Bash should get to know, or where he might start looking for a house, even which people to associate with. All his conversation skirted around Lord Voldemort without quite saying it, but Theo always responded enthusiastically to such whispers.
Hermione soon found herself zoning out completely. The tea was good, as were the finger cakes that Twitzel provided. She found her eyes dancing around the room, reading each Dark Magic tome that Thaddeus kept squirreled away, as well as attempting to guess the gruesome job of some of the instruments lining the shelves she had never seen before. She may disagree with the philosophy of dark magic, but one could not deny that morbid curiosity that came along with it. And, if the items were already here, was there any harm in simply...perusing? For intellectual's sake, of course. She knew far too well that the Malfoys had quite a pretty few dark items hidden under their floorboards. Thaddeus did not go to such lengths to covertly hide it. There, right at the corner, was the most intriguing looking skull that-
"Mi? Emilia?"
"Hmm?" Hermione asked, jerking from her thoughts. She turned to see Theo and Mr Nott staring at her. She realized Theo had been saying her name awhile now.
"Not the quickest on the upkeep, is she?" Thaddeus was four or five drinks in now, staring lecherously at Emilia's breasts, "Or the loudest. As it should be." He said with a firm point of his fingers, "But I find that sometimes the quietest here are the wildest in the bedroom, eh?"
Theo looked torn. Hermione saw him laugh uneasily, "Thaddeus, that's not quite...polite discussion, is it? Not with a lady in our presence."
"Oh, we're all friends here. The bint can't hear for nothin' either it seems, and I doubt she'd understand what we're talking about," Thaddeus said, dropping his voice to a very audible whisper. Hermione steeled herself, biting her lip to keep from slapping that smirk from his face.
"That's my wife," Theo said, his tone hardening. Hermione could fight her own battles, usually, but she was still pleased with Bash's loyalty to her.
It did make her wonder...was there a line that Theo would not cross, no matter what he claimed? Was it her?
"Sure, sure," Thaddeus said, but his gaze never left her, "But we all tend to...share things sometimes. Now I'm not saying that the next time you wish to join our group, she'll...but eventually. Young ones have to contribute somehow, you understand?"
Theo gripped the edge of the seat, and Hermione almost moved to hex Thaddeus into next week. Before either could do any sort of rash movement, the door to the study opened with a surprised noise.
"Sorry, father, didn't know you were...entertaining."
Standing in the doorway was a young, sixth-year Theo. Hermione's heart stopped. She choked a little on the tea, but neither of the men sitting next to her even seemed to notice.
Little Theo's voice was still cracking, just coming fully into manhood, but there was a cold detachment that Hermione didn't hear from him often at all. The Theo she'd come back with was full of emotions; rage and sexual desire often, but emotions nonetheless. This Theo seemed empty to everything.
"It was an unexpected visit," Thaddeus grunted, "What do you need, boy?"
"A book, perhaps it's in here? I couldn't find it in the library. Draco thought that it might do well for his study, erm, this year." Theo said. He took two steps into the library to reveal Draco right behind him.
Hermione couldn't believe it. It was incredibly dangerous to be in the same room as these two, one of them the younger self of their current situation! Of all the bloody luck in the world that, today, these two just had to take a trip from Hogwarts to-
Theo wasn't looking at the clock anymore, she realized.
She turned, looking at Theo for the first time. His eyes never left the pair of boys. Somewhere, hidden deep, there was a look of utmost guilt.
For just the briefest of seconds, Hermione wondered if he'd needed to see himself. To remind himself of where he came from, where he was going. The thought had crossed Hermione's mind more times than she could admit that she just felt a weird pull to go and find the Hermione of this current year. If that was it, there were much less dangerous ways to do it than…
But Theo wasn't looking at himself either.
Understanding washed over Hermione so violently she nearly lost her breath. Theo had known his younger self and Draco would be here today. He wasn't looking at the younger Theo, he was looking at Draco.
"And you need it now?" Thaddeus pinched his nose.
"Well, if possible. You know that Draco has a special project that's of utmost importance, father," Little Theo said with a hard edge. Thaddeus scowled but started up off his chair. Little Theo and Little Draco were sniggering in the corner, completely unaware of the pair, or rather just not interested at all.
As Thaddeus grumbled something about 'needy, bothersome little bastards' with many more expletives than Hermione wanted to commit to memory and got up to search the bookshelves, Hermione sent Theo a furious look and mothed 'Theo'. If she had said it out loud, she was unsure what emotion it would have been thought.
She was overwhelmed with so many conflicting feelings, all barreling over one another to make sense in her head. She felt dizzy and her mind ached from the confusingness of it.
Anger; she felt anger. Did Theo not imagine that Hermione desperately wished to see her old friends too? Her old life? But did he see her doing something so incredibly foolish?
Bitterness; for all about 'we need to do this for the plot' talk, he had put the entire operation in danger by choosing to come here today! He was no better than a moony-eyed girl.
Pity; for how he looked at Draco with such agony and longing.
Sadness and understanding; Hermione doubted she would have looked at Ron any different. Or, Merlin, even Harry! Or Neville, too.
Having at least worked through all those, Hermione allowed herself to stare- though not quite as openly as Theo was- at the pair of boys.
It was incredible how young they both looked. Hermione had imagined herself quite adult in the 6th year, but knowing how Theo looked now and staring at his younger self was shocking. He still had some of his baby fat and he was gangly and uncoordinated. She'd wondered if she'd been blind to his attractiveness all through Hogwarts, but now she was sure that this was a newer transformation. She could see now the sharpness laying underneath, but she had no reason to study him at that time.
He was also rougher. He was a boy who was not much more than that. Just a boy. He had little reason to concern himself with all the issues that he'd no doubt take on six years from now. He was unconcerned, innocent in a weird sense.
Draco looked exhausted and tired. Sickly. He had his orders by now, Hermione was sure, which is likely what they were searching for. A way to kill Dumbledore. The special project Theo had referred to? Hardly inconspicuous to those that knew.
It wouldn't be too much along. Hermione knew that Draco would stumble about the entire year trying to find a way and still failing. Hermione hadn't known that Theo had helped at all. Maybe in their time-line, he hadn't. Maybe he had. Theo had never given any indication one way or another.
Draco, as dead on his feet as he looked, was still arguably attractive. She wasn't sure it was right of her to say that, as she was a woman of twenty-three and he was scarcely sixteen right now, but the giggles of Draco Malfoy during her school years stood up.
"Now, I may be wrong, but shouldn't you two be at Hogwarts?" Theo asked, raising an eyebrow. Hermione would have kicked him if she could. They were better to draw themselves away from this encounter, but Merlin this man had no self-restraint! He had to go and bring attention to them!
Draco narrowed his eyes, looking at the pair, as though really seeing them for the first time. Which, honestly, it was. Hermione didn't think he'd looked their way since he'd entered the room and it's not as though their alters had existed previous to a couple of weeks ago.
"I don't believe I've ever seen you two," Draco drawled as Little Theo, as Hermione was categorizing him in her mind, and Thaddeus searched his bookshelf.
"They've just moved from...well, somewhere," Thaddeus said, attempting to recall but giving up entirely, "Godchild of an old friend and his lovely wife."
"Mhh," Draco raised an eyebrow, looking half-bored with her. No, not bored, tired. Scared. Worried. Stressed. Mentally overwhelmed. She almost wanted to reach out, to soothe him, for as much as she hated the Draco she recalled...no sixteen year old deserved this much on their shoulders. Harry hadn't, so Draco didn't either.
Little Theo turned around, looking her up and down. Though he wasn't as awful as his father yet- and hopefully never would be- it was clear he found Emilia attractive. Well, thank Merlin her younger version of her husband found her appealing like this, she thought with a hint of sarcasm.
Hermione rubbed her finger over the bond tattoo. She could feel Theo's, her husband Theo's heart beating, as she could when she focused hard. She looked for any signs that little Theo felt anything about this weird marriage bond at all, but he hardly even blinked.
Theo was glaring at Little Theo, as though jealous.
God forbid! Arg, men, Hermione thought as she resisted rolling her eyes.
"I assume you all have names from where you come from," Draco broke in, snorting.
"Sebastian, though you can call me Bash," Theo said, holding out his hand to Draco. Draco shook it politely. Hermione almost wanted to tell Draco how much he meant to Theo, how Theo had gone and come all this way to see him , put their entire mission in jeopardy for him , Draco Malfoy, who Hermione honestly thought wasn't worth the time.
Theo was trying hard not to shake as Draco dropped his grip, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking back to Little Theo in a 'let's get out of here, mate' sort of way.
"You'll be heading back to school soon, yeah? It's nice that you were allowed here for the weekend." Theo said, almost desperately, trying to keep Draco's attention to his. If Hermione knew she'd only get one chance to talk with Ron and Harry again, after knowing they were dead in her timeline, she supposed she'd be frantic too. Even if she understood it, she was cross with Theo.
"Yes. Ruddy fool of a headmaster insists we be back by supper." Draco said bitingly, "Has Mr Nott told you how awful of a teacher he is? If you plan on having children, I'd consider sending them to Durmstrang just to get away from him."
"We aren't that far ahead, but I'll keep that in mind," Theo said, forcing a smile.
"Aha!" Little Theo crowed, "Found it. Do you-,"
"Just get out my hair," Thaddeus growled, shoving the boys roughly from the room. Theo watched Draco all the way until the door closed with a click behind them.
No more than ten minutes had elapsed, but Hermione relaxed. She expected things to go sideways at any moment with the five of them crowded in here, for the fabric of the universe to tear at the seams. She hoped it was all worth it, she thought, daring to send another meaningful glare at Theo.
Theo plied Mr. Nott with more drinks and kept talking, at least until the Floo in the study glowed green, indicating that Little Theo and Draco had left back for school through another Floo gate. During a story that was not nearly as funny as Thaddeus so thought it was, his wand clattered next to the chair. He didn't even seem to notice. But Theo did, as did Hermione. Theo inhaled, nodding to himself. Thaddeus was trying to explain something but didn't notice the small, secret smile that Theo gave himself. As though he was holding onto a memory.
Theo stood abruptly. This is what he'd been waiting for; his younger self and Draco to be away from whatever he was planning.
"Something the matter, er, Bash?" Thaddeus asked.
"You could say that," Theo said, standing and moving about the room, a wicked grin on his face, something treacherous and dark and consuming. Hermione felt like the temperature in the room dropped immediately and she did not like the way he seemed.
"Bash?" Hermione warned.
"Don't worry, love, I have this."
"Have what?" Thaddeus asked, confused and unaware of the magnanimous danger he was now in. Theo picked up Thaddeus' wand from where it had fallen onto the ground, twirling it around his fingers.
"Let's see if this works...hmm, it recognizes me still," Theo mumbled, ignoring Thaddeus' protests before turning to the older man. When he spoke again, his voice was deadly calm, " Crucio ."
Twitzel was the name of one of my brother's guinea pigs as a child lol I thought it seemed like a fair name for a house-elf and at today year's old I realized that the name was a combination of two of his favorite things; Twix and Pretzels.
I imagine that because Dumbledore knew of Draco's specific task laid out for him, he allowed the boys to go back to the Manor for a quick visit to grab the book. I doubt that Draco found such ideas in the Hogwarts Library or that he would have dared to look into books from there for this task.