Her scores were always better than his, he didn't mind.
His housemates were always calling her names and blaming their shortcomings on her place in this world, he just rolled his eyes.
He never put her on a pedestal but she never asked to be placed on one.
In fact, her faults were exactly what drew him in; the sparks in her curls when she let her emotions overtake her. The tinge of pink on her cheeks when she was struggling with something, he could see her mentally chastising herself. He loved when he caught her feeling down, if he studied her closely he could see her pick up her pieces and put herself back together.
Her vulnerability was the most beautiful thing in the world to him.
Maybe that was because of his father?
The only emotions he expressed were anger and disappointment. You would never catch Theodore Nott, Sr. in a moment of vulnerability or regret. If your life depended on him admitting to a mistake? You would die. He would laugh as you choked on your last breath, your last word, just as he had Theo's mother.
Theo's life was filled with darkness after that.
It was not until he caught a glimpse of Hermione's swottiness in class their first year that the darkness started to dissipate.
When he saw her punch his best friend? His life exploded with light. He needed to know her, he wanted to speak to her. The silence that surrounded her when she was still, that held her; he knew that silence, it was his home. He wanted her to inhale her and feel her in his bloodstream.
She was the one that took the first step of communication. The first true step of purposeful communication where one couldn't hide their desire to converse with the other under the guise of a homework assignment or needing directions to the lavatory. No, this was her coming to him with concern, with desire for information.
"Are you alright?" Hermione had asked him this as if it was common for her and him to speak. As if she had known him her entire life and he had never been mean to her.
In hindsight, he hadn't actually been mean to her. He was friends with bullies, sure, but he himself never spoke out against her. He never spoke out in defense of her either, so in his opinion he was just as responsible for her pain as the others.
"Sorry?"
"You look.. Morose. More morose than usual, in fact. I mean, you don't normally look like what one would view as cheerful but something has changed." her voice was not overly concerned, it mirrored the voice she used when she read a text aloud in class- resolute as if she was stating a fact.
"I look morose on a daily basis?"
"Indeed." With the simplicity and ease of her statements, Theo was starting to wonder if Hermione was actually Luna Lovegood under the guise of polyjuice potion.
"I am concerned that whatever is on your mind might affect your studies. That wouldn't do, of course since you are meant to be my partner in the next group assignment."
Ah, there she was. "Oof, Granger. You wound me so" He emphasised his statement by placing a hand over his heart. "I am simply a tool for you to in your quest for academic progress"
Hermione scoffed, rolling her eyes at his teasing "Would you be any use for me elsewhere?"
"I could be."
"Hm." she paused, her face thoughtful as she studied Theo for a moment. He wasn't sure what she was looking for but after a moment her face changed, like she had found what she was searching for. "Lets just get through this school year and we will see."
On that note Hermione turned on her heel and walked away, leaving a stunned Theodore Nott in her wake.
She was an enigma and she had every ounce of his attention.