Theo gathered his materials for his next class and descended downstairs into the common room. His ears were immediately assaulted by the sound of someone sobbing, in the corner closest to the girls' stairwell. He walked closer to investigate, and saw a familiar black bob with shaking shoulders, standing next to Blaise.

"What's going on?" he asked, startling Pansy, who jumped and clutched at her chest.

"Salazar, Nott."

"Pansy . . . Shit, someone must've done a real number on you." He took a step towards the girl and rubbed her back tentatively. Much like she'd done for him early on after the whole . . . Draco situation. It had been nearly a month, but the incident still felt fresh in his mind. Draco's look of horror. Him running off with Potter. Coming back and shutting down all of Pansy's surprisingly innocent questions. Without so much as an apology. It had hurt him deeply.

Pansy shook her head into his shoulder, pushing herself off him.

"No, Theo, you don't understand . . ."

"There's nothing you need to worry about, mate," said Blaise.

"Don't you say that," Pansy growled, pointing a finger at him. "Don't you dare fucking say that, when you know it's not true."

"Should I be worried?" Theo asked lightly. He typically regarded himself as a pretty easy-going person. Worry wasn't a word that entered his vocabulary much. Except, incidentally, when it came to Draco.

Pansy's face crumpled and she buried it in her hands as a fresh round of sobs wracked her shoulders.

"We were too harsh with him, Blaise," she said into her hands, words coming out muffled.

Blaise frowned. "I told him he needed help, and I meant it."

"Not that," Pansy wailed, looking back up at him. "You told him he didn't have a soul. Who says something like that?"

"I was angry. I didn't mean it."

"Who are you guys talking about?"

"Does Draco know that?"

"Does Draco know what?" Theo asked, that very same worry beginning to creep in. Had Blaise told Draco he hadn't had a soul? Theo may have been upset with Draco, but that was taking it way too far.

"We're supposed to be his friends. And I . . ." Pansy sniffed, rubbing her eyes. She looked up at Blaise. "I told him he was doing it for attention. Why did I say that, Blaise? Why?"

Another sob wracked her body.

"Doing what for attention?" Theo was actually worried now.

Pansy looked at him with a tear streaked face. "Draco's not eating again."

Horror crept up his spine.

"He's what."

"He's not eating." Pansy dropped to the sofa. Theo heard her muffled cries.

"How long." His voice was low. Dangerous.

"How long has he been doing this?" clarified Blaise.

"How long have you known?"

"About a week," said Pansy, looking up at him, dark eyes stained red.

"A week," Theo repeated. "A week, and you've done nothing to help him?"

"He never listens," said Blaise. "I dunno why he's playing these mind games with us, but it needs to stop because I'm getting scared for him."

"It isn't a game." Theo felt anger boil inside him. "Pans, you told him he was doing it for attention?"

Pansy held his gaze. "In the moment, I was angry because of course he'd know we'd worry about him. I can't understand why he does what he does."

"You cannot understand it. It's not meant to be understood." Theo ran a frustrated hand through his disheveled hair. "Draco needs us right now, and all you did was push him away!"

"He hurt you, mate. Badly, in case you've forgotten," said Blaise.

"I remember," Theo seethed.

"You really want to go crawling back to him because he's putting on a pity show?"

"It's not a pity show, Blaise, for the love of Merlin." Theo didn't know what he wanted to do. All he knew was that right now, Draco's health was more important than any fight they'd had, and that Pansy and Blaise may have just made a huge mistake.

"Is he still down there? In the kitchens?"

"Yes . . ." Pansy sighed. "We left him down there."

"You left him down there? By himself? In that state?"

His cruel words he'd spoken to Draco out of hurt and anger echoed in his mind.

You make me sick.

"If he's not eating, then what on earth was he doing in the bloody kitchens?" asked Theo.

"Potter brought him down," said Blaise. "Said he needed to eat something. Said that he'd fainted."

Merlin.

"Did you ask Potter any questions? See if Draco told him anything about what's been going on?"

"No," said Pansy. "I said what Draco decides to do to his body is no longer our concern. I said that because at the end of the day, he has to choose. Whether he wants to get better."

"But it is our concern," said Theo. "We're supposed to be his friends. We're supposed to be there for him. Why didn't you tell me? I could have talked to him."

"I tried so hard last time to be there for him, and all he did was push me away," Pansy said with a choked sob. "I can't help him anymore."

"We didn't want to upset you, mate," said Blaise. "Everything he did to you is still really fresh, and we didn't want to see you torturing yourself over someone that doesn't want to be helped."

"How do you know that he doesn't want to be helped? Have you asked him?"

Pansy and Blaise exchanged an uncomfortable glance.

"Have you asked him?"

"Not exactly."

"How long ago did this happen?"

"Just now."

"So he must still be down there."

"Probably."

"I'm going to talk to him."

"Theo."

"No, Blaise. I need to talk to him." Clearly, based on this conversation, Draco wasn't okay, and Theo was beginning to realize that it may have been entirely their fault.

"Just be careful, Theo. I don't want to see him hurting you again."

"I don't think I'm capable of getting my feelings hurt right now," Theo said quietly. "I'm just worried. And angry with you lot for not fucking telling me."

"Because we knew you'd react this way-" Pansy started, but Theo cut her off.

"What, try to actually help him instead of pushing him away? Did you even give him the chance to explain why he pushed me away, Pansy? Did you?"

Pansy opened her mouth, then closed it again.

Theo's lip curled into something ugly. "You told me you had a conversation with him, where he admitted he didn't have feelings for me because he didn't have time to figure it out."

"He shouldn't need time to figure it out. That he either does, or he doesn't. Isn't that how you feel, too, Theo?"

"Yes, but-"

"He said it was all so much, and that there was no time. That told me everything I needed to know."

"You didn't tell me that part. What was all so much? Where did he say explicitly he doesn't have feelings for me?"

"I dunno, I don't live inside Draco's head, even though it feels like half the time he expects me to! And I suppose he didn't explicitly say it, though his actions more than-"

"But he didn't explicitly say it. So we still don't know his side."

"You're the one who got angry at him," said Blaise. "We're on your side because he hurt you, and he didn't apologize. When Pansy confronted him, he just made excuse after excuse."

"In the room, after we shagged, he told me he wasn't ready. That he needed time," said Theo. "And I . . ." A realization hung over his head, dampening his spirits like a grey cloud of rain. "I threw that right back in his face."

Pansy frowned. "You didn't tell me he told you he needed time."

"I was angry, and hurt," said Theo. "And I think we all made a huge mistake."

Draco had slumped down the countertop to a sitting position. He'd drawn his knees into his chest and put his head down as he cried.

Blaise was right. He'd pushed away everyone that had meant something to him, including Potter. Draco choked on a sob as he realized that had to mean he'd cared somewhat for the green-eyed boy. Though, he supposed with a twist of his gut, it didn't matter anymore.

He thought of Pansy. Memories of them running through the gardens of the Manor passed through his mind one by one like an animated flipbook. He remembered all the times he squeezed her hand, kissed her cheek, how fun dancing with her at the Yule Ball had been. Merlin, how he missed her.

Suddenly, a pair of footsteps interrupted his inner tirade of thoughts. Draco scrambled to his feet and scrubbed viciously at his eyes, though he knew little could be done to aid their reddening. Whoever he was about to encounter would know he'd been crying.

A tall, slim figure with messy brown hair emerged into view. It was Theo.

Draco's heart began jackhammering.

"Draco . . ." It sounded so broken, so wrecked, and before Draco realized what was happening Theo rushed to him and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. Draco froze, wondering if this was some sort of cruel trick. Theo's arms felt so good wrapped around him. No one had hugged him like this in a very long time. Or maybe ever.

So against all better judgment, Draco gingerly lifted his arms and began hugging him back. That set a dam loose in Theo. Theo wrapped him up even more tightly, bringing one hand to rest against the back of his head. Draco sighed shakily into the embrace, breathing in Theo's scent. He felt fresh tears prick at his eyes, and furiously blinked them away.

If it were a trick, Draco wished he had the willpower to push Theo off him, but he currently did not.

"Draco," he said again, rougher, against his hair. "I'm so sorry."

Draco's shoulders shook. He should be the one apologizing. Freezing up in the hug, suddenly feeling very claustrophobic, he on instinct began attempting to loosen himself from Theo's grip. Theo let him go, of course, but did not back away.

"Draco, look at me."

Draco obeyed.

Shimmering brown eyes looked down at him. Theo looked more terrified than Draco had ever seen him. Terrified of . . . him?

"I didn't give you a chance to explain."

Draco swallowed thickly. He was right- he hadn't. But that didn't mean Draco hadn't acted cruelly.

"I should be the one apologizing," Draco said as steadily as he could. "I know I hurt you."

"Draco . . ." Theo took a hesitant step closer to him. He picked up one of Draco's wrists. Draco let him. Theo rubbed small circles into his pulse point. Draco shuddered. Theo eventually moved up to hold his hand. Draco gripped tight.

"What's hurting me is seeing you do this to yourself."

Draco sucked in a sharp breath.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I'm not trying to hurt anyone. I dunno if the others are worried about me, or-"

"Pansy's in hysterics."

Draco frowned. Oh.

"And Blaise, he's . . . Being overprotective over me. But I know he's worried. About you. Really worried."

Certainly didn't seem like it.

"Could've fooled me," said Draco.

"I know. And he owes you an apology. They both do."

"Fat chance that'll happen."

Theo sighed. "You don't realize that people care about you, Draco."

Then why hadn't they acted like it?

He felt the tears again. "That wasn't why I pushed you away."

"I know. But I'm just telling you, because you deserve to know."

Draco felt the cold layer of ice around his heart begin to thaw, just the smallest amount. What had he done to deserve this man's kindness?

"Thank you, Theo."

Theo kept looking at him. "Did Potter get you something to eat, when he brought you here?"

Draco nodded. "Yes, but I couldn't finish it."

"That's okay. What's important is that you started."

Draco felt the oncomings of a soft smile. He couldn't resist. He allowed the muscles to react and pull upwards.

Theo smiled back. "I haven't seen you smile in a while. It suits you, y'know."

Draco felt his smile widen at the kind words. They were still holding hands. He looked down at their entwined fingers. Then back up into his patient brown eyes.

"I shouldn't have just run off with Potter; that was immature of me," Draco said, feeling serious again.

Theo frowned. "You told me you weren't ready, that you needed time. But the way things played out in the library made it seem like you were ashamed of us, were ashamed of me. That's what hurt the most, I think. That after all these years of wanting you, you finally wanted me back and then suddenly, you didn't."

Shame washed over Draco like a wave. "I didn't think about how my actions would make you feel, and for that I am truly sorry, Theo."

"But I didn't respect what you told me in the room; your boundary. You weren't ready. I shouldn't have expected you to be ready so suddenly like that."

"It all happened so fast," said Draco, needing Theo to hear this. "I had no time to even think about what I wanted before Potter was there and he would've known that I was bent, and it was just too much."

"Draco. It's okay." Theo looked him deep in the eyes, and Draco saw nothing but sincerity shine in those brown irises. "It's okay."

Hearing those words thawed a little more of the ice. He smiled again.

Theo took one hand and cupped his cheek. "I'm sorry about what I said to you, Draco. I'm so sorry."

Draco trembled under the intimacy of the gesture. He scrambled to think of a way to respond, when something suddenly registered to him.

"Wait, but that guy . . . With the black hair. I've seen you-"

"He's a friend." Theo shook his head fondly. "Why, are you jealous?"

"No," Draco said hotly, but surely his blushing cheeks gave him away.

"Liar."

"Prat."

Now both boys wore matching smiles, and Draco wasn't sure who leaned in first, but their lips met, soft and gentle. A few seconds later Theo pulled away.

"Been wanting to do that for a while."

Draco sighed. Maybe Theo could help get his friends to come around, after all.

"Me, too."

Theo squeezed his hand. "Well, that works out quite nicely, doesn't it?"

Draco leaned back against the countertop, pulling Theo with him and into another kiss. It was intoxicating, the feeling of another's lips on his. He craved more. Eventually, Draco broke the kiss, because they weren't finished with their conversation.

"Do you really think they hate me, then?"

"Draco . . ." Theo stroked his hair soothingly. Draco found himself unconsciously leaning into the touch. He loved when people stroked his hair. "They made a mistake. They do not hate you."

"You didn't hear. What they said."

"I did, somewhat. They were talking about it. Pansy regrets every word that came out of her mouth."

Draco tightened his grip on Theo's hand. They still hadn't let go, which Draco was most grateful for right now.

"And Blaise?"

"He'll come around. Like I said, he's really worried about you but still more protective over me."

"Then I want nothing to do with him until he sees reason," said Draco pointedly. Theo nodded slowly.

"Neither do I."

Draco's eyes widened.

"I'm with you on this, Draco. All the way." Theo's hand squeezed his again, and he pulled him in for one more tender kiss that seemed to melt time itself. Draco felt the tension in his muscles slowly ebb away.

Their lips slowly parted, and Draco found himself getting lost in those brown eyes that looked at him with such fondness, adoration.

"Will you start coming with us to breakfast again?" Theo asked him gently. "I want you there. With me."

Draco found himself nodding. He wouldn't get better if he didn't try. Now he had somebody else believing in him; that made him want to believe in himself.

"Great." Theo grinned. But then his smile fell. "You're not gonna like this next part, though."

"Which is?"

"I want us to talk to Pansy and Blaise. If you're up for it."

If he were up for it, like Nott was talking about a game of Quidditch.

"Erm . . ." Draco's stomach began twisting and folding. But he knew that if he didn't face them and stand his ground, he would never fully heal. "Alright."

Theo's face relaxed. "Really? Merlin, Draco, I'm so proud of you. Okay."

"It's nothing to be proud of."

"Are you joking? It is something to be proud of. And if you decide afterwards you do not want to be their friend, I'll be here. You have me."

Draco's heart was going to burst. He smiled again, this time feeling the smallest tears pool at the corners of his eyes. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Just kiss me, you sodding wanker."

So he did.