Theodore was clever. He didn't create noise to affirm his place in the world, and he made sure not to cling to things like a child. He made sure to be everything Malfoy was not, competent and unnoticeable. Theodore knew what he wanted, and he made sure to keep it.
Some people said that there were those who were with Malfoy and those who were not. If the world was that easily divided, it would be far easier to kill people. At least, that was a common theme in the conversation at Theo's corner of the room. A corner of the room that was usually occupied by himself. Alone. Which was the way he liked it. He didn't need Malfoy's group, didn't need the social boost it gave. Theodore Nott didn't need to kiss ass to confirm his existence in the world. Then again, he hadn't thought Blaise needed Malfoy either.
Theo had known Blaise's name before he had known his own. They'd grown up apart and together at the same time, which made for confusing memories. It was always Theo that Blaise sought out when they were children when he tired of games. It was Theo that Blaise chose to sit next to at the Sorting Feast and it was Theo who he'd first given the name 'friend' to. Theo knew all the little crevices of Blaise's mind, what made the other Slytherin think, what motivated him. But for the life of him Theo couldn't figure out why Blaise was leaning against the common room wall talking to Malfoy in hushed tones.
Theo knew Blaise's i tastes /i and Malfoy wasn't one of them. Blaise didn't need someone to kiss his ass, didn't i need /i Malfoy and it drove Theo nuts. It was Theo's half of the room that Blaise settled down in to study, sitting with his back against the wall, book in hand. Every night, except that one night where Blaise went to talk to Malfoy of all people.
It drove Theo crazy, that he couldn't figure out this particular thought of Blaise's.
"Blaise," Theo stalked across their dorm room, he dropped his book bag on the floor with a particular amount of force. The black boy's eyes went to the book bag, and slowly panned up to meet Theo's gaze. The ever present smirk widened, just a bit.
"Theodore," He only used Theo's full name when feeling particularly wicked.
"Seventeen years, Blaise, seventeen! And you decide you need to kiss Malfoy's arse?" Usually Theo wasn't one for rants, but for the past three months he'd been trying to figure it out on his own and failed. He wasn't ranting, really, just stressing certain words. Blaise watched him, leaning back and still smirking.
"Who said I was kissing his arse?"
"I did," Theo glared, "You're going to those… things with Slughorn, and Malfoy's been pawing after you, I just know it." He wasn't usually one to be jealous either. Theo knew what Blaise did in his free time, and knew the 'like mother like son' comment was both too true and completely false. Blaise wasn't a gold digger, but he and his mother shared the same high cheekbones, slanted eyes and the desire to possess other people's bodies.
"You're whining, Theo," Blaise warned, stretching a bit.
"Dammit, Blaise, if you become another one of his bitches I'll kill you," Theo glared. He wasn't possessive, because Blaise couldn't be possessed. It was a hard thing to do, to fuck and take and not actually own, but Blaise and his mother had perfected that art. Slipping into people's lives and using them without constraints.
"Shutup, Theo, you're being such a fag," Blaise grumbled.
"Fag? Excuse me for not shagging every fucking thing that comes through the door," Theo huffed, trying to remember why he continued on being Blaise's 'friend'. It wasn't like years of learning to be quiet together was worth anything when Blaise got into his i moods /i .
"Potter never came through the door," There was a smirk.
"Merlin! Blaise I didn't need to know that!" Blaise certainly knew how to diffuse the situation, because now Theo was off the topic of Malfoy. For the moment. He huffed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "…You're such a fucking slut, Zabini."
"You're just jealous that I got to shag the Boy Who Lived," Blaise shot back, his smirk had turned into a full fledged grin by now. " i You /i were the one who pointed out… what was it? His i gorgeous /I green eyes--."
"Fuck off, Zabini," But even Potter was ok, because Theo knew that Blaise would always come back to him. It was just an interlude, Potter, Granger, Wesley, Boot, Smith… they were all just shiny things that caught Blaise's eye, but he always passed them by after playing with them. The trick to never losing something, is to never hold onto it.
Theodore was clever, but he hadn't been thinking. He hadn't been thinking when he watched Blaise slide down to his knees in front of Malfoy. Because sometimes it was hard to keep himself neutral. He never thought he'd see Blaise be Malfoy's i bitch /i . Theo could stand seeing Blaise be anyone else's bitch, Potter's, Diggory's, even fucking Montague. Malfoy was different, the grubby, greedy bastard. Worthless, impulsive, pathetic, those were the three words Theo associated with Malfoy. The fact either, Blaise could do better, or 'Why Malfoy?' rolled through Theo's mind. He was fucking i jealous /i , and hated it.
"You're doing this on purpose," Theo accused, finally. Blaise looked up at him, from his seat on the floor, book in hand. The smirk slipped into a small frown.
"What?" Theo knew that Blaise had heard him. He could tell by the delicate cant of the head and the way that Blaise flipped through the pages of the book. He i knew /i when Blaise was lying.
"You, fucking, Malfoy," He separated each word with a pause, "You, sick, bastard." That got him the raised eyebrow he was looking for. The mild irritation showing on his face, with the downward tilt of his lips.
"…Jealous, Theodore?"
"Hardly, Zabini," Theo rolled his eyes, "Could you be any less mature?" He watched the pout flatten out to another snide sneer. Blaise merely 'hrumphed' as an answer and flicked through the pages of his book for a bit more. After about three minutes he looked up and glared at Theo.
"…is that all you have to say?"
"Pretty much," And then Theo sat down, back leaning into Blaise's knees.
"I should fucking cut your face off," Blaise muttered. Theo laughed a little.
"…you only swear when I'm around, I'm touched."
"Fuck you," Blaise grumbled, shifting so Theo could be more comfortable.
"But that's the problem, isn't it?" There was a grin in Theo's voice, "You won't."
Blaise Zabini was a puzzle to many people. Confusing, even, and he kept to himself. Even Draco Malfoy couldn't figure out what made Blaise fuck one day and be cold and aloof the next. Theodore had a little secret for them all. But he was clever, and planned on keeping what he acquired.