A/N: Written for the bi-weekly challenge at LJ's minorpairings community; the pairing was Theo Nott/Hermione, and this kind of happened. Still JKR's toys, but I play nicely.

1. Hero

He's in the library and he sees her again – a pile of books, bushy brown hair… hard to mistake her for anyone else. Maybe she's a Mudblood bint, but she's got great legs. Even Blaise thinks so, though he only admitted it when he got trashed out of his mind at one of Pansy's "soirees."

They could make a really tragic love story, her and Theo… or, at least, he thinks so. Brilliant, beautiful, probably involving one or more deaths… Tristan and Isolde, since every lover from Hogwarts to Ho Chi Minh City has used Romeo and Juliet at some point. It's probably more accurate in this case, but no. Theo doesn't work in those conditions.

Although she's not the loveliest girl, her brains would serve just fine for her role as Heroine, and his weedy look would work itself out.

But then the Weasley trash shows up and Theo remembers: "Hero" is not in the Slytherin job description.

2. Trample

Draco, being the mum's boy to end all mum's boys, would never understand. He could never even hope to, not that he does or would. So Theo turns to Blaise.

But Blaise is nothing if not a highly selective tramp. Just getting to talk to him needs an appointment anymore or you're likely to find him preoccupied with some slut. And, even if he's not so distracted, it feels like he's hardly listening. He doesn't have to, of course, and Slytherins rarely have real friends, but Theo's eyes have been claimed by a Mudblood and his mind followed suit.

Even worse – every time he tries to deal with it himself, he's forced onto his back by an intangible, but massive, weight. It holds him down, stomps on his chest, and always leaves him lying, barely able to breathe because his lungs are broken.

Every shuddering breath makes him think of her.

3. Christmas

Red and green clash. They mesh about as well as Snape and a Christmas party.

Still and all, he keeps wondering what she'd look like in green. She looked nice in blue back in fourth year, when he took one of Blaise's leftovers to the Yule Ball, and their school robes and uniforms don't have enough color to judge by.

Maybe she'd make the poison earthy – brown hair, brown eyes, and what not.

But red wouldn't look good on him. He hasn't the strength (in body or character) or the passion to wear it properly.

Red hardly looks good on her and she's a bloody Gryffindor. First was Krum, and maybe he wasn't red, but he wore enough of it and she wore him like a charm bracelet. Then it was that McLaggen bastard, but that didn't last so it hardly counts. Now, it's that Weasley filth, who certainly took his damn time coming around, didn't even know she was a girl 'til fourth year…

"She's not much better," Blaise retorts casually. "After all, she doesn't know you exist."

…It's true. Theo knows it and bites his lip to keep from saying anything or dwelling on it.

"Now Greengrass or Bulstrode…"

Blaise cocks his head over in the direction of Pansy's corner of the Common Room. As usual, Draco is sitting below her chair, letting her fuss over him like his mum does. Daphne and Millicent are sharing the footstool and a pack of Drooble's. Theo hadn't noticed until now, but neither of them are awful to look at; they're kind of pretty, actually.

"Ask one of them out for Hogsmeade. It can't hurt."

Theo swallows hard and his feet are taking him over before he can stop them, and, amidst giggles and one of Pansy's weird looks, he thinks he hears himself say, "Excuse me, Millicent?"