Author's Note:
Reviews and Comments: To scrappy8: Thank you! To Reese123: Thank you! To LadyKirsten: Thank you! To FluffyGirl623: Thank you! To SilverMidas: Thank you! They definitely were! One of my personal favourites! Thank you! To diannedight: Thank you very much! I will be updating weekly as much as I can. Thank you! To Queen Raja: Thank you!To dutchie: Thank you! To midnitewanderer: Another Georgia trip would be amazing and I'm so glad that everyone seems to have fallen in love with the family I have created for Harry. Ginny and Harry are moving along and will continue to do so. They are randy teens and curious and they may not be ready for sex yet, but there's lot of other exploration they can do. As to Ciara, she is royalty to the fae and Umbitch has no idea the shitstorm she unleashed by having her use the Blood Quill. Thank you! To supersandman86: Agreed! I wish Peeves was in the films so much! I love Ginny helping her brothers with pranks, our girl was not innocent by any means LOL. Thank you! To Wolf's scream: Thank you. Sirius is aware of the randy teens as he basically still is one himself lol. Theo did not encounter Macmillan and I don't think Ernie would have approached him while he was carrying Ciara. Thank you! To Emeralds and Rubies: Thank you very much! To jadely31: It was time for the twins to shake things up. Thank you! To MinervaMcGee: Theo was so tender with Ciara! He loves that little duck! Thank you! To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Thank you! To xeunobre: Thank you for loving what I've done with this story. As to hoping Fred won't die, well that's still a ways off before we might be concerned. Thank you! To pix25: Thank you!
To CrazyWithABook: You're welcome and thank you! To Leaf Ranger: "Please remove her from the school, if not life itself" omg I laughed at that! Thank you! To speedsONEandONLY: Finn is not going to be happy when he hears about his niece, no. Harry and Theo will eventually be friends, yes, but right now they are mostly just acquaintances. Harry is friendly enough with Theo, but I don't think he's quite there yet, but in all honestly — yes, Ginny should be more worried about Theo taking Harry than Harry being worried about Theo taking Ginny lol, but I think Theo was more or less implying Draco and Blaise being there than himself. Thank you! To boothbonesrule: Thank you! To HGRHfan35: Thank you! I will take bloody brilliant haha. Thank you. To coloredwords: Thank you! Harry and Ginny are moving fast in some aspects but that's because they've been best friends for so long. They trust each other in ways neither of them trusts others. Thank you! To Carys924: Thank you very much! To Saz J: Thanks for loving Fred and George, I love them too! A bit steamy for Hinny, agreed. Thank you! To Steelcode: It would have been so funny to see Umbitch's face at the show stopper! Thank you! Aladdin is one of my favourite movies of all time and the new one was wonderful, but no one can beat Robin Williams. I was listening to the soundtrack one day (because why not) and I just heard the intro to Prince Ali and thought that has Fred and George written all over it. Thank you! To notthatchhavi: What is Zee want to talk about Sirius with? Mostly about the holiday in Georgia. She knows they all need a holiday. Thank you! To alix33: I love Theo calling her his little duck and yes, Zee matches her pjs to her nail polish on her toes sometimes. Thanks for loving the swamp and seeing Umbitch getting her comeuppance with the other profs all refusing to help her lol. Thank you!
To christyannb94: Hey sometimes our minds are linked by what we want to happen next LOL and that is actually the best punishment (I never wish death on someone who wrongs me. I wish sudden explosive diarrhea, while on a date, with frequent sneezes) BAHAHA! I love it! Thanks for loving how Harry and Ginny's relationship is developing. As to the exit by Fred and George, it had to be done. Thank you! To magicaltears: Thanks, that's so wonderful to hear and I'm glad you took the time to start reading. Thank you very much! To Sjwjidjeekkd: Thank you! To xXQueenofDragonsXx: Umbitch is definitely still a bitch lol. Thank you! As to what a fae looks like, Ciara looks like a little girl. Blonde hair, green eyes, maybe her ears are a little more pointed than normal but she has magic just like a normal witch. I like to think fae have different powers — more forces of nature or the use of nature, but they can still perform magic. Thank you! To TheOneWithWritersBlock: Thanks for liking the Fred and George departure, it was too iconic to not leave in. Thank you! To Jmcglynn522: Thank you! I'm glad you love Sirius and Zee and I love that despite you not trusting me at first, she and Theo have grown to be two of your favourite characters. Umbitch is a cunt, I agree. She's a horrible person. Thank you! Macmillan's balls in a jar (such an image) lol. Thank you!
To PurpleLotus: Thank you! Robin Williams as the Genie of the Lamp is so good, I had to showcase my love for it. As to how Finn will react to Ciara's treatment at Umbitch's hands, we shall soon find out. Thank you! To Pegg7: Thank you! Yes, I think Prince Finn wanting to destroy Umbitch is well said. I hope I have a surprise or two coming up for you! We will see! Thank you! To FriedChickenNisha: Thank you! Spending the last three weeks binge reading is always a compliment! Thank you very much! To Rayyork93: Ha, making Umbitch write "I must not be a Bigoted, Cock Deprived Whore" 2000x a day for 6 months would be pretty funny lol. Thank you! To MrToddWilkins: Thanks for loving Peeves singing, and goodbye to Umbitch. As to who will become the heir to Macmillan if Ernie is disowned, it will be mentioned later but it will be his younger brother. Thank you!
My posting schedule: Weekly.
Thank you to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND NINE:
The One with Prince Finley and
The Switching of Teacups
The next day was chaotic.
People kept saying that they were going to pull a Weasley and take off as teachers attempted to keep their classes under control. The swamp was still in place and Umbridge had enlisted the help of Filch to help her keep guard on her office as thanks to Lee Jordan and Ginny, nifflers kept finding their way inside, despite the loss of the Weasley twins.
None of the professors bothered to attempt to help Umbridge, and had now banned her from sitting in on any of their classes.
Carthaginian had eaten a Puking Pastile and was suddenly overcome with vomiting when Umbridge arrived in her classroom for inspection - forcing her class to be cancelled. Birmingham tried to write on the board to start class, but Peeves came in, throwing spitballs at Umbridge along with pieces of spotted dick until a particularly nasty piece mixed with a spitball and got stuck in her hair. Umbridge stormed out in a huff with Peeves chasing her shouting, "Spotted dick in your hair, spotted dick in your hair!" Remus' third years were interrupted by her arrival, and when she realized that Adrian Roberts was guest speaking on werewolf culture, she immediately vacated as if worried that she was going to catch a disease.
Sirius informed Harry that he had finally organized a meeting with the Board of Governors to explain what had happened, including the belief in her using dark magic, and the fact that two students had flown out of the school — just to get away from her. The entire council was on board with removing her as soon as possible. They were just waiting on word from Richardson, who was meeting with them that Saturday afternoon to discuss what to do with her once and for all. Sirius was looking forward to bringing up the use of the quill, which he hadn't told anyone on the board about yet.
The Saturday of the Hogsmeade trip, Ginny hurried off to meet with Harry just as Malfoy and Macmillan came around the corner together on their morning patrol. The fact that the two of them were paired up was suspicious enough in her eyes — but then her eyes widened when she saw that Malfoy was holding Macmillan's wand in his hand. The Hufflepuff prefect's hands and arms were covered in what looked like the result of a particularly painful stinging hex.
"Malfoy!"
Draco only glanced up at her. "Macmillan and I are just having a little chat, Weasley. It's nothing for you to worry about."
Macmillan swallowed, his eyes on Malfoy's wand. "Look, as Theo told you, it was just a misunderstanding. We were role playing."
Draco tapped his wand against Macmillan's forehead. "Role playing? How fun. Weasley, want to role play with me? How do you think Macmillan would look if I reversed his knee caps?"
The Hufflepuff prefect paled. "You wouldn't!"
"Weasley over here is quite good at curses to the prick. Bat Bogeys erupting from the head of your cock sounds pleasant, doesn't it?" Draco asked, his voice dangerously cold. "Maybe a little furnunculus charm on your balls? Ever had pus come out of your nose?"
Macmillan was deathly pale now, his eyes darting back and forth between Draco and Ginny. "You wouldn't dare! You'd be expelled!"
"We don't like you, Ernie," Ginny said, moving closer to them. "You're a pompous arsehole who thinks he's better than everyone else — for some unknown reason. Theo deserves better than you. But Malfoy isn't going to curse you."
"The hell I'm not!" Draco declared.
The prefect only stared at them. "Theo calls the shots — not me."
Draco snorted. "Fucking liar."
Macmillan glared at him. "What are you going to do? Curse me right here in the corridor while Potter's whore watches?"
The stinging hex Ginny sent at him made him howl; it broke out across his face and neck just as Umbridge marched around the corner.
"Hexing in the corridors! And hexing a prefect at that! How dare you!" Umbridge declared, grabbing Ginny's arm.
"Let go of me!" Ginny demanded, struggling against Umbridge's surprisingly tight grip.
"After what your brothers pulled, do you really think that I'm going to let you get away with this, you little bitch?"
"Malfoy threatened to perform dark magic on me!" Macmillan exclaimed, his eyes gleaming as Umbridge tightened her grip on Ginny's arm.
Umbridge looked over at the three of them, her eyes growing greedy as they stopped upon Ginny; she shoved her hard enough that Ginny winced. "You — Weasley — detention, my office tonight during dinner! Mr Malfoy, I'll be speaking to your Head of House about your involvement in this. Go, all of you. Now!"
Ginny put her wand in her holster, eyes on Umbridge as she rubbed her wrist where the woman had grabbed her roughly. She gave the woman a defiant look before she tossed her red hair over her shoulder and stormed off. Ginny glared at Malfoy when she reached the entrance hall and realized he had followed her.
"What the hell were you playing at back there?"
"Like you didn't enjoy hexing him, Weasley!"
Macmillan glared at both of them. "You better watch your backs."
Malfoy gripped his arm and Ginny pushed him off of Macmillan. "Let him go! He hasn't bothered Theo all month. Let it go!"
Draco gave her a seething look. "Whatever. Theo's going to meet Smith in the village. I'm going back to bed."
"You're not going to Hogsmeade?" she asked in surprise.
Draco shook his head. "I'd rather sleep."
Ginny watched him stomp off, her eyes on Macmillan who was having his girlfriend get rid of the stinging hex. He said something to her that made her frown because Sally-Anne shoved Macmillan away from her and marched over to her friends. Ginny gratefully leaned back against Harry when his arms came around her. His lips brushed her cheek and she smiled, wrapping her arms around his.
"I have detention with Umbitch tonight."
Harry frowned. "What? Why?"
"I used a stinging hex on Macmillan's face."
He grinned. "Tame of you."
"I thought so," she said, turning to face him. "I have to report to her office just before dinner tonight."
"Don't write lines."
"I saw Fred and George's hands, I won't. Theo said that she made poor little Ciara write that she never should have been born. Can you imagine anything so horrible?"
Harry shook his head. "Sirius should be sitting down with Richardson and the Board today. He was looking forward to showing them that evidence. Maybe you'll get lucky and your detention won't even happen."
Ginny tucked a loose tendril behind her ear. "I doubt that."
Harry linked his fingers with hers and brought them to his lips. "Well, at least we have today. Want to go to Mangia Italiano again?"
"Mmm, definitely."
He kissed her softly before he tugged her over to the line by Filch. "If we start going there enough, maybe they'll put our picture up on the wall."
Ginny chuckled. "Next time we should invite everyone, go as a big group."
"Want me to ask Ron and everyone now?"
Ginny shook her head, standing on her toes to kiss him. "No. This time, I just want it to be me and you."
Harry smiled. "Sounds good to me."
But as they waited for Filch to check their names at the door, he couldn't help but wonder how Sirius was faring with the Board of Governors.
~ ASC ~
Theo stood in Hogsmeade, shivering in the biting cold of January. He was meeting Smith in the Three Broomsticks to finalize the documents before they went to London to meet with the praetor in eight days. Hopefully the praetor made it official and he would formally be Lord Norfolk, Marquess. He buried his cold nose in his scarf and turned towards the pub just as someone grabbed his arm and he was promptly yanked into the alley alongside the building.
He stumbled as he caught himself against the wall and the sight of Macmillan there made his stomach clench nervously. He hadn't come near him in the days since he'd been back at school. Not since Potter had broken his nose before the holiday.
Theo swallowed nervously. "I'm meeting someone in the pub. I can't be late."
He turned to go, but Macmillan shoved him back against the brick wall hard enough that he saw stars, before shoving his hand over his mouth.
"I'll decide if you'll be late or not, you pretentious arse."
Theo pushed his hand away. "I can't be late, Macmillan!"
Macmillan's fist shot out, clipping him in the chin. "You set Potter's little bitch on me! Malfoy had the balls to threaten me and then Potter's little whore hit me with a stinging hex so painful I had to go to the hospital wing before I could come here!"
"Ginny's not a whore," Theo said bitterly, wiping blood off his bottom lip. "And if she hexed you, you must have done something to deserve it."
Macmillan gripped Theo by his cloak and shoved him harder against the wall. "Did you tell them?"
"No!"
"Are you lying to me, Theo? You know what I can do to you!"
"I'm not — bloody — lying!"
The back of Macmillan's hand hit him with a resounding crack hard enough to split his lip a second time.
"Listen up, you dirty little poofter — get on your bloody knees or I'll make you regret it!"
Theo was trembling in rage. He was so close, so damn close to putting an end to this — and the prefect would dare make him late. He tore his hand free from Macmillan's grasp, reaching for his wand, but Macmillan smashed his hand back into the wall, making Theo cry out in pain. He grabbed Theo's wand from his holster and tossed it aside, the clattering on the cobblestone seeming loud in Theo's ears.
"Let me go!" Theo exclaimed, attempting to shove Macmillan back.
Macmillan pushed harder, slamming him back against the wall so hard Theo swore his bones rattled. Then he gripped Theo by his scarf and tugged brutally enough that he gasped for breath.
"Get on your knees and blow me, cocksucker."
Theo stared at him in hatred, but when Macmillan finally loosened the scarf enough so that he could breathe, he slowly sank to the snowy ground, his hands trembling. If he just got on with it, it would all be over, and he could still make his appointment. He knew what would happen if he fought him. It would be so much worse. He'd just suck him off and be done with it. It wasn't like it took long for Macmillan to finish after all. He was a two to three pump champ — tops.
Disgust cramped his stomach as he knelt in the snow and swallowed back the bile rising in his throat. This was the last time, he told himself. This was the last time that he would let Macmillan use him like this. Then it would be over. He would meet Smith and set everything straight. His bottom lip trembled as Macmillan shoved his fingers into his mouth.
"Open that talented mouth, cocksucker. I've got a real treat for you."
Macmillan undid his belt and pulled out his already leaking penis. He grabbed Theo's hair and shoved his head back against the wall, his erection brushing Theo's cheek.
"I'm going to fuck this mouth until you bleed," he spat.
Theo closed his eyes, his hands fisting at his sides and then suddenly, Macmillan's hands were ripped out of his hair. Theo blinked, almost disoriented as he realized that Macmillan had vanished from in front of him. He blinked again until he heard Macmillan's shriek half a second later.
Macmillan was smashed against the brick wall on his right, hanging a foot above the ground as a strong, gloved hand gripped him by the neck. He choked for breath and the hand squeezed tighter.
The tall figure had a large hooded cloak that covered him, and Theo couldn't see who it was.
"Do you like hurting people, you sick little prick? Do you like that? Do you want me to hurt you?"
Macmillan was struggling to breathe, his eyes wide in horror.
"How would you like it if someone forced that upon you? Would you like it if someone forced a cock into your mouth? Answer me!"
"N-no," Macmillan croaked, tears in his eyes.
The figure let go and Macmillan crumpled to the ground, choking and gasping for breath, before the figure grabbed him by his coat, shoved him back up to his feet. He slammed him back against the brick wall once more as if he weighed no more than a feather.
"If you ever do anything like this again to anyone ever, I will find you. I will force upon you the same punishment that you inflicted upon this man before you. I call it poetic justice. I will string you upside down by your thumbs — and I can promise you, you fecking arse — no one in this world will even know that you are missing until you're old and grey."
Macmillan paled as the figure seemed to glow for a moment before he tossed him aside like he was a bag of rubbish that he'd finished with. Macmillan's eyes were wide in abject horror, his lip was trembling; he was whimpering in fear as if could see something that Theo couldn't.
The figure was still emitting a bit of a golden glow when he turned and offered his hand down to the ground where Theo was still kneeling. Theo's eyes were wide in shock and he could still feel the handprint that he knew must be imprinted on the side of his face. He tasted his own blood as he stared down at the pale hand of the man before him.
"Let me help you," the figure said kindly.
Theo swallowed nervously, accepting the hand with his non-injured one. The man topped at close to one hundred and eighty-two centimetres, giving him ten solid centimetres on Theo as he pulled him up to his feet as if he weighed nothing. Theo gripped his arm for support and the feel of the strong, lean muscles there had him pausing. The man tossed his dark hood back, revealing the most handsome face that Theo had ever seen. He couldn't be any older than nineteen, but he was beautiful. His cheekbones looked as if they were made from chiseled marble. He had a strong jaw with a dusting of gold stubble and eyes the colour of a spring meadow. His golden hair was adorably messy under the green toque, a few loose strands around his eyes. His lips were full and a soft pink, and as Theo looked into his face, they curved into a slow smile.
"I admit, this was not how I wanted to meet you." He took the hand that he was still holding and gently kissed the back of it. "You are Theo, are you not?"
Theo nodded, seemingly to catch himself. "Er, yes — yes I — thank you."
The figure smiled. "You're welcome. I suppose this means that I have repaid our debt. If he comes after you again, I'd be more than happy to make good on my promise."
Macmillan whimpered from the ground.
"In the meantime, I suggest that you have him arrested by your government."
"By my — who are you?"
The man smiled, his eyes dancing. "I apologize! Amidst all of the excitement I forgot to introduce myself. I am Prince Finley Alexander, Finn, if you please."
Theo's mouth dropped open.
This was Finn!
The mysterious fae who he'd been writing to for months, the one who was Ciara's uncle! He was much too young; too beautiful, too sexy, he thought…
"But you… but I… how old are you?"
Finn laughed and the sound of it seemed to wash over Theo like the warmth of a bath. "Eighteen. Niamh is one of my older sisters. We're thirteen years apart."
Theo only continued to stare at him.
Finn turned back towards Macmillan. He snapped his fingers and Macmillan's hands and feet tied together before he was lifted from the ground. "Should we bring him up to your school first?"
Theo stared a moment longer before he caught himself. "Er, yes I — wait, if... if this doesn't go the way I want it to today… I don't meet the praetor for another week."
Finn turned and with a gloved hand cupped Theo's injured cheek so tenderly that it startled him. "He will not hurt you again, I vow it upon everything that I am."
"It's not him... if people find out that..."
"He was the one blackmailing you, not your friend?"
Theo nodded, his cheeks heating in embarrassment as he realized that Finn knew. Finn knew everything.
"I'll lose everything."
"No, you will not. My world is different from yours, Theo, remember I told you that? Spend one full day in my court and you can lose up to a hundred years in your world."
"But you…" He let out a slow breath before he continued. "So he is..."
"Never going to bother you again," Finn said, snapping his fingers and making Macmillan levitate above the ground. He still seemed to be stuck in a trance of some kind.
"What's wrong with him? Why is he so compliant?"
Finn gave him a mischievous smile. "I put his mind into a dark world; as far as he knows, he is trapped inside a hell dimension forced to suffer countless torture until I decide to let him go."
Theo's eyes widened. "Oh."
Finn's lips curved. "May I join you in your meeting?"
"Er… what about him?"
Finn only gave Macmillan a cursory glance. "He can hang about trapped in the dark world until I see fit to release him. You will have your meeting in peace."
"Oh," Theo said again, unable to stop staring.
Finn snapped his fingers and Macmillan faded into the wall. "Now no one will see him." He linked his arm through Theo's. "Lead the way, Lord Norfolk."
Theo stared at the fairy prince walking next to him in awe and thought that he'd never been happier in his entire life to play a damsel in distress.
~ ASC ~
The meeting with Smith went great; Theo signed paperwork to essentially make himself Lord Norfolk. Smith revealed that Praetor Samuels had gone over the documents and agreed that a face-to-face meeting wasn't necessary to formalize everything.
Theo shook Smith's hand with a grin on his face.
He signed the last document transferring all properties and wealth to his name, and then, he was officially Lord Theodore Nott, Marquess of Norfolk. He dropped the quill.
"It's really done?"
"It's really done," Smith said with a smile. "Congratulations, Lord Norfolk."
"Smith, I was serious the other day. I want you to handle everything. Give me a few weeks to get myself familiar with it, and you'll be hearing from me. I need an estate lawyer I can trust."
Smith beamed at him. "I'd be honoured to be your advocatus."
They parted ways and Theo drank his butterbeer, finally feeling it warm him up after the day's events. He snuck a look at the gorgeous fae who was still sitting next to him in the booth. He'd removed his toque and his blond hair was shaggy around his face, his ears pointed just slightly taller than the average human. Those green eyes, the colour of a spring meadow, were watching Theo curiously.
"Thank you. Not just for earlier, but for the letter you wrote as well. It went a long way to get a reference from a prince."
Finn smiled at him. "You're most welcome."
"Did you really come down here just to meet with my lawyer?"
Finn shook his head, drinking his own butterbeer. "No. I came down here to meet Sirius Black at the school to help forcibly remove Dolores Umbridge from the castle and make sure she is punished for what she has done. The Aurors claim that my need for vengeance is not a justifiable claim in allowing her to be brought to Tara. However, they are allowing me to have my say and to press formal charges against her on Ciara's behalf. That foul woman will be locked away for the rest of her sad, pitiful existence."
Theo nodded, wincing when he bit his split lip. "Well, that's still good. Is she going then?"
"Lord Black seemed certain, yes. We're meeting at Hogwarts just before dinner."
"Yet, you showed up in Hogsmeade for one," Theo said carefully.
Finn leaned in closer in the booth that they were sitting in. "I wanted to be here for the meeting with your lawyer. I wanted to make sure that it went well for you and I wanted to introduce myself, officially."
"Why?" Theo asked, his eyes on Finn's.
"Because you fascinate me," Finn admitted, picking up Theo's hand and linking his fingers between them. "Ciara raves about you. She claims that you're intelligent and brave and handsome. So far, I see that she hasn't lied to me."
Theo swallowed. "But… I'm no one special."
"A caring heart, willing to help others in need. Someone who is trying to stand up against right and wrong, no matter how often he has to suffer himself to do so… that's a man that I want to know."
Theo blushed under his praise, looking under his dark lashes at the handsome face. "And… and you?"
"What about me?"
"You're a fae. A fairy prince!"
"I am," Finn said, his thumb brushing over Theo's knuckles. "I am also the Head of the Royal Guard, warrior to the King, but yes, I am also a prince — and a man, an uncle, a brother, a friend."
"And you want to be my friend?" Theo asked, finding himself getting lost in Finn's beautiful green eyes.
Finn reached up to gently brush his thumb over Theo's bottom lip; he felt it tingle for a moment before the cut Macmillan had given him healed at the fae's touch. "If that's what you'd like."
Theo blushed and stood up, grabbing his bag. He was suddenly feeling very nervous. "We should get back to the castle. You left Macmillan in the alley and we… we can't just leave him there."
Finn stood as well. "Shame about that. I look forward to seeing him imprisoned for what he did to you. I'd even applaud the death penalty for this scum."
"But you said… you'd string him up by his thumbs and no one would even know he was missing…"
Finn's eyes met Theo's. "I am good with colourful threats, but I do not condone sexual assault. What he did was wrong and I would never… the fae don't hurt people."
Theo stared at him. "I never thought you did."
Finn smiled and gestured for Theo to walk in front of him. "Good."
Theo led the way back outside of pub and around to the alley. Finn waved his hand and Macmillan reappeared, still hanging by the wall. The fae snapped his fingers again and Macmillan came back to himself, eyes horrified and wide. Theo wrinkled his nose at the smell, and he realized that Macmillan had soiled himself in his fear.
Finn pulled gold cuffs out from his cloak and tied Macmillan's arms behind his back. Celtic symbols glowed on the cuffs before they clicked into place around Macmillan's wrists. Finn tugged him around before taking the prefect's wand and passing it to Theo.
"You can hold on to that," he told him.
Then he floated Macmillan half an inch above the ground, upside down, and urged him forward towards the castle. Macmillan's head occasionally bounced on the ground in what he was almost certain wasn't an accident.
Theo walked slowly behind him, still confused as to what had happened. The day seemed almost like a dream. He snuck a look over at the warrior fae. He wore black leather pants with matching knee-high leather boots under his long dark cloak. The green toque covered his flyaway blond hair and his pointed ears, the green silk shirt he wore underneath the cloak did nothing to hide the lean muscles Theo had felt there when he'd touched his arm. He'd never seen anyone so beautiful in his life, man or woman.
Finn smiled at him, his lips the colour of ripe cherries. "Something wrong?"
He shook his head, stopping to shove his cold hands into his pockets. "No, nothing's wrong. I just… you really want to be my friend, even after… you don't think that I'm a dirty pervert, like Macmillan said."
Finn turned and left Macmillan floating on the path as he took a step towards Theo, his gloved hand cupping Theo's cheek. "It would be a tad hypocritical, wouldn't it?"
"What?"
Finn's lips curved slowly and then he bent his head until he his lips were a breath away from Theo's. "I've imagined doing this for weeks."
And then those soft lips were on his.
Soft, moist lips that tasted of butterbeer. The feel of the stubble on Finn's chin brushed over his face and he leaned in closer, his lips moving under his. Theo's hands slid under his cloak to rest on Finn's hips and the fae pulled him closer, changing the angle of the kiss; Theo purred against him.
Finn pulled back, tilting his forehead against his. "Now, let's get that filthy excuse for a being up to the castle and properly punished before I make sure this Umbridge is thrown in prison for the rest of her life, preferably locked up with this arse. Then — if it's agreeable with you - I'd very much like to kiss you again."
Theo nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. "Okay," he whispered.
Finn's lips curved into a slow smile and Theo wiped his sweaty palms on the side of his trousers.
Yeah, he was more than okay with being the damsel in distress, he thought as they marched back up to the castle.
Who knew that Prince Charming could kiss like that?
~ ASC ~
Ginny kissed Harry goodbye before she reluctantly headed upstairs to the fifth floor corridor. Having to serve detention during dinner seemed a particularly terrible punishment in her book. She was thankful that she and Harry had gone to the restaurant and she had filled herself up on salad, fresh garlic bread, soup, and pasta. She was just heading to the back staircase from the sixth floor to head down to the fifth when Umbridge's falsely sweet 'hem, hem' interrupted her thoughts.
She turned, surprised to see Umbridge standing in the corridor and she merely raised an eyebrow. "I was on my way to see you, Madam Umbridge."
Umbridge only nodded. "Follow me, Miss Weasley."
Ginny rubbed her sore wrist; a bruise was forming where Umbridge had grabbed her that morning. Umbridge's look of satisfaction from seeing the bruised skin made her itch to hex the toad, but she followed the woman down the corridor. The swamp was still blocking the front entrance, so they had to take the back stairs and carefully walk around the swamp to reach the second door. The putrid smell of the swamp seemed much more pungent up close.
Umbridge held the door open for Ginny before closing it and urged her to take a seat. Ginny did as instructed, staring defiantly at the woman. Umbridge had obviously tried to get rid of the swamp stench by spraying perfume — a sickly sweet mix of lavender, vanilla, and baby powder that only made Ginny gag.
Umbridge stared at her from across the desk; Ginny only stared back. She'd take detention, Ginny had no problem with that. She wished that she'd done more than use a stinging hex on Ernie Macmillan if she was honest. After what he had done to hurt Theo on top of what he called her? No one called her a whore.
Umbridge moved to the table near the wall and brewed a pot of tea, poured two cups, and asked Ginny what she would like.
"Nothing, thanks."
Umbridge only stared at her. "I offered you a cup of tea, Miss Weasley; it would be rude to refuse it."
Ginny's manners kicked in and she nodded. "You're right, I'm sorry, Madam Umbridge. Just a little lemon and honey please."
Umbridge turned back to the table to make the tea and handed Ginny a steaming tea cup a moment later. "I love milk in mine. Are you sure that you won't have a little?"
"Sure," Ginny said, feeling a little uneasy now. The way Umbridge was smiling gave her a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She watched her add a little milk before she moved to sit across, placing her own tea cup on the desk next to them.
"Now, a sweet girl like you, I don't think that you meant to harm that prefect, Mr… ?"
"Macmillan," Ginny supplied. "I used a stinging hex on him because he called me a whore."
Umbridge only blinked at her. "Well, words often sting when they tell the truth, don't they, dear?"
Ginny's eyes flashed in rage, and Umbridge's lips curved into an evil smile.
"Drink your tea, dear."
Ginny lifted the cup to her lips as Umbridge stared at her, her eyes glinting greedily, and the thought poison crossed her mind. Ginny pretended to sip it with a smile. "Mmm, you're right, the milk is good."
Umbridge looked pleased by this and sipped her own tea before she put it down. "You are Harry Potter's girlfriend, are you not?"
"Yes," Ginny said, wondering what that had to do with anything.
"His godfather has been a pain in my arse for some time, causing trouble in the Ministry of Magic for years. Is Mr Potter as much of a troublemaker?"
"Sirius has been doing great things at the Ministry. We're all proud of him, Harry included. Aspiring to be anything like him isn't considered causing trouble," she answered.
Umbridge's eyes narrowed. "Drink more of your tea."
Ginny stared at the cup now. It wasn't poison, she thought as a dawning realization came over her; there was Veritserum in the cup. It was the only explanation as to why Umbridge would make her drink it. She brought it to her lips, her eyes moving past Umbridge to the window.
"Is that a niffler?" she asked, a sudden idea forming.
Umbridge jumped from her chair in alarm. There wasn't actually a niffler, but Umbridge was searching the office diligently as she hiccuped. "How are those devilish little beasts getting in here? Where is it, girl?"
When she turned to search for the creature that wasn't there, Ginny carefully swapped their tea cups, holding the new cup tightly in her hand. "I heard that they're excellent climbers, but they don't usually open windows. Are you sure that you've kept it locked?"
Umbridge's eyes darted around her office suspiciously before she seemed content that there was no niffler in hiding. She swayed on her feet a little. "Yes, but I will be extra cautious from now on." She looked up as Ginny drank her tea. "How's the tea?"
"Delicious," Ginny said, trying not to make a face. Umbridge apparently liked a pound of sugar in her tea, and a great deal of sherry; she could feel her teeth rotting at the taste. No wonder the witch was clearly a bit tipsy.
The woman picked up the tea cup and knocked it back with a grimace. "This isn't…" She stared at Ginny, her eyes wide. "You took my tea!"
Ginny smiled. She was hardly going to admit to it and at this point, they both knew it was too late. "Madam Umbridge, what were you saying about Sirius Black and Harry Potter?"
"Meddlesome idiots, the both of them. Sirius Black is going around behind my back trying to get me fired! He should watch himself. There's people watching him, watching me. I have friends in high places, you know."
"Fudge?"
"Better than the Fudge! He's fallen high, he has, and the new minister… I know she doesn't like me. I have friends better than her," Umbridge said, hiccuping. "I have friends in You Know Who's inner circle."
Ginny's eyes widened. "Are you a Death Eater?"
Umbridge scoffed. "No, not me, but I should be. They'd respect me there. Respect what I do. I get no respect here. Ever since Cornelius was impeached, people treat me like vermin. Me? A respected pureblooded witch — and not the filth they bring into the government nowadays. Fairies and Wolves and Vampires and all those mixed breeds. It's disgusting!"
She hiccuped, startling herself, and her eyes fell on Ginny.
"And your older brothers… that disgusting swamp out there and the fireworks destroyed my office. Ruined my prized cat portraits! Now that damn poltergeist blows raspberries in my ear when I'm trying to sleep! He sings 'Henry VIII I Am' over and over and over again! And just this morning, he came into my shower and dumped rice pudding on my head!"
Ginny snorted, covering her mouth as laughter threatened to bubble up. "How sad."
Umbridge glared. "And you! Nothing but Potter's bloody whore… the Dark Lord touched you, I heard…" She giggled as if she suddenly couldn't control the laughter in the back of her throat. "Do you let all the boys touch you? Is that really what those prefects were fighting about?"
Ginny's eyes narrowed and her hand clenched her wand tightly. "You don't know what you're talking about!"
"Your stupid, bloody brothers ruined everything! I was going to do great things here! I was going to revolutionize this school! I was going to be Headmistress!"
The knock on the door surprised them both; Umbridge hiccuped.
"Come in!"
McGonagall stood there with Dumbledore and Snape. She looked at Ginny in alarm. "Miss Weasley, what are you doing in here?"
"Getting information," Ginny said easily. "She tried to slip me a truth potion and I swapped our teacups. I'm learning some very interesting things."
McGonagall's eyebrow rose. "Dolores, is this true?"
"Oh, absolutely," Umbridge exclaimed. "I did give her a truth potion, and if she switched our cups that explains why I keep telling her things that I don't mean to."
"She was saying that she knows Death Eaters and respects You Know Who."
"Smart wizard," she said, nodding. "He knows not to trust these filthy beasts, those half-breeds! I've worked hard my whole life to try to make the world safe from them, and what do I get for my troubles? Demoted! Sent to this school full of children taught by filthy half-breeds and whores! Tortured and picked on! Harassed by a poltergeist day in and day out! These filthy beasts that call themselves children doing nothing but causing trouble and shagging each other like animals all over the castle. When I'm Headmistress, that will change, oh yes!"
"Headmistress?" Snape asked, his eyebrow rising. "That's definitely not going to happen."
Dumbledore stared at her. "How did your bigotry bring you this far, Dolores? For an intelligent woman, you are a sad individual. Minerva tells me that you used dark magic on my students? Is this true?"
"Oh yes, with my special quill!" Umbridge replied.
"Where did you get that quill that you gave to Miss Casey?" Dumbledore asked.
His eyes were cold and piercing, not the usual twinkle that Ginny was used to; it sent a surprising shiver down her spine. She was starting to understand why someone like Tom would be afraid to come up against him.
"A family heirloom," Umbridge said proudly. "An invention of my father's. He used to make me write lines with it when I misbehaved. It forces you to write in your own blood, quite ingenious I think. And that little freak never should have been born! By engraving the words into her own skin, it is only a reminder of it."
Snape's eyes darkened. "Have you forced other students to use it?"
"Mostly first years, yes — children too stupid to realize its dangers. Of course, there's that freakish little vampire boy from third year, I made him lick the blood from his hand — he probably liked it, the disgusting half-breed. Fred and George Weasley's hands were nicely cut up by my words. I should have done more to those nasty little buggers for what they've done to me! Flying out on me! Leaving me with this mess!"
McGonagall paled. "Severus, send for the Aurors. I won't allow this woman to stay a moment longer in this school. I want her arrested for child abuse!"
"Wait a moment, Minerva," Dumbledore declared.
"Wait — Albus, are you listening to this? She forced students to write lines in their own blood! She forced a student to lick his own bloody hand clean! She should be locked away in a cell for the rest of her days for child abuse!"
Umbridge hiccuped again. "Who is abusing children?"
"I am not saying otherwise, Minerva, I merely am looking to collect all of the facts. Between you and Sirius I have been kept informed on this woman's more seemly decisions."
"You refused to let her sack Sybil," McGonagall retorted. "But I haven't seen you doing anything else to stop her!"
Dumbledore's eyebrow rose. "Minerva, the Department of Education has a say in who teaches at my school, but as headmaster, I get final word. Sybil does not deserve to be fired. As to the rest, Dolores' bigotry and inspections were nothing more than petty interruptions that I was willing to allow for the department to get her out of their hair, but this is an entirely different level." He turned back to Umbridge, his eyes narrowed. "Why did you force these students to write lines in their own blood?"
"Filthy, mangy little beasts," Umbridge declared. "I hate children!"
Dumbledore looked disappointed in her answer as he turned to Ginny. "Miss Weasley, why were you called to her office this evening?"
"She was hexing a prefect!" Umbridge exclaimed. "Most uncalled for. She said that he called her a whore, but if the shoe fits…"
"Dolores!" McGonagall said in shock.
Umbridge merely hiccuped again.
"I used a stinging hex on him, Professors, and Madam Umbridge demanded that I come to her office during dinner for detention. When I arrived, she prepared me tea."
"How did you know to swap the cups?" Snape asked her, his dark gaze eying her curiously.
Ginny stared at him for a moment. "I didn't know for sure, but I felt like she was too eager for me to drink it. Growing up with Fred and George, if anyone is that eager for you to eat or drink something, there's a large possibility that it may blow up in your face. When she started asking me about Harry and Sirius, I suspected there might be Veritserum in the tea."
Snape nodded, his dark eyes carefully blank. "Ten points to Gryffindor. Who did you hex?"
"Macmillan."
Snape's eyes narrowed. "He seems to be causing some problems this year, Albus. As you know, I came to you before the holiday with news that Potter had broken his nose and claimed that he had physically assaulted Theodore Nott. Without Nott's testimony, I had nothing to trust Potter's claim, but this… I don't know if he's the best choice for the Hufflepuff prefect."
"I can say with absolute certainty that he is not," an Irish voice declared, startling them all.
Macmillan, cuffed and gagged, was suddenly thrown to the floor of Umbridge's office.
"What is the meaning of this?" McGonagall demanded. "Who are you?"
The tall imposing figure with the face of an angel merely raised a brow as Theo stepped into the room to stand next to him. "This filth has been blackmailing as well as both physically and sexually abusing one of your students for months now. The only reason he is still alive at this moment is because Lord Norfolk here requests it."
Ginny's eyes narrowed as she took in the Irish angel's words. Abuse? Blackmail? Her gaze sought Theo and he shook his head at her.
"Mr Nott, is this true?" McGonagall demanded, her voice breaking.
Snape only stared at Theo. "It was him all along, Theo, wasn't it? Why didn't you come to me?"
"He was going to tell my father!" Theo blurted out, his cheeks heating in embarrassment. "I couldn't let that happen! I needed to wait until everything came together and everything… it's mine now, Professor. I am now the Marquess of Norfolk."
Snape bent down to pick up Macmillan, shoving him into a chair next to Umbridge. "Looks like the Aurors will be getting two for the price of one today." He ripped the gag from the Hufflepuff. "Anything to say for yourself?"
Macmillan pointed to the Irish angel next to Theo. "He… he… he did something…"
McGonagall raised a brow, turning to the figure. "Who are you?"
The Irish angel stepped forward and bowed. "Prince Finley Alexander of the Court of Tara, at your service, Madam."
McGonagall looked taken aback before she curtsied. "Your Grace."
Dumbledore bowed as well. "You sent word that you would be arriving to see Umbridge removed for using dark magic on your niece, Ciara Casey. How did you come across Lord Norfolk and Mr Macmillan?"
"I found him assaulting Lord Norfolk in the alley behind The Three Broomsticks. I may have used a fairy curse or two to show him what could befall him if he was to ever hurt another soul," Finn explained. His eyes glinted into sharp emeralds as he stared at the prefect. "Though I tend to think that a worthy punishment is the same he reaped upon others, I don't condone it. I know the Aurors will not give him over to my court, but for the record, I vote that he be punished there by my people for the sexual assault he bestowed upon Theo."
Ginny's hands covered her mouth and she immediately moved to Theo.
He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her cheek, and cradling her close. "I'm fine, chick. Honestly." He kissed her cheek again and then whispered in her ear. "A sexy fairy prince rescued me and then he kissed me."
Ginny's eyes widened and he grinned at her.
"Tell you later," he whispered, holding her against his side as they turned back to the room.
"Your Grace, we cannot allow you to bestow that kind of punishment upon Mr Macmillan," McGonagall said, though her gaze was full of disgust when she looked at Ernie.
"Sexual assault should never happen period, Madam, but those who believe themselves to be above the law in such things should be put to death for their crimes. I do not condone assault of any kind on any creature, man, woman or child, but I want him punished severely for his crimes."
"He will be, Your Grace, I can promise you that. But you may bring up your suggestion to the Aurors. Severus, call the Aurors!"
Snape nodded and sent a Patronus out of the room before Ginny could see what the shape of it was. No sooner had the Patronus been dispatched than Sirius walked in with a group of people behind him.
"What's going on?" Sirius asked, his eyes falling on Ginny.
"Sirius, we just called for the Aurors. I want this woman arrested along with Ernie Macmillan, fifth year prefect."
Sirius' eyebrow rose. He immediately stepped across the room and put a hand on Ginny's shoulder. "Are you hurt?"
"No," she said, with a grateful smile. "I'm fine. Umbridge tried to give me Veritserum, but I switched our teacups."
"Clever little spitfire," Sirius said, gently squeezing her shoulder before he turned to stand next to her. "Why is Macmillan being arrested?"
A man with Ernie Macmillan's jawline stood in the doorway. "What is the meaning of this? Why is my son handcuffed to this chair?"
"Richard," Sirius began, grabbing the man's arm before he could enter the cramped office that was already full of eight people. "It seems he is to be arrested."
Lord Richard Macmillan, newly appointed member of the Board of Governors, stared at his son in horror. "Ernest Richard Macmillan, what are you being accused of?"
"Rape," Finn said darkly. "Repeated sexual assault, blackmail, and physical assault on Lord Norfolk."
Lord Macmillan's eyes widened. "What? That can't be!"
"The Aurors can sort it out," McGonagall said darkly as Kingsley came into the room with Tonks and Higgins.
Higgins picked up Macmillan, cuffing him with the Auror-issue handcuffs and returning the gold ones to Finn as Tonks moved over to Umbridge. Ginny knew that Tonks being the one to arrest Umbridge meant a great deal to her after everything that the foul woman had put her husband through.
"Dolores Umbridge, you are hereby being arrested for using dark magic on children, for child abuse, and for providing an underage minor with a controlled substance known as Veritserum. You do not have to say anything, but, it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence," Tonks declared, locking the cuffs extra tight behind Umbridge's back.
The white-haired man at the front of the governors in the corridor shook his head from the doorway. "Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, I deeply apologize for the inconvenience that this woman has caused. She was trouble at the Ministry and I admit, I shipped her here as much to get her out of my hair as to get the job done, but I never expected this. I will be handling all curriculum inspections myself coming the first week of February."
"Thank you, Mr Richardson," McGonagall told him.
Dumbledore nodded. "What's done is done, Henry. We don't want her in the school, and I assume that the families will want to press charges against her. Kingsley, Prince Finley wishes to discuss punishment for both of the accused."
Kingsley's eyebrow rose. "The Court of Tara doesn't have authority over this manner, Your Grace. As stated in Bill E72-WD9 Section III Article 2-2 'The Sub-Government of Tara is solely responsible for their court and people including law and order,' and we both know that Macmillan does not fall under your jurisdiction, but mine."
Finn frowned. "Worth a try."
Kingsley smiled. "Any complaints or charges can be brought directly to me in the DMLE. Lupin, Higgins, drag their arses out of here. Lord Macmillan, you can come down to the DMLE with me and we'll talk about the charges laid against your son."
"If proven true, he will be expelled from Hogwarts," Dumbledore said darkly. "We do not tolerate that sort of behaviour in this school."
Lord Macmillan paled, nodding as he followed Higgins and his son out of the room.
Tonks winked at Ginny as she followed with Umbridge, Kingsley behind her.
Dumbledore let out a slow breath. "I imagine that this won't stay quiet for long. Minerva, get Filius to help you dismantle the Weasleys' swamp. We need to get things back to normal. Severus, if you could speak to Pomona about choosing a new fifth year prefect to help Miss Abbott, it would be appreciated." His eyes fell on Theo and Ginny. "Mr Nott — I apologize, Lord Norfolk, I would like to speak with you about the actions of Mr Macmillan, but for now, if you and Miss Weasley could please head down to the Great Hall, dinner should still be going on. "
Ginny nodded and snuck a glance at Theo who held a finger up asking her to wait. She moved to the side of the corridor as Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape filed out with Sirius and the rest of the Board of Governors, all talking avidly. It was only a few moments before she was alone in the hall. She snuck a peek into Umbridge's office, biting her bottom lip as she watched Finn duck his head and tenderly kiss Theo on the lips.
Theo blushed as the fairy prince pulled away, and then he was off, his cloak billowing out behind him. Theo saw Ginny and he moved over to her.
"Did you see him? Did you see him?"
"He's gorgeous!" Ginny said. "I told you that he wasn't some old fuddy-duddy!"
Theo grinned. "He saved me, Ginny! I mean — he literally swooped in all Prince Charming like and saved me from Macmillan! It was like a fairy tale and I was the bloody damsel in distress!"
Ginny chuckled. "I can't imagine a more beautiful princess."
He rolled his eyes and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "He put Macmillan in his place and then he left him hanging by the brick wall in the cold, trapped in some mental dark world or something, and he took me to meet Smith."
"And now, you're Lord Norfolk."
"I am," he said, beaming. "It's all mine! The title, the name, the wealth, the property… I am the sole owner. My father has nothing; no claim to it."
"And Macmillan… Theo, why didn't you tell me or Malfoy or Zabini?"
His face reddened. "I was afraid. He… if my father found out, Ginny… I might not have been able to make a claim on this. It would mean that I would be trapped under the thumb of Thaddeus Nott for a whole extra year. He forced me to meet the Dark Lord in August."
Ginny's eyes widened. "What?"
Theo bit his lip. "It was terrifying, chick. I tried to pretend that I was brave and that it would all be okay, but… he's terrifying, and he told me that I would become one of his followers. I knew that if he saw how I really felt or if my father found out that I was gay… I couldn't risk it. It's my life, Ginny."
Ginny moved into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and resting her head against his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Theo. I wish that there was something I could have done to help you."
He hugged her back, closing his eyes. "The first weekend back to school… I was two minutes late for curfew because I couldn't stop thinking about meeting the Dark Lord. I knew about the breakout — and Draco and I, we decided not to share it, because it might look suspicious that they found out after I had met the Dark Lord. I was feeling guilty about it and confused and Macmillan found me and took away house points. I taunted him a little about being a prick and power getting to his head but I… then he had my wand and I was on my knees and he forced me to suck him off… I was so embarrassed. I had let it happen."
"He overpowered you. There is nothing to be ashamed about."
Theo nodded. "When it was done, I thought, that's it… but then he threatened me. He told me that if I didn't give him what he wanted whenever he wanted it, he would make sure my father found out that I'm gay. He told me that I'd lose everything that the Nott name had and I… I panicked. I promised not to tell anyone and I let him… do it."
"Theo…"
He shook his head and kissed her cheek. "He liked to hit me. He liked to see me bleed while I sucked him off and it… it wasn't too bad until I ended up in the hospital." He sighed against her hair as she continued to hug him. "I wanted to tell you; to tell Draco, I just… I didn't know how. I thought maybe if I just killed myself, it would be better, but… I don't want to die."
Ginny pulled away just a little to look into his eyes. "I've been there before myself. I know how dark those thoughts can get." She squeezed his hands in hers. "Na'eemah helped me with that. She's amazing and so kind. Maybe, I could introduce you to her one day."
Theo looked like he wanted to protest but then he nodded. "I think maybe I'd like that."
Ginny smiled at him. "And today… Finn said that he found Macmillan hurting you in an alley?"
Theo nodded. "He cornered me and pulled me into the alley behind The Three Broomsticks. Ernie said that I'd told Potter's whore what happened and that you hexed him."
"I did, I'm sorry. He called me a whore and I just… did I make him hurt you? Was it my fault?"
"No," Theo said vehemently. "He would have found me either way. He hit me. He took my wand and he said some things… I had knelt in the snow and he was undoing his pants, pulling out his penis, and I remember telling myself to just do it, that it would be the last time and to just get it over with and then I blinked… and he was gone."
"Gone?"
"Then I saw him being held against the brick by his throat a few inches off the ground by this tall imposing figure in a hood."
Ginny's eyes widened as he explained what Finn had said and done.
"He rescued me and then he asked to come to the meeting. After the meeting, we went back to get Macmillan to bring him to the castle and he… kissed me."
"And the kiss?" Ginny could see that Theo was still brimming with excitement over the kiss and knew he needed to tell her more about it.
Theo led her down the stairs towards the Great Hall, his arm still linked with hers. "He said that he's wanted to kiss me for weeks. Ciara sent him a picture of me and her by the tree in the common room and he said that he had already been attracted to my mind, but when he saw my face, he couldn't stop thinking about me. Me, Ginny! I mean, Merlin — did you see him?"
"I did, and you should look closer at yourself, Lord Norfolk. Quite the sexy catch, you are!"
Theo kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly outside of the Great Hall. "I love you, chick. You're the best thing to ever happen to me and now I'm finally getting the chance to live the life I want. The first part of that is going to be making plans to snog the daylights out of that prince at the next opportunity."
"Which is…?"
Theo blushed. "He's coming to see me tomorrow after lunch. I'm going to meet him in the village."
Ginny grinned. "I want to know everything."
Theo put his arm around her again as they walked into the Great Hall. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
~ ASC ~
Theo was still partly in shock the next morning when he woke up. The shock was intensified by the fact that Morrigan was waiting on his nightstand with a new letter from Finn.
Theo,
I look forward to meeting you in Hogsmeade today.
Finn
He grinned and hopped in the shower. He had just finished getting dressed and pulled open the door to his dormitory when he jolted in surprise to see Snape standing there with a raised fist, preparing to knock.
"Professor," he said curtly.
Snape stared at him. "I was just coming to see you. Come with me to my office, I want to speak with you."
Theo nodded. He grabbed his satchel from the chair along with his cloak and gloves before he followed his Head of House up the stairs and through the common room. They walked down the hall of the dungeons to Snape's office and Snape closed the door behind them.
"Have a seat, Theo."
Theo did as he was instructed as Snape moved to sit behind his desk, crossing his arms on the desk in front of him. "Sir?"
Snape stared at him for a moment. "I wish that you would have come to me about Macmillan, but I understand why you felt that you had to handle it yourself. How long was this going on?"
Theo's face heated.
"Theo, I am not here to judge or to lecture you on coming forward. We both know that you should have and we both know why you didn't. How long?"
"Since the first week back," he said softly.
Snape nodded and opened a folder on his desk, passing the piece of parchment to Theo. "You don't need to tell me if you don't feel comfortable, but the Aurors need you to write down everything that happened, everything that Macmillan made you do or did to you. As much detail as possible along with dates would be very helpful."
He felt his cheeks redden even more. "Oh."
Snape stared at him for a moment. "Auror Shacklebolt will be coming by tomorrow morning at nine AM to speak with you. He is bringing two officers who will be handling the case. If you could have that done in time, it would be appreciated."
Theo nodded, but didn't speak.
"Theo, I can't imagine that this is comfortable for you, but I would also suggest allowing them to view the memories of Mr Macmillan attacking you. It will be beneficial to your case and it will only help make sure he gets the punishment he deserves."
"Yes, Sir," he said quietly.
Snape tapped his fingers in front of him. "Lord Norfolk, congratulations on that."
Theo's head snapped up to meet his professor's gaze.
"You deserve it. Now the question is: What are you going to do about Thaddeus?"
Theo swallowed. "I'm working on it, Professor."
Snape nodded. "Good luck and remember, my door is always open to you."
Theo took the parchment from Snape and nodded before he let himself out. He knew that he would have to deal with pressing charges against Macmillan and he knew that he would have to tell a complete stranger about it. He thought about what Ginny had said to him about meeting Na'eemah.
He had a lot to think about.
~ ASC ~
The paper that morning had quite a lot to say for the Sunday post. There were three articles across the front page each cut off at the bottom to be continued on a new page. Harry skimmed over the first page that morning with a piece of toast in his hand.
HOGWARTS REMOVES DOLORES UMBRIDGE BY FORCE
It seems that Department of Education facilitator, Dolores J Umbridge, was arrested from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry yesterday evening. Aurors were sent to the school to arrest the witch on charges of using dark magic on the students.
Umbridge has been causing undercurrents within the Ministry of Magic for years, being the witch to draft the Undesirable Bill two years ago. After losing her position in the Minister's Cabinet, she moved to the Department of Education as a formal inspector to check on new classes and to assess the curriculum taught at the school… (continued on page 6)
LORD RICHARD MACMILLAN'S HEIR
ARRESTED FOR ASSAULT — IS THE
MACMILLAN FAMILY IN TROUBLE?
Lord Richard Macmillan, prominent member of the House of Lords and Ladies in the Wizengamot and wealthy real-estate developer, was brought into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement last night along with his heir, Ernest Richard Macmillan. The sixteen-year-old-wizard has been charged with physical and sexual assault, resulting in him recently being expelled from Hogwarts. Can Lord Macmillan do anything to save his son?… (continued on page 9)
NEW MARQUESS OF NORFOLK, LORD THEODORE NOTT
The title of the Marquess of Norfolk was officially passed off to the sixteen-year-old-heir late yesterday afternoon. Thaddeus Nott, the former Marquess, is wanted by the Ministry of Magic for multiple violent crimes including calling himself a Death Eater, a follower of You Know Who. His heir, innocent of his father's crimes, has taken over the control of the estate, claiming majority and early inheritance… (continued on page 4)
Harry put down the paper without flipping the pages to finish the articles. "So much for keeping things under wraps. Theo is going to get a lot of press about Macmillan."
Hermione held up the magazine in her hand. "It won't just be Theo."
At Harry's questioning look, she opened the magazine and began to read aloud:
TWO NEW YOUNG
MARQUESSES — BE READY LADIES!
With two new men taking on the roles they were destined for, Witch Weekly can't have helped but notice those dark and dashing good looks.
Lord Norfolk, 16, has recently taken control over his own holdings since his father, an accused Death Eater, is on the Ministry's Most Wanted List. Lord Theodore Nott, not only is the sole owner of one of the largest manors in Norfolk, but quite the catch!
Keep your eyes on this one, ladies! He's kind as well as rich and handsome!
The Marquess of Somerset has finally reached an age where he is visiting his properties to check in. The owner of The Potterer in Devon was beside himself with glee when he found out that Lord Somerset, better known as Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, or more recently as The Chosen One, was coming to see the herbological centre.
"He is the nicest bloke! He told me that I was doing a great job and it made me feel good. I've been working here for five years and had never met the owner until now. And learning it's Harry Potter — blimey! What an honour!"
It seems Lord Somerset made his way around over the holiday, visiting Liverpool, Scotland, France, and a few other establishments. Potter, 15, is the sole heir of one of the richest families in England. With a hero like that in your corner, ladies, how can you go wrong? Tall, dark, and dashing, Quidditch captain of his house team, and with a tragic backstory, your Prince Charming is turning out to be quite the catch!
Keep your eyes peeled for these two young lords! Some lucky witch will be moving up in the world if they reel them in!
Harry flushed furiously, pulling the magazine out of Hermione's hands. "What rubbish!"
Ginny leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Tall, dark, and dashing... I like it."
He flushed darker.
Neville shrugged. "Well, it could be worse, right?"
"Yeah, like watching ladies attempt to seduce Theo when he has that gorgeous golden prince to do that instead," Ginny added, her eyes twinkling in amusement.
"Are they dating?" Hermione asked her.
Ginny nodded, biting her bottom lip. "Theo has been completely swept off his feet. He deserves it."
As if one cue, two large owls carried two dozen blue forget-me-nots and placed them in front of Theo.
"That's so romantic," Hermione said as Ginny nodded next to her.
"He deserves to be happy. I don't think that he's ever really been," she admitted, watching his eyes light up as he bent his head to smell the bouquets.
Harry leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Then he will be. Having you as a friend will definitely help that."
Ginny turned to smile at him. "I think having a fairy prince who sends you two dozen forget-me-nots for no particular reason is a good start as well."
Harry figured his girlfriend was probably right about that. He looked over at where Draco was saying something to Theo about the flowers, and he thought that it was about time that Theodore Nott had a smile on his face.
Umbridge was gone and Theo was smiling. Things were looking up.
End Author's Notes:
Thanks to Steel for his suggestion.
Thanks to Saz for helping me get my thoughts in order to craft this. I know how long you've been waiting for this.
The things that Malfoy threatened Macmillan with: Knee reversal hex, pus squirting hex (from nose), stinging hex, Ginny's Bat-Bogey hex from the head of his penis, and furnunculus (painful boils and pimples).
For those of you who guessed Finn was not the elderly gentlemen Theo thought he might be, good on you. I've been waiting to introduce him and I hope that this was a good surprise. His likeness is up on my tumblr for those of you interested — breaniebree.
Thank you for reading and please review!