November 1991

Sitting up in bed Theo flipped through his Herbology book. There wasn't anything particularly pressing to study, but the cold snap of winter kept the boy inside on a Saturday. As if to remind him the window shook with a menacing howl, and resting his cheek in his hand young Theo resigned himself to a day of silent reading.

Dittany' comes from the Ancient Greek δίκταμνον, supposedly Δικτή, meaning Dicte.

Wow, those Ancient Greeks sure knew how to throw a party, and name boring plants.

Hmm, wonder what Draco thinks about the etymology of Dittany?

Turning his head Theo called out, "Malfoy?"

Across the room a loud whine answered back muffled nonsense. A weak pathetic grumble from a rather regretful blonde boy sprawled across his bed with a sheet pulled over his head. After a Chocolate Frog overload Draco had crashed. Now miserable and dramatically rubbing his rumbling tummy as there was no Mrs. Malfoy to pamper him.

Only a cheeky Theo periodically shouting out loud rubbish questions to rile him up.

"Dittany means Dicte."

"Whaaaat?" Draco moaned from beneath the sheets kicking his feet.

"Dittany means Dicte," Theo replied innocently, fluttering his long lashes. "Just thought you'd like to know."

"That," the suffering snake hissed."Is just as useless as your fact three minutes ago that you can't kiss a pixie covered in clover without expecting a bite."

"It's solid advice, and I thought you'd enjoy knowing that Dicte is healing. Maybe some Dicte could help you."

Throwing the sheet off his head Draco's eyes blazed. "Are you seriously mocking my pain so eventually I'll say 'I desperately need Dicte', and you'll have a chuckle?"

"No...though you just did." Theo laughed.

"Noble House of Nott my arse!"

Climbing out of bed with his pillow Draco whacked Theo's foot. In return, Theo lazily flicked his wand, shooting tiny annoying puffs of air into Draco's aggravated face.

"Ventus!'

Smack.

"Ventus!"

"Urgh!"

Smack.

All in all it was a rather poor excuse for a fight, but it beat boredom.

Giggling until he struggled to breath Theodore Nott never imagined he'd one day count notoriously spoiled Draco Malfoy as one of his best friends. Growing up they'd barely tolerated each other. In fact, at Pureblood society functions Theo used to purposefully avoid the other boy like Dragon Pox. Though Theo couldn't exactly put into words why; he'd disliked Draco wholeheartedly embracing and flaunting his expectations and wealth. To a boy so often reminded to be seen but not heard, Draco's airs came across as tacky, and it was only the fact that he was a Malfoy that saved him. Nevertheless, Theo had avoided spending more time with his contemporary than absolutely necessary.

But apparently Hogwarts truly was magical.

Sorted and stuck together the intelligent heirs were forced to converse, and soon their similar flair for snark kept the commons lively. To the annoyance of their roommates sarcasm shot back left and right daily, but it was their shared obsessive dislike of a Ronald Weasley's face that truly cemented the friendship.

Hatred: the great unifier.

Eventually Theo came around and found Draco's rants rather hilarious. The easily ruffled blonde flew off the handle so easily that it was great fun to stealthily goad him on. And in the process Draco chipped away at the sizeable block on Theo's shoulder, loosening him up to laugh more, and now earning a sly Theo smirk topped the list of one of Draco's favorite pick-me-ups.

Claiming that it was a bit like catching a snitch one handed; hard but satisfying (a comment that Blaise snickered about for at least fifteen minutes).

For better or worse Theo found a surprise friend in Draco; a treasured friend attempting to pummel him with a tasseled cushion.

"Fancy! Annoying-"

"Ventus!"

"Urgh, stop puffing my face!"

Smack.

"Ventus!"

Winded from the exertion and clutching his queasy stomach Draco finally dropped his fluffy weapon. Holding up his hands for a truce he managed a dignified smile, and Theo shot him one last air puff to the face.

"Ventus!"

Closing his eyes Draco's lips pursed in irritation. "You're acting like an infant."

"Says the boy who shoved fifteen treats in his mouth."

"Ugh, don't remind me" Draco pouted, turning away to leave. "I'm off to the nurse, but when I get back I'll thrash you like you deserve."

"Looking forward to it!" A smug Theo waved goodbye, considering it far more likely that Draco would find him later and not thrash him. After all, if they ever really hurt each other who would they irritate?

Too hyped up after the skirmish Theo didn't have the patience to read anymore, so he pushed his book off his lap. Picking up his wand instead he ran his small fingers up and down the smooth eleven and a half inches of elm as inspiration for a new hex hit him. Against his skin the addictive hum of magic guided his fingers to glide upwards, but he was interrupted when the door to the room banged open, and a blur of skinny arms and long legs ran in.

Wheezing and out of breath, Blaise tossed his book bag down onto his bed. Scowling at his possessions as Theo shot him an incredulous look.

"What happened to you?"

"Uh, I uh," Blaise huffed, smeared at his face. "Wound up on a moving staircase, twice. Then I got stuck in a sinking step, and an obnoxiously helpful Hufflepuff yanked me out. Bloody embarrassing."

"Again?" Theo's mouth dropped."W-What happened to the Steps to Avoid list I made you?"

"Well clearly I lost it." Blaise snickered. "Where's everyone else?"

"Dunno," Theo answered, setting down his wand. "Malfoy thinks he's dying, and Goyle's been gone all morning."

"Did you convince Malfoy he's dying again?"

"No," Theo laughed. "Oddly enough, this time I had nothing to do with it."

Barking out a laugh, Blaise sat on the end of Theo's bed. Amused as ever when after he'd barely messed up the covers Theo ran them over straight with his hand. Patting the mattress as if apologizing for his friend's poor manners.

"What about Crabbe?" Blaise asked.

"Crabbe's serving detention with Professor McGonagall."

Tugging his tie off his neck, and kicking off his shoes Blaise's lip curled. "And what did he do to deserve that?"

"Nothing, but the lion tamer might have suspected he pushed Susan Bones into the lake."

Blaise arched a brow. "And why might she have thought that? Didn't he?"

"No," Theo grinned. "He actually didn't, but McGonagall might have thought he did when I might have hit the girl in the back of the knees with a stinging hex whenever Crabbe walked by."

"Hmm, there were a lot of mights in that sentence."

"Yes, well if I gave a straight answer I wouldn't be much of a Slytherin now would I?" Theo wiggled his brows.

"You've got a point. We'd have to kick you out, and then who's ridiculously neat notes would I copy off from? Right, best stick to vague mights."

"Will do."

Unbuttoning the top of his sweat drenched shirt Blaise beamed, but his expression hardened as a troubling thought occurred to him. "Wait, doesn't that mean you just lost us House points? Why would you do that to Crabbe? And by Crabbe I mean me, and my house pride."

"I did it, because in History of Magic that stubby little bulldog asked if my father was around during the time of King Arthur."

"Ok, that's a shit joke for sure, but no offense your dad's fairly ancient."

Setting his book on the top of his trunk Theo replied, "Oh, I wasn't offended, but now others know if they tease me it'll hurt them more."

Blaise's eyes widened in shock, and then shaking his head he chuckled. "You're quite mental Nott. You might act all proper and quiet on the surface, when really you're right diabolical."

"Thanks." Theo proudly grinned, and he handed over his opened box of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans. Knowing full well about Blaise's loathing of red food he'd already picked the red ones out earlier. In more ways than one Theo accepted and accommodated where the other boys teased. Finding that brightening Blaise's mood with something so simple was no chore at all, and it was just as well really, as he prefered cherry anyway.

Shaking out a couple beans Blaise smiled gratefully. Popping a yellow one into his mouth - lemon, if the purse of his lips were any indication,

"Thanks mate, I'll hit you up with some after the break when I convince that stubborn mum of mine to get over her little irritation."

"Oh, she still mad about that letter Professor Dumbledore sent her?"

"Yeah, claims she's withholding her affection until she's close enough to whoop my arse." Blaise laughed, his eyes creasing into thin slits until he groaned pitifully."I'm really in for it Theo, if you ever wanted to say anything kind to my bum you might consider saying it soon. I fear he's not long for the world."

"Nothing comes to mind yet, but I'll think on it."

"I'll expect something awfully sappy."

"Dear Blaise's butt, I knew you well...enough."

Staring at each other they traded matching grins, and when Blaise generously handed him a bean Theo's mind whirled over his luck at finding friends. From the first moment he'd seen the misbehaving boy at the train station he'd prophesied that they'd click. In his bones he'd had a feeling they'd be close, and then sure enough easy as breathing they'd fallen into friendship. Both of them quickly realizing that they preferred writing in their journals, that they were less violent than their peers, worse at Wizard's Chess, and that neither one had had much luck in the stimulating conversation department with either Crabbe, Goyle, or Flint.

To be honest it was a bit of slim pickings intellectually with the first-years, but luckily Theo had witty Blaise as an outlet.

The boy's too magical for his own good.

Pushing his dark hair off his forehead Theo smiled, but thinking about magical anomalies reminded him of a question he'd long meant to ask. Attempting to rephrase as respectfully as possible he chewed on his lower lip, scrutinizing his options, and then clearing his throat he looked over.

"So, I was wondering...um, why is it that everywhere but the dungeons you're so quiet? I mean, not that I mind it or anything I just wondered what's that about? Do you have like a public speaking problem?"

Blaise snorted. "Nah, it's mostly because one I'm in class, two Malfoy's loud enough for the rest of us, and lastly girls like a mysterious guy."

Without realizing it Theo's grip tightened on his wand.

"W-Wait, are you even into girls yet?"

"No. Sort of...not really, but mum says that girls like a bit of mystery so it's a long term plan."

"But you're so chatty with us?"

"Yeah, but you've all heard me fart. The mystery's gone."

For a solid second Blaise attempted a serious face, he really did, but when the bed shook with Theo's giggles he lost it too. Both of them cracking up before Blaise pounced, tackling his best friend and sending multicolored beans flying in the air. Shrieking out in surprise Theo valiantly fought him off with Draco's dropped pillow- the same weapon used against him- but Blaise mercilessly ruffled his friend's hair. Poofing it up like he knew he hated while Theo hissed in retaliation, and pinched Blaise's side. Hooting with laughter the slippery snakes rolled off the bed, and they continued roughhousing for the next twenty minutes as only eleven-year-old boys can.

Kicking up pillows and sheets with nobody to tell them not to, both of them warm and happy despite the chill outside.