DISCLAIMER: I do not own any recognisable characters.

This story was inspired by AkashaTheKitty's Dramione story, The Bracelet. The story made me fall in love with Theo Nott, therefore creating this "Themione".

Chapter Eight – Knights

"What the fuck?"

It wasn't Malfoy who spoke, though, but someone else. Someone who was caught in the middle of the throng of Durmstrang boys in front of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. There was a general jostling as whoever spoke pushed their way through to the front.

Theo Nott appeared, looking shocked as he took in Hermione's face.

As if in trance, he reached forward his hands to grasp Hermione's upper arms, ignoring Harry when he pulled Hermione further from Theo. Theo ignored all the spectators, including Malfoy, who was positively livid that he had gone to Hermione, and Hermione's friends. His whole world was devoid of anyone else other than himself and the beautiful, beaten girl in front of him.

Theo's muddy green eyes studied Hermione's terrified face. They lingered on the bruises. He tentatively reached up a finger to caress them, but Ginny's furious hiss beside him stopped him from touching her skin.

As if he was brought back to the present, he whirled around and faced Malfoy, shielding Hermione with his body.

"I thought I told you to leave her alone!" he screamed. "I told you she has nothing to do with anything!"

Malfoy's silver-grey eyes narrowed as his best friend shouted at him.

"She's nothing," Malfoy spat back. "And you should keep it that way. I told you Hogwarts girls were nothing but trouble, Theo."

Theo was shaking his head, taking a step back from Malfoy, keeping Hermione safe behind his body.

"Have you ever thought of how I would feel about this, Draco?" Theo shot.

Malfoy sneered. "You're not supposed to be feeling, Theo. You're losing your touch."

"You—"

"Does she know, Theo?" Malfoy hissed. "Does she know you helped beat up a little boy two years younger than us? Does she know anything about your past?"

"Yes."

"Oh, and how does she feel about that?"

Theo's silence was answer enough. Malfoy smirked.

"Exactly, Theo. She'll never accept you, so why are you bothering to protect her? Why are you bothering to, as you say, feel?"

Theo bowed his head, but not in defeat, as Malfoy thought. He was being crushed by an almost overwhelming emotion he never thought he was going to feel. Protecting this fragile girl behind him… Theo suddenly understood.

He raised his head, and stared Malfoy straight in the eye. "She makes me feel human."

Malfoy scoffed at his answer. "Human? Feeling human means you have weaknesses."

"So? You're human, too."

Malfoy sneered again. "Something I hardly care to be reminded of."

"What happened to you, Draco?" Theo asked softly. "I've known you since we were children. When did you suddenly become so cold and heartless?"

Malfoy's voice when he answered was chillingly cold. "When I realised how feeling for people makes you vulnerable."

Theo paused, before asking, "Don't you miss that warm feeling inside you when you meet someone special?"

"I've never cared for it," was Malfoy's short reply. "And neither should you. What will your friends think, Theo? You've gone and shown a weakness."

Theo turned his face away from Malfoy.

Despite the fact the he didn't want to leave his best friend, and all the friends he had made and his gang he called family, he knew it was time. He knew he had to leave now. He had missed feeling himself. He had missed feeling like an individual, instead of part of a gang. He had missed feeling, end of story. He had no idea that liking a girl would lead him to feel all those warm fuzzy feelings inside him, that seeing her hurt would make him feel pain inside.

Theo's expression was enough of an answer for Malfoy.

"You're leaving?" he said disbelievingly.

It was a shock for Malfoy, too. Theo Nott had been his best friend since they were younger. Theo had faithfully followed Malfoy in school, into high school and the gang. Theo had stuck by Malfoy through everything. Knowing that Theo had chosen a girl, a Hogwarts girl at that, over him, stung at him. But he turned away from the pain, instead deciding to turn the pain over to Theo.

"That's a pity," Malfoy said loftily. "You're leaving your friends, practically your family, for a girl who'll never accept you anyway. I was so ready to overlook this little incident if you left her alone, but obviously, you're not choosing that."

Theo's face almost contorted in anguish. He knew Malfoy would be hurting inside, no matter how cold he sounded. But he didn't deign to reply, because he knew Malfoy spoke the truth; Theo really was stupid to leave his friends for a girl who didn't like him anyway.

But Theo was stubborn enough to try anyway. Besides, Hermione was right. The things he had done while in the gang was despicable.

He was turning over a new leaf.

Of course, that flew right out the window at Malfoy's next words: "I guess it's open season on Hogwarts girls now. Especially Theo Nott's little girlfriend."

Malfoy's smirk, and Hermione's friends' violent twitches and shudders were the last things Theo saw before all hell broke loose.

AN:

Had to update; last chapter had the most reviews and enthusiastic response =]

Review if you want to keep this story rolling.