Hermione let out a shudder and slid down to the ground as someone flung Draco away from her and moved to stand in front of her. She hugged her knees, looking up to see a boy with a black cloak lined with green. He had tan-ish skin and brown curls along with sharp cerulean blue eyes.
' did a Slytherin just save me?' She asked herself dumbfounded.
" Theodore what do you think you're doing?"Draco growled at the newcomer.
"Protecting Granger from you, and stopping you from doing something you'll regret." He answered.
"Just mind your own business Nott." Draco warned, he looked furious, he tilted his head down to look at the brunette on the ground. She was watching him intently, however the moment their eyes met she seemed to shrink back against the wall as if attempting to hide herself against it and become smaller.
"No Draco. Yknow you have this really bad habit of getting physical or attempting to hurt others when you're upset. I get you're in shock but you need to get over this little...phase." Theodore shrugged, looking Draco up and down.
"You're Head Boy now, this is your chance to start over after the War. Don't mess it up." Theodore turned away from a seething Draco and held out his hand to the girl below him.
"Come on, I'll walk you back to your common room." He said gently.
She glanced once more at Draco before taking his hand, allowing him to pull her off the ground and towards him. He kept one hand on her back and the other one on her hand, leading her down the hall.
"Sorry about him." Theo whispered once they rounded the corner. "He's going through some stuff."
" Always is apparently." She scoffed in response, dropping her hand from his and breathing in, realizing she had almost been holding her breath.
"I know we don't have the best history, especially you and Draco. I swear on my name as a Nott that he's changed." Theo insisted.
"Why are you even telling me this?" She asked, picking up the pace she was walking at.
" Lots of reasons really." Theodore answered quickly and shortly, clearly hoping to avoid the question.
"Like?" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Any chance you'll believe my words without hearing my reasoning?" He asked hopefully.
"Nope."
" Thought so." He sighed.
"Then why ask?" She scoffed.
" Hope Granger, Hope." He smiled sheepishly. "Anyway, to answer your concerns. Boy, where do I even start.." He scratched the back of his neck.
" There can't possibly be that many." She eyed him curiously.
"Oh there are. There's his family, you, his newfound sister, his guilt, insecurities—the list goes on. The details are the crucial points though." He said, trying to sound sophisticated.
" Then get to it, I don't have all night." She snapped.
"Right, Right." He raised up his hands in defeat. " Well, firstly there's his family— as you probably know Draco is the way he is because of Lucius Malfoy. What you don't know, is he did all that he did out of fear of his father. He treasures this school and his house as much as you do. The pressure from his father to fit into the standards of a pure blood were immense, not only was he scared of disappointing him but also of the wrath that would ensue if he did. His father often got violent, with some more than others, this led him to fear that that violence would be unleashed on him; the fear only increased when Voldemort inhabited his house. I mean, the guys name gives people literal panic attacks, come on."
Hermione attempted to push back the sympathy that began to creep into her heart at hearing of Dracos fear of his father, she had always assumed he was some spoiled Daddy's boy—which was still true, but much deeper than she had thought. She looked at Theodore clearly still unconvinced.
"Second, his newfound Sister, I'll admit she's cute, under different circumstances I'm more than sure that Draco would've loved that girl with all his cold unruly heart and would've protected her with his life. The issue at hand, his mother chose to save her from growing up under Lucius and Voldemort's influence. In his eyes, she chose his sister over him. For a kid who always sought his family's approval, that hurts. He's struggling to understand why his mother allowed him to be forced into the position of a monster—that's how he sees himself now. He never killed anyone, never wanted to. The guilt of what he helped do is eating away at him as we speak."
"And what, he told you all this himself did he?" She raised an eyebrow.
" No, but we're close enough that I can read him well enough..and being honest, I get it. I didn't partake in the war, I evacuated with other students but unlike Draco I didn't care for my fathers expectations, and with my mother dead I had no reason to not defy my father. But...one day I found her old diary." He laughed dryly. " Turns out she also knew about Narcissa giving up Isla and like her, also gave up a baby—pretending she miscarried one while the other remained."
"You mean...you're a twin?" Hermione asked in disbelief.
" Funny huh, seems pure blood women are keen on hiding away secret daughters." He joked.
" I'm guessing you're about to tell me how you resented her for not giving you up as well? Faked the miscarriage of one might as well have miscarried both right?" She asked.
" Bingo. I can see why you're the greatest witch of our time. I was pissed, just like Draco—but, I kept reading after a few days. Turns out, she knew if she pretended to miscarry both of us my father would force her to give birth again for an 'heir' and she couldn't risk that. So, I was the sacrificial lamb, only a boy could inherit the family fortune after all. I was still a bit resentful but..I eventually saw it from her perspective. She did always protect me even in her death, it wasn't that she loved me any less...it's just I had the best chances of survival."
" I had no idea.." was all Hermione could say as she attempted to make sense of her own feelings. " Did you..ever look for her?" She asked.
" Actually, yeah. I found her even, she also attends hogwarts. Turns out she was raised by Muggles." He sighed.
" You say it like its a bad thing." Hermione glared at him as if he had forgotten her own background.
" It is, but not for the reason you're thinking." He said defensively.
" Then what?" She snapped.
" It means we're worlds apart." He said simply.
Hermione's facial features softened at his statement. " I see."
"Well, we're here." Theodore commented as they stood by the Gryffindor Common room door. " I'll let you be, I'm assuming you'll spend the night here to y'know avoid Draco."
" Where else would I spend the night?" She cocked a brow.
"..."
"Nott..?" Hermione felt unsettled by his silence.
" You seriously don't know?" He asked, genuinely surprised.
" know what, spit it out!" She hissed, feeling irritated by him all over again.
" Oh boy, Granger—you're head girl now." He stated.
"Yes I'm very aware Nott, what of it?" She crossed her arms impatiently.
" Well..you have to share a dorm with one of the other house prefects or Heads of the school...you were supposed to meet with the prefects and Draco to pick your roommates—was that not why you and Draco were together?"
"What?! I Never got a bloody letter! Headmistress Mcgonogall told Draco and I we were to be Head Boy & Girl as we were leaving her office to bring Isla to her common room! I didn't even know prefects and heads shared dorms now!" She yelled.
" Well bloody hell— clearly there's only one person who could possibly be your roommate then.." Theodore grimaced.
" You've got to be fucking kidding me! I cannot share a dorm with Draco fucking Malfoy!" She fumed angrily.
"Look, I'm basically the messenger bird here—don't hex me okay? Maybe the headmistress did it on purpose?" He chuckled.
" Why would she ever do that?!" Hermione snapped.
"Because who else could possibly survive staying in the same dorm as Draco Malfoy? Hell, if anyone could come close to taming that bastard it's no one other than the greatest witch of our time." Theodore stated simply with a gleam in his eyes.
" Ugh! This is bloody impossible!" Hermione screamed in response, spinning around and marching into the Gryffindor Common room, slamming the door behind her without saying goodbye to Theodore.