Well, the chapters are longer than my chapters in Redemption, but this means it takes me longer to post them. :P

If it wasn't for the Weasley twins giving him the Marauder's Map, Harry would have been miserable to death on the day of the Hogsmeade visit. He was surprised, after given the opportunity to visit Hogsmeade finally, that he had decided to follow Theodore, Malfoy, and Zabini instead of exploring.

"You know," Malfoy's white ears were back as he watched Ron and Hermione window shopping. "Sometimes I really wish I had been sent to Durmstrang. Then I wouldn't be stuck here with this lot of Mudbloods and Blood-Traitors."

Theodore's eyes narrowed and Harry watched him flick his wand. Instantly, snow slipped off of the roof of the building and landed on top of a panicking Ron and Hermione. The three Slytherins laughed at this, though Theodore only barely. He seemed on edge.

"Stupid Gryffindors." Malfoy snickered as they started walking off while Ron and Hermione tried to unbury themselves. Harry considered helping them, but changed his mind at how angry Ronald looked. "Can't even get out of the way of some stupid snow."

"Snow isn't actually stupid." Theodore said blandly. "Considering it doesn't think."

"You must be fun at parties." Zabini commented and the particep pair shared a laugh at Theodore's expense. His features had blanked while they were amused and he looked away from them. "So, I've been meaning to ask, but how's Potter doing?"

"I'm supposed to know the answer to that?" Theodore asked haughtily, tail thrashing behind him.

"You know what I mean, Nott." Zabini's look said this wasn't the time to be jumping around an answer. "Are you two getting along?"

"Didn't you spend the night in the infirmary with him?" Malfoy questioned, giving Theodore a disapproving look.

"Where'd you hear that?" Theodore's ears were back. "You shouldn't believe every rumor you hear."

"You weren't in the dormitory." Malfoy mused.

"Then what's the next likely place I'd be?"

"The library." Zabini and Malfoy answered together and they chuckled again.

"You two are idiots."

Harry was happy to hear that he wasn't the only one Theodore called an idiot.

"So is he rude to you?" Malfoy eventually asked after they had pestered some Hufflepuff girls, making them cry and Cedric to come over and chase them off. Theodore had stood his ground, unlike his companions, but Cedric had gotten bored with getting mentally bashed every two seconds and had left them alone.

"Is who rude to me?"

"Potter. Who else?"

"There are over a thousand students attending Hogwarts. About half of them are male..."

"Don't try to confuse me." Malfoy hissed. "Is Potter rude to you?"

"He's a Gryffindor."

"That doesn't answer my question, Nott." It seemed Malfoy, who had grown up with Theodore, understood the taller Slytherin well enough to know how he diverted conversations. "Is he or isn't he rude to you?"

"What do you think?" Theodore spat. "He's an arrogant Gryffindor. Can you imagine the stab to his pride this is? Besides, he's used to that Mudblood he hangs around with. He thinks I'll just answer any question he has just because he asked it. His brain clearly dropped out of his head at some point, if he was even born with one. I'm surprised even that Mudblood tolerates him, but I guess she wouldn't have any friends otherwise, stupid filth."

"He's got you mad." Zabini snorted, but Malfoy shook his head.

"He's not mad." Malfoy corrected with amusement. "He's enjoying this."

"Enjoying?" Zabini furrowed his brow, but Theodore was smiling. "How?"

"Are you as dimwitted as Potter?" Theodore scowled briefly at him, but he quickly reverted to amused again. "He's fun to toy with."

"You're playing cat and mouse with him, aren't you?" Zabini seemed partially disturbed. "You know, you won't have any friends if all you do is manipulate people."

"Some people are lucky." Malfoy told his particep. "Some people don't need friends. You know, Nott, you would have made a great Blank."

"Ah, pity I wasn't." Theodore grinned, malice in his eyes. "Could you imagine?"

"Blanks are weak." Zabini argued.

"You don't know a thing." Theodore scoffed at him. "Blanks don't have to rely on anyone for power and there is no weakness because a Blank is nothing and you can't hurt 'nothingness'."

Zabini wrinkled his nose. "Yeah, but I'd hate the idea of being alone."

"That's because you're weak and weak-minded." Theodore seemed like he meant every word. "Soft-hearted, weak-minded idiots who wear their emotions on their sleeves and long for company so they feel they are never alone are the dogs too scared to bark unless they run in their pack. They're the type unable to stand on their own. They're the type who give in to others and let themselves be controlled. They're fine with it because, as long as they're safe in their packs, they can bark as loud as they want. It's people like that who I dislike. It's people like that who can fall off the face of the earth and no one would miss them...which would mean only a handful would be left on this planet and the world would be better off."

"You." Zabini was shaking his head. "Are. An. Asshole."

"Thank you." Theodore gave a snort, but he wasn't angry or sarcastic when he spoke. "Are you two going to go away yet?"

"Oh, yes." Malfoy laughed. "We can only tolerate you for small doses."

"Good. I'm bored."

Theodore pulled out a book and ditched the other two, who wandered into Honeyduke's while Theodore slipped into the Three Broomsticks and, after getting a couple tankards of butterbeer, found himself a back corner hidden by a Christmas tree to set himself up.

"It's dangerous to be sneaking out, Potter."

Harry almost yelped as he stared wide-eyed at the other. "How'd you know?"

"Read a book."

"What book?"

"What book do you think?"

"You're annoying." Harry glanced around and, seeing that no one could spot him, removed the cloak.

"If I'm annoying you, you're welcome to leave."

"No." Harry glanced at the warm-looking tankard of butterbeer and then quickly looked away.

"How'd you sneak past the dementors?" Theodore asked, looking up from his book.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Harry shot, finally feeling a sense of power in the relationship.

He was surprised when Theodore seemed crestfallen at Harry not immediately telling him. "Going to start keeping your own secrets? And here I thought you were the honest one out of the two of us."

Guilt welled up in Harry and his tail swayed nervously. "Yeah, well, we're entitled to our own secrets, aren't we?"

"One-sided maybe." Theodore pointed out with a hint of irritation. "You're always trying to coarse or nag information out of me, but refuse to give any yourself. That's such a typical Gryffindor move: all talk, but no action."

"Hey!" Harry hissed, nearly forgetting he wasn't supposed to be there. "I'm not like that!"

"You don't pay much attention to your own actions, do you?"

Harry swallowed down his anger, but still yanked out the Marauder's Map and tossed it at the Slytherin.

"What's this?" Theodore stared at the blank parchment inquisitively.

"Figure it out." Harry snarled, pinning back his ears. "Or can't you?"

"The infamously infinitely stupid Harry Potter is making a jab at my intellect and capabilities?" Theodore's eyes were sparkling. "I think I'm supposed to feel insulted."

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Harry tapped the parchment with his wand, wanting the other to give him a break.

"You're so easy." Theodore chuckled and Harry felt eruptions of humiliation throughout his entire body. "This is pretty incredible. When did you get this? Not until after the last visit, clearly."

"Clearly." Harry mocked, crossing his arms.

"Did the Weasley twins part with it?" Theodore grinned at Harry's shock. "They've made some comments about these Misters named here."

"Do you notice everything?"

"And I have a good memory for details." The Slytherin flipped through the map. "Hmm...they've missed some things."

"They have?" Harry leaned over the table to look down at the map, his ears perked forward. "Like wh...never mind."

"Good boy."

The condescending tone made Harry grimace and sit back down. He was suddenly not feeling very good and he wanted to be anywhere but there with Theodore Nott.

There was silence between them while Theodore inspected the map and Harry sulked, wondering why Fate hated him so much and didn't want him to be happy. If there was reincarnation, Harry figured he must have been some serial killer who killed babies or something because he had to have done something awful to deserve such drama and blatant cruelty.

"Are you feeling well?" He was startled by the concern and looked up to find Theodore staring at him with pinched brows. There was no worry in his eyes, but the fact he'd even said something was evidence enough of his true feelings.

"I'm just...worn out..." Harry mumbled.

"You look sick."

"I might be."

Theodore stared at him for a long moment and then stood and retook his seat, this time beside Harry. Without even hesitating, he removed his coat and scarf to put them around Harry before pulling the butterbeer closer.

"Don't drink it." He ordered sternly. "Just hold it. I'm going to get you something to eat."

"Thanks." Harry whispered, cheeks red by the sudden kindness.

"You think it's for you?" Theodore scoffed, but this time Harry had an answer to his question.

"I know it is."

The Slytherin flinched, tail stiff and ears back, and turned quickly to walk up to the bar on the far side, leaving Harry to his bliss at finally having the right words to say. He hadn't been this happy in a while.

"Don't be stupid again." Theodore said as the two stood in the castle outside of the hallway entrance that would lead down to the dungeons. "Not that I think that's possible for you."

"Thank you for today." Harry ignored the insult this time, his glee from earlier making this feat easy. "It was good being near you."

Theodore's cheeks, already beaten red by cold wind, seemed to darken in color. "You sound like such a girl."

"Ouch." Harry grinned, tail flicking happily and ears perched high on his head. "You know, for all the insults and mean stuff you say, I still kind of like your company."

"It's the particep thing." Theodore told him factually.

"I really don't think it is."

"Then you're more than stupid: you're delusional."

"Do you have to go home over Christmas?" Harry whispered, surprised he'd gotten up the courage to dare to ask.

Theodore gave a wry smile. "You are exactly the type of person I dislike."

"I don't think you know how to not lie." Harry stated with his own smile. "So I'm just going to say all statements are lies and all questions will be answered with the least possible option because that's the truth."

"You're weird." Theodore rolled his eyes.

"You like that." Harry feigned confidence, but it seemed to pay off because the Slytherin faultered. "Here. Your scarf."

"Keep it." Theodore smirked. "Just tell me how the Gryffindors react when you walk in with it."

"Thanks..."

The Gryffindor watched the taller boy start down into the dungeons and couldn't tear his eyes away until the other boy had disappeared from sight. Then, nervous but excited, he rushed up to Gryffindor Tower, partially wanting to see the others reactions to the scarf and partially scared out of his mind at how they'd react.

Getting so tired. XD

Okay, so I figured I should mention this, but in this story Gryffindors and Slytherins have never married...ever, so that's why Harry and Theodore being particeps or anything at all is really weird...because nothing even close has happened before. Anyways, that's that. :D