A/N : The Neighborhood 'Afraid' - Song recommendation pointing at Theodore.

Rubbing his eyes, and scrunching his nose, Theo woke to a horrid sound of a horn, a foil horn to be exact. Along with the terrible noise, he had green and silver confetti being thrown all over him. Draco piped and skipped around Theodore's bed, in between blows chanting 'Happy Birthday!'

Theo sat up abruptly, smiling and began to clap his hands making a beat to the song. His best mate remembered, and not only did he remember he must've let go of the argument they had two weeks ago about he and Hermione. After all, Theo was the one angry with Draco to begin with so it was about time. Hopefully this meant no more sulky Draco.

Finally coming to a halt, Draco settled down at the end of his bed and looked over, "Happy Birthday, arsehole."

"Oh, how kind." Theo chuckled, at this Draco transfigured his horn into a silver crown and placed it on Theo's head.

"Ah, look at ya, finally realizing that I am the Slytherin Prince?"

"No, just the king of arseholes." Draco smiled.

Theo rolled his eyes and shoved his friend in the arm, "Breakfast?" He chimed, "Breakfast!"

Draco and Theo sat down in opposite seats from their usual at the Slytherin Table, both noticing that they had daggers being stared into their backs.

"Are you studying with her tonight?" Draco asked.

"I haven't really thought about it to be quite honest. Besides its my birthday, I should be pub crawling, or going on a bender instead of studying."

"You could always go visit Honey." Draco smirked.

"I could... But... We both know I'll probably study." Theo sighed with a shrug.

Draco glanced over his shoulder catching Hermione closing 'Confronting the Faceless' and packing it into her bag to leave the hall.

She must've been heading to Defense Against the Dark Arts, where he too should be heading soon.

"Just... Will you let me know how she is?"

Theo nodded, "Of course mate. But I can't play damage control on you taking her virginity... You brought that on yourself."

It had been fourteen long, dreadful days since he had last spoke with Hermione. Since their amazing time they had together, Draco could only relish in her beauty from afar. Gods how he had missed her, her kisses, her smell. And he of course had to be the arse that she claimed she knew he wasn't. He had to be the one to look as if he had taken complete advantage of her.

Hermione would from time to time try to talk to him, but before she could reach him, he'd turn the other way, leaving her in desperate curiosity as to why he had dropped her like a knut in the rain. But that's the way it was, right? Her mum and dad always warned her of boys, they were only ever after one thing.

And they were right. Draco Malfoy had stolen her virtue and pretended as if he never had. The worst feeling in the world is feeling unwanted by the person you want the most. Silently, each of those nights since their night at the lake, Hermione cried into her pillow, wondering why and how she fell into him so deeply. Why did she let herself be played a fool?

As Hermione was leaving, she took one more look at the Slytherin table and pursed her lips at the two men who were faced the other way, she glared and went on her way. "Not today." she thought, she wasn't going to let his sudden change of heart break her down. She bit in her cheeks and carried herself on.

"See you at lunch then, mate." Draco said clasping his hand on Theo's shoulder. Theo grinned and nodded.

As soon as Draco left Theo took a handkerchief from his pocket and coughed into it, revealing the color of crimson. At this Pansy Parkinson caught his eye.

She leaned forward with a concerned look upon her face, "Are you okay?"

Theo dabbed his lips once more, and nodded. "Yes, just a bit of a cold."

Pansy raised her brows, "What kind of cold?"

"A venomous one, quite potent and contagious." He bit the air, making Pansy cringe.

"That's disgusting, Nott."

"Good thing we're not kissing, then, huh?"

Pansy smirked and crossed her arms, "You're just jealous that Blaise has been kissing on me."

Theo slowly folded his handkerchief and carefully placed it back into his pocket. He began as casually as if he was speaking of the weather, "Pansy, Pansy, Pansy... Darling, I wouldn't want to kiss you if you were the last woman on the face of this world. I'd much rather have a rat chew my lips off before I'd attach them to yours."

Pansy dropped her mouth, and as she was about to spout a comeback, Theo took one more sip of his tea and stood quickly, leaving him to feel a bit light headed. He decided to go visit Madam Pomfrey to see if she could help with whatever was going on with him.

Hermione was sitting at her usual desk, placing her parchment and her quill before her with ease. Everything needed to be set up properly. Draco watched her silently from the door, taking mental notes of her ways and mannerisms and quietly strode to a desk behind her.

Once she had heard the screeching of the chair on the floor, she turned to face him.

"You're here early." she whispered, not catching his eyes.

"As are you." he replied, "Look, Granger. I just wan-"

"Don't. You took what you wanted, and then you completely ignored me for two weeks. Just don't." she huffed and turned herself forward.

She bit at her bottom lip, trying to hold back the tears she could feel puddling in her eyes. No. She vaguely shook her head. She did her crying, it's time to buckle up and move on.

Draco watched the way Hermione's shoulders shuddered when she took in a deep breath, knowing that she was fighting back tears. He mouthed silently to the back of her head that he was sorry.

He truly was sorry. And he'd go to the ends of the world when this was all over to make it up to her.

Theo mixed his healing potion into a mug of tea and honey he had made and slumped up the stairs to the library. His head was shimmering with sweat and exhaustion overwhelmed his body by the time he had reached the first floor.

He of course found Hermione studying. He slowly made his way over and sat down beside her.

Smiling brightly, Hermione glanced up, "Nice crown, Birthday bo- err, man."

He reached up feeling for it, forgetting that he had it on, and smirked "Why thank you. Draco has finally given up his royalty to me, I suppose it's his gift. S'bout time the prat could figure out who his superiors are." he joked.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably at his name, Theo cleared his throat, trying to ease the awkwardness. "I heard what happened between the two of you."

Hermione's cheeks rose with red, "Let me guess... He spread it all over the Slytherin dorm."

Theo shook his head, "Actually, no. Draco doesn't spread his personal business like that around. Hermione, he cares about you. He's just got his own shit to take care of first."

"Well it would have been nice to tell me, 'Hey, this is a one time thing'." She sighed. "I mean, he took my virginity, Theo. How do you think it makes me feel?"

Theo froze, "He took... I thought that you and that Bulgarian guy had..." He had been right before.

Hermione shook her head, "Why does everyone think that?! Never mind about it, Happy Birthday." She pulled a small black gift bag from beside her school bag and set it on the table in front of him.

Theo pursed his brows together and smirked. He'd had only ever received gifts from Draco or his mother...and it had been many, many years since he had gotten anything from her.

"What is this?"

"It's a gift. Open it." She pushed the bag a little bit closer toward him.

He leaned forward, "I know what a gift is Granger... But you didn't have to get me anything."

"You just hush, Theodore. I got it for you, because you're my friend, and because I wanted to."

He set his mug down and opened the bag to find a small box wrapped in silver paper, tied neatly with a green ribbon.

He shook the box beside his ear to hear a small tap go back and forth.

"Whatever could it be?" he grinned.

"I suppose you need to open it and see."

Undoing the ribbon, and removing the top, he revealed a silver pocket watch. On the front was engraved 'TNI' and surrounding it was that of the constellation Taurus.

"What does this mean?" He pointed at the lettering, Hermione chuckled softly, "It's a monogram, "Theodore for the 'T', Nott for the 'N' and 'I' for Isaac."

"But why is it backwards?" He asked curiously.

Chuckling once more, "Its just the design. Do you like it?"

He clicked it open and his eyes shined, "Hermione, I absolutely love it. Thank you."

Hermione smiled bigger at the way he said her name.

He then remembered that the elder version of himself had a silver chain hanging from his pocket when they visited. His heart fluttered. He chuckled to himself, and thought, "Fucking fate."

Hermione blushed and nodded, "There's something else as well."

Theo dipped back into the bag and pulled out a small container. He popped the lid and found a cupcake with shimmering emerald icing.

He hadn't had a cupcake on his birthday since he was five. He felt a bit of sadness mixed with bittersweet happiness filling up his body.

He sniffed, and his nose turned red.

"Are you okay?" Hermione reached out and grabbed his hand, watching as one single tear fell down Theo's cheek.

"Yeah." He clicked his tongue, "You're quite a woman, Granger Danger." He squeezed her fingers.

She pulled a candle from her own bag and handed it to him. "Make your wish later." she smiled, "We have studying to do."

Theo wiped away the tear and placed the box back into the bag and set the pocket watch on the table.

The two began to study for what had seemed like hours before the ticking of the watch caught their attentions suddenly.

Theo glanced at it, and it had turned nine.

"Best be off." Hermione said, "I have a test in Transfiguration tomorrow morning."

Theo nodded and stood holding out his arms for Hermione. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, resting her ear on his chest.

Terribly is how Theodore felt. He had to play the bad guy behind her back. Fucking Merlin, Draco, why didn't you just tell me you took her virtue?

He was definitely going to be kicking his arse later.

Theo kissed the side of her head, and whispered "thank you" once more.

Hermione stepped back, keeping her hands on his waist, "You deserve it, Theodore Nott." She took one of her hands and ruffled his hair, looking into his deep sea of blue tired eyes.

"You feeling alright?"

Theo managed a sideways smile, "Yes, just exhausted is all."

"Hmm. You ought to go get some sleep."

Theo only grinned. Unfortunately, the exhaustion he felt couldn't be cured with sleep.

He sat back down after she had left and buried the end of the candle into his cupcake and cast Incendio, a small blue flame appearing.

"Happy birthday to me..." he whispered in song, and counted to three, he blew it out.

After he blew it out, he noticed three drops of blood on the table. He reached up to his mouth to wipe it away, but it wasn't coming from it. He leaned back and checked his hands for any paper cuts. Then he felt the warmth running from his nostrils.

His heart started to race with panic. Once he stood up, he lost all ability to see as he fell to the floor, unconscious.