A/N: Thank you so so much for your patience! You are all the best and I appreciate each of you who reads, follows, faves or reviews this story. Finally was able to finish this chapter for you all :) Enjoy!
Chapter 21
"So what did McGonagall say?" Pansy asked as Hermione and Theo joined the small group huddled in the corner of the Common Room. "Draco's been holding off on saying anything until your return. It's annoying."
Along with Draco, Pansy, Lovegood, Longbottom and Weasley, Theo saw that the rest of the eighth year Slytherin's were also present.
That didn't surprise him and from a glance at the witch at his side, nor her.
Their hands remained clasped as they sat down, side by side on a vacant chaise. It was a mark at how on edge their friends were about their new Professor that no one took the mickey or raised a brow.
No one even blinked.
"She insists Professor Rowle is on the up and up…"
Draco nodded at Hermione's words and Weasley looked skeptical. Blaise opened his mouth, but Hermione forestalled him with her hand.
"I'll go into that in a moment… But first—" she leaned forward, her voice dropping in volume.
All the surrounding eighth years leaned forward to catch her words. Theo smirked at her subtle ability to make sure she held the floor.
"—She's banished Dumbledore's portrait from its traditional place behind the Headmistress's desk!" Hermione stated.
A low whistle escaped from Blaise as he straightened, and Draco's mouth dropped open before he snapped it shut. Greg looked confused, until Tracy leaned over and whispered something in his ear.
In the entire Hogwarts History, the displacement of the preceeding headmaster's portrait and blatant disregard it showed had never occurred.
Not to Theo's recollection at least.
It wasn't in Hogwarts: A History, nor had Binns ever even hint at something like this occurring, either before, during, or after his tenure.
This was monumental.
Trust a Scot to buck tradition and assert her own mind and sense of order. Especially in a Castle housed in the highlands. A Castle run in the past century by two English wizards.
One a coward, and one, Theo considered, thoroughly Machiavellian in his approach to those supposedly under his care.
Apparently McGonagall had her own issues with her former leader. Theo smothered a grin as he contemplated the situation.
The new Headmistress was quickly gaining his respect with every new facet she displayed.
"I didn't know that was possible!" Mumbled Blaise.
"McGonagall seems to have found a way."
Theo heard the same respect in Tracy's words that had lodged itself in his chest, respect she'd never before shown for their Professor-turned-Headmistress.
"Well, she's not suffering any fools." Hermione's eyes sparked under the candlelight, her cheeks reddening as her lips thinned. "She took me to task for assuming she'd be anything like how Dumbledore acted as a leader."
She appeared disgruntled at the reprimand, reminding Theo of a crup denied its favourite toy. He rubbed his thumb across her knuckle, offering her silent support. He was pleased when a faint blush spread across her cheeks.
She shifted closer to him on the chaise.
"Blunt as always, you Gryffindors," Blaise's words lacked their usual condemnation.
Instead, he sounded almost approving.
It surprised Theo, knowing how removed Blaise held himself from, well, everything. From everyone. How condemning he'd always been of that same Gryffindor bluntness, which he now apparently exalted.
"Professor McGonagall was the only one to check up on me after my first year."
Theo saw Draco's face drain of colour, felt Hermione stiffen beside him, saw curiosity and discomfort flicker across his housemates faces at Weasley's words.
He wasn't curious; Theo knew of what Weasley, no, Ginny, spoke.
Humiliation and guilt over his father's actions had kept Draco silent in the disastrous aftermath, thus no one in Slytherin was privy to what had occurred. Theo's father, though, had informed him immediatly through their family's owl.
A staunch reminder, to not tarnish their family name like the Malfoy patriarch had.
Theo kept his face as inquisitive as the rest.
No one knew the depth of his well of knowledge. He wanted to keep it that way.
At least for now.
"She was furious with how the headmaster had handled... well…" Ginny shook her head, her finger absently scraping the skin beside her fingernail, the site already rubbed raw.
"Despite his directions to leave me be, she helped me anyway. She arranged for me to see a muggle thera..." she broke off, staring into the fire, jaw set and eyes hard.
"See a muggle wha—"
Theo noticed Lovegood's hand resting on Millicent's wrist, silencing her. The blonde was murmuring something meant for Millie's ears alone, and he noticed her eyes take on a sheen of moisture the more Lovegood spoke.
Ginny shot her friend a grateful glance as Lovegood handled Millie.
Hermione shifted beside him, drawing attention to herself once more with a slight cough.
"I did believe she'd differ from Dumbledore, but I couldn't take it on faith this time. We've lost too much—lost too many—to throw blind loyalty around. After informing me of their differences, the Headmistress softened enough so I could at least get some information out of her."
He noticed the Gryffindors all nodding as if Hermione's words were an everyday event—her calling out a teacher—but the Slytherins, well...
Despite their training to appear above any display of emotion, the lot of them were looking at Hermione with something akin to awe.
"Bloody hell Granger. You slap Draco across the face, you jinxed that Ravenclaw and scarred her for life, and you all but call McGonagall unfit or worse. One might think you were the one with a death wish."
An awkward silence fell over the group as words fell upon them like a blanket. Hermione had tensed beside him, her nails digging into his palm, her breathing quickening.
Whether it was from anger or sadness, Theo wasn't sure. He saw the looks both Ginny and Lovegood were sending her and thought maybe the former but wouldn't have placed any bets on it.
"Gregory Goyle, you're an absolute wanker." Ginny stood and yanked him up by the ear, ignoring his yelp of pain.
"Excuse us a moment."
Turning with fluid grace, Ginny made her way toward a vacant area of the room. They all watched as she pushed the bigger wizard into a chair before laying into him. They were too far away to hear her words, but between the gestures and Greg's reactions, Theo had a pretty good idea as to what was being said.
"Damn but she's fierce," Blaise whispered, a look of admiration all but falling from his gaze. A beat, then, Blaise's eyes widened slightly as he realized he'd voiced the though out loud.
"I mean—"
"Oh save it, Blaise, we know you fancy little Red." Pansy said, her nails apparently requiring intense scrutiny. "It's not like you haven't all but shouted your attempt to court."
"I... I mean... what about..."
It was to the amusement of all the Slytherins to watch the normally stoic and blasé Blaise trio over his words as he threw a frantic look at Draco.
"Don't you—"
"No."
Draco's short response cut off Blaise's question. Despite the words unasked, Theo knew exactly what Draco had answered.
The path was clear of Draco, should Blaise so choose to venture forth.
Longbottom was looking between Draco and Blaise, a slight frown creasing his forehead.
"Is he serious?" Hermione whispered in Theo's ear. Her warm breath tickled the sensitive skin of his ear lobe, sending a shiver down his spine.
He squeezed her hand.
"Which one?" Theo whispered back.
"Either? Both?"
"Draco has only eyes of friendship for Gunny. Where as Blaise... well, he's totally besotted with her."
Hermione's drew in a breath as his lips glanced against her cheek as he replied.
"Like I am. With you." He felt his cheeks heat slightly at his confession, but knew he didn't regret letting her know.
"That's... really good to know." She murmured, tipping her head so their foreheads met briefly before pulling back and resettling herself beside him as she'd been before their tête-à-tête.
"Sorry about that. Sometimes wires need to be uncrossed." Ginny retook her seat, Greg following. His face looked resigned, but also... hopeful?
'What did Ginny say to him?' Theo wondered.
"What are wires?" Asked Draco.
Tracy laughed.
"Oh Draco. You really should have taken muggle studies."
Theo glanced around the Common Room, thankful no one seemed to be paying them any mind now that Ginny and Greg were back amongst them.
Despite that, he was unwilling to take chances knowing they'd be getting back to heavier topics.
Theo cast a non-verbal, wand-less muffliato—'thank you Professor Snape'—disguising his hand movement as if he were straightening out his cuff.
He saw Draco, whose face had returned from ashen to his normal pasty shade since their second year had been mentioned, raise an eyebrow. His intense gaze skewered Theo, but no one else apart from Draco seemed to have noticed his silent wandless casting.
"So, back to your talk with Professor McGonagall and our new professor..." Longbottom said.
"Right! Apart from assuring me of his allegiance and credibility, she also recommended me see Professor Rowle if I had any… further concerns."
"Concerns about what?" Asked Longbottom.
His eyes darted around while his body froze, as if bracing for battle.
Theo didn't know if the Gryffindor had had any run-ins with Rowle, but knew that last year had been brutal for Longbottom under the Carrow's reign. He didn't blame him for his apprehension.
He himself was on edge, waiting to hear what Draco and Hermione had learned.
And how the bloody fuck Draco's mark had disappeared.
"From what she didn't say, I feel 'other concerns' refers to our other new Professor."
Draco and Theo exchanged pointed glances at this, words unspoken but understood.
'Should we tell them now?' Theo thought, looking to his Slytherin counterpart.
"What do you know?" Ginny blurted, her narrowed eyes focused on Draco. All heads swivelled her way.
Draco smirked his traditional Malfoy sneer, the glacial edges softened by the twinkle of mirth in his eyes.
"Nothing keeps your inner Lion leashed for long, does it Weasley?"
He leaned back, sliding his arm along the back of the sofa that he, Daphne and Pansy occupied.
The picture of ease.
Theo knew better.
"Yes, Draco." Daphne angled her body toward the wizard beside her, lips pursed in expectation. "Please! Do enlighten us."
"As I assume almost all of us here are dying of wonder." Pansy nodded to Tracy—Theo assumed for broaching the topic originally—while rolling her eyes at Ginny. "Some of us refrain from letting our words spew forth… darling."
She was looking fully at Ginny.
'Oh for Merlin's left... Pansy!' Theo really wanted to pinch the bridge of his nose. Sometimes Pansy could be a right pain in the arse with her protective streak.
"It's best to let a situation percolate, to see what rises to the top unfiltered. Friendly advice, from one… peer, to another."
"Like how you waited for Hermione's conversation with the Headmistress to percolate?"
Ginny's bold directness forced Theo's chuckle to stick in his throat as Pansy's expression darkened. When Ginny's eyebrow raised at the same time a smirk flicked across her lips in clear triumph, Blaise couldn't hold back.
"Point to the lioness!" He nodded in Ginny's direction, toasting her with a tilt of his head.
A blush erupted across her face, shading the pale freckled skin the shade of a tomato, ripened in the mid-day sun. She gave him a small grin. The genuineness of her grin didn't escape Theo's notice.
Nor, apparently, had it others.
Silence blossomed in the wake of Blaise's comment.
The awkwardness of the confrontation was made more acute by the fact that no one appeared to want to make eye contact with either Pansy or Ginny.
Ginny, Theo noticed, looked completely confused.
A long, drawn out sigh escaped from Draco's lips, pulling all eyes toward him.
"This stays within this circle." Draco stated, his eyes seeking and landing on each of them. "This information so far is only rumour—"
"And rumours have ways of getting people hurt." Cut in Theo, deciding to jump into the discussion. His own countenance now steel determination. "Who here knows Occlumency?"
Draco, to the surprise of those who'd grown up alongside the two wizards, allowed him the interruption without complaint.
'We must do this proper. No more losses.' Thought Theo.
Apart from himself, only Draco, Millicent, Greg and—surprises never ceased—Longbottom raised their hands.
"Right, well, we all need to learn to protect our minds. Those who know will teach those who don't." Instructed Theo. "Until everyone knows how, be on guard and never look Professor Blishen in the eye."
"But don't be bloody obvious about it." Draco nodded towards the surrounding Gryffindor contingent. "We don't want to tip our hands."
There was a beat of silence as they absorbed Theo and Draco's warning.
"Tip our hands to what?" Ginny asked, and a few heads nodded.
"She has a glamour around her, I believe on either her left arm or abdomen." Said Hermione. "And she looks... familiar, somehow."
Theo knew Hermione'd noticed something amiss during their first transfiguration class.
Despite how they'd parted before the lesson, he'd felt a warmth in his chest when she'd heeded his silent advice. His advice to not satisfy her curiosity in her normal fashion.
Head on.
Blunt.
She trusted him enough to have deferred, reason unknown, until they'd spoken.
His body, at the time, had reacted to the thrill that trust evoked. It was heady, knowing that despite being acquainted for such a short amount of time this year, her previous observations of him had instilled in her an innate confidence in him.
He'd never been more thankful for robes as he'd been that class.
It made it all the more sweeter knowing she trusted not only her friends, but his too, with the knowledge of her observations of their professor.
"There've been rumours for years of Dolohov having a sister." Draco began, and Theo felt more than heard Hermione's quick intake of breath, her body begin to tremble slightly against him. "Before the Dark Lord fell, he sought her out. There'd been a team of Death Eaters sent on a mission to explore this avenue and locate her. They never returned. Their Wands, attached to the hands that had wielded them, did."
Hermione stiffened even more beside him at Draco's proclamation. Ginny's face lost what little colour lay below her freckles. Her concerned gaze cut to Hermione and held and Theo's eyes narrowed.
'What could have happened to make Hermione tremble so?' He thought. Theo scrolled down a mental list of all interactions between her and Death Eaters known to him, through either eavesdropping or from the mouths of one of the Dark Lord's followers.
Theo came up blank in relation to Dolohov.
"Dolohov was silent during the time of retrieval. Totally against character for him. He was as subtle as a niffler chasing gold when either fulfilling the Dark Lord's wishes or in deriding others stupidity. He was obnoxious when boasting of his prowess in creating new spells and jinxes, and the effect they had on his victims. The fact he did none of those, that he was silent, didn't escape notice."
"According to father," Theo kept his voice neutral, the deep run abhorrence against his patriarch well buried. "When word came back that the mission was unsuccessful, Dolohov threw an intimate… dinner, at his estate. He was back to his regular fine form and invited only the highest ranking Death Eaters. Those who shared similar… appetites, to his. Including the Dark Lord of course."
"Father esteem had fallen far by that point, and I was at school. Wives are never included, thankfully. The Malfoy's escaped invitation." Draco looked at his nails, the fingers shaking as they rested atop his knees. "It was bad enough having to hear about it all afterward."
Draco and Theo exchanged glances. There was no point telling the group about the depths the Death Eaters descended.
Of the murders, the tortures, the muggle hunting for sport… the horrors of what they'd done to children. As a fucking celebration.
Best to let those truths die along with their perpetrators.
"It's believed Professor Blishen is that sister." Theo said. "Father was there...at the dinner. He overheard the name."
"Dolohov is dead." Hermione's jaw was sharp, her eyes glinting like molten amber, her skin icy against his own. "I saw him fall… fall and not get back up in the final battle."
Ginny's eyes had watered and Theo thought he heard, "Poor Teddy," fall from her lips.
'What, or who, is Teddy?'
Hermione straightened, her body becoming even tighter as her tremors subsided, though her hold on Theo's hand remained comfortable.
"He showed no remorse, no humanity, in how he battled. Nor appeared to fear anyone or anything. If Professor Blishen is truly this long-lost sister, and she had even Dolohov on edge, we all need to be careful. Theo's right. It is imperative we protect our minds."
The group exchanged glances, knowing their workload had just increased.
No one objected.
Theo knew, they all did, that Occlumency was more than a skill.
It was survival.
"So Professor Rowle," Tracy said, bringing everything back around once more to the original topic. "Why is he suddenly benign?"
Draco opened his mouth but before he could utter a syllable, Lovegood spoke.
"Rowle was one of the Death Eater's charged to look after Ollivander and me in the Malfoy dungeon."
Draco shot Lovegood a gaze filled with such agony, such apology, Theo thought it was a wonder it didn't bleed out his pores.
"It's not your fault Draco." Lovegood murmured, reaching across to grasp his hand. She squeezed once before sitting back against Millie and continuing.
"He differed from the others… smuggled us in food. Charming the water jug to be ever-filling and the chamber pot self-cleaning. There'd have been trouble if anyone had found out, but Rowle didn't seem to care. His aura was… interesting." She stared off toward somewhere over Theo's left shoulder, her eyes unfocused.
Millicent scooted closer to Lovegood, offering to lend the smaller witch an arm to lean against if desired.
"He was no more a Death Eater than Severus Snape was." Draco stated. "Though I never knew… not until today."
At this, Draco rolled up his left sleeve.
His forearm gleamed in the dimmed candlelight, unblemished.
No mark present, not even a trace of a shadow remained.
"What the—"
"Holy shit!"
"That's not possible."
Draco waited until they had made all exclamations before dropping his sleeve.
"Thorfinn and Severus figured out how to protect me. I had no bloody idea…" Draco's voice broke. He had to swallow a few times before continuing. "They knew the mark was a punishment; that I was being coerced."
"How—"
"My mother, Longbottom!" Draco's hiss lacked the venom of years passed. "The Dark Lord held her as motivation, should I dare to defy the honour of his mark. Should I fail in the task he gave me."
"Fuck."
Theo knew by her tone that Ginny understood. Looking around, he saw they all did.
Despite outward appearances, most Slytherins weren't close to Draco, save for a Pansy, Greg, Vince—'good fucking riddance!'—and himself. And even those relationships had become strained when Draco had lorded his elite status over the rest of them starting in their sixth year.
Draco had continued to mouth off, strut around and order about Greg and Vince, even as Theo watched him waste away. As Draco had maintained the veneer of the esteemed heir and Dark Lord's minion.
Theo had seen the toll it was taking, but hadn't felt the urge to step in and help until he saw the edges of the mask splinter.
The mask he hadn't even been aware Draco had been wearing.
He'd always been a pampered little shite, his tongue spewing the same entitled, prejudiced rhetoric of the Malfoy Patriarch—and to a lesser extent, his mother—since he could talk.
None of them had seen the crowing for what it was; a scared boy in over his head, playing the role he'd been forced to play through his own arrogance and family loyalties.
Theo felt ashamed he'd let his own anger and resentment about their upbringing and personal history to cloud himself to what was in front of him.
He needed to do what he'd been steering Draco toward. Theo needed to be better as well.
"What did they do?" Breathed Daphne.
"Severus had apparently been making a salve to protect us, all of us, should the time come."
Draco looked around at those who he shared the snake pit with, who'd have been first in line to be marked due to family affiliations.
"Protection apparently from both the Dark Lord, and those opposing him. He was looking for a way to salvage our freedom if the Dark Lord fell. I didn't know it at the time, not really even until today, but he and Thorfinn were actively working toward the Dark Lord's demise."
He paused, no one daring to shatter the silence as he appeared to gather his thoughts once more.
"When Thorfinn had informed him of my impending marking ceremony, Severus had then given me the salve. Hours earlier in the day, he'd summoned me under a potions ruse and said the salve would numb the area and help absorb some of the pain when the mark was carved."
Tracy looked at the carpet, her skin a tad green at the mention of the ritualistic mutilation.
Greg's eyes were wide, his gaze unwavering as he took in Draco's words.
"The salve did as he said. Well, somewhat anyway. But what he failed to mention, was that it created a barrier of sorts, between the mark and my magic. Nothing that the Dark Lord could trace or feel. My own magic unaware. The barrier would allow the seamless removal of the mark by himself or Thorfinn with a spell Thorfinn himself had created. Between the two of them, they'd created a fail safe for those who'd been coerced or were a spy. A way to live normal, unblemished lives should the Dark Lord fall. Or if he'd won, a way to escape if possible. They were fucking brilliant."
Draco coughed then, pinching the bridge of his nose as his eyes closed.
"When I think of some of the things I said to him, during that time," Draco whispered, eyes still shut, forehead creased. "I was such a fucking arrogant berk."
"Draco—"
"It's true Pans, and you know it. I was an arsehole to all of you, until I couldn't do it anymore. I was sure he was jealous of my assignment, that he wanted the glory all to himself... I was blind. I fought against his help, against him until he… until he…"
A sob broke free from Draco's chest and he curled into himself, sheilding his face from the group.
Blaise and Tracy began having one of their silent conversations across from eachother, and Pansy rubbed circles against Draco's back.
They'd never really seen him break before, and all of them, even Theo, was taken aback.
"It wasn't your fault, nor Professor Snape's," Hermione reached across and placed her free hand on Draco's knee. Her thumb rubbed gently against it for a moment before retreating.
"What do you mean Gran—Hermione." Pansy's tone was sharp but not mean.
Cautiously hopeful.
"Dumbledore was dying, Draco." Hermione didn't look away from the blond wizard sitting across from them, not even to acknowledge Pansy.
"He'd already arranged with for his death to be on Professor Snape's hands, not yours. It was always to be his burden to carry, not yours. They wanted desperately to save your soul, to save you from Voldemort's plan."
"What?"
Longbottom swivelled his eyes between the various tableaus of emotions in front of him.
"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on? What do you mean Dumbledore was dying? He was bloody murdered!"
Longbottom was one glaring daggers at Draco, apparently tossing aside any neutrality he'd held moments before.
Theo felt himself calm preternaturally, ready to jump in if needed. He was acutely aware of the shifting currents of hostility now threading the air around their group.
Draco raised his head, sniffling, eyes rimmed red. His eyes beseeched Hermione, a drowning man looking for a life boat.
She sighed, and made a motion for her housemate to stand down. To wait.
"He wasn't Neville. That was what everyone was supposed to believe, and yes, Draco did play his own part in it."
At that, she surprisingly shot Draco a look of understanding rather than condemnation.
"That was the cover story, his murder, so Professor Snape could remain a spy and protect those where he could."
Theo's brows knitted in confusion as he saw the look of disgust pass across her features.
"Dumbledore had contacted a curse the summer before our sixth year. A fatal curse, from an object belonging to Voldemort. He had less than a year to live, and despite not lifting a finger, apparently knew all along what was asked of you."
Hermione shook her head in disgust.
"Bloody, arrogant fool should have approached you from the beginning, instead of letting you make half-hearted attempts. He could have done so much more to protect, well, everyone involved!"
Her lips were pressed tight, and her eyes were sharp as potion knives.
"He never even offered you protection, not until it was too late. When Harry learned everything, past what he'd seen and assumed, he was beyond livid. He'd also been played a pawn that year. Both of you had, and all anyone would say when he'd bring forward his concerns was that he was imagining it all."
She crossed her arms. "If there's one thing Harry hates, it's being told he's a liar! Especially when his instincts are bang on."
"Fucking nosy Potter." The words came out slightly watery and not the least bit sarcastic.
Theo had to give Draco credit for his control.
"And it all comes back to Potter," said Blaise, a smirk upon his lips.
"Right, ok." Pansy stood and clapped her hands. "This has been… well, a delight would be a complete lie. Informative and intriguing, I'll say instead. Occlumency lessons, dissapearing marks, a bloody macheavalian headmaster, emotional vomitting. What more can we ask for."
She eyed the rest of them still sitting. "I don't know what you all have planned the rest of the night, but I'm going to venture to the prefects bath for a nice, long, deliciously quiet soak."
Pansy let her fingers trail along the neck of Draco's robes as she moved behind the sofa toward the doorway.
"Oh, and Granger?"
"Yes?"
"Do be a dear and let Potter know that when he's here next, I'd like a word."
"I'm not a bloody owl," Theo heard Hermione mutter under her breath
"Sure Pansy," Hermione said just as sweetly, "He'll be delighted to hear, I'm sure."
As their group began to disburse, Theo leaned over and whispered in Hermione's ear.
"Fancy heading for our study date now? I need a few minutes to fetch something, but can meet you in our section, half seven, if you wish?"
Her hair tickled his cheek as she turned to face him.
"See you then," she murmered, her eyes appearing to flicker to his lips before she met his gaze. "I'm looking forward to it Theo."