Chapter 9

The moment that the Arithmancy class was over, Hermione rushed out, she did not want to hear another thing come out of Theodore Nott's mouth. She was stuck with Draco Malfoy in Potions and now she was going to have to put up with both of them, potentially for the rest of the year in Arithmancy? Both of them were brilliant, there was no denying that, but clearly they were up to something and honestly she could not imagine what that might be. She did not want to have anything to do with either of them, with any of the wizards at the school, and especially none of the purebloods.

She was feeling so miserable that she actually drank the hangover potion that Nott and Malfoy had left for her, but she couldn't find it in herself to worry about them potioning her into doing something she was unwilling to do or poisoning her.

Throwing herself onto the bed, she forgot to do several things: (1) close her door all the way, (2)take off her clothes and (3) drink some water, (4) snuggle into bed under her warm duvet to keep off the chill of this damp Scottish weather and finally (5) set her wards. She couldn't even be bothered. So she passed out with her feet extended off the bed, her school shoes and socks still on her feet along with everything else. She really hoped that she would sleep until Monday.

...

All of Slytherin House was being forced to take Muggle Studies as though they had no Half Bloods in seventh or eighth year. Tracy Davis already looked like she wanted to stab her own eyes out, the other half-bloods looked just as frustrated. They'd never been required to take the class before, having one non-magical parent had exempted them. Now it was as though everyone had forgotten that. Their new professor was a small Irish woman with curly blonde hair that was desperately attempting to escape its plait not unlike all of the students in the classroom.

Muggle Studies under the Carrows had been "Mudbloods all deserve to die and are cannibalistic savages who steal magic, which is why we have squibs." And if that indoctrination didn't make a lot of sense then, that was par for the course with the Carrows.

This however was a different type of torture all together. Theo thought the woman had said "um" at least one hundred and forty-seven times, at least that was when Theo stopped counting. She couldn't even complete a sentence before she was becoming sidetracked by her own thoughts and repeating something she had already said, but adding slightly more information. She was exceptionally difficult to follow.

"For Salazar's sake, this woman is worse than Binns," Blaise whispered to his right.

Greg sitting in front of them between Pansy and Tracey nodded in agreement. "Thank the gods this is our last class on Fridays, I'm ready for a drink."

Daphne and Milicent weren't even pretending to pay attention both flipping through a bridal issue of Witch Weekly and whispering to one another.

"What was that, Mr. Goyle?" The professor said from the front. What was her name? Theo thought. Oh, Carmoody.

"Just going over my schedule out loud, ma'am, I apologise," Greg responded. She pursed her lips but continued to go over her syllabus, which she'd already written on the board and they had all read within ten minutes of sitting down. Draco wasn't listening to her ramble either; he was on chapter four of the textbook.

"Theo, look at this," Draco whispered, pointing to a photo of a human, one would assume, holding a flag on a grey rocky plane, and beyond him to that blue and green sphere. "That is the Earth from space. Muggles have been to space? To the stars? How is that possible without magic?"

Theo and Blaise leaned over to look at the picture and then flipped open their own books to the same page.

Theo's mind whirled.

Had his father known about things like this? Or had he forbidden Theo from attending Muggle Studies courses because Notts never had from the time of the founding?

Draco was absorbed with his reading and almost didn't realise when the professor had dismissed the class.

"Come on, mate," Blaise bumped him. "It's dinner time."

"And I'm starving," Greg added, pulling out Pansy's chair and then Tracey's while Millicent looked on approvingly from near the door. The professor was mumbling to herself at the front of the room and Theo shook his head. How were they supposed to pass Muggle Studies NEWTs with such a professor? It was going to be impossible without assistance. Maybe he could convince a certain curly-haired swot to tutor them?

He nearly laughed aloud at his optimism and couldn't help but allow a smile curve his lips.

"Theo, what do you have to be smiling about after that terrible excuse for a class?" Draco asked as they walked down the corridor towards the great staircase.

"Just thinking about what we will have to do to pass that Muggle Studies NEWT and I'm afraid my mind went in a rather silly direction."

Draco smiled back at him; the darkness that haunted his eyes so often these days was chased away for a few moments. A group of Ravenclaw sixth and seventh year girls were gathered on the landing and looked at Draco with admiring eyes.

Theo took a deep breath to keep from placing his hand on the small of Draco's back or taking his arm. He wanted to touch his mate,.Even with the bond consummated, Theo still felt territorial. Draco, as though sensing his unease, walked close enough to him that their hands barely touched in passing, their hips glancing off each other as they descended the steps toward dinner.

Draco always knew what he needed. Theo knew he was lucky in his first mate. If only he could get his Hermione to be so attentive. Perhaps after he had properly courted her, she would take care of him and Draco the same way that she had always taken care of the disaster duo. He was grateful not to have those two here competing for Hermione's attention.

...

"I've got some good gossip," Daphne smiled, sitting down at dinner after stopping at the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables on the way. Pansy was listlessly pushing her food around her plate and barely looked up at the announcement. Theo noted that and added it to his "Pansy is acting off list" that he had been composing in his head. Normally she would be the one most interested in any kind of new gossip and she didn't even seem to care.

"Do tell," Millicent was nearly bouncing on the bench. "Is it really good?"

"Oh yes," Daphne smiled. "More than one piece actually. Harry Potter has left the country and gone to France. The Ministry was trying to keep a lid on it, but apparently the Head Girl got pissed with some of the Hufflepuffs and admitted that Potter and she broke up after he didn't want to join the Ministry as an Auror and wanted to fuck off to France. He and the other Weasley had a falling out as well. Who says Potter has another girl already over there? She was making it sound like a mutual break up, but I have my doubts." Daphne's eyes glittered with malice.

"Saint Potter is a tosser, but Weaslette is clearly a fortune hunter," Draco pointed out, between bites of mince pie. "Even he could do better."

"Why Draco," Blaise smiled. "I do believe that that is the most complimentary thing that you've ever said about old Scarhead. Maturing are we?"

Draco gave Blaise a rude hand gesture and returned to eating.

"Not having Potter to spar with is making Draco moody," Daphne laughed. Theo's eyes narrowed at her and he opened his mouth to put her in her place, but he was cut off.

"That can't have been all the gossip Daph," Tracy raised her eyebrow.

"Abbot from Hufflepuff seems to have snagged Longbottom. She's expecting a proposal soon." Daphne said. "Another one of the golden lions snatched up."

Pansy's fork dropped to her plate and she rose suddenly. "I feel sick. I have to go."

"What's the matter with her?" Daphne asked as Pansy fled the Great Hall, looking as though she was about to be sick.

Theo noticed that the Slytherins weren't the only ones watching as Pansy left, Longbottom was staring at her too, his fork frozen in midair. Longbottom looked over towards the Slytherin table and Theo stared back at him, an unwavering scowl on his face. Longbottom quickly looked away, but not before Theo saw the fear and worry on his face.

What in the name of Salazar's favourite brothel was going on?