Theo'd nearly drowned at six years old. Not because he didn't know how to swim. He wished he could blame it on some horrible accident instead of looking back and knowing he'd nearly died at the consistently cruel hand of his father.

Tiberius Nott had always been a violent man but up to that point in Theo's life, he'd been kept somewhat sheltered from it. Not the sight of it but from feeling it himself. His mother had taken every ounce of his father's anger to keep her child safe. She'd always tried to muffle her cries but despite her best efforts, it would be a sound that would haunt Theo's dreams for the rest of his life.

Her mossy green eyes, a mirror of his own had pleaded with him to stay still. To not intervene for fear of her sacrifice being in vain. Theo always listened of course. Calista Nott was his sun, moon, and stars and he would do anything she asked of him if it meant it would earn him one of those smiles full of love.

Theo wished every day that he'd had the foresight to see that the day she drew her last breath would be different. He would have done something, anything to save the one who meant everything to him.

He'd stayed hidden in the small cabinet adorned with little holes that let bright rays of light into his dark hiding space. He had counted the little dots that mixed with the shadows as a way to distract himself from the scary outside noises.

He'd counted twenty circles eight times before the noises finally stopped and his father's heavy footsteps faded away, Theo had carefully pushed the cabinet door open. He tumbled onto the floor, his limbs stiff and aching from the prolonged position in such a tight space.

The sitting room was eerily quiet. Normally his mum would call for him to let him know it was safe now. That he had nothing to fear, and she'd be okay.

"Mum?" His small voice had called out.

There was no shaky I'm okay, Love. In response, only more silence.

Theo rounded the other side of the sofa, sure that she would be okay. Maybe she'd fallen asleep. He would fetch Fin to help heal her and then he'd read her a book while she rested.

But there would be no healing, no books, and no resting.

"Mum?" Theo implored, his voice shaking as he dropped to his knees next to his mum's prone body on the floor.

"Come on, mum. It's time to wake up now. I need you to wake up, mummy." Theo began to cry in earnest as his small hand gripped her shoulder and shook as hard as he could, his heart and reality twins in the way they were splitting apart.

"Fin! Help mummy she won't wake up!" Theo cried harder, tears falling from his lids so rapidly he couldn't blink them away fast enough to see properly.

He jumped at the sound of Fin popping into the room. "Master Theo, what's you- "Fin halted at the sight of his mistress lying lifeless on the floor.

"Oh, Master Theo. You's come with Fin now." The elderly elf tried to place his hands on Theo's shoulders in comfort.

"No! You will help mummy. I order you to!" Theo had never ordered Fin to do anything. His mother had taught him to always respect all creatures, especially the elves that were such a huge part of their lives. But he was spiraling and didn't know how to stop it.

"Fin cannot bring the Missus back. Fin is sorry." Fin's eyes full of sadness and understanding looked upon his friend as he held his arms open.

In his anger, Theo rejected the offer of comfort; instead, he placed his small hands against Fin's chest and shoved with as much strength as he could muster. The sight of his last friend in the world tumbling backward before crashing against the cold tiled floor only made Theo cry harder before he turned on his heel and ran. The pleas for Theo to wait. falling on deaf ears.

He didn't know where he was going, he just needed to be away from everything he lost. If his eyes hadn't been puffy from crying or his mind hadn't been clouded with sadness and anger, maybe he would have seen his father standing in the hall before he crashed against his side.

"You little fucker. What do you think you're doing?"

"I' didn't mean to." Theo whimpered as he tried to scoot backward.

"Just as clumsy as that useless mother of yours. Knew I should have picked a different Black, maybe Narcissa would have proved more effective in producing an heir that wasn't such a disappointment. Perhaps I should just end her useless line now." Tiberius spat before snaking his hand out and gripping Theo's fine curls between his fingers.

He tried to be quiet like his mum taught him but as the fine strands at his scalp tore away, he couldn't stop the yelp of pain that tore past his lips. The sound earned him a look of disgust from Tiberius a moment before Theo's world collapsed on itself in a swirl of colors and a tearing sensation emitting from his naval.

"Fucking worthless cunt breeding useless children that can't even handle a simple apparition." Tiberius spat the words at his son who clutched fistfuls of grass between his small fingers as he emptied the contents of his stomach.

"I'm s- sorry." Theo stuttered around the fluid dripping past his lips. "I'll do better next time Father."

Without a word in response, Tiberius gripped Theo by the nape of his neck and shoved him toward the small pond where ducks floated lazily along the surface.

An uneasy feeling crept along Theo's spine, he knew he was in danger just being in his father's vicinity, but he didn't know how to get away. His mother wasn't able to save him this time and he knew if he called Fin, the elf would suffer twice as badly as Theo.

The only thing he could do was watch as his father conjured a small wooden boat and climbed in after him. Theo watched fearfully as dark water lapped at the edges as they bobbed up and down haphazardly in the water, Tiberius's wand propelling them forward for a while until they came to a sudden stop.

"Get in." Tiberius scowled down at Theo with unrestrained disgust, his black soulless eyes boring into Theo's as the little boy's hands shook with fear.

"B- But I can't swim." Theo stuttered as he looked at the black body of water his mother had always warned him away from considering the number of monsters it housed.

"I know. If you can survive the swim back to shore, you can live another day. If you die, I get to start fresh with a new heir to the Nott name." Tiberius smiled wickedly as if the idea of his son's death brought him immense pleasure.

Even at six years old, Theo was able to reason out that he had limited options. If he refused to jump in the water, his father would most likely kill him. If he did jump in, there was a small chance he could live another day.

Resolving himself to his fate, Theo turned toward the man he had feared his entire life and forced himself to look him in the eyes, something he had been too scared to do in the past. He focused on his anger for the creature that had taken his mother from him simply because he could.

"I hate you and I wish you had died instead of her," Theo said simply before standing and leaping out of the boat, not taking a moment to notice the look of pleasant surprise on Tiberius's face.

Theo plunged into the murky depths, his hands clawing at the water as he tried to drag himself to the surface. How could liquid feel like a thousand knives, Theo had questioned as the frigid cold seeped into his bones like a thief stealing all his warmth.

A shadow moved swiftly along the surface of the water, alerting Theo to the fact that his father had left him there to die or save himself, but he wasn't interested in waiting around to find out which.

He tried not to panic, to steady his heart but in the depths, he floated deeper, and the shadows began to take shape and slink through the slimy ropes of seaweed that licked at Theo's bare feet.

He kicked and clawed furiously but his lungs burned with the need for air, and he felt powerless to do anything but survive moment after agonizing moment until he met his eventual end.

Closing his eyes, Theo thought of his mother, her warm embrace, and the soft kisses she would place upon his cheek as she wrapped him in her arms. If he found his end in the cold place, he would at least think of the happiest place he'd ever known while he drifted off. Theo hoped his dreams could carry him to wherever his mother was.

As Theo began to lose consciousness a voice whispered through his mind. "It's not your time my darling boy. You'll be with me someday but there are people that will need you in the coming years."

Even if Theo could find the will to fight, he couldn't swim and rapidly approached the ceiling of his ability to stay conscious.

As if summoned by his mother's spirit, an adolescent hippocampus appeared through the seaweed. Its horse-like face shimmering despite the murkiness of the water around it. The rest of its body revealed a fin like a mermaid's as it swam closer to Theo. It floated for a moment before him before turning and offering its back.

Whether the creature was a gift sent by the spirit of his mother or coincidence, he didn't care. Theo used the last of his strength to claw his way forward until he could wrap his fingers in its long blue mane and his small legs around his torso, so he was seated along its back.

They were off in a flash; Theo was forced to shut his eyes against the force of the water beating against his skin as they surged forward. He felt the muscles of the creature flex and release beneath his hands, a feeling of freedom rushing through him and he wished in that moment that he could be like this creature.

But he was reminded of his mother's words. There were people that would need him and he would be there for them just as his mother had been for him. An image of his closest friend and cousin, Draco, came to mind.

As they crashed through the surface of the water, the water horse slowed and made its way toward the grassy shore, Theo greedily sucking in lungfuls of air while stemming his tears at the burn.

He shakily let his arms slide away, feeling the hard scales of its body before giving it a grateful hug around its neck and making his way the last few feet to safety before collapsing on the dry ground.

Theo'd never felt so helpless in his life, the countless times he'd watched his father unleash his anger, then it had been a choice to listen and stay hidden. As he'd sunk lower in the freezing water, there'd been nothing he could do to save himself. If not for the fateful timing of the hippocampus, he'd be lying dead amongst the seaweed.

He promised himself at this moment that no matter what, he'd do everything in his power to never be put in such a position again. *

Theo clawed violently and screamed until his throat felt raw but no matter what he did, he was internally trapped inside of whatever prison the potion he'd drank had created. He felt just as small and insignificant as he had that day at the pond where he'd nearly died. But instead of his own death, he was witnessing Draco's.

The command to raise his wand felt like the most natural thing in the world, he should listen to that voice because it was a part of him. It spoke to that primal part of himself and whispered so sweetly, it was as simple as breathing to do as it wished. But the moment the torture curse slithered past his master's lips; Theo snapped out of the spell that had been so alluring. The only problem was, that he now had to witness with complete clarity what was happening to someone he considered a brother. With no control over his extremities, Theo could only feel the dark magic flowing from his core to his wand as it connected with Draco's flesh.

One Crucio was bad enough to witness or experience, but five? It was unbearable.

As the combined curses hit Draco's chest his whole body had gone rigid, his arms snapping open as if inviting more of the excruciating pain forward. Theo cried and kicked at his consciousness, begging himself to do something, anything to end this.

The only sound was the crackle of their spells combining in a violent red current, the hissing laughter of the Dark Lord, and Draco's blood-curdling screams.

A silent command ordered the alpha's to drop their wands. Theo's the first to drop limply at his side as his body slumped from exhaustion. But he forced his legs to move forward.

He took Draco's head in his lap as his body seized uncontrollably. It was nearly impossible to keep the venom from his voice as Theo spat his request at the Dark Lord. "May I take him to be healed, sir? He will be of no use to you if we do not have the elves see to him."

"Why should I care if he lives or dies?" Voldemort asked, waving his hand flippantly as if he couldn't be bothered with the death of his most high-ranking general.

"If Draco dies with no living heir, all of his assets will be seized by the Ministry. All of his gold, his properties, and the family magic that keeps us safe in this Manor." Theo prayed to whatever Gods were listening that his logic was convincing enough.

The Dark Lord contemplated Theo's words for a moment, his beady red eyes trained on Theo before the thin line where his lips should have been curved up in a slight smirk. "You may heal him today but have given me something to think about. Quite a surprise coming from you, the weak offspring of Lord Nott." Theo didn't like the idea that whatever he'd said had sparked something within the maniac, but he needed to focus on getting Draco help.

"Thank you, my Lord." Theo bowed his head before standing and lifting Draco into his arms and leaving the Dark Lord with the rest of the alphas. He raced as quickly as possible out of the manor before apparating to the secret cottage.

It had been three days since Draco had fallen into a coma, Granger rarely leaving his side as she ran test after test. Clearly exhausting herself she continued to push her magic and body to its limits. Any time Theo entered their room to check on him, those amber eyes would follow his every move. And even though Granger didn't outright accuse Theo of anything, he knew she blamed him in part for what had happened. How could she not?

He'd confessed as much to his Luna, but she insisted that Hermione would never think such a thing. She knew Theo would have done everything he could but in the face of such power and cruelty, how could anyone expect the outcome to be different? Luna was more concerned about the potion that they'd each ingested. How had it controlled their actions and how would it affect them in the future? All of these questions played through Theo's mind as he set out once more to try and reach Harry Potter. A task he'd taken up since Draco was unable to do so himself.

The problem was that Weasley never left Potter's side when outside the Ministry. If he hexed Weasley, Potter would instantly be on the defensive and wouldn't listen to a word he had to say. The best plan was to get him alone.

On the fourth day, Theo watched from across the street of Potter's Godric Hollow home. It was invisible to those unaware of its location, but Theo had his sources and knew the general location well enough to wait.

It was late, a cold night that had Theo's breath gathering around him in sheer clouds as he used warming charms to try and heat his freezing hands. As he cast the charm for the fifth time that night, a shape materialized from the shadows. Potter pulled the collar higher of his wool coat around his ears as he walked quickly down the street.

Potter was a creature of habit for the most part so to be so lucky as to catch him doing something out of the norm was pure luck on Theo's part. Or perhaps intervention from a meddling witch from beyond the grave. There'd been many times throughout his life that things had happened that were entirely too serendipitous to call it coincidence. These times he liked to think it was his mother playing her hand in his life.

Theo, though disillusioned, silenced his shoes for added measure as he began to follow Potter down the street. They passed multiple streets before turning down a darkened alley next to one of the wizard-owned businesses of Godric's Hollow. Loud music blared through the open door and chattering witches and wizards gathered around. Theo found it rather odd that the Chosen One hadn't been stopped by multiple people along his path.

Theo lost sight of Potter for a moment as his mop of black hair turned the corner of the alley before him. He was careful to avoid bumping into those standing about, worried about bringing attention to himself. But as he rounded the corner, he realized he'd lost sight of Potter.

He glanced down the brick-walled alley twice but found no sign of the slippery Gryffindor. With his head hung, he slumped back against the stone wall and released a heavy sigh. He berated himself for not stopping Potter earlier.

Theo yelped as an arm like an iron bar pressed against his neck and shoved him further against the wall until his shoulder blades dug painfully against the chipped brick and mortar.

"Why are you following me?" Potter's voice spoke from thin air.

Theo knew he needed to let himself be open if there was any chance of convincing Potter to hear what he had to say. "I need your help."

Potter scoffed and pressed his arm further against Theo's neck, making the tendons jump as he gulped heavily. "I know you don't owe me anything and I'm probably one of the last people you'd ever want to talk to but if you'll listen for a moment, I think you'll like what I have to say."

"Like what a Death Eater has to say? You lot have really lost the plot, haven't you? I should take you straight to Azkaban and let the Dementors have their way with you."

"You could do that but then you'd have no idea what happened to her," Theo persisted, the idea of receiving the Dementor's kiss sending a chill up his spine.

Potter paused and released his hold slightly. "Who is she?"

"I think you know but I can't say too much in the open. Is there somewhere private we can talk?" Theo asked, letting the sincerity of his request bleed through his tone.

Potter's body took shape as a silver cloak that flowed like liquid fell from his form before he shoved it into what must be an extended pocket of his coat. "If you're lying to me, I'll skin you alive before you can say Salazar. Understood?"

The boy Theo'd seen roaming throughout Hogwarts was gone, before him stood a war-hardened man. Every loss shone in his green eyes so similar to Theo's. Perhaps Potter's mother had a magical ancestor similar to his own.

"I have no intention of betraying you. Besides, I'm more scared of her than I am of snogging a dementor, so let's get on with it." Theo quipped, his response earning enough trust from Potter to remove his arm from his throat. He resisted rubbing his hand over the spot where his muscles jumped while sucking in measured breaths. "Do you want to stand here arguing or do you want to know the truth?"

"Follow me," Potter responded after a moment of silence and a measured look at Theo before walking up to the brick wall on the other side of the alley. He tapped his wand in a sequence that seemed random, but Theo knew better.

He followed Potter's lead and stepped back as the stones began to shift and separate until a small opening covered in shadow appeared.

"Death Eaters first," Potter said without humor while motioning Theo forward, his green eyes challenging behind their circular frames.

"Right," Theo nodded, accepting that he was in just as vulnerable a position as the boy wonder. Both, having to trust the other, didn't intend deceit.

The moment his boots passed through the shadows Theo was falling. His stomach lurched as he gripped at the air whipping through his fingers. All around him was an oily darkness that not even the brightest Lumos could shine through.

"Potter!" Theo yelled as he continued to fall but wasn't surprised when all he heard in response was more unending silence.

Theo's stomach clenched painfully once more as a world of color burst forth, burning his eyes with its brightness. His knees cracked against a stone surface and his hands rushed forward to stop his forward momentum.

On shaky limbs, he pushed himself to stand, finding himself in a small cell adorned with golden bars. "Potter!" Theo yelled again.

The man in question appeared in a swirl of color before Theo's cell. Not an ounce of guilt etched on his features as he stared at Theo with a bored expression. "You wanted to talk. So, talk. Oh, and I know how you sacred 28 lot love your shiny things but these bars aren't just for your enjoyment. They've been charmed against ill intent or deceit, I don't suggest testing them out though."

Though he was impressed and intrigued by the magic required to create such a prison, Theo found his annoyance at being duped winning out over his curiosity. "Not very sporting of you Potter. Here I was thinking we were cultivating such a trusting bond and then you go and pull something like this? Doesn't really make a bloke want to open up."

"Do not test me, Nott. Fucking say what you so desperately wanted to say or don't and you can be on your merry way to Azkaban." Potter snapped, his cool mask of indifference breaking.

"Fine. But you may want to take a seat for this." Theo said with a sigh.