A/N: Warning: This chapter mentions sexual relations, substanceand physical abuse.

Chapter 31: Secrets unfolding

"What?!" They both exclaimed and Blaise rose to his full height, making the boy shrink back.

"Wha–," Ginny started again, aghast. "How? Why?"

"I- I don't know exactly," Wedley stammered. "He- he said something to Theo and Theo just went berserk."

Glancing over at the Italian, she saw his hard-set features twitch. She looked back at the young student. "What did Theo do exactly?"

"He hexed him, I think, I couldn't really see at first, and then just threw himself at him."

"Is anyone hurt?"

"Um, I don't know. I came here as soon as I saw it."

"Where?"

"By the Fat Lady's Corridor."

"Is anyone else present? Any teachers alerted?" she proceeded. Wedley merely shook his head in the negative. She frowned. "Why didn't you go to a teacher immediately? Why come to us?"

The boy shifted on his feet, his nervous gaze darting back to Blaise. "B-because he told me not to."

Ginny shot a baffled glance at the latter, recalling the last time something similar had happened involving Nott and Blaise's odd reaction.

"Who?" They both flinched at the steel in Blaise's voice cutting through the air.

"Wh-what?" Wedley squawked, staring up in dazed fear at him.

"Who said those things to make Theo react that way?"

"Um," the poor Wedley seemed to break out in a cold sweat under the Italian's commanding stare and wrung his hands. "It- it was Fergus Strudwick."

The name vaguely rang a bell in Ginny's head and the line of Blaise's mouth grew thin. "Let's go then."

"Wait– Blaise!" She got up and sprinted after him as he went along with the boy in tow, his quick pace surpassing hers. She caught up with them just in time to witness Blaise yank the younger boy closer and whisper vehemently, "What was he doing there?"

Wedley shook his head. "I- I don't know."

Dissatisfied with the boy's answer, Blaise let go of him and stalked ahead, leaving Ginny half out of breath and frustrated. Jogging up to Wedley, she gently caught his attention. "Hey, what's all that about?" The younger boy shot her a conflicted look, opening and closing his mouth. Ginny quickly took pity on him. "Hey, it's okay. If you've promised not to tell anything then you don't have to. Don't worry." Relieved the boy's shoulders slumped and she quietly wondered just how many errand boys Blaise had running around spying for him. Carefully, she decided to go for a different angle. "Can you tell me about this Fergus Strudwick? Do you know him?"

"Yes, he's in your House," he replied with less trepidation as they climbed the stairs to the Seventh Floor.

"Oh? What year?"

"Sixth."

Sixth? Why couldn't she put a face on the guy? She should be able to discern the students in her house by now.

"And has he been pestering Nott before?"

There was a slight faltering in the boy's step that he quickly tried to recover but it was enough for her to get an idea of the history between Strudwick and Nott.

They reached the stairs by the Fat Lady's Corridor and Ginny spotted Zabini's tall figure. Making it to the top, she took in the scenery before her: Two bloody-nosed boys stood miles apart, looking sullen, while being cross-examined by the Italian. When Nott spotted her and Wedley appearing from behind Blaise, he rolled his eyes dramatically and grumbled. "Ugh, just what we needed. You had to drag her into this, hadn't you, Blaise?"

"Shut up, Theo."

Theo crossed his arms and scowled, ignoring the blood running from his nose.

Ginny paid no heed to his surly attitude and stepped forward, addressing Blaise. "Why haven't you notified a teacher yet? Or, at least, taken these two to the Infirmary?" She looked the boys over once more and though their injuries luckily weren't as dire as she had feared they would be, there was still a protocol to follow.

"Not before I'm finished with them," came Blaise's tight response.

She whipped her attention back to him. "You can't be serious, Zabini! This is no time for one of your 'superior' judgement calls."

He flashed her a slighted glare. "They're fine."

"Oh, really?" Crossing her arms, she met his glare head-on. "Since when have you become an expert Healer?"

After staring each other down for a moment or so, Blaise exhaled harshly through his nose and turned his thunderous expression towards Strudwick. "Fine. Go ahead. But this better be the last time I catch you throwing any kind of slur around, or your next visit to Madam Pomfrey will be permanent."

The boy's dull eyes widened somewhat and with a quick, indecipherable glance towards Nott, he scurried along towards the Infirmary.

Theo whistled. "Sheesh, Blaise."

"Oh, come off it, Theo! You are far from the innocent one here," Zabini snarled in reproach, making the other wizard glance away.

Ginny looked between them. What was going on here? "Shouldn't you be going too, Nott?"

"Apparently not." Theo eyed the Italian resentfully.

With her hands in her sides, she turned to Blaise. "What is your deal? He clearly needs a check-up."

Blaise drove a hand across his face with a grunt. "Can you... just give me a second? Please."

Baffled, she stared at him for a minute. "OK. Fine."

"Thank you."

Theo snorted. "Way to go, lover boy," he remarked mockingly. "That's how you deal with the ladies; begging and grovelling for all your money's worth." Ginny pursed her lips and shot him a filthy look.

"Just – stop, Theo," Blaise intercepted then grumbled something under his breath which only Nott caught the meaning of.

"Hey, if we are to compare track records –"

"No, we're not," Zabini sighed heavily and was rewarded with a rather smug look from Theo, a contrast to his bloodied face and the blue-ish eye he was starting to sport. Ginny, in turn, felt she was getting a headache from all their mercurial shifts, though it was easier to spot the fronts Nott was putting up. Clearly, he appeared troubled.

With another resigned exhale, Blaise turned to Ginny, his expression having lost some of its edge. "Is there a secluded place we can talk around here?"

Somehow she hadn't expected him to turn to her for help. "Um, well, there's the Room of Requirement but–"

"That'll do." Blaise waved a hand, gesturing for her to lead the way. She briefly wondered if he was simply too lazy to find it himself because she refused to believe he didn't know how. Someone like Zabini would surely have used it for some of his many conquests throughout the years. Old news, Gin. Still, the thought didn't sit well with her.

A small voice cleared its throat behind them and they turned to see a fidgety Wedley still standing there with a questioning look on his face.

"Oh, right," Blaise said, having momentarily forgotten about the younger student. "You can go now, Wedley. You've done enough." The boy nodded eagerly and took off the way he had come. Blaise then shot out a long arm and grabbed hold of Theo's hunched shoulder, making the other boy wince demonstratively in protest and shoved him slightly forward. He arched an awaiting eyebrow at her. "Lead on, Miss Weasley."

Blinking a couple of times, she pursed her lips, slightly annoyed by his commandeering tone, and turned around to continue down the corridor to the left with the two wizards trailing close behind. Reaching the wall opposite the Troll Tapestry, she paced in front of it three times, concentrating hard, and soon a great oak door emerged in the brickwork. She went ahead and opened it then stepped aside to let Theo shuffle ahead with Blaise following right behind. Ginny glanced over her shoulder, making sure no one had seen them and then went inside herself, closing the door behind them.

She was pleased to see the Room had presented itself close to a common room which could suit any kind of purpose: A cosy setting of chairs, sofas and rugs in front of a great, roaring fireplace, inciting warmth into the otherwise tepid atmosphere of the castle walls. Immediately she sought out the fire to warm her cold fingers.

"Right," Blaise's stirring voice sounded, and she peered over her shoulder to see that he had addressed Theo who was idly picking at one of the more odd ornaments the Room had chosen to furnish itself with. "Get on with it, Theo. What was all that about?"

She realized that she really had no place in this conversation. It was private. None of her business. She hardly even knew Nott. Yet, unconsciously she had just assumed to follow Blaise inside and whether he was aware or not, he hadn't told her to stay out of it and bugger off yet. His attention was concentrated on Theo at the moment. Perhaps he was just ignoring her? Thinking nothing of her listening in? She wasn't sure if she should feel affronted by that notion or not. Most of all, she was unnerved by her own instinctive assumption regarding her and Blaise's relationship by now. They had become so attuned; making sure to present this image of shared intimacy and confidentiality that they had, somewhere along the way, unknowingly allowed each other closer and closer into their own private spheres, even when no one was looking.

Perhaps he trusted her by now? Did she trust him?

The voices of the boys now in midst of arguing across the room interrupted her thoughts. "I am not saying you should tell me every little detail of your private life, Teddy." Blaise's levelled voice had an exasperated tinge to it. "Actually, I'd rather be free. All I'm asking is that you'll let me know if something is the matter –"

"Who says there is?" Theo groused.

"Well, for one, you just went berserk out there, for some reason," the Italian retaliated. "I've known you long enough to be able to count on one hand how many times that have happened. And why Strudwick? What did he say? I thought you and him–"

"Yeah, well, that's over and done with now, isn't it!" Theo blurted out. Blaise silently gauged him.

Despite everything, Ginny felt her presence was intrusive and she edged closer to where they were standing, in the direction of the door. Clearing her throat, she ventured. "I think I better get going now." Both boys whipped their heads towards her. Theo's face became pained and his eyes flicked away. Blaise stared at her for a moment longer, realization and something else edged in his expression. "You'll have the Room for as long as you require it. You won't need me here."

"Right..."

Shifting on her feet she didn't know where to look. This was becoming awkward.

"It's okay." Blaise shot a pensive glance at his friend who had spoken up. "She can stay." Theo expelled a weary scoff. "After all, given the way you two have been acting lately, she'll likely find out sooner or later." Frowning at the cryptic retort, Ginny briefly looked to Blaise who met her perplexed gaze before looking back at Nott.

"Theo?"

Theo simply stood there, staring bleary-eyed into space and said nothing, just swallowed thickly. Blaise searched his pale face and the longer he stared into his friend's swimming eyes, the more disconcerted he became. He knew that look but there was something else to it...

"Theo–" His brow furrowed. "What...Tell me it isn't what I thi-"

"Stop!" Theo scrunched his eyes shut and fisted his hands in his hair. "Just – don't," he croaked, turning his head away in shame. "You- you don't understand, Blaise. You couldn't understand w-what I – I had to do – to dull the pain." He swayed on spot. He looked so torn and angry all of a sudden; trembling and twitchy as if he wanted to escape his own body. "I-I had no one. No one! Not even you, because you couldn't understand! And I couldn't– I couldn't stop-" His voice came out hoarse, cracked and then he finally crumbled into a nearby chair, his lanky body hunched over in sheer self-loathing and -pity. Blaise and Ginny stood frozen across from him, stunned, trying to grasp what he had just relayed as Theo continued through his tearful collapse. "I couldn't, you see? After father," he snottily spat the word with rigid disgust, "went to Azkaban and the Ministry confiscated the entire family fortune and our name got dragged through the mud, I had nothing. No one to go to. I..." He looked up, eyes red and frantic before his hands carded through his hair, emotion clogging his voice. "I was so... ashamed. Of everything! Everything he had done! For Him! And... what I had done, as well..." The tearful anger died with his voice and Theo stilled, clutching one of his skinny legs to his chest. Silent tears rolled down his cheeks as he stared into space, a bleak, vacant look replacing the panicked, sickened one just seconds ago.

Blaise looked on worriedly. He had only watched Theo break down once or twice before and they had always been about his father. Each time was worse than the previous one. Each time Theo had ended up drinking himself half to death. And each time Blaise and Draco had tried to get their friend back on his feet while dealing with their own personal shite back home. Back then, Theo had the means and the money to buy and drink as much liquor as it suited him, making it harder for them to somehow control or limit his resources.

But what Theo had failed to tell, or even show, was how financially insufficient and forsaken he had stood since the war. Blaise had assumed or, at least, hoped that the Notts hadn't been too far up their own arses about the outcome of the war or totally dense about dealing with their financial holdings in a realistic way. Though it had hardly been an acknowledged subject of discussion among the high-ranking followers of Voldemort, Blaise had overheard enough covert conversations to know that most Death Eaters had divided their fortunes into several funds and holdings scattered across the globe. Just in case, of course. Despite fearing the repercussions of their 'Lord' finding out how exactly his 'loyal' followers felt about his ideas of a new world order, they feared the repercussion of an alternative outcome of the war just as much, it seemed. Hell, even his own family had long ago taking their money and invested elsewhere, making sure they'd have some sort of security in case they needed it, if either party or even neither won. The Zabinis prided themselves with self-preserved independence and a, notoriously, almost unbreakable cool of neutral ambiguity that kept friends as well as enemies at bay, never quite knowing where they stood. But the Notts had always been quite a different story, having garnered the reputation of being unapologetically prideful and flaunting their status; staunchly convinced they'd always come out the victor on the other side. It was to be their downfall, it seemed. It had driven Theo to the edge and... Blaise wanted to slap himself like a bloody House Elf for not noticing it before! One thing was the frequent benders which were worrisome enough, but resorting to drugs?! Theo had hid it damn near well!

Taking a deep breath, he deliberated. "So. That day you went to London, the day of the party in the old Slytherin House, and you came back earlier, you had been..."

Theo nodded, catching his meaning. "Yeah," he said in a subdued tone.

"What's this to do with Strudwick? Were you high when you attacked him?" Theo squirmed in his seat. Blaise narrowed his eyes at him and changed tactics. "What did he say? I know he said something particularly grim to piss you off like that."

"N-nothing."

"Oh, come on, Theo," Blaise droned impatiently. "What did he say? You know you can tell it to me."

Theo shot an apprehensive glance towards Weasley. Even though he had permitted her to stay, apparently he wasn't fully prepared to lay out everything in front of her. Blaise felt Ginny step closer.

"It's alright," came her soft, reassuring voice, like a balm to the air. "I won't tell anyone, I promise."

Theo had always been the more trusting one when emotionally vulnerable compared to Blaise. Taking her words as sincere enough, Theo looked away, his lanky body all the more hunched in the chair. "We- we got into a fight after meeting up in the disused seventh floor bathroom," Blaise glanced puzzled at Ginny who just gave a knowing shrug, "and he- he said something about my – well, I had this thing with someone else which ended badly and he said I liked it when –" He stopped himself, taking a raspy breath. "He-he said I liked it when it hurt because of what I'd been through and he just pissed me off so much..." Leaning forward, he hid his face in his hands and said no more.

Feeling a sympathetic pang in his chest, Blaise gave his friend a moment to collect himself then ventured forward as if approaching a scared animal. "So, you weren't on drugs?"

When Theo didn't react or lift his hands, as if he hadn't heard him, Blaise's worry grew. "Did he give you this stuff while you were... together? Were you both high?" Finally Theo slid his hands from his face, glancing up and his silence more or less implied as much. Blaise bit down on his lower lip, hating having to ask. "Was is just him or...?" The flinch in Theo's features was answer enough. Closing his eyes in chagrin, Blaise could hardly begin to comprehend the calamity Theo had gotten himself into. Peering over to Weasley, he met her troubled gaze. There was likely a wider net of drug-trafficking on the school. She understood the ramifications of this just as well. "And you have no possible idea who's providing the drugs? If there's more than one?" There was a millisecond of hesitation before Theo shook his head again. Blaise regarded his friend's downcast eyes, wondering if he was being truthful; he could very well be covering up for something or someone, given how well he had been covering up this entire double-life.

Blaise had a million questions roaming his mind, poised on his tongue, but one in particular came to the forefront of his mind. "That day in Hogsmeade... When I thought I spotted you and confronted you afterwards and you denied it –"

Something flashed in Theo's blue-green eyes, angry and dangerous and broken. "I can't– I-I need to get out of here…" He was out of the chair and at the door before any of them could stop him.

"Wait, Theo–" Blaise's voice reached out to no avail; he was already out of the door and gone. Knowing Theo's need for privacy, even in his present state, Blaise decided it was futile to go after him. At least, for the time being. With a relenting sigh, he stared at the now closed doorway, lost in his thoughts. "I could use a stiff drink right about now," he emitted eventually.

Ginny glanced up at him and conceded with a small, tired hum. "Me too."

He looked around the room and spotted a piece of recognizable furniture from across the settee arrangement. He went to it and opened its cupboard. "Bingo."

"Curious," she stated and sidled closer to where Blaise was now rummaging around its bottled contents in search of something particularly strong and numbing. "I thought the Room couldn't produce food or drink."

Emerging with a bottle of vintage Firewhiskey, Blaise whistled triumphantly. "Why look a gift hippogriff in the mouth, Weasley?"

A/N: Coming up next: Blaise and Ginny go on a bender together. *rubs hands together*

Initially, it was supposed to be one long chapter but I got ahead of myself, so I split it in two. The next one will follow shortly, I suspect.