Chapter 4
Theo Nott sat alone in the dimly lit corner of the Slytherin common room, a heavy tome on Ancient Runes open in front of him, though his mind was far from his studies. It had been two years since he had spoken to Draco Malfoy, two years since the incident at the Yule Ball that had shattered their friendship and left Theo with bitter memories.
He couldn't forget that night—the Yule Ball in their fourth year. Hermione Granger had looked radiant, her bushy hair tamed into elegant curls, her eyes sparkling with a rare joy. She hadn't had a date, and Theo, in a moment of naive gallantry, had approached her and asked her to dance.
For a fleeting moment, Hermione had smiled at him, a smile that had lit up her face and made Theo feel as if he were walking on air. But then Draco Malfoy had appeared, his icy gaze fixated on Hermione with possessive intensity. Theo had seen the warning in Draco's eyes too late—the warning to stay away.
After that night, Theo had spent days in the hospital wing, his body wracked with pain from the curse Draco had inflicted upon him in retaliation for daring to approach Hermione. It was a punishment for crossing an invisible line, a line that Draco believed Hermione belonged solely to him.
The next morning, Blaise Zabini had quietly informed Theo of what had transpired after the Yule Ball—how Draco had taken Hermione to Theo's own bed, a twisted display of ownership and dominance. It had been a brutal lesson in the realities of Slytherin house, where power and control overshadowed any semblance of decency or respect.
Since then, Theo had distanced himself from Draco, from Slytherin politics, from everything that reminded him of that night. He had thrown himself into his studies, seeking solace in books and scholarly pursuits where the complexities of spells and runes offered a respite from the harsh truths of their world.
But tonight, as he sat in the quiet solitude of the common room, Theo found himself haunted by memories he had tried so hard to bury. He had liked Hermione Granger, admired her intelligence and determination. But Draco had claimed her as his possession, and Theo had paid the price for daring to defy him.
Across the room, Theo caught sight of Draco, surrounded by his usual circle of admirers. The Malfoy heir exuded an air of entitlement and arrogance that made Theo's blood boil. He wondered how Hermione endured it, wondered if she had grown numb to Draco's cruelty or if each day was a battle she fought in silence.
As the hours ticked by and the common room emptied, Theo closed his book with a sigh. He couldn't change the past, couldn't undo the choices that had led him to this moment. But he could choose how to move forward, how to navigate the treacherous waters of Slytherin house without sacrificing his principles.
With a determined nod to himself, Theo Nott rose from his seat and made his way out of the common room. Tomorrow was a new day—a chance to forge his own path, separate from the shadows of the past and the echoes of Draco Malfoy's relentless pursuit of power.
And as he walked through the darkened corridors of Hogwarts towards his dormitory, Theo vowed silently that he would never again allow himself to be a pawn in someone else's game.