Unspoken

Hermione glanced past the worn wooden frames that encased the rained-streaked windows of Three Broomsticks. Today she had tentatively ventured forth via the dreaded Floo to Hogsmeade to meet Draco and Theodore. Her arrival was a good hour earlier than needed, but she was in desperate straits for a change of scene. And so, she had encamped herself in a corner table with a large stack of budget reports and the dregs of a London fog in a brown mug. 

Her effort had produced a long list of disparities that only grew larger and larger the farther back she researched. It was difficult to track where the missing money was going. The Ministry entrusted Gringotts with the majority of its gold. Rather than internal transfers of funds, nearly every knut and sickle was routed through the bank. Goblins were already notoriously close-minded about sharing information with outsiders and sadly Granger had left her reputation with the bankers in tatters, so trying to follow the breadcrumbs down that venue seemed pointless.

A tinkle of bells alerted her to the front door of the pub opening, and Draco walked in behind a young man of their age with dark brown curls, an outer robe pulled in tightly around his shoulders. She instantly recognized his companion as one of the young men who had coerced Draco into drinking at the Leaky Cauldron that near-fatal Friday. Madam Rosmerta stiffened but nodded in Hermione’s direction as she had told the proprietor that she had been expecting company.

Draco slid in across from Hermione as she hurriedly shuffled up the parchment into a pile. Theodore Nott hesitated before taking the seat next to Draco and watched Hermione shove her work into the hideous purple purse. 

“Sorry about that.” she said quickly, turning her attention properly onto the wizards. 

With a shrug, Theo glanced at his friend. Hermione couldn’t really recall much about the wizard past his hair and height, so she had no inkling as to whether this blank, haunted aspect about him was simply his nature. Draco raised an eyebrow to which Theo responded with a small frown. 

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me.” she tried again, tapping her fingers nervously on the table top.

“Mmm.”

Draco sighed. “Look, Theo-”

“Why don’t I get us some drinks?” said Hermione, wondering if it might help to give the two of them some space for a moment. She scooched over and got to her feet to show she was heading up to the bar.

“A firewhiskey for me.” ordered Theo promptly.

“Absolutely not.” Draco warned him, and he looked up at Hermione. “Just some butter beers, and maybe chips.”

She nodded, tried to smile again, but their companion did not meet her eyes.

As Hermione walked away, she heard Theo reproach Draco, “I don’t want to do this sober, mate…”

Madam Rosmerta jotted down the order with several suspicious glances over Hermione’s shoulder all the while. She glanced back herself while she waited, watching the two men put their heads together to whisper urgently. Draco had a grim expression on his face and kept a hand on his friend's shoulder as though Theo was attempting to withdraw from his agreement. 

Once their tray was ready, Hermione floated it back over to the booth and the wizards drew apart. Since Theo didn't vacate his seat, Draco must have convinced him to stay.

“Eat something,” insisted Draco, shoving the basket of chips at his friend. “And you’re taking a supplement in front of me before you leave.”

She watched with interest as Theo did as he was bid, despite the scowling and dark stares at the Healer beside him. 

Anyone would find this sort of care for a friend a virtue, but Hermione found it difficult to ignore the tightness in her chest. Had she deluded herself that she was the sole recipient of Draco’s nagging on health and nutrition? The thought was so petty that she hated herself for a moment for being jealous of a man who was clearly having a tougher time than she was.

“If you are going to be a pill, Theodore Clovis Nott, then I will tell Hermione.” 

Theo glowered at his friend before lifting his chin with a pretentious sniff and a wave of consent. 

Hermione raised an eyebrow at this behavior as Draco surreptitiously cast their much-used muffling charm. She turned her attention away from Theo as the blonde began talking.

“Malfoy Manor was the base for all of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’s plans, but Nott Manor was a way station for information, goods, and other things that He didn’t want to be bothered with. Theo had the misfortune of being another child of a Deatheater, much like myself, but at least managed to escape being Marked.” 

Draco continued to explain in a low tone how a lot of the pureblood families who wanted to pay tribute to Voldemort had offered the wizard anything he desired or thought he might desire. He knew of a family who had even offered their daughters, but Voldemort had no desire in that department, praise Slytherin. He had only been interested in anything that could provide him with power, magical or otherwise.

Her face paled in disgust and sympathy as she listened, glancing a few times at Theo as he picked at the plate of chips.

“You think you saw something.” Hermione kept her voice quiet but she addressed Theo directly.

“Oh, I saw several things, Granger,” half-snarled Theo, raising his dark blue eyes to look at her for the first time since he had sat down.

“Theo, she’s here to help.” admonished Draco, and the brunette wizard flinched, slumping. Draco placed a knowing hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“Sorry,” mumbled Theo.

“It’s fine.” she mumbled back, uncomfortable with knowledge that she herself had never been witness to any of the horrors these young men or Granger had been privy to.

Draco took the exchange to mean that he could continue. “Theo came to me at the beginning of the summer. He experienced a dissociative incident that cost him something he had dearly desired. It wasn’t the first time he had had a dissociative episode.”

“It was brave of you to go to Draco.” ventured Hermione to Theo.

“It was desperation.” he corrected her. “I finished my mastery in Transfiguration last spring. I wanted-”

Theo suddenly paled, blue eyes wide with dread, his gaze locked on a gaggle of people who had just walked into the pub. Hermione turned in her seat to see what or who had caused such a reaction, only to recognize Professor McGonagall, a wizard their age who seemed vaguely familiar (probably from the planner), and a much shorter, much older wizard who instantly engaged in chatting with Madam Rosmerta.

The young wizard waved with a delighted smile, and McGonagall turned as well, surprised but happy to see Hermione. They whispered to their colleague before walking in their direction. Draco was clearly worried for his friend, who was actively trying to slide under their booth. Hermione barely remembered to undo muffliato before they arrived tableside.

“Miss Granger, it is a delight to see you.” declared McGonagall, the young man next to her smiling while all the while giving confused glances at the two other wizards sitting at the table with her. “Neville, Filius, and I decided to stop by to go over details for the Christmas Feast.”

Ah, Neville Longbottom. She definitely knew that name. Tall, formerly chubby housemate, now turned herbology professor, husband of one Hannah Abbott, owner of the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione made sure to give Neville the happiest smile she could muster in this situation, which seemed to put the man more at ease. “I’m sure the students will be in awe of the feast.”

“Have you given any more consideration to my offer?” she asked, smiling brightly at her favorite pupil. 

“Thank you as always, professor, but I’m happy with my position at the Ministry.” answered Hermione quietly, aware that Draco was becoming increasingly distressed by his friend’s behavior. 

“Any other news to share with me?” 

Hermione blinked at the sudden seriousness with which the headmistress imposed this question upon her, but then remembered their discussion post the previous council meeting. Guilt washed over her. She had completely forgotten the task that had been asked of her in favor of following up on her personal matters. 

“No, apologies, I promise to get back to you soon.” 

“Mmm.”

Oh, Merlin, the disappointment just oozed from the woman. 

“Well, please do visit soon. Apologies for our interruption, we’ll leave you to your lunch. It was wonderful to see you.” The professor nodded her acknowledgement of Draco and Theo with a matriarchal smile before rejoining her colleague at the bar.

“See you next week, Hermione.” said Neville cheerfully, following.

“See you!” called Hermione, before hurriedly turning her attention back across the table and recasting muffliato. “Whatever is the matter? Is he ill?”

Theo had his eyes firmly closed, as if he was desperately trying to shut out the world around him. Draco was coaxing him out whatever trance the wizard had locked himself into.

“They’re gone, Theo. There aren’t any students here. Nothing is going to happen.”

“Students? What is going on, Draco?” asked Hermione, completely at a loss. 

“Theo disassociates around children. He hadn’t quite put it together until he applied for the Transfiguration Professorship.”

Hermione felt a hard lump in her stomach at the news.

“He disassociated during the interview while the headmistress was taking him on a customary tour of the castle. The timing was post-exams, so the students were about in high numbers.”

“Styx.” she breathed. And McGonagall had just offered her the position in front of him. Granted, she hadn’t named the position specifically, but it was clear enough to anyone who knew of the opening.

“Draco, mate, I need to go. I can’t be here. I can’t… not again…” whispered Theo feverishly, eyes still clenched shut but his hands seeking the edges of their table to lift himself to his feet.

“Theo…”

“Take me home. Now.” he begged. 

“Draco, take him. I’ll wait here, it’s fine.”

The blonde wizard shot a quick, questioning glance at Hermione as he slid out from their table with his best friend. Theo was trembling from head to foot, and his tan skin had gone a few shades paler than what could be considered healthy. 

“Three Hogwarts professors are right over there. I was here alone before that. Go. Now.” she insisted. 

She watched fretfully as Draco escorted his friend off the premises and Side-Apparated away with him as soon as they were on the street.

Hermione fiddled with the cold chips on the table, unsure how long she should wait for Draco to return. If he could return. What if Theo needed to go to the hospital? His condition was appalling, if the mere thought of interacting with a student put him into such a state. This was more than just dissociation. Theo’s reaction was full-on terror.

Just as she was considering leaving a note at the bar, Draco stepped back in through the pub door. He was a little paler himself, she could see that, but she held off from any questioning until Draco had had a few drinks of his butterbeer.

“I apologize, Hermione-” he started, but the witch cut him off with a vigorous shake of her head.

“No, that was the right thing to do. How is he?” she asked. 

“He’s settled. I gave him Dreamless Sleep. Zeus and Hades, I hate seeing him like this.”

Draco was antsy himself now, glancing out of the window without looking at her. She waited. She could wait. It was all she felt she could do right now. A few more minutes passed, a couple of older residents of the village passed the window, and finally he seemed ready to talk again.

“Theo doesn’t understand why you would want to help him. You have to understand - after all we’ve been through, what we saw, it’s hard to trust the motives of those who say they want the best for you.”

Hermione didn’t know whether to nod or shake her head.

He sighed and leaned on the table, pushing his bangs to and fro from his face in agitation. “Despite his misgivings, he is willing to do anything we ask to figure this out. Just give him some time to come around on the idea of, well, you.”

“Of course.” She sounded so business-like and awkward but Draco didn’t seem to pay any heed to it.

“Theo really is… this isn’t him. Back in our school years, Theo was a sarcastic snot, but a smart one. Just behind me in marks. Unlike me, though, he willingly tutored any Slytherin student who asked. He was a tease, but talkative and approachable. While he was doing his mastery, some of that seemed to come back…” Draco shook his head, despondent. 

“We’ll get him back, Draco.”

He looked up at Hermione.

“I’m still amazed you’re willing to help with this. Theo was just as nasty to you as I was. Not to mention the others.” 

Hermione smiled reassuringly, while giving an inner chuckle tinged with sadness. “Well, it’s all forgotten. Better to just focus on finding the answers.”