𝖳𝖮𝖴𝖢𝖧 𝖳𝖧𝖤 𝖲𝖳𝖠𝖱𝖲 | 𝖦𝖤𝖮𝖱𝖦𝖤 𝖶𝖤𝖠𝖲𝖫𝖤𝖸

10

THE PAIN AND THE CURE

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"Go on! Tell me — I'm on pins and needles, mate!" I instigated Theo to start talking. He sat on the grass, making me follow him and, from his bag, he took out a newspaper clipping, handing it to me.

EX-DEATH EATERS DEMAND A FAIR TRIAL 

After being imprisoned at the start of last year, the entire Wizarding World has been surprised with a new particular petition; the declared Death Eaters who appears in the famous Pettigrew list are demanding a fair trial to dictate their sentences, wanting their cases to be checked and studied again in depth to try to avoid a whole life between the dark walls of Azkaban. Are these famous, but immensely rich, convicts going to pay for their crimes or is the Ministry going to overlook what they did and return them their craved previous power?! We had access to the Department in charge of this sort of situation and they have promised them a chance to defend themselves.

I blinked, completely surprised.

"But they were already condemned! Most of them are in Azkaban with life sentences."

 Pettigrew's letter, the marks in their arms and the witnesses had been the keys to catch them.

"Yeah, but the Ministry loves to kiss the old pureblood families' arses," Theo huffed, annoyed. "Bet they have promised those bunch of corrupt scumbags a good part of their fortunes..."

"Do you think he is going to try to get one of those trials?" I asked him a bit worried about how Theo would react. I already knew the answer was affirmative, the bloody fucker of Nott Sr was desperate, trying to get back to his possessions and to be abusive with his son. Theo had told me how that bastard had started to hurt himself inside the cell now that he didn't have my friend to use as a punching bag whenever he was furious. 

"Most probably," Theo snorted, far from being happy. "I have informed myself, they are gonna try to communicate with their families outside of Azkaban — I bet the fucker of my father will try to contact me. He can fuck off, though."

"Yes, he doesn't deserve any thought of yours," I supported him, watching him lightening his third cigarette in a row.

Theo always had a mask of tranquillity on his face, but in reality, he was a nervous person and someone who used to brood a lot over the things that happened around him. That was one of the reasons why he started smoking; to calm down that hungry anxiety that took over him every once in a while. 

"I'm here with you, mate. You'll be good," I murmured, putting my hand over his.

"I know," he whispered, looking at the water, frowning his eyebrows.

Even after all this time being friends, I knew Theo wouldn't open completely with me. 

The pain, both mental and psychological, that his father had put him through for so many years had also left a mark on his mind. He was incredibly self-conscious about his emotions and feelings, he struggled a lot about putting them into words — something that would often frustrate him — and, even though he knew I really meant it when I said I will always be there for him, he would minimise the importance of his emotions to swallow them by himself.

"Alright, enough of feeling pity for myself," he burst out, handing me his cigarette so I could give it a puff. "What are we doing tomorrow?"

"Going to the Hufflepuff party?" I shrugged, "Getting wasted, maybe?"

"Ugh, yeah, I need that," he laid back, using his arms as a pillow and bending one leg. "Probably gonna get high too."

"Nothing new, huh?"