Dearly Detested • Theodore Nott •

Chapter 8

We took the train back to school like everyone else. Things seemed very tense amongst everyone and our group was rather dull. None of us were really energetic after the previous weekend. Pansy nearly felt like she was dying at one point. She had come to stay with us after so that we could all ride together to the train station. She had nearly lived in my bed until this morning.

Theo had stayed over too and he had a very late reaction almost like aftershock. I stayed away mostly to help with Pansy, but he was convulsing for hours and sweating like a pig. The one time I did go in to help Draco he was practically green and apparently was vomiting up everything.
Needless to say we were very low energy even days later.

We got off the train and it was late and we got on the boats as usual. Things were quiet and tense but we all knew why. Most everyone was scared to come back after a student was killed. I was hardly concerned with any of it. I knew I was fine and with a fresh new mark I was more than safe. I just wanted to finish our fifth year and move on. After this year there was only 2 years before we'd be graduated and away from all of this. I got into a boat pansy and she just sat hunched over.

"You alright?" I asked looking to Pansy who looked extra miserable.

"I want to yack." She moaned as she looked out at the water.

"Still?" I asked her thinking she had been in a better place since a day or so ago.

"I just don't want to be here." She said running her temples.

"No one does." I said shaking my head because after what happened with Cedric everyone was spooked. You could tell at the platform that everyone was wary.

"You do." She said looking back at me. "I saw you looking for Nico."

"I was not." I said shaking my head.

"Yes you were. You've still yet to tell me what's going on with you two. We all saw you kiss at the Yule ball." She pointed out bringing it up after not mentioning it all break.

"That was the last I saw of him before break started early." I said with a shrug.

"Well was it just a kiss or something more?" She asked propping her elbows on her knees.

"I don't know, maybe more." I said honestly not sure, I had been a little preoccupied with the current events it had sort of been placed on the back burner.

"You're playing a dangerous game." She said shaking her head.

"I know." I said not bothering to put up a fight, she was right and I couldn't argue against it.

"You know what we're all going to have to do once we turn 18." She said lowly.

"Exactly, over 2 years from now." I said flatly.

"Don't drag the poor kid along." She pleaded.

"He's in the same boat I am with Daphne. They hate each other but they'll eventually end up getting married so we both know it's temporary." I said because it was true. Inevitably we'd both be unhappy so unless it was just a one time fling why not enjoy each other's company if we got along.

"Why waste your time?" She asked and I had already thought that scenario through many times.

"If I'm going to be miserable the rest of my life why not let myself enjoy the next 2 years." I said with a sigh.

"I think you're wasting your time. I know you've heard it but Draco was telling me how you and Theo were faking it the whole break." She said and that was the one down side to being best friends with my brother's girlfriend.