all too well - Theodore Nott

chapter 17

"What is that supposed to mean?" Selene asked, looking up at the new sign Umbridge had nailed to the wall.
"What it says. She's questioning us." Cas said, looking disgusted.
"Wannabe Sherlock Holmes?" Annie grumbled.
"Who is her Watson?" Cas asked
"Fudge?"
"How many times do you think they hooked up?" Annie asked.
"Zero!" Selene shrugged. "Her love for him seems one-sided."
Annie was saying something about seeing the tension between Umbridge and Snape while Cas was making barf noises and repeatedly saying no, getting louder with each repetition, but Selene wasn't paying attention. Theodore had rounded the corner, his head bowed as he weaved through groups of students. He was alone like usual, not actually being apart of any groups himself. Their eyes met, and he looked away quickly, almost instinctively. Selene continued to stare at him until he looked back up and stared back at her with a blank expression.
"Who are you looking at?" Annie asked.
"I'm trying to figure out which student is the bad student that Umbridge is trying to kill."
"I don't think she's trying to kill us; maybe torture us until we are in a coma, though," Cas said.
"I would not put it past her," Annie said, shaking her head.

Selene was at the front of the line, waiting to be called into the Umbridge office. She was leaning against the wall reading when the first-year boy who was in front of her came stumbling out.
"You can go up now," He said, his face pale and causing Selene to look up, "She's not in a good mood though."
Selene gave him a small smile and shoved her book into her bag. She pulled her bag onto her shoulder and began to slowly climb up the staircase. When she got to Umbridge's office door and pulled it open, she saw Umbridge sitting at her desk with a teacup in front of her.
"Ms. Parkinson, please sit."
Selene lowered herself into the seat across from her, giving the professor a wary look.
"Tea?"
Selene shook her head, but Umbridge just smiled.
"I insist, it is quite good."
"That smells like mint."
"Well, it is."
"I could drink that, but my throat may close up and my eyes swell shut, and then I would slowly stop breathing right here." There was a brief silence. "I'm allergic if you didn't catch that."
"Yes, I did. I have other tea."
"I am allergic."
"I did not tell you what other tea I had."
"I am allergic to all tea."
"Well, let's get started without it, She said, clearly annoyed, "I have a few questions to start with. Are you a part of a secret club?"
"No."
"Do you have knowledge of a secret club that is against the ministry?"
"Yes actually. We go into the dungeons and burn pictures of you while singing and dancing in a circle like witches, which we are, so I guess it's kind of in our nature."
"This is serious, Ms. Parkinson."
"I am being serious. I couldn't be more serious when I tell you that this is a waste of time because there is no secret club."
Umbridge glared at her, then picked up a list: "Answer the next question, yes or no. Are you friends with Harry Potter?"
"Kind of."
"Yes or no, Ms. Parkinson. Are you friends with Harry Potter?"
"Yes."
"Does Mr. Potter have views that are against the Ministry and its power?"
"Ask him."
"Does Mr. Potter speak badly of the ministry?"
"No."
"Do you doubt the ministry's power?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I thought these were yes-or-no questions." Selene smiled, tilting her head.
"Are you training in magic in secret?"
"No."
"Are you trying to overthrow the ministry?"
"No."
"Is Potter?"
"No."
"Do you have anything going on with Mr. Nott?"
"Excuse me?"
"Do you have anything going on with Mr. Nott?"
"That is none of your business."
"Do you have anything going on with Mr. Nott?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Do I sound confused?"
"I saw you two both exit the astronomy tower together earlier this week."
"I tutor him."
"In what?"
"Dogs. Obviously Astronomy. I thought you would be able to infer that from the fact that I tutor him in the astronomy tower."
"Are you cursed?"
"That is it." Selene pushed herself up, knocking over the chair she was sitting in as she walked towards the door.
"We are not finished here, Ms. Parkinson."
"Yes, we are. You force me to be here, or else you're going to add me to the list of people that didn't show up and make them do detention, where you basically torture them, and then you ask me about my personal life and accuse me of being cursed. You can check with Professor Sinistra about my tutoring situation with Nott, and you'll find that I am telling the truth. Have a great day, professor."
Selene threw open the door and stormed out, her hair flowing behind her. She passed the next person in line but didn't bother telling them to go up. Instead, when she made it to the hallway, she ran. She ran as fast as she could to the astronomy tower. Not because she was meeting Nott, but because she needed to be alone.
Her wish wasn't met because, a few minutes later, the sound of someone walking up the stairs met her ears. Selene turned to face them as Nott came into sight.
"Hey," He said, shoving his hands into his pockets awkwardly, "I thought I saw you come up here."
"Well, you were right."
He gave a small smile. "Can we talk?"
"Um, sure," She brushed her hair off her face and narrowed her eyes at him.
He walked towards her, leaning against the rail and staring out onto Hogwarts grounds, while Selene leaned with her back against the rail, facing the inside of the astronomy tower. They stood like that for a minute in comfortable silence.
"I know that this is all crazy. You and I somehow like each other. I used to hate you. Somewhere along the way, that changed, and somehow I didn't notice. But I like you, Selene. I like you so much that it scares me. And I know that we don't make sense, but..." He swallowed, not looking at her. "I know you are the kind of person who likes lists. You do not like doing anything without a plan and really thinking things out. I like that about you. But I feel that if we think too much about this, we'll think our way out of it. We will realize how complicated it is because it is really complicated, and I do not want you to think it out and then not want to do this. I like you too much to think rationally."
Selene didn't say anything for a moment. She was doing exactly what he was telling her not to do. She made a pro-and-con list inside her head, crossing out and adding things.
Finally, she nodded her head and said, "Okay."
"Okay what?" He asked, standing straight.
"Okay, I will not think too hard about it. On one condition."
"I can handle one condition."
"You can't go easy on me."
He laughed, "What?"
"I make a lot of the decisions in Quiditch now, so you cannot go easy on the team. Not in Quidditch or in school, you can't go easy on me."
Nott smiled and shook his head. "Selene, if I tried my hardest, if I stayed up all night, more than you, and I studied all day, I would still not even come close to being as good at those things as you."
Selene smiled. "I know you wouldn't, but I wanted you to think I believe in you."
"You don't believe in me?"
"Not with those astronomy grades."
"I'm doing better."
"Everyone gets lucky every once in a while. So that adds one more condition to the agreement. Maybe we should make a contract."
"What is the condition?"
"Our tutoring sessions are for one thing only. Tutoring. You need it."
"Deal."
"Good." Selene smiled and turned around to look at the view with him.

"Inquisitorial Squad seems made up. Like, is that even a word?" Annie asked, crossing her arms.
Selene glanced from the newest sign and down to the group of Slytherins next to them. "I don't know, but Umbridge is a jerk."
"Yeah." Cas nodded. "What she said to you was disgusting. I mean, Why does she want to know about your curse?"
"I just want to know how she knew. Not even Dumbledor has been told directly. Knowing him, he probably already knows, but that does not explain Umbridge."
"Whoever joins her is a horrible person," Annie said, raising her voice so the Slytherins could hear.
Mattheo Riddle turned around and smirked at Annie. "People once thought Merlin was a horrible person, but you called him hot in History of Magic earlier this year."
"Please," Annie said, pulling herself to her full height. "He was very attractive in that painting when he was in his twenties."
"He looked like a frog," Mattheo snorted.
"I think you are projecting Riddle." Annie smiled sourly.
Mattheo stepped closer. "You can say a lot of things about me, Annie, but unattractive isn't one of them."
Annie rolled her eyes and walked away, flipping him off over her shoulder. He stood there for a second, his tongue poking the inside of his cheek as he smiled slightly. He shook his head, still grinning, and turned around.
"I didn't know they knew each other," Cas whispered.
"Me either," Selene shrugged.

"I've got to go," Selene whispered, pulling back from Theodore and smiling.
"No, you do not," he whispered, kissing her again.
Selene kissed him back for a second before pushing him away and shaking her head. "No, I really do have to go."
"Are you going to make out with another one of the people you tutor?"
"No, of course not. You're the only one out of them that I tutor."
He smiled, grabbing Selene's hand. "What time is it?"
"Four- forty-five."
"Shit," he pushed off the wall, "I'm late for something."
"Well, good. I need to go makeout with McLaggen."
"Wasnt funny," He said he was kissing her one more time and giving her a pointed look.
"Bye Theo."
He turned and walked away. Selene leaned back against the wall, taking an uneven breath as she smiled. They had been in a small passageway that was mostly forgotten about. Then something clicked in her brain, and she realized she was late for DA.
She pushed out of the passageway and started jogging towards the Room of Requirement. All of a sudden, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her and stopped. She glanced behind her. No one. She shook her head and continued walking. The footsteps picked up. She glanced behind her again while still walking, wrapping her arms around herself conscientiously. She saw a glimpse of a person ducking behind a statue.
Selene held back a groan. Umbridge was having her Inquisitorial Squad stalk people now. That means she can't go to her DA meeting. She took a right towards the library instead of a left towards the Room of Requirements. When she reached the library, she heard the footsteps fade away, and she looked around, making sure no one was still there before turning around and weaving her way back to the Room of Requirements. She pushed open the door, and she gave an apologetic smile to Harry.
"I was being followed by Umbridge's new security team."
"That woman is insufferable," Hermione groaned, rolling her eyes.
Selene made her way to Annie and Cas, "What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to make Cas's lifelong dream to fly come true, but I'm afraid she doesn't have what it takes."
Cas scrunched up her face in annoyance. "Keep telling yourself, Annie, instead that you can't perform a stupid spell."
"I will keep telling myself that and keep telling you that I'm bad at charms as an excuse."
"I thought you had an O in that class," Selene pointed out.
"Well, that's because I have someone more or less do the work for me," Annie shrugged, smiling innocently.
Selene laughed and looked at Cas, who was just shaking her head, like she was disappointed in her. When she saw Selene laughing, she turned her disapproving gaze on her.