Black [Theodore Nott]

Chapter 79

"The Dark Lord will not forgive this, boy."

Theodore knelt on the ground with his head still held high. His face was bruised after being beaten by his father; he had a few cuts from Bellatrix Lestrange's deranged ways of torture. Theodore glared at his father as the older man stood before him.

"They'll kill you..."

Theodore said nothing.

"If not the others, then the Dark Lord himself... HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN WHAT HAPPENS TO DEATH EATERS WHO BETRAY THE DARK LORD?! YOU'LL DIE!"

"An inevitable happening – " Theodore muttered.

A stinging pain came across Theodore's face. He turned to his father with an intense glare. Nott got out his wand and turned away from his son.

"Are you going to kill me, Father?" Theodore asked.

"Better me than him."

"If I am to die... at least let me choose on how I do it..."

Nott turned to his son. He could see it in the boy's eyes, the eyes that he had inherited from his mother, held no fear of death. The same eyes that haunted him every night. He feared his wife just as he feared his son, they were different from him, they had something inside them that always made him sick...

"And how do you suppose you want to die?" Nott asked, his voice cracking.

He wasn't a monster... he didn't want his son to die in the hands of the Dark Lord, knowing that the boy would more likely suffer before he dies. It was better this way, to die in his hands or the boy could just –

"In my pocket... there's a concoction." Theodore said.

Nott went to retrieve the said concoction from his son's pocket and saw the tiny vial that held purple liquid.

"What is it?"

"Powerful poison."

"Why do you have this?"

"I'm not stupid as you think I am... I always have a plan."

Nott held the vial in his hands and turned to his son.

"So this is how you want to die?"

"Better this than have you murder your own son..."

Nott was hesitant. He might not have been the perfect father to his son, but he was not a monster to even consider of giving his son poison... he still cared for the boy. Nott stared at the vial then to his son, the son he raised after his mother had passed.

"You said it yourself... better this than have the Dark Lord do it..." Theodore said, "Do it."

Nott opened the vial and handed it to his son. Theodore took the vial and held it before his lips. He glanced at the Malfoy's, at Draco specifically, and gave them an apologetic look.

"Send my regards to the Dark Lord, will you?" Theodore said.

"How dare you!" Bellatrix hissed.

Theodore smirked, at the back, he saw Draco with a hint of fear in his eyes as the Malfoy boy watched him. Theodore turned to the vial, Slughorn's words echoed in his mind. One drop...

But Theodore tipped the whole vial and poured the last drop into his mouth.

•†•

"Nott..." Hermione began. "Why'd he do it?"

The three of them sat at the small dining table all healed, showered, and in fresh clothes. They were silent as they drank their tea until Hermione spoke.