Inglorious Bastards [Theodore Nott]

Chapter Thirty-Two

When the Holidays came, almost of the students left Hogwarts to spend it with their family. The Hall was decorated beautifully with Christmas balls, curtains, and a giant tree brought in by Hagrid, and the ceiling mirrored the snowing sky. In those days, Harry and Carina still have not spoken to each other, Carina tried her hardest to approach Harry but he would always find a way to dodge her. She didn't know how much more she could apologize to him. But one day, just after she said goodbye to Roman, who had to go home to meet his new baby sister, Carina found Harry walking through the halls alone, heading to Remus' office, she wanted to talk to him, and explain to him her reason why she didn't tell him.

"Harry, please –" Carina pleaded. "What do you want me to do! Do you want me to beg for your forgiveness?"

"You knew and you didn't tell me," Harry let out a bitter chuckle, "I guess that explains why Malfoy would always tell me "look for someone within my reach" to get to Black, I was just too stupid to see it."

Carina was infuriated, "So you're going to take Malfoy's advice now? Of all people, you'd listen to that twat?! And go after me to get to Sirius Black?"

"D'you know what I see and hear whenever a dementor gets near me? I can hear my Mum screaming just before she Voldemort kills her. And if you heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed. And you found out who it was that betrays her – a friend of hers who sold her out to Voldemort –"

"YOU FORGET THAT I ALSO HEAR MY MOTHER SCREAMING!" Carina cried out. "Every night and every time a bloody dementor comes near me too! And just like you, I want nothing more to make that man who sold her out to his derange family pay! A man who happens to be my father!"

Silence came to the two. Harry and Carina looked into each other's eyes and saw anger, sorrow, and hatred that should never have been towards each other but at one man. The same man who caused their pain.

"I guess it runs in the family, then," Harry forced himself to say, he wasn't going to let Carina have the last word like she always does. "Black betrayed my parents, you betrayed me."

"In what, Harry? I kept a secret – am I not allowed to keep secrets?"

"Not something like this – something as important as this," Harry walked away from Carina, not wanting to hear what she was to say.

Wiping her tears, Carina ran from the corridor, no longer wanted to learn the spell Remus was to teach them to repel dementors. She went to the first place she could find solitude at a time like this. The Astronomy Tower. Ignoring the warnings of Hermione of leaving the castle, Carina walked straight out and climbed the tower, but just as she thought she would find her peace of mind there, she found someone there as well. Theodore Nott. Theodore had a small jar that held a flame inside, a thermos at his side, and Lynx, Roman's cat, wrapped in layers and layers of blankets as she ate the food served by Theodore.

"Here to join us, Black? Lynx and I were just enjoying a good meal," Theodore mused.

"I'm not in the mood for your games, Nott," Carina said.

"I wasn't playing with you. I was inviting you," Theodore threw a blanket on the empty space beside him. "There's plenty of fire for us both."

Carina hesitated, she could just go back inside, but there, she would be stuck with gossiping students, and Hermione and Ron trying to get her and Harry to make-up, and that was the last thing she wanted or needed. Taking her only source of heat and company, she joined Theodore and Lynx by the fire. She took the blanket and wrapped it around her for warmth. Theodore brought the fire near her, and then took Lynx and have the cat rest in his arms. He waved his wand and the thermos poured hot chocolate on a goblet for her to drink.