DOUBLE UPDATE: THERE IS A
CHAPTER AFTER THIS

OCTOBER 6th, 1996

For four days Rosalie Black had been missing. From the Great Hall. From every class. From the corridors. From the common room. No one had seen her once, and Theodore knew he would be the first to know. Since the day he and Draco were partnered up with her, they had been watching her every move. In the most literal sense, stalking her.

He had urged Blaise to try and see why she did not show up for their meeting about Ancient Runes. Or whatever other odd times that would hear Blaise give some shit excuse of why he was leaving, only for Theodore to find him whispering in a stairwell with Rosalie. When asked, Blaise only looked at him and Draco as if they were scheming to take her life away once more, and said "She's not your plaything, leave her alone."

Theodore went to grab him by his collar, but Blaise shoved him off with a glare of disgust. He will admit, he has not been known for acting rationally, but attempting to roughhouse his dearest friend, Blaise, was a big mistake on his part.

On said fourth day, Theodore was sat next to Whitman in Defense Against the Dark Arts, a foolish class if you were to ask him. The only defense against the Dark Arts was the Dark Arts. He was sick of this, and had half the mind to jump up as soon as Daphne and Pansy walked into the class and took their seat at the table in front of himself.

Once again, Rosalie's chair that would usually be filled, and would usually force him to stare at lengthy black hair, was empty. Draco kicked his foot out, knocking Theodore's seat. When Nott glanced over his shoulder, Draco had his arms crossed, but lifted a finger toward the two girl's that were never seen without their counterpart.

Attendance began quickly, one name after the other, and the name "Miss Black," rolled off of Snape's tongue within seconds.

"Professor, if I may." Pansy stood from her chair, clutching onto a piece of rolled parchment. "Professor Mcongagall asked me to give you a note for Rosalie."

With an aggravated look, Snape ripped the parchment from the girl and rolled it open. His brows pinched together, briefly, before he sighed and shot Pansy a nod. "Very well, make sure you and Miss Greengrass take notes for her in every class you can."

After class ended and Snape dismissed them all, the professor headed to his office with a billowing cloak following in his path. Before Snape could manage to pick up an assignment off his desk, he paused and turned to find Malfoy walking into the office as if he owned it, and Nott leaning on the doorway.

"No," deadpanned Snape, walking around his desk.

Draco dropped into the velvety chair in front of the desk with a groan. "You didn't even let me ask,"

Snape braced his hands on the wood, looking up at the two students. "No. No, to whatever you are thinking about doing."

Theodore crossed his arms with a scoff. "We want to know why Black is not in class with-"

"No," Snape interrupted sharply, his head snapping up in their direction. His eyes narrowed at the darkened expressions on the two boy's faces. "Oh no. No. No. No. Have you both lost your minds?! She is a Black-the woman who put your fathers in prison. The woman that the Dark Lord is planning to use."

"Please, I hate the girl," Draco spat.

Theodore grunted in agreement. "We just want to know why she's been missing,"

"Very well," Snape said. "She's sick."

"I don't believe that." Theodore pushed himself off the doorframe and walked across the office until reaching the desk. "Once I saw Black come to class with a fever so bad that Mcgongall had to forcibly drag her out and lock her in the dorms."

"Oh?" Snape sat down in the leather chair, his arms crossing. "For someone that hates her, you remember an awful lot about her over the years."

"Why wouldn't he?" Draco spat. "She sticks out like a sore thumb in this school, and before we hated her, Nott was obsessed with her."

"That's not true," Theodore hissed defensively. "You were obsessed with her, until you decided to try killing her for putting your father in prison."

"Oh, let's talk about that," Draco laughed mercilessly. "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but did you not attempt drowning her with the full intent of taking her life away after she put your father in prison?"

"Yeah, I did. And I would do it again if I was able to do so because-"

"Because she is aggravating?" Snape interrupted. Theodore recoiled with furrowed brows, wondering how the professor knew what was about to leave his lips. "You have been saying that for weeks. Now, why did you two think of attempting to kill the most powerful witch you know? Are the rumors true? Have you really lost your minds?"

Theodore scoffed and turned around, adjusting the leather strap on his shoulder. "I'm leaving if your not going to tell me anything,"

"Go then, both of you. But stay away from Black, I mean it."

OCTOBER 8th, 1996

"Love," Pansy murmured, her finger locked around a strand of Daphne's shining blonde hair as they leaned on the corridor walls. "I need you to do me a favor and-"

"What do you want?" Daphne spat, her eyes narrow at the tall figures behind Pansy.

Draco and Theodore corner the girls with expressions no one would ever be capable of deciphering.

"Go away," Pansy hissed.

"That's no way to talk to an old friend, is it?" Draco wondered.

"The minute you even thought about putting your hands on Rosalie is the day I decided to hate you both for the rest of my existence," Pansy snapped.

"Where is she?" Theodore demanded, harsh enough for Daphne's eyes to fly wide open. "Parkinson, Greengrass, I swear I will go break down your fucking dorm door if you don't tell me."

Pansy began to get filled with anger, "Oh, I dare you to try, you little-"

Daphne pressed a hand into her girlfriend's chest with a head shake before looking back at Theodore, and then to Draco. Her eyes drifted back and forth. "Okay," she sighed. "Listen, I know you all have some weird thing going on, but you need to leave her alone. She's fine, I promise you that. Right now though, she doesn't need the two people who tried killing her to come barging into our dorm."

"So she is in the dorm?" Draco asked, ignoring every other detail.

Daphne nodded. "Yes, but,"

"But nothing," Theodore cut in, already turning away from the group, "If I don't see her damn face by Friday, I am going to break that door down."

OCTOBER 10th, 1996

Without a moment to spare, Draco shot a blinding spell at Rosalie dorm's door and Theodore pushed it open. Neither hesitated to walk inside, but the sight that welcomed them forced both of their missions to a halt.

Light flooded through the towering windows, which had water from the Black Lake against the glass. With it only being three in the afternoon, this was no surprise. But the strong incense that had been burning from the altar the first time they came was not there. Only the smell of lingering perfume from different girls. None of this was what halted them though.

It was her bed covered in a pile of silk blankets, Harry Potter, of all people, leaned up against the pillows, with Rosalie's head buried down low on his side. The boy folded up what appeared to be some graphic novel upon noticing them, suspicion on his face.

"Is there something you two need?" Harry asked spitefully, placing the book on the side table.

Draco found his voice first, harsh as it was, "I didn't come here to speak with you, Potter."

"Yeah well, that's too bad," Harry said. "Get out, she doesn't want either of you here."

Theodore lazily held up his hand to keep Draco at bay before stepping forward. "What the fuck are you doing in here is the real question?"

Harry shifted, ready to stand up, but the witch's incoherent whisper stopped him.

Rosalie gained enough strength to eventually force out, "It's fine. Let them stay, you go," loud enough for them all to hear. Beneath the covers, she shrugged her body off of him and laid her head against the pillows. Already pulling the comforter up to her temple when Harry stood from the bed.

For once, Draco Malfoy did not have a curse to spit at Harry Potter, far too concentrated on the body beneath a load of blankets.

The door slammed shut, echoing out.

That is when both the men gained the ability to move once more. Before either could make a great feat to the bed, her sweater-covered arm shot out from the silky mountain.

"There's, uh, chair, if you need it," Rosalie rasped.

Draco sat on the edge of her bed, making the mattress dip with his weight, and Theodore grabbed the wooden chair from her side. He pulled it closer, next to her bedside table, still unable to see her face as she hid in a bundle.

"Black," murmured Theodore, leaning forward with arms on his knees. "Let me see your damn face."

"Or I'll rip these covers off of you," Draco said.

The blankets began to move like a shifting mountain, her body shuffling weakly beneath. Ever so slowly, she came out, her back collapsing against the headboard and her fingers clutching at the silky material.

It should have been a relief, but her face was thinner, bags laid beneath her heavy eyes, and she had never looked more sickly or tired. The only good sign was her wet hair, proof that she carried enough energy to have gotten a bath not long ago.

Draco blurted out, "Are you ill?"

She visibly swallowed, shaking her head.

"You look like shit," Theodore mused.

Her remaining silent made him and Draco furrow their brows, awaiting a sarcastic comment that never came.

"Well." Draco adjusted himself to face her better, a hand going on top of her leg. He thought for a moment, figuring they would get no explaintain, and decided on asking the next thing on his mind. "I didn't know you were so bloody close with Potter," he bristled.

"He's had a hard life, you shouldn't be so harsh on him," Rosalie forced out, struggling to keep her eyes open. "My father took him in, he's like a brother now. Hate him half the time, but he's not a bad guy."

"Oh? Please do explain the hardships of the 'chosen one'."

"You know nothing, Malfoy." Rosalie exhaled heavily, tiredly switching her gaze between the two boys. "What if I said you've had nothing but an amazing childhood? With your fancy homes and fancy lifestyles, hm?"

"I'd say you don't know anything about our childhoods," Draco bristled.

"Exactly, and I would never say that to you because I don't know." The witch shook her head, "Harry never had a bedroom, or family, or friends or...I shouldn't explain further, it's not my place. You don't know his story, he doesn't know yours. Don't be so close-minded when I know damn well how smart you are. It's a waste of genius."

Draco felt the words shake him, for a moment. "Calling me a genius now?"

She nodded meekly, coughing without opening her mouth.

"I took you for more of the judgemental type," Draco said, still sounding cold.

"Not my style," Rosalie answered, a shocking revelation for two people who had thought her to wear blinders in life.

"I think Draco was asking why Harry was laying in your bed to begin with," Theodore said rudely. "We have not seen you in nine days and suddenly Potter is your best friend?"

Rosalie focused on him with a blank stare. "Pansy was here before, forced me into a bath with Daphne's help, but they had to go to a makeup test. Harry came and offered to read to me, I didn't have the energy to force him out. Are you done interrogating me?"

Theodore cocked a dark eyebrow. "He read to you?"

"A comic book," she said, tipping her head back.

A look of disturbance crossed both boys' faces.

"Excuse me?" Draco almost laughed.

Rosalie squeezed her eyes shut. "About superheroes, with tridents and spears,"

A small, breathy laugh left Theodore, and then came one from Draco.

For the first time in nine days, Rosalie's lips twitched.

"Seems Potter tormented you for us," Draco said. "You've been locked up in this room and then that boy comes to read you about superheroes?"

"Mhm."

Draco scoffed. "Even I know you better than that,"

Silence fell upon the room shortly after, the witch keeping her eyes closed with quiet intakes of breath, spending her last bit of energy to even do so.

Theodore did not know what to make of this, given why he had been mostly quiet; studying the sickly witch with intent. Why exactly was her face thinner? Why was her life force gone? Where were her snappy words and lively attitude? Why was she not yelling for them to get out of her dorm like a madwoman?

Rosalie took his silence as a sign and sighed. "I don't have the energy to be your enemy today,"

"Okay," Theodore answered gruffly, eyeing her as she pulled the blankets further up her chest. "No enemies today, but don't expect either of us to call you friend."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she coughed out, bringing a hand over her mouth. Another cough came, sounding bizarre, before she attempted to reach for the tissues on the table. Theodore beat her to it, pushing multiple tissues into her palm.

When she brought them to her mouth and sat up, coughing into the tissues, Draco clearly thought she might never stop. But eventually, she pulled the tissues away and revealed blood staining the white material.

"Gods, Black," Theodore cursed, dropping his head down and running a hand through his curls. "What is actually going on with you?!"

"I just, I haven't been taking care of myself the past few days," Rosalie said, balling up the tissue and tossing it into the tiny bin by the bed. "My brain..." She collapsed against the headboard, tapping her temple. "It just doesn't agree with my existence sometimes."

Draco's face remained blank, unfazed. "What does that mean?"

"Oh don't act like you don't understand," she grunted, "I've seen you two, walking around like ghosts of yourselves this whole year."

Scoffing, Draco looked away, and Theodore began to lift his head up.

"So this what you do? Every time, over the years, when you've been missing from school for a week or so?" Theodore asked. "You just deteriorate for a week and then come back, all new and well?"

"Ruins my mysterious side to know, yeah?" she attempted to joke. No one laughed. "I don't know why you two even care. Figured you'd be happy to have a few days without me bugging you," she suddenly hissed.

"How are we going to torment you if you're not okay?" Draco wondered. "It would be cruel to torment you in this condition. Too cruel, I'm afraid."

"How kind." She rolled her eyes, shifting the leg he held onto. "Forever charming, Malfoy."

"Don't get used to it," Draco scoffed, his demeanor returning.

Theodore pushed up off his chair and picked up her cup from the bedside table, grumbling while doing so. When he held the glass of water out, Rosalie stared at him as if he had grown another head.

He has never been a man of patience.

Nott grabbed her chin and prepared to force the glass to her lips, but was stopped by her urgently taking it away.

"Okay, okay!" she shouted, still staring at him as if he was crazy. With a glare shot at him, she began sipping from the glass.

In his mind, anyone who coughed up blood needed water. He did not understand why she was acting like he must be the most conniving human being in the world for attempting to help soothe her throat. It's not as if he would try to kill her with poison and-oh, wait.

He dropped back down into the chair, leaning forward and clasping his hand together. When he looked over for a moment, there was still a glare in her eyes, but also curiosity, as if she were attempting to piece him together.

"Can I ask you something, Black?" Theodore murmured, flexing his intertwined fingers.

"Mhm," she hummed, resting the glass by her stomach.

"What do you feel like right now?"

"Huh?"

"Right now. How do you feel? I-I can't figure it out." After the words slipped, he shook his head. Then grunted, "Nevermind, That was a stupid question to-"

"No, it wasn't," she interrupted. With a sigh, she gazed down at his hands, gnawing on her bottom lip in thought. "I'm angry all the time, and then days like this come and I can't move. But then I'm angry again. I get up again, and the cycle just repeats."

His head dragged up, and his breathing stuttered. Something beat into his ribcage, pounding hard enough to make him feel as if the world spun. And suddenly, he found a reflection of himself, one he never thought he would find, inside of her eyes. He knows Draco feels it too, feels understood in a twisted way. It makes Theodore hate her even more, the idea that she could ever possibly understand him. He hates that, for a split second, he sees her as a human being, not the woman he is counting down the days to kill.

"Silly, isn't it?" she muttered.

Draco cleared his throat, refusing to take the subject further. "We need to talk about the other night," he said coldly. "How you knew what we were, all of it. But not today. When you're better we can...discuss it."

Rosalie nodded and dipped her head down, speaking beneath her breath in a way that neither of them could hear.

Theodore spotted a mark across her right cheek, a marking that made him get up from the chair and lean over top of her. She looked up to him, too tired to flinch away. But the moment he grabbed her chin, she jerked.

"Don't touch me," she muttered weakly.

He used force to turn her head to the side, and this time she did not fight. Only closed her eyes with a quiet shiver as his thumb ran across the light bruising.

His voice was strained, "Who did this to you?"

Draco furrowed his brows before standing up, moving to get a look.

"One of the Deatheaters," She said, wrapping her fingers around his wrist. "I don't know who, they had similar masks but," Using her own force, she pulled his hand down. "They had on some chunky rings beneath their gloves."

Upon realizing that she was once again being caged by them, towering high above, she inched up on the headboard. Again, there was that look she could not place, one she was sure they themselves could not place.

"It was worth it," she stated with strength behind her voice.

"You need to learn how to fight," Draco said, more so demanded.

Offense flashed over her face. "I know how to fight, I took down all of those men-"

"He means physically," Theodore cut in sharply.

"What?" she spluttered. "I-I know how to fight without magic."

Theodore scoffed. "You know how to fight girls, have seen it enough myself,"

"But not men," Draco finished.

"What?" she laughed meekly. "You two are going to train me, huh?"

Theodore and Draco shared one look, one brief look, before turning to her so suddenly she felt herself recoil.

They nodded in sync.

"No," she laughed again. "No, you're joking, right? Why-" The looks they were giving her were proof enough that it was nothing close to a joke. Her laughter immediately died. "Why? Why in the name of Merlin would you teach me?"

"Because." Theodore tipped his head and reached over, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "If anyone is going to hurt you, it's going to be us. And I already told you, I don't like my things being messed with."