From Wiltshire, With Love

Chaper 23

"Want to hear something crazy?"

Draco fingered his pawn on the chessboard in thought. If he moved it forward, Theo would use his knight to capture it and expose his queen. Maybe. His pawn yelled at Draco to unhand him so he could attack properly. To their amusement, Theo's chess set was especially mouthy tonight.

"From you, crazy is normal," Draco replied.

"My dad is missing."

Draco looked up at him and burst out laughing, nearly knocking over the chess pieces on the board and stopped immediately at the expression on Theo's face. But the laughter was real. He was so relieved it just spilled out. Draco hadn't heard back from Granger since the night the Nott raid was supposed to happen and Theo hadn't mentioned anything. As the days wore on, he started to worry that the party at Zabini's had been for naught.

"You're serious."

Theo nodded wordlessly. Draco wondered who else he told. Maybe he hadn't told anyone.

"Did you go to the DMLE?"

"No," Theo looked ashamed. "I'm not even sure how long he was missing for."

A week and a half.

"Sometimes he's away. I avoid him if I can, you know that. He'll just make me pay for not selling my soul to Iguana Man." He studied the chessboard in front of him. "I wasn't sure until yesterday so I went into his study and rearranged his things. Nothing happened." His face broke into a wild grin. "Then I pissed on his desk."

Draco picked up his protesting pawn and pointed it at Theo to emphasize the urgency of the situation. "So go to the DMLE first thing tomorrow. You have to report it."

It would already look strange that Theo had waited so long. Draco didn't want any reasons for people to suspect he had a hand in Nott Senior's disappearance. Or Theo. Theo would inherit the wealth, so he had a reason to make Nott Senior disappear. He had to go as soon as the office opened.

And cooperate.

"I do."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "You should probably clean up the urine before then."

Theo snorted, and then sat back in his chair and furrowed his brow. His blue eyes were concerned. For a brief moment, Draco wondered if he made the correct decision. This wasn't like removing a rapist. He had removed Nott Senior. Theo's father. His flesh and blood. The man was an abusive tyrant, and drove Theo's mother to commit suicide when he was young. But he was still Theo's father and had raised him, terrible as that upbringing was.

Maybe Draco had misjudged the situation and made the wrong decision.

Theo's voice was soft when he spoke. "How bad is it that... I don't care?"

Feeling relieved that his decision was sound, Draco rested his elbows on his knees and held the gaze of his longtime friend who had suffered from such a horrific father. "Not bad at all."

Theo ran his hand through his brown hair, making it stand up. He appeared worried, disturbed with himself. "I think I'm happy he's gone. I shouldn't be happy."

Draco felt a sudden sense of warmth and gratitude towards Granger for letting him keep Theo completely clear of this whole mess. Draco fixed his stare on Theo so he would understand he meant what he said.

"You're allowed to be happy."

"But he's still my dad," Theo pressed.

"True."

Theo looked absently down at his hands and rubbed his arm. Draco noticed that he rubbed the place where the Dark Mark would have been had Theo relented to his father's abuse.