Treacherous - Theodore Nott

Chapter Fourteen

About an hour and a tipsy gossip session later, Astoria kicks me out of her bed and turns the lights off.

I walk over to my bed and slide under the covers, allowing my layers upon layers of blankets to engulf me wholly.

As I settle into my cocoon, I stare at the ceiling of my canopy bed, feeling restless. I can hear Astoria's heavy and irregular breathing and realize she's already fallen asleep.

I'm still feeling a bit tipsy, but my mind is racing a mile per minute. I know I won't be able to sleep.

Kicking my blankets back, I climb out of my bed and into my slippers. I contemplate changing out of my matching pajama set, because I know people will still be in the common room, but decide against it.

I go down the stairs and look around the room. The party is still going, but the crowd has thinned a bit. On my way out, I grab a cup and toss back the burning liquid. The feeling has me grimacing, but once the warmth of the beverage begins to spread I forget the taste.

I turn out of the room and silently pad down the hall. I don't exactly know where I'm going, I just let my feet lead.

It's not a particularly cold night, but a chilly breeze down the corridor has me shivering and hugging my arms tightly around my torso.

With no sound but the quiet scuffle of my slippers against the stone floors, the eerie silence has me shivering again.

I turn down another hallway and the intense smell of weed fills my nose almost immediately.

Someone else is here.

I continue down the path, cautiously now.

Nestled between the broad stone curve of an archway and the floor is a figure cloaked in shadow, a trail of smoke hovering above their head.

As I near the figure, shadows melt away into familiar features. It's Theodore. Slowly, he turns his head to me.

"Hey," I mutter, approaching him carefully.

He stares at me with bloodshot eyes and offers the joint up to me in response. I oblige and inhale the substance. A cough rises in my throat and in embarrassment I attempt to hold it in, but fail miserably. Through coughs, I mutter a silencing charm so as not to alert Filch of our whereabouts.

Theodore chuckles lightly at my hacking, but there's no emotion on his face.

I take a seat on the floor across from him and lean my back against the smooth archway.

We look at each other for a few beats, taking in one another's presence.

He presses the remainder of his joint against the floor, putting it out.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Didn't feel like sleeping, I have too much on my mind," I answer.

He nods, still looking at the ashes on the floor.

"You?"

He shrugs, not moving his stare.

"Real talkative tonight," I comment, joking.

He moves his gaze to me, glaring. "I'm not obligated to speak to you."

A bit taken aback, I silently return his glare.

With a deep sigh, he averts his glare back to the floor.

"Remember the first night I was here?"

"What, the night you ran into me leaving Dumbledore's and wouldn't tell me the password?"