Treacherous - Theodore Nott

Chapter Twenty Three

The breakfast table is silent with a heavy and palpable awkwardness in the air. I silently spoon my oatmeal into my mouth, zoned out on a knot in the wooden table. I would be listening to my friends morning conversation, but none of them are talking. If the silence is due to everyone being equally as tired as me, or my snapping at Lorenzo to 'kindly shut up', I'm not sure. Probably the latter.

I pull myself from my staring contest with the wooden swirl and look around to my friends. Seven concerned pairs of eyes quickly dart away and find something else to stare at.

I sigh deeply. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, Lorenzo," I grumble, offering a half smile.

He pulls his attention away from the muffin he had been picking apart with his fork and looks at me with a half-pained expression.

"It's all good," he shrugs.

I dare a glance at Theodore, who is staring at his hand gripping the table's edge. He turns his head and slides his eyes to meet mine, but I turn away with a "hmph".

Stupid stupid boys, I think.

Stupider me.

"Hey, Alpheratz-" he starts.

"Don't," I cut him off, shooting daggers in his direction.

Mattheo snorts a laugh. "I'm not sure what you did, Theo, but you've screwed us all."

Theodore rolls his eyes at his friend, clearly unamused. "I haven't done anything," he sneers at Mattheo.

I bark out a silent, cold laugh.

Astoria breaks the awkward silence that has settled. "Best get off to class if we don't want to be late."

Right, class.

I manage to make it through defense against the dark arts, double charms, and half of potions without uttering a word to Theodore.

Unfortunately, the first half of the class was lecturing, and for the second half we will have to brew a simple wound-cleaning potion with our table partner.

I curse under my breath when he turns to tell me he's going to grab the ingredients.

I fill the cauldron with water and light a small fire underneath it, flicking a quick-boiling spell for good measure.

"I'll cut the dragon liver if you get everything else ready," he offers to me.

Good. He knows how much I hate touching intestines like that. I smile to myself knowing how much he hates touching them too.

I nod my head, the only indication that I've heard him, and grab the dittany to prepare it.

He begins cutting the liver, but it's so flimsy that he has to grab and stabilize it with one hand, while cutting with the other. The intestine squelches in his too tight grip and his face turns to a light shade of green.

As he cuts the last bit, a blood vessel pops and dragon blood sprays out, coating his face and robes.

I snort out a laugh into my hand, unable to contain it.

"Oh, you think this is funny, do you?" He angrily turns towards me and green blood droplets are beginning to fall on the ground around him.

Hand still covering my mouth, I look up at him and nod slowly, amusement spread clearly across my face.

His anger fades when he sees my small smile and he cracks a crooked grin. "I guess I look pretty stupid, huh?"

I nod again.