Theo is offered a deal- no Azkaban in exchange for returning to Hogwarts and working for the ministry. He can't take back his heritage or his name, all he can do is live with it. No one should have to live with the choices their parents made for the...
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//Theo
I didn't know why I was here. I had no will to live so who gave a fuck if did end up in Azkaban. Everyone was always telling me to be grateful that I had been given a second chance, but they didn't understand I hadn't. That scar was still on my arm. It didn't change anything, not really. No one actually looked at me any differently.
However, I also planned to use this year as an excuse to do whatever the fuck I wanted; parties, drinking, every girl who dared come near me wanting a taste of the dark side but too ashamed to admit it.
After this year I was going to be expected to do something, prove my worth back to the wizarding world. As if at seventeen I chose the last few years and wasn't forced due to my parental circumstance. They even saw it in my memories that I didn't choose to follow him, and fought back as best I could. But with a last name like Nott it didn't matter. I was branded for life long before even my father made mistakes, and his father, and so on.
I pushed my way through the train shouldering past the children to get further back where the older students waited so that the first years could be off the train first for their boat trip across the lake. I looked around for a compartment with my fellow ministry-deal-making outlaws- Draco and Blaise.
As I walked through the corridors I could feel a lot of stares from the older students, students I had gone to school with. They exchanged quick glances and whispers and ducked into compartments to make room for me. I pulled my sleeve down a bit further to hide my tattooed arm and the scar from the mark. I almost exclusively wore long sleeves now if I could manage it.
Not all previous seventh years had to come back, thankfully. Fewer people to deal with, like the Potter crew. I had heard Potter and Weasley were offered direct entrance into the Auror program. Coming back came down to if your job path required a full wizarding education or in my case- government mandated. I didn't really know how many of us to expect to be honest.
I finally happened upon a compartment with Zabini and Malfoy seated inside, looking about as good as I felt.
"Was wondering where you were," Zabini started, he was lounged casually, body at an angle arms thrown back on his seat and legs taking up most of the walking space. I kicked his legs out of the way and threw myself down beside him.
I took a look over at Draco, we weren't really friends in school, but we weren't not friends. We had similar circles but were never that close. At least not until sixth year, it's easy to bond with someone whose parents are as shitty as your own and force life-changing allegiances on you.
"Testing my recklessness to see if I really wanted to find out what would happen if I skipped out," I smirked at him and looked down.
"Azkaban is what would happen, Nott," Draco deadpanned across from me. He looked healthier than the last two years, but still gaunt and worn out. Beyond eighteen that's for sure.
"I know that, it was a joke, Malfoy."
"Not a funny one."
I just nodded, seeing that Draco was not in a place to screw around, and we fell into a comfortable silence as the train began to pull out of the station.
We rode this way for a little while before students started to move back about the train. Our compartment door opened suddenly causing us all to look over as Astoria Greengrass and her sister Daphne joined us, followed by Violet Towers.
Astoria was a year younger than us, but Daphne and Violet were also returning for an eighth year, apparently by choice. I chuckled before I could catch myself as Astoria tucked herself in next to Draco, her sister beside her. Violet stood right above me looking down.
"Is something funny?" We were in the same year, and house, so knew each other well enough. We weren't strangers, our friend groups had hung out since we were children, but we weren't really friends either.
"I'm laughing that anyone would choose to come back to this hellhole on purpose after the last seven years and not just move on," I said casually, smiling up at her, patting the seat beside me.
"Well, Nott, some of us want to move on and not drink our misery away."
Ooh, feisty. "You have a lot more attitude this year than you have before," I responded, "it's kind of hot." I earned an eye roll with that one.
"As usual, Nott. You're barking up the wrong tree," Daphne cut in from her seat as Violet gave in and sat beside me, being extra careful not to touch me at all, "she's never given in before and I doubt that going to change now. Gonna have to dip your quill elsewhere."
That actually earned a laugh from Draco and everyone. I feigned hurt, clutching my chest. It was true, I had hit on Violet a few times, mostly drunk on firewhiskey in the common room. She never fell for my tricks, though.
We fell into an easy rhythm for the rest of the trip. Daphne and Violet sat across from one another comparing classes for the term and their summers. I cut a glance over at Astoria and Draco. He had an arm across the back of her seat and they were talking quietly, he offered her soft smiles here and there. That's new, I thought. Blaise fell asleep with his head against the window so I sat back and pulled out a book from my bag to read.
