Servitium| Theodore Nott

Chapter Thirty-Six

Ivory had considered going to Hannah Abbot's vigil for her mother after Fabiola told her, but as she had woken up in the morning, she'd decided against it, thinking that nobody would appreciate her presence other than Fabiola and perhaps Susan Bones. Thus, she stuck to her original plan of going to Hogsmeade, telling Theodore that she would meet him and the others there.

She walked past Madam Puddifoot's tea shop catching Ginny and Dean locking lips and quickly averted her gaze making a left to the Three Broomsticks. She wrapped her red and gold Gryffindor scarf tighter around her neck and rubbed her hands together as she stepped into the warmth of Madam Rosmerta's establishment.

The pub was warm and there were quite a few Hogwarts students about, in the far end of the right hand corner she spotted Harry Potter and his two friends with a short bald headed man. Harry looked rather heated, but Ivory couldn't be bothered to find out what had his knickers in a twist this time. Ivory walked up to the bar, drinking in the friendly aroma of the place.

"What can I get for you Love?" Madam Rosmerta was a beautiful middle-aged woman, often under the attention of the Hogwarts boys, not that she paid them any mind of course. Ivory noted that Madam Romserta's eyes were tired, even so, she had a glimmer in them, a tell-tale sign of her good heart. She was one of those, one of those surviving sparks, the ones who held onto who they really were in the midst of it all.

"Just a butterbeer please." Ivory placed some Galleons onto the counter giving her, her own tired smile.

"Yes, dear, won't be a moment." Her spark glowed a little brighter and her face appeared more relaxed, a smidge more joy in her eyes. "Extra foam, just how I know you like it." She placed the mug in front of Ivory who smiled gratefully.

"Thank you, I need that." She turned on her heel spotting the Slytherin group of three sitting not too far away in a cosy booth.

"Didn't think you'd show, isn't Ferrara friends with Abbott?" Blaise muttered. Ivory didn't reply and instead sat down forcing herself between Blaise and Theodore. A year or two ago, she wouldn't have been caught dead having butterbeer with a bunch of Slytherins, but in that time things had clearly changed.

"Oh, fucking hell, do you really have to wear that god awful scarf Galliano?" Pansy's nose wrinkled in disgust at the Gryffindor scarf around her neck.

"Yeah, it's freezing, or do you want me to wear a Slytherin one?" Ivory raised a brow and reached for some crisps which sat in a bowl in the middle of the table. Theodore laughed and squeezed Ivory's thigh underneath the table. "Where's Draco?" she asked out of curiosity.

"Detention with McGonagall, hasn't done his homework twice now and since you brought it up, I thought I'd ask. Don't you think Draco has been acting strange lately? I mean...he barely talks to me nowadays, and he doesn't touch me anymore and on the rare occasion he does, his touch is uncaring and rough." Pansy gazed at the three of them, her face expecting.

"Maybe he's got himself a new girlfriend."Theodore shrugged nonchalantly and Ivory nudged him.

"You think?" Pansy asked nervously and then she grabbed a handful of crisps and shoved it into her mouth. "We were never together ,were we? Not officially at least. Do you think it's Astoria in fifth year? He's always eyeing her up," she spoke through a mouthful of crisps and then washed it down with gulps of butterbeer. Ivory pursed her lips when she noticed Pansy's eyes brimming with tears.

"I mean it's not impossible, he's always thought she was cute," Theodore continued.

"Theodore!" Ivory barked as Pansy scrambled from the table running towards the girls bathroom.

"What?" he groaned. "Well I'm not going to tell her the real reason am I? Might as well make it something believable," he hissed.

"Yeah but you don't need to be a complete dick about it!" Ivory snapped and Blaise cleared his throat.