Bound by secrets

Chapter 27

The rest of the week flew by in a blur of classes and carefully timed excuses. It was Friday now, the day Bellatrix and I had arranged to meet. I'd told Draco and the others that I had another tutoring session with Slughorn at 2, and they hadn't seemed suspicious. Still, the weight of what I was about to do hung over me, a constant reminder that time was running out.

That morning, with no classes on the schedule, Theo and I were on a small mission to raid the teachers' stash of cigarettes for the party that Slytherin would be hosting tonight. As we walked down one of the quieter corridors, Theo gave me a sideways glance, his brows furrowed.

"You alright, Y/N? You seem... off lately." His voice was casual, but there was concern underneath it. Theo had a way of picking up on things no one else did.

I forced a smile, trying to keep my tone light. "I'm fine, Theo. Just tired. School's been a lot, you know?"

He looked at me, clearly not convinced. "Y/N, you can try to lie to everyone else, but I know you better than that."

I hesitated, but then gave a little laugh, shrugging as casually as I could. "I guess I'm just... distracted, I suppose. With everything going on."

He stopped walking and reached out, placing a hand on my shoulder to make sure I was looking at him. "Hey," he said, his voice soft. "You know you're one of my favorite people in the world, right? Whatever's going on... I'm here if you need me."

A surge of guilt and gratitude twisted in my chest, and I pulled him into a quick hug, hiding my face in his shoulder for a moment. "Thanks, Theo. I mean it."

"Anytime, trouble," he murmured, patting my back. "But I swear, if you're in some sort of trouble and I find out later, I'm going to be very annoyed."

I pulled back, smiling just enough to reassure him. "I'll keep that in mind," I teased.

He rolled his eyes, letting it drop as we continued on our mission. "Alright, let's find these cigarettes. If we show up empty-handed tonight, Blaise will have our heads."

I laughed, grateful for the chance to focus on something simple. "Right, and we can't have that, can we?"

Theo smirked, giving me a playful nudge. "Exactly. Blaise would probably make us sit through a lecture on the 'importance of party planning' or something equally insufferable."

We finally located the stash, and Theo loaded his pockets with enough for everyone, and then some. As we walked back to the common room, he kept the conversation light, talking about all the chaos that tonight's party would inevitably bring. But even as I laughed along with him, I couldn't shake the feeling that Theo could see right through me. It was comforting, but it also reminded me of just how much I'd be keeping from him—and everyone else.

As we entered the common room, Theo looked at me one last time, his gaze steady. "Remember, Y/N, you don't have to carry everything on your own. Especially not with us here, alright?"

I nodded, knowing I had to keep up appearances. "I know. I promise, if there's ever anything, I'll come to you first."

He let it go with a satisfied smile, though I could tell a part of him still didn't fully believe me.

The morning drifted by in easy laughter, sprawled across the common room with everyone. Conversations about the party tonight floated around, jokes cracked, plans half-made and reshaped. I couldn't bring myself to fully relax, though; I was too aware of the clock ticking down. At ten to two, I straightened up, brushing off my robes.

"I'm off to Slughorn's," I announced casually, making a show of adjusting my bag like I'd stashed some Potions notes inside. Everyone gave nods, offering quick farewells as they began heading down to the Great Hall for lunch.