Pulling Strings - Theodore Nott

43. Uneasy lies the head...

Theodore's POV

Theodore didn't know whether to curse Snape or thank him.

What had he been thinking? What was he even going to say? Honestly, he couldn't have chosen a worse moment. What part of seeing her sob uncontrollably sends a message to his brain like oh yeah, this is a great moment to talk about my feelings!

Ugh.

Yeah, he was definitely thankful for Snape.

Or he would be, if the professor would deign to talk to him. Since calling for him in the common room he had been acting cryptic, only telling him that he needed to follow him and not ask questions. At first, Theodore had not found it odd. The professor had summoned him like this more than once, usually to reprimand him for some bit of misbehaviour. But usually in those cases, he took him back to his office, had a talk with him —that was very one-sided since Theodore barely got the chance to speak— and then notified him whether he had to serve detention or not.

They weren't going to his office now. The professor never mentioned it, but Theodore didn't take long to notice seeing as Snape's office was on the same floor as the dungeons and currently they were going up, already on the first floor of the castle.

This is where Theodore started to get a bit more nervous. There weren't many places that a professor like Snape could be taking him this high up in the castle. Actually, he could only think of one.

But he refused to think about it. He didn't see any reason to be summoned by the Headmaster. Plus, he hadn't been misbehaving lately, not since the Christmas party where he had a bit of an...accident involving Avery.

Even that had been handled by Snape.

He was their head of house, he was supposed to be responsible for them.

Once again, Theodore's mind drifted to the one time in all these years attending school where he had been summoned by the headmaster. He didn't like the direction his mind was taking.

Perhaps they weren't even going there. Perhaps Snape needed him for something, and he was being secretive about it because that's just how he acts all the time.

Theodore dried his sweaty hands on his trousers and continued to follow him through the many corridors and staircases that separated him from the seventh floor. Being on this floor two times in one week did not sit right with him, but he made the utmost effort for his mind not to drift into the hidden room Malfoy had shown him not long ago. He was sure it was here somewhere, he would even bet that the boy in question was in it right now.

He stomped on that thought as soon as it came. It was sensitive information and he couldn't risk Professor Snape reading his thoughts and finding out about it. Not that he believed the professor had any reason to be entering his mind, but one always had to be careful and Theodore was not yet so skilled as to have mastered Occlumency to guard his thoughts in the case someone decided to probe in his mind.

He let out a puff of air, trying to seem relaxed. He was overthinking too much. The uncertainty of it all, the echo of their footsteps on the stone and the silence of the corridor was getting to him. It was late now, that was another thing he found odd. Not late as in, past curfew, but it was enough for the classes to be over and for almost no students to be walking through the corridors to ease his mind.

He almost collided with Snape's back when the man abruptly stopped walking and finally dared to lift his eyes from the floor. The sight of the stone gargoyle sitting a few steps from him almost sent a chill down his spine. Professor Snape did not even acknowledge him as he closed those steps and whispered some words, most likely the password to the secret entrance.