18 October, 1997 (2:56p.m, Saturday)

It was the hour before the Gryffindor vs Slytherin quidditch game— the last one of the season, actually, and Scarlett was sitting alone in her dorm. Astoria was down in the locker room visiting Draco, she had tried to convince Scarlett to come with her but Scarlett decided against it due to Draco's rising suspicion. She was convinced that he somehow knew about her and Theo, they hadn't been all that subtle recently.

Draco had walked into the common room several times and seen them sitting beside each other doing school work, he'd seen their whispers at the table in the Great Hall.

Something was going on but Draco wasn't sure what, it seemed like no one else had noticed it either. He wrote to his Mum several times asking if she thought something was up, to which she responded each time that only he was noticing these things which meant it was probably in his imagination.  Astoria also denied noticing their sudden closeness as well which left Draco to think that maybe he was imagining it. 

-

The time quickly passed by and Scarlett finally made her way to the quidditch pitch and found a seat near the top beside Astoria, "I'm going to tell Draco soon." Scarlett said, announcing her presence.

"Well good afternoon to you too." Astoria sarcastically said, looking up at the blonde girl.

Scarlett sat down, "How do you think he'll take it?" She asked.

"Well, seeing as he's slightly suspicious already, probably not well." Astoria informed her.

Scarlett's eyes widened, "Slightly? What do you mean?"

"I mean you two haven't been terribly subtle recently. He saw the two of you walking to the Dungeons together. He's noticed that you talk to Theo now without having snappy comebacks and without telling him that you hate him all the time. You two also conveniently disappear at the same time at parties. It's a little suspicious."

"Oh, I hadn't realized."

Astoria shrugged, "He's even wrote to Cissy a few times about it but she's acted like she has no clue what he's talking about."

Scarlett didn't have much to say after that, instead she watched the game in complete silence thinking about how she could possibly tell Draco.

Slytherin was losing badly, if they wanted to win then their only way at this point was to catch the Snitch. Gryffindor was playing surprisingly dirty. Cormac McLaggen had targeted Theo for a majority of the game, making Scarlett increasingly nervous.

As the game seemed to be coming to its end, Draco and Harry had found themselves once again chasing after the Snitch, nearly everyone else on their brooms were holding still to watch the nerve-wracking show the two boys were putting on as they shoved each other across the field. Draco had his hand out for the snitch, almost catching it when it abruptly decided to change paths and was now coming full speed at Theo. Theo darted after it, he grasped his hand around it, catching onto it, before unfortunately plummeting to the ground.

Cormac McLaggen had managed to zoom up beside him and rammed his shoulder into Theo's, knocking him off the broom and sending him flying face first towards the ground.

The entire crowd gasped, Scarlett was immediately off the bleachers and running towards the field, Astoria following not too far behind her.

The Slytherin's quidditch team was huddled around Theo's limp body, unsure of if he was alive or not with as still as he was.

Scarlett managed to push her way through the crowd of boys and made her way to the ground beside him. Checking for a pulse, which he had, she refused to make eye contact with Draco, who was staring at her extremely confused. "Is everyone going to just stand here or is someone going to help him?" She asked loudly.

When Madam Pomfrey finally made it over with her floating stretcher and waved her fingers, making Theo float in the air onto said stretcher, before quickly turning away and speeding back into the school, Scarlett immediately following behind her.

"What was that?" Terrence Higgs asked, looking over to Draco.

"Fuck if I know." Draco shrugged, "They've gotten close recently, I guess." He frowned.

"Because they're fucking, you moron, anyone with eyes can see that much." Adrian scoffed.

Astoria rolled her eyes, "Shove it, Pucey."

Draco grabbed her hand, "Come on Tori, we need to go check on him too." He pulled her away from the crowd of boys.

By the time the two had made it to the hospital wing, Scarlett and Theo were nowhere to be found. Theo had been transferred to St Mungos and Scarlett had gone too.

-

Scarlett, Draco, and Astoria were sitting in the waiting room, the doctors had only allowed family back but Theodore Nott Sr. had assured her he'd come and update them as soon as he knew something but almost two hours had passed and he hadn't returned.

The three teenagers were sitting in silence, Draco staring at the floor, Astoria beside Draco, with her hands in her lap, and Scarlett sitting across from the both of them picking at her fingers.

The silence was finally broken by Draco clearing his throat, "How long?" He asked.

Astoria exchanged a nervous glance with Scarlett.

"What?" Scarlett asked, looking over to Draco, feigning confusion.

"How long have you been seeing him or whatever you've been doing with him?"

Scarlett looked away and began to nervously tap her foot.

Draco scoffed, "You might as well come clean, you're a terrible liar, and you always tap your feet when you're nervous."

"Since this summer, right after my ball."

"Who all knew?"

"Well they weren't exactly subtle, Draco." Narcissa Malfoy interrupted. She and Lucius had just stepped out of the hospital Floo, causing everyone to turn and look their way.

"So everyone knew except for me?" He asked, to really no one in particular.

Astoria shrugged, "Wasn't our place to tell you."

Draco scowled, "I'm going to kill him as soon as he's off  of his death bed."

Theodore Nott Sr. stepped into the room, Scarlett stood, "How is he?" She asked.

Theodore shrugged, "Stable, he's awake now. He wants to see you."

authors note:

missed you all