T H R E E

" keep me company while i learn "

There was a restless hum buzzing in the room at the Leaky Cauldron, and it tore Bianca from sleep. The room was cast in an inky darkness, and Bianca frowned as she gazed around the room, searching for its source. But nothing appeared to be out of place.

Bianca silently laid back down on the bed, but she knew that sleep was impossible. Especially with Theo's occasional snore.

They had fallen asleep with their fingers intertwined, and their hands had remained held through sleep. Her arm had long since fallen asleep, but Bianca didn't dare remove her hand from Theo's.

Yesterday had been a dream. After escaping from the Nott Manor, they rode the Knight Bus to Diagon Alley, where they spent the day roaming around the shops, buying whatever they needed. Or, in Bianca's case, didn't need. She found herself the owner of a Firebolt broom, despite the fact that she had never played Quidditch. But Theo had been relentlessly bothering her about the disaster that had been her first flying lesson back in their First Year, and Bianca needed to prove him wrong. So she was going to learn to fly the thing, even if it was the last thing she did.

Bianca turned over in the bed and found Theo's face inches away from hers. She studied him while he slept; he looked so much younger in sleep, with his face not constructed into that mask everyone expected him to wear. In sleep, he looked almost happy. Almost. His mouth was curled up into something that might have been a smile.

Theo was very handsome, a fact that Bianca had noticed in Third Year, before their engagement was announced. Every girl in Slytherin, and a handful of observant Ravenclaws, had a crush on him, including Bianca. She had unceasingly flirted with him, taking pride in the embarrassment it seemed to cause him. But her crush on him swiftly faded away and was replaced by one on Parvati Patil, the clearly prettier twin.

But after Theo and Bianca's engagement was announced in Fourth Year...nothing had been the same. Especially after she noticed how he looked at Blaise Zabini at the Pureblood events they were forced to attend.

Now, at the brink of their Fifth year, he was the brother Bianca never had. It wouldn't be the worst thing to be married to him, but she knew that Theo would never be happy when Blaise ultimately married someone else —doubtlessly a girl.

Theo murmured in his sleep, his words too soft and strewn together to be comprehensible.

If Theo married Bianca, then he would become an assassin alongside her. He would be forced to kill people, forced to adopt the cruel lifestyle Bianca saw displayed in her parents. But if Theo stayed with his parents...he would become a Death Eater.

Bianca didn't know which was worse.

No, she would protect him. She would slit a thousand throats before she allowed someone to put the Dark Mark on Theo's arm. Bianca was already far past the point of being saved, as was Draco Malfoy, who had recently been inducted as a Death Eater. But Draco would protect Blaise, as he had sworn to, and Bianca would protect Theo.

Bianca smiled as she stared at Theo's sleeping face. It was almost pathetically funny at how complicated her life had became. Almost.

She closed her eyes, allowing herself to match up her breathing with Theo's. Their hands clasped together like a promise, Bianca slipped into sleep, unaware of the presence lingering outside the window.

"You're actually insane."

Bianca grinned down at Theo as he shook his head in wonder-filled exasperation. She was standing on her trunk, which was stacked on top of Theo's, in the middle of Kings Cross Station. Several muggles that were passing by gave them long, odd looks. But Bianca paid no attention to them.

"Get down. Everyone's looking at you," Theo pointed out.

She beamed at him. "Can't, Nott. I'm on lookout."

"Lookout for what? Your sanity?"

"Nope. Blaise Zabini," Bianca replied, drawing out the name for more syllables than necessary.

"You're trying to kill me, aren't you?" Theo demanded, searching the area anxiously to ascertain that Blaise was no where near them. "I swear, I found two gray hairs this morning with your name on them."

Bianca hopped down from the trunks, landing beside Theo with feline-like ease. "I thought we'd all like to get a compartment together. You know, since Malfoy's a Prefect and all. And maybe I'll leave the compartment for a bit. You know, let you and Blaise catch up." She winked at Theo, who had a small smile on his face.

But the smile quickly faded. "You're torturing me, you know that? Nothing can ever happen between me and Blaise. There's just no point in trying."

Bianca snorted. "Why can't anything happen? Are you worried your fiancée will find out you're having an affair? Darling, I'm orchestrating the affair. I'm rooting for you two. Why waste all these years at playing matchmaker to let it all fall apart?"

"But my parents— " Theo pressed.

"I'm an assassin, remember?" she said with a dangerous glint in her blue eyes.

"An assassin in training," he reminded her with a small eye roll.

Bianca grinned. "When I'm holding a knife at their throats, it's all the same difference. And look, there's Blaise and Draco."

Theo turned around and sure enough, the two boys were being led through the throng of muggles by their parents, who were giving the crowd dark, disgusted glances. Bianca rolled her eyes to herself; there was nothing like seeing a disgusting display of prejudice first thing in the morning.

Bianca had seen enough blood in her life from both wizards and muggles, seeing that her parents had no preference from where they took their clients. Both peoples bled red.

"Didn't we tell my parents that we would go to Kings Cross with the Malfoys?" Theo whispered anxiously as the families walked closer. Draco had spotted him, and something like happiness flickered in his gray eyes.

"Doesn't Draco owe me a favor from last year?" Bianca hissed in response through a wide smile, sending a wink at Draco. "We'll be fine, trust me."

Draco was the first to reach them, and he eyed the pair suspiciously. His suspicion only grew as Bianca beamed at him, walking towards him with her arms held out. She brought a stunned Draco into a hug.

But the gesture was devoid of any warmth. "Act like you made arrangements to meet us here and tell your parents. Do it, and we're even from last year's Christmas Train Ride," Bianca whispered into his ear. Then she released him, smirked at the pale look on his face, and turned to greet Blaise.

Bianca didn't hesitate to draw him into a hug, oblivious to the surprise on the boy's face.

"It wouldn't kill you to be nice to Theo," Bianca hissed darkly. "Because if you aren't, I might kill you."

Then, she stood back, giving Blaise a large smile. "It's so good to see you again," Bianca said, loud enough for his parents to hear. They each gave her a small smile.

They knew better than to be rude to the daughter of the most ruthless assassins in the wizarding world.

Draco quickly turned to his parents. "I forgot, I told Theodore and Bianca that we would meet them here and accompany them onto the train."

Bianca missed Mrs. Malfoy's response as she grabbed onto Theo's hand and led him to their trunks.

"I may or may not have just threatened Blaise to be nice to you," she murmured softly.

Theo shot her a look of alarm. "What?! Why would you do that? He is nice to me!"

"Most of the time he just ignores you. That isn't being nice, it's just not being mean. There's a difference."

"That doesn't mean— "

But Bianca wasn't listening to Theo anymore. Harry Potter, accompanied by a handful of Aurors, Hermione Granger, and the entirety of the Weasley family, had arrived to Kings Cross. They were hurriedly rushing to the entrance to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, not giving Bianca, Theo, the Malfoys, or the Zabinis a second glance.

Harry was the first to go through, shoving an Auror away from him as he walked through the brick wall. Then, the Weasley family and Hermione Granger followed him. All but one.

Ginny Weasley, a Gryffindor in Bianca's year, was waiting. For what, Bianca didn't know. But she found herself watching the red-haired girl who was surveying the brick wall.

Then, Ginny turned her head, her brown gaze finding Bianca. The girl tilted her head sideways, like a cat studying its prey.

Bianca copied the gesture, then grinned and winked at Ginny. It felt dangerous.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" hissed Theo, who was standing forgotten by Bianca's side.

Bianca turned to her betrothed and hissed at Theo to be quiet. But once she turned around, Ginny Weasley was gone.

She had never really been friendly with the Gryffindor girl —they had exchanged a few words during their shared time at Hogwarts, but nothing more than that.

Bianca turned to the small group of people behind her. Blaise's eyes flickered with something that resembled fear.

"Shall we go?" she asked almost joyfully. Before waiting for a response, Bianca grabbed Theo's hand and marched him towards the entryway.

"Are you okay?" Theo whispered once the steaming Hogwarts Express came into view. "You're acting strange."

"I'm always acting strange. You should be used to it by now," Bianca responded, standing on her tiptoes to catch a glance of the fiery red hair.

And she found it. But it didn't belong to Ginny.

Harry Potter was walking with Mr. Weasley to a small, abandoned corner of the platform. Bianca frowned at the sight.

"I'll be right back," she told Theo absent-mindlessly. "Save me a seat on the train."

"Where are you going?" Theo asked.

But Bianca was already gone, slipping between the crowd of people, leaving a confused Theo behind her.