Theodore stood tall behind her, his arms crossed over his chest as he stared down at Isla.

She didn't quite know what to make of the situation, why he'd been following her all the way up here, but something repulsive flicked inside her as it, at the same time, felt soothing that he did.

''What do you think you're doing?'' Theodore frowned, his tone harsh as he hunched down. He sat down across the floor from her, leaning against another pillar, ''Drinking by yourself up here isn't quite clever.''

Isla simply huffed back. The alcohol burnt through her veins, and her blood soared more and more intoxicated by the mere second.

''I'm talking to you.'' He said again, ''Why are you acting like this?''

''Like what?'' She snapped back, her fingers scratching at the worn wooden floor, ''How am I acting, Theodore? I just got humiliated in front of everyone, and you expect me to what? Stay there?''

The hard eyes narrowed in hers, ''I certainly didn't expect you to act like a child and run all the way up here, a bit dramatic, don't you think?''

''Still, you ran after me, didn't you?'' Her eyes gazed over him, and the loosened buttons at the edge of his shirt, ''Just go. I won't do anything stupid.''

Theodore let out a chuckle, slightly shaking his head at her, ''And who said that I would care if you do?''

Isla's eyes rolled, and the bravery rose within her by the liquor she poured down her throat moments before, ''No one,'' She grinned, pathing the bottle up to her lips again, ''But neither do I, so I guess it's a win-win then.''

Theodore looked at her, how her mascara was a bit smudged underneath her eyes, not in a way that made her seem reckless, but in a way that made him concerned. The tips of her fingers tapped at the timber on the floor, and to him, she seemed anxious.

It caused him to feel bad, to feel responsible for her and the way she was acting right now.

His hand shoved into his pocket, and he hauled out a pack of cigarettes, placing one in between his teeth as his eyes flickered up to watch her again.

''Want one?'' He raised a brow as he stretched the package out to her, but she was quick to shake her head, ''No?''

''I don't—'' Isla held. The corner of her mouth arched, ''Ava smokes, so I hate smoking.''

Theodore nodded slowly as he pulled out a cigarette, flinging it over to her, ''With me, you don't.''

She blushed as he lit his own on fire before he threw the lighter at her, ''Do you know how to light—'' But before he could finish that sentence, she had already lit hers too, and with a deep breath, she inhaled the smoke.

''Careful—'' He warned her, but too late, and a trail of coughs together with a disgusted grimace came across her face, ''Told you,'' He mumbled, sucking in a harsh breath of fumes.

''Are you really this—'' She coughed again, wiping her mouth with the end of her sleeve as he began to chuckle at her, ''What?''

Theodore smirked at her confused self, ''You're a mess.'' He stated, tilting his head up to blow out the smoke.

''And what about it?'' She was hewed off by a hiccup this time, ''You seem a bit chaotic yourself. Yes, I'm a mess, but after the past year, who isn't?''

''We won the war, remember?'' Theodore inhaled, studying her from a distance, noticing how her face lightly slipped into a hurtful look, and with a deep breath, filled with smoke, he exhaled.

''Then why does it feel like we lost?'' Isla mumbled, and her sight snapped to watch the dimmed world in front of her.

Theodore didn't say anything else.

It turned silent.

He just looked at her for moments, how painful she seemed to be within the coat of her skin, and he grunted to himself the instant he realized that she'd fallen asleep.

Her head tilted back against the pillar as he peered around, scared for what he's meant to do with her now, if he was supposed to leave her, to let her sleep peacefully up there, but then the autumn weather clocked his mind.

He couldn't leave her up here if it began to rain.

Theo hesitatingly pushed himself off the floor, and he took slow, nearly inaudible steps up to her. Hunching down, as he carefully placed a hand on her shoulder and yanked it back and forth, but nothing — she still rested heavily.

The only difference was that now, her head tilted to the other side instead, and it fell against his shoulder. He froze, entirely in his doings.

It was unknown to him, meaning to hate someone that seemed so innocent and harmless.

His hands settled around her body, and he lifted her off the ground.

Theodore watched her as he carried her all the way back to the dungeons. He prized that for someone who'd never been drunk before, almost pouring an entire bottle down her throat would bring consequences.

Something that the brunet clocked, something that he came to the utter realization with, was that he couldn't be this person.

He couldn't possibly be the person he was right now. He had no time and no patience to be what she needed him to be, not if he was meant to be this, not if he was meant to be someone who carried her back to her room because he was concerned. He didn't own the will to get to know her and to be someone she'd pick.

Theodore didn't despise her. If anything, he admired her and her way of standing up to him when she had the courage to do so.

He never paid much attention to her until her name showed on that piece of paper that was sent to his house, and as he did — he'd noticed that she was wounded, hurt from the war, but so was he, and he simply couldn't do this.

Theo couldn't take care of someone. He couldn't learn how to understand someone new when he barely knew himself.

He shouldered her door open, and to his surprise, Ava wasn't anywhere to be found. He stood, for moments with his eyes flickering between both of the beds, in the attempt to make out which one was hers.

One coated in green covers, along with violet pillowcases, and blankets, all over the bed. That side of the room held messily, and clothes were thrown to left and right, while on the other side — the bed had white sheets and was properly made. Not a single piece of clothing spilled over the floor, and even the jewelry on the dresser was put in place.

He stared down at the heavily sleeping girl in his arms, and he shyly smiled to himself as his head shook.

She was nothing like him.

Theodore didn't enjoy a clean room or a stain-free closet. He cherished the chaos around him because he felt more at peace within.

''There you go...'' He mumbled, bending down as he settled her in between her sheets, but Isla didn't release the grip she held of his shirt — she simply grasped at it harder.

''Malfoy...'' Isla whispered as his hand folded over hers, and he gently tugged her hold away.

''Malfoy what?'' He shot back quietly, noticing her intoxicating vocals.

''He's the other one.'' Her head fell against her pillow as she sank further into the mattress.

''Your other what?'' Theodore stretched his spine, taking a step back from the bed as he did, ''What's Malfoy—''

''He's my other choice,'' Isla grumbled before her breaths shifted heavier again, and his eyes grew wide.

_____

''So...'' Leo muttered from across the dining table, ''Where did you go last night?''

Isla swallowed, feeling the ache scoring through her head only by the thought of the party, ''I had to leave.'' She lied, pathing her fork up to her lips to take another bite of her dinner.

''You had to leave?'' He sounded confused, ''I heard about that game, Isla. There's no need to lie to me.''

She chewed on her potatoes before settling the fork back onto her plate, and her shoulders slightly sunk, ''I don't want to talk about it.'' Isla stated, ''I just want to forget that whole night.''

She attempted to keep her note on the lower side, not drawing unnecessary attention to herself — after all, the boys she deemed to avoid were seated a few chairs away from hers.

''Understandable.'' Leo felt a shy smile on his lips, ''Where's Ava?''

Isla frowned, still upset with her friend for leaving her alone at the party, ''Who knows?'' She sighed, ''She left me all alone last night, you know?''

''She did what?'' His tone surprised, shaking his head shorty after, ''That's rude, but it's Ava, what else can we expect from my sister?''

Isla laughed at that. Her eyes rolled as she gripped the crystal in front of her, taking a sip of her juice, ''That is pretty accurate.'' She smiled.

Isla had missed Leo during the days she didn't get to spend with him. He was her best friend, along with his sister, and they were as close as anyone could be, but he'd been extremely quiet the past week — barely speaking to her or his sister.

''Can I ask you something?'' Isla rose a brow, smirking lightly, ''About this new law.''

''Of course,'' Leo seemed hesitant, ''Shoot.''

She was doubtful, more than it, but she couldn't ease the nagging feeling within. She wanted to know about his choice since he never spoke to her about it, and he'd been keeping his distance from his friends these past few days.

''Who did you get?'' Her nails scratched against the wooden table, ''I mean, boys receive a letter too, right? And I was just wondering who—''

''Pansy.''

Isla gasped, quickly hushing herself down, not to seem so obvious.

''Yes, my thoughts exactly,'' Leo muttered, rolling his eyes as they landed on her. Pansy, sitting at the far end of the table, ''And she got Adrian Pucey too so, I guess I'll be by myself for the rest of my life.''

''No...'' Her head tipped to the side, making a few strands of her hair to follow the act, ''Don't say that. I really like Pansy, and I'm sure that if she just gets to know you—''

''You don't have to comfort me,'' He fired, forcing his hands into the table as he stood up, ''I'm an adult now, we all are, and this is how it's supposed to be, right? Restore the bloodlines and all that.''

He didn't say anything else, and she didn't have the chance to answer before he grabbed his books, and he walked out of the Great Hall, leaving her a bit clueless behind.

She didn't finish her dinner. Instead, she gathered her own books and marched after him out in the hallways. Isla could feel the chilly air as it circled her before she flinched.

His hand yanked her shoulder back, and he roughly turned her around. Isla's eyes flickered, and her sight gazed over the dark suit.

''What—'' She rose to speak before he gripped her arm, looking around, making sure that no one would see him touch her, and then he dragged Isla with him down the corridor before she was being shoved into an empty closet.

She couldn't see a thing. It was completely dim around her.

''Malfoy, why are we—''

Her back slammed against the brick wall as his chest touched hers, and his minty breaths fanned her skin. He was furious. She could feel it. It jolted off of him, radiated in the air.

''Why are you spreading lies?'' He hissed, teeth gritted as he placed his hands onto the wall on each side of her head.

Isla's eyes started to get used to the darkness. She could almost make him out now, ''I don't know what you're talking about—''

''Don't even try to lie to me, Clarke.'' Draco said again, harder this time, ''What the fuck did you mean by me being your other choice?''

_____