''Should we do the assignment together in secret?'' Ava asked, her eyes flickered over to Isla, ''I mean, how would she know if we did it with them or if we did it ourselves?''

Isla nodded against the palm of her hand. Her elbow rested upon the table, ''We should,'' Her note quiet, not to draw any attention to herself, ''We could if you want to, I mean.''

Ava quickly caught onto the gesture, her spine leaning against the backrest of the common room sofa, ''Shouldn't we get started then?'' Her face lit up in excitement to work with her best friend again.

''I missed you,'' Ava stated, stretching her hand in the air to tuck a strand of stray hair behind Isla's ear, ''And I'm sorry, again.''

Isla's eyes rolled annoyingly as her legs crossed in front of her, smiling back at her friend, ''You've said so probably a thousand times by now.'' Her books felt heavy on her lap, tracing her fingers over them.

''I know,'' Ava groaned, flipping the pages of her own book open, ''But can you really say it enough?''

''I think you can, yes,'' Isla said happily, and she was happy — happy to be at peace with her friend again and to feel as if she didn't need to hide much from her anymore.

The fireplace in front of them crackled, and the flames fumed even higher for a slight second as Isla's eyes fell upon it. Her mind wandered, and she couldn't help but think about Theodore.

How infuriated she was with the boy for being a part of Malfoy's plan to humiliate her. Days passed since she kicked him out of her room, yet she wasn't capable of letting it go.

Perhaps it was the hurtful thought that he would be better than this. That he somewhere would be more mature than the blond seemed to be — but apparently not. He seemed to be just as foul and uncivil as Malfoy was.

Isla's head shook, and her mind clocked back to reality.

''So what if we start with page—'' Ava's words simply faded in her head the very instant she caught the blond at the other end of the room they were seated in, next to the girl, calling herself his girlfriend.

Her gaze fell over them, and her book rose in her hands to shyly hide the fact that she was eavesdropping.

They looked to be fighting again. They did that quite much these days, and Isla was curious as to why they did, but she could at the same time not cross Malfoy one more time. He would ruin her and everyone around her if she did.

Her heart ached as she watched him frown, his jaws gritted to the words Pansy was speaking — but he didn't seem angry — no. His face held a cloak of hurt, nearly agonized.

''Are you even listening to me?'' Ava nudged Isla to the side, making her eyes snap to hers instead of studying the blond, ''What are you looking at—''

''Don't,'' Isla snapped, stopping Ava from turning around to get a glimpse of what dragged her attention off her friend, ''I wasn't—''

''Have you talked to him yet?'' Ava hushed, bringing her face closer to Isla's, ''I mean, does he know that he's—''

''He does,'' Isla muttered sternly, ''He's well aware.''

''And what does he say about it?'' She questioned, looking doubtfully at her, ''Did he tell you what he wanted you to do?''

''He wants to be left alone,'' Isla lowered her book back on her lap as she sighed, ''And Nott doesn't want me either, so I guess I'll just be alone from now on,''

''Don't say that—'' Ava placed her own book on the table, her face shifted in a grimace, ''We will figure it out. I promise.''

''How?'' She muttered, tipping her head forward as her hair fell across her features, ''I mean, how am I supposed to figure this out? They want nothing to do with me, and if I'm one hundred percent honest—''

Isla faltered for a second.

''I don't want much to do with them either. They are both acting like complete—''

''Complete what?'' A husky voice caused her to choke on her own words, her eyes flickered to his, ''Don't mind me—'' He smirked, lightly, ''Go on.''

Isla felt a curve as it played on her upper lip before her head tilted, and he looked straight at her. His hands were large and veiny over the backrest of the couch.

''Idiots, Nott. You're acting like complete idiots,'' Isla said, loud and clear, raising a brow as she did and he looked away quickly trying to conceal the growing smirk, ''And not to talk about the eavesdropping.''

''I'm not—'' Theodore licked his lower lip, huffing lightly, ''I'm not eavesdropping. You're just talking loudly.''

''Loudly?'' Isla issued, provoked by the brunet, ''I was whispering—''

''Anyhow,'' Theo cut her off, keeping his eyes locked in hers. He stared at her intensely, ''I need to talk to you, now.''

Her mind came across it again. How he'd been playing her at the party and how he'd failed to come clean with the deed. A slight torch lit within her chest, and she frowned.

''No.''

''No?'' Theodore rose a brow, ''What do you mean no—''

''No,'' Isla said again, her chin rose to state her words more firmly, ''I'm quite busy if you didn't notice."

Theodore gazed over the papers being spread out on the couch and her friend sitting close to her, ''Well, what about later—''

''I can't—'' Isla aimed to turn around, facing the fireplace fully again, but the hand he placed on her shoulder hewed her off.

''I don't think I made myself clear, but I need to talk to you. I'm serious,'' Her sight landed on him again, and she felt more than puzzled to find out what he wanted to speak to her about.

Perhaps it was to apologize or maybe to tell her something else of use.

Isla's hesitation grew within, still doubtful, but the way his curls fell messily over his forehead and his dimples shyly showed — she couldn't do anything else than to nod.

''I just have to finish up here, but later?'' She asked, still looking at his tall figure.

''You know where to go,'' Theodore mumbled, awkwardly bowing his head towards Ava before he turned around and walked up the stairs to his room. Isla's sight glanced after him as he went, and her cheeks unnoticeably flushed in a feverish color.

''Really?'' Ava grinned at her, mocking her a bit for agreeing to meet Theodore so swiftly, ''That is not going to work for you, you know.''

''What?'' Isla looked back at her friend, slightly smiling to herself, ''That?'' She tried to defuse the tension, ''I wasn't— I was just trying to—''

''Mhm, I could see that,'' Ava snickered, shaking her head before her sight dived back down to the pages of her book.

Isla didn't say much more. Her cheeks burned, and her thumb dragged unconsciously over her bottom lip as she shot the stairs another look before she did the same thing as Ava — her focus fixated on the homework that was due to the next detention class.

But what Isla failed to notice was that the blond had watched, observed from a distance, and even if he'd never was to admit what he felt — his blood fumed at the rosy shades her skin held and the way her eyes placed upon Nott.

_____

Isla and Ava studied for hours in the common room, joking and learning the spells that Professor McGonagall urged for them to master before she came to the utter realization that she was supposed to meet Theodore.

Even if Nott never told her where to go, she had a place in mind — presumably, the same location he had, so she walked at the late hour down the dungeons, across the whole main floor of the school before she halted at the entrance of the Astronomy Tower.

The wind tugged at her cheeks, and the chilly air left slight reddish marks upon her skin. It was dim, nearly too dark to see anything as she began her walk up the stairs.

Isla didn't think much of what Theodore wanted to talk to her about. She couldn't possibly know what he wanted from her this time — but she was still eager to meet him, to talk to him.

She reached the next highest floor, but as she did — she gasped. Someone wrapped their hand over her mouth while the other hand landed around her throat, and she was dragged into a familiar chest.

Her own hands grasped at the limbs holding her steady, and she nearly panicked at the situation before she caught the calm and steady breaths behind her.

''Shhhh...'' He rasped close to her ear. Isla's back tightly hugged to the muscular chest.

He let go of her, slowly and her senses scored the soft scent of him.

''Don't do that, Theodore,'' She breathed, somewhat peering around to understand what was happening.

He had pulled her with him into a closed, nearly hidden space in the tower — it was small, too tiny for the both of them, but standing in the way they did, it made it work.

''Do what?'' He muttered, and she didn't have to see him to understand the size of the smirk playing on his lips, ''I'm not doing anything,''

''If you're not doing anything, why would you—''

Theo's hand folded over her mouth again to keep her silent, ''I thought I told you to hush down,'' He whispered into her head, ''We're not alone up here.''

''What?'' Isla gulped against his hand as shivers trailed down her spine by his heated breaths, fanning the back of her head, ''Who's up here?''

''Malfoy and—''

''That's not what I said, Draco,''

Isla's veins iced as she caught the girl's voice.

Theodore's arm dropped to her waist, almost as if he didn't think of where he placed it, neither did she, ''And Pansy...'' He continued, lowly.

Isla nodded. Her hair tickled his nose, and his eyes rolled.

''That's exactly what you said—''

''No, I didn't say that. I didn't say that was the reason for our break.''

''Yeah? Then what was it? Because from what I remember, you didn't give me a fucking reason. You slammed the door in my face and didn't speak to me for days—''

''What did I say before that, Draco?''

Isla's breaths shifted heavier, and her head automatically leaned back against Theodore's chest as his hand stayed on her hip, ''Maybe we shouldn't listen to this—'' She whispered.

She felt bad. This seemed to be something private, something they weren't allowed to hear.

''I don't—''

''Exactly. You don't even listen to me anymore, Draco. You're not here with me anymore, and ever since the war, you've been distant—''

''It was a bloody war, Pansy! It was a bloody war. I lost friends and people too. Of course, I've been distant, but you haven't. All you do is drink and party like there's no tomorrow. It's like the battle didn't affect you.''

''I'm glad that it didn't affect me as it affected you. I'd do anything not to go around like a damn ghost, Draco. You're here, but you're not. It's like talking to a wall. I don't even know you anymore, and since I've started to spend some time with Adrian—''

''You did what?''

Isla's heart ached.

She could hear the breaking hurt in his vocals from a floor down.

''Why would you spend time with Pucey?''

''Why wouldn't I? He's one of my choices, Draco.''

It turned quiet, and she caught as the blond sighed loudly.

''So you're considering him? Or what is this about?''

''I'm not considering him, Draco.''

''So what is this about? Why did you bring me all the way up here—''

''Draco...''

''No, why are you—''

''Because I'm choosing him, Draco.''

It felt as if Isla's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach and the way Theo's jaw clenched against the side of her head — as did his.

''Pansy, don't—''

''It's how it has to be, Draco. We didn't work out well, if we're honest anyhow, so let's just call this a quit.''

Pansy's steps echoed over the wooden floor.

''Don't do this, Pans—''

''I don't... I don't feel anything for you anymore. It would be best if you went with your choice because I have already made mine. I'll see you around, Draco.''

Then, she walked away, down the stairs without a single ounce of remorse or emotion for the boy whose heart broke at the top floor. Constant trails of cursing fled Malfoy's throat as he punched a wall.

Isla quickly spun around as Theodore dragged her inches closer by the sound of Pansy walking past the invisible space. Both of them held their breaths.

''That was close,'' Theodore mumbled, looking down at her with his hands glued to each side of her. The tips of Isla's fingers traced over his shirt before her palms pushed against his chest, and she gazed right back up at him.

His eyes glinted in the cracks of moonlight, and his skin shunned handsomely. She couldn't help but bite down onto her bottom lip as his sight flickered down to watch it.

They were standing so close, their noses nearly inches apart, and he smirked at her.

''So...'' Isla whispered. Her breaths tasted sweet on his lips, ''What did you want to talk about?''

''It can wait...'' Theodore's head tilted, his curls spilled over his forehead in a complete mess.

''Apparently, it couldn't.'' She smiled back, ''So tell me, would you?''

''Shhh...'' His finger found its way to her lips again, pushing against them, ''Not so loud,''

''I'm not even loud,'' Isla frowned, her lips parting as he pulled his touch away, ''Now tell me—''

''I wanted to apologize,'' He whispered. The flash in his eyes sloped in guilt, ''I did something. I don't know if you're aware of what, but it was—''

His body tensed against hers, and he looked away, ''It was a cruel thing to do, so for that, I apologize—''

''I know,'' She stated, quietly and his eyes snapped to hers again, ''I'm still mad, but thank you for apologizing.''

''So you knew?'' He narrowed his sight, staring curiously, ''And you didn't tell me? You didn't yell at me?''

''What good would that do?'' Her brows knitted, looking confused, ''I just needed—''

''Oh,'' Theo grinned, shaking his head slightly, ''That's why you kicked me out of your room the other night, not because I was with that girl—''

''Mhm,'' Isla hummed, annoyingly at the spoken memory, ''Who is that girl anyway?''

Theodore couldn't help but heed the bright tore of jealousy in her stare, ''Why? Is she bothering you?''

''No—'' Isla raised her voice, but Theo's clenching jaws made her hush again, ''No, she doesn't. I was just asking.'' Her note was airy, almost insecure.

''If me... seeing her is bothering you, just let me know, and I won't do it anymore.''

Her eyes sealed for a brief moment and her breath hitched at his words. Her cheeks still blushed as a huff fell off her lips.

''No need,'' Isla muttered. His head tipped closer to hers. There was barely any space left between them.

''Are you sure?'' He exhaled, on the complete edge to brush his lips against hers, ''Just say the words Clarke, and I'll stop meeting her.''

Isla swallowed, her mind battling the thoughts if it was likely that he meant it or if this was Theodore — once again, messing with her.

''I'm sure.''

The dismay pricking in his eyes caused her heart to sink, and the amusement around them burnt out. Her veins iced completely as he let go of her.

Isla felt the missing of his touch the very instant she lost it.

''Very well then,'' He grumbled, forcing himself past her, taking a step towards the stairs, ''I'll see you around, Clarke.''

Isla stood alone in the tower after Theodore walked out — visibly disappointed at her for not asking him to stop seeing that girl.

She didn't know if she wanted him to stop — even if a minor, tiny part of her wished that he did. She couldn't possibly count on it. He'd been dishonest and rude towards her before, in ways she didn't deserve.

It was all a blank mess inside her head as it shook, and she — without thinking about the blond she never caught leave the tower — she stepped out of the space she'd been hiding, and as she did,

''What the fuck?'' Draco accidentally slammed right into her, making Isla stumble back over the wooden floor in the complete darkness, ''What the fuck are you doing here?''

_____