「 CHASING AND CONFESSION 」

THEO COULDN'T SLEEP.

HE SHIFTED restlessly on his bed but even his movement was limited due to the fact that Blaise slept next to him and the dormitory beds weren't built for two.

Ever since Easter break when Theo had asked Blaise to spend the night with him, they had been sharing one bed. It didn't mean anything - of course it didn't. It was an act of emotional support. Theo slept well when he was with Blaise and Blaise worried when he was down in the common room, flopped in an awkward angle on the sofa that made his body ache in the morning. Even when they were children and when Theo's heart didn't leap foolishly at the sight of Blaise, they had often fallen asleep next to each other after hours of writing essays and woken up tangled in each other's arms.

They were friends. And they were close. A little too close, perhaps. But Theo wasn't complaining.

This night though, he couldn't sleep. He lay awake, his body stiff because he didn't want to wake Blaise. He heard the sound of Blaise breathing beside him, saw his chest rise and fall out of the corner of his eyes. Blaise had one arm flung over his head, covering half his face. His neck was exposed and inviting ...

... inviting?

Theo shot up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. What was wrong with him?

He felt thankful that Blaise was sleeping for he was sure that if he had been awake, he would have seen through Theo and read everything that was on his mind. He sighed, pushing the curtain slightly aside so that it didn't fall on his face. The other boys in the dormitory were asleep, naturally. If they had noticed Theo and Blaise sleeping on the same bed, they hadn't mentioned it.

Theo dug his elbows into his thighs, resting his chin over his palms. He didn't think he would be able to sleep tonight. He considered waking Blaise but quickly shoved the idea away. Although Blaise had pleaded with him and made him promise that he would wake him up if he was unable to sleep, Theo knew he would never do it.

He decided to go to the common room rather than stay here and possibly disturb Blaise's sleep. As he peered into the floor to look for his slippers, the door to the dormitory swung open and in marched Goyle looking determined, an odd expression to see on his face.

Theo frowned; he didn't remember Goyle leaving the dormitory.

Goyle curled his hand into a tight fist and banged the door sharply, sending an irritating sound that bounced off the walls of the dormitory. Blaise stirred awake behind him, groaning. On the other beds, Theo saw the faint outline of Draco and Crabbe moving and stretching.

"Meeting!" Goyle bellowed. "Common room. Now."

Theo rolled his eyes before turning to Blaise. He was rubbing the balls of his thumbs over his eyes and when he looked at him, Theo's breath suddenly hitched in his throat at the sight of his adorably sleepy-eyed face. He determinedly moved his gaze toward the foot of the bed.

"What do they want now?" Blaise grumbled as he stood and stretched his limbs. He eyed Theo for a minute. "You weren't sleeping."

It wasn't a question so Theo didn't bother answering.

Blaise laid his hands over the bed as he leaned forwards. "Theo, I told you to wake me up if you can't sleep."

Theo was distracted by the long fingers that were spread out like a fan, pressing into the soft mattress. What would happen if he slipped his own fingers through -

"Theo!"

He hastily got to his feet, wrenching his eyes away and forcing himself to look at Goyle who was now ordering Draco around. It was a sight to see. "I'm not a child, Blaise. You don't have to monitor me like that."

Blaise climbed over the bed to reach his side. He stood close; Theo could almost feel his breath on his cheek. "I'm not monitoring you," he said softly. "I just - I don't want you to be alone when you are -"

"Zabini," Goyle's voice boomed in and cut him off. "It's no time for chitchat. Come into the common room. There's no need to change your clothes. Just put a cloak on over your pyjamas."

"Shut your stupid mouth, Goyle," Blaise said calmly. He picked up their school robes from where they lay scattered on the floor. Before Theo could take his robes from him, Blaise had already wrapped it around his shoulders, leaving him momentarily stunned. Theo watched as he put on his own robes, then they went out into the common room.

The Carrow twins stood in the middle. Amycus was pacing but Alecto glared daggers at everyone and everything around her. A sense of nervousness radiated from both of them.

Theo went over to them with the others. They were joined by the newly recruited sixth-years, who looked fearful. Theo couldn't blame them. Once all of the Inquisitorial Squad members had gathered, Amycus stopped pacing.

"We need you to go on a search," he said. "That Gryffindor pest has disappeared. Neville Longbottom."

Mutters rose among them but quickly died down as Alecto rapped her foot sharply on the floor. "Spread out around the castle. He can be anywhere. But he is inside the walls for sure. Look into every nook and cranny, turn over portraits and tapestries. We cannot let him get away."

Blaise raised a tentative hand as though they were in class. Alecto faltered to a stop, clearly startled by his action. "What is it, Zabini?" she spat. It seemed like she hadn't forgotten how he had cursed her in class. Remarkably, Blaise had escaped without detention - from the chaos that had ensued, they had simply forgotten to punish him.

"Have you considered that he may be sleeping in the Gryffindor dormitory right now?" he asked seriously. "Like we were, before you woke us up."

Alecto gritted her teeth. Theo thought he heard the enamel grinding into fine powder in her mouth. "He isn't in the common room," she said through clenched teeth. Veins popped at the side of her temples as she fought to keep her cool. Theo enjoyed seeing her like that, and he loved Blaise even more at the moment for succeeding to rattle her so. "He was with us. Near the library. Then he went up one floor and then he was gone. He must have found a secret tunnel or a - a hidingplace, somewhere. He couldn't have gone to the common room. We had a guard posted at the Gryffindor tower the whole time."

"Go and find him if you don't want to starve," Amycus snarled, pushing the sixth-year boy who was nearest him toward the door. He stumbled and hurried out. The rest of them followed.

As he passed Alecto, she grabbed Theo by the elbow. He halted and met her eyes, refusing to look away. Blaise stopped beside him.

"If I find," she whispered into his ear, "that you had anything - anything at all - to do with Longbottom's disappearance, I will personally make sure you won't see the outside of the castle ever again."

She shoved him and he almost fell over Blaise. Shaken and perplexed, Theo left the common room, Blaise in the lead. It was only after they had left the dungeons behind and they all went separate ways did Blaise stop to hold his shoulders. "She didn't mean it," he said sternly.

"She threatened to have me killed." Theo had meant to say it jokingly. He had even smiled. But he found his voice was barely a whisper and maybe the smile on his face looked creepy. He quickly wiped it off. Blaise shook him, hard.

"She didn't mean it," Blaise repeated, enunciating each word clearly. "She was just trying to scare you."

Theo slid his hands off and moved away from the dungeon entrance. "I'm pretty easy to scare, aren't I?"

Blaise walked with him but stayed a little behind. "Anyone would be scared in situations like this."

They didn't speak for a while. Theo led them through the dark corridors until they reached the Grand Staircase where they stopped. It was a massive hall consisting of over a hundred staircases that moved and rotated and swept around during the day but that were now perfectly still. The familiar squeaking sounds of the wood panels moving and shifting against each other were gone as well. It seemed like the hall was sleeping.

Sconces carrying torches hung at intervals on the tower wall.

"So are we going to look under the stairs now?" asked Blaise.

Theo ignored him as he moved to the nearest staircase. If he remembered correctly - though it was difficult to see any resemblance between the place in the day and in the middle of the night - this particular staircase was supposed to rotate with its top as the fixed pivot whilst its bottom reached different landings on the second floor. He went up a few steps and sat, stretching his legs out in front of him.

Blaise came up to sit beside him. Theo noticed with a twinge of annoyance that Blaise's legs reached a longer distance than his own. It made it easier for him to ignore Blaise.

"Do you know where Longbottom is?" Blaise asked slowly and perhaps a bit cautiously. When Theo glanced sharply at him, he held up his hands and hurried on, "Well, you're friends with Finnigan. I thought he might have told you something."

Theo shook his head before leaning it against the bannister. "No. I don't think Seamus knew this was going to happen either. It seems so sudden."

"You should stop meeting Seamus -"

"Blaise. Don't," Theo said, his voice laced with exhaustion. "Please don't start again."

"What I mean is that it's not safe," Blaise explained. "Alecto already thinks you've hidden Longbottom somewhere. If you keep meeting up with him in the Great Hall and sitting with him in classes, they'll start suspecting you more. And you might be blamed for anything that happens from now on. You saw how desperate they've become."

Theo remained silent, staring directly at the wall in front of him. Portraits were hung everywhere, with their residents sleeping - or pretending to sleep. The portrait right in front of him was of a milkmaid who quickly shut her eyes every time he looked around at her.

"You can meet him at night," Blaise continued. "Or in some empty classroom. But not in daylight. You don't know what they might do to you."

Theo thought about what his father had said. I hope you remember what happened to your previous friend. A cold shiver ran down his spine as the sentence repeated itself over and over in his head. Blaise looked ready to make some more arguments, but Theo stopped him. "You're right. It's not safe."

Blaise nodded in satisfaction.

Theo squinted at the milkmaid in the portrait. She shut her eyes again. Was she listening to their conversation? He wondered how many secrets the portraits carried. Being invisible backgrounds, how many students must have divulged their deepest secrets to them without even realising it. He wondered how many students would be in trouble if the Carrows decided to interrogate the portraits or if one of the portraits should decide to snitch out of boredom.

It must be tedious, Theo thought, just hanging around all day.

He laughed at his own joke before quickly clapping his hand over his mouth. Unfortunately, Blaise noticed. "What's so funny?"

He shook his head, clearing the smile away. "Nothing."

Blaise regarded him with suspicion. He dropped down one step and slid closer to Theo so that he was now looking up at him. He opened his mouth to say something but the surface below them shifted and jerked. Theo gave a yelp of surprise, clasping Blaise's shoulder. Blaise started, but they both relaxed soon enough as they realised what it was. The staircase was moving. It must have woken.

Theo wished he could have said goodbye to the milkmaid.

Blaise looked up at him again. "Can I ask you something?" he said as Theo let go of his shoulder. He nodded. "Alecto did something to you, didn't she?"

So astonished was Theo by the question that he didn't even think of refuting. He gaped, probably confirming Blaise's thoughts. The frown in Blaise's eyes deepened as he leaned forward.

"What did she do to you?"

"I told you," he managed to say. "She cut me with her knife."

Blaise narrowed his eyes, clearly unconvinced. "Something else. Something you haven't told me."

Theo didn't bother lying. Lying to Blaise was like trying to sell him shabby, inexpensive robes - he just wouldn't buy it. So instead, he questioned, "Why do you think so?"

"You freeze every time she comes close to you," Blaise answered promptly, making him wonder how long Blaise had suspected. "You don't do that with Amycus."

"She was the one who put the knife in me. Not him."

"Yes, I know but -" he huffed, at a loss for words. "I don't know how to explain it. It's like she did something more than physically hurt you. You shrink back within yourself, like - like she hurt you ... well, personally."

Theo kept his gaze fixed on the wall of the tower that circled them due to the moving staircase, though he could barely see anything other than blurry portraits moving around, for his eyes had glossed over from staring too long. He knew Blaise was searching him for any reaction that would give away what was inside him, so he refused to even blink.

He shot to his feet. "Let's go back. We'll tell them we haven't found Longbottom."

Blaise stood up too, gripping Theo's arm for support as he stumbled a little. "Shouldn't we look around a little longer? It hasn't even been an hour."

Theo groaned. "I'm sleepy."

Blaise gave him a faint, sideways smile. "We'll skip first period then. Flitwick. You can sleep in."

"Fine then. Let's look under the stairs."

They got off the rotating staircase and spent the next half an hour or so roaming the Grand Staircase Hall. They first walked along the circumference of the tower, looking at the portraits with their deeply asleep residents, laughing when they caught one or two of them peeking their eyes open to eavesdrop. The torches on the walls flared brighter as they passed, then dimmed again when they'd gone a sufficient distance away.

Blaise stepped into a staircase that had just come to a stop next to them. Before Theo could follow, the staircase creaked and swept upward with Blaise grinning at him from across the bannister. "See if you can catch me," he cried from above. Theo reluctantly stepped into the next staircase that arrived, but this one didn't follow Blaise's path. Instead, it circled and elevated and took him up to the fourth floor.

Though Theo wasn't so eager to play any games right now, after a while he was running enthusiastically around in an attempt to get to Blaise who swiftly moved from one staircase to another. Sometime later, Theo lost sight of Blaise and he came to a halt on a third-floor landing, leaning over the edge to search. Just then he heard a sharp cry and he knew where Blaise was. Grinning, he followed the voice.

It was the infamous vanishing step. One of the staircases had a particular step that vanished a split-second before you put your foot on it. It was mostly a nuisance for first years but after spending a few months at Hogwarts, one got used to it. Blaise seemed to have forgotten to skip the step in all his excitement about outrunning Theo.

When Theo reached him, he had just managed to break his leg free. He had a deep scowl in his face and Theo saw a rip in the front of his pyjama pants where it must have caught the rough stone of the staircase. Blaise kicked the air in front of him a few times. Before he could regain composure, Theo ran up the stairs and threw his arms around his torso, crying, "I've caught you!"

But he should have realised that Blaise was standing on one leg. As they made contact, he teetered for a second and fell back, taking Theo along with him.

Shocked at the abrupt turn of events, Theo forgot to move away. He lay there on top of Blaise with his arms jammed underneath him. Blaise had broken the fall with his elbow and he clutched it with his other hand, groaning. "Theodore, you're going to be the death of me."

With some effort, Theo managed to free his arms and helped Blaise to his feet. He was still cradling his elbow, glaring at the step which remained invisible. Theo leaned against the bannister. After a moment's silence, they simultaneously burst out laughing.

Between bouts of laughter, Theo apologised for the elbow. Blaise waved him away. "I think it's time for us to go back," he said, shooting a smile toward Theo.

When they returned to the common room, the Carrows were there still, surrounded by two sixth year boys and a girl. They were asked to report where they had searched and whether they had found anything. Blaise dutifully told them how they had looked into every nook and cranny in the Grand Staircase Hall, adding remorsefully, "I even walked into the vanishing step during the search. It tore my favourite pyjamas. Longbottom must be found and punished."

Theo stared intently at the fire until his eyes hurt so that he wouldn't start laughing again.

The Carrows didn't let them go back to bed until the rest of them had arrived and reported their findings. When that was done, they gave another speech about how Neville Longbottom was a national threat and anyone who could find him would be rewarded by the Dark Lord himself.

"You mean unlimited and unpaid servitude?" the sixth year girl piped up. "Can't wait."

They sniggered behind their hands, even Draco, though thankfully, neither Amycus nor Alecto was fluent in sarcasm to realise that what the girl had said wasn't utter devotion toward the Dark Lord. After a few more minutes of them trying to convince the sleepy-eyed students that finding Neville was a matter of life and death, they left the common room. There was an audible sigh of relief and they quickly scurried into their dormitories as though afraid the Carrows would return and send them on another mission.

As Blaise made his way toward the dormitory, Theo pulled him by the sleeve. "Will you wait a minute?"

Blaise regarded him for a moment and nodded. They waited until everyone had left and Theo led him to the nearest sofa, sitting him down.

"What is it?" asked Blaise.

"I want to tell you what Alecto did to me," Theo blurted out. Blaise's eyes widened instantly. He scooted forward and lowered his voice.

"You don't have to."

"I want to." Yes, Theo was sure.

Blaise looked nervous. He ran a tongue over his lips and said, "Okay then."

Theo cleared his throat, looking down at his hands. "When she - I was tied to the chair, right? When they were done hurting me, I -"

He stopped, shutting his eyes and pushing his fists into them. He wasn't crying, but the words made the images of that day flash before him. Blaise held his arm and ran his hands up and down. "It's okay. Take your time."

Theo moved his fists away but didn't open his eyes. With his eyes closed, he told Blaise everything - what Alecto had done and what she had said.

He opened his eyes slowly. Blaise was staring at him, face ashen. Sometime during his confession, he had taken Theo's hands - their fingers lay intertwined between them. Theo felt out of breath, but having Blaise so close to him calmed him somewhat.

"You have to tell someone," Blaise said abruptly, taking him aback.

"What?"

"Slughorn, McGonagall - whoever," Blaise spoke fast, urgently. "You can't let her get away with this."

Theo forced his hands out of Blaise's grip, drawing away. He curled his knees toward himself and hugged them close. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

"Theo, I'm serious," Blaise urged. "This is serious. It was sexual assault. You need to tell someone."

Theo realised he was shaking. All he had wanted was Blaise to listen to him and offer him some words of comfort. As it turned out, comfort was something that was too much to ask of Blaise. He let his eyes flutter shut, trying to deafen Blaise's voice in his mind.

Of course, that didn't work.

"Theo, please. She shouldn't get away with this."

"She's got away with far worse," Theo snapped. "She beats children, slices them with her knife. The other teachers know it and don't do anything. What makes you think they'll stand up against her about this?"

Blaise slid closer but didn't touch him. "This is different," he said. "Everyone knows about the beating. When they break rules, they know what they are getting into. But this - no one knows about this. Imagine if she does this to the children. First- and second-years. Theo, be sensible. You have to tell someone."

But Theo had shot to his feet at the word sensible. He didn't have to be sensible. He was the one hurting; he didn't owe it to anyone to keep himself together. He kept his back to Blaise as he said, "Go to bed." He was surprised at the coldness in his own voice. "I don't want to talk about this with you."

Blaise's shadow rippled across the stone floor as he came to stand behind him. "Theo, please -"

"Go away!" Theo cried, not caring that he might wake up the people sleeping upstairs. "I shouldn't have told you at all. It was my mistake. Leave me alone."

Blaise was silent for a minute. Then his shadow retracted and vanished from the floor. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the empty common room, trailing away as he climbed the stairs. "Are you coming?" Blaise asked once he reached the landing in front of their dormitory.

"I'll stay here," Theo said, tightening his school robes around himself, shivering.

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i forgot the word "sconce" and i had to google "the thing on the wall that holds torch fire"