09 July, 1997 (6:41a.m, Monday)

Theodore and Theo Nott were dressed in black and standing next to a closed casket in a small church. A picture of a brunette woman with green eyes who looked just like Theo was propped up on an easel next to them.

Theo was staring down at the floor, people kept coming up to them to talk and tell stories of Christy and all Theo could do was nod. How could they have such lovely stories of his mother when he has none?

Speaking of stories, Nott Sr. had come up with a fabricated story of what had happened to his wife. No one could know that it was the Death Eaters doing. So when he OWL'ed his wife's mother to let her know, he told her that she'd gotten into a car crash while in Italy.

It was believable because the Cartwright's were different then most of the Wizarding Pureblood families. They had a home in Muggle London, Elliot and Madelyn Cartwright had lived their whole lives as normal people and went it came time to send their children to Hogwarts, they told friends that their kids were going to a boarding school in Scotland.

It was Madelyn's wishes for Christy to have a normal funeral in a Muggle church because she wanted to invite their close friends and extended family to come mourn with her and she couldn't do that if they'd have had a funeral in the wizarding world. Theodore was outraged by this idea but allowed it because he knew Christy would be happy that he agreed to her mother's request.

No one there knew much about the two Nott men, other than the wizards there. Madelyn had always told everyone that Theo went to the same boarding school that his mother went to and that Theodore traveled for work.

-

When the funeral began, the Nott men took a seat on the front row next to Madelyn. Behind them was Lucius, Narcissa, Scarlett, and Draco. The row behind the Malfoy's contained the Greengrass family and the Parkinson family. That was the extent of the wizarding families that showed up. No other family within the twenty eight did.

On the other pews sat rows of people that were friends of Madelyn and her late husband.

When the preacher finally finished his prayer, Theo was sent up to give a eulogy. Theodore had asked him to do it because Theo and Christy were closer.

He stood up at the podium and read from a piece of paper that he had written the night before.

"Most of you don't know me, my name is Theo, Christy was my mother. She was a great mum, she was dearly loved by my father and I. I was asked to share a few memories, but truthfully I don't have many. I spend most of the year off at a boarding school away from her and my father but the memories I do have, I'll hold close to me forever.

Last year my mother had gotten sick, it happened fast and over the summer so I was home with her for the majority of it. Every Monday, she'd send me to go get a local magazine that she had liked and we would sit together and I'd read it to her and she'd stop me every few sentences to tell me the real story behind what was being published, she'd talk about her friends that were being written about, she'd discuss fashion and girl things that made no sense to me.

But I listened to everything she had to say. We would laugh and drink coffee and when we were done with the paper, she'd take a nap. The doctors said she'd only live for a few months, but she ended up making a full recovery and quickly got back to traveling the world, which was one of her favorite things to do.

She was one of the kindest people that I've ever met. She touched the lives of everyone she met. It's hard to imagine a life without her, but having her in my life, even though it wasn't for as long as I'd have liked it to be, was amazing. I'll miss her dearly."

He stepped off of the stage and went back to his seat beside his father.

Narcissa wiped a tear from her eye. Scarlett was sniffling. Astoria was sobbing quietly.

Theodore patted Theo's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. They were playing the role of a close knit family perfectly.

When the funeral was over and Christy's casket had been lowered into the ground, everyone started to leave. The Malfoy teens staying behind, as well as Astoria, to check on Theo.

Draco walked over to the brunette boy, "I'm really sorry, Theo."

He shrugged, "We weren't that close so it's okay."

"Your speech was really nice, Theo. I'm sure it touched everyone's heart." Astoria added.

He gave her a small smile, "Thanks."

He turned to walk away, headed back to his father. Draco started to follow, but Astoria grabbed his arm, "Let him be. I think he wants to be alone right now." She whispered.

Draco nodded and the three of them began their walk to where Narcissa was waiting for them at a car.

The Malfoy's didn't own a car, in fact this was the second time in Draco's life that he'd been in a car. But since they were going to Muggle London and couldn't just Floo into a church, Lucius bought a car for the occasion. He did however not know how to drive, so he put a charm on it that made it drive itself.

All three teenagers were squished into the back seat and Lucius and Narcissa were quietly talking in the front.

"I hate this car." Lucius grumbled. He had bought a brand new 1997 Mercedes Benz.

"Honey, you don't even have to drive it. It drives itself and it's rather nice." Narcissa replied.

He rolled his eyes, "Well, it's too much work. I'm going to have to find places to drive the damn thing now since I just wasted a lot of money on it."

Narcissa rolled her eyes.

"Remember when Weasley and Potter wrecked that car at the school?" Draco asked no one in particular.

Scarlett laughed, "Yes! That was hilarious."

Astoria grinned, "Then they got in so much trouble."

Lucius humphed.

Narcissa changed the subject, "Scarlett, your ball is this weekend, are you excited?"

Scarlett nodded, "So excited!"

"What's your backup plan if Adrian doesn't show up?" Draco asked.

Lucius shot him a look through the rear view mirror. "We need to have a little more faith in Adrian. Maybe he'll show up and surprise us."

Narcissa frowned, "We don't need a maybe, we need him to one hundred percent be there."

"Well obviously." Lucius grumbled.

-

Tuesday.

Draco Malfoy was laying on his bed, he had a book in his hands but he was staring at the ceiling. For the first time this summer he was bored.

Blaise had gone to France, Scarlett went with Astoria to Hogsmeade to help her pick out a dress for Saturday, Narcissa was meeting with a caterer, Lucius was off doing Lucius things, he honestly didn't know what his father did in his free time nowadays, Graham was off visiting family, and his best friend was at home mourning.

He had no plans. He was bored. He wondered what Theo was doing. He knew that Theo was at his home, but he didn't know what was happening at the Nott Manor. He hadn't heard from Theo in days. Narcissa told him to leave Theo alone and let him mourn and that Theo would come see him when he was ready. But it had been days and Theo didn't even really like his mother.

He couldn't imagine Theo sitting around moping, that just wasn't like him at all.

Well, Theo was at home moping. In fact he was doing exactly what Draco was doing, he was laying in bed with a book in his hands, but was staring at the ceiling, trying to ignore the stinging pain coming from his left arm.

-

Two days prior.

Exactly one day before the funeral, Theodore Nott walked into his sons room, "Get ready, the Dark Lord wants to see you."

Theo stared at him blankly, "Why?"

"Don't be an idiot, Theo, I think you know why he wants to see you. It's time." And with that his father walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Theo nodded, he stood from his desk and walked to his closet, he was shaking. He grabbed his nicest clothes, put them on and then walked down the stairs. He met his father at the Floo and the two stepped in it and a few moments later stepped out at Borgin and Burkes.

They had arrived before everyone else. Theodore was standing to the left of his son, "You have to pledge your loyalty. He thinks your weak, like your mother. He's the reason she's dead and if you think he won't kill you then you're mistaken. You are nothing to him except a pawn in his game. Whatever he asks of you, the answer is 'Yes, my Lord' and you will do it or you will die. Don't embarrass us, Theo." His father whispered.

Theo swallowed, "Yes, father." His throat hurt. He wanted to scream, he wanted to run away. He wished he'd have died. He should've went with his mother. He had been invited after all, if he'd have gone he could've just died and never would've had to go through with this."

A group of Death Eaters walked in, Theo and his father followed behind them to where his initiation would take place.

An hour later, the Nott's walked back through their fireplace into the manor. Theodore looked up at his son, who was about two inches taller than him, "I'm sorry it had to be this way, son."

Theo sighed and shrugged his shoulders, his father frowned but said nothing. Instead, he just walked out of the room, leaving Theo alone with his thoughts.

Theo stormed up the stairs and into his room, he was embarrassed, his arm hurt, and his mum was dead. He wanted to leave and go see Draco, he wanted to laugh and be a teenager with his friend and enjoy his summer, but he couldn't bring himself to leave.

He never wanted to show his face again, honestly. He flung himself onto his bed. He stayed there for hours, he only got up when he finally decided he needed a shower.

The hot water burned his arm, he hissed. He quickly washed his hair and body and then dried off and went back to his bed. Their was food on his bed when he got back, he assumed Larry had brought it for him, he ate it and then he laid back down.

The next morning he got up and got ready for the funeral. After the funeral, he almost asked Draco could he come to his house, but he stopped himself. He didn't want anyone to know about his Mark.

So he didn't ask. He floo'd home with his father and went back to his room and laid down. Then he repeated his cycle from the night before, lay down for hours, then shower, then eat then sleep.

This went on until Thursday, because something interesting happened on Thursday.

authors note:
i cried writing this chapter and i
almost deleted the last 900 words
because i almost decided i didn't want
to do this to theo but then i thought
about it and decided it would
probably be interesting for the plot
so i did it. but my heart hasn't
stopped pounding and i still haven't
stopped shaking over this.

^ this is the spotify link to the playlist i've made for this book if anyone wanted to check it out