By the Lake

[Ginny Weasley]

The redhead paused at the call, glancing back over her shoulders to the other girl, slight frown puckering her brow as she considered her a moment.

Thats what it was? Not a personal view so much as the desire to stay unharmed? She supposed she could more or less understand the inclination... though the idea of cozying up to Nott just to save her neck left her feeling nauseous.

She still didn't like the idea of it - it went to far against her morals not to fight for what you believe in, to just submit to the monstrosity that was Voldemort's reign just because it was easier or less dangerous, but it was at least marginally better than actively subscribing to it.

Her eyes remained cool, but she did offer the Raven a small nod before turning again and resuming her journey back to the school entrance.

[Theo Nott]

Theo shook his head. "Why splash me?" He asked Leanna even as his eyes tracked Ginny an amused smirk lighting his face.

"So you and the Weaslette eh?" Theo asked Leanna with an arched eyebrow, the smirk still on his lips.

[Leanna Barker]

She gave Theo a grin and splashed him again, before giving him a little half-shrug. "Hey, she's cute." Her head turned to watch Ginny walk away until she was almost out of sight. "It's cold, can I borrow your arm?" she asked, shuffling over to sit next to him.

[Theo Nott]

"I suppose." Theo replied as he deflected the water with his wand, his eyes trailing after Ginny. "But she isnt the right sort, not someone you should get involved with." he suggested. "Besides you and I need to have a long discussion anyways."

[Leanna Barker]

Leanna paused when he said they needed to talk, just for a moment, her eyes dropping to the ground. She shifted, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and leaning against him. "What about?" she asked, staring out over the lake. She knew what it was, it was the only thing of importance of late, blood status. The be all and end all of social interaction. Purebloods couldn't afford to be seen with mudbloods or halfies, and so their friendship was hidden, squashed, snuffed out.

[Theo Nott]

Noting her discomfort Theo hugged her. "Leanna, I know you dont want to talk about this." he said softly. "But I need to know your family history. If I dont find out For Professor Carrow she will be very cross with me."

[Leanna Barker]

"You already know." Leanna shot back. "You've gone through everyone's family. Why do I get a special interrogation?" She looked away from him, glaring off into the distance, even as she pressed closer. Her red hair shifted in the wind, a few strands of curls falling over her face. "And who cares about them, they're nothing but bullies." the last sentence was said softly, her lips barely moving as she whispered the words, not wanting to get caught saying stuff like that.

[Theo Nott]

"They are in control of the school." Theo replied. "And you get special interrogation because I was ordered to." he added just as softly. "They are going to make or break me, I want to join The Dark Lord, you know that, we have talked about it in the past." he reminded. "You know my hopes for the future."

[Leanna Barker]

"And they are wrong." Leanna shot back, turning her head back to face him. "If you join him, you'll be marked by the rest of the wizarding world as being one of his slimy, evil underlings. There's no going back from that Theo. It means you'll be one of them. Forever, no matter how hard you try to erase it. If he falls, you do too."

She'd never be this open with anyone else but she'd known him before Hogwarts, they had spent so much time together, become friends. And then they'd been sorted into different houses. The meetings slowed a little, but they still spent all summer together, being friends, laughing and crying and watching stars together.

"I don't want to watch you fall apart." she said softly, her eyes meeting his.

[Theo Nott]

Theo shook his head. "He will not fail." he said with conviction. "The Dark Lord will win this battle, and all others he chooses to step into." he told her before sighing and looking at her. "I will not fall apart, and I will not abandon you." he assured her.

"We have been friends for far to long. You know I won't back down from this, it is my choice, and one that I made long ago, I will not back out now."

[Leanna Barker]

Leanna combed her fingers through her hair and shrugged his arm off her, getting to her feet. She started to pace in front of Theo. "If you are going to become one of his, then so will I. Someone has to look out for you." she gave him a slightly sad look. "I'm a halfblood." she finally answered his question.

[Theo Nott]

"You would do that for me?" Theo asked her with a small smile on his face, which turned to a frown when he found out her blood status. "What?" he asked in confusion.

[Leanna Barker]

"I would do anything for my friend." she said firmly, watching his face as he reacted to her revelation. "My mother is a pureblood. My father is some Muggle scum she fell in love with. He died when I was five. Happy you know now? My family has kept that secret since my mother came back three months pregnant with me. And it would have stayed a secret until my death if the Death Eaters hadn't come here."

[Theo Nott]

Theo sighed and nodded. "No I am not happy that I made you tell me that." he told her. "But I dont have much of a choice, it was that or anger Professor Carrow, what would you have done?" he asked her even as he reached out and tugged her back beside him and wrapped her in a hug.

[Leanna Barker]

"I would have lied." Leanna murmured, letting him pull her down, snuggling into the hug, her head tucking under his chin. "You know what this means now. We can't be seen together. I'm one of those mudblood scum that you want to get rid of. They'll torture me when you tell them. A half-blood pretending to be a pureblood." she laughed, no humour in the sound. "They'll kill me."

[Theo Nott]

Theo shook his head. "Maybe." he said. "But We should be able to work something out. Figure out a way for you to be helpful or useful, or we can try and concoct a believable story." he suggested.

[Leanna Barker]

Leanna snorted. "I've been doing the ground work, trust me. I just don't know how else I can make it that I'm one of them. I can only act for so long. And my mother is the cause of all this. I don't want to be punished because of her indiscretion."

[Theo Nott]

"Then show them that." Theo suggested.

[Leanna Barker]

"How?" Leanna asked, mumbling against him. "It's not like I can rip half the blood out of me and disown it. I'm lucky I look like my mother. I can't fix this. And she always says that she loved him. Yet she never stayed. I don't know what to do."

[Theo Nott]

"Neither do I." Theo admitted. "But I am sure we can figure it out." he added and he ran a hand through her hair in an attempt to comfort her.

[Leanna Barker]

She relaxed against him at the touch, her eyes closing. "We better. Or I'm going to become target practise." Leanna murmured. "And I only do that for you."

[Theo Nott]

"I know." Theo replied with a smile. "But you need to be more careful with what you say and do, that will help keep you out of triuble."

[Leanna Barker]

She nodded. "I know that. I'll have to try harder. Keep my head down, mouth shut, be meek and just what they want." Leanna pulled back a little, combing her fingers through her hair. "But perhaps no public cuddling until we figure something out." she suggested, though not moving from within his arms.

[Theo Nott]

"If that is what you want." Theo replied easily and with a reassuring smile.

[Leanna Barker]

Leanna tilted her head a little and slipped out of his arms, sitting beside him and wrapping her arms around her knees. "Are you going to tell Alecto about my father?" she asked, looking at him through the curtain of her red curls.

[Theo Nott]

"Unless i am forced to do so no." Theo replied. "I will if she makes me."

[Leanna Barker]

Leanna rolled her eyes. "you know she's going to ask the second she sees you again." Her hand reached out and poked his cheek. "And if you lie, we'll both be in trouble."

[Theo Nott]

"Do you want me to tell her then?" Theo asked curiously.

[Leanna Barker]

"It's not that I do. But it would be better for you if you did." Leanna said. "I don't want you to get into trouble." she nudged him with her shoulder. "If it gets bad, you can always just claim me as your personal torture toy." she laughed at that, shaking her head a little.

[Theo Nott]

Theo chuckled. "I could at that." He agreed memories flashing through his head of lessons from their childhood.