In The Slytherin Dorms

[nottsofast]

The dorm was quiet tonight; Crabbe and Goyle were still in the common room, Blaise was off doing whatever or whoever it was Blaise did, and Draco was presumably in his own room with Harry. That left Theo alone in the dormitiory, which suited him fine; he had laid claim to the cushioned seat in the corner that was now, by unspoken rule, "Theo's spot," and was reading by the dim enchanted light that lit the room with a soft glow. It was a calm, peaceful evening, the only sound a faint murmur of conversation filtering in from the common room. He could hear some of the girls chatting away; Millie, Morag, and Pansy, by the sound of it. Odd not to hear the wry bite of Daphne's clear voice interjecting in the whirl of sarcastic comments and retorts that all Slytherin girls seemed to fall into when talking amongst themselves, though the remarks were not without affection.

Theo sighed softly. Daphne was gone, and there was nothing he could do about it now. Her wnats, her intentions, didn't matter now; she had made her choice. "Mal foi," as Sartre would say. Theo had always found Daphne's tendency to fatalism to be little more than avoidance of responsibility.

But no matter now. With another sigh, Theo returned to his book.