Ten long summers after the Final Battle, I visited pretty Scheherazade Cottage out in the south of England. That was where a close friend of mine, Daphne Greengrass, lived. We were both in the same year in Hogwarts - not to mention the fact that we were both Slytherins - but our experiences in the War were different.

Whenever I see her face now, it was so much different from the Daphne I knew at Hogwarts. The Daphne I knew at Hogwarts was skeptical, rational, and her eyes never seemed to show a bit of emotion. Her long, wavy blonde hair was always neatly tied up and she always wore her best robes to class. The Daphne I know now seemed to believe in fate and destiny a lot - something she used to mock about in Hogwarts - and her eyes always seemed to show sadness over what happened in the War. Her hair was uncombed sometimes and she wore old robes she bought before the Wat. I understood, though. Scars like the ones she had never heal completely. They will always leave a faint mark, a constant reminder to what happened.

September 1st 1991

During the train ride to Hogwarts, I sat next to Daphne in the same compartment, just the two of us. We were friends since we were children, sharing stories on anything that happened to us. She was like a sister to me, one I'd never have.

When we were busy talking, there was a knock at the door. Both of us stared at the slightly messy boy standing in front of it. He had brown hair, and he was short and skinny. But the thing we noticed the most about him was the fact that he had a rather big nose.

"Hello," said Daphne, barely letting her cold gaze of the poor boy go. "I'm Daphne Greengrass. And you are - "

" - Theodore Nott," the boy smiled, lending out his hand. Daphne smiled back at him and shook his hand. Her eyes sparkled. I felt like screaming. A genuine smile from Daphne was as sacred as someone saying, 'I love you.'

Five minutes later, Theodore and Daphne were still staring at each other, smiling.

"I'm Blaise Zabini," I piped up, breaking the silence between the two of them. Theodore nodded and shook my hand while Daphne smiled approvingly at me.

And that was when we became Daphne, Blaise and Theodore.

December 25th 1994

It was Fourth Year, and it was time for people to ask anyone they could to the Yule Ball. I didn't want to go with anyone specific, but to be honest, Weasley was very pretty, and I wouldn't mind if she asked me to the Ball. However, she was going with that Longbottom boy, so I don't have a chance.

For Theodore though, finding a date was like finding - what was it called? - a needle in a haystack. Nobody liked him more than just an acquaintance, except for me and possibly Daphne. He was almost always alone when he was out of class unless we had plans to study together or play a bit of Quidditch, but he was more likely to ask Daphne than me. (I understood; she was so much smarter)

So it was not shocking when he turned up in the library to see her.

"Daphne," he asked her, her eyes fixed into his. "Will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"

Daphne replied, "Of course I will. Meet me in the Common Room at seven."

When the Yule Ball came, Daphne looked as elegant as ever. Her long green dress had short sleeves and they were extremely plain, except for a few ruffles on her chest. Some of her hair was neatly tied up in a plait, while the others were let go. She wore only lip gloss and a bit of eyeshadow to match her piercing green eyes, but that was it. For Daphne, less is more.

Theodore looked very handsome as well. He was dressed in a neat tuxedo, and he had charmed his hair to a certain hairstyle which made him look taller than he needs to. He blushed when Daphne walked towards him. She blushed too, smiling at her date.

When they were in the Hall, I was simply sulking, looking around at the other couples. None of them seemed to captivate me except for my two best friends, dancing happily in each other's arms to the music. Daphne was laughing, smiling while Theo was twirling her around and around on the dance floor, laughing like she was. I had never seen any of them laugh before. That alone put a smile on my face.

September - November 1997

Two years later, the War was at its peak. The Ministry was being infiltrated by Death Eaters. The Minister of Magic was under the Imperius Curse. Snape was our Headmaster. Dementors surround the castles, sucking the happiness that dared to seam out of it.

Hogwarts was no longer the safe, magical realm it was.

Everyone - mainly those silly little Gryffindors - thought that the Slytherin had it easy just because we were, well, Slytherins. We didn't.

We too were being tortured by the Carrows. They didn't torture us as badly as the other houses, but they often treated us like mini Death Eaters. They told us that Mudbloods were pieces of trash and they're rats eating our food. As much some of us hated Mud-Muggleborns, we didn't like to be yelled at about hating them.

Because of all the turmoil going on, the Slytherin Common Room isn't the place where we sneer about everyone in all of the other houses any more: Pansy is always sighing and muttering things nobody really cares about, Millicent Bulstrode stopped eating during breakfast (which is odd, because she always eats as much as Crabbe and Goyle combined), while Crabbe and Goyle were talking avidly to each other, saying every single word wrong, like Cru-sho and Im-pri-o. I simply do as I am told. Theodore and Daphne started dating a few days after school started, something everyone in the Slytherin House started gushing over to forget about the Carrows. It was no surprise they had gotten together, really. But no one expected them to get together in the middle of a war.

"Oh, aren't those two so sweet?" Pansy smirked one day to Millicent and her other roommates, who simply giggled and nodded, glaring at the two of them. Theo felt slightly distraught at their gossip, but thankfully, Daphne was right next to him on the couch.

"Just ignore them, Theo," Daphne smiled, brushing her hand on his cheek. He smiled back at her. "It will all get better, I promise."

December 1997

"I now pronounce you husband and wife."

The priest smiled lovingly at Theodore and Daphne Nott, the newlyweds of Hogwarts. They may have gotten married after only three months of dating, but with war going on, you want to have your loved ones close. Especially during Christmas Time

Their parents approved of their choice in partners, but they were a bit concerned with them getting married at such a young age. Daphne assured her parents she had known Theodore for years, also saying that this is a time where we all need happiness, and frankly, I agree with that. The important thing was that they made each other happy, and that was what mattered.

It was no surprise that Astoria was the Maid of Honour while I was Best Man. Daphne looked amazing in a sleeveless white dress that reached down all the way to her toes. It was tight need her waist, making her look very slim. Her wavy blonde hair was let loose, swimming in the air every time she moved. Theodore's brown hair was slicked back, and he was wearing an expensive tuxedo. He looked almost handsome, for once.

It was a very small ceremony. The only person who weren't part of Daphne's family (Theo's dad chose not to come, what a shame) that came was me. It didn't matter though. It was nice to see my two best friends so happy, especially during a cold war like this.

May 2nd, 1998

The Battle of Hogwarts was raging. Spells were flying everywhere, bodies piling up. There were screams, incantations, footsteps. The smell of rotting corpses around made me hurl.

I was fighting with Draco, which I had no choice over. My parents expected this of me, so I had no choice. Theodore and Daphne were together, fighting for their lives.

The battle took all of the strength out of me. When I couldn't fight anymore, I ran from the action and into the secluded places where no one would think of hiding. I then heard a shrill voice yell, sounding familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

"NO! NO!"

I turned around to see Daphne clutching Theodore's dead body in her arms.

"Stay with me, Theo! Stay with me!"

She burst into tears, holding Theodore tighter than ever.

"Don't go," she whispered. "I love you."

I walked towards her, and she looked at me in the eye. They were full of ice and fire, sadness, regret. She then said a few words I'd never thought she'd be brave enough to say (let alone think them):

"He's dead, Blaise. And I'm pregnant."

She burst into tears as she cried into my chest. I had no choice but to hold her there, letting her tears soak my chest.

Who would've thought the smartest girl in Slytherin would go through something like this so young in life?

A Few Months Later...

Theodore's funeral was solemn, quiet. It took place a couple of months after the Wizarding World was at peace. Only a few people went: Me, Draco, Astoria, Daphne and Theodore Nott II. Mini Theo was about two months old when he saw his father's tomb, and he was as white as a sheet when he came to the funeral. Daphne was in tears, while I was trying to soothe her. Draco and Astoria were muttering things to each other that I didn't really care about; all I could see was a sad wife who is mourning for her dead husband and a child who will never know his father: the most misunderstood person in the world.

Sometimes, I still visit Theo's gravestone sometimes. The words never faded even after nineteen years of rain, hail and snow. It was like time never passed.

The gravestone said:

Theodore Nott I

15th March 1980 - 2nd May 1998

Died in battle

Always be remembered as a good friend and a loving husband.

Under the words, there was a heart with only two big, bold letters inside it with a carving of a carnation next to it:

T + D