The fire crackled in the hearth, casting flickering shadows across the grandiose room. You stood near the window, gazing out at the moonlit grounds of Malfoy Manor, the air thick with tension. The elegant drapes fluttered slightly with the night breeze, but you barely noticed. Your mind was racing, and your heart pounded in your chest as you prepared to confront the man before you.

Theodore Nott, your father's best friend and a figure who had always seemed both distant and protective, stood across from you, his expression as unreadable as ever. His piercing grey eyes, often so cold and calculating, now held a storm of emotions. You could sense the barely contained anger and frustration in his stance.

"How could you, Theo?" you began, your voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt. "How could you think it was okay to go behind my back and make decisions for me?"

Theo's jaw tightened, and he took a slow drag from the cigarette in his hand, exhaling a plume of smoke that lingered in the air. "I did what I thought was best," he replied, his tone calm but laced with underlying tension. "You don't understand the risks involved."

Your eyes narrowed as you stepped closer, refusing to be intimidated by his imposing presence. "Don't patronize me, Theo. I'm not a child. You had no right to interfere like that."

He raised an eyebrow, a signature gesture that you knew all too well.* "Interfere? Is that what you think I did?" His voice grew sharper, and for a moment, you saw a flash of the ruthless man shaped by a harsh upbringing. "I was trying to protect you."

"Protect me?" you scoffed, feeling the heat of your anger rising. "You mean control me. Just like my father."

The mention of Draco seemed to hit a nerve, and Theo's expression hardened. "Don't compare me to him. I’m nothing like Draco."