PENELOPE

It's Valentine's Day and Agatha has gotten it into her head that she needs to make a romantic gesture to "save" her relationship with Simon. I don't know why she bothers. It's clear there's nothing there to save. But she never listens to me when I tell her, and she wouldn't let her foolish idea drop.

"Simon's been so strung out lately, Penny. I want to remind him he can be happy here with me. He doesn't always need to be off risking his life having adventures."

I can't believe she's obtuse enough to think Simon wants to be constantly putting his life in jeopardy, or that sneaking into his room in the small hours is going to solve anything. But I got tired of hearing about it, so I agreed.

"Agatha, ok, I get it. I still say this is never going to work, but tell me what you want to do?"

"You can get past the wards on Mummer's House. Get me in, early in the morning so Simon and I can have some privacy."

"You won't have much privacy with Baz there."

Agatha fiddled with her hem. "Simon says he sleeps like the dead."

"Simon says he is the dead. Are you sure you want to risk it?"

"Yes, Penny. Don't be so dramatic."

So here we are, at the crack of dawn, outside Simon and Baz's room. Agatha cautiously turns the handle. I had to spell the boys' door open for her too. Neither of them are foolish enough to sleep without locking it.

She pauses halfway in and turns back to me.

"No spying, Penny."

I frown. I wasn't going to spy. Just keep an eye on things in case something goes wrong and the need my help.

"I'm serious. Leave the door closed, and don't cast anything!"

"Fine. Just go." I wave her forward. "Before Baz wakes up."

I toy with the idea of casting sneak peek anyway, like I was planning. But if she doesn't want to be rescued from an angry unconfirmed vampire, that's her problem.

SIMON

Everything is bright and warm and there's a shape leaning over me. A tall, slim shape with hair I can feel falling around my face. I know it's Baz. It's always Baz, every time I've had this dream. I'm floating in the space between sleeping and waking where I know I'm dreaming but I can feel it might slip away at any moment. I'm trying desperately to hold on because everything is warm and light and wonderful and I want to stay like this forever. It always feels so good, this dream. This time it feels especially good—better than ever. This time there's kissing. There's been almost-kissing before, with Baz, in the dream. But I always wake up before the kissing starts. Not this time though, this time it's happening and I can't let this best of all best dreams slip away. Below the happy, loose, warm feeling I'm basking in right now I'm dimly aware that if I wake up, everything will turn hard and cold… and bad. I don't want that. I want to stay here where it's warm and kiss Baz's lips forever. I squeeze my eyes closed as tight as I can and try to burrow my way back into the heart of my dream.

"Baz," I breathe.

The kissing stops. That's not what was supposed to happen. "No. More. Come back, Baz." The figure retreats and the warm feeling disappears with it. The kissing is gone and I'm waking all the way up. I can't stop myself. Merlin. It was so good. I try one last time to bring it back, to hold on. "Baz."

This time there's an answer.

"Simon?"

It's the wrong voice. It sounds upset. And female.

"Simon!" It comes again. I know should recognize that voice.

I rub the sleep out of my eyes, putting off the inevitable as long as I can, then open them cautiously. There is a figure hovering over my bed. And it's not Baz. Not Baz at all. It's Agatha, who doesn't belong here in my room first thing in the morning. She doesn't belong in my dream full stop. That dream is private, it's just for me… and Baz, dream Baz, that is, and dream Baz's lips. Merlin I want them back. I want Baz's lips back. I want Baz's lips? Shit. No. What am I thinking? I'm fully awake now. No, no no! No I don't want anything about Baz, my evil, angry, vampire roommate… whose name I think I was just moaning in my sleep. Oh Merlin, Morgana ,and Methuselah. I have to get out of here!

I bolt out of bed, a little unsteady on my feet—my mind may be painfully awake but my body hasn't quite caught up yet. As I push past Agatha, I glance at the other bed, hoping simultaneously that Baz is looking at me with the longing still washing through me as the dream recedes, and also that he's dead asleep and hasn't noticed a thing. No such luck. On either count.

Baz is sitting up in his bed. His hair is sticking up in a way he would never let anyone see if he was properly awake, even though it looks good actually, in an anime kind of way.

"Snow?" He sounds groggy. Confused.

I slam the door behind me and hear him clear his throat.

"Wellbelove?" He sounds much sharper now, like he's regained his usual sangfroid. And he sounds angry.

But I don't stop to think. Penny's by my side, gripping my arm, gasping out questions as we pelt down the stairs of Mummers house together. I'm in such a stated I don't even realized I've missed my opportunity to find out how she gets in past the wards until we're heading over the drawbridge, me in a panic trying to put as much distance as possible between me and my room, Penny still shouting questions at me as we run.