Note: Set in Tracey's 6th Year, where Voldemort didn't exist.


Tracey couldn't believe her luck, or rather, the lack thereof. Upon requested by the Muggle Studies professor, a group of the students were going to attend a Muggle school for two weeks; their coverup story was a student research program that brought kids all over the world to different schools to observe the differences in the systems. Anyone who signed up for it would be provided with the right credentials to pass off as simply Muggles.

Of course, the project wasn't mandatory, but after the recent dealings (ahem, student attacks) with dark magic being associated with the Slytherin lot, some of them acted and proved otherwise by signing up for the assignment. Tracey being one of them.

They would go two weeks without their wand or doing anything remotely magical while they were in Muggle London, and the thought nearly broke Tracey's heart. She couldn't allow anyone to see her weak, however, so she steeled through it.

Initiations and introductions were easy enough considering only she, Granger, Flint, Weasley, and Chang were in the first group; the second would get their turn right afterwards.

After the initiations and introductions, they were given their schedules and sent on their way. After getting used to things after a day or two, Tracey honestly felt that she could make it through the rest of the two weeks. The school's schedule wasn't so bad; it was much more simpler in Tracey's case rather than the courses they took in Hogwarts. Except the chemistry course was downplaying any magical occurrences; she was closed to attempting wandless magic to bust a flask full of chemicals on the professor.

It was a class that she had every morning, and Tracey couldn't stand it. However, when word got out that there was going to be blood donation truck (something she learned about from a fellow classmate), she had to take it. It'd be her only way of being excused out of that blasted chemistry course at least for one day.

The thought that her blood would be worthy, Tracey made her way to the truck as soon as she could when the next day had arrived. The chance to skip Chemistry was finally at her reach.

As she entered the truck, she noticed a boy already there. He was slightly hunched over, looking more relaxed than she thought any Muggle would for donating blood. His hair was short and jet-black, contrasting with his grey eyes.

Tracey found herself intrigued, forgetting the small fact that she was staring. That is, until he broke the spell by opening his mouth.

"You getting out of Chemistry too?" he asked casually, leaning back when the nurse came back with a needle.

Tracey debated on whether she should answer him or not, but she didn't have much of a reason not to.

"You're in my chemistry course?" Tracey replied, trying to comb through her mind as to why she hadn't noticed him before and attempting to steer the question away without answering.

He grinned at her after the needle had been inserted in his arms with the blood bag. "I normally sit in the back row, when I actually attend."

Tracey nodded absentmindedly. She knew all too well about keeping her back away from anyone, but it didn't explain why she couldn't notice him.

"I keep to myself, Love, and I keep quiet. You'd only notice me if I wanted you to," he stated, somehow reading her mind.

Tracey would have folded her arms had she not been urged to one of the seats, so she'd be connected to the blood bags.

"What's your name, anyway?" Tracey asked.

"Dante," he answered with a grin. "Dante Atoly. A pleasure, Tracey."

She would have been more on edge had they not already come to the revelation they were in a course together. It was almost comical that they actually meet when they're trying to avoid the same class. Tracey winced when the needle was inserted in her arm, but she gritted her teeth when she felt the blood leaving her system.

Whoever would receive it better be damn happy she was doing this.

Dante had kept his eyes on her the whole time; she could feel it. "Do you always donate when the truck arrives?" Tracey questioned, turning her head around so their eyes could meet. She didn't plan on being first to backing down from the staredown.

A smirk played on Dante's face. "When you want to avert one of your classes, this is the best way to do it," he said.

"That doesn't actually answer my question."

"Yet you didn't answer mine earlier."

Tracey knew that she had couldn't argue the point if she wanted to remain coy and cheeky, so she let it go. Instead, she simply smiled and waited for the blood to fill the bags. Once it had, Tracey did as the nurses instructed and sat down for a few minutes, so she wouldn't walk away dizzy.

The thought of passing out so she could avoid another course was tempting, on the other hand, being seen in such an unappealing matter was not one of Tracey's choices. So she sat there, watching as other students arrived inside the truck.

Dante moved past Tracey, giving her a sly wink before leaving the truck without another word. It left Tracey with questions before she'd leave the truck herself. How couldn't she see him before? Why did he leave after her if she had come after he did? Would she see him anytime after this? What would she do if somehow, she became involved with the Muggle, despite her being a witch? Was it safe for her to even consider the idea?

Tracey didn't have any of those answers, but at least she had the rest of the two weeks to figure them out.


A/N: Written for HSWW (Challenges and Assignments)

Assignment #10 Muggle Studies Task 1 - write about a magical person attending a muggle school

National Photography Month: Candid Photography - Write about a wizard doing 'muggle' things. Cannot be in a Muggle!AU, and cannot be a muggleborn.

Insane House Challenge: Scenario - School/College/Uni - We're both donating blood in the blood donation van in the quad to get out of the same class - Angel

Word Count: 971