DISCLAIMER: Most of the characters and the universe this story is set in are from Gossip Girl.

"Dan, what are you doing?" Jenny asks him in hushed urgency.

"What does it look like?"

There's sound of pen scratching paper next to her. Jenny rolls her eyes, looking around and waiting for other people to notice. "I can't believe you're writing this down," she whispers, irritated.

"It was an amazing line; could be inspirational for a story someday."

"Couldn't you just wait to get home and check, I don't know, IMDb for it? Oh, wait, even better; there are these things called cellphones, Dan, and you can use them to – look, magic! – it records things!"

"You're drawing more attention with your phone than I was with my notes," he chuckles as silently as he can, putting the small item back in his pocket, satisfied. "Now, shush! You're missing the movie. And hogging the popcorn," he adds, looking back at the screen.

"Tell me again why I accepted to come see this movie with you," she huffs, silently amazed that Dan could've copied that much information so fast.

"Hugh Jackman. And Christian Bale. I think."

"Right. You wanted to watch it because you like magic, not because Scarlett Johansson's in it."

"Rebecca Hall's hotter."

"Dan."

"She's a different kind of hot. You wouldn't understand."

"Says the dude that has to bring his sister to the movies because he doesn't have a date," she whispers, which earns her a slight shove.

They both smile, mouths full of popcorn.

A Humphrey's movie night is always entertaining.

Several miles from the movie theater a different kind of magic is on display, as a delicately dressed girl enters her bedroom with phone in hand, shutting the door behind her. She's having her patience tested, and so far Blair Waldorf is amazed she held her tone this polite for so long.

"Could you, please, stop shrilling like a chihuahua, Penelope?" Blair demands for what feels like the eleventh time since that phone call began. "Being called 'Queen Bitch' on occasion does not mean I'm versed in dog-speak."

The other end of the line is suddenly mute. Blair sighs. "Go on."

"You don't understand, Blair…"

"Clearly." Blair's parents never had to take a call from Constance's teachers about her lack of school progress. And as long as she had a say in it, they never would.

"You should have seen the look on my mother's face. She was furious! Not all the Botox in the world hides that kind of expression."

"Honestly, I'm just surprised that they didn't see this coming," Blair adds, setting her headband down to let her curls slightly looser. "You've always had average grades – what's more, you don't seem to care about it. I always assumed your parents adopted a similar posture."

At the other end of the call, Penelope's eyes are barely visible slits. It takes all the strength in her body not to tell Princess Waldorf a few truths.

"And I fail to see why you're making such a big deal about this, Penelope. Tutelage isn't torture. Not legally, at least. What do you want from me?"

"I want what you always have better than everyone else's."

"I don't see how borrowing my dresses would help you. Well, I do, but not particularly in this case."

"I meant information."

"Oh." Blair has to admit that it was a nice compliment; because of it, she decides to go the extra mile and end this conversation nicely. "What kind of information?"

"Abernathy assigned me this guy I never even heard of to tutor me." Penelope pauses to check a note written in what appears to be molten fury – her mother's handwriting. "Who the hell is Dan Humphrey?"

And then, something Blair Waldorf isn't familiarized with happens: she's caught off guard.

Who?

Dan and Jenny enter the family loft and find it empty.

"He did say he'd be a little late tonight," she reasons, dropping her bag.

He always does when Mom calls, Dan thinks, but nods with what passes for an understanding grin. No one is discussing the "Mother" issue and Dan knows it's best to keep it like that – at least until anyone actually knows what to say.

"I'll just text him so he knows we're home," Dan says. "You've been quiet; didn't you like the movie? I promise we can choose something chick-flicky next time."

Jenny laughs. "You make it sound as if you don't like those."

"Ha. Ha."

"No, there was nothing wrong with it. Just kind of makes you think."

"Should I get you a deck of cards, a top hat and a white bunny?" he teases.

"A white bunny with a top hat would be nice," she muses happily, "but I meant 'think' about passion. How much people are truly willing to sacrifice to get what they want – or where they want to be."

"For the last time, Waldorf, a devil's three-way is completely off the table."

"Ew. Ew. And Ew. Do you even listen to yourself when you say these things, Chuck?"

"It keeps things fresh," he laughs.

"Not when you use them as substitutes for a simple 'hello'," she quips, adding an extra note of aristocracy at the end.

"Prude."

"Whore."

He pauses for a little while, nodding. "Touché. How can I be of service this fine evening? Nathaniel's not here, if that's what you need."

"Do you happen to know a Dan Humphrey?"

"Who?"

Blair sighs. Figures. If it's not a harlot's name, why bother, eh Chuck? "Penelope's been assigned a tutor for Literature –"

"– I'm surprised it's just for Literature –"

"– and since we didn't know who he was I thought I'd ask you about him."

"Did you try Gossip Girl?"

"Of course."

"And?"

"Nada."

Chuck lets out a low whistle. "Then he simply doesn't exist in our circles. They must've given her a wrong name."

"Well, Penelope's mother wrote it down. It's entirely possible," she nods.

"Evil."

"Professionals have standards," she quips. "Well, Penelope's probably still hyperventilating, so I'll give her another call and calm her down. Tomorrow I'll ask Abernathy to tutor her myself."

"No one's more suited for the task."

"No point in flattering me, Bass," Blair laughs.

"Too true. And I see this lovely thing walking to the bar that would be much more appreciative of my –"

"I'm hanging up now."

Dan's bedroom welcomes him like a long lost friend. He sits down, reading over the words that drew him so profoundly at the beginning of the movie.

There's definitely a story in here. Somewhere.

"But not tonight," he says, finding his way to bed. He keeps his earphones on for a while, Coltrane's "Body and Soul" easing his body into the night as his eyes slowly close.

As Dan's falling asleep, Blair's phone rings .

"B?"

"S!" and Blair's tone is completely different, even if only from that spark of a single letter. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, just finding the perfect dress for you to wear at the Shepherd wedding," her friend almost sings. "You'll look perfect!"

Blair giggles, molding the sheets around her like a delighted child. That's Serena for you. "It's just another wedding, Serena. We went to at least a dozen of those just this season."

They continue to chat animatedly. Daniel frowns lightly in his sleep. And everywhere you look, this is just another New York night.

"Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge".
The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man.
He shows you this object.
Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal.

But of course... it probably isn't."

AUTHOR NOTE: I apologize in advance if there's some confusion during the reading – the changing from one scene to another helped me establish how things happened (at least in my head). Thank you for taking the time to read this, and special thanks to everyone who reviewed, gave this a favorite or a follow.

Dan wrote down an early quote from "The Prestige", if that's not clear by now. And no, the quote does not end there. *hints*

Have a great Sunday.