Oliver

He woke up, bleary. The bed was warm next to him, and he reached across the mattress, looking for Tessa.

But no one was there.

All he felt was a few scraps of silk. Her robe. But then he opened his eyes, and he realized that he wasn't feeling her robe. He was feeling what was left of it. The smooth, soft jet black silk was ripped into shreds. Even the cool, draped hood was ripped clean off.

Tessa

Professor Dumbledore opened his mouth to explain, but before he could say anything, Oliver burst in, breathing hard. He was holding a mess of black cloth. "Tessa," he panted. "I've been looking every"- he looked around and stopped. "What happened?"

"He attacked Kate. That's exactly what I was trying to prevent by coming to you, but he came in anyway." Tessa said. "What's that?" She gestured to the cloth in his hand.

Oliver swore. "Oh, sorry, Professor," he apologized, looking at Dumbledore, who just waved him off amiably.

"And to answer your question," he said, and tipped the remains of her robe onto the foot of Kate's bed. Both girls gasped.

"Tess, that isn't your robe? The one that your grandma got you from Scotland?"

"Oh, no! I though I left it in your bed, Oliver!"

"You did. I woke up and it was like that. The bed was still warm." Oliver said grimly.

"So I had just gotten out of it."

"And you were sleeping on top of the robe."

"So that must mean that he came in the few minutes that I was gone and you were asleep."

Draco was watching their conversation like a tennis match, back and forth. Finally, he spoke up. "I just want to know that whoever hurt Kate is punish-" he began angrily.

At this, Professor McGonagall interrupted. "Mr. Wood, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Feire, I must say something. This has happened before."

"Wait, so you mean that periodically, random guys just keep showing up and stalking your students, and hurting some?" Kate asked.

"No," McGonagall said sternly, "I'll let Professor Dumbledore explain."

Dumbledore began. "This has happened once before, when I was in my first year in the post as Transfiguration teacher, and Professor Dippet was headmaster.

"It started when Allaine Feire, your great-great-great grandmother, in fact, was in her second year."

Tessa couldn't help herself. She interrupted. "So, this stalking thing runs in my family? Oh, sorry."

Dumbledore continued. "Apparently, there is a legend in your family, one that describes your descendants having been forced to promise their daughter, if she was the first born, to another family, the Ondels, I think they were, in marriage. The Ondels were a Danish family, and without the L at the end, it translates from Danish into "evil." It was quite fitting, really.

"Our theory is that their name started out as Onde, but over the years, it was changed into Ondel. Anyway, we have done some research on this, and we have discovered that since Allaine, you were the only first born daughter for the three generations between you two."

"So," Tessa said, the truth dawning on her, "these creeps still think that this promise holds? They want me to marry their weird little prince?"

"Exactly. And the Ondels were also known for their invention of the Anti-Disillusionment spell. It does the opposite of the Disillusionment charm, and makes the holder's face stand out so much that it is difficult to focus on them. That way, the holder is not invisible, but cannot be identified either. That is why you can see him, but he cannot be seen at the same time.

"This old family has been known to be quite violent," Dumbledore continued on. "They will hurt as many as much as they like to get what they want. So anyone you are close to can be hurt. Even you can be hurt."

"We've got to do something," Oliver said. "We can't just wait around for this guy to kidnap Tessa!"

"That's the thing. We can do nothing now. If he finds out that Miss Feire has told someone, he may take her sooner, or hurt her more. All we can do is wait."

"Wait for what!" Oliver exploded. "There's nothing we can do when he takes her, somewhere we have no idea what he's doing to her!"

Dumbledore was unfazed. "But we do know where he would take her. After Allaine, we were preparing for this to happen again. Professor Trelawney has kindly located the Ondel castle, Skremmende, for us. That is where she would be taken."

"What happened to Allaine?" Kate asked softly.

Dumbledore turned to her. "Allaine was killed. She escaped from Skremmende, graduated from Hogwarts, got married, and had a son and a daughter. Unfortunately, the past caught up with her. Her would-be Ondel husband murdered her one night," he sighed sadly.

"That's awful!" Tessa exclaimed, but quieted when she realized that Kate had abruptly fallen asleep right when Dumbledore had finished. Neary getting killed was very tiring. "I think I'll go," she whispered, and walked from the room, leaving a very worried Draco at Kate's bedside and Oliver still looking angry at Dumbledore. She walked slowly down the corridor, hearing the soles of her worn-out Converse tap on the stone floors. So, some creeper is coming after me because he wants to have a forced marriage. Just great. She continued, and found herself in the Owlery.

"Tessa!" She spun, and saw Oliver hurrying toward her.

"Oli-" she began, but was cut off as he enfolded her in a warm, wonderful embrace and slanted his mouth over hers.

Oliver

Oliver had no idea what possessed him to kiss Tessa. It just felt like the most natural thing to do, the only way to explain how much he cared for her, how much he hated the thought of letting her be taken to some weirdo's castle.

He heard the soft hooting of the owls above them, felt the recently risen sun, shining through the glass-less window. But most of all he felt Tessa, pressing closer to him, her arms coming up to circle his neck. Her lips parted, and he tasted her wonderful taste. Essence of Tessa.

He pulled away. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have done that."

He began to step away, but stopped when she grabbed his sleeve, hauled him back to her, set her hands on either side of his head, and pulled his lips back over hers. Her long fingers crept up to tangle in his unruly, dark brown hair.

Oliver made sure his hands were not wandering, only set firmly on her slim waist, and backed her up against the Owlery wall. He didn't want to push her farther than she liked.

But obviously, she liked this.

Her long, wavy ponytail brushed his fingers on her waist when she moved her head, getting a better angle.

At that moment, Oliver heard a gasp, and a muttered apology. Footsteps ran quickly away from the doorway.

He tore his mouth from Tessa's, looked at her flushed cheeks and full lips, and could barely control himself from taking her mouth once more. He had never noticed her lips before. They were so soft, full, and pink, like a movie star's, but she needed no enhancement. There was a small crescent moon shaped scar curving up on the left side of the bottom one.

"You had better have meant that kiss," Tessa said accusingly, but playfully, "Because the whole school knows now. Everybody would think it's weird if they know we've been making out and we're just acting like friends."

"Don't worry." Oliver was slightly out of breath. "I meant it."

"And," she said, a happy light coming into her eyes, "I'm going to need you as much more than just my boyfriend."

Oliver looked confused.

She laughed. "Your fan club! Do you know how many girls have been waiting to do what I just did? They'll be so jealous; I'll need you as a bodyguard!"

Tessa

Kate got out of the hospital wing that night. She still had bandages, but she could walk fine and was refusing Draco's constant offer of help. Tessa was glad that he was playing the worried boyfriend. Kate seemed like she needed it.

Tessa was lying on her bed, thinking about Oliver, when Kate walked slowly up the stairs. "Hey, Tess, what's up?"

"Oliver," Tessa sighed dreamily.

"Finally. I was wondering when you two would finally come to your senses. You guys are so obvious."

"Are we?" Tessa was alarmed.

"Well, you are when you're my best friend." Kate laughed as she sank into a chair. "Now spit it out."

Tessa grinned. "Well, I was just standing in the Owlery, thinking about what Professor Dumbledore said, and he came in, so I turned around, and he just kissed me."

"Like, bang? He just walked in there and was like, I kiss you?"

Tessa snickered at her best friend's antics. "Pretty much. But then he stopped and started to apologize-"

Kate groaned. "That idiot."

"And duh, I didn't want him to stop, so I pulled him back and kissed him back, and then we were, like"(she became overcome by the odd giggles that a girl only gets when they talk about boys) "making out, and someone came into the room."

Kate snorted, a thoroughly un-girl-like noise. "So that's why I saw that Gryffindor Lavender Brown looking so gleeful. She just saw you two snogging and had decided to tell the world!"

"No!" Tessa shrieked. "It was her? She's such a blabber!"

Kate started laughing so hard, tears started leaking out of the corners of her eyes and she held her mostly healed side while Tessa freaked out about the prospect of Lavender Brown telling the school about her relationship with Oliver.

Another girl from their year, Alison Terne, came up. "What's so funny?"

"Tess's got a boyfriend," Kate managed.

"Kate!" Tessa yelled at her while Ali shrieked excitedly.

"Ooooh! Who is it, Tess, who is it?"

"Oliver Wood," Kate cut in before Tessa could say anything.

"No, really," Ali said, "Everyone says they're his girlfriend."

"Yes, really," Tessa laughed. "We snogged today in the Owlery."

"What! I am so jealous!"

"Ha!" Kate said triumphantly. "I told you!"

Eventually, all the girls in Tessa's dorm knew about her and Oliver Wood. She received many, 'Congratulations,' and even more, 'Oh my god! I am so jealous!'s.

She snuggled up into her blankets, deciding not to think about her troubles until she saw Oliver again tomorrow. The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes was a face.

One she was unable to focus on.

Oliver

Oliver woke up the next morning, saw the snow outside, and decided to go out for a ride on his broom. He dressed in plain Muggle clothing (it was Sunday) and went into the common room. He heard a familiar voice outside, yelling in. "Oliver! I need to talk to you! Please!"

He opened up the portrait hole and saw yet another Ravenclaw 5th year in her pajamas. "Tess is missing," Kate panted. "The man took her."