Takes place before the anniversary ball. Obviously.


"You smell strange."

Medusa glared at Stein. "Is that your idea of civil conversation?"

"It's familiar, almost. I want to say… blood?"

The look in his eyes almost made her stumble over her ready answer: "Considering the state some of the students come back in, I hardly think that's surprising."

"But that's not it. Is it, Nurse Medusa?" His leer grew. "Because it's not quite blood I smell. There's something a bit off about it. It smells unnatural somehow."

As she fought to hide the chill running down her back, a look of boyish teasing replaced his leer.

"It's nice."