That afternoon, Ada and Charlotte stormed into the Slytherin Common Room, furious that Hattie never arrived at the Hospital Wing. When they went to check on her during lunch, Madame Loraine was beside herself that Hattie escaped without an official release notice.

Tom glanced up from his book and dropped it safely in his bag. Ada and Charlotte stopped and stared at the unusual sight. A smile tugged at Tom's lips as he stood, dragging his arm leisurely across Hattie's back as he went. She looked up at him questioningly as he grabbed her fingers like he was going to kiss her hand. They lingered near his lips momentarily until he dropped it with nothing but a nod as he turned away from the three women.

The room was overwrought with uncomfortable silence as Tom headed towards the boys dormitory. Nobody dared speak before they were certain they were alone.

"You're lying to us," Charlotte stepped in front of Ada. Her face twisted with discontent. "You're seeing Tom."

"I wouldn't quite say that," Hattie said. In all honestly, her twisted relationship with Riddle was something she wasn't positive needed a definition. It wasn't real, thus needed no explanation.

And if Hattie understood Tom half as well as she believed she did, he wasn't taking part in whatever it was they were doing with no reason.

"We hadn't exactly solidified whatever it was we were doing." Hattie reasoned, hoping to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"So not only are you sneaking around with Riddle after you promised us you weren't," Ada started. "You're also avoiding necessary medical treatment - again."

"I'm not -,"Hattie began but was promptly cut off by Ada's raised hand. As long as she dragged Ada and Charlotte away from the topic of Tom, she could handle anything they threw at her.

"You are," Ada said, unwilling to take any more misinformation. "This isn't about your mother anymore, is it?"

Straight to the point as Ada always was.

Hattie took a quick step back, shaken by the sudden declaration. In a sense, Ada was correct. It wasn't just about her mother anymore. It grew so much larger in the past month and was getting difficult to contain. Simpler times lay behind. Hattie was no longer in control of her situation.

"Not entirely," Hattie looked right in Ada's gaze, hoping for anger but instead found an acute sadness she hadn't seen since the term after Hattie's mother passed.

"What's really going on?" Charlotte looked down to the floor and dug her foot into the green and silver rug, pushing it out of place. "I'm not okay finding out you suddenly died one night."

"I'm not dying," Hattie's voice cracked and she wished she could say it with more conviction. A lump in her throat formed considering what her odd illness was doing to her body. Truthfully, she had no clue whether or not she was dying. It was best in her mind not to think about it. Just like her real age. She would ignore it until she couldn't anymore. "Nobody will die under the school's watch. I'm perfectly safe."

"Well your frequent overnights at the Hospital Wing make me a little concerned it's more serious than anything fixed with a Pepperup Potion," Ada sighed and ran her hands over her eyes. "While you were cozy with Tom at the Hospital Wing this morning, his friends cornered us and mentioned some things that concerned us."

Hattie's stomach lurched. What could Tom's goons possibly have said to them? And that's why Tom was being so comforting today. He was distracting her to create an opportunity for his lackeys to confront Charlotte and Ada. Tom wanted information and was using every fathomable means of getting it. Of course he was. Disgust crept up in Hattie's stomach with herself and with Tom as well. She should have known.

"What did those brainless oafs do?" Hattie shoved past Ada and Charlotte, tearing her wand from her robes. "Where are they? I'm going to hex them into next week. And Riddle, that manipulative prat. I'm going to do unspeakable things to him."

A myriad of hexes floated through her mind. Hattie took a moment to consider the most appropriate in this situation and where she could do it to go unnoticed by the staff, or God forbid, another prefect.

Charlotte grabbed Hattie before she could escape the Common Room. Tears dripped down her pale face and Hattie's heart stalled to a slow, reverberating thud. What in Merlin's name had those idiots done to them?

"Tell me," Hattie commanded as her friends led them up the stairs to their dormitory for a little more privacy as students started filing inside for the remainder of their lunch hour. It was a good thing too because Tom stood out of view on the boys staircase, listening to the entirety of their conversation.


That Morning

Ada and Charlotte sat in their dormitory. Neither had seen Hattie in over twenty four hours. She usually returned by midnight on Sundays and Charlotte was always awake waiting for her, even if Hattie was unaware.

Midnight came quickly and left even quicker. Charlotte sat in bed, fiddling with her wand until about one.

Wrapping herself in her fluffy robe, she padded down to the Common Room, not caring if Hattie found her up waiting.

The only sound heard that hour was the sloshing of the lake and the crackling of the dying fire. Charlotte stared into space, willing herself to remain awake.

School wasn't going well for her this term. Something about the O.W.L.S was throwing her off and the extra hours of studying were doing little to remedy it.

It had been difficult since Mrs. Selwyn's death. Hattie was moody, secretive, and unpredictable. Ada was good at dealing with the emotional side but it left Charlotte dealing with everything else. Like making sure Hattie ate at least a few times a week or taking care of her when she refused to go to the Hospital Wing after a weird bout of illness.

Then there was the matter of Andrew. Charlotte was positive Ada was blind to the conversations her parents were having with her own. There wasn't anything wrong with Andrew, but he never seemed interested in her other than her role as his sister's friend. It didn't seem appropriate to talk with Ada or Hattie about it. Especially not if Hattie was reverting back into her self-destructive phase. And certainly not with Ada's volatile situation with Avery.

By two that morning, Charlotte was melting down and woke Ada, flushed from bounding up the stairs. After a few choice words, the pair waited in the Common Room in silent camaraderie.

Hattie didn't return.

Ada picked at her nails, ignoring Charlotte's incessant pacing. Hours passed before she sat down once more. Everything swirled in Charlotte's head and if she didn't move, she would break down to Ada and confess everything.

At six, the budding morning light refracted through the murky water, casting a warm, flowing glow on the room. The pair drifted in and out of sleep on the emerald couches until awoken by Tom striding confidently across the room and into the hall.

By eight, Hattie hadn't resurfaced and Charlotte was beside herself with worry.

"What if she's sick or injured or dead?" Charlotte circled the Common Room over and over again, pulling desperately at the ends of her flyaway hair. "She could be alone and do something she'll regret. What if she rips the Owlry apart - again? What if she's sitting in the freezing lake - again?"

"We don't know that, Charlotte," Ada slurred. Her stomach rolled with exhaustion pains. "Maybe she fell asleep in the library?" How Charlotte was able to comprehend her at all was unfathomable. She barely recognized the cracking and slurring of her voice in her exhausted state.

Charlotte palmed tears from her eyes. Whether it was losing Hattie or the pressure of everything else in her life, she didn't know.

"We'll find her," Ada rolled from her couch and stumbled toward Charlotte, cupping her cheeks and sharing a reassuring smile. "Don't you think we'd know if she was in danger?" Ada despised lying to Charlotte, but if she fell apart, there wouldn't be any way of talking sense into her.

"Let's find her," The determination in her voice wavered as she looked around hopelessly one final time, wishing Hattie had suddenly joined them in the room.

They grabbed their supplies, and Hattie's, for the day and quickly dressed before running out of the Common Room. Their look certainly wasn't up to Ada's standards but she lacked any motivation to rectify it.


The pair checked Hattie's standard haunts. The library was empty, the Owlry vacant, and the lake rippled, undisturbed in the early morning light.

"Maybe she went to breakfast," Ada rubbed Charlotte's back. She was getting hysterical again. The worse she would become the longer they went without Hattie.

They burst into the Great Hall and quickly realized Hattie wasn't present. The Slytherins eyed them suspiciously as they craned their neck to search. Many turned subtly towards Ada and Charlotte to listen to their conversation should they have one.

Ada cursed under her breath like the lady she was and grabbed Charlotte to stand guard outside. They might be able to catch Hattie if she came in, Ada reasoned with herself.

With a final look back into the Great Hall, Ada noticed one other concerning thing. Tom was absent as well. Ada sighed and crossed her arms, donning a vicious scowl, daring anybody to speak with her.

"Ms. Prewett," Cantankerous Nott stepped in front of them and smiled down at Charlotte. She blushed and looked down at her feet. "Do you have a moment?"

Nott was a tall and slightly gangly boy, often obscured by such imposing figures as Riddle and Malfoy who naturally dragged attention towards themselves. Charlotte blinked quickly and gave Ada's arm a squeeze, waiting for agreement.

Ada gave her a weak smile.

Nott had taken interest in Charlotte since the end of last term and Ada had yet to decide how she felt about him. Forgetting his presence in a room was common and she made a note to pay closer attention. Especially considering Charlotte seemed mildly interested. He certainly seemed better than Julius, at least.

Charlotte and Nott disappeared around the corner. Ada leaned casually against the wall and picked at her nails, subtly looking up for any sign of Hattie and Tom.


After nearly fifteen minutes, Charlotte hadn't returned and a pang of uncertainty struck Ada in her sleep deprived state. Perhaps it hadn't been wise to let Nott lead Charlotte to an undisclosed location. Charlotte was overly trusting and had the horrible habit of giving everybody the benefit of the doubt ten times over. It burned her before and Ada suddenly felt like her stomach had dropped to the floor.

Something wasn't right.

Ada moved leisurely down the hall as not to attract any unnecessary attention. She ambled, looking around at the portraits who gave her odd glances in return.

Around the corner, Charlotte's hands flailed and Nott raised his hands, surrendering to her yells. And she was certainly yelling. Her voice echoed through the hall and a few students turned their heads to listen as they scurried by.

"What the bloody hell's going on here?" Ada raised her voice to capture their attention and took a protective step in front of Charlotte to put a barrier between her and Nott.

"What are you three doing?" Malfoy and a pack of older Slytherins walked towards them.

"I was asking Ms. Prewett about a personal matter," Nott took a step back to accommodate the other Slytherins slipping in. They formed a half circle around Charlotte and Ada, who immediately reached for her wand. She snapped her eyes down to see that Charlotte had not.

"You also asked about Hattie," Charlotte corrected.

"What about Hattie?" Ada growled. She had learned long ago that the way to get what you wanted out of these boys was to make it sound like you were challenging them, daring them to tell you. It was honestly pathetic that none of them could have a mature conversation, except Tom of course; He was always temperate, pleasant even.

"We've noticed she wanders around and lands places she shouldn't be after hours," Avery inclined his head towards Ada, speaking directly to her. "Why is she always coming back so late?"

"That doesn't sound very prefect-like to me," A menacing sixth year pushed his way to the front of the crowd and Ada's blood chilled. When had he joined their little crew?

She wasn't afraid of many people but there was something about this man that made her back tighten and body burn to run. Whispers in the halls had crafted an unfavorable picture of him: Ruthless, wealthy, intelligent, and dangerous. And Ada was really only fond of three of those things in her men.

"Not your problem, Lestrange," Ada's grip on her wand tightened at her side. She held it slightly behind her back, hoping the boys hadn't noticed her pull it. "I'm happy to see they finally let you into their little group. God knows you've been wanting it long enough."

"Adalina," Lestrange drawled. Inciting her full name to get exactly the reaction he wanted. He pushed his tongue into his cheek, thinking. "As mouthy as ever, I'm happy to see."

The boys looked around the empty hallway before moving closer. Ada and Charlotte were practically scraping against the wall. Charlotte more so because Ada was still holding her out of reach from Nott who had dropped his head towards the ground.

Ada couldn't recall seeing much of Lestrange this year. He'd gotten taller, so much so he was the largest in the group. His dark hair mirrored her own but it infuriated her that he looked much more put together than she did at the moment. There should never be a reason to give anybody that kind of advantage over you.

Lestrange and Ada were focused solely on one another. Teeth gritted, they looked like angry dogs. The rest of the group seemed momentarily interested in the silent conversation happening but moved on soon enough.

"Selwyn's spending quite a bit of time with Tom," Malfoy's eyes fell down on Ada's wand and he instinctively reached for his own. "We're just interested. Especially considering the rumors around the school these past months. Would you know anything about that?"

"What are you insinuating, Malfoy?" Knowing perfectly well what he was insinuating. Ada wrapped her free arm around Charlotte's and dragged her to the side to escape the concave. Malfoy stepped in their way and frowned down at their pathetic escape attempt..

"We're just thinking there's something more happening here," Malfoy moved aside and held his arm out dramatically, indicating they were free to pass. "And if it is, and you're hiding it, you're helping her break the rules."

"Well then, Tom is too," Ada returned to eyeing Lestrange's every move, even though she snapped at Malfoy. "Maybe you should go interrogate him."

"Do you know where Hattie is right now?" Charlotte popped her head over Ada's shoulder and looked directly at Nott, knowing he was the only one who might consider answering.

"With Tom," Nott responded with a quick look up at Charlotte.

"I hope you all get your head bashed in with bludgers next Quidditch match," Ada waved them away. The sleepless night was wearing on her. For a split second she considered abandoning her classes to sleep the remainder of the day away. But Hattie was still somewhere with Tom and she needed to understand what was going on.

Avery reached his hand toward Ada as his friends turned to leave and she smacked it away. He jerked it in to nurse the red mark forming on his fingers.

"Get your sleazy arse out of here," Ada pointed her wand between Avery's eyes and flicked it. Brilliant blue sparks cascaded down his face, singing his robes. "For the hundredth time, I don't want anything to do with you."

"So desperate, Julius," Lestrange chided. He pulled Ada's free hand up and expertly grazed his lips against her knuckles. Ada's mouth fell open as he winked at her. "Can't you tell she isn't interested?" He turned to Julius, who had no answer in return, and smiled.

"Leave him alone, Lestrange," Malfoy warned.

Julius' face went bright red and he hurriedly walked away from the group.

Charlotte and Ada took their opportunity and bolted from the bickering boys. They teetered towards Divination in silence. Part shock and part fatigued.

"I'm going to murder them in their sleep," Ada whispered to a shell-shocked Charlotte as they arrived in class. "What did Nott say to you?"

"Nothing of importance," Charlotte looked straight ahead until Hattie and Tom entered the class a few minutes later. Then, and only then, she dropped her eyes and choked back tears.


The dormitory was momentarily silent as Charlotte and Ada finished telling Hattie their tale.

"Charlotte," Hattie pulled her into a hug and felt warm tears dripping down her cheek. "I'm so sorry. Tom came to me. Not the other way around. I'm going to rearrange every bone in his body."

"Don't bother," Charlotte said. "Just tell us what's going on. As ridiculous as that lot is, I think they're onto something. We need to know. We can't keep fearing you're lying dead somewhere."

Hattie pulled away and held her hands on Charlotte's shoulder. She oozed sincerity and it was crushing knowing Hattie had to hurt her further.

"I can't, I'm sorry," Hattie whispered and lightly pushed Charlotte away before crawling into her four poster, intent on skipping the rest of the day's classes.