Mina, you idiot.

You felt something for her. Something new. Something that confused and scared you and you just couldn't handle it, could you? So you channelled that fear into anger so that you felt in control. All you needed was something to be mad at and in this state, just about anything would do it; Gabe just happened to be there. You knew her (yes, her - obviously her) weakness and because you were angry, you exploited it to utterly destroy her.

She'd been in bed for a few hours now, but unable to sleep. Everything around her reminded her of Gabe; she'd arranged her limited cosmetics in height order and a pile of bookmarked volumes lay at the foot of the bed. The sheets even smelled like her.

Mina's anger had long ago melted into guilt, but her stubbornness had so far prevented her from apologising. Or at least it had until she heard the sound of a creaking door coming from the common room.

She wrapped a robe around herself and dashed up the stairs, her bare feet slapping against the cold stone until they sunk into the thick, luxurious carpet of the landing.

But Gabe was nowhere in sight. The creaking door had just been Blakeney coming back late- probably trying to steal firewhiskey again. He shot a rude gesture at her. She expected a little more abuse from him, but he was clearly tired. As such, he slunk down into the boys' dorms.

Mina didn't know why she'd even looked for him up here. There wasn't a door to the lower dungeons, so the creaking couldn't have been Gabe in the first place. She just desperately needed to see her again. To say sorry.

Where could she be? If her outburst caused Gabe that much distress, there would be no way she'd willingly go back into a male-only dorm, and she was fairly certain she hadn't heard the common room door open. So Gabe must be where she left her, in the complex of dungeons below them.

But she wasn't there anymore. Maybe she was further down, behind a multitude of twists and turns. After all, Gabe knew these tunnels a lot better than she did, possibly better than anyone. She could spend years down here looking for her.

And, if it took that long, she would.

She ventured further down to the lower levels, her feet picking up fractions of the slime and dirt she'd tracked on it when she ascended them a few hours ago. Any moment now, she'd be so far into the eerie darkness that she'd have to find her way by the squelching sounds her feet made.

Lumos. The spell cast a meagre light over the walls, revealing a series of tapestries, each depicting a famous Slytherin practising an act of magical might, and also, rather more surprisingly, a sleeping Atticus.

How did that happen? Mina cast her mind back to their last conversation; they'd had something of a shouting match after Gabe had been gusted away. It was a shouting match she'd won, if 'winning' was shouting long after the other had stopped. Of course, when your only options were angry shouting or breaking down into tears, you didn't have much of a choice but to keep going.

She'd schooled him –with volume- on everything Gabe had taught her, explaining forcefully and without pause the situation and why Gabe had every right to call herself a girl (the main one being because Gabe was one) until eventually her lungs needed a break.

Atticus had been quiet for a while then. A slytherin was loathe to admit defeat, even if his eyes betrayed his regret. By the looks of it, a 'sorry' was very nearly on his lips, but he'd ferreted away before Mina had a chance to start round two.

He must have come back to apologise in private. Mina couldn't be sure how long ago- it must have been after the ten minute huffing/weeping session she'd had once she was sure she was alone. And now here he was, waiting. Waiting for so long he'd fallen asleep on the cold hard steps.

You could say a lot about Slytherins, and many did. They said they were bigoted, pompous, greedy, vain, evil, and probably every other insult under the sun, but even their staunchest critics had to admit they were loyal to the people they cared about. Hell, Atticus was, and he'd only known who Gabe really was for a few hours.

And so was Mina. Over the years Gabe had become like family to her- more than family. God I hate my family. But she was precious to Mina. She'd face a basilisk for that girl.

She steeled herself and stepped further down the tunnels, trying, where possible to avoid the puddles of muck that deviated across the floor. With every echoey footfall, the light of her wand grew further away from Atticus, until eventually he was hidden from sight by shadows.

There is a popular legend in Hogwarts that Godric Gryffindor will lend his strength to a true Gryffindor in a time of need. Some say this is largely metaphorical or spiritual, whereas others believe this to refer to his legendary sword. Slytherins, by their very nature, belong to neither side. A true Slytherin, they hold, has the ambition and the ability to fight their way out of any predicament they find themselves in.

Slytherins didn't admit defeat and rarely ever admitted they were wrong, but if there was a score to settle or a wrong to be righted, they'd battle until they were satisfied and all debts were paid.

And so Mina trooped through the tunnels and crept through the crawlspace, questing through the dark even as daylight came back to the world above. She criss-crossed through the sewer network, which sprawled around her in every direction, taunting her with its infinities. Here and there, she set up a tripwire jinx, so she'd know if Gabe had snuck back while she was looking elsewhere, but even though she checked her wand ritually, not a one had been set off.

She could feel her eyelids beginning to droop and her legs beginning to complain beneath her when she heard a sloshing sound coming from behind her. Mina reacted optimistically, spinning around in the hopes of seeing Gabe again. But alas, once again it was Atticus.

Suddenly enraged, she lashed out with a few choice hexes. The first missed by an inch and Atticus threw up a shield charm to block the second. A third had nearly left her wand when she heard Atticus call for a truce.

Reluctantly, she lowered her wand and let him approach. Rage still pumped through her, but she subdued it beneath a layer of logic. He'd come to apologise, surely? And if he hadn't, she wasn't above jabbing him in the ribs with her wand.

"Hey" Atticus exhaled. "Do you know where Gabe is?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because I owe hi- her an apology."

"Damn right you do."

"So where is she?"

"Still not telling you."

"You don't know either, do you?"

"Of course I know where she is. That's why I'm stumbling through the dungeons this late at night. We're playing hide and seek."

"Late at night? No, Mina, it's morning. You've been here all night?"

"Well so have you. I saw you sleeping over there."

"You saw that, huh?"

"You suck your thumb in your sleep." She lied.

"I'm not really in a position to say if that's true or not. But if you've been up all night, you should really have some tea or coffee or something. There's still an hour before lessons start."

"But what about Gabe?"

"She probably needs some time alone to think. She'll come back when she's ready."

"Yeah. That makes sense."

"You don't need to worry about her. Did you see her in the quidditch trials? She can handle herself."

Mina cringed. That had been her. All the same, it was the right sentiment in his words. Gabe was a Slytherin, after all. She'd come back when she was ready and she'd know where to find Mina when she did.

"So breakfast?" Mina asked.

"Yeah," came the reply. "You'll need to show me the way back, though. I lost my bearings somewhat when I fell asleep."

"It's alright. I know the way." Mina yawned.

With a groggy determination, Mina lit her wand and led the way back to the common room.