read for notes at the end!

She could hear talking at the bottom of the stairs, the girls and boys were all speaking animatedly. Mila drew an excited breath, and started descending the stairs.

The first person whose eye she caught was Harry's. He'd been grinning at something Ginny said, and when he'd noticed Mila he looked like he'd been punched in the gut. The wind was knocked out of him.

He wasn't the only one. "Holy-" Seamus started to say, before Ron elbowed him to stop when he noticed Lavender's eyes narrow.

Mila gave Harry a warm smile, and searched the room to find the eyes of another boy. He was a little sidelined in the group, he'd probably been overwhelmed when they were all greeting each other.

His eyes didn't leave her as she made her way to him. Ginny gave her arm a squeeze as she walked pass to see Draco. Mila chucked a wink her way, and continued over to her date.

When she stopped in front of him, she spoke. "Hi."

He didn't say anything. He blinked at her a few times, and tried clearing his throat. Then he blinked again.

She took in his appearance. It was what any upstanding young wizard from a rich family would be wearing. Black wizard robes, white dress shirt, black tie. It made the cool tones in his skin stand out, the opposite to the warm tones in Mila.

Hermione, herself, was studying the pair of them. They were quite a sight, standing next to each other. Everything about them contradicted the other, but they were stunning, and they looked at each other in a way Hermione had never seen Mila or Draco look at anyone else.

Hermione also thought that Mila and Draco should have a moment on their own. Mila hadn't thanked him for the dress, and Draco didn't look like he could walk anytime soon.

"Let's head down guys, we'll let Mila catch Draco up on the plan."

She rounded the others up to leave, and Mila said a quick goodbye to everyone. She mouthed a thank you to Hermione.

Mila laughed and waved as they left, and when it was just her and Draco, she turned her attention back to him.

"Mr Malfoy, I must say, you look almost handsome in those robes."

He swallowed. "Lovett, you look…"

"Better than I would have in those blue rags. I suppose I should thank you for that."

"For what?" He was lost in a moment of confusion.

Was he playing a joke? Or had someone else bought her this dress. If it wasn't Draco then… Harry. It must have been Harry.

"Nothing," she smiled. "Now come on, do you wanna get to this thing or not?"

"Wait, Mila." His faze grew anxious. "I know you said not to buy you anything. Ever. And I heard you loud and clear, but-"

He pulled a box out of the interior of his robes. "Here."

She gave him one of those dazzling smiles that would have taken his breath away if he'd actually gotten it back yet. She took the box from him.

"I suppose I could make an exception."

She opened the box and inside was a gold bracelet. It wasn't too much, simple and dainty.

"Draco, you didn't have to-"

"No, I wanted you to realise that not every piece of jewellery is life changing," he joked. Then he gestured to the locket around her neck, "But I guess you already figured it out."

She gave him a knowing grin, and held out the box to him. "Well, put it on me then."

If she thought he looked happy already, he practically glowed at her request. Imagine being the girl who could make Malfoy feel that way. It would take some getting used to.

"You're a pretty good date, Malfoy."

He face was one of concentration as he clasped the bracelet around her wrist. He then wrapped her arm through his.

In a rare moment of vulnerability, he just felt like being honest. "Well, I've been thinking about this for a long time."

She stared into his face, her astonishment at how much Draco had changed was immense. She spoke wistfully, shaking her head in thought. "It just seems like so long ago that I set your desk on fire."

Draco huffed. "You always know how to ruin a moment, Lovett."

She laughed. "Let's go, Casanova."

Draco walked arm in arm with her the whole way to the hall. There were a few odd looks from passersby, but it did not prepare either of them for the bewilderment of the ball patrons when they entered.

Mila knew instantly that they were the topic of conversation as they walked in. She was fairly used to it. Draco was not.

She placed her other hand on their entwined arms. "Let's go find the others."

The grand hall was unrecognisable. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of floating lights, a chandelier, tables of food on the outskirts, and a live band that Mila did not have much knowledge of. She was pretty sure she'd heard Lupin mention them one time, he used to listen to them when he was at school.

Draco spotted Harry, and led Mila to the group. The stares and whispers were a bit much for him, but he suspected half of them were about the way Mila looked that night. He had never felt prouder about a girl on his arm. She was easily the most beautiful thing in sight.

He glanced at her face as she ignored the stares. She'd always been the bravest person he'd ever known.

When they found her friends, Mila said hello Neville and Luna who had joined them.

"Luna, you look lovely!" she said, as she hugged the blonde. Her dress was pink and rather… extravagant. Neville looked very much like a man in love.

"Hi, Mila," Luna said, "And hello, Draco. Neville told me you were going together. I must say I find it rather strange, but gemini's and leo's are very compatible. Your relationship must be very playful."

Draco just about choked, but Mila was laughing. "Thanks, Luna."

Ron and Hermione were already on the dance floor, the last people she would have expected to start the night off. But they looked very cute as Ron swung her around the ball room.

Mila turned to Harry. "I'm surprised Ginny hasn't dragged you to dance already."

Ginny laughed. "Believe me, I'm trying."

"You're not that bad, Harry. You only stepped on my toes twice at the Yule ball," Mila encouraged.

"I don't want to put anyone else in the infirmary," Harry said. "And I didn't mind doing it to you, because you put a frog in my robes when I was trying them on."

It was Mila's turn to laugh. Draco decided it was time to dance with Mila, not just because Potter was having too much fun with his date.

"Come on, Lovett. Let's show them how it's done," Draco said. He twirled her over to the dance floor, and gave Potter a nod, gesturing towards Ginny and suggesting that he should do the same.

Harry turned his attention to Ginny and asked her to dance.

Mila hadn't slow danced since the Yule ball. She figured she was going to be a bit rusty, but she was pleasantly surprised when Draco began leading around the ballroom with ease.

"I'm sorry, have I missed something? Have you been practicing in your room?"

Draco met her eyes. "Lessons. If you were a proper pureblood, you would have had to take them too."

She tried to fight her amusement from showing on her face. "Do purebloods also learn how to insult their dates?"

"Mm hm, especially ones we shouldn't be consorting with." He gestured to the stares that followed their every move.

"I wonder what dear Lucius would think if he saw us," Mila wondered aloud.

She felt Draco tuck her in closer. "I don't think I would care."

When she answered with a joke, she thought he would spontaneously combust.

"You know, you could get very lucky tonight, Draco Malfoy."

Mila danced with Draco some more, until she spotted a little glint in the corner of her eye. She made an excuse, and followed the signal behind a pillar. Dobby was waiting for her there.

"Dobby has what you asked for, Miss Mila."

"You're an angel, Dobby. Did McGonagall see you?"

The small elf shook his head. "Dobby did as Miss Mila instructed. Nobody has seen Dobby come in."

Mila took the item Dobby had brought her, and thanked him how she always did. She reached behind his ear, and pulled out a chocolate. She handed it to him.

Dobby squealed in delight. "One day Dobby will figure out how Miss does that."

Mila thanked him again, and he disapparated with a pop. She walked with confidence, and double-checked no-one was near the punchbowl as she poured the contents of a flask inside. McGonagall had charmed the ballroom so that only teachers could accio objects. That's how Mila had spiked the punch in fourth year, and McGonagall had cast the charm as precaution.

She dropped the flask, and kicked it under the table. The table cover went to the floor, so it would be concealed until the end of the night. The mission was a success.

Ron had spotted her, and made his way over.

"Godric, I'm parched. Hand us a cup, Mila."

Ron missed the smirk she had on her face. He poured some punch in his cup and took a sip.

He almost spat it out, but forced himself to swallow. He looked at Mila with accusation. "Geez Mila, it's stronger than last time. How did you even manage it?"

His face transformed into a grin, before he took another sip. "Good job though."

She curtsied in thanks, and took the ginger's hand. "Let's dance, Ronald."

She saw Malfoy talking to his friends, and knew he wouldn't mind. Ron wasn't too happy at her request, but she managed to make him laugh by the end of the song. That night. wherever she went laughter followed.

She shoved Ron back into Hermione's arms, before leaving the dance floor to find her date. Nott, Zabini and Pansy were with him.

"How are you all on this blessed night?" Mila greeted, and swung her arm around a smiling Draco.

Nott took the pair of them in. "You two are putting on quite a show for the congregation. I even saw some seventh Slytherins dancing with some Hufflepuffs."

Mila grinned. "I like to lead by example."

Pansy scoffed. "You two stick out like a sore boil. It's disgusting."

Malfoy had told her this might happen. He said Pansy had expected an invitation from him instead. Malfoy was about to say something, but she squeezed his arm to stay quiet.

"How about you have a turn with Malfoy, Pansy. I'll take notes on how to blend in."

Pansy may have been upset with the comment, but looked like she wanted to dance with Draco more. Mila laughed as Draco narrowed his eyes at her when Pansy led him away.

"He's going to make you pay for that," Nott said.

"Come on, Nott. Tonight's a night about putting all worries aside and having fun. And if you don't believe me, you should try the punch."

"Oh Merlin, did you poison it like last time?"

"A witch never reveals her secrets." She grinned. "Hey, Zabini, do you want to dance with me?"

Zabini had been standing quietly beside Theo. "Not a chance."

"Zabini, now that we're friends-"

"We're not friends."

"-you must know that I don't take no for an answer. Come on."

She grabbed his arm to start dragging him, as Nott smirked at the pair of them.

"Don't laugh yet, Theodore, it's your turn next," she called over her shoulder.

Zabini basically made Mila lead him. She didn't mind though, because at least he was letting her dance with him. Draco caught her eye and shook his head playfully at her. She smiled back.

When she'd been dancing with Draco earlier, she had also caught McGonagall's eye. McGonagall had given her a look of approval that she'd never received from the teacher before. When she spotted her again, she was doing the same thing now.

She seemed to admire the friendship Mila had built with Draco.

Mila wanted to make the most of it. McGonagall's look would most likely change once she discovered what Mila had put in the punch. When her dance with Zabini was finished, she pulled him aside.

"We need a game plan, Zabini. Slow dancing is fun and all, but we need to request some bumpier tunes."

"I'm not helping you."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are. Go talk to McGonagall and distract her. Look, she's smiling at you."

He turned his head to where she was pointing. "You're insatiable."

"I'm also efficient."

"Lovett-"

"If you do this for me, Zabini, I'll love you forever." Mila saw he still wasn't convinced. "I'm an orphan, Zabini, you're supposed to be nice to orphans."

He tried to hide it, but she could see a ghost of a smile on lips. "Fine. This music is boring anyway."

He stalked over to McGonagall, and Mila quickly ran to the band. One of the guitarists was taking a break and she tapped him on the arm.

"No autogra- wait, are you…?" He stared at her blankly.

"I'm a desperate student, hoping for her favourite band to play a song with a much higher tempo."

"I've seen you before?" It sounded more like a question.

She played along with it. "Yep, you're concert in- uh Splinmpph. You guys are great."

"Uh sure. That must have been it." He shook his head quickly. "What song did you have in mind, kid?"

She made her request, and he said he would talk to the band. By the time she had gotten back onto the dance floor, the music was dramatically different. The students, who had now heard about the circulating punch, were happy to truly start the night.

Slightly exhausted, but still wide awake, Mila sat down next to Harry to catch her breath. The party music was still thriving, Mila was surprised McGonagall was letting it last this long. She suspected a few more slow dances would be coming up soon.

She realised she hadn't seen Lupin or Sirius yet. Though, Lupin might have been off helping Sirius properly disguise himself. She couldn't want until they got here, Harry was excited too.

"How's Ginny been?" she asked.

"Great, actually. She's a lot of fun," Harry said.

"I'm glad." She scanned the room to see Ginny and Hermione dancing with Ron. "She's a great girl."

"You managed to get Seamus drunk again," Harry pointed out.

She saw Seamus tearing up the dance floor with Dean, with an unhappy looking Lavender circling the floor near them.

"He's already asked me for an after party," she laughed. "I told a few people to swing by the common room if they want."

Their chairs were right next to each other, and Mila leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Any excuse for a party, right?" she asked.

"I can't wait until NEWTs," Harry laughed. "Maybe I'll get a decent nights sleep."

"Not while I'm around." She nudged him.

Just as Mila suspected, another slow dance began playing. People started to pair off, and Mila saw that Draco was busy talking to Nott and Zabini. She supposed that now was the chance to dance with her best friend.

He beat her to the punch and stuck his hand up. "May I?"

She stood up, took his hand and pulled him out of his chair. "Why, Mr Potter, I'd be delighted."

Harry led her to the middle of the dance floor.

People had stared while she had danced with Draco, because it was such an unnatural thing for them to see. People stared at Mila and Harry for a different reason. Because people liked to look at people who belonged. And who belonged more at Hogwarts than the Boy Who Lived, and the girl who had stayed by his side.

Mila giggled over stumbling toes, and Harry's looks of defeat. Neither of them noticed when Lupin and a large nosed and freckled Sirius walked into the ballroom.

Lupin's eyes widened when he saw Mila. He looked like he had seen a ghost. He turned to his best friend, who was watching Mila and Harry with a wistfulness that seemed to capture him more and more these days. It seemed like history was repeating itself.

"Sirius, you-" Lupin began to say.

"I know, Remus. But look at her."

And Lupin did.

"Mind if I cut in?" Mila heard Draco say.

Harry gave Mila a smile, before nodding at Draco. "Not at all."

Mila hugged Harry before entering Draco's arms.

"Are you having a good night?" Draco smiled down at her.

She glanced around the room at all her friends smiling and dancing with one another. "Top five at least."

"Only top five?"

"Yeah," Mila smirked. "You're going to really have to impress me if you want to reach my top three."

"I'll guess I'll have to figure something out."

The song ended and she pulled Draco along to get some punch. Before she made it all the way, she saw that Lupin and Sirius were finally here. And they were staring right at her.

"I'll be right back," she told Draco.

She beamed as she went over to greet her 'sort-of uncles'. She went around the dance floor, and tried not to disturb the couples as she walked. She was half-way when she felt a jolt.

It wasn't like anything she had felt before. It was like a hole in her skull was opening up. It was sharp and intense, and the strangest part was that it only lasted a second.

Her eyes were on Lupin and Sirius, and when she opened them after squeezing them tight through the pain, her mind seemed to jar to a very peculiar thought.

The map. Look at the map.

She didn't know whose voice it was. It didn't really have one. It was more like a feeling. You need to look at the map.

It wasn't a good feeling. In fact, her gut started turning in waves. A feeling of dread seemed to cover her entire body.

The map.

The map.

Look at the map.

She tried to flush the feeling away, and the need for air led her to leave the ballroom. But as she did so, it seemed she was pulled further and further. The air in the corridor wasn't right either. She needed to go to Harry's dorm room.

She didn't know how she got there, but found herself in it almost immediately, the journey was a distant memory.

She ransacked through Harry's desk draw and when the map wasn't there, she searched under his bed. She finally found it in his dresser. The feeling kept fighting her. Look at the map.

She found Harry's wand, and slowly brought it to the parchment paper. She'd done this a hundred times, but never with such an urgency. Or a dread.

"Mischief managed," she whispered.

The names started to appear.

Moony

Wormtail

Padfoot

Prongs

V

Another word was starting to form.

Vixen

"Vixen?"

That had never been on the map before. Another name? How hadn't she seen it? She'd last used the map when… she was trying to find the Slytherin common room. But she hadn't been able to read it. It had been to dark and she had had too much to drink.

The time before was when? The Christmas break. Sirius had asked to see it. Had he done something? Had he added the name?

The way he looks at you. It's the way he looks when he talks about my Dad. That's what Harry had said.

She went back to Harry's desk draw, and found a folded piece of paper she had seen when looking through it. It was from the yearbook. Harry had ripped it out. The picture of his dad's year group from 1978.

Look at the picture.

She opened it.

Sirius, Lupin, James and Peter were all there. All still in the same place.

Ron's voice joined the others. Look at that guy! He must stink, no-one is standing anywhere near him.

There was a gap. Big enough for… what? A person?

The locket.

She dropped the photo onto Harry's bed, where she'd placed the map, and unclasped the locket from around her neck.

The locket hadn't changed. It was still gold, with no house crest, with words from the father she had never known. A Rosier. She still hadn't figured out which one. She opened it and looked at the photo again. Her as a baby. She'd seen it before.

Her fingers seemed to move on their own. They saw a possibility that she hadn't considered until now. That she hadn't even thought of. She picked the photo out of the locket. She turned it around. There was something written on the back.

1960.

"Mila?"

alright guys, i will be taking a break from posting to work on the next part of the story. i think we can all agree that phase one of The Girl Who Lived Twice is complete

While I'm in writing mode, you can feel free to check in on my tumblr abrokefangirl to ask about the progress, story, or any other question that floats your boat

i'm also always open to hearing people's theories, or scenes they would like to see (if i think they fit with the story, i will generally write them in ;)

hopefully i'll be back soon xx thank you so much to everyone for the interest so far! i hope you continue to follow on Mila's journey