Disclaimer: I'm awake and I'm alive. And so is this new chapter that was co written with me by HollyHobbit101. Not sure if I mentioned this in the previous chapter, but this story will be getting slow updates now that I'm back in college and will have a pretty massive work load. But aside from that, Jaime and Oliver are the only characters that belong to me. All other characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

In the previous chapter: Oliver got up to use the bathroom leaving his sister to her own devices. This didn't last very long, when she felt as if something was standing close to her. When she turned to look out of the edge of her vision, the first thing she saw was a silver snake headed cane. It became painfully obvious who was standing behind her.


Now: "Excuse me". He spoke. Jaime shifted her body to get a better look at the wizard who addressed her. The gleam that was in his eyes told Jaime that he wasn't looking at her, but looking through her, assessing her physical attributes.

"You are Ms. Jaime Cressy, yes?" Lucius asked. Jaime kept her eyes firmly locked on him and gave him a small nod of her head. "Yes, Sir". She replied. The Malfoy Patriarch shook his head in understanding, but didn't let up on his visual dissection of the witch in front of him.

"I see. I assume I need no introduction, however my son has talked about you quite a bit. He says that you're at the top of the class in every subject that you two share. But he never mentioned you would be so pretty." He said confidently. A disgusted shiver traveled through Jaime's body but her countenance remained stoic. It was one thing for her to be flirted with by boys her own age, who she sent running off with a single glare; But to be flirted with by a man who was old enough to be her father, made her want to vomit entirely. And a passive aggressive response would do nothing but land her in a bad light as far as Lucius was concerned.

So no matter how unwanted they were, Jaime could do nothing but grit her and accept his statements. "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy". She responded. Lucius smirked at her compliance and began to remove his wand from within his cane.

"According to my son, your blood status is that of a pureblood. Is that correct?" He asked, skeptically. Jaime was well aware that this question was impossible to avoid, as per the bigotry and racism that poisons the wizarding community, and now had no choice but to answer. "Yes I am." Her tone was apathetic, but polite as not to upset the wizard that looked down at her. However, Lucius didn't seem to notice and proceeded to remove his wand, unsheathing it completely.

"It's refreshing to know that there are still purebloods in our world who have the aptitude for magic that displays our superiority, and for that I feel that you deserve a small reward. An incentive to keep excelling in your studies." He said. Lucius then tapped his wand on a spot on Jaime's plate that was moderately clean and used a non verbal spell to produce a small rectangular bar of chocolate that was covered in a beautiful silver wrapping. It was clear from the wrapping alone that this was a treat that only the wealthy could afford and Jaime wasn't in a position to refuse him.

She picked it up by one of it's corners and place it in her other hand. While she didn't have much of a sweet tooth, Jaime could distinctly remember her parents giving her and Oliver chocolates like this on Christmas Day as opposed to Halloween. A vast majority of their money went to covering the house in beautiful decorations, both magical and muggle. That, and the siblings had more than enough candy from trick or treating. The nostalgia of the chocolate in her hand made Jaime's heart sink into her stomach, but she steeled herself in the presence of the aristocratic wizard and made a mental note to cry later if she could help it. So she set the candy bar on her plate, and looked back to Lucius who stared at her expectantly.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. That's very kind of you". She said. She even put on her best fake smile, and hoped beyond hope that it pleased him to some extent. To her relief, it worked well given the fact that Lucius now wore a smirk on his face. For some reason it made him look like even more of a snake than the one on the head of his cane.

"Yes of course. Enjoy it, Ms. Cressy." He said. Jaime nodded her head in understanding and turned her attention back to her food, ignoring the candy bar, and hoping beyond hope that that was the end of their conversation. But Lucius had something else in mind for her. He turned away from her and scanned over the rest of the Great Hall, identifying the students who occupied it. He countenance showed mild interest.

"Our world has seen numerous changes over the years. Especially with the inclusion of muggle borns in public institutions." He said. When he wasn't looking, Jaime released a sigh of fatigue and dread. It was becoming obvious where this conversation was going. Without even looking at him, she could tell that he was looking at her again. But this time, more intently as he continued to talk.

"With all these muggle borns running around, it's become difficult to find acceptable wizards and witches anymore. According to one of my associates, pure magical blood is counting for less almost everywhere now". He said. At the mention of muggle borns, Lucius' voice took on a more contemptable tone of voice. Now Jaime's guard was up even higher than before. Since she was anticipating a question of this variety , she reluctantly turned to look at him once more.

"I'd like to hear your thoughts on this matter, if I may". He asked. Even with his politeness, it was meant to be taken as a demand as opposed to a request. And one that Jaime was in no position to refuse. She decided to go with what she though would be a suitable excuse, but worded it carefully enough to meet the wizards' high standards.

"With all do respect Mr. Malfoy, I haven't given this matter any serious thought as I'm still trying to come to grips with another one that has struck me quite personally". She said. She could tell that she now had his full attention and interest as he raised a single eyebrow at her. His silence must have been his que for her to continue, so Jaime made her countenance appear to be grief stricken before continuing.

"You see, my parents were recently killed in a fire that destroyed my home. It would have killed me and my brother as well, had our parents not gotten us out in time. Now it's just the two of us. We only have each other". She said. Jaime hated herself for telling him all of this, but she was also growing weary of his presence and was becoming unnerved by her brother's extended absence. Lucius was now looking down at her with sympathy in his eyes as he lowered his head solemnly.

"My sincerest apologies, Ms. Cressy". He said. Jaime nodded her head in thanks , whilst keeping up her grief stricken expression. Lucius returned his wand to it's place inside of his cane and felt around for something else inside of his robes.

"I meant what I said before. It truly is a relief to see pure wizard blood being use to it's highest potential . And that's what I see when I look at you, Ms. Cressy". In his hand he now held a black skeleton key that seemed to shine in the candlelight despite the thickness in it's color. He set it down in front of her and waited to see her reaction. But Jaime did nothing but stare at it, as if she were waiting for some kind of explanation, or for further instructions. When she said nothing, he spoke again.

"I'd still like to hear your opinion on the allowance of muggleborns in our institutions, over a cup of tea perhaps. It's so difficult to find someone to have an intelligent conversation with these days. You'll find that it activates every Friday as well as weekends". Said Lucius. That last sentence was followed by an exasperated eye roll. In that moment, Jaime knew that the object placed in front of her was meant to be a port key. Her body felt numb, but her mind was reeling and trying to find a logical reason as to why the Malfoy Patriarch was giving this to her. It couldn't have been for something as trivial as a cup of tea. As if he'd been reading her mind, Lucius responded.

"I'd have my son give this to you, but he's much too forgetful for his own good." He said. Jaime now had the strongest urge to roll her eyes at the blond wizard, but she managed to suppress it and proceeded to pick up the port key in one hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. That's very gracious of you". She said. What he did next made her stomach lurch and almost made her vomit her nearly digested food. He smiled at her with a gleam in his eyes that seemed to underlie something more than what he was letting on.

"Yes. We'll be in touch, Ms. Cressy. Happy Halloween." He said. With that, Lucius turned and walked away, not giving her a chance to respond. Where he was going, Jaime didn't know, nor did she care. Especially since she didn't realize she was holding her breath until she went to exhale. Nonetheless, she was grateful that she did. Another minute too soon, and she would be deprived of oxygen. But who in their right mind could breathe when they were being strangled by a snake?


Back in the safety of the dorm, and still Jaime felt on edge after that conversation. She put down her quill and got up to lounge on the couch in the common room. Once again, Oliver was out and about, trying to find some left over Halloween feast candy for the two of them to enjoy. Since neither of them really wanted to go Hogsmeade with the rest of the student body, they opted to spend their Halloween in the castle, eating as much candy as they could. At least no one could say that they didn't have any holiday spirit. Jaime stared at the high ceiling of the room, mesmerized by the gothic architecture memorizing the patterns and lines that decorated it. For some reason, her conversation with Lucius was not nearly as nerve racking as she expected it to be. That, and the fact that he didn't ask as many questions as she assumed he would.

If anything, it was due in part to the area that they were in, surrounded by an abundance of students and staff. People who could bear witness to his true personality, or rather the one that he wears behind his death eater mask. All of his money, prestige, and influence stacked neatly on top of each other, as a means of burying whatever genocidal and xenophobic tendencies he has towards muggle borns. The shinier the surface was, the filthier the grim that lay beneath it.

Knowing what she knew (or rather what her parents tried to protect her from) about misogyny in the Wizarding world, Jaime was willing to bet that Lucius was hoping for her to use the port key that he gave her as a means of asking questions of a more "intimate" nature. While he kept up his status as a married man, his status as an aristocrat didn't stop him from flirting with other women; even if they happen to be younger than him. And due to her involvement with Draco, and her status as a pureblood, Lucius would no doubt talk about her to other death eaters as though she were a piece of meat for a pack of hungry dogs.

One more issue to worry about, assuming Draco folds like a house of cards and does nothing to defend her against them. Her train of thought was broken by distinct sound of footsteps ascending from stone stairwell and into the common room. Jaime didn't even look out of her peripheral vision to see who was coming.

"Hey. I managed to grab 5 chocolate frogs, 3 chocolate wands, 2 cases of canary cream, some glacial snowflakes, and your favorite, a loaf of cauldron cake". Said Oliver as he walked over to his sister until he was directly in her line of sight. Jaime glanced at him and the treats he carried in the pockets of his robes. She sat up and rummaged around in his pocket for the aforementioned cauldron cake. Jaime looked up at her brother with a warm smile on her face, and moved over on the couch for him so sit down. Oliver placed the edge of one of the chocolate wands in his mouth and did just that. He placed the rest of the treats on the table in front of them and ate the rest of the chocolate wand in his mouth. While Oliver was content to enjoy the candy in the calmness that filled the common room, he couldn't help but take notice of the sullen look in his sister's eyes, even as she half heartedly ate the cauldron cake.

He was well aware of the fact that it must have something to do with Lucius Malfoy, as well as the fact that his sister had specifically asked him to not interfere. Oliver took this in stride and to the best of his ability tried to keep opinions to himself, but looking at his sister now, he didn't know how much longer he could bite his tongue on this matter. The promise that he made to their father still rang fresh in his mind, and before he could think about it a moment later, he looked to his sister, as he reached for a case of canary cream.

"So did Malfoy Sr. show up today?" He asked. Jaime turned to him with a crumbs worth of cauldron cake in her hand, pausing as she prepared to eat it.

"Yeah he did. As soon as you left to use the bathroom". She said. Now Oliver was on red alert as he stopped in mid reach for one of the canary creams. He opened to mouth to hit his sister with a barrage of questions, but before he could utter a single syllable, Jaime was holding up the bar of chocolate that the Malfoy Patriarch had given her, as well as the portkey that dangled off of her ring finger. She glanced back and forth between the key and her brother, not sure of which was giving her the most trouble to discern.

"He gave me this chocolate as a "reward" for exceling in in my studies and being of a pure blood lineage, like every racist pureblood ever. And this port key as an invitation to Malfoy manner to sip tea and possibly discuss the genocide of the muggle population every Friday and on weekends. Don't worry, I already told him that I have obligations to you and to our family. It seemed good enough to make him shut up". Said Jaime. Her words were meant to be reassuring, but they were also nothing short of cynical and dripping with sarcasm when she mentioned Lucius complimenting her on her pure blood lineage.

Oliver hung on to every word that she'd said, but couldn't even find the brain power to formulate his own. He looked at the black skeleton key, at the candy bar, and back at his sister's unreadable gaze. Jaime's gaze shifted from her brother to the fire burning in the hearth in front of flames danced and moved in a motion that reminded her of people and their own movements. Muggle or magical. They can be the light that cuts through the darkness of another's life, or the flame that destroys everything it comes across. It always came down to a choice, on that could make or break another person's entirely. And right now, Jaime chose to toss the chocolate bar into the fire, and destroy whatever scheme Lucius was trying in set in motion by giving it to her.

Now she could get back to lighting Draco's way through his darkness. She paid no mind to the fact that the aluminum that still covered the chocolate as it melted and sizzled against the log of the fire, and looked back to her brother. He looked at the remaining skeleton key on the table and picked it up gingerly. His expression was now equally unreadable.

"So this portkey will ,what, take you straight to Malfoy Manor to sip tea with the family and possibly other pretentious pure bloods?" He asked. Jaime matched his gaze, one unreadable countenance to another.

"Yes." She said. The potential for yelling at his sister for her carelessness was too high, and so Oliver choose to do the opposite, regardless of how hot headed he is. He exhaled a breath that more than likely was out of anger, took her hand and caressed it under his thumb.

"Are you going to actually use it?" He asked. Before Jaime could give her answer and her reason behind it, Oliver continued. And his tone was laced with unmistakable anxiety.

"I mean Merlin forbid that those arrogant pricks tries to get you to admit that you're a blood traitor and bend to their narrow minded way of thinking. And not to mention that the chances of that candy being laced with poison are pretty high. And whose to say that that port key will actually take you to Malfoy Manor. I'm just saying, you don't know if you're in for a cup of tea, or a death eater initiation". He finished.

Jaime was in no position to argue against her brother's words, hence why she choose not to interrupt him. And everything that he'd mentioned regarding the port key given and the chocolate were things that crossed her mind, during and after the feast, which is why she was so unfocused on her homework. Even if Jaime didn't eat the chocolate it might do her well in the future to use the portkey at least one, lest the Malfoys think that she was a blood traitor who was spitting in the face of their generosity. For the time being her hands were tied until the next time she saw Draco and talked about what they would do. So Jaime resigned herself to a short sigh before turning to meet Oliver's gaze. "The next time I see Draco the two of us will sort something out regarding his father, but I'll be damned if I let him think he's got me in a bind by buying my friendship. If I need you, I'll come without a moments hesitation just-"

"Just let you handle it? Fine. I just hope you know what you're doing." Said Oliver sullenly. That being said, he gathered up a few more pieces of candy, and left to go to the boy's dorms. Jaime hated that her brother didn't have a choice in this mess, but she still she was glad that he wasn't making too big of a fuss about it. She took one last look at the wrapper clad chocolate before tossing it into the still burning hearth of the fireplace.

The extra heat that radiated prompted her to tug on the collar of her shirt. It was uncomfortably warm in the dormitories, despite it being October (that's magic for you) and Jaime was in desperate need of some fresh air to cool her down, particularly after her encounter with Lucius at the feast. She pushed herself off of the couch and headed out of Ravenclaw Tower in no particular direction. She was just rounding a corner when she almost ran right into someone.

"I'm sor-" The apology died on her lips when she realized who it was she'd hit. Realization dawned on Draco's face a second after hers and he pulled her into a tight, bone-crushing hug. He kissed her quickly on the lips and pulled away, still keeping his hands protectively on her shoulders.

"I saw my father talking to you," Draco frantically told her. "Are you alright? What did he talk to you about?"

Jaime blinked, surprised at the torrent of words coming out of Draco's mouth. "I'm fine, Draco," she soothed him. "Your father… He was just asking me about my family, blood status, and whatnot." Catching the concerned look on Draco's face, she rushed to reassure him. "Look, don't worry about it okay? I know what your father is like and I know how to act around him. As far as your father's concerned, I'm a shining example of a proper pureblood girl."

Draco looked dubious and Jaime had to stifle a laugh, swatting him on the arm. "Hey, I can be proper when I want to."

Draco finally cracked a smile and pulled her in for another kiss. This one lasted far longer than the first and Jaime allowed herself to melt into the feeling of Draco's rough lips on her own. Most of the rest of the school were in Diagon Alley to celebrate and the rest were in their respective dormitories, so there was almost no chance of them being interrupted.

A bang from down the hall startled them and they jumped back, both breathing hard. Thankfully, it was just one of the staircases deciding to change again, but it still took Jaime a while to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"Look, Jaime, um…" Draco's voice held a tremor of nervousness to it and he gnawed on his lip. "I, er, I didn't come down here on a whim. I wanted to ask you something."

If Jaime had gotten her heart rate back to normal, it didn't matter now because it sped up again at Draco's words. Sweat broke out on her palms and she chided herself for acting so strange. Draco probably just wanted to ask her something completely normal, nothing to get worked up about. So why did he look so nervous?

"I- I realized the other night," Draco began again. "That we, er, that we've never actually been on a proper date. Seeing as my father knows about our relationship now, I asked him if he would get us a table at the Witches Diadem in Diagon Alley. He's very well-known up that end of the street and most shop owners are happy to do him favours like that. We'll have our own private room so there's no chance of us being seen by other students and, anyway, I doubt any of them will go there. So… Will you, Jaime Cressy, go on a date with me?"

He looked at her with those puppy dog eyes of his and Jaime felt her heart melt in her chest. How could she say no? However, something nagged at her in the back of her mind. She'd heard of the Witches Diadem, walked past it even, and she knew it was one of the most high-end restaurants in the Wizarding World. She'd probably stick out like a sore thumb considering she was neither posh nor, despite Lucius's beliefs, proper. Still… Unless she wanted to go to the Three Broomsticks or the Leaky Cauldron and risk their secret relationship being found out and spread round the school, she saw no other option. And the private room Draco had booked for them was such a sweet gesture that she found she didn't have in it her to refuse him. She smiled warmly up at him.

"Of course I'll go on a date with you, Draco Malfoy."

She saw his eyes light up with enthusiasm and bit back a laugh. If only she hadn't have spent so much time hating the guy, maybe she could have found out her nice he was before. Still, they were here now, weren't they?

"Great!" Draco exclaimed, struggling to keep a grin back. "The table is book for noon on the 2nd November. I'll come and pick you up if you want?"

She nodded assent and Draco pulled her in for another quick kiss. He called goodnight to her and then headed back down the hallway, his shoulders considerably less tense than they had been when she'd first ran into him – literally.

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. Everything had gone smoothly and there was nothing to worry about regarding his father. He knew Jaime would do everything right – she always did – and he knew his father would be pleased by her. He turned down the dark hallway, almost floating with happiness. He was tired and wanted nothing more than to go to bed but he still had one thing left to do.

Bypassing the Slytherin common room entrance, he veered off to the left. He felt the stress and tension return as he walked closer and closer to the Room of Requirement. He knew that, by doing this, he was jeopardizing his relationship with Jaime, but he saw no other option. If he didn't do it, he would be killed and probably Jaime too, considering the extent of the Dark Lord's powers. He would probably drag her name from his dying lips and force him to watch as he struck her down. He suppressed a shiver as he arrived of the seemingly blank wall. As he stood in front of it, black lined began to twist and dance across it until it resembled a door. Draco took a deep breath and pushed the door open.