Warning: There's a little ish involved in this chapter. I don't know how to put this into words... some forced kissing and a little- ah- wandering hands, but no real mature stuff. Um, please don't sue me? :) enjoy.

Calm and Reassured.

"Check mate." Angelique's chess piece moved and demolished Karissa's queen. Karissa pouted at her loss, but Angelique only grinned cheekily and said,

"Round three?" Karissa rolled her eyes and shook her head, standing from the table. "Oh, come on." Angelique drawled. "Don't be like that." Karissa sat heavily on one of the couches in the Slytherin common room and sank into the cushions, closing her eyes and sighing. She felt Angelique flop down next to her. "Tired?" Her sister asked. Karissa shrugged, shifting into a more comfortable position and opening her eyes to look at Angelique. She gave a halfhearted smile. "Me, too. We should go to bed." Karissa yawned and nodded. She stood from the couch with some effort and made her way to the staircase that led up to the girl's dorms.

It was an hour later when she arose again, quietly in the darkness of the room. She slipped into her shoes and shrugged into her jacket, grabbed her wand off the bedside table, then tiptoed to the door and cracked it open. She was glad it didn't squeak and she opened it fully, then slipped out the door, making sure to close it securely. She sneaked down the steps, noting the empty common room, and exited through the portrait. She quickly made her way through the castle, hoping against hope she wasn't caught roaming the halls by Filch, or worse, by Peeves and his loud mouth. Damn poltergeist, always making trouble and pulling pranks. She'd be happy to avoid him. She finally reached her destination and slipped inside the room after pacing three times in front of it. Karissa looked around at the now familiar room and gave a relieved sigh, feeling the tension of her midnight flight leave her.

Karissa made her way over to the black grand piano sitting idly in the corner. She sat on the bench and ran her fingertips gently over the keys. Her fingers immediately went to play a C cord, the sound rippling through the room. She didn't bother trying to be quiet because she knew that the room of requirement was sound proof. Sitting on the stand where the music went were several parchments filled with music notes. Karissa smiled softly to herself as she shuffled through the parchment, picking a song at random. She'd always been good at sight-reading, only she could get slightly off beat if she wasn't paying enough attention. As she played, she allowed her mind to wander.

Lucius had been reluctant to the idea of Karissa learning to play the piano. She'd started when she was only six years old, because her mother had insisted. Lucius had said it was a muggle instrument and, therefore, Karissa shouldn't be taught how to play it. But her mother had backed up her cause, saying that some of the greatest wizards had played the piano, most of them wealthy purebloods with high statuses. Lucius had eventually agreed to the idea, but he insisted that Karissa would only have lessons when he was not at home, which was always.

Draco had started to learn to play the violin, and Angelique the flute, but both had stopped once they were about ten, not seeing the point in learning to play a muggle instrument. Lucius had gotten to them at that point, but not Karissa. She stayed with piano. She played as much as she could, though her mother would have to put up silencing spells around the room they kept the piano in when Lucius was home. Karissa had gotten quite good at it, and she found that playing the piano helped relieve stress. When she started Hogwarts, she'd only have lessons during summer vacation, and Lucius had disbanded her lessons when she was in third year. Her fingers flew across the keys. She was playing some old classical piece that was composed by some old classical guy who was long dead. It was fast and lively and Karissa found she didn't much care for fast and lively at the moment, so she chose new sheet music and began playing a slower, sadder song, the music flowing smoothly past her. Karissa hit a wrong note, the sound tearing through the melody and making her cringe. Her fingers paused and she suddenly didn't feel like playing a classical piece. She didn't know anything other than classical, though, but it shouldn't be hard to make something up, right?

It sounded easier than it was. She tried, but nothing happened and she soon felt too tired to think about it. She stood from the bench and closed the lid of the piano over the white and black keys. She stepped away from the instrument and pushed in the bench. Karissa stared at the polished black of the piano, looking at her reflection the the glossy surface, and muttered to herself,

"What am I doing?" She didn't know the answer to that question. She had no idea what she was doing. She was trying to put off completing her task for as long as possible. She didn't think she could go through with it. No, she knew she couldn't. And plus, if she did do it, that would give away that there were people working against the Order in the school. She couldn't just- Karissa sighed. She didn't want to think about it. She exited the room and quickly made her way back down to the dungeons, the same rush of doing something dangerous pouring over her. She'd always loved that feeling, though lately she'd neglected the opportunities to do something audacious, something that would give her that rush. Sure, Karissa had had plenty of opportunities to do something daring, but she'd never taken them. She wanted to keep a low profile, she didn't want to be noticed. She didn't want people to know she was there. She wanted to stay under the radar. So if she disappeared, nobody would notice her absence.

And she knew she would be gone, it was only a matter of time before she would be gone. It was inevitable. It's like reading a book that's so predictable that you already know what's going to happen, yet you're still surprised when it actually takes place. Knowing that a loved one is close to dying, yet you're still shocked when they're finally gone. Karissa would admit, she was terrified of her future. She wasn't scared of her future because of the Dark Lord, she wasn't scared because of Lucius, or Bellatrix, or the Death Eaters. She was scared because she didn't see a future for herself. There wasn't a light at the end of the tunnel. The only dim glow she could see at the moment was Harry Potter, the Dark Lord's greatest enemy, but Karissa knew that Dumbledore was the master behind Harry's tricks, and soon Dumbledore would be gone and then what would Harry do?

He would crumble.

Karissa had no choice. She had to complete her task. The problem was, she couldn't. She didn't have the stomach for it.

But of course, Dumbledore isn't the only one with tricks up his sleeve.

"And what about you, Miss Granger? What does your family do in the muggle world?" Karissa sank lower into her seat. Why did she come to this stupid party? It had been dreadfully boring the whole time, and she was the only Malfoy sibling there. Draco and Angelique hadn't been invited, though they were both amazing at potions, even better than her.

"My parents are dentists." Hermione said, looking awkward and out of place talking about her parents. Karissa didn't blame her, as she was the only Muggleborn in the room. Everyone stopped eating to look at Hermione with quizzical looks on their faces. Karissa had no idea what- what had Hermione called them, dentics?- were. Even if she was slightly educated on Muggle literature, she had only read, what, two books? And she hadn't known what a lot of the stuff in those books were. "They tend to people's teeth." She explained.

"Very fascinating." Slughorn said, leaning forward. "And is that considered a dangerous profession?"

"No," Hermione said, shifting in her seat. She smiled a bit. "Although one boy did bite my father once. He needed ten stitches." She laughed slightly, then noticed all of the confused looks that were coming from the others in the room. Her smile disappeared. She sunk in her seat, obviously done with the conversation.

"What about you, Miss Malfoy? What would you like to do for a living once you've graduated?" Slughorn asked in good-nature. Karissa cleared her throat at the sudden onslaught of attention. She liked it better when she wasn't on the spot. She stared at her barely touched dessert and pushed the melting substance around with her fork. She wasn't in the mood for ice cream.

"I hadn't thought that far ahead." She said, trying to be casual but failing. Though she was glad that the man hadn't asked about her family, asking about her future was almost just as bad. She was struck with a sudden thought and gently sat her spoon down. "Though if I had to chose, maybe I'd be a healer." Karissa shrugged, thinking that her choice of profession was a bit ironic, given her current status. Slughorn seemed interested and he got that look on his face that meant he was going to ask questions. Karissa thought quickly and turned to Hermione, who was sat on the other side of Harry. "Actually, I would like to know what exactly stitches are?" She suggested, giving the bushy haired girl a secret pleading look. Hermione seemed uncomfortable as the attention was drawn back to herself, but she explained what they were and soon a whole new topic had arisen. Karissa was grateful that she wasn't the center of everyone's attention anymore, because she certainly didn't want it. Karissa had been, coincidentally, sat next to Harry. Throughout the meal, their hands brushed every once in a while and Karissa would get that annoying tingling on the spot their skin had touched. At one point, they had both reached for the butter at the same time, which resulted in an awkward, stuttered conversation arguing who would get the butter first. Karissa insisted that Harry should take it, and Harry said that Karissa should take it. Eventually, Karissa gave in and took it. It had been very awkward and quiet, so as not to attract attention, but it was the most they had said to each other since the incident with Jackson. Merlin, that had been so embarrassing. The boy seemed not to get the hint and kept buying her things and trying to get close to her. Jackson was very... nice? Well, actually, he was a bit of a tosser. He was quite... determined to get Karissa to go on a date with him. At least he knew that girls liked presents, and while Karissa appreciated the effort, she simply didn't want to date anyone at the moment. Not even Harry, if she ever had a chance with him, which she most likely never would. There was too much going on at the same time. She couldn't worry about relationships.

Though she did like to tease and she found that she never really did take her own advice.

She chose to ignore the fact that usually when she didn't take her own advice, something bad happened.

Karissa had found that if she touched Harry too much, he would get fidgety. It wasn't like Karissa wasn't feeling the exact same way whenever their hands brushed, but she was better at hiding it. As the conversation around the table continued, Karissa's left hand fell to her lap, then stealthily slid across the space between her and Harry. Her palm came to rest on Harry's knee, the Gryffindor jumping slightly at the contact, his own hand jerking from the tablecloth down, as if he was thinking about prying her hand away. But his hand only landed softly on top of her own, her skin tingling and heating up under his. She slowly turned her hand around so that their palms pressed together and Harry threaded their fingers together. Karissa sat still and hoped against all hope that nobody could tell they were holding hands. She continued to push her ice cream around with her spoon, listening to the boring conversation that seemed stuck on Hermione explaining muggle politics, or trying to explain it. It seemed entirely too confusing, even when she grew up with a father who never ceased to talk about wizard government. After a while, Karissa slowly pulled her hand away from Harry's and returned it to her lap, pretending that nothing had happened between them.

As soon as the dinner party was over, Karissa rushed out of there before Harry could catch her, if he even wanted to try. But he stayed behind and Karissa got away. She knew that he wouldn't stay quiet for long, though. He was never one to leave something like that unanswered. Harry would surely track her down and demand an explanation. Karissa shook her head slightly as she walked down to the dungeons, the dress that Pansy had lent her scratching irritatingly at the skin of her lower back. Merlin, was this thing made out of hardened sand? It was so itchy, yet very pretty. It was royal blue with only one thick strap to go on her right shoulder, the other shoulder left bare. The waist had jewels embroiled along the fabric in the shape of some kind of flower. The dress was beautiful and perfect for an even such as this, the only problem was that it showed, well, a lot of stuff. Stuff that she would rather other people not know about it. Faded scars that held secret meaning behind them. She'd had Angelique Glamour them, because her sister had gotten good at those kinds of charms. It left her skin smooth, pale, and blemish-free. The charm was wearing off after so long with not redoing it and she was hurring down to her dorm so she could cover it up.

By the time she reached the portrait that led to the common room, she was slightly out of breath. She composed herself before entering. There was only one lone person in the room, and that was-

Oh, joy.

"Hello there, Miss Karissa. How are we this fine evening?" Jackson called from a nearby couch, voice slurring a little bit and he smirked slightly. He couldn't pull off smirking, though, and Karissa thought he'd have a much better chance with any girl if he would smile more. But hey, that was only her opinion.

"Just peachy." Karissa replied cheerfully, making to walk to the stairs. In a flash, Jackson was blocking her path, leaning against the doorway and crossing his arms over his chest. "Please move, Jackson."

"Well now, I think we're on a first name basis at this point, aren't we, Karissa?" Jackson said, taking a step toward her. He took out his hand and cast a silencing charm, but for what, Karissa didn't know. She could smell firewhiskey on his breath and realized that Jackson might have been a little drunk.

"Your first name isn't Jackson? Oh, that must have slipped my notice." Karissa said, even if she had known that Jackson was only his last name. She didn't think calling him by his given name would make this situation any better than it was. It might only encourage him.

"I think that maybe," Jackson said, taking another step toward her. Karissa backed up. "You should call me Josh." He stepped closer still.

"I think I like Jackson better." She said, backing up two more steps.

"I think not." Jackson said, now closer than Karissa felt comfortable with. Karissa found that she had no more room to step back, as she had run into a table. She hadn't realized they'd traveled so far.

"Stop." She said when he stepped even closer to her; so close that she could feel his hot breath rush over her face and confirmed that he was, indeed, drunk.

"Now why would I do that?" He asked quietly, reaching up a hand and brushing it over her cheek. She shuddered, feeling sick to her stomach. Jackson must have thought that the action was a good sign, because his lips curved into that annoyingly unattractive smirk and his green eyes sparkled with smugness in the light of the nearby fire roaring in the fireplace. "There we are. I knew you'd come around." His hand slipped down her bare arm, a feather-light touch that made Karissa flinch away from him. His smirk morphed into a frown at the action and he forcefully grabbed her arm and pulled her flush against himself. His head leaned forward and, before she could do anything about it, he had forced their mouths together in a kiss that made Karissa want to throw up. Her hands came up to push his chest away from her and she darted to the side in an attempt to get away from him. She heard him grunt and felt him wrap an arm around her waist from behind and pull her close again, and she felt something jabbing into her lower back-

Karissa jerked away from him again and made a run for the stairs, but he was faster than her by a second and snatched a hold of her arm just as she was about to set foot on the first step.

"Let me go!" She demanded, struggling in his grip.

"Now, now, don't be like that, Karissa." Jackson said quietly in a hoarse voice. "Just behave like a good little-" Karissa spun around and struck him sharply across the face with her open palm. His grip on her arm loosened slightly and she yanked it away from him, about to run for the stairs again when he wrapped both arms around her shoulders and forcefully pulled her away from one of her only means of escape. She kicked, punched, scratched, and clawed against the boy, but to no avail. He only growled into her ear. "I like it when you play hard to get." He said, voice deep and husky. He let her go and she was free only for a tenth of a second before he roughly pushed her toward a nearby couch, the one he'd been resting on mere minutes before. She tried to run yet again, but he caught her and shoved her onto the furniture, then, before she could do anything more, he crawled on top of her.

"Get off!" She growled, pushing at his chest. He didn't budge. Jackson's hands grabbed at her own, catching both of them, and he forced them above her head. His left hand held both wrists in place while his right slid over her collar bone. He was sitting on her legs so she couldn't kick him, her hands were being held in place so she couldn't use them at all. Jackson reached with his free hand down to her side where her wand was hidden in the folds of her dress, in a small pocket. He gripped it, then flung it to the side, off the couch. His head then leaned down to whisper into her ear.

"Here we are. Try to enjoy it. I know I will." He purred and started to kiss down her neck as Karissa began to struggle in his hold. A small whimper escaped her. She was trapped. She couldn't move. She began to panic and she felt tears fill her eyes. Karissa tried to scream, but the sound was muffled by Jackson's disgusting mouth being pressed against hers again. She refused to kiss him back, the only thing she could still do. He forced his tongue into her mouth, searching, licking. Karissa bit his tongue as hard as she could and he withdrew with a curse. "You bitch. You'll pay for that."

"Let me go, bastard." She demanded, struggling once again in his vice-like grip. He chuckled darkly at her and nibbled on her earlobe. His free hand slid down her side, onto her bare leg and then up, sliding the fabric of the skirt of the dress along with his hand. Karissa squeezed her eyes shut and forced her legs together. "Stop." She said, voice wavering. He didn't pay her any mind. "Please..." She whispered as his hand slip up higher and higher. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she accepted her fate and hoped he'd at least try to be gentle with her.

Suddenly, the hand on her leg disappeared, the weight on her body was not there, and the hand holding her arms down was gone. She heard sounds of a struggle, low grunting noises, and shouts of curses and spells. She kept her eyes squeezed shut, afraid of opening them, that Jackson's temporary absence was only a part of her imagination. She moved her arms to cover her face with her forearms. She completely and utterly weak in that moment, unable to move.

"Get out!" She heard a male voice shout angrily somewhere in the common room, then she heard a grunt, and footsteps stomping up the stairs. Karissa realized that tears had started to pour down her face and she couldn't stop them. She felt someone lay a hand on her shoulder and she flinched violently, entire body shaking as the reality of what happened hit her. She didn't dare open her eyes and look at Jackson, for he was sure to force her down again in a moment. But none of that came, only a softly said,

"He's gone, Karissa. It's okay." She slowly opened her eyes at the unfamiliar voice, their face slightly blurred due to the tears that wouldn't stop falling. The boy reached over and wiped the salty tears from her face with the pads of his thumbs and Karissa blinked, finally able to see who it was. She sat up. She almost didn't recognize him; he'd gotten so tall and his hair was shorter, but just as black as when she'd first met him in third year. His eyes were as blue as ever, framed by dark eyelashes, freckles dotting his cheeks. Karissa laid her head on Tyler's shoulder and quietly cried into his shirt, half in relief and half because she was still shaken over what had just happened. She couldn't believe that that had been what had gotten to her, out of everything that had happened to her so far this year, that had been the one thing that made her cry. She refused to cry nowadays, but now she couldn't seem to help it. Tyler wrapped his arms around her quivering shoulders and rubbed circles into her back, softly saying words of encouragement into her hair. Once Karissa had calmed down enough, Tyler asked, "Do you want a calming draught? I have some in my dorm if you do." Karissa slightly shook her head, face still buried in his shoulder. She forced herself to calm down.

"Thank you." She said, eyes closed and voice slightly muffled by his shirt. She couldn't find the courage to look at him.

"Josh is an asshole." Tyler said in response. Karissa gave a small laugh and breathed in deeply in an attempt to get her heart rate back to a normal level. She noted absently that Tyler had a nice smell, like soap and something purely Tyler. The smell calmed her slightly and she inhaled deeply. "I would walk you to your room, but I don't think that would end well." It took Karissa a moment to realize that Tyler was referring to the charm placed on the stairs that prevented the boys from going to the girl's dorms. Tyler's voice had gotten lower in the three years that Karissa had failed to speak to him. He'd definitely grown into his looks. He was tall and handsome for a thirteen year old and he had somehow skipped the acne period that all teenage boys seem to at least brush up on a little bit. And sure, Karissa had seen him in the halls and the Great Hall and the common room, but she hadn't really had a conversation with him until now. And under such great circumstances. Tyler bent down and picked up her wand, handing it to her. She took it with a grateful look and he stood, holding out a hand, which she also took and he help her up. Tyler walked her to the steps leading up to the girl's dorms. "Are you gonna be okay?" He asked, worry shining in his eyes. Karissa gave him a weak smile, which he returned with a comforting grin. He reached down and squeezed her hand, and stayed in his spot as she walked up the stairs.

Karissa shut the door closed behind her, making sure to be quiet. When she turned around, she was suddenly assaulted with a barrage of questions.

"Where have you been? Why are your eyes red? Have you been drinking? Why are your arms bruised? What happened to your hair? Why were you out so late?" Karissa cringed at the questions that she would rather not answer at the moment.

"Angelique, I'm tired and I just want to sleep. I promise I'll tell you about it in the morning, okay?"

"No, not okay." Angelique said sternly. "You come back thirty minutes later than you said you would, your arms are bruised, your eyes are red, and your hair looks like you've just been through a hurricane. What happened?" Her voice had gotten softer by the last sentence and Karissa's resolve crumbled at her sister's worried expression.

"It was Jackson." She said quietly. "He was waiting in the common room when I got back, and he..." She gulped and took a deep breath. "He tried to... to force himself on me." She tried to use the least graphic words she could think of. Angelique gasped.

"What?" She yelled.

"Merlin! Say it a little louder, I don't think they heard you in America." Karissa snapped, running a hand through her tangled hair, fingers jerking at the knots.

"Did... did he do it?" Angelique asked hesitantly, as if afraid to know the answer. Karissa shook her head, looking at the floor.

"Tyler got there just in time- Tyler is a third year- and pulled him off of me." Karissa shook her head. "I'd rather not talk about it." She said and escaped to the bathroom before Angelique could ask any more questions. She took off the dress and shoes and looked at herself in the mirror, at her scar-littered shoulders and arms. A few of the Death Eaters like to use muggle knives for some unknown reason, and they often took the blades to her. She'd learned that simple healing spells, ones that she'd master years before, would fix the wounds, but still leave scars. Karissa was disgusted by her appearance, and she scowled at her reflection. She turned on the shower, making the water scorching hot, and then stepped under the spray, relaxing at the feel of the hot water running over her skin. She always looked forward to a hot shower at the end of the day while she was at Hogwarts. At the Manor, she wasn't allowed hot showers. Only freezing cold, which Karissa really didn't see the point in, but it wasn't her decision. She realized only after she'd finished her shower that she hadn't brought any clothes into the bathroom with her. She grabbed a towel and wrapped in around herself, then slowly creaked open the door. The lights were dimmed, but not completely off, and two of the beds in the room were occupied. Karissa quietly slipped out of the bathroom and hurried over to her trunk, pulling out a pair of shorts she'd stolen from Pansy ages ago and never gave back and a t-shirt that, again, she'd taken from Pansy. She really should return her clothes, but Pansy never asked for them back. Karissa grabbed the rest of the clothing she needed and was halfway back to the bathroom when a groggy voice said,

"Karissa?" It was coming from Pansy's bed.

"Shh," Karissa shushed the girl. "I'm the magical bathroom fairy. Go back to sleep and I'll grant your greatest wish."

"I'll finally be the ambassador of France?" Pansy asked, voice slurred from sleep. Karissa smiled.

"If that's your wish. Close your eyes and dream about it." She heard Pansy's soft snores a second later and couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the girl. Karissa felt like she took her friendship for granted, preferring to be alone with Angelique and Draco than all of them being together, Pansy and Blaise included. Of course, Crabbe and Goyle were always there in the halls, classes, and meals, but other than that, they kept to themselves. Karissa went back into the bathroom and changed, then brushed her teeth and got into bed. She was exhausted. She was sure Jackson would get a good tongue lashing or nasty hex from Angelique the next day for what he did, and Angelique would probably tell Draco, so he'd be angry as well. She could always count on her brother and sister to cheer her up.

But what Angelique and Draco did to Jackson the next day really surprised Karissa.

"I'm sorry for what I did." Jackson mumbled, looking at the floor, face flushed red. His free hand rubbed at his now bald head, shaggy blond hair having been spelled off only moments before by a seething Draco Malfoy. Karissa looked at him, amusement glinting in her eyes.

"I'm actually quite satisfied with what Draco and Angelique did." She said, referring to his new haircut and the... other thing. She glanced at his hand that wasn't rubbing his head, the limb still attached to his crotch in a very embarrassing and inappropriate manner. "But..." She tisked, shaking her head, and stepped back slightly, giving him a once over. She looked into his eyes and watched as he realized she was going to do something. Not wanting to silently talk herself out of it, she clenched her right hand into a fist and swung. She actually hadn't expected it to hurt so much, and she idly wondered how Lucius could do it so much as Jackson stumbled back, free hand now cradling his jaw. Karissa winced as she unclenched her fist and shook her hand a bit in an attempt to make it hurt less. She smirked at Jackson, placing her hands on her hips, then glared at him for good measure before saying, "Touch me, talk to me, look at me, and I'll make sure that your hair never grows back." With a final heated glare, she grabbed her bag from the floor where she had dropped it when she first saw Jackson's state as he came down the stairs and dragged Angelique and Draco out of the common room, away from the stares of the younger students. She caught Tyler's eye before she exited and he nodded to her, which she returned with a grateful look.

"For such a quiet girl, you really pack a punch, I must say." Blaise said. Karissa didn't know he'd followed them out of the room, and she looked around to see Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle all following them down the hall.

"I've had some practice." She said, which wasn't entirely a lie, but she rode it off as a joke. At Draco's scowl, she threw up her hands in defense. "Kidding. I'm just kidding." She said. Blaise smiled and threw and arm around her shoulders. Karissa rolled her eyes and wound her arm around his waist, not thinking anything of it.

"I don't know what he did, but he sure did pay enough for it." Blaise said, squeezing her shoulders. Blaise was really a nice guy, even if he could be a bit arrogant at times. Despite popular belief, he was actually good friends with their group, though he did like to be by himself a lot. He kind of reminded Karissa of herself, if she were taking personality into consideration. He was quiet, yet he could be loud if he wanted, he wasn't what he seemed and he was affectionate with the people he cared about, hence the whole arm-slung-around-shoulder thing. She didn't feel anything romantic towards Blaise, only thought of him as a really good friend, or even a brother. They hadn't really started talking until that year, on the Hogwarts express. Of course, he was at the Slug club meeting, and that was really where they'd started conversing like friends. Karissa still couldn't figure out why Slughorn had chosen her to be a part of the club when she was sure he was well aware that her siblings were much better at potions than her. The man was obviously not fond of Death Eaters, or their children, except with Karissa. He seemed quite keen on making her a member of his club. It just didn't make much sense, but then again, nothing really made sense nowadays. Karissa decided to save her dilemma for a later date and leaned her head against Blaise's shoulder as they walked to the Great Hall. It was Saturday, so there weren't many people at breakfast that early, but they trickled in in little groups during the Slytherin's meal.

Karissa was happy she had the friends she had. Pansy, Blaise, even Crabbe and Goyle. They were always there for each other. Karissa decided to enjoy it for as long as she could, because she knew this peace was going to run out at some time. They exited the Great Hall once they were done with breakfast and all headed out the front doors of the castle. The sun was shining, it was warm, but not too warm, and the birds were singing in the trees. Five minutes later, the seven of them were sitting on the lawn in front of the Black Lake. Blaise had his head in Karissa's lap, Pansy had her legs resting on top of Draco's, and Angelique was doing something to Karissa's hair. She wouldn't let Angelique touch her hair if she wasn't in a such a good mood. Punching Jackson really had it's positives. They talked and laughed, and not once did Karissa's mind wander away from the group. She actually felt relaxed. They went back in for lunch, then didn't go back out after that.

Everything went down hill from there.

She got a letter later in the day from her mother, reminding her of her task, what was expected from her, and how she should behave. Karissa read it over once, and then threw it into the fire. At dinner, Karissa wasn't feeling well at all. She couldn't figure out what was wrong, but she didn't want to talk to anyone and she felt closed in and uncomfortable in the crowded Hall. She soon excused herself from the table, saying that she wanted some fresh air, and walked out of the Great Hall. She exited the castle and made her way down to the lake. It was still a beautiful day, even at the late hour, the birds were still singing and the sun was still shining, though it wasn't as warm as it had been earlier. Karissa was halfway down the hill when she noticed a lone figure sitting under a large tree, not doing anything, as far as she could tell, only sitting. She didn't remember seeing the person there when she'd been out there earlier, so they must have gotten there after they'd left. She hesitantly continued her journey, keeping an eye on the person. Karissa came to a stop about ten feet away from the person, realizing that it was a girl. She didn't know whether or not to approach this person, as she didn't know her and therefore couldn't trust her. The girl was sitting cross-legged on the grass, hands resting an a knee each, back straight and breathing deeply, almost like she was sleeping. She looked so calm, so peaceful. Karissa wished she could feel like that. Everything had been so hectic lately. Before Karissa could turn away, the girl spoke.

"Either sit down or go away." She kept her eyes closed and her face calm and peaceful. It was as if she hadn't said anything, but Karissa knew she did.

"Pardon?"

"Either sit down or go away. Can't just stand there." Karissa didn't move.

"Why not?" She challenged.

"That's so boring. You aren't a boring person."

"How do you know?" Karissa asked, crossing her arms.

"It's called getting connected with nature. Now, either sit down or-"

"Or go away. Yeah, I get it." Karissa said, walking forward and sitting next to the mysterious girl. She put a hand her the pocket of her robe to make sure her wand was in reaching distance.

"Planning on attacking me, then?" The girl chided casually.

"I-"

"No need to deny. I know you wont." Karissa's mouth pressed into a thin line.

"No, you don't." She countered, feeling strangely protective of herself. This girl seemed to know more about her than most people do, and she hadn't even looked at her! "You don't know anything about me."

"I beg to differ."

"You-"

"Shh, I'm getting connected with nature."

"I-"

"You should try it. It does wonders for stress. You have a lot of it, you know? Let loose for a while, it'll prevent wrinkles." Karissa stared at the girl for a few heartbeats and then she spoke again.

"Alright, how do I get connected with nature, then?" A corner of the girl's mouth twitched up, as if she was fighting a smile.

"That actually worked?" Karissa looked at her incredulously.

"You don't know what you're doing, do you?" She asked. The girl gave a small smirk.

"Close your eyes."

"But-"

"Ah," the girl cut her off. "Close your eyes." Karissa sighed, grumbled under her breath, and closed her eyes. Immediately, images came flooding in front of her eyes. Images of Death Eaters and red flashing lights and Merlin, what was wrong with her? She'd been so calm only hours before! What suddenly had her so unfocused and- "Clear your mind." The girl said. Karissa tried, she really did, but the pictures wouldn't stop. Karissa groaned and her eyes shot back open.

"It's not working." She said irritatedly, thinking that this was stupid. How could she clear her mind when everything was whirling around so fast?

"Come on, it's not very easy on the first try. If it was, it would be boring." The girl said calmly, eyes still shut. Karissa raised her face skywards in a pleading gesture to whatever God was up there, and then reclaimed her position. "Keep your back straight." Karissa sat up. "Hands resting on your knees." Karissa put her hands on her knees, mimicking the girl's position. "Face relaxed, mind cleared."

"I can't clear my mind."

"Of course you can. It just takes practice. Start with thinking about something calm and reassuring. That ought to help." Karissa looked at the girl's face, taking in the confident words and closed her eyes, wondering why she was doing this. She tired to think of something calm and reassuring. Calm and reassuring. Calm and reassuring. Calm. Reassuring. Hmm... What does she think is calm and reassuring? Chocolate. She thought of chocolate. No, that wasn't working. Draco and Angelique? She thought of her brother and sister, how the three of them were always there for each other lately. But that made her think about why and what they needed to be there for and that set off a red alarm in her head- "You don't feel very calm and reassured." The girl said softly, breaking her away from her thoughts.

"This is impossible. Everything calm and reassuring leads to things not calm and reassuring."

"Of course they do." The girl said, like it was obvious. "With good, there has to be bad. If there wasn't any bad, then there wouldn't be any good, just...boring. Mechanic."

"I guess that makes sense."

"Close your eyes. Think of something that makes you feel happy." But that's just the thing. Everything that once made Karissa feel happy was either gone or corrupted. She didn't think it was possible for her to think happy thoughts anymore. It was like casting a patronus, only a lot harder. Karissa closed her eyes again and focused. She would do this. She would get connected to the freaking nature if she had to rip it out of the ground and tie it to her wrist. Karissa focused on a happy thought. Of... the first time she stepped into Hogwarts. There, that was happy. "Not happy enough." Damn it. Okay, Karissa, think. Something happy... That day in Hogsmead when Harry fired snowballs at Angelique and Draco. That was a happy memory. A small smile crept to her lips when she thought of it, how carefree they had been back then. They weren't like that anymore, none of them were. "Loosing focus." The girl reminded her and Karissa centered her thoughts on that memory again.

"Now what?"

"Clear your mind of everything but the memory of the feeling you have when you think of that event." She said. Karissa thought about how she felt like smiling and laughing at their own foolishness. She held onto that feeling and put it at the center of her mind. She imagined putting up a cage around it- no, not a cage. A cage was too... malicious of a thing. She imagined instead a golden dome stretching over the memory and encasing it, not letting anything else get inside. "Good." The girl praised quietly. "now, breath deeply and steadily and just relax everything." Karissa did so, or she tried, but it was a little difficult. Relaxing everything while also trying to keep focus were two very difficult things to do. Karissa did ease the tensed muscles in her shoulders and legs, forcing them to become relaxed. She breathed deeply, as if she was trying to fall asleep and willed herself to become completely calm.

Calm and reassured.

Alright, Karissa, you can do this.

Just be relaxed, it's not hard. You remember what's it's like to be relaxed, right? All of those days reading in the library, sitting at the manor in front of the fire sipping hot chocolate when you were younger, that moment when you're about to fall asleep but still awake.

Karissa could feel herself deflating. She felt every tense muscle loosen and she had a hard time of keeping her head up, as it had become heavy, like it was suddenly full of cement.

"Very good." The girl's voice was a distant call, but she could still hear it. "Now reach out- not physically, with your mind and soul and your magic. Think about every living thing surrounding you right now. The trees, the birds, the flowers. Think about their beauty, think about their life." Karissa did. She imagined the grass beneath her, the tree resting behind her, the lake and it's gentle waves lapping at the shore. She listened closely to every sound around her, the water, the birds, and wind in the trees. She felt so... calm. Calm and reassured. Everything was so still, like someone had stopped time and they were sitting in a frozen picture of beauty. If the girl said anything, Karissa didn't hear it. She was too far lost. So far that she didn't know how she would find her way back. Karissa now knew how the girl had known so much about her. She could feel everything around her, any slight disturbance in the soft swaying of the tree's branches made by a bird, any slight slip of focus from the girl beside her. Karissa could feel that the girl was relaxed and calm just by her presence and the energy around her. It was kind of hard to explain. Like maybe, if someone else were to come along and disturb the balance, then Karissa maybe would have felt that the girl's concentration had crumbled. It was something about the energy all around her. Apparently, this is what being connected to nature meant.

And Merlin, did it feel good.

Karissa didn't know how long they sat there, under that tree, but when she reopened her eyes, the sun was setting and a cool breeze was blowing softly passed them.

"I'd better go." Karissa said, almost physically feeling her loss in concentration. She instantly missed the feeling of utter relaxation.

"Alright." The girl said, eyes still closed, smiling a bit. Karissa opened her mouth to say something, that something probably going to be stupid, but she shut it before any words could make their way out.

"Thanks." Was all she said, then made her way back to the castle. She knew she'd be going back to that spot, even if the girl wasn't there. She wanted that feeling again. It was something different, something pure, and Merlin knows she needed something pure in her frantic life.

She knew it wouldn't last, though. Nothing good in her life ever did.

AN: Aaaaaand done! Hey, I actually updated within a week! I'm actually quite proud of myself. And it's summer break now! Yay, no school, so more time to write! Hopefully I'll get this fic done before school starts back up again. Gosh, I can't believe I've gotten so far. I honestly didn't think I'd get so many reviews and favorites and follows. It makes me happy! Please review and tell me what you think. Do you like how I made Blaise in the story? I always though of him as one of those characters that could be really loyal if he felt someone worthy enough. Oh, and before you guys start assuming things, Blaise and Karissa are not a thing, okay, so don't yell at me for giving Karissa another guy that isn't Harry. I'm not pulling another Kristoff. Okay, okay, you guys, you can yell at me for pulling the whole Jackson thing. Poor Karissa! But I'm telling you this, he'll be back... Not in that way, though! He isn't touching Karissa. But, will Harry find out what he did? If so, how will he react? Why is Slughorn so fond of Karissa? What is Karissa's task? When is Draco gonna get a girlfriend? All good questions. Stay updated! And now for review responses. I got a whole bunch last chapter. Keep them coming!

Mlmary57: Thank you!

Mwinter1: Wait no longer! Hope you liked this chapter.

Guest: I'm glad you like it!

Amyroxx123: Sorry if that was confusing. She wasn't in trouble, and who knows where she was? Perhaps pondering over something that starts with a T and ends in ASK. You'll see ;). Harry just seems like the kind of character who would have so many annoying ticks XD. You'll hear about Draco's OC in the next chapter, but I'll give you a hint. You've already met them... And I'm sorry I wasn't planning on putting the Quidditch tryouts in there. I don't think there's really a lot I can do with them, you know? I'm more of an Imagine Dragons kind of girl, but hey, 1D is cool. Thanks so much for your review! Have a muffin. *Hands you muffin*

BlueGreen216: Okay, this chapter was more focused on Karissa's relationships with her fellow Slytherins, but I promise that some Harry/Karissa action is coming! Not next chapter, most likely, cause it's gonna be in Draco's POV, but definitely after that. And trust me, they're gonna work something out ;).

: I usually like ConCrit when I can understand what you're suggesting. Elaborate?

Guest: Here's the next chapter!

Vi38: Thank you!

StarXia: I'm so glad you liked the chapter! As I said, it's summer vacation, so I should have a lot more time on my hands for writing.

Alright, I'm done for now.

Some Ravenclaws are feisty,

When-Words-Fail.