To say she didn't know the power of her own beauty ever again would be a lie. She had a new sense of empowerment and he could see it all over her. The way she walked around his team mates knowing she was hypnotic- knowing she was as beautiful as they came. It was something Briony had known and used to her advantage her entire life. Verina had never known which is what made her the nicer cousin not that her niceness would subside, but she definitely knew now her power over everyone. She probably knew before, but was too afraid, he would bet on that too. He remembered their noses touching in the hall way her sweet breath on his lips; their equal moments of honest and open vulnerability. Vulnerability he would wager neither had ever felt before. It was as if they both were on the brink unable to jump. He rubbed his temple and looked out the window. She and Briony were lying out in the sun cucumbers on their eyes, house elves fanning them, sipping lemonade, and laughing at he and Blaise for the fools they were.

Verina laughed a hearty laugh at Briony's perfect impersonation of Blaise. "Briony, we mustn't stoop down to their level. We are far and I mean far above them all of them."

Verina snarled and rolled her eyes. " My father is going to hear about this."

The girls roared in silly laughter. " And what's bad is we love them anyway." Briony said " Seems to me we're the foolish ones."

"I'll say. I can't believe we almost kissed." Verina said " That would have been a disaster."

"Maybe. I think you should do it. Just walk up to him and snog him and just get it out of the way. Kill some of this tension that you two have going on."

"We aren't even a couple that would be severely inappropriate and oh so very English of me."

"Well, you are half English might as well embrace it. Besides you live in England now and you might want to stake your claim on him before we get to school. That Parkinson girl is love with him and you saw her at the party."

Verina seriously was not worried about Pansy Parkinson at all. " You want me to worry about poor little Pansy? Absolutely not, I am the Dark Lord's daughter, the daughter of the best known seeker and the first witch to earn eternal glory, the granddaughter of the Bulgarian minister of magic and his lovely bride who stole the magical world's heart by storm, let's not mention my redeemable qualities. My beauty only rivaled by yours and no other, my charitable heart, my exceeding brilliance, magical gifts, and my money. No I dare say I will never worry about a little thing Parkinson not when it comes to Draco. I have everything he wants and more. It's why he loves me after all. "

"As true as that may be, Verina, he still loves you." Briony said

"Yes, I know that, but not for any good reason. If I lost my beauty, my money, my fame, and my father tomorrow would he still love me?" she said " Would he have ever loved me if I didn't have all of those things? No, I don't think he would and I am not sure if that's the love I want. You see Lev loved me because he got to know me. His motives for getting to know me weren't pure he was on a mission, but he loved me for me. I can move on now with that knowledge, but maybe not with someone like Draco."

"Verina, what if Draco's motives didn't begin pure either, but like Lev they ended up that way? I have never seen him treat anyone else like he treats you my, love. You love him back and that is much more than you can say about Lev. Have you ever just stopped thinking for once in your life? Ever done anything spontaneous and just let your heart lead?"

Verina's brows furrowed " No, I can't say that I have."

"Try it. Just stop thinking and do. Now I must go to practice and your last volunteering shift is in two hours. Better go and get ready."

Verina held her cousins hand and kissed it. " I don't know what I would do without you."

Congratulations to Slytherin Princess and it's readers for getting 2nd place in the Energizer W.I.P Awards for Most Promising Harry Potter Fan Fiction.

My hat goes off to you guys. I am just the avenue in which this story is developing. You are the inspiration, truly.

Thank you so much.

- Anna