For the next few weeks Hermione would be up in the Hospital wing recovering from her botched polyjuice potion. She agreed to the blood oath and it was administered by both heads of our house. We played a game where she asked me a question and I asked her one, eventually getting her to tell me exactly how she ended up as a catperson and answering all the questions about my Future Seneschal self.

I was happy to hear her say that Draco wasn't the heir to Slytherin as it would have given Mato more reason to mistrust me or scoff at my choices. I began to think he would challenge me for the throne, when he was sure enough in himself.

He still wasn't speaking to me, although he would accompany me where I needed to go and attended the meetings we held bi-weekly to inform The First Minister of our progress. Our eyes never met, and he didn't touch me. I wasn't angry anymore, but he seemed to be seething still, even though I thought I had the rough end of the stick.

Ivy had tried relentlessly in the first few days to try and lighten the mood, and as he would talk to her I found myself falling behind them. It made me sad but also let me see a side of Mato I would not have otherwise seen. He smiled around her. He was more open about his life with her. I became insecure and although neither of them meant to, I felt small.

It was on our fourth day back, the owls were flying about the room when a very regal Eagle Owl landed at the end of the table, it's massive talons spread across the wood, while it dangled a small box from its left leg at me. I looked into it's wide, orange eyes and nodded as I reached towards its incredible talons. I took the box, which was encompassed by brown paper. Immediately the owl flew into the sky, its wings creating a gust that I countered so that nothing on the table would fly away. Once we were settled, I carefully pulled the straw-like bow on the box, and it fell open, revealing another box which was dark blue and wrapped in a matching silk ribbon.

"Who is it from?" Ivy leaned into the table, examining it with her eyes, tapping her fingers on the wood, as she got close enough to smell it.

I examined it, "I'm not sure..."

"Well! Open it!" Hannah called from behind Leanne.

The silk was the softest I had ever touched, hardly having any weight at all, and seemingly slipping away from my fingers. The box itself had a lid that lifted off and so I positioned my hand around it and pulled gently. It was well made and came off easily without getting caught on the edges. Inside was the most dainty chain bracelet of silver I had ever seen. Along it ran gemstones so finite that I could almost not see them save for the morning light grazing, and shining through them. It seemed impossibly small, and yet it captivated all of my attention.

"There's something in the lid," detected Ivy, who took it from my hand. I had realised my mouth was slightly open, and quickly shut it, looking to her.

Her eyes grew wide and her face was mischievous, "Looks like someone is trying to apologise..." her eyes twinkled before I ripped the box from her hand.

I was recommended this by my mother. I don't know your birth stone, or your favourite colour, so I got them all. Thank you for the gloves. Happy Christmas.

D.M.

I could feel the colour enter my face, and hear Ivy start giggling. The other girls were asking what it said, and I managed to sputter out that it was a Christmas gift from someone I had given a gift to. I rose from the table with Ivy who couldn't wipe the smile from her face, as all the girls went back to the common room to gather our school things. The whole time, they were asking and asking who it was, making my face go redder and redder.

"Why are you so embarrassed, it's a lovely gift," Ivy tried to seem serious through betraying smiles.

"It is a lovely gift..." I started.

"You should put it on," Susan insisted and then everyone was insisting. Never before had I thought my face could be so red it would make heat.

"...alright..." I opened the box and lifted it carefully out and put the box on the bed, then turned and sunk into the mattress myself, "but I can't put it on myself."

Ivy took up the mantle and wrapped it around my wrist. The morning light was pouring into the room from the windows above our bed, glimmering off the bracelet. It was weightless and still it existed. The girls were mesmerised, and while they were mesmerised I felt a wind curl around my neck, and around my chin, trailing out the window. I reached out my now bangled hand and reached for it.

"..ie..."

"El..."

"Ellie!" I was jerked back to the honey dropped room and the alarmed faces of my housemates.

"What? What happened?"

"You were... " Hannah looked to Leanne, "Your eyes glazed over. You were somewhere else, and when we said your name you didn't respond."

I looked to each of them. I had no idea what they were talking about, so I tilted my head and smiled, "I'm sorry I didn't sleep very well last night. Forgive me."

They looked around to each other and exchanged uneasy glances, Ivy put her hand to my shoulder and I reassured them I was just in awe of the gift. In the back of my mind I could hear the gentle touch of the wind, and the voice that it carried, "...join...us..."

It was our triple Ravenclaw day, but we had two classes with Slytherin as well, Charms in second period and History of Magic in third. Transfiguration went slowly as I attempted to devise a way to thank Draco without letting everyone know it was him who sent the gift.

Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws have a distinct relationship. We both value hard work but some Ravenclaws will do anything to achieve distinction, including cheating. There are those who are kind, but arrogant like Sue, but there are also kind souls, who value learning above all else. Padma was one such person, and we were seated next to each other, and while we weren't friends we were always friendly. I appreciated Ravenclaw because of those two girls, but that day when Padma asked me a question I was distracted.

"...Ellie?"

I jumped slightly, "I'm sorry Padma, I was thinking about something."

"You were looking at your bracelet, and sighing."

I flushed, "It was a gift, and I don't know how to thank the person who gave it to me."

She smiled wide, "It was a boy, was it?"

I had to learn to control my blushing, or at least learn how, "Yes, but I'd rather not have everyone know about it."

She nodded and put her hand to her chin thinking a while, and scrunching up her nose, "What about a note? Or a letter? You could have it delivered in the morning."

My blush was replaced with a sudden brightening across my face, "That's it, Padma! That's perfect! Thank you!"

"And Miss Reed, as you seem so interested in speaking, perhaps you can demonstrate your Avifors spell."

I straightened and attempted to turn my book into a flaming bird, but my figure 8 hand movement wasn't even on both sides and instead just set the book on fire, which I waved my left hand and extinguished it. I looked sheepishly up at the Professor whose face was raising up as she glared down.

"Two pages on why that went wrong Miss Reed."

"Yes Professor..." I mumbled as I crumpled in on myself and Padma patted me on my shoulder.

"It all seems very clandestine!" Ivy skipped and twirled in front of the girls as we were walking towards the Charms classroom. The others laughed at her dramatics. "A secret letter, whisked in on avian wing to an unsuspecting boy!"

"Oh Ivy stop, I just don't want to make a big deal about it."

"Then you'd tell us who it was from!" Leanne burst into the conversation.

Megan was nodding prolifically, as they all waited on baited breath but I just walked on in silence. "Come on Ellie, we haven't had a bit of good news in so long, it's a lovely distraction!"

"Then the mystery will keep you entertained!" I replied with vigour, and we all laughed when we entered the charms classroom.

We were still separated by the benches pressed against the two walls of the classroom, but the Slytherins had already arrived and were chatting amongst themselves. I followed Ivy to our regular seats but on my way over I spotted Draco watching us and upon noticing him failed to notice where my feet were and tripped forward, grabbing onto Ivy's shoulder to steady myself, letting the sleeve of my robe fall to my elbow. I couldn't bring myself to look over at him again. And hastily sat down, which involved me pulling my own hair as I sat on the pony tail. I yelped in pain and Ivy helped pull it out while a small tear sat in the corner of my eye.

"That's painful you know..."

"I know," and she petted my head as I sat hunched over, playing with the strands over my shoulder.

Charms went about as well as Transfiguration did with another assignment of two pages on the different wand woods and how each could aid or hinder certain spell casting. At least the content would fill two pages easily, unlike my transfiguration project.

History of Magic was next and Professor Binns' monotonous tone almost put me to sleep, if not for being prodded awake by the crumpled parchment thrown by Pansy Parkinson from across the room, and propelled by magic. The impact was not gentle. Several of her friends snickered as I picked it up, but I knew better than to open it, and tossed it on the floor next to my feet. I felt a sliver of satisfaction as their faces fell.

Finally when lunch arrived I was so exhausted from the events of the day that I wanted to curl up and take a nap. The lunch was light that day, and I took a croissant and some cheese with a cup of tea to keep me awake. The Hufflepuffs around me were bustling and happy albeit subdued, Wayne and Ernest were huddled close and speaking quietly. I gazed over at them and they turned their heads to look at me, speaking in unison, "Join us. Meet with us...at the forest edge..."

"Ellie!" I heard Ivy's voice calling out and was shocked to discover I was standing and reaching for the boys, who were now staring at me perplexed and worried.

I grabbed at my head the voice still fading out of detection, "I'm just tired," and I bent down to grab at the croissants below my hand, "Sorry guys," and I sat down to nibble at my second unnecessary pastry.

Mato bent down at the end of the Hufflepuff table and he grabbed my wrist and pulled towards him, forcing my head to come close to him. He put his forehead to mine, as I tried to wriggle away, but his grip was unrelenting.

"You don't seem to have a fever. What's the matter?"

I snapped my hand away from him, "It's nothing, I'm just tired."

He stood up, tall, casting a shadow on me, "It's not nothing."

I stood too, "It's none of your concern." I stared into his eyes with a ferocity that I hoped would get him to back down.

It did not, "It will always be my concern."

"And when did that start?" I snapped, "Ivy let's go. I want to use the toilet before double potions." The girls all stood, Hannah quickly putting a few extra croissants into her bag before we left as a gaggle.

"I didn't realise you were still fighting..." Ivy gently invited me to open up about it.

"We don't talk about it, or about anything!" My arms were flailing about me as we walked, "He wouldn't even look at me the whole trip over! He didn't apologise for putting me in that position, and he hasn't shown an interest in my well being in months!"

Leanne butted in, as we moved towards the girls toilet, "I don't think that's true."

Which made all of us stop to look at her. Leanne and I weren't close. She and Megan had paired off, and while the Chamber was opened we walked together, but we still were rarely speaking to each other.

My anger has always bubbled close to the surface. In recent years it had been The First Minister's mission to teach me to calmly react to a situation. I often lashed out with more flash than actual bite, "And what evidence do you have to support your claim?" I turned on my heels, my left eye pulsing from being forced forward so hard, and my eyelids kept open.

The girls stepped away slightly, and Leanne took a moment before speaking again, "He is always watching you from afar. He is always there to take you to classes, or anywhere you want to go. Why would he do that if he didn't care about you?"

A million reasons went through my head, loudest of all was Duty, but I couldn't say that. I couldn't properly explain, and it dawned on me how debilitating the farce was to become. Years of upkeep. Constantly administering blood oaths, locking the only people I could call remotely close to family in a relationship that was anything but.

To the girls it must have seemed like I was considering what Leanne had said with intent, but inwardly I was admonishing my foolishness.

"It will be okay." Hannah offered, "Talk it out, and I'm sure everything will be fine."

I shot my eyes away and mumbled, "Perhaps..." before we silently left the toilets to head to the dungeons for potions.

The castle had an open vestibule that was marked by the gothic arches revealing the grounds behind the school. We would take this corridor from the great hall to the greenhouses, and often before quidditch matches we would take this hallway before crossing the green fields towards the pitch. I would regularly meet Fred and George there to chat, or at least we had before students were required to stay in their common rooms.

The stones in the corridor were uneven in places, moved by the earth over the years. So when the girls heard my bag drop they had assumed that I had tripped. Or so they told me. My recollection of events was different. They said I climbed over the half wall, through one of the arches and was meandering over to the Forbidden Forest's edge, where a pale creature; too far to see or recognise, was waiting for me.

For myself, I could hear the voice in my head again, louder and echoing, impossible to ignore, "Come, come to the forest. Meet with us..." it was a female voice, soft and gentle as the rain. The wind I had felt in the room wrapped around my waist, travelled up my chest and around my arm, pulling it toward the forest. It seemed important, insistent but not relentless; it seemed like it needed something. I followed.

The girls tried to grab at me, they were making a lot of noise, and when the Ravenclaws came around the bend they quickly ran to the dungeons to get the professor. Ivy was in front of me, I could see her, sort of. She was traces of images in my minds eye, as if I was trying to remember what she looked like. I couldn't feel their hands on my robes, or on my arms as I continued to walk forward. I felt no resistance, only the pull of the forest.

When Professor Snape arrived, I don't know. What he did afterwards I know it annoyed what was calling me, I felt the twinge of disappointment in my own heart. I turned to the fragments of black, a soul tainted and a mind mixed and chaotic. I saw him differently, as if my eyes had been tuned to a different wavelength and everything was varying shades of grey.

My mouth moved on it's own, "This child has been chosen."

I could not hear the reply, only the garbled sound of voice, before my mouth responded, "This child has been chosen. You must not interfere. She is chosen."

A second figure, an alarming purple came up to me, not close enough to touch. The soul was like fire and flame, powerful and it glowed a red then flickered to white and grey, in constant flux, and yet not surrounded by chaos.

I heard this voice, "She can not go with you," It was clear and as it entered my mind, the wavelength receded and my vision was back.

"Headmaster?" I asked before falling to my knees, gripping my head. I felt weak, the muscles in my body unresponsive and the the ability to hold myself up evaporated. I went in and out of consciousness before falling completely asleep on the hospital wing bed.