This chapter was a pain in my ass and I still have mixed feelings on it. I wanted to include Hermione's sex talk, but only would it have fit, in my mind I would have imagined she took it very professionally from Narcissa as she would have already had the talk with her own parents. I am considering making a collection though of hidden moments or 'deleted scenes' for my fic. What do you guys think?

TW: Depression (self hate), and drug use mention.

Hermione couldn't see Dr. Augsen until the Wednesday before the Gala as Dr. Augsen had taken on other clients in the times she would usually see Hermione. Dr. Augsen thought this would provide Hermione enough time to come to terms with seeing her healer again, but she underestimated Hermione's ability to hold a grudge.

They had been arguing in circles and Andromeda found herself resting her forehead in her hand as the conversation circled once more. "Hermione, I didn't want you to go because I felt you could not handle it-"

"I thought I made it obvious how much this meant for my parents and you decided to mollycoddle me instead of being honest! How was that supposed to help me move forward?! Of course, I wasn't going to want to see you again after Lucius told me the truth."

On my life, I swear I will murder him one day. This time when Dr. Augsen spoke, she used a different angle with Hermione. "All right. I get it. You're angry with me because I refused to tell you the truth when I knew how much you cared for the dentistry. Do you want to stop seeing me as a therapist, indefinitely? I can arrange that you'll start over with someone else, if that is your preference."

Hermione stared at Dr. Augsen and her leg bounced while she thought. She wanted to know that her feelings would be respected- she was only angry because she felt betrayed. The thought of starting over with someone else had Hermione wanting to puke. "I never said that." She sounded stiff, and she pushed her chin forward when she spoke. "I just feel like you disregarded my feelings is all."

Dr. Augsen wanted to smile with how she finally got Hermione's attention to shift. "And you have the right to feel that way, as your feelings are valid. I would like to move past this though, so we can talk about more pressing matters- like how you felt about what happened at Circe's Colander."

Hermione nodded. "I forgive you, I'm just..." She was frustrated with the lack of vocabulary to describe what she was feeling and looked at her watch. She had been a tad excited with Dr. Augsen and their session was almost over with no progress because of her. Again.

"I wasn't lying when I said I understood, Hermione. You've had a bit of pent-up anger since we last spoke, but I am proud you were able to keep your cool at the restaurant." There was the faintest traces of warmth in her features as she spoke. "Now, how have your flashbacks been? Are they still a rare occurrence?"

"Yes, ma'am. I haven't had one since the last time we met."

"Excellent. What about your panic attacks?"

Hermione thought about that for a moment before answering. "I've had a few here and there. That has gotten better too unless I get too anxious. Then its like a car rolling down a hill with no brake fluid. Sometimes I'm able to pump the brakes in time before the crash, sometimes I can't." Hermione blinked and shook her head. "You know what a car is, right?"

"Yes," Dr. Augsen smiled wide, thinking about her muggle husband and their daughter. "When was the last time you had a panic attack?"

Hermione took a minute to think about it. The last awful attack she experienced was after they returned from the restaurant, but her most recent one was yesterday. Narcissa had announced after dinner that she was going to have them practicing how to waltz and Hermione was caught staring at Draco. Thankfully, he thought she was staring at a stain on his shirt and she was able to play it off. Now that she thought about it, feeling anxious about having to dance with Draco is something that contributed to her lengthy argument with Dr. Augsen. She didn't want to go, she was bound to be flustured the whole time at being that close to him when she only just discovered she fancied him. Hermione had hoped that her stirrings of a crush had been a fluke, but they hadn't.

"Hermione?" Dr. Augsen snapped her fingers, bringing Hermione's attention back to her therapist. "I asked when was the last time you had a panic attack?"

"Oh, It was the night we had went to the restaurant. After we got back." Hermione hoped she sounded convincing as she looked to her therapist.

Dr. Augsen's ears started to burn again, hearing the lie. It was the second time in a row that Hermione lied to her and it reminded her of the pending talk they were to have soon about Snape after the gala this Friday. "I see." Andromeda looked at her watch realizing the time. "I have to start heading out." Neither of them spoke until she had put her notebook and quill away, and had stood in front of the chair she occupied. "I'll see you this Saturday. There is a lot we need to catch up on."

"You're not coming to the gala?" Hermione's eyebrows came together, genuinely concerned that the number of reliable people she thought would be attending kept dwindling.

This time, it was Andromeda's turn to lie. "No, it would be too personal for me to attend, let alone Galas not being in my taste. If you need me, owl me."

"Of course." Hermione sighed as Andromeda made her exit. She sat there for a moment, alone before she got up meet Narcissa, and Draco downstairs.

"Hermione." Theo gave a small nod before holding a hand out for her to take. Narcissa wanted them to dance for the first song while she observed what level of skill they were at with dancing. Hermione took Theo's outstretched hand as she stepped into position; Their arms parallel to the floor with her head tilted to the side. "You have experience dancing?"

"A bit." Her reply was short. Hermione was both delighted she would not be partnered with Draco for the next few hours, but infuriated that it she had to dance with Theo. Narcissa decided that just having Draco and Hermione to teach might have been a bit boring so she invited Blaise, and Pansy as a surprise. Unfortunately, Blaise was spending time with his mother and had not be able to join them at the manor, so Narcissa moved on to Theo. Hermione understood that it would have been unfair to Draco if he was forced to severe a friendship simply because Theo's father did not practice tolerance, but Hermione was unsure where she stood with the English teen as he often made sure to keep his distance with her.

The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. The Bible verse seemed to pop in her head on it's own accord and she remembered that it was one of the few she didn't find to be absolute poppycock. "Do you?"

She thought she already knew the answer but before he could reply, Narcissa straightened up from the gramophone and a soft waltz started to play. Hermione didn't recognize the piece and assumed it was wizard music. "Let's see what you can do. Start with the left box and after you both have a feel for each other, continue the Waltz however you see fit."

Theo and Hermione immediately complied and moved as smooth as a small boat lolling on the waves of a calm sea as they practiced the left box. Even the rising and falling with every step they took was in sync. It was awkward dancing so close to someone she did nor know- someone she was not even convinced fully liked her- but Theo acted as if he had always been as friendly as Blaise. "It's nice to finally have someone our age who can dance at an event." It seemed he spoke too soon though because at the same time he tried to guide her into a whisk, she tried to pull him into a promenade step. He laughed it off after catching her before she fell. There was a snicker from behind and Hermione felt her face heat up from anger.

"Pansy, please pay attention to Draco. I'm afraid you'll rip a hole into his shoe if you continue to step on it like that." Narcissa's tone was unamused and Hermione almost resorted to Pansy's level by not covering up her laugh, but didn't. She was taught that the best revenge was choosing to be the bigger person and it worked for her. Most of the time.

Hermione and Theo fell back into position. This time, Hermione allowed him to whisk her and they repeated the move, getting a feel for each other once more. Hermione found herself getting into the familiarity of dancing with a partner and barely realized she was trying to take charge of their steps until he spoke. "You know I'm the one who is supposed to be leading, right?"

Hermione looked up at Theo and noticed that a mustache was trying to grow at the corner of his lips. "Right." She tried to will herself to relax into his arms and let him dictate their next step, but every time she recognized the next step, her muscles would tense into the move, wanting to lead. Hermione could feel him becoming frustrated, but couldn't imagine it was anything next to what Draco was feeling with Pansy. Every time the half-Indian girl stepped on his foot she would apologize and Draco made a point to ignore the apology. "I thought it was tradition or something for Purebloods to be so..." Her nose scrunched up as she looked for a word that wouldn't come off as offensive. Archaic? Victorian-esque? Stuck up?

"Old fashioned?" Theo smiled and Hermione noticed the moderate crowding in his teeth again. She should be grateful that her only issue was buckteeth- something she'd probably never correct unless she wanted to be eighteen with braces. She thought that maybe she could ask Narcissa to shrink them, but didn't want to bother Narcissa more than she already did. "It really depends on the family and of course the competence of the descendants." His eyes glanced behind her and she knew that he was looking at Draco and Pansy behind her. Theo turned so Hermione was able to look over his arm at Pansy. "Purebloods like Pansy were raised from the time she could walk to be the perfect companion for a true gentleman; submissive to every man's desire, always smiling and cheerful, but competitive with other women to be the apple of every man's eye. Unfortunately though, she's clumsy and is too eager to please."

As Theo spoke, Hermione started to stare at Draco instead of Pansy. With the suppressed annoyed expression on his face, she knew that even with Pansy having most of his attention for the next few hours, she wouldn't come close to being anything more than an eyesore in his eyes. Theo spun Hermione and she smiled at the warm sense of relief that ran through her. "What a sad way to live." Theo shrugged and Hermione realized he understood it that she was pitying Pansy's way of life when she was really pitying the lack of competence the people around her had to deal with..

Hermione didn't dare correct him.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The rapping on her bedroom door brought Hermione out of the tranquil state she was in when she played the cello. While Hermione had not agreed to see Dr. Augsen and yelled at the healer when she did eventually see her, Hermione still made time to practice occulemency. Hermione was relentless when it came to magic and dove into the every book that the Malfoy library had to offer. She found the library to not just be expansive in size, but in subjects as well. Even if the library only had one book on a particular topic, Danita Malfoy still failed to provide Hermione with nothing at all. Most of the information she found in the books was repetitive, but she took the little knowledge she learned and combined it with what she did know. Emptying her mind was almost easy while the music and muscle memory carried her through the music she had been playing since she was young, but she was slowly getting better at doing it without playing by imagining music she was familiar with was pushing out her thoughts to create a barrier around her that only she could control from within.

Hermione paused after finishing the note she was on in the allermande of the Bach suite she was playing. "Come in." The rest of the waltz lesson was uneventful and once Narcissa had released them for the rest of the afternoon before supper, Hermione ran back to her room. She did the same after dinner, and hardly talked throughout the meal to avoid interacting with Pansy as much as possible. She had not expected for even Draco to extend an invitation to hang out with her Slytherin classmates so she was surprised to see Theo's dark head pop into her room. "Oh, hullo."

He gave a polite nod. "Good evening, Hermione." He stood in her doorway, hands in his pocket as he stared at her. Hermione found he looked both anxious and relaxed as he had his hair down, but he was bouncing on the balls of his feet. "I hope I wasn't interrupting you." He nodded his chin to her cello this time and she gently shook her head.

"Not really, did you need something? You're not lost, are you?"

Theo laughed. "Oh no, I wanted to talk to you." Hermione wasn't alarmed that Theo had been nice to her today, but that didn't mean she was completely comfortable with him yet. "May I?" He took a hand out of his pocket to gesture to the desk chair in front of her.

Hermione hesitated, but then remembered she was trying to follow Narcissa's footsteps in being polite. "Yes." Theo sat, removing his other hand from his pocket so he could rest his elbows on to his knees. "I didn't know you could play the Cello." Theo reached out a hand to stroke the strings of the cello and Hermione quickly lifted the cello over her leg to place it on her bed. As far as she was concerned, no one but her had the right to touch her father's cello, even though she knew the instrument to be far from fragile. She was afraid her aversion may have been obvious to him, so she immediately turned back to Theo with a smile before crossing her ankles in an effort to seem polite.

"There isn't exactly an orchestra at Hogwarts, you know?" She didn't think that the music rooms were common knowledge since she had never heard of them and wanted to keep it that way. She found it to be a safe haven that she shared with Draco.

When Theo laughed she relaxed knowing he had not taken offense. "No there isn't..." Theo's smile dimmed and he glanced at the door. When he turned back to her, the smile was completely gone. "I, um." He took a moment to clear his throat. "I wanted to apologize for what happened at the restaurant. My father can be an asshole and you didn't deserve that."

Hermione looked down at her hands that were in her lap. On one hand, she was against hearing anyone call their parents something so crass, but she was found herself in agreement with Theo at calling Nott, Sr. an asshole. She was still angry with how she was treated and he was the one who set her up. On the other hand, Hemione was upset that she was letting what had happened still bother her. "It's fine. I'd be lying if I haven't been treated poorly before."

"By people our age. Not by adults."

Hermione's lips twisted as she thought about he outburst with Draco in the Library where she admitted how her parents were mistreated in Diagon Alley. "No, adults too." Hermione heaved a heavy sigh before looking back up at him. "It's all right. I'll just avoid your father at the gala."

"I don't know if he's still invited." Theo had a muddled expression on his face, unsure of what to make of Hermione's reaction. "You're really unbothered?"

"It's complicated, but that's what therapy is for." Hermione laughed and Theo joined in with an awkward laugh himself before looking down at his hands.

"Well, I thought you would be much more angry with me and I thought I would need a peace offering to smooth things over." Theo leaned to one side and stretched out his leg to dig into his pocket. When he pulled out his hand, he held a small vial with green liquid that was half the size of the ones she usually got from Dr. Augsen.

Hermione barely noticed the saliva that her filled her mouth as she stared at the vile in his hand. "Is that-"

"Calming draught? It is." She missed the smug tone he adopted, but forced herself to look at his face. "How did you get that? That's supposed to be prescribed." Hermione bit her lip as she looked back to the vial. It was a generous offering. Hermione had looked into calming draught- partially to find out how difficult it was to brew- after the last time she had it and understood why Arthur Weasley had been against her taking it. Even in the Wizard's News and Toil and Trouble magazines it was listed in the top ten most addictive wizard concoctions. Countless wizards had found their ruin in it and she found herself lucky that she hardly had any access to the drug.

"Isn't there a muggle saying about a magician never revealing their secrets?" Theo gave her a boyish grin, but cross her arms and raise an eyebrow- something she could herself doing more thanks to the Malfoys. His smile faltered and he tipped the vial upside down, then right side up again. "My father takes them sometimes. It helps with the nightmares he still gets from when my mother passed."

Theo's confession caught Hermione completely off guard and her hands dropped to her lap. Her voice was much softer now, feeling her own heart open up at the mention of someone else losing a mother. "I'm sorry, I didn't know-"

"It happened long ago." Theo turned around to put the vial on the desk. "I figured you might have been prescribed it too at one point and Draco has mentioned that sometimes you have these attacks-" Theo waved a hand in the air and she could tell that while he may have been thoughtful in regards to her well being, but he didn't fully grasp what she was going through. "And I thought it may help if you took it at the gala. Completely mellow you out as the better half of Wizard London will be present."

Hermione nodded, completely grateful for the gift as the thought of the gala made her want to vomit her dinner. "Thank you."

They sat in silence for a few breaths before he stood. "Don't mention it, Granger." He walked towards the door and had just placed a hand on the handle when she spoke again.

"Hermione." She smiled up at him. "Call me, Hermione. And Theo?"

"Yes?" He placed one hand in his pocket, before looking back at her. She was studying the green vial and he felt himself tense, wondering if she could spot the difference between regular calming draught and diluted calming drought. His father said that even a potion's master shouldn't have been able to tell the difference, but Theo was more than aware of his father's ego sometimes clouded his thinking

"You shouldn't call your father such nasty things. Sometimes parents are... assholes, but sometimes they're all you got, you know?" Hermione's voice wavered, but her gaze was fierce. "Perhaps as their children we should work on changing their views?" She wasn't sure if she bought what she was trying to sell, but she had unknowingly done it in regards to her future.

Theo pretended to consider her words. "You're right, Hermione. Good night." He closed the door, almost feeling bad for what he had done. Even after her parent's death, she's still a good person. Theo let himself out into the hallway from her suite, but this time he kept the door handle turned as to not make any noise to anyone who may have been nearby. "What a shame."

"What's a shame?"

Theo nearly dropped to the floor in his fright. He turned to see Draco standing behind him, arms crossed over his chest. "Draco, I didn't see you there- was I gone that long?"

Draco decided not to answer and instead narrowed his eyes. "Why were you in Hermione's room?"

"I was apologizing to her about the events at Circe's Colander." As Theo's heart rate started to slow, his voice returned to it's usual coldness.

"Why didn't you tell Pansy and I that instead of making up some excuse about going back to your room for something?"

"I didn't think Pansy would understand." Theo straightened as he rebuffed Draco's question. "You do know how she can be."

Draco was silent for a moment before excepting the question. "I do, and that's exactly why I ditched her after you left me alone with her."

Theo gave a barking laughter as Draco grinned, pleased that he could make his friend laugh. "Let's go find her before she wakes all the sleeping portraits, shall we?" Both teens walked down the hallway, neither of giving a second thought about Hermione.

Hermione woke up several times during the night as she hadn't taken her dreamless sleep draught. Remembering how it had messed with her stomach last time she had drank it, she thought that maybe two night without the dreamless draught might offset any negative side effects. She felt guilty for plotting to drink the potion, but she couldn't deny she missed how she felt when taking calming draught. It was like all of her problems had gone away or they couldn't touch her in the perfect bubble the draught kept her in. Her plan was to drink the calming draught if- and only if- she felt too anxious at the gala. Hermione even told herself she could only take a sip and if it was potent enough, she could make the draught stretch for as long as it could.

This was what she told herself before she woke up one last time from a nightmare that had her screaming herself awake. The beating of her heart only softened as she sat awake in bed, hugging her legs, but it did not slow down. She was too scared to try to go back to sleep and seeing that it was already morning, she decided to get ready for the day. Her hands and legs trembled as she picked out her clothes before showering and they did not stop, an hour later after her bath.

She had been twirling her wand to help calm her nerves before heading downstairs for breakfast, when her eyes landed on the drawer of the desk. Her wand wasn't helping her calm down and Hermione wondered if it would hurt to take a sip of the calming potion now just to help ease into the day. Get a grip! She turned away trying to remember what she had been thinking about, but she couldn't get the thought of how much better she would feel if she would have drank it now.

Before she could stop herself, she found her hand in the drawer, bringing the vial to her face for a close look at it. Hermione tipped the glass vial to the side. This calming draught seemed to shimmer and the logical part of Hermione told her not to drink all of it as it may have been tampered with, but Hermione thought of how kind and sincere Theo had been in his apology last night that she dismissed the thoughts as nerves. She found herself licking her lips as she worked at the cork on the bottle, her mouth watering at the thought of the tranquil high she was going to experience. I think after everything, a little treat wouldn't be a bad thing. After a brief struggle, the cork was released with a pop! If she was thinking straight, she may have realized that it was a sign it was home-brewed.

Hermione didn't taste the difference until after she had swallowed. At first, it tasted just as sweet as the calming draught, but once she swallowed, the bitter after taste was like stomach acid in her mouth. "Eugh!" She stuck her tongue out and even the air she breathed tasted foul. Hermione ran into the bathroom to drink a handful of water from the faucet. Panic started to hit her and she looked at the vial she still had clutched in her grasp. There was something that reassembled a worm at the bottom of it and she clutched her throat at the thought of being poisoned. She looked into the mirror at her reflection to see if anything else had changed and she gasped seeing that one pupil was dilated to the point that only the smallest bit of brown from her iris circled it. Hermione placed a hand to her face and watched the other pupil dilate to the same size. By the time the black had finished expanding though, she no longer felt scared or like she needed to tell Narcissa that she made a mistake. She felt good. Hermione put her elbows on the counter, holding her head in her hands. She turned her head left and right before dissolving into giggles.

"Conceited are we?" The mirror teased and Hermione stuck out her tongue in response. "Oh, how rude." Hermione laughed and walked out of the bathroom.

The sight before her stopped her in her tracks. She wondered if she had been transported into another world as everything seemed so vibrant over the rose gold tint she saw everything though. She took a step forward on the tips of her toes, almost afraid she would disrupt the world she had found herself in. Hermione paused making sure her vision wasn't destroyed by her movement. Seeing that nothing had disrupted the vibrant colors that filled her vision, she decided she wanted to look at everything with the new eyes her sober self had been missing. The first place she thought would be a good start was her closet and she was not disappointed. Hermione gasped as she looked at the side of of the closest that had all of her Muggle clothing. Every piece of clothing was covered in an aura that hummed with what she could only describe as power until she felt something inside of her recognize it.

Magic. Hermione was looking at magic. She closed her eyes like she did when she meditated and thought she could feel her own magical core resonating with what was in front of her. It was a wonderful and beautiful feeling that brought a joyful smile to Hermione's face as she felt her soul harmonizing with the magic within her. It warmed her and should couldn't remember the last time she felt so accepted in the world around her and it was only desreupted when her inquisitive nature squirmed through her high; Why are all of my clothes charmed?

Her eyes snapped open as she lifted the sleeve of a jumper. She ran her other hand down its length and the magic almost rippled at her touch. She grinned as a confidence built within her. She felt completely in tune to the magic part of her and it was a feeling like no other. Hermione knew that she shouldn't use her magic without her wand, but whenever she wanted an answer, she stopped at nothing to get it. Plus the possibility of magic being so malleable was too tempting for her to resist.

"Finite." Hermione saw her own magic- a blue shimmering, slithering thing- rush from her hand and over the jumper, stripping it of the magic that it was once encased in. She watched her jumper grow several sizes and was confused at what had happened. Hermione grabbed the pant leg of the jeans hanging behind the Jumper, wondering if her idea would work. "Prior Incantato." Hermione nearly cooed while watching the brightest hues of the charm before come together to spell Reducio in a script she vaguely recognized, but was unsure where she saw it before. "Who would shrink my cloth-"

Hermione looked down at the vial she was still holding to see that the worm in the vial had transformed into a creature that could almost be mistaken for a fairy. The creature was as green as the draught had been and almost looked like a distant cousin of the pixies that Lockhart had let loose in class her second year. The pixie had four eyes instead of two with a red underbelly instead of a white one. It's wings were thin and it's legs looked like they belonged on a rabbit. It was angrily pounding its feet against the glass, making the softest tapping noise while it spoke in whatever it's native language was. "Oh, hold on!" Hermione looped a finger into the the lip of the vial as she whispered "Engorgio." The spell worked and the pixie climbed out, before flying into the air. "Wait!"

Emerging from the slightly dark closet, Hermione was once again hit with the lights in her room. This time though, she noticed that some of the furniture seemed to be warped and the walls looked as if they were breathing. She wasn't scared like she would have been sober, and figured whatever she drank had been mixed with calming draught or something like it. Regardless, she did not stay to take in the hallucinations around her and chased after the pixie.

The flying creature did not slow, but Hermione was determined not to lose sight of it. She ran down the rest of the hallway, deeper than she had gone before. There were colors everywhere she dared to look, and noticed that every portrait she passed, had a silver sheen to it. After turning several corners, the pixie brought her to a hidden set of stairs- not just leading to the first floor of the manor, but also leading to the third. She realized only then that she had never seen a set of stairs leading up to the third floor and she slowed to a stop as between the two paths to figure out which way the winged-creature went.

She approached the fork in her path, eyeing each one as the hallucinations warped her vision. The stairs leading up started to tilt and slant, looking as if she would have trouble keeping her balance if she chose to ascend the staircase, while the path leading to the first floor seemed to stretch out for miles, but there were tinkling lights down below. Hermione wished she could split herself in half at that moment as both seemed to promise an adventure- pixie or no pixie.

"You shouldn't be here." Hermione looked to her left and saw a portrait of Danita Malfoy fanning herself. "If Lucius or Narcissa were to find you here, they'll be very cross."

"But why?" Hermione paused as she took in the feeling of her vocal cords vibrating in her throat. It was a very nice feeling that made her want to sing so she did not have to stop. She didn't though as she was in the middle of conversation and the still sane art of her thought it would have been rude. "I'm not in the West Wing, am I?" Hermione shook her head then, meaning to dismiss the question she just asked, but it only brought her attention to the bouncing her curls. She took a lock in her hand and ran her finger though it, loving how soft they were now that she had learned how to properly care for her hair. "Can you tell me which way the green pixie went?"

Danita's head tilted to the side. "Pixie? There was no pixie here."

Hermione wrinkled her nose in thought. "Can portraits not see well? It would be hard to miss- it's this lime green thing that flew through the air. I know it went this way..." Hermione looked at the staircase and this time, the stairs going upstairs were alternating colors between navy, violet and orange while the stairs leading downstairs were all different shapes and sizes. "Oh my."

"You're not usually insulting or scatterbrained- Are you feeling all right?" Danita stopped fanning herself and placed a hand on the frame she was in, as if she were leaning against a glass window. Hermione automatically took a step back, having the sense to keep her eyes hidden in case Danita ran to Lucius or Narcissa about her state.

"Ah-" Hermione tried to think of an excuse or something at all to say, but at that moment, the virescent pixie-like creature reappeared in the stairwell leading to the first floor, waving a fist as it chittered what she imagined were obscenities. "There you are!" She grinned as she clomped down the stairs after the creature. Hermione watched each stare as she stepped and she noticed the more she focused on what she was doing, the more it seemed to shift back to normal. She knew she should have been mad at Theo for tricking her, but she she understood why people did drugs. It was a literal escape and she was having such a good time chasing the pixie into the gardens that she forgot Lucius had forbade her and Draco from going into the gardens until the gala was over. The cloths that were twisted with knots and magic from the decorators created such a unique escape that she found herself laughing as she ran to the open field of the outer gardens. She was in such a positive mood that she didn't think she would ever be in a bad one again- Until that moment, that is.

Hermione had noticed a flash of red as she ran, and looked down to see it coming from her ring. At first, she was enchanted by the lights bouncing off of it, and she thought she saw diamond encrusted sun beams spinning. She wondered if she ever thanked her parents for the gift before remembering, she couldn't and that she received the gift after they died. Before her eyes, she saw the ruby of the ring chip and blood started to pour out of it, covering her hand. She eld her hand away from her and screamed as the world around her had turned to gray. Hermione looked around for help and realized realized that she was completely alone- no creature in sight. She turned around to return to the manor- finally remembering that she was supposed to be with Theo, Pansy, and Draco.

When Hermione turned around though, she saw a figure standing in the middle of the path leading back to the manor. A figure in a black bowler hat and a trench coat.

Hermione closed her eyes and pinched herself, hoping it was a nightmare she was trapped in, but she felt the pain and when she opened her eyes, the figure started to walk towards her. She felt her legs take over and she ran to the greenhouses but when she neared the trees, the same figure emerged from the thicket and she stopped so quickly, her feet flew in front of her as she slammed rear first on to the ground. The figure walked towards her at a hurried pace and she scrambled backwards on her hands before the sense hit her to get up- only to see an enormous snake slithering towards her in the path she just came from.

The oddest thing about being petrified by a basilisk was never forgetting what it looked like, but not being able to describe it. Even with the nightmares she occasionally had of it, Hermione was at a loss for words on how to descibe even the sound of the hissing she heard the day she was attacked. There was no other place for Hermione to run, but she continued to back away from the man and the snake, completely unable to stop the scream that ripped threw her throat as she was cornered into the foliage of the maze.

"What do you mean she wasn't in her room?" Draco looked up from Pansy's round face to his mother.

Narcissa had one hand on her hip and the other in the air as she spoke to Crewe. "Ma'am, Crewe did not find the young misses. The young miss was not in her suite, her room, nor her bathroom-"

"Ask Lucius to locate her." She waved a hand dismissing Crewe stopping him from continuing. Draco could tell his mother was annoyed with Hermione and he felt himself growing to be a bit irked himself. All of yesterday afternoon, Draco would glance at Theo with a jealous eye- not just because Hermione was a better dancer than Pansy, but because it was Hermione. His heart sank a little when she was paired with Theo as he was used to having her attention since they returned to the manor. She made him feel comfortable. At least that's what he told himself was the cause his stomach coiling and the burning in his chest from watching her waltz with Theo was from.

Pansy tightened her latch on to Draco's arm to pull him in closer. Draco made a face before looking up at Theo, who was sitting by Narcissa in a chair she had conjured, for help. Theo gave a smug smile as he shrugged a shoulder, meriting a glare from Draco, before Draco readjusted Pansy's hold on him.

Narcissa looked down at Theo, who was slouching in his chair. "Usually she's very punctual. I'm sure she's simply not feeling well and has hidden herself, but I'll make sure she apologizes to you for the inconvenience."

Theo straightened up when Narcissa addressed him, showing she had his attention. "It's no secret what she has been through, Ma'am. Father still struggles with getting out of bed some days himself."

Narcissa forced a smile for Theo. It's amazing how a bastard like Nott is capable of raising such a pleasant child. I wonder if his son still would have turned out so well if Theo knew the real reason he doesn't have a mother. "Draco, switch with Theo." Pansy groaned as she circled her arms around, partially for having to continue with Theo and partially from feeling the burn of holding her arms up. Narcissa raised an eyebrow at Pansy's lack of manners, but said nothing as she changed moved the needle of the gramophone to a slower track.

Narcissa watched the two dance for a song before taking a step forward to intervene, providing Pansy with a correction. She stopped mid-sentence when she heard something that resembled a scream in the distance. Theo and Pansy didn't seem to hear anything so she continued her critique before returning to the spot she had occupied on the wall by the chair Draco now sat in. "You heard that, too?" Draco, who had been staring at his mother since he heard the scream, nodded. "Go find your father and find out what he's doing. He hasn't sent Crewe back so I imagine he's helping him. I'll stay with our guests in the mean time."

With out so much as a backwards glance to his mother or his friends, Draco was off, leaving Narcissa with a sinking feeling in her stomach as she watched the two Slytherins dance. Narcissa tilted her said to the side, noting that Pansy had greatly improved after Draco left and she had to dance with Theo.

"Mudblood."

"Coward."

"Filthy."

"Useless."

"Insufferable."

"Your fault."

Hermione sat in the middle of the maze's hallway, gripping her head trying to make the voices to stop. The voices were from all different wizards, and memories. Some were male, some were female. Some were Lucius, some were Snape, and others Molly. Some were never said by the people her brain mocked and some were. The voices started after she entered the maze to escaped her monstrous delusions, but the potion she drank was not as forgiving as she hoped. Instead of stopping completely, her hallucinations changed form.

Hermione didn't know how long she sat there, fighting with her head. She was just grateful that in the frantic state she was in, she had forced the magic of the hedge to the side to allowing her to seek solace in the maze. Hermione vaguely processed that the calming draught had worn off as she descended into a panic attack that left her hearing voices- something that had never happened before.

When she started to come back down from the panic and felt like she was able to control her thoughts again, she looked at her surroundings. She was back to seeing the hues and ripple of magic all around her, but she no longer felt open to it after what she had just ran from. She felt betrayed almost and shied away from the magic she could see. The walls of the hedges shimmered and glowed with the layers upon layers of spells, enchantments, and charms that were so thick, they spanned almost an entire foot away from the foliage. Hermione walked down the middle, lest she be tempted by the drug to interact with the magic again, or worse, be chased again by her fears.

This might not work a second time- Draco said Narcissa and Lucius rearranged the maze.

That doesn't mean that I can't get out of here by following the left wall!

Yes, but did you forget again that magic exists and can cancel muggle logic?!

Hermione stopped in her tracks, one hand on her knees, the other over her heart. She took the moment to make sure the internal argument she was having were her own voices. She didn't know what to trust anymore, and she wanted the effects of the tampered draught to stop.

"Meeeeeooooooooww."

Hermione put her hands over her face in frustration. "Great. I miss Crookshanks so much I'm imagining his voice now." She had almost forgotten what Crookshanks had sounded like as she had not seen him in almost a full week. The cat had disappeared one day when she let him out for a hunt, but had not been able to look for him in the yard. Hermione knew he often dissappeared on campus, but worried that he would not be able to navigate the Malfoy's estate.

"Meeeeeeeeeoooooowww." She felt something brush against her ankle and she jumped back to see her orange hairball of a cat staring at her.

She let out a scream before scooping him up and into her arms. "Please tell me you're real!" Hermione buried her crying face into Crookshanks fur, happy with the familiar feel of his coarse hair on her cheek. After a moment though, he squirmed to fight her grasp before leaping out of her arms. He stayed to circle his legs as she scratched under his chin. Crookshanks purred like the motor on a boat and after a few minutes, Hermione felt much more grounded.

Crookshanks seemed to sense this and circled her ankles once more before walking down a maze corridor. After a few steps, he looked back at her and meowed, almost as if coaxing her to follow. She wasted no time following him with a grin on her tear streaked face. "You know the way out, don't you?" Seeing her familiar alive and well, Hermione wouldn't have put it past her half-kneazle to be able to survive the maze just fine and thought it was in her best interest to follow him. It was either that or risk staying in one spot, hoping that she was found be Lucius or Narcissa before something found her instead.

They walked in silence and soon after they started the trek, Crookshanks stopped checking to see if she was following. When Hermione took the next left, and found herself in a familiar clearing, she couldn't help but let out another delighted cry at seeing that she had been right in her cat being intelligent as he had led her back to the Sphinx.

The Sphinx lifted her head from her front paws she was laying on when she heard the foliage behind Hermione close. "Crookshankssss," She purred, "you have brought a guest." The creature smiled and despite Hermione feeling hopeful that she was near the exist, a shiver ran down her spine looking at the sharp incisors. The Sphinx's nose twitched and Hermione didn't need to take a Care of Magical Creatures course to know that the XXXX ranked beast was smelling her scent. "Tell me child, why is it that you only visit me when you're inebriated?"

Hermione hadn't expected a warm greeting, but she downright despised the point that was made about her. Her parents would be disappointed that she chose drugs over a sober mind and Hermione was already regretting ever drinking the potion. Hermione crossed her arms and focused on the Sphinx so the creature's body would not move around like everything else in Hermione's unfocused vision. "I'm not a child, I'm a teenager, you know."

The Sphinx gave a deep chuckle as she stretched in downward dog, then upward dog before walking to where Hermione and Crookshanks stood, her Lion's tail flicking behind her. "When I was brought into this world, it was a time long before the word 'teenager' was coined. You are a child until you turn seventeen in my eyes, and I will address you as such until then." When the Sphinx was in front of Hermione, she sat and Hermione didn't miss the how she could easily be crushed with one paw. "You did not answer my question."

Hermione thought about an answer, but all she had was the truth. "I don't mean to only visit you when I've taken something."

"And yet, here you are. But it's not just calming draught, is it?" The creature slid into Sphinx pose as she spoke to Hermione, her usually mystic features were filled with curiosity. "I smell something almost bitter, like mushrooms grown over barley."

Hermione's lips pressed into a thin line, and she felt sweat start to prickle on her brow. "I don't know."

The Sphinx's head cocked to the side and her perfectly straight hair seemed to shimmer with movement. Hermione blinked several times, as the hallucinogen in her body had her see snakes instead of strands of hair before her eyes refocused. "You were drugged?"

Did that count as me being drugged if I willingly took it without knowing what it was? Does the blame solely fall on me since I know that drugs are bad? "I drank the potion, thinking it was just calming draught, but it was mixed with something else."

"Ahhhhhh," The sound the Sphinx made was backed by a soft purr. " I suppose you can stay with me until you are of a sober mind again. I imagine the scream I heard was from you?"

Hermione bit her lip as she thought of her vision going black and white while she was running away from the man and the basilisk she saw outside. Her responsible side that was emerging with every passing minute said she needed to go back to the manor to deal with her consequences, but the part of her that was scared of suffering from another bad delusion found herself nodding to the Sphinx. "Thank you, for letting me stay."

The Sphinx grinned from ear to ear before standing. "Any friend of Crookshanks is a friend of mine." The half-kneazle gave a disgruntled meow and the Sphinx snickered. "Come, you need water." The Sphinx led Hermione to a hand pump well that was seated to the side of a large trough for the Sphinx to drink out of. There was another, more circular trough next to it that had dried blood caked deeo into the cement and Hermione didn't to ask that was where the Sphinx's meals appeared. She didn't remember seeing this the last time she had been in the maze, but she blamed it on the fact she as scared for her life while high on calming draught. Hermione reached out to dip a cupped hand into the trough filled with the shimmering water, but the Sphinx stopped her. "Put your hand under the pump, don't ever drink from still water."

Hermione followed the Sphinx's instruction and cupped two hands under the opening of the well. With one toe, the Sphinx pumped the well and water soon rushed into Hermione's palms. She hadn't realized how parched she was until that moment and moaned when the water filled her cotton mouth. She gulped down the water and soon her belly was full to the where she could feel the water slosh inside of her if she moved too quickly. Hermione put some of the water on her face and on the back of her neck, now aware that she was feeling rather warm.

When Hermione straitened, she looked at the hedge in front of her- or rather the magic in front of her. The colors were translucent instead of vibrant now but if she squinted her eyes and unfocused them, the hues brightened up again. Hermione tilted her head up and wondered what exactly she was on that allowed her to see the cocoon of colors over the greenery. "Do you miss Egypt?"

The Sphinx followed Hermione's gaze, wondering what the teen was looking at. "You think I'm from Egypt?"

Hermione raised an eyebrow as she looked at the Sphinx. "If you're as old as you claim, I would imagine that's where you came from."

The Sphinx chuckled. "Amazing how you can keep your wits about you, I wonder if they stopped making drugs as potent as they used to." Hermione didn't know how to respond to that so she didn't. "The only thing I miss more than the sand between my toes and the sun on my back is the feeling of flying through Egypt's sky. I fear that if I ever get out of here, I'd leap into the air and fall faster than Icarus as I would have forgotten how to beat my wings."

Hermione tried placing herself in the Sphinx's shoes and she imagined herself being trapped in a cage where she wasn't able to walk or fully stretch out her legs. She remembered the Sphinx had mentioned to her before that she had been in the maze for at least ten years and could not help but feel pity for the beast. She's surrounded by green foliage, but the space is obviously enchanted... I wonder...

Gathering up her courage to interact with the magic, Hermione stood in front of the wall closest to her. She placed her hands in front of her and gently pushed it through so it was in the middle of all the layers that spanned from yellow, to purple and brown. Trying to cast Prior Incantato on each layer was going to be more taxing and time consuming than useful, so she tried a spell she had not had the chance of using before now. "Specialis Revelio."

The air in front of her quivered as her magic twisted into the mound of spells ahead of her, forcing each one to reveal its incantation. She quickly looked for one that may have controlled the environment of the area she was in. Capacious extremis? No, although I wonder if I could make the ceiling high enough for her to fly? I shouldn't risk it. Colloportus et Dissendium? Perhaps I could just let myself out... Focus, Hermione! Hermione took a deep breath before continuing her search. Several lines down, she found what she was looking for and found herself thankful for having to study Latin at her primary school: Gramineo terram, circumferentiam Hedge, Aeris XXI celsius...

Hermione hesitated. She thought about casting Meteolojinx Recanto to completely dislodge the ward, but knew that wards and charms this complex had the tendency to work off of each other. As much as she wanted to free the Sphinx, she didn't want to risk releasing anything else that may not have been as kind or as sentient like the Sphinx. Draco was right to want to release the maze's inhabitants slowly after making sure they could survive in the wild, so she drew in a deep breath to prepare herself to manipulate the conditions rather than tear down a ward she only had general book knowledge of.

"What are you doing, child?" Hermione looked over her shoulder to see the Sphinx had her head completely cocked to the side, the same way Crookshanks did when he was curious about something. Hermione didn't answer, but instead closed her eyes as she placed her hands over the words she wants to change.

It wasn't easy. Hermione know it would have been difficult if it even worked, but she underestimated how hard it would be. At first she tried to imagine the grass beneath her simply turning into the copper sands she saw in photographs of Egypt before learning simple intent would not be enough to manage this wandlessly. Hermione took a deep breath before thinking of a memory of her and her parents on Brighton Beach. She focused less on what William and Jean were doing, and more of the feel of the dry sand beneath her. Squishy and solid, but much more fluid than grass. When she felt the pressure of her weight on the ground shift from her transfiguration being successful, she focused on remembering how bright the sun was. She thought of how it burned her skin before she had the chance to apply sunscreen, with the wind being her only source to ease the intense summer heat. Hermione took a deep breath as she imagined herself on that beach, completely alone with nothing but sand in front of her or behind her, wanting and willing the conditions to be where she was now.

When Hermione opened her eyes, she grinned, satisfied with her work. The field looked as if they really were in a desert and the sun relentlessly beat down on them, no longer in the shade of the Maze's greenery. It was only when she took a step back and collapse a second time on to her rear to look over the room did she realize how drained she was.

The Sphinx's head appeared over Hermione, completely blocking out the sun. "Perhaps I should not call you a child." Hermione laughed and it made her aware of how light headed she felt. Her stomach twisted as she remembered how bad her situation was and how she was going to be in copious amounts of trouble when she got back to the manor. No, this was Theo's doing. I'll just have to tell Narcissa the whole truth. Hermione's stomach objected to the idea as she thought that she would have to admit she willingly drank from the vial. How did I become to such a rotten person? "You are troubled. What's on your mind?"

Hermione felt Crookshanks curl on her side as a tear slid from her eye and into her hair that was already filled with sand. Hermione didn't want to talk about her failures to an ancient creature as she was sure the Sphinx would take Draco's side in claiming she threw pity parties- and Hermione couldn't a reason to disagree with them, even as she wallowed in her despair. "Do you believe in God?" It was a question she had not thought about in a long time, but while questioning what led her to this moment in her life, she couldn't help but question a higher power a second time. The first time she questioned a God was several years into primary school when she tried to tell her parents about all the miracles she learned about in school. They were excited to see her so animated, but quickly shared their idea that they didn't believe he existed. It was the first time she had locked herself in a library, pouring over books from different religions until she came to the conclusion that her parents were right, and religion was rubbish.

There was a pause, then an eruption of laughter from the Sphinx. Hermione fought the urge to cover her nose at the smell of the Sphinx's hot, coppery breath and waited for a reply. She was slightly offended that she was being laughed at, but was too tired to hold on to a trivial grudge. "What a question to ask a Sphinx! I have not been asked that in so long."

Hermione wiped at the sweat on her forehead. Perhaps she made the clearing too hot. "But you have considered it?"

"Every creature has." Hermione couldn't make out the Sphinx's features, but she thought that something had crossed her face. "Here." The Sphinx turned away and Hermione was left with the sun beaming straight into her eyes before it was blocked again. For a second Hermione thought she had succumbed to hallucinations again until she realized the rainbow in front of her were actually feathers.

After her heart rate slowed down, Hermione reached a had out to the feathers, but even with the Sphinx laying down next to her, the coverts were too far out of reach. "These- Your wings! They're magnificent." Her question completely forgotten, Hermione looked across the plumage in front of her with a dopey expression. The over wing had tan and white flowers, she would have never thought such a range of colors to be hidden in the under wing. The erudite in her wondered about the uses in potions, how suitable the feather would be if used as a quill-

"It's one of the main reasons why my kind is nearly extinct." Hermione's guilty conscience almost had her apologize for the thoughts she had been having, but knew even in her loopy state- it would have made the conversation awkward. "The human desire their need to industrialize or conquer everything in sight has crippled the globe and its inhabitants." There was a gruffness in the Sphinx's voice that made Hermione wonder again how exactly a dangerous creature ended up in the maze. Sphinx's were witty and at the top of the food chain- in combination to what the fearsome creature just said, it was obvious something terrible landed her in the Malfoy's possesions. She shouldn't be here, she's just just as human as us! She has thoughts and feelings- she should be free! Hermione vaguely remembered the Sphinx mentioning she was bound by magic and Hermione wondered if it was anything like being a house elf.

When she opened her mouth to ask the Sphinx about her past, there was a swish of a spell soaring through the air before sand was thrown over Hermione. She rolled to her feet as the Sphinx's lion roar filled her ears. Due to Hermione being weak, she had to stumble over to the well to stay upright. She barely noticed that she couldn't see the magic around her anymore- although she could still feel it- before her eyes settled on Lucius Malfoy sending hex after hex at the Sphinx with Crookshanks nowhere to be found. The Sphinx was obviously scared and Hermione did not find it to be unlike the abused tigers at a circus. "STOP! You're hurting her! STOP!" The last word came out as a shreik, but she felt like she was losing the competition to be heard.

At the sound of her voice, Lucius shot a glance in Hermione's direction. She watched as his already pointed features sharpened with the rage that consumed his face. He didn't stop, but the frequency in spells hitting the Sphinx slowed as he crossed to where Hermione stood. "Why are you-"

Lucius snarled before roughly grabbing Hermione's arm and pulling her to his side. "Get us out of here, Crewe."

Hermione hadn't noticed that Crewe had been hovering by side until he made a sound of affirmation. Hermione had never apparated before and was surprised to feel the jerk behind her navel before she ended up in the foyer manor with a pissed off Lucius. The sensation left her dry heaving with a cramping stomach. With Lucius being fine, she imagined that he was either used to apperation or the mix of the tampered draught, the dehydration and the swirling of warping from the maze to the manor had taken a toll on her.

"Are you done having your fun?" Hermione tried to force herself to breath properly to control her urge to vomit. She ended up on her hands and knees, coughing up phlem and sand. "Because if you are, I would love to know what goes through that curly little head of yours. Do you find it amusing to throw the kindness Narcissa and I have shown you back in our faces?" Hermione felt, more than saw Lucius pacing back and forth. "You disappear for hours, worrying my wife so you can go gallivanting with a Sphinx? Tell me Hermione, do you have a death wish?" Hermione forced herself to swallow whatever bile that was building in her mouth before looking up at Lucius. When she did, Narcissa and Draco walked into the foyer followed closely by a grinning Pansy and a shocked Theo. Hermione imagined she looked like a mess, being covered in sand, but she couldn't stop the death glare she gave Theo. This is all your fault. "Your little act, tirade, whatever you want to call it needs to stop and it needs to stop now- Look at me Hermione," She snapped her gaze away from Theo's to see Lucius was nearly bent over in front of her. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir-"

"I said, do I make myself clear?"

Hermione sat up, but did not stand as her legs felt like gelatin. She made a motion in Theo's direction, ready to tell Lucius her side of things. "This isn't my-"

"Fault? WHO'S FAULT COULD IT BE?" Hermione sucked in a breath as she stared at Lucius. The only other adult who ever spoke to her like that was Snape, and it reaffirmed her guilt in being a terrible child.

Narcissa, seeing the shocked look on Hermione's face, crossed the room and whispered to Lucius. "Pansy and Theo are watching, dear. Mind your tongue."

While she sat in her shock and fear, Hermione thought again about how she would sound saying Theo had given her a drug. Lucius was already livid with her, but the bottom line was, she took it. Theo didn't force it down her throat and she thought it would only any punishments she would endure, worse. Hermione could feel the familiar burn of tears in her eyes and throat when she realized what she was going to do.

"You're right." Using the table beside her, she pushed herself up to her feet. Her legs shook, but as she caught Theos eye again, she used the anger she had for him to keep her on her feet.

"What did you say?" Lucius, who was pink in the face, looked completed taken aback by her declaration.

"I said, 'you're right.' I've been a right brat. It's insulting to you both and I plan on proving how sorry I am by being better." Hermione looked up at Lucius with watery eyes. This isn't fair. "Can I go to my room, please?"

Lucius made a noise like he was going to say something, but Narcissa dismissed Hermione before he could say anything else. "Go."

Hermione turned and immediately started to head for the stairs. The stomach pain she had was growing worse, but she climbed up the stairs, not even bothering to look at anyone else as she did. Her pride was wounded, but she was more than upset about it.

For the third time in her life, Hermione wanted revenge.

"Theo you're such a pig!" Pansy pushed a laughing Theo off of Draco's bed, but he didn't stop laughing. Draco was hardly paying attention to the conversation anymore, too engrossed in his thoughts. Something wasn't right and it bothered him- Hermione didn't give heated glares without being provoked and she wanted to know why they were pointed at Theo. "I'm going to the bathroom."

"Then go, don't bloody announce it!" Theo retorted as Pansy stood. She flicked him off before starting to walk towards Draco's bathroom, but he would be damned to let an opportunity to question Theo pass him by.

"Pansy, use the bathroom in your guest room."

"But my room is so far!" Pansy let her hands slap against her sides and Draco for once fought the urge to be rude to her.

"And I'm asking as your host to please make the trip. My bathroom is a mess and I'd be embarrassed if you were to see it." Draco almost saw Pansy melt before him at the sweet tone she used.

"Okay." Her voice was breathy and she nearly skipped to the door after Draco used his pleasant voice.

"You think she's in love with you, mate?" Theo chuckled before taking his former seat on the bed. Draco didn't say anything until five seconds after Pansy's footsteps could no longer be heard.

"So I've been meaning to ask, what did you talk to Hermione about last night?"

"I thought I told you I was apologizing for my father's actions at the restaurant."

"That's it?" Draco uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. "Nothing else?" Draco liked Theo, but as the months went on, he found that he was having to look over small things he didn't agree with- things like calling Blaise a faggot, making statements about women that were creepy to the point it made Draco uncomfortable and being more cruel to the first years than any other Slytherin found necessary. Draco especially didn't like how Theo had snickered when Hermione ran out of the restaurant- a detail everyone else seemed to miss.

"Huh? No." Draco took a deep breath as anger bubbled in his throat recognizing Theo's tell. He always stalled when he needed to think of a lie or remember a lie he had told. "Don't look at me like that, Draco. I was making peace with the mudbl-"

"I don't like that word being used to describe Hermione." Theo narrowed his eyes at Draco, not sure if he was hearing his friend correctly.

"Right." Theo's voice was completely flat and Draco knew he wasn't being taken seriously. It only doubled Draco's anger as it was one of his pet peeves. He felt like he should be treated with enough respect to only have to say something once- it was the same respect he gave to people! In a way. He only allowed his mistakes to be caught once, but he acted how he saw fit when they weren't looking.

Draco smiled and held out a hand as if to shake Theo's hand. When Theo grabbed his palm though, Draco pulled it towards him so his arm was fully extended and twisted it inwards till it wouldn't anymore without his wrist breaking. "Ahhh!" Theo leaned forward with his arm, trying to relieve some pressure, but Draco used the new position as leverage to place his other arm on Theo's back.

"In the beginning of the year, I told every Slytherin to stay off of her as she's as much of a friend as you are, Theo, so don't think you were excluded from that warning. If I discover that she was insulted or harmed in anyway that you made her feel like she needed to skip out on my mother today-"

"I didn't fucking do anything! Let go of me!"

Draco started at the back of his friend who was gently, but frantically tugging to get his hand back. Sense seemed to hit him then and he leg go, leaving Theo to fall to the floor after failing to regain his balance. Draco started to feel guilty, but reminded himself that there was a reason he acted how he did and if Theo didn't act any less suspicious, he would do it again, but the next time he would break his wrist. "I have a salve to help numb the pain."

Draco didn't wait for a reply before going into his bathroom to retrieve the numbing salve. Before he could return to the room though, he heard the door close. When Draco returned to his bedroom though, it was empty. Draco didn't like the taste it left in his mouth and couldn't help but think that he hoped he made the right decision giving Theo the benefit of the doubt.

A/N: ALRIGHT, the next update will be the night of the gala. I'm expecting it to end up being around 2 or 3 chapters along with me drawing out some of their costumes (I plan on posting a flickr link for y'all to see) so it may take me a bit, thank you in advance for your patience *heart emoji* After the gala, I do want to let you guys know I am considering taking a hiatus (only a month or two at most) from posting. Stuff is going on in my personal life and I only want to give you guys quality. If I have to take a break to do that, I will.

ShawnJoell: Haha, thank you!

Alice Helena: OH IT REALLY IS! Mine was damn near traumatizing.

Liberta Black: Aquila, oops lol. Thank you again for pointing that out.

Sherry24: Perdóname si hay algún error, estoy usando Google Translate para responder. Estoy tan feliz de escuchar que disfrutaste la escena jajaja, utilicé algo de mi experiencia para que pareciera genuina.

InsideTheFridge: Thank you! I love hearing y'all enjoyed it.

Aku Ms. Un: I live to torture you all.

Jamie-James-Jj: It's terrible having the urge to write, but never having the time! Drives me up the wall haha so thank you for understanding. It's odd that you haven't received a notification, as I see that you favorited and followed my fic. I would suggest contacting support if refavoriting/refollowing doesn't work? Regardless, I'll PM you to let you know this chapter went up so let me know if that notification worked.