Neville let Fernsby go first as they all split off into the room. It was strange seeing himself as another person as he ignored Theo's speech about the punch. The others had already settled themselves in as Hermione and Blaise danced by the sofa, whilst Ginny and Luna chatted to some of the other eighth years.

Padma Patil and Isobel Mcdougal were deep in conversation as they sat on the stairs. They tucked their matching plaid skirts under them as they continued to talk. He wasn't sure who they were supposed to be so turned to find someone else.

He caught sight of Fernsby snooping around as he took in the whole room. The Auror strolled back, his eyes everywhere as he nodded.

"That Nott kid did a great job on the party!" Fernsby said, his tone sounding impressed. "However, visibility is a bit lacking with the clouds and blood, isn't it?" He asked. Neville nodded as he heard Theo warning people about the bloodstains only being temporary.

"So, whereabouts are you right now?" Fernsby asked. Neville pointed to where he and Theo were talking about the ghost. Fernsby found him before eyes skimmed the rest of the room. "Right, tell me who's who from here." He pointed out the two girls on the stairs. Fernsby chuckled after seeing the costumes. "Clueless, nice choice."

Neville shrugged. Fernsby caught the movement and shook his head and smirked.

"You need to try some muggle stuff! They don't have magic, but what they've been able to accomplish without it will amaze you. If you get the chance, take Miss Parkinson to a cinema in muggle London and go and watch 'Ever After'. It's only just been released, it's based loosely on Cinderella. You'll love it!" He assured him.

"Ok, I'll see what we can do." Neville agreed.

"Once you've seen a film on the big screen, you'll be hooked!" He smiled before turning back to the memory. "But we're getting off-topic. Who else is here?"

Neville pointed out a few other people. Cornfoot and Rivers were over behind the stairway, Terry, Wayne, Roger were over in the study nook, lounging on the tables as they laughed and drank. The Auror laughed again as he took in their costumes.

"Your year group are a lot more interesting than mine was!" Fernsby nodded. Neville didn't answer. He gazed around and watched as his past self headed towards the kitchen. Fernsby walked over towards the stairway, asking questions as he went. Neville tried to answer where he could. He didn't recognise most of the sixth years that had crept in so he couldn't put names to faces for the Auror. But it wasn't just about people the wizard wanted to know about. It was about the layout of the tower, and about window aspects and the views to below. He asked about passwords and curfews for the common room door to which there wasn't one, only the age line.

"So anyone can leave and enter at any point?" He asked. Neville nodded. "What about the dorms?"

"The boy's has a password. However, I think the stairs are charmed, so the steps leading to the girl's dorm flatten and turn into a slide." Neville shrugged "so I'm not sure they have a password."

"Interesting," Fernsby muttered before looking around again. "I'll ask one of the girls later," He nodded as he leant against the wall between the study nook and where Cornfoot and Rivers sat.

He noticed when the seventh year girls appeared. They walked past him as they waved to his past-self, who sat in the kitchen.

"Daisy! He's alone, and I heard he broke up with the Slytherin. You should try your luck again." Nessie insisted as she tried to walk in her glittery green fishtail, tugging at the waistband.

"I can't! It was embarrassing enough before when Parkinson came over and shooed me away. I was mortified." Daisy frowned insecurely. The frown looked strange on the doll face makeup she had applied.

"They broke up. As in seriously split! I heard they haven't spoken a word since last week. She refuses to even look at him." Korsty said as she checked her sleeked back hair. "Dais! You need to jump on that quickly before someone else does! The things I've heard…" Korsty muttered with a meaningful glance as she fanned herself meaningfully.

"Korsty!" Quinzee chided from underneath the bedsheet. He had been right when he had guessed her identity the night before.

"What? All I'm saying is that the man is fit with apparently a lot going on! If you don't go for it, someone else will… and I'm not promising that it won't be me!" She muttered half under her breath as she pulled her cape around herself dramatically. "Cause I van't to suck his blood." She growled in a mock Transylvanian accent.

"You wouldn't! Korsty! You know I've liked him for ages! You keep your fangs out of him!" Daisy whined as she pulled at the other girl's arm.

"Then get to it!" She smirked before throwing herself down onto the seats next to Neville's right.

Neville shook himself as he tore his eyes away from the girls. Did they really think like that about him?

"Well, that was fun to watch," The Auror chuckled. "Nice to know what people really think about you, eh?" Neville shook his head and swallowed. He was sure that he preferred not knowing. Girls were scary. Fernsby had already moved on as Neville glanced back at him. The Aurors eyes were now focused on something else.

"So, What can you tell me about them?" Fernsby asked, nodding to the bullies. Neville leant against the wall and eyed them as they stood laughing. He knew from their glances they were laughing at him, sat alone in the kitchen getting drunker and drunker.

"Who? Cornfoot and Rivers?"

The Auror nodded as he scratched his stubble.

"Erm…" He paused as he looked at them in their ridiculous costumes. "They were both in Ravenclaw and are both from pureblood families. Stephen is the main bully and Rivers follows him around like a sheep."

Fernsby nodded.

"Did Pansy tell you that they attacked her a few weeks ago?"

"No, she didn't."

"Stephen tried to flirt with her, and when she turned him down, he attacked her."

"What did he do?" He asked

Neville thought for a moment. "I know he slapped her arse, but then I think he tried to hex her, but she got there first. She hit him with a langlock jinx and a finger-loss curse."

The Auror fought to school his features, but Neville could see he was trying not to laugh. "I like your Miss Parkinson more and more," He confirmed before pushing his hair back. "And, erm…" He cleared his throat. "Where was Rivers when this happened?" "He was elsewhere, but he caught up to Pansy when she was on the way to lunch. He yanked her up by her ankle and made her flash her underwear to the whole school and called her a whore, amongst other things." Neville shuddered at the image. "She knocked him back, and I hit him with a tentacle head jinx."

"Remind me not to mess with the two of you." He nodded. There was a pause before the Auror spoke again. "And do you know if that was the only run in she's had with them?"

Neville considered it for a moment and shook his head. "If anything else has happened, she's not mentioned it, so I don't think so. But I know that last weekend while I was on my own in Hogsmeade they hinted that they were going to try it on with her at the party. Rivers called it aggressive cuddling regardless of whether she was drunk or not."

"That's interesting." The auror muttered as they watched the two purebloods head for Neville. "Let's get closer." He muttered as he pushed off from the wall. Neville followed the wizard toward the kitchen.

It felt strange watching himself from across the room. His eyes seemed distant and sad, and even though he looked oddly smart in his costume, he had an overwhelmingly pathetic air about him.

"Hey, Shortcock. Where have you hidden her? I thought she was back on the market?" Cornfoot said again as they watched on. Neville could tell that both the two Ravenclaws seemed to have been drinking quite a lot too.

"Shut up!" Neville wrinkled his nose up at the pitiable reply.

"So witty! Merlin knows why you weren't put into Ravenclaw!" Cornfoot replied again. Neville really wanted to punch him.

Fernsby walked around the bullies and watched them as if assessing them or taking their measurements. Neville couldn't tell whether he was listening to the conversation or not until he looked up to the door when Rivers spoke again.

"Steve? She's here!" Rivers muttered.

Fernsby and Neville glanced at the woman in the doorway, and Neville frowned. Now that he knew that it wasn't Pansy, she looked odd. The way she stood and held herself wasn't right. The real Pansy always seemed so regal and graceful, not at all like the woman in the Poison Ivy costume.

"You keep your hands off her, Cornfoot! And you, Rivers! Touch her, and I will end you both." In Neville's mind, when he had originally said that, it had felt so threatening. However now it just sounded flat and hollow.

"Interesting," Fernsby muttered as he watched the men disappear.

"What's interesting?" Neville asked.

"I'll tell you when we're done. This is proving to be a very useful exercise."

Neville turned to watch Hannah step up to his past self, and he shook his head. He had to refer to her as Hannah because he just couldn't see Pansy anymore even though she wore the Slytherin's likeness.

"I just don't know what she had to gain from doing this," He shrugged. "Unless she wanted to mess with my head even more," Neville pondered as he watched her.

"In my professional experience, I would suggest she's jealous of what you and Miss Parkinson have. I mean, look at that." Fernsby replied as he pointed to his counterpart's face as it gazed at her. It was tragic and embarrassing. Neville looked but couldn't see anything else.

"What?"

"You don't see it? That look there? That's a look of a man in love. I would put all the money in my vault that she just wanted you to look at her like that just once."

"But I'm not looking at her, I'm looking at Pansy."

"It's amazing what people see and hear when they're in love. They do strange things. Stupid, crazy and dangerous things. Believe me, I've seen it all!" He sighed. "It's almost as dangerous as the imperious curse, love."

Neville shrugged, he could believe it. He watched as she returned with the drinks and lounged on his lap. Sober, he could see and hear that everything was wrong. She called him 'Nev' for one thing. Pansy always used his full name, or last name when she was teasing. She could also handle her alcohol, something which Hannah obviously couldn't.

"Cool! Are they eyeballs?" Fernsby asked, pointing at the kitchen sink.

"Yeah, I think they were one of Theo's decorations. I keep meaning to ask him about it."

Neville watched as they kissed and his insides squirmed uncomfortably. He could see from the outside just how uncomfortable and awkward it looked. He cringed when Hannah hit him.

"What did you do?" Fernsby asked, a similar wince on his face.

"I bit her lip."

"Ah," he said with a smirk.

"Be gentle with me. I'm delicate." Hannah said. Neville rolled his eyes and shook his head as he asked himself how he could have missed the signs.

"I don't understand how I missed so many hints. I can see almost everything I missed, and it's so blatantly obvious. Pansy would never call herself delicate. She thinks it's a weakness."

"As I said, people in love do stupid things. Miss Parkinson sounds quite progressive though. Especially for a pureblood from such a traditional family," Fernsby hinted. Neville smiled and nodded.

"She is, but she tries to follow the important rules." The Auror laughed.

"You mean the ones she likes?" He asked with a chuckle. Neville nodded. The full cup of punch falling off the table drew him back to the scene in front of them.

"Oh, Nev! You're so clumsy," She said as she sat back in his seat. She smiled, but it seemed strained. Neville could almost see her jaw grinding together in barely-hidden frustration.

He looked away. He thought it would hurt less knowing that it was Hannah Polyjuiced as Pansy but watching the words come out of her mouth still stung. He hoped never to see such looks pointed at him from his Pansy. He heard his past self leave the room and turned to watch as Hannah rolled her stolen grey eyes. He felt a sudden swell of anger at her audacity. He couldn't believe that she could do this. Lie and manipulate him so badly.

"She seems delightful," The Auror noted with pursed lips. Neville didn't trust his voice enough to answer when Theo entered the room, helping his past self stand.

"And this is Theodore Nott?" Fernsby asked. Neville nodded. "Again, he's awfully helpful for a Slytherin. You were in Gryffindor, weren't you?"

Neville nodded again. "As I said before, our former houses don't really mean anything any more. Theo, Blaise Zabini and of course Pansy have been really good friends to me this year." He paused as he considered what he was going to say next. "I probably would have left Hogwarts already if they weren't here for me. Hermione takes so many classes that I barely get to see her. Also, with Ginny and Luna being in seventh year, they can't hang around up here. It's been lonely."

"I can imagine, especially when there is no escape." The Auror agreed. Neville nodded.

"So, what's going on here?" Fernsby pointed out at Theo and Hannah, arguing.

"He's trying to understand why she isn't wearing the dress he helped her choose. And by the sounds of it, she's just trying to fob him off," He said. Again, now that he was sober, he could hear her struggling to fight off Theo's insistent questions. He heard the Auror cough and raise his eyebrows when Hannah spoke again.

"Just because you're a raving homo, doesn't mean you have a better dress sense all the time. Stop your shrieking."

Fernsby shook his head and laughed. "There's no way she'll be getting a job at the ministry any time soon, The Minister is gay." He chuckled. Neville glanced at him and smiled as Theo stormed out. "So what's going on now?"

Neville watched as Hannah tried to swish up to his past self. He hadn't noticed at the time that her ankle almost gave way showing just how unsteady and uncomfortable she was in the heels. Again so unlike Pansy.

"I think she was trying to see whether I cheated on her with Pansy when we were together. She's also trying to get me to sleep with her." Neville replied. His voice felt oddly empty as his mind considered what would have happened had he given in. He rubbed his face and neck as he tried to erase the sensation of her lips on his. He felt filthy and violated.

"Nev, I'm offering you all this, everything you see and everything you don't. What are you waiting for?"

"Did she just quote from the film?" The older Auror asked with a snort and a shake of his head. Neville looked at him. Something about his mannerisms and his attitude made him think he was younger than he appeared. He had thought of the man as being in his fifties, but now he wondered whether they were closer in age, after all, his late thirties, maybe.

He listened to Hannah, trying to convince him to have sex and saw the Auror's eyes widen.

"You have got the will power of a saint!" He remarked. Neville shrugged with indifference.

"I promised them that I wouldn't."

"Them?" Fernsby asked.

"Pansy, Theo and Blaise. It's the one rule that she actually follows, keeping her… reputation intact." The Auror nodded in understanding.

"Your patience and restraint is impressive, I'm not sure how I would've reacted if she said those things to me."

He listened as she accused him of being impotent, then gay and then finally useless in bed.

"Hannah wrote a letter?" Fernsby asked, raising his eyebrows. Neville shivered as a chill ran down his spine. He grit his teeth as the anger bubbled under the surface.

"Yes, She wrote to the Parkinsons telling them everything she thought was going on, and then they came back and insisted Pansy have…" Neville fought with the words. "To be checked to see if she was still unbroken." He frowned at the phrasing. But he saw the Auror's eyes widen and then grimace. Neville assumed that Fernsby had a better idea than him what that involved and felt the anger in his gut again.

"So Pansy… the real Pansy, had to be tested by Madam Pomfrey to check she hadn't been taking part in intercourse?" Neville nodded.

"That's…despicable!" Fernsby shook his head in disgust. Neville nodded. His mind darted between the thoughts of Pansy being tested and what was playing out before him. His heart suddenly felt very heavy and overloaded. He moved to leave when he remembered what happened next. "Where are you going?"

"I know what's coming, and I just can't watch it again. I'll be just outside." The Auror looked at him for a moment before nodding and letting him go.

Neville stepped out into the noise of the party and took a deep breath. The words she'd used bounced around her head as he tried to concentrate on anything else. Everyone seemed to be pretty drunk. Cornfoot and Rivers were by the door, slouching on the floor as they laughed and drank. Hermione and Blaise didn't seem to realise that there were other people in the room as they worked each other up.

He turned away quickly. He did not need to see that. Ginny and Luna, as well as a few others, were dancing in the centre of the room. The music, which seemed to pour out of the stonework, made the already strange scenery even more unsettling. He found Theo and Anthony shoved up against the wall as they kissed, and he smiled. His ghostly outfit looking strange against Anthony's bright yellow suit, a green mask hanging loosely in his hand. At least he had finally managed to get it on with the other guy.

He heard her heels clacking on the kitchen floor before he saw her just as Fernsby came and stood next to him.

"She is something else." The Auror announced with a shake of his head. His eyes seemed wider than they should have been. Neville wondered whether the comments about his parents had affected him as much as himself.

"Yep," He nodded. As they both watched her stomp off. It was almost comical watching her walk in those shoes. He caught the seventh year Hufflepuffs including Daisy smirk when she almost tripped. He had to smirk himself, knowing that it wasn't Pansy. "So, what more did you need to see?"

"Not much more," The wizard said, his eyes glued to the common room door. Neville turned as he watched Hannah swing it open angrily before storming out. He felt a dawning understanding as the door slowly closed, hiding her from view.

"Is she.." Neville started, but Fernsby held up a hand, his eyes intent on the entrance. Neville watched too as he began to feel sick. He watched as Cornfoot and Rivers nudged each other and stand. They checked behind them as they crept out and disappeared from the party.