The days slowly passed by, so sluggishly that it almost seemed as if the Earth itself was rotating slower just to make Violet suffer for longer. She felt more alone than ever, with Jasmine still giving her the cold shoulder and once more sleeping in the attic, she felt as if she had traveled back in time to those first few years where she was alone in the orphanage.

The first night after their fight she was confused and dazed by both how quickly her temper had flared and Jasmine's reaction. She knew that Jasmine hadn't done it on purpose, she wasn't stupid enough to try to use wandless magic knowing that the Trace was still in effect and that it may detect it. Violet was glad to see that Jasmine hadn't received a warning for using magic outside of the school after she left. They had been lucky, and it had definitively proven that they could do wandless magic outside of school.

Now the only thing she had to worry about was her guilt. She knew that Jasmine was still quite marked by the events of the Second Wizarding War. She had seen first hand her have nightmares about it, every time she relieved one of the memories she had of the war, while they first started practicing Occlumency. She knew that she still felt quite guilty for killing the two orphans, even if at least in her opinion they were truly deserving of such an end. Yet she still had used those weak points to try to tear into her, she had attacked her where she knew she was the weakest without even an ounce of mercy.

She couldn't quite understand it herself, why had she done that? She knew that Jasmine was her only true friend, her teacher, her confidant. She was the most important person in the whole world for her. How could she not be? She was willing to try to defeat a wizard forty years their senior just because of her ambition. Yet she had figuratively spat on her face. Heck it would have been less damaging if she had spat on her face. She didn't know why she had done it, she wasn't so emotional normally, so quick to lose her temper, her early years at the orphanage had taught her the virtue of controlling her reactions. Yet, she felt as if she had been the rope of a bow that after years of use had finally snapped. But what had put her in so much tension to begin with?

She knew that she always appreciated the time she had with Jasmine, she warmed her heart in a way that no other person would ever be able to do. She had even been able to make her time at the orphanage somewhat close to enjoyable. Stopping herself from looking for Jasmine and apologizing to her that time they had their first, and until now only fight, had been the most difficult thing she had ever done. So she had tried to avoid her the best she could. Part of her was quite glad that the incident at the cave had happened, without it she didn't think she would have been able to stop herself from talking to her much longer. Jasmine was her rock, she had been the one that had introduced her to magic, she had taught her despite what another version of herself had done to her. And here she was, hurting her once more, she shuddered as images of that snake-like face passed through her mind once more.

Some part of her was glad that her counterpart had destroyed and violated himself so much by the time Jasmine met him. It was quite easy to trick herself into thinking that the monster wasn't another version of her, that it wasn't so painfully obvious that she was destined to become a monster like him. But sadly for her, Jasmine had a few memories of him before he had become that monster when he still was a charming young boy.

She still remembered the face of that black haired teenager standing in a dimly illuminated chamber. She had seen her eyes and her nose in that face, she had recognized with aching familiarity the way he clenched his jaw when he was angry. Something she couldn't quite understand screamed at her that this could very well be her. She remembered the time she saw that little boy in her own room, with her own books, and she was able to perfectly understand how scared and angry he was towards the weirdly dressed tall man when he menaced him with destroying all his possessions. She understood him as if were happening to her. She could understand all of that just by seeing him, as she knew that she would react the same way if he hadn't had Jasmine there with her.

Was her the only thing that separated her from that monster, Jasmine? Sometimes it felt like that as if that little black haired girl was a light that protected her from the darkness. Yet, she had still tortured that boy into insanity, and she didn't feel even an ounce of remorse about it. She still couldn't understand why Jasmine was so attached to those fools she insisted on teaching. She knew that she didn't do it in order to gain prestige or popularity like she did. She genuinely liked doing it for some reason and Violet was unable to truly understand why. Sometimes she thought that Jasmine wasn't protecting her from the dark destiny her counterpart had lived, instead, she was protecting everyone else from her. Every now and then she feared that she was a chore for her, another manifestation of the hero complex she displayed all throughout her last life.

However, at the same time, she was the only one who was taught Occlumency and the dark arts. She did that despite the fact that Jasmine must know that she is only making her more dangerous, more powerful. That was what comforted her when her thoughts made her doubt her best friend, if she really was nothing more than a chore she wouldn't have taught her those arts. If she really didn't like her she wouldn't have opened herself so much to her, she wouldn't have let her see her real self. While the others could only see Jasmine Potter the teacher and prodigy, Violet could see more she could see the fighter, the warrior, that despite everything she had lived through, she somehow was still kind in a way Violet knew she would never be. Yet, despite her being the only person that truly knew her, she still insisted on wasting valuable time trying to help people like that squib.

She had thought of apologizing straight away. She had wanted to apologize the moment those words had left her mouth but she couldn't, not yet. She hated hurting her, but if she didn't understand why she had done it how could she apologize. What right did she have to apologize if she didn't understand why she had done it. What would stop her from doing it again? So she had taken the time to do something she rarely did, take her time and try to decipher the storm of emotions that currently lived inside her heart. She had tried to see where that anger came from, what had made her snap, so she could completely eliminate it.

She truly didn't like the idea of putting themselves into someone else's debt. For the moment they had few resources and little power outside of their reputation. It was clear that it wasn't enough to actually be accepted by the closed off circles of the dark faction, they didn't want anything to do with a pair of half-bloods. On the other hand, the majority of half-bloods and purebloods wouldn't have the kind of wards needed to block the Trace, it was better not to make them remember their origins. Right now they saw them as basically two out of the ordinary figures, the only pair of first years able to beat a sixth year they couldn't afford to show weakness, but they didn't see them as anything more than a tool to be molded and used. They had survived four years only practicing magic without a wand; they could survive two months without it. Yet, she knew that there was something else she wouldn't have lost control of her temper if it was only a simple disagreement.

While she mused about her actions and feelings Violet's days blurred together in a long period of otherwise pure boredom, she tried to be productive but she couldn't do much other than reading over and over again the books she had already read. She wanted to go buy new ones but she still didn't have any money to her name. She hated that she depended on Jasmine even in that, it made her feel like a charity case. It only made Violet remember that if she ever wanted to buy something for Jasmine to apologize to her, she couldn't, that she couldn't even buy her a present for her soon incoming birthday. It made her insides burn in anger and frustration.

So Violet was often left with nothing more than the orphanage chores and reading both the magical and muggle newspaper trying to see how the tensions of war increased in both worlds. She even continued to practice her French by reading the French magical newspaper, as they were following Grindelwald's movements much closer than their British counterparts. She thought that she may not be overconfident when she judged that even without knowledge of the future she could see the preparations for war.

The French noble assembly had officially denied the new magical estate of Germany their invitation to form a coalition. The issue didn't even reach the Wizengamot in the United Kingdom and not many other countries were even considering now. Violet suspected that all those who supported Grindelwald had already decided to immigrate to Germany, knowing that the purebloods elites wouldn't believe Grindelwald's predictions, they saw Muggles as little more than wild animals after all. At the same time, Violet caught up with what had been happening on the muggle side of the war. The states of Europe were already forming a united front to defend against Hitler, Poland's independence had already been guaranteed by France and the United Kingdom back in March as well as Greece's had been in April. The board was set now it was just time to wait for which player was going to do the first move.

However, the political intrigue that normally would interest her and catch her imagination was dull compared to the ache she felt for her best friend. She felt her absence in all her activities from doing the exercises they had been doing in the dueling club, dodging imaginary spells that passed by zooming near her, to practicing her Occlumancy despite the absence of a Leglilimens to actually see if her efforts were having any effect. Most of the time she ended up in her bed restless, reflecting on her emotions, on the fight, and trying to understand her own actions.

Yet she still didn't get why she had done what she had done, she only knew she felt alone and miserable. She sometimes saw Jasmine around the orphanage, she tried to smile at her, to appear as friendly as she could but the younger girl just ignored her. She was getting more and more frustrated to the point where she was about to break her promise to herself and apologize even before she really got why she had done what she had done.

However, a late afternoon after returning from the park where she had been training, she saw something that made her blood boil once more, just like that night. A completely black owl was waiting in the only window in the attic with a letter in its mouth. She didn't have to wait long for Jasmine to open the window and take the letter from the bird. Jasmine was writing to someone in the magical world, and she would bet that it was the Blacks that were writing to her.

A sudden thought stole her breath completely, were they offering to stay with them? Would Jasmine leave her here alone while she spent the summer with Dorea, Lucretia, and the rest of the Blacks? Was she why they hadn't accepted them back during the Holidays because they were a package deal? Was Jasmine going to leave her alone again?

Her breath suddenly became labored as panic rose up, they hadn't talked in weeks, would she simply leave her there, alone once more. Without even thinking she started running towards the orphanage, she climbed the stairs as quickly as she could, skipping step after step, quickly arriving on the last floor. Luck seemed to be on her side as despite all the odds the door had remained completely unwarded. She slammed open the door and launched herself directly towards the smaller girl, taking her directly into a strong hug. Violet's breath hitched when Jasmine tensed for a moment only for her to melt into the hug a moment later. Violet let herself take a deep breath as relief flooded in, she hadn't destroyed the friendship yet.

"I'm so sorry for yelling at you, I didn't want to explode at you, I have been feeling tense for months now and I let it go at you. You didn't deserve it, you are the best part of my life, without you I feel half dead. Please don't go with the Blacks, don't leave me alone, I know that you like Dorea but please don't leave me alone. I don't know what I would do if…"

"Wait." abruptly interrupted Jasmine, stopping Violet's desperate ramblings. "What do you mean by leaving you alone and what do you mean with Dorea?"

Violet was left a bit blindsided by this. "You wrote to Dorea didn't you? The owl you just got was hers wasn't it?" she asked, a bit perplexed. Jasmine looked as lost as she felt, she even looked a bit hurt by her question.

"I would never leave you here alone!" she passionately exclaimed. "That was Eileen's owl. She was simply asking how our summer was going." she explained. "That's why you were so worked up? You were jealous?" she asked clearly hurt and confused.

Meanwhile Violet felt particularly stupid right now. Of course, she wouldn't leave her alone, she was her best friend after all, why had she doubted her? But was that what she had been feeling jealousy? Over those fools? Was she jealous of the squib? Violet felt suddenly winded when she realized that it could very well be the case, that maybe despite herself she was indeed a bit jealous of Eileen, Dorea, and all those fools in the study club that stole her time with Jasmine. Because she knew that if it wasn't for them, she would have more time with her, time to do more useful and interesting things.
How was that even possible, she knew she was better than them, she knew that she was closer to her than any of those fools could ever hope to be. Yet she hated that Jasmine spent her time with them, she hated when she dragged her to Quidditch games to see Dorea, she hated to see her…

"Violet!" cried Jasmine snapping her out of her spiraling thoughts, "I will take the prolonged silence and staring at the wall completely lost in your thoughts as a, yes I guess. Hadn't you realized that you were jealous?" she said with a small sad smile creeping in.

"I…I'm…" why was she so nervous about this, what was happening to her. "I think so?"

Jasmine smiled sadly at her. "You don't have to be nervous. You know no matter how much time I spend with others you will always be the most important person to me right?" she gently said.

Of course she knew that she was much better company than those fools, that wasn't the issue. The problem was that, as much as she hated to admit it, she still hated the idea of them stealing her time with Jasmine; she should be just hers.

"What is it? I don't want to use Legilimency just to understand what is going on in your head. Please just tell me."

Violet felt the words stuck in her throat, she wasn't a fool she knew that she was demanding too much. No one else would tell someone to stop seeing other people because they were stealing time from her, no one else would be this jealous of other people. Normal people wouldn't do this kind of thing.

Her internal rambling suddenly stopped when Jasmine took her hand and saw directly into her eyes, she felt her magic coming into her creating a tentative connection, almost as if Jasmine was asking permission to enter her mind. With a short nod, she let her thoughts and emotions wide open, allowing Jasmine to feel echoes of what she was feeling. She could have stopped it but part of her wanted Jasmine to know, to know that she was hers. At the same time, another small part of her was terrified Jasmine would be scared because of her feelings, however that part felt small compared to her desire to claim Jasmine as hers.

Jasmine's eyes widened when she felt the echoes of her feelings, she took a step backward, her mouth opening and closing obviously unsure of what to say. Violet gave her a tentative smile, she hoped that her reaction wasn't representative of her feelings. She knew that her feelings were strange but that had never deterred Jasmine and she hoped that today wouldn't be the exception. Jasmine took a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a second, Violet's own breathing hitched as the fear of what Jasmine was going to say next.

"Okay… that was a lot... How long have you felt like this?" she asked with concern clear in her voice.

Violet had quite a hard time answering as she wasn't even sure if what she was feeling was really jealousy. It still felt wrong to be jealous of the same people who struggled to cast even the most simple of spells.

"Since the start of the year I think?" she answered with trepidation.

Jasmine once more spent a moment silent and it did things with Violet's heart that no other thing had ever done before. She had never felt as much fear as she did in that moment, was she going to reject her disgusted by what she felt. Her spiraling thoughts were once more interrupted by Jasmine when she took her hands.

"Okay, this… this is a lot, to be honest, I'm not too sure... I'm not too sure how I should handle this. However, there is something I think I need to do. I need you to be completely sure of something, when I spend time with other people it doesn't mean I'm looking to replace you. I will never absolutely never replace you." she said with passion in her voice. "You know what, let's do something, this will be easier if you enter my mind that way you can see by yourself." she said while deliberately looking directly into Violet's eyes with her green eyes.

Knowing what she wanted her to do Violet entered her mind like she had done one thousand times before. She immediately felt the echoes of her emotions slam into her, she felt the nervousness she felt regarding what she was doing, she felt awkwardness regarding how to explain herself; but she also felt a warm feeling that she immediately realized was quite similar to the feeling she had felt when she had been enveloped by Jasmine's magic. She felt protected, safe, and cherished.

"I'm sure that you already know that you are very important to me, I know that you can't help how you feel. To be honest, I feel a bit overwhelmed about it, but I can tell you I'm not angry at you for caring for me, it's okay if you are a bit jealous, I think it is normal here we were just us two and now well you have to share. Just try to understand that the fact that I spend time with other people doesn't mean I'm replacing you." a small nervous smile appeared on her face. "Either way remember you are the only one who really knows me."

Violet couldn't help but smile at those words, they were said with such certainty, with such passion, that it didn't leave any room to doubt. She felt incredibly touched by how much Jasmine cared for her. She knew that this conversation wouldn't be enough, she knew herself she would still enviously seek more time with her. Nevertheless, she knew that at least during the summer Jasmine would be all hers.

"So we are good?"

Jasmine sighed "Yes I think so, sorry for throwing you around with my magic."

"Don't worry, but if you want to compensate me, could we sleep together again. Like we did before Hogwarts?"

Jasmine nodded with a wide smile on her face. Yes, Violet was going to enjoy every second of this summer.