Chapter Thirteen

"First Date"

It didn't take long after Lizzie was discharged from the hospital wing for Hayden and the rest of Lizzie's friends to noticed a change in her. She seemed anxious all the time, and would jump at the slightest sounds, one day during Care of Magical Creatures, Lizzie got too near the edge of the Forbidden Forest and had a full on panic attack.

She was also continuing to experience nightmares as well as flashbacks, often causing her to stay up all night, and causing her to fall asleep in class.

Day in and day out, Lizzie felt like she was walking around the school with a target on her back waiting for Umbridge's next attempt to try to hurt or kill her.

Desperate for an answer as to what was causing this, Lizzie consulted Madame Pomfrey one day after her physical therapy.

"No, you don't get it, I need to be okay!" said Lizzie angrily. "That's not always a choice, Lizzie," said Madame Pomfrey. "What you are describing – the hypervigilance, the flashbacks, the nightmares, the anxiety – they are all classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder…"

"I don't have PTSD!" said Lizzie. "Lizzie, you were alone in the Forbidden Forest, for hours, in unbearable pain, and you almost died. I think it's fair to say that this experience has no doubt had a negative effect on you," "And I'll deal with that, okay? Right now I just need to figure out how to make this stop!" "It won't stop," said Madame Pomfrey. "Not without time and treatment."

Lizzie sighed and sat down. "Look, I've got O.W.L.s in six weeks and the horse show in seven – I don't have time to get all emotional over a little pain and some scars," she said.

"Fine," said Madame Pomfrey. "Then what's the alternative? Walk around the school every day for the rest of the year, feeling like you have a target on your back, feeling like Professor Umbridge is watching your every move? Go to her lessons every day and have a staring contest with her?"

"Look, there's got to be something, right? A potion or something to at least take the edge off?" asked Lizzie. "Potions can help," said Madame Pomfrey. "But not right away." "Well, then what?" asked Lizzie angrily. "I think you should reconsider competing in the horse show," said Madame Pomfrey. "No!" Lizzie shouted as she stood up. "You do not get to…you can't say that…. not after everything I've been through! How hard I've worked!" "There will be other horse shows, Lizzie," said Madame Pomfrey. There was a long pause.

"Okay, you know what?" asked Lizzie finally. "I'm fine, thanks anyway."

Madame Pomfrey watched as Lizzie walked out of the hospital wing.

The rest of Lizzie's day didn't improve. She was anxious all day and things didn't get better when she entered the barn for her riding lessons. It would be her first time back in the saddle since her surgery.

Her heart was pounding madly as she attempted to carry all of Flicka's tack back at once, but halfway there she dropped her grooming tote which fell to the floor with a loud clatter, spilling its contents all over the floor. Hayden was petting Jedi as he turned and saw Lizzie kneeling on the floor, trying to pick up everything. "Lizzie!" said Hayden running over and kneeling down next to her and trying to help her. "S-sorry, don't know what got into me," said Lizzie. "It's okay," said Hayden as he noticed Lizzie was shaking as she struggled to pick up her stuff. "Lizzie, are you sure you're up for this?" asked Hayden. "We don't have to do this today if you don't want to, if you need more time…."

"I'm fine, Hayden," said Lizzie. "You said that last time, and look what happened to you!" Hayden pointed out. Lizzie glowered at him. "Okay, that was low!" she snapped. "Am I wrong?" asked Hayden. Lizzie sighed exasperatedly. "Look Liz, I know what you've been through…." Hayden began but Lizzie cut him off as she stood up. "Don't say that! Don't you dare say that! You have no idea what I've been through, you don't have a clue!" she snarled.

"Yes, I do," said Hayden patiently. "How?" demanded Lizzie. "How do you, know Hayden?" "Because the same thing happened to me two years ago, and I almost died too," said Hayden.

"Get out," said Lizzie. "I mean it," said Hayden. "No, really, that's too far," said Lizzie.

Hayden lifted his shirt and Lizzie could see the faint outline of a scar along his right side. "Hayden," Lizzie gasped. "Is that….?" Hayden nodded as pulled his shirt back down and walked over to Jedi's stall and petted his copper face. "I owe my life to him," said Hayden. "He knew I was in trouble and he brought be back to school – though it was almost too late…."

"I'm so sorry, Hayden!" said Lizzie tearfully. "I didn't know." "I guess we have more in common than we thought," said Hayden. "The flashbacks started for me, about two weeks after my surgery. I lost a lot of sleep, to the point where the nurse had to give me a Dreamless Sleep Potion just so I could rest. There were times when I felt like I was reliving it. I know what it's like, okay? I know what it's like to experience that level of pain, and be all alone, and think you're going to die, and you start thinking of all the people you're going to leave behind…"

Lizzie didn't look at him. Everything he was saying was identical to what was happening to her.

"Lizzie," said Hayden gently as he approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. She gazed at him with tears streaming down her face.

"You're not okay," said Hayden soothingly. Lizzie sighed. "I know," she said as she hugged Hayden and burst into tears. "I know," Lizzie sobbed. "I know I'm not okay! I'm so sorry, Hayden," Hayden hugged Lizzie tighter. "You have nothing to be sorry for," he said. "Do you still want to ride? If you want me to attach a lead rope to Flicka and lead her around I can do that for you until you feel comfortable?"
Lizzie sniffled and wiped her tears away. "You – you would do that?" asked Hayden. Hayden smiled and nodded. " Yeah, I would," he said. A minute later, Lizzie smiled back. "Okay," she said as Hayden helped her to carry Flicka's things into her stall and helped her tack up.

Once Lizzie had Flicka tacked up, Hayden helped to lead her into the arena.

"So how are we going to do this?" asked Lizzie after throwing the reins over Flicka's neck, tightening the girth, and letting down the stirrups. "Madame Pomfrey said I can't put any strain or tension on my scar when it's still healing."

Hayden smiled as he walked forward, placing one arm around Lizzie's waist, and the other underneath her legs as he swept her off her feet into his arms and lifting her onto Flicka's back.

"There," said Hayden petting Flicka's ebony neck. "You okay?" "Yeah, I think so," said Lizzie as Hayden produced a lead rope and clipped it to the rings of Flicka's bit and began walking Flicka around the arena. Lizzie did her best to remain calm, but her heart was still beating like a drum against her chest.

It was just as Madame Pomfrey had said, taking all of what she learned for the past three years and seemingly starting over.

As Hayden continued to lead Lizzie around the arena, she slowly began to calm down. "You feeling better?" asked Hayden as he continued to lead Flicka around the arena for the third time. "Yeah, slowly," said Lizzie. "How about a little bit of trotting then?" asked Hayden. "Sure," said Lizzie. "Are you going to run and have Flicka trot behind you?" "Yep," said Hayden. "Okay," said Lizzie looping her fingers around the strap of Flicka's breastplate and small sections of Flicka's mane. "Ready," she said. Hayden nodded as he broke into a run, clucking at Flicka. "Come on, girl," said Hayden as he jogged around the arena with Flicka following close behind and Lizzie rising up and down on her back.

At the end of the lesson forty-five minutes later, Lizzie had walked, trotted, and Hayden had even taken her off the lead rope and replaced it with a lunge rein and let her canter a few laps.

"Thanks, Hayden," said Lizzie as she took her feet out of the stirrups at the end of the lesson. "Anytime," said Hayden. "Lift your leg over her neck,"

Lizzie nodded as she did as he asked. "Good, now hold onto my shoulder," said Hayden. Lizzie nodded and put a hand on his shoulder as Hayden wrapped one arm around Lizzie's waist and the other arm under her legs as he gently lifted her off the saddle, and softly set her on the arena floor.

But as her feet hit the ground, she felt a pull in the scar on her right side. "Ow!" she moaned. "Ooh, you okay?" asked Hayden. "Yeah, it just pulls a bit sometimes," said Lizzie as she threw the reins over Flicka's head and guided her out of the arena.

Jedi watched in his stall as Lizzie led Flicka into her stall, and nickered. Hayden smiled as he stopped by to pet him. "You really like Flicka, don't you boy?" he asked. Jedi nickered. Hayden chuckled.

Lizzie unbuckled Flicka's girth and tossed the unbuckled side over the seat of the saddle, lifted it off Flicka's back and set it tenderly on the door of the stall. "You did good for you're first day back," said Hayden. "Yeah, but I've only got forty-nine days to relearn everything I learned for the past three years," said Lizzie gloomily.

"You will," said Hayden. "You sure?" asked Lizzie, sounding very unsure of herself. Clearly cheating death had shaken her confidence a bit.

"I am absolutely positive," said Hayden. "Thanks," said Lizzie smiling as she finished brushing Flicka and began to bring her stuff back to the tack room before making her way back to the castle with Hayden.

Umbridge did not come back to the stables to inspect Lizzie's riding lessons again, to both her and Hayden's relief, and they didn't see much of her except during classes and mealtimes, which was to Lizzie's benefit. She suffered fewer panic attacks this way, and she would rather avoid her in any case.

Since the disbanding of the D.A., it let a big time gap in Lizzie's schedule. "Well, that's good, isn't it?" asked Hermione brightly. "That gives you a whole hour longer to study!" "Brilliant!" said Lizzie sarcastically, who would much rather be training for the horse show or hanging out with Hayden.

Since she and Hayden's Christmas figure skating show, people had been putting in requests and demands for more.

But now since it was the start of May, the weather was much too warm.

The only way that the two of them was going to put in some skating time was if they went to the Room of Requirement with the specific request that the room turned into an ice rink. The room always felt like an icebox when they entered "I didn't think our little show was going to be that popular," said Lizzie as the two of them laced up their skates for some much needed practice time. Hayden got better and better with each movement, and almost never fell anymore during the jumps.

As per Madame Pomfrey's instruction, Lizzie was always careful to avoid putting any strain or tension on her scar, specifically when mounting and dismounting Flicka. To avoid this as the scar continued to heal, Hayden would carry Lizzie on and off Flicka. Madame Pomfrey had also given Lizzie a jar of what looked like a petroleum jelly-based substance to apply to her scar twice a day to help with the healing process.

After three lessons, Lizzie had gotten off the lead rope and was riding independently once again. And because she was advancing in her dressage and now qualified for more advanced tests, Hayden was helping her learn how to sit the trot better so she wouldn't bounce.

Now Lizzie was beginning to understand why No-Stirrup November existed.

Without her stirrups for support, gravity would naturally help her to sink deeper into the saddle and therefore, she didn't bounce as much as she did with stirrups.

Before long, it really didn't matter much if she rode with or without stirrups, she sat stock still in the saddle and to Hayden, looked quite graceful and very beautiful aboard Flicka.

Despite being out of riding for a month, while she recovered from her near fatal experience in the Forbidden Forest, Lizzie seemed to bounce back quickly, and it wasn't long before Hayden announced she was ready to progress beyond the basics.

She was ecstatic when after only two weeks, Hayden raised the jumps to five feet.

The cross country on the other hand proved to a bit more of a challenge. Lizzie would have panic attacks whenever she would get near or even inside the Forbidden forest.

Nevertheless, she was still progressing beautifully – far better that what Madame Pomfrey had originally said she would.

"How are you doing?" asked Hayden after a thoroughly productive lesson with only four weeks to go until the show.

"Good," said. Lizzie smiling. "Really good, actually, I've never felt better!" "You look better," said Hayden, smiling.

Lizzie smiled back as she hung Flicka's bridle and breastplate back on the hook next to her saddle rack. Then she sighed. "What is it?" asked Hayden. "It's just…..I'm…..having a hard time…processing what happened to me in the Forest," she admitted. "I almost died…..Then I went to Heaven for three minutes and came back….I should be dead right now….How am I supposed to come to terms with that?"

"Are you saying that you feel guilty for surviving?" asked Hayden. "No, not really," said Lizzie. "I just can't understand why I'm alive when I shouldn't be. And I can't understand if and why Umbridge would want to do this to me?"

"She hates people with disabilities the same way she hates part-humans," said Hayden. "Don't ask me how that makes sense, because I have no clue. Some people are just…."

"Afraid of things they don't understand," said Lizzie. "Mm-hmm," said Hayden. "You know what's weird though?" asked Lizzie. "What's that?" asked Hayden. "When I got out of the hospital wing, it felt like I was seeing the castle for the first time. And I had never truly appreciated how…..how beautiful it was. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, it does," said Hayden, smiling. "It's funny…at the beginning of the year, I was so depressed over losing Raven, all I could think about was ending my own life, and now I realize how stupid that was…"

"You were going through a lot back then," said Hayden. "And now it's like…All I want to do now is live," said Lizzie.

Hayden stared at Lizzie, taking in what she said. When he had first met her, she was indeed horribly depressed, damaged, and suicidal, now she had transformed into a happy, loving positive person who now had a strong desire to live each day as if it were her last.

"Make each day count, right?" asked Hayden. "Yeah," said Lizzie, smiling. "I'm very proud of you, Lizzie," said Hayden. "You've come a long way since I met you." "I couldn't have done it without you," said Lizzie fondly.

Hayden pulled Lizzie into a tight hug, not wanting to let her go. He had nearly lost her once, now it was as if he didn't want to let her out of his sight. He loved her like he hadn't loved anyone else on the planet.

It seemed strange to him now that when he first applied for foreign exchange last summer, he was not expecting to meet anyone who would change his life in the ways that Lizzie had. And while he was single, he certainly didn't anticipate falling in love with anyone.

And yet when he arrived at Hogwarts, he could have had his pick of any of the girls in Lizzie's year from any of the four Houses, and he had fallen in love with her.

And Lizzie could not have been in a worse place emotionally at that time, and from all outside appearances, did not look like a good candidate for a potential girlfriend, or any kind of romantic interest for that matter. Certainly not for someone like Hayden, who was handsome, kind-hearted, able-bodied, and neurotypical. Lizzie was disabled, and neurodivergent. Them being together would be like trying to fit a round peg into a square hole.

But Hayden saw something in Lizzie that on one else in the school saw. He immediately recognized that under the shy, depressed exterior, lay a kind, loving, honest person whose only desire in life was to be loved and accepted, and once that wall was broken down, and she revealed her true self to him, he fell head-over-heels in love with her.

He went back to Gryffindor Tower that evening after dinner (Lizzie said that she had go to the library to do some homework, and get some books – O.W.L.s were less that six weeks away), and sat down with Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they sat in front of the fire, up to their eyeballs in their own workload.

He was silent for the longest time, though it didn't take long for three of them to notice that Hayden couldn't stop smiling. And to them, there was no question in their minds as to who or what could make him smiled like that.

"Thinking about Lizzie?" asked Hermione. Hayden's smile grew wider as he nodded. "Mm-hmm," he said. "When she went out on Flicka and I couldn't find her…..I have never been that scared in my entire life."

Ron looked up from an essay he was writing for Snape, to listen. "I didn't think I was going to find her. And when her blood pressure crashed when we were at Hagrid's….I thought I was going to lose her forever…."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at Hayden, listening intently to his every word. Hayden groaned. "I'm so tired….." he said, rubbing his temples with his fingers.

"Well, take a break for tonight and go to bed," Hermione suggested. "No, Hermione, I mean, I'm tired of hiding and denying how I feel about her," said Hayden. "At first, I did it because I was afraid she wouldn't like me back….."

"But she does, she told me," said Hermione. "Really," asked Hayden, sounding both elated and relieved. Hermione smiled. "Mm-hmm. And she wasn't shy about it either! It was like one of those moments when she would infodump, only the difference this time is that her special interest is you."

Hayden felt like a twelve thousand pound weight had been lifted from his shoulders. For months and months, he had been so scared of telling Lizzie that he was in love with her for his own reasons, and he was just beginning to realize just how stupid those reasons were, and that it had been completely pointless to keep it to himself, because she had felt the same way about him the entire time.

He had no reason to hide it anymore. Nothing was stopping him now from doing what he had wanted to do for months, but had never plucked up the courage to do so: To ask Lizzie out on a date.

What was the point in delaying it further? He loved her and she loved him. There was only one logical thing to do now.

"That's it!" said Hayden standing up abruptly. "What's it?" asked Harry. "I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna ask her!" said Hayden confidently. "Ask her what?" asked Ron. "Oh, get a clue, Ron!" said Hermione. "I'm gonna ask Lizzie out on a date!" said Hayden.

"About time too!" said Harry. "Tell me something I don't know!" said Hayden. "When are you gonna ask her?" asked Hermione. Hayden shrugged. "I dunno, soon," he said. "But wait!" said Hermione. "Hayden, aren't you forgetting: Umbridge is headmistress now! How do you expect to ask Lizzie on a date when she has it in for her! You could be putting her in serious danger!"

Hayden hadn't considered this. He was still convinced that Umbridge was responsible for Lizzie almost dying in the Forbidden Forest, despite Madame Pomfrey's adamant denials. And he had promised Professor Dumbledore that he would protect Lizzie.

And after all, all those D.A. meetings had taught him some really good defensive spells. It wasn't Lizzie's safety that concerned him because Umbridge had mostly avoided Lizzie the more she didn't permit her to have power over her, by ignoring her, and spent the majority of her time in her office. What concerned Hayden was how he planned to take Lizzie out when Umbridge in recent months increased security by ensuring that no student was out alone after dark.

As Hayden thought about all of this, he thought of the one person he knew who might be willing to help him: Professor McGonagall. As strict a disciplinarian as she was. Professor McGonagall had a soft spot for Lizzie and had been one of many to witness the progression of her relationship with Hayden and was fully supportive of the two of them. So, Hayden couldn't see why she would be against him taking Lizzie out on a date, especially after what she went through in the forest. She might even encourage it….

Getting Professor McGonagall on board to allow him to take Lizzie out on a date was one hurdle that Hayden had to overcome in order to make it happen. Teamwork makes the dream work, as Lizzie would say.

Despite Harry, Ron, and Hermione's confirmation that Lizzie's feelings toward Hayden were mutual to his, there was still a part of Hayden that was afraid that Lizzie might turn him down should he have enough courage to ask her.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Hayden!" said Hermione exasperatedly one day as they sat inn the library taking care to keep her voice low. "You are torturing yourself! You don't know that she's going to say no! I'll bet you Galleons to Gobstones that she'll say yes! And she'll be really happy you did!" "Really?" asked Hayden. "Yeah, really," said Hermione. "As a matter of interest, what were you thinking of going on your date?"

"I want it be something really special," said Hayden. "Something that's going to stick in her memory for a long time after I leave at the end of the year." "Hogsmeade trip?" Hermione suggested.

"Nah, we got to Hogsmeade all the time," said Hayden. "Cinema?" asked Hermione. "They're supposed to be re-releasing Titanic in 3D soon," Hayden groaned. It sounded great, and he knew that Lizzie would love it, but it just didn't seem good enough.

"Oh, I know!" said Hermione, her eyes lighting up excitedly. "What?" asked Hayden. "There's a brand new Italian restaurant in Hogsmeade that just opened! You could take her there! What's more romantic than a candlelit dinner?"

Hayden's face brightened. "Hermione, you're a genius!" he said happily. "How can I ever…..?"

"Stop copying my notes," said Hermione. "Done," said Hayden. "I do have to warn you though, their prices are a bit steep. "Not an issue," said Hayden. He had, after all spent over five hundred Galleons having Lizzie's necklace repaired, if he could afford that, he could afford to take her out to dinner.

Now that he knew where he wanted to take Lizzie for their first date, the only thing left to do was get Professor McGonagall's approval, because if he couldn't get her on board, then he could forget asking Lizzie out.

He nervously approached Professor McGonagall's desk one day after Transfiguration as she was piling papers into a drawer. "Yes, Mr. Chamberlain?" she asked. "Er," said Hayden nervously, not really sure how to go about asking for her permission to take Lizzie out on a date, and uncertain of her response.

He eventually decided that the best thing for him to do was to just bite the bullet and ask her, and if he said 'no,' then she said 'no.'

"I need to ask your permission for something. I just don't know how you're going to react," said Hayden honestly. "Oh?" asked Professor McGonagall, peering at Hayden through her square-framed spectacles. "I want to ask Lizzie out on a date," said Hayden. "I see," said Professor McGonagall. "And you are coming to me, because…?" "Because you're Lizzie's Head of House, and as I am sure you are aware, Umbridge….." "Professor Umbridge, Mr. Chamberlain," said Professor McGonagall.

"Yes, ma'am," said Hayden. "Anyway, she's tightened security around the school since becoming headmistress, and I am sure that taking Lizzie on a date is impossible now. I'm not looking to break school rules, or anything, but I love her, Professor, and it would mean the world to me if I could….."

Professor McGonagall held up her hand, silencing him, and for a split second, Hayden wondered if she was silencing him as a way of denying his request.

"Say no more, Mr. Chamberlain," said Professor McGonagall. "There's no rule against relationships between students. And given the fact that you did both her and the school a great service by rescuing her and saving her life, I don't see the harm in bending the rules a bit."

Hayden's face brightened. "Really?" he asked excitedly, and he was slightly surprised to see that Professor McGonagall was smiling too.

"Yes, I think we can make allowances for that," she said. "In fact, I believe getting away from the castle for a little while would do her some good after everything she has gone through."

"Thank you, Professor!" said Hayden, sounding thrilled and incredibly grateful.

"You have done great work with her this year, and I can see that the two of you have become very close," said Professor McGonagall.

"I'm very proud of her," said Hayden. "She decided to get back into riding on her own, and she told me that she realized how much hurting herself really wasn't helping her at all, and if she kept it up, it could have killed her. No one told her that, she figured it out on her own."

"She always has been a very bright, intelligent, insightful person," said Professor McGonagall, now smiling with pride of her own. "I feel very fortunate to have her in my House."

Hayden smiled and nodded. "Well, I'd better get going," he said as he turned and began to walk out of the classroom. But as he was halfway to the door, he stopped again, and turned back toward Professor McGonagall's desk. "Just wondering, do I have to bring her back to the castle by a certain time?" he asked curiously. "Where were you planning on taking her?" asked Professor McGonagall. "That new Italian restaurant in Hogsmeade that just opened," said Hayden. "Ah, yes, the one across from Honeyduke's!" said Professor McGonagall nodding. "I believe it's called Bistro Italiano. Would you like me to make reservation for the two of you?"

Now, Hayden felt overwhelmed. On most days, Professor McGonagall was very strict, and very rarely exhibited this level of kindness and generosity. And since Hayden was not a student at Hogwarts, and Professor McGonagall couldn't reward him with House points, allowing him to take the girl he loved out for an evening seemed to be the next best thing she could offer him as a way of saying 'thank you.'

"Would you, Professor?" asked Hayden happily. Professor McGonagall nodded. "Of course. There is a secret passageway on the seventh floor that leads directly out of Hogwarts and into Hogsmeade, about fifty yards from the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. You can get in and out without being seen. When do you plan on taking her out for this outing?" she asked.

"Er….." said Hayden. Because he had yet to ask Lizzie, he hadn't considered the time of the date. "I'll get back to you on that," he asked as the final bell rang and Hayden quickly exited the room.

Hayden was on cloud nine for the past few days. He had gotten Professor McGonagall's permission if not her approval to take Lizzie on a date, but he was careful not to confide this information to anyone, for fear it would go straight back to Umbridge and his plans would be ruined. It was really beginning to feel like no one could trust anyone with any information. Not since Marietta Edgecombe had ratted out the D.A.

'It's starting to feel like Jonestown on its final days,' Lizzie wrote in her diary one afternoon. 'Students are turning in students, teachers are turning in students, even students are turning in teachers! You can't trust anyone with any information, because anything you say will go right back to Umbridge…'

Even writing letters to family members became even more censored. Parcels had to be screened and approved by Umbridge, and if someone were to write a letter to their family, and they were to mention Umbridge, the only thing that could be said was what a wonderful headmistress she was, and what a positive difference she was making in the school.

Because of this, Lizzie didn't write to her mum as often as she normally would have. After all, it had been Umbridge who had taught her not to tell lies.

Hayden had to come up with a way to ask Lizzie out on a date where they couldn't run the risk of being overheard, and having someone report them. Even if he had Professor McGonagall as backup. He finally decided to ask her during their next riding lesson.

Lizzie was getting better and better all the time, clearing all twelve jumps, all of which were now set to five feet, without the slightest refusal or resistance from Flicka. Afterward, they worked on their dressage, and Lizzie and Flicka were rock stars! Their piaffe and passage was near perfect, their canter pirouette was sublime, and they halted on the centerline perfectly square at the beginning and end of the test.

As usual, Hayden helped Lizzie off Flicka at the end of her lesson by assisting her in lifting her leg up and over Flicka's neck and supporting her as she slid her way down off the saddle.

He said nothing to her as she untacked Flicka, although he couldn't help but stare at her, smiling. He was not only impressed with how well she had done this year, but he continued to be mesmerized by how beautiful she was. She looked happier and more vibrant than he had ever seen her in the entire school year.

He wondered to himself how he could have gotten so lucky to have met her when he did. It almost seemed like fate that she had fallen in the corridor that day, and he happened to be standing less than twelve feet away from her. If he hadn't risked being late to Charms that day to help her….

Hayden felt his heart begin to race. He had made a commitment to ask Lizzie out and he was almost sure she would say 'yes,' but he was still very nervous as he approached the tack room.

His palms were sweating profusely as he walked up to the door as Lizzie was finishing putting Flicka's tack and grooming supplies away.

"You did great today, I'm proud of you," said Hayden, attempting to hide his anxiety over what he was about to ask her. He didn't want to beat around the bush, and say a lot of pointless mumble-jumble that didn't mean anything. God, Hayden, just say it! he thought. Just ask her!

However, it was Lizzie that spoke first, and she seemed to read his mind. "You know," she said. "I never actually thanked you properly for saving my life. Maybe next Hogsmeade weekend we could…..spend the day together."

"I'll do you one better," said Hayden. "How about dinner with me?"

"What, in the Great Hall?" asked Lizzie. "We eat together all the time!" "No, not in the Great Hall," said Hayden. "There's this new restaurant across from Honeyduke's called Bistro Italiano, I was thinking we could go there. I know you mentioned that Italian was one of your favorites."

For a moment, Lizzie didn't respond, and Hayden felt his heart sink slightly. Was she going to say 'no'? Or did she know what he was attempting to ask her, and was she going to say, 'I like you, just not in that way'?

He was relived when Lizzie finally smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that a lot," she said. "That – that sounds really nice." Hayden smiled back, feeling thoroughly relieved that she had said 'yes'. Now there was just the business of deciding when to go.

"Great!" said Hayden happily. "When would you like to go?" "Whenever you would like," said Lizzie. Hayden hastened to give an immediate answer. He knew that Lizzie didn't like spontaneous plans or when plans changed at the last minute. The only way to know for sure was to ask. And if they needed to make adjustments to their plans to fit her comfort level, then they would do that.

"How about tonight?" he asked. "Sure," said Lizzie, so enthusiastically that Hayden was sure for a moment he had misheard her.

"Sorry?" he asked. "Tonight sounds great! I don't have any plans," said Lizzie. "I-it's not too last minute for you?" asked Hayden nervously. "Nope," said Lizzie. "Okay, great!" said Hayden, smiling. "Pick you up at eight-thirty? Gryffindor common room?" "Sure," said Lizzie. "Can't wait!" "Me too," said Hayden. "Oh, before I forget – I'm sure you're gonna want this back…"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the velvet covered jewelry box and opened it to reveal Lizzie's newly repaired necklace with the brand new chain.

Lizzie's jaw dropped. "Hayden!" she gasped. "Is that…..?" "Sorry it took so long for me to fix it, Liz," said Hayden. "I got the diamonds replaced – there were a few missing – I got it cleaned for you, I got a new chain for it that has an Unbreakable Charm put on it so it won't break, and I got it engraved too, look….."

He showed Lizzie what he had engraved on the front:

L & H

12-21-2005

"Oh, Hayden!" Lizzie breathed. "This is – this is wonderful!" "Here…" said Hayden as he took the necklace out of the box, unclipped the clasp and put the necklace around Lizzie's neck. "Mmm," Lizzie sighed happily as she looked at the gold figure skate pendant. Good to have you back, old friend, she thought as she and Hayden walked back up to the castle.

They parted ways in the entrance hall, Hayden walking up the marble staircase, as Lizzie watched him until he was out of sight. It was only then that the idea that she was going to be going on a date with him really began to sink in.

Because of Lizzie's autism, she wasn't able to read people as well as she would like to, so there was a part of her that wasn't sure if it was really a date or not. Coupled with the fact that she was still experiencing her own inner conflict about how she felt for Hayden.

She held her necklace in her hand. Hayden had gone out of his way to get this necklace mended for her, bought a new chain for it that didn't look cheap either, and he had gotten it engraved with their initials along with the date of their figure skating show. That day was clearly just as meaningful for him as it was for her.

After thinking about it for a long moment, she came to a point where it was as if she finally realized and accepted that yes, Hayden Chamberlain had indeed asked her out on a date, and he was interested in her beyond a friendship.

This made dealing with her own feelings much easier and the storm of emotions that raged inside her heart for months finally began to subside.

A feeling of blissful euphoria overcame her like an adrenaline rush. She was going on a date!

With Hayden!

"YES!" Lizzie squealed gleefully as she leapt into the air and landed on her feet, as people within the hall stopped to stare at her.

But Lizzie didn't care. People had been staring at her and giving her weird looks since her first day at Hogwarts, so this was nothing new to her.

She ran up the marble staircase and up to the seventh floor as she nearly collided with the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Alea iacta est," said Lizzie, meaning 'the die is cast.' "Correct," said the Fat Lady. "My, my! Somebody's in a good mood today!"

"I've never felt happier in my life!" said Lizzie brightly as she clambered through the portrait hole. "Hi, Lizzie," said Harry, who was sitting in his favorite squashy armchair doing homework. "How as ride…?"
But Lizzie ran right past him before he could finish his sentence, as she bolted up the stairs to the girls dormitory and banged on the door, even though it was unlocked, but Lizzie was so caught up in her excitement that it didn't even register in he brain that the door was unlocked.

She banged on the door again, and there was a rattling of the door handle from inside and Hermione appeared in the door looking thoroughly bewildered.

"Lizzie, what in the world? You do know that the door is…"

"Hermione, Hayden asked me go to dinner with him tonight!" said Lizzie excitedly. Hermione frowned. "In the Great Hall?" she asked. "You guys eat together all the time!"

"No, no! He said that he wanted to take me to that new Italian place. across from Honeyduke's!" said Lizzie. Hermione gasped. "Bistro Italiano? But – but they're booked solid for months! It's impossible to get a reservation there!"

It was only now occurring to Lizzie how Hayden was going to get them a table. He had never mentioned how he was going to do this.

"So…..Hayden asked you out on a date? Like a real date?" asked Hermione, her voice becoming more and more high-pitched with excitement. She was fully aware that Hayden had been planning to do this for a while, but there had been a part of her that didn't think that he would actually go through with it.

"Y-yeah, I mean I guess," said Lizzie nervously. "Did he?"

Hermione giggled and all of a sudden grabbed Lizzie's arm and pulled her into the dormitory as the door slammed behind her.

Hermione dragged Lizzie over to her four-poster and sat her down. "I don't have anything to wear!" Lizzie protested as Hermione strode over to the large armoire near her bed, wrenched open the doors, and began rifling through the hangers. "We'll find something," said Hermione, taking a hanger off the rack. "Here, try this one…"

She threw a dress at Lizzie as she caught it, staring at it. Immediately she cringed; It was royal blue, made of chiffon, floor length, and it was strapless. Because of her Cerebral Palsy, and the fact that she walked with a little twist and kind of side-to-side, the risk of it falling down was too great.

Not to mention that it looked far too formal for a first date.

"What?" asked Hermione. "Not your color?" "I'm going on a date, not to the prom!" said Lizzie, tossing it back to Hermione. "And I can't wear anything strapless, you know that!"

"Sorry, Lizzie, I forgot," said Hermione, hanging the dress back up inside the armoire, and continuing to rifle through the hangers.

Lizzie sighed nervously. She really, really liked Hayden, and really wanted her first date with him to be a success. She was very inexperienced when it came to the whole dating thing. The only other date that she had up until this point was Cedric Diggory when he had asked her to go to the Yule Ball with him last year.

Other than that, boys tended to give her a wide berth and never expressed much, if any romantic interest in her and viewed her disabilities as a complete and total turnoff, making her unattractive in their eyes.

Hayden had been one of the very few people at Hogwarts to look beyond her disabilities and see her for herself, when so many others either couldn't or wouldn't.

The process of trying on dresses strongly reminded Lizzie of trying out wands at Ollivander's. She either didn't like the color, or she didn't like the texture of the fabric, it was too long, too short, too low cut…

"No, no, this one makes me look fat," said Lizzie, gazing at her reflection in the mirror on the inside door of the armoire.

"Lizzie," said Hermione. "You could be covered in Stinksap, and Hayden would still love you! You're beautiful just the way you are, and he knows it!"

Lizzie didn't have it in her to protest or argue as she unzipped the dress and took it off. "Aha!" said Hermione triumphantly. "I think I found it!"

Lizzie moaned. They had just spent over an hour trying on dresses and none of them had felt right to her. "Here!" said Hermione, tossing the dress to Lizzie as she caught it. It was knee-length, made of chiffon, with off-shoulder sleeves and spaghetti straps, and it was a rich burgundy wine color.

Lizzie's jaw dropped. It was beautiful! "Try it on!" said Hermione excitedly. Lizzie nodded as Hermione helped her into the dress and zipped it up.

She stood in front of the full length mirror examining her reflection from all angles, front, back, right and left, tossing her long hair over and behind her shoulder.

"We need to fix that," said Hermione, watching Lizzie tuck her hair behind her ears. "What's wrong with my hair?" asked Lizzie. Hermione walked over to her trunk and pulled out a bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion, pulled the stopped out of the bottle, poured a generous amount into her palms, and worked it into Lizzie's hair as it instantly turned sleek and shiny. "What's that?" asked Lizzie as Hermione worked the potion into her hair. "Sleekeazy's Hair Potion – I used it for the Yule Ball last year," said Hermione, now using a spell to curl Lizzie's entire head of hair into ringlets, then braiding sections of her hair at the crown of her head and pinning them back

For her eye makeup, Hermione primed Lizzie's eyelids, then applied a champagne gold color to her entire eyelid, and lining her lower lash line with it, lined her upper lash line with eyeliner, and applied a tiny bit of silvery white eyeshadow to the inner corners of her eyes to make them stand out.

"Do you wear contacts?" asked Hermione as she gave Lizzie some mascara. "I have them," she said, running the mascara brush through her lashes. "But I don't really like to wear them too much."

"You will tonight!" said Hermione brightly as Lizzie applied mascara to her lower lashes. "Go get them!"

Lizzie sighed and got up from the bed and opened a drawer on her bedside cabinet and pulled out a small brightly colored bag as she unzipped it and pulled out a contact lens case and a tiny bottle of saline. She opened the case and held one lens on the tip of her finger, staring at her reflection in her peripheral vision as she applied the right lens to her eye.

Getting the left one in was trickier, because Lizzie was almost blind in her left eye. She poked herself in the eye twice before getting it in right. She then put her glasses in their case that lay on top of her beside cabinet and turned back to Hermione, blinking hard.

"What's wrong?" asked Hermione. "Nothing," said Lizzie. "It's just – been a while since I've worn these, that's all," said Lizzie, continuing to blink hard.

Hermione finished off Lizzie's makeup with a dusting of rouge on her cheekbones and an application of pale pink lipstick. "Oh, and you're going to need these too…" said Hermione, pressing a pack of breath mints into Lizzie's hand. "What are these for?" asked Lizzie, frowning. "Just in case," said Hermione, winking at her. Lizzie stared at her, confused..

Hermione also gave her a pair of open-toed silver ballet flats to wear. Lizzie put on the diamond chandelier earrings that she had worn during the figure skating show, along with her figure skate necklace.

When she was fully dressed and ready to go, Hermione stepped back and grinned at Lizzie. "He's not gonna know what hit him," she said. Lizzie glanced at her watch. It was almost eight-thirty. "Oh, my gosh! He's gonna be here any minute! And I want to surprise him!" she gasped.

"Come on, then," said Hermione, taking Lizzie by the hand, and leading her out of the dormitory, as she began to descend the stairs, all eyes of the people in the common room automatically turning to her.

At first, no one seemed to recognize Lizzie as they began whispering amongst themselves.

"Who do you think that is?"

"Dunno, but she's beautiful!"

"Wait – is that – is that Lizzie?"

"No, it can't be!"

Lizzie smiled to herself as she walked and Harry caught sight of her and his mouth fell open. Lizzie no longer looked like the timid and shy girl he had first met on the train to Hogwarts five years ago. It was quite remarkable what a bit of makeup and a change of wardrobe could do! It was only now he realized how beautiful she really was. Hayden was a lucky guy.

"Lizzie, wow! You look great!" said Harry as he hugged her. "I didn't recognize you at first. By the way, where are your glasses?" "I decided to ditch them for tonight – I'm wearing contact lenses," said Lizzie. "I didn't know you wore those," said Harry. "I don't wear them often, just for tonight," said Lizzie. "Ah," said Harry. "Well, have a good time," "I will," said Lizzie.

Hermione grabbed Lizzie's hand and escorted her over to the large scarlet sofa and pressed one of her Arithmancy books into Lizzie's hand and threw her hair over her shoulder to conceal her face. A moment later, Lizzie got the idea, as she bent her head low over the open book in her bands.

No sooner had she done this, when Hayden climbed through the portrait hole. He was dressed in a white collared shirt with the first two buttons undone, jeans, black shoes that appeared to have been polished, and black blazer. His slightly long hair had been combed back and parted to one side. He looked very handsome.

"Hayden, wow!" said Hermione, smiling as Hayden walked up to her. "You look really nice!" "Thanks," said Hayden. "Listen, have you seen Lizzie? I'm supposed to pick her up."

Hermione's smile widened. "I've seen someone who says she's Lizzie," she said, turning towards the sofa in the front of the fire. Lizzie looked up, saw Hayden, and smiled at him. She got up and walked around the sofa to face him so he could see her.

Hayden's jaw dropped. If it hadn't been for Lizzie's walk, he might not have recognized her. Probably because she looked so different without her glasses, and he had never seen her dressed up like this before. He had always thought she was beautiful, but now, it took him several seconds to realize that he was gawking at her with his mouth hanging open.

"Wow!" breathed Hayden as Lizzie walked up to him. "I-It's not too much?" asked Lizzie. "No, no! You look beautiful! But then again, you always do," said Hayden. Lizzie laughed and blushed as Hayden held out a bouquet of gardenias to her. "I got you these," he said. "Oh, Hayden!" Lizzie breathed. "Thank you!" She breathed in the scent of the flowers as they triggered something in her memory. She had been given gardenias by an anonymous stranger on Valentines Day. "I got a bouquet of these for Valentine's Day," said Lizzie. "Yeah, I thought the secret admirer thing was pretty clever," said Hayden. Lizzie stared at him. "That was you?" she asked. "Mm-hmm," said Hayden. "Thank you," said Lizzie. "That was very sweet."

"Here, let me take those for you Lizzie and I'll put them in some water. You two have a good time!" said Hermione as Lizzie handed the flowers to her and turned back to Hayden who smiled and offered his arm to Lizzie as she took it and the two of them climbed out of the portrait hole.

As they walked down the corridor, Hayden couldn't stop staring at her. "Are you wearing contacts?" he asked. Lizzie looked at him. "I just noticed you're not wearing glasses," said Hayden. "Yeah, just for tonight," said Lizzie. "So are we going to Hogsmeade the usual way?"

"Nope," said Hayden. "I know a shortcut – Professor McGonagall showed it to me." Lizzie frowned. "Professor McGonagall?" she asked. "Yeah, she made the reservation for us too," said Hayden. Lizzie laughed in surprise. It just didn't seem like Professor McGonagall to go out of her way to allow him to do this, much less make a reservation at the snootiest restaurant in Hogsmeade for two students.

"I can't believe that she's actually letting us do this!" said Lizzie. "She told me to think of this as a reward for saving your life," said Hayden. "Special circumstances, you know." "And because you're not a student here, she wouldn't be able to reward you with House points," said Lizzie smiling. "That's really sweet of her. Remind me to send her a thank-you card."

Hayden chuckled. They made their way down the corridor fifty yards from the portrait of the Fat. Lady and took an immediate left down another corridor and past the portrait of Brutus Scrimgeour, and down a narrow passageway that to Lizzie seemed to go for miles until they re-emerged in a narrow alleyway lined with dustbins, and brick walls, not unlike Knockturn Alley, but without the air of foreboding that came with it.

Hayden held Lizzie's hand as they walked along the alleyway and stepped onto the High Street of Hogsmeade.

Shops were just beginning to close down now, their proprietors drawing curtains on the shop windows and switching the signs on the doors from open to closed. There were very few people on the streets as the sun hung low in the sky, a beautiful mosaic of blue, pink, orange, and yellow.

They finally stopped in front of a building directly across from Honeyduke's that seemed to almost blend in with the surrounding shops. The words Bistro Italiano were painted on the window in frosted elegant script. There were awnings covering an outdoor seating area that was dimly lit by a string of round café lights, the tables set for two to four people.

Lizzie held Hayden's hand as they walked inside. The interior room was dimly lit with round linen covered tables that surrounded the room, each seating two to four people with white napkins folded like origami sculptures atop each plate with wine and water glasses.

There was a large crystal chandelier in the center of the ceiling, making the atmosphere feel intimate yet welcoming.

In a strange way, it strongly reminded Lizzie of the first class dining saloon on the Titanic.

They were escorted to their table that was in a private corner near the door as they both sat down and menus were placed in front of them; black leather bills of fare with gold letters spelling out the name of the restaurant stamped across the front.

Their waitress was a tall blonde woman in her twenties that came by a short time later to take their drink orders. Because Lizzie was not yet seventeen, and therefore could not drink alcohol – nor did she have any desire to – Hayden ordered a bottle of sparkling juice for them instead.

As the waitress left to fetch their drinks, Hayden turned back to Lizzie, who was tapping her finger nervously on the tabletop, and he recognized this immediately as one of her stims, and knew exactly what was making her nervous.

"This is your first date, isn't it?" asked Hayden kindly. "That obvious?" asked Lizzie. "I remember mine," said Hayden. "I was so nervous, I couldn't even remember the name of the girl I asked out."

The both laughed. It came as no shock or surprise to Lizzie that someone as good-looking as Hayden would have dated other girls before her, so it didn't bother her at all.

"To be honest," said Lizzie as their waitress turned with a bottle of sparkling juice and basket of breadsticks as she unscrewed the cap on the bottle and poured a generous amount into each of their wine glasses and ice water into their water glasses before abruptly leaving.

"I had no idea you were into me," said Lizzie. Hayden laughed. "I mean it!" said Lizzie. "People kept trying to convince me, and I didn't believe them. Honestly, I didn't…..want to believe it."

"When I asked you out, I wasn't actually sure you'd say 'yes'," Hayden admitted. "Really?" asked Lizzie. "I was starting to think you never would." She smiled as she took a breadstick from the basket, tore it in half, and began to nibble on the end. "I'm so happy I can eat solid food again!" she said. "I was getting really tired of that liquid diet that Madame Pomfrey had me on."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," said Hayden who was scanning the menu. Lizzie took up hers and began looking at the options.

Lizzie normally had a system when she would go out to eat, where she would get an item that was a favorite. Then, there would be days when she would feel a bit adventurous and want to go off-script, but tonight wasn't one of those nights.

The puttanesca looked really good, so Lizzie immediately thought she'd go with that. And Hayden seemed to be thinking along the same lines because when the waitress came back to take their food orders, they both ordered the same thing.

"Can I ask you something?" asked Lizzie, after their food had been ordered and they were left alone again. "Of course, anything," said Hayden. "Why me?" asked Lizzie. "What do you mean?" asked Hayden. "Out of all the girls in the entire school, and there's got to be plenty from yours!" said Lizzie as Hayden laughed. "What was so special about me that you overlooked everyone else?"

"Honestly," said Hayden. "You were the only girl that wasn't throwing themselves at me." "So, that happens a lot with you?" asked Lizzie, taking a sip of juice from her wine glass. "Um, have you seen Lavender and Parvati?" asked Hayden. "Ugh!" Lizzie groaned. "The way they would cling to you was just nauseating! And they thought I had no chance with you!"

"They said that to you?" asked Hayden in disbelief. "Not to my face," said Lizzie. "But they would give me these looks like they were saying, 'You don't have a shot with him, so stop trying'."

"What about you?" asked Hayden. "What did you find special about me?" "You," Lizzie sighed. "Were the first guy that didn't see my disabilities as a turnoff." "Do you see being autistic as a disability?" asked Hayden. "Yes, and no," said Lizzie. "Put it this way: Being autistic and having Cerebral Palsy may not make life easy, but it definitely makes every day an adventure, and it never gets boring."

Hayden couldn't help but be impressed by this. With the challenges that Lizzie had, he thought it would be very easy for her to let the negative aspects of it drag her down. And yet she was strong enough not to let it.

"Now I see why the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor," said Hayden as their food arrived. "Well, it almost didn't turn out that way," said Lizzie. "Don't tell me that the Sorting Hat considered putting you in Slytherin?" asked Hayden. "No, Ravenclaw, actually," said Lizzie. Hayden looked surprised. "Really?" he asked. "Yeah, it was a tossup between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. It took the Sorting Hat almost ten minutes to decide where to put me. Eventually, I guess it decided that I was better suited for Gryffindor."

"It was a good call," said Hayden as he and Lizzie held hands and prayed together before eating.

"Have you ever taken a dare?" asked Hayden, unfolding his napkin and putting it in his lap. "Yeah, once in my second year," said Lizzie, cutting up her spaghetti. "I was playing a game of Truth or Dare with a group of my friends. I was feeling brave and chose a dare. In hindsight, if I had known ahead of time what they would dare me to do, I would have backed out and said no."

"What did you do?" asked Hayden. "Admit your secret crush?" "No," said Lizzie. "I didn't have one at the time." "Shatter a glass with your voice?" asked Hayden. "No, but I did do that on accident during choir practice once," said Lizzie. "Okay, what was it?" asked Hayden.

"I had to eat an entire Bhut Jolokia pepper," said Lizzie. "And if you think that doesn't sound too bad, let me put it into perspective: chili peppers are measured in Scoville heat units, the higher the number…" "The hotter the pepper," said Hayden. "Right," said Lizzie. "A jalapeno registers at 2,500 on the Scoville scale, and the Bhut Jolokia registers at one million.

Hayden looked stunned as his fork slipped from his grip and clattered onto his plate, so loud that a few people in the nearby vicinity looked around for the source of the noise.

"You didn't do it, did you?" he asked. "I didn't want to, and I didn't think at the time that saying 'no' was an option. I always thought that if you took a dare, you had to go through with it and couldn't back out. You know how it with kids that age."

Hayden nodded. "Anyway, I thought I could have gotten away with just nibbling it, but Parvati and Lavender were like 'No, you have to eat the whole thing.' I think they assumed that because I liked spicy food, I could tolerate it. But the hottest pepper I had ever eaten was a jalapeno. I don't think anyone – not even me – knew what was going to happen."

"What happened?" asked Hayden. "I hesitated the longest I have ever hesitated for anything in my life, finally I gathered all my courage, and stuffed the whole pepper into my mouth. I chewed it twice, and then I felt myself start to choke, it was so hot. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I was coughing and gasping for air. I thought I was going to die. It was only when Hermione asked me if I could breathe, and I couldn't speak, so I just shook my head, 'no.' That was when everyone began to panic. "What did they think was going to happen?" asked Hayden furiously. "That was my thought,' said Lizzie. "Thankfully, though, Hermione had a jug of milk on standby and she poured some into a goblet and gave to me – I think I had to drink at least ten of those before I could speak again. I was crying, I was so scared. I remember screaming at Lavender and Parvati, 'Why did you make me do that?' Professor McGonagall found out, and to make a long story short, truth or dare is now banned in the school. Kids aren't allowed to play anymore."

"Wow!" said Hayden.

The conversation switched between topics over the next few minutes. "Ever had any pets?" asked Lizzie. "Yeah, I had a few," said Hayden. "What about you?" "None," said Lizzie. "Really?" asked Hayden. "Nope," said Lizzie. "No dogs, no cats, nothing. I kept bringing home strays as a kid, hoping I could keep one, but I never could. Tara's allergic to pet dander," "Ah," said Hayden.

They continued to ask generic question over the next few minutes until halfway through their meal, the questions on both ends became more personal and intimate.

"What was your first impression of me?" asked Lizzie. "I thought you were beautiful," said Hayden. "That came on quick," said Lizzie, laughing. "I'm just being honest," said Hayden. "When I first saw you, my first thought was 'She looks like a nice girl, I'd like to get to know her.' What about you?" "I definitely thought you were cute," said Lizzie. Hayden laughed. "But I didn't think I had a chance, so I didn't bother to try. What do you like most about me?" It sounded like an egotistical question, but she really wanted to know.

"You're smart, beautiful, and you have a great heart," said Hayden. "Funny, I was going to say the same about you," said Lizzie. "Except I would have said 'handsome' rather than 'beautiful,'

Hayden's smile widened. "You've got a bit of parsley stuck between your teeth…" he said, gesturing to his two front teeth.

Lizzie clapped a hand to her mouth, blushing crimson as she rubbed her napkin against her teeth for a moment. "Better?" she asked, flashing her teeth at him. "Yeah, and don't be embarrassed. I get stuff stuck in my teeth all the time."

"I was afraid you'd be less attracted to me," said Lizzie. "Never," said Hayden. "Do you…..feel like you can tell me anything?"

"I don't think I've ever been this open and honest with anyone else," said Lizzie. "You know thing about me that not even my closest friends know."

This was true. Only Hayden knew that Lizzie was almost put into foster care as a child, and her mother's struggles with alcohol, only he knew that Lizzie had paranormal abilities, or that she had died during her appendectomy surgery and was dead for almost three minutes. Not even her friends or teachers knew any of this.

"It's nice to see that you've got your appetite back. You look like you hadn't eaten since February," Hayden joked, eyeing Lizzie's almost empty plate of puttanesca. "When you're on a liquid diet for two solid weeks, you learn to appreciate eating solid food," said Lizzie. "At least Madame Pomfrey let you drink coffee," said Hayden. "That's true," said Lizzie, smiling as she pushed the remains of spaghetti and puttanesca sauce onto her fork with her knife and put it in her mouth.

"The time you were in surgery was the longest few hours I have ever experienced," said Hayden. Lizzie smiled as she reached across the table and held his hand tightly in hers. "You can't get rid of me that easily," she said.

As they finished up their meal, Lizzie couldn't help but notice after a moment, that Hayden had completely abandoned his food, and had all his attention on her.

"Do you believe in destiny or coincidences?" asked Hayden. "I think things happen for reason," said Lizzie. "If I hadn't fallen in the corridor that day, we might never have met." "We would have eventually," said Hayden. "Some things are just…meant to be," "You think?" asked Lizzie. "I do," said Hayden, smiling.

The music in the background had changed from soft acoustic guitar music to Dan Fogelberg's Longer. The song began with a romantic guitar intro before the lyrics began:

Longer than there have been fishes in the ocean,

Higher than any bird ever flew,

Longer than there have been stars up in the heavens,

I've been in love with you

Stronger than any mountain cathedral

Truer than any tree ever grew,

Deeper than any forest primeval,

I am in love with you.

I'll bring fire in the winters,

You'll send showers in the spring,

We'll fly through the falls and summers,

With love on our wings

Through the years as the fire starts to mellow

Burning lines in the book of our lives

Though the binding cracks, and the pages start to yellow,

I'll be in love with you.

I'll be in love with you….

Hayden smiled as he listened to the lyrics. He did feel like he had been in love with her for a long time – six months at least, and they had spent a lot of time together.

He wished so deeply that Lizzie could see the same thing that he saw when he looked at her; a strong, determined, beautiful talented and intelligent young woman who deserved the world. And yet, she was so cruelly denied that because of her disabilities.

When he was first given the opportunity to apply for foreign exchange last summer, he had only applied for one year of education at Hogwarts, and he had the option of applying for two years if he wanted to.

He was only just now beginning to regret not applying for two years. When the end of term came, he would be going back to Toronto, leaving Lizzie behind.

His heart ached at the very thought, He loved Lizzie, and would gladly drop out of school to be with her, but on the other hand, like Lizzie, he valued his education, and realized that he would eventually be forced to make a very difficult decision: His education or the woman he loved.

"What is it?" asked Lizzie, noticing Hayden's sad look. "Hmm?" asked Hayden, looking up at her. "Oh, it's nothing, I was just thinking about how I wished I had applied for two years, instead of one."

"Can't you reapply?" asked Lizzie. Hayden shook his head. "Not this late. Term ends in less than two months. If I wanted to reapply, I needed to do it before Christmas."

"I could come and visit you," Lizzie suggested. "Or – or you could….spend the summer with me."

After a moment, Hayden smiled. "I'd like that," he said. "I did enjoy spending Christmas with you."

"Mum would love to have you stay too," said Lizzie. "She likes you." "When we were corresponding by owl and making plans for Christmas, I was afraid that she wouldn't like me once we met in person," Hayden admitted. "Believe me, she liked you right away, but you really won her over when you saved my life," said Lizzie

Their empty plates of puttanesca were cleared away, as well as their wine glasses, as they both ordered tiramisu and coffee for dessert, their conversation continuing to shift between topics. They talked about riding horses, Star Wars, and their favorite television programs including Corner Gas.

"By the way, I noticed that people don't spit anymore when someone mentions Slytherin," said Hayden.

"Yeah, we're not allowed to do that anymore," said Lizzie. "Since when?" asked Hayden. Lizzie glanced nervously around the room even though they were almost alone in the restaurant now. "Since Umbridge became headmistress," said Lizzie in a low voice. "She found out about it and put her foot down."

"Ah," said Hayden. "Have you ever collected anything?" asked Lizzie. "What you mean like rocks or bottle caps?" asked Hayden. "Yeah," said Lizzie. "Have you?" asked Hayden. "Don't make fun of me, okay?" asked Lizzie. "I would never!" said Hayden. "All right. Pokémon cards," said Lizzie finally. "Really?" asked Hayden looking surprised. "You collect them?" "Not only that but I'm pretty good at the game too – I don't like to brag," said Lizzie. "I used to play that game with my Dad, and after he died, I played with some of the neighborhood kids, but after a while, they didn't want to play with me anymore, because I kept beating them."

"Have you ever played with anyone here at Hogwarts?" asked Hayden. "No, I don't think anyone at Hogwarts, with the exception of Muggle-borns know what Pokémon is," said Lizzie. "How many do you have?" asked Hayden. "Ehh, roughly five hundred, but who's counting?" asked Lizzie as Hayden laughed. "I made all of my cards move," said Lizzie. "Oh, by dipping them in that special potion that makes them move?" asked Hayden. "Yeah!" said Lizzie. "Wow! That's cool!" said Hayden appreciatively.

"Thanks for taking me out," said Lizzie. "I'm having a really good time." "Thanks for agreeing to go with me," said Hayden. He wanted to say more, but he felt like he had said it all during the two-hour dinner, except perhaps for one thing: He still hadn't told her how he really felt for her. Deep down, he wanted to kiss her. Oh, did he want to kiss her! But he was waiting for just the right moment. He wanted to wait so that it could be special and only between them.

The music changed again, this time to one of Lizzie's favorites: The Backstreet BoysWhat Makes You Different Makes You Beautiful.

Even though they were in the middle of a restaurant, almost all of the people had gone, and some of the round tables had been pushed away to clear an open space. Perfect for dancing…

Hayden's smile widened as he took her hand in his, and gently pulled her to her feet, leading her to the open area in the middle of the room as he held her right hand in his, and wrapped his left arm around her waist. "I can't dance," Lizzie protested. Hayden smiled. "If I can jump a five foot three fence, you can dance," he said. Lizzie bit her lip, looking nervous. "Don't worry, I'll lead," said Hayden. "Okay," said Lizzie hesitantly. "But don't let me fall!" "I promise, I've got you," said Hayden, looking into her eyes, and giving her a reassuring look. "I won't let go." He took one step forward, and Lizzie instantly stepped back, then Hayden stepped back, and she stepped forward, then to the right, and the left. Lizzie had to admit that he was a really good dancer.

"Are you sure you weren't a ballroom dancer in a previous life?" asked Lizzie. Hayden laughed. "We had a Winter Formal last year, and all the students had to learn to dance," he said. "Yeah, same here for the Yule Ball last year," said Lizzie, letting go of his hand and wrapping her arms around his neck as they swayed back and forth to the music, listening to the lyrics:

You don't run with the crowd,

You go your own way,

You don't play after dark,

You light up my day.

Got your own kind of style that sets you apart.

Baby, that's why you've captured my heart.

I know sometimes you feel like you don't fit in

And the world doesn't know what you have within

When I look at you, I see something rare

A rose that can grow anywhere

And there's no one I know that can compare

What makes you different, makes you beautiful

What's there inside you, shines through to me

In your eyes I see,

All the love I'll ever need

What makes you different makes you beautiful, to me

The song ended as Lizzie and Hayden stopped dancing and stared at each other. They could just kiss right there in the middle of the room, but Hayden held back, although it took tremendous effort on his part, same with Lizzie. So, instead, they sat back down to finish their tiramisu and coffee, which was just as well, since Lizzie's legs were becoming fatigued from standing.

"I didn't know you could dance so well," said Hayden. Lizzie smiled, taking a drink of coffee. "My dad taught me to dance," she said. "I used to step on his toes a lot."

"By the way," said Hayden, reaching into the inner pocket of his jacket, and pulled out a book. "I got you this," he said, handing it to her. The book was entitled Encyclopedia of Para-Dressage. Lizzie sighed happily as she flipped through the illustrated book. Para-dressage had meant to be her fallback if Eventing didn't work out.

"I didn't think there were any books on Para-dressage!" said Lizzie. "Just one," said Hayden, nodding at the book in Lizzie's hands. "Thank you," said Lizzie. "You'll be there when I make it to the Grand Prix, right?" she asked. "Wouldn't miss it for the world," said Hayden. Lizzie smiled.

Their plates were bare apart from a few crumbs and their coffee cups drained as Lizzie took out her wallet to pay for the bill, but her eyes momentarily widened in surprise when she saw the cost of the meal on their bill.

"I got it, Liz," said Hayden. "Hayden…." Lizzie tried to protest. "It's okay," said Hayden. "I can pay for half?" Lizzie offered in an attempt to compromise. "Just let me spoil you for once!" said Hayden. Lizzie stared at him, unable to protest this time. "All right, you win – this time," she said as Hayden set a large handful of gold on the table.

"Um, I need to use the restroom before we go," said Lizzie. "Sure, I'll wait for you," said Hayden as they made their way to the restrooms in the back of the restaurant.

After Lizzie was done, she washed her hands, and felt a lump in her pocket as she rummaged in it and pulled out the roll of breath mints that Hermione had given her and how they were for 'just in case.'

Now she was beginning to realize what 'just in case' meant.

So she unwrapped the package of mints and popped one in her mouth before exiting the restroom. Hayden was waiting for her just outside as they left the restaurant together.

It was dark outside now as the stars were beginning to come out, shining brighter than Lizzie had yet seen them. It was so magical, and although the shops had been closed for hours, the village was still nice to look at with the lamp lights dimly illuminating the streets.

Hayden quietly slipped his hand into hers, entwining his fingers with hers while they walked, as Lizzie looked up at the sky, marveling at how bright the stars were.

The moon was full too. With a hard pang in her chest, she thought of Remus and prayed that he had taken his potion tonight.

"Oh, look!" said Hayden as Lizzie's attention was redirected to Hayden who was pointing at the sky as they watched a shooting star zoom across the star studded sky.

"Oh, a shooting star!" said Lizzie. "Yeah, that was a long one," said Hayden. "I've never seen one before," said Lizzie, watching it disappear as she looked at Hayden. "Are we supposed to wish on it?"

Hayden glanced at her. "Why?" he asked. "What would you wish for?" Lizzie smiled. "Something I'll never be able to have," she said.

Hayden had a feeling he knew what that 'something' was. He had been wishing for the same thing.

"What if," he said, turning to face her. "You could have it?" Lizzie stared at him, perplexed, and unsure of what to say.

"You once asked me what my biggest fear was," said Hayden. Lizzie nodded. "Mm-hmm," she said. Hayden eased closer to her ever so slightly. "The day you went out on Flicka, and didn't come back for nearly four hours…..I-I had no idea where you were, and I didn't know whether I would find you….

He gazed down at his feet as he inched closer to her. "I have….never been so…so scared of losing something in my life, but then again, nothing in my life has ever meant as much to me as you do. My worst fear was losing you."

Lizzie smiled. She looked even more beautiful now, in the dappled moonlight; her cerulean blue eyes were sparkling with a life that hadn't existed before he met her. "I know I'm probably the last person you wanted," said Lizzie. Hayden reached up and held her face in his hands. "But you were the one I needed," he said, his voice soft and almost inaudible. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, and I'm so, so happy that you are the one I get to share it with."

Lizzie's heart was pounding like a drum against her chest. This was it; this was the moment that the two of them had secretly been anticipating for the entire year and had been putting off for a whole host of stupid reasons. Now she was feeling grateful that Hermione had given her those mints.

Now, there was nothing holding them back, no hesitation. They had waited long enough.

She could smell his cologne; the familiar smell of Lacoste Challenge flossing her nostrils, calming her nerves, and making her feel more at ease as Hayden drew nearer to her. He could see the faint outline of two near identical scars under her chin that he hadn't noticed before.

"I'm so grateful that I met, you," Hayden whispered as Lizzie closed her eyes and she felt her lips meet his, feeling as though every ounce of breath was taken from her and a weight of emotion was lifted from her chest, her lips pressed softly against his, their lips parting momentarily before they kissed again.

Lizzie soon became aware of an aching pain in her legs as she felt fatigue flood her muscles from standing too long as they began to spasm painfully. She overbalanced as their lips parted, and Hayden caught her as he had done so many times before.

Lizzie smiled appreciatively up at him. "You okay?" he asked, stilling holding her protectively in his arms. She didn't want him to let her go. Ever. "Yeah, I'm good, thanks," said Lizzie as she found her footing again and straightened up. They smiled at one another, the feeling of that first kiss still tingling on Lizzie's lips, leaving her wanting more.

Cracks had begun to appear in the wall of emotional conflict that she had built brick by brick inside her heart for nearly six months. Now all she wanted to do was tear it down, to destroy it, to crush it into dust until absolutely nothing remained of it. Hayden was the only one who mattered to her in this moment, and nothing else.

She put her hands on Hayden's face as he had done with her and pulled him in as their lips met for a second time, interlocking one another, their lips parting every few seconds; the trickle of emotions the two felt for one another and had held back for so long, turning into a colossal stream as the dam inside Lizzie's heart gave way, releasing every feeling she had toward him as the butterflies inside her stomach took flight all at once, flooding her heart.

Hayden could taste the faint traces of lipstick on her lips as she kissed him again and he pulled her closer to him and Lizzie wrapped her arms around his neck, not caring if anyone in the immediate vicinity could see or even hear them. Right now, it felt as though they were the only two people on the planet….

She felt her feet leave the ground as Hayden swept her off her feet into his arms as they continued to kiss under the moonlit star-studded sky.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of pure bliss, that Lizzie still wasn't quite sure had been real, Hayden gently lowered her back to the ground, their lips still pressed against one another until finally, they slowly broke apart, keeping their eyes closed for only a second longer before opening them and smiling at each other, both of them slightly breathless. Lizzie smiled and laughed. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," said Hayden.

"I've had hints," said Lizzie. "My birthday party, Christmas…" "Valentine's Day," said Hayden. "Mm-hmm,' said Lizzie. "I held back for so long because I was afraid," Hayden admitted. "Afraid?" asked Lizzie. "Of what?" "Lots of things," said Hayden. "The fact that people would think badly of us being together because you're neurodivergent and I'm neurotypical….."

"And the Wizarding world is still prejudiced about that kind of thing," said Lizzie. Hayden nodded. "I was also afraid that you wouldn't feel the same way and one or both of us would end up getting hurt," he said. "I was afraid of that too," said Lizzie. Her legs were shaking again as Hayden saw that she was threatening to collapse as he led her over to a nearby bench where the two of them sat down and Lizzie rested her head against his shoulder.

"I wish tonight would never end," Lizzie sighed. Hayden smiled as he kissed the top of her head, breathing in the seductive scent of gardenias and jasmine. "So," said Lizzie, lifting her head from his shoulder, smiling at him. "We kissed, does that mean a second date?" "Dunno," said Hayden, smiling at her. "What do you think?" "I'll take that as a 'yes'," said Lizzie, laughing as they kissed again. "Thanks for tonight, It was the best date ever." "We still have a second," Hayden pointed out. "But you're welcome."

"For a long time, I forced myself to mask – you know, hide my autistic traits in order to appear more 'normal'?" asked Lizzie Hayden nodded. "I felt like I couldn't be myself until I met you, I spent so much time being the person everyone expected me to be. 'Don't be weird, be normal'."

"Kind of like Rose in Titanic," said Hayden. "What?" asked Lizzie. "Well, Rose wanted to be her own person and not abide by the social rules set about by first class society in 1912, and if I hear you correctly, you want to be who you want to be, not what everyone else thinks you should be."

"Yes, exactly!" said Lizzie. "You are…..the only one who has ever understood that."

A clock chimed midnight from somewhere nearby as Lizzie sighed. They both had classes in the morning, so it was important that the two of them got a good night's sleep. Especially for Lizzie, who had O.W.L.s in two weeks.

But as they stood up, and began walking towards the castle, one of Lizzie's shoes fell off her feet. "Oh, wait!" said Hayden, stopping and doubling back to where Lizzie's shoe lay on the ground. He picked it up as Lizzie tried to lift her foot, but was unable to balance on her own as she braced herself by placing a hand on Hayden's shoulder as he gently slid Lizzie's shoe back onto her foot.

"We'd better hurry up and get back to the castle before I turn into a pumpkin," said Hayden. Lizzie giggled.

They didn't say much to each other on their way back, high on the feeling that they had not only professed their feelings to each other, but that they had confirmation that the feelings that each of them had were reciprocated.

Hayden could easily see the relationship with Lizzie going somewhere, and potentially lasting forever. It wasn't until he nearly lost Lizzie that he realized that he couldn't imagine his life without her in it. She was the one. He was sure of it.

When they finally arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady, Lizzie sighed and faced Hayden. "I had a really good time," she said. Hayden smiled. "We should do it again, sometime," he said. Almost right away, Lizzie thought he was talking about the kiss, but then realized that he was talking about a second date. "Oh, you were talking about a second date!" she said. Hayden laughed and nodded. "What did you think I was talking about?" he asked. "I thought you were talking about kissing me," said Lizzie. "We can do that too, if you want," said Hayden.

"I'd like that," said Lizzie. She gazed back at the Fat Lady who was looking impatiently at one of them to say the password. She turned back to Hayden. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," she said. Hayden nodded. "'Night, Lizzie," he said. "Night," said Lizzie as Hayden leaned in to kiss her one more time. His lips met hers as they kissed each other over and over, completely lost in each other until…..

"Am I going to have to wait here all night?" asked the Fat Lady impatiently. Lizzie and Hayden broke apart and smiled at one another. "I'd better…" she said, nodding at the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Yeah, me too," said Hayden as he turned to walk in the opposite direction, but not before saying good night to her one more time. Lizzie smiled as she watched Hayden walk down the corridor before facing the portrait of the Fat Lady and uttered the password as the portrait swung forward to let her in.

The only person still awake in the common room was Hermione, sitting in front of the fire, her Arithmancy and Ancient Runes homework spread out in front of her. She look up as Lizzie climbed through the portrait hole. "Hey! How was your date with Hayden?" asked Hermione eagerly. "Good!" said Lizzie. "Better than good, actually. It was great!"

"Well, sit down!" said Hermione, pulling her over to the sofa. "I want to hear more!"

"All right," said Lizzie as she sat down, removed her shoes, and began rubbing her aching and tired feet.

"So, tell me everything!" said Hermione excitedly. "How was the restaurant? What did you guys order? What did you talk about?" "Too many questions," said Lizzie.

"Sorry, I'm just really excited to hear!" said Hermione. "Dinner was nice, we both had puttanesca, then for dessert we had this thing called tiramisu…." "Oh, yeah, I've tried it! It's really good," said Hermione. "Mm-hmm," said Lizzie. "What did you talk about?" asked Hermione. "Just random stuff at first. I told him about the time in my second year when I ate that Bhut Jolokia pepper on a dare….."

"I had forgotten about that!" said Hermione. "Lucky you," said Lizzie smiling. "Then we started talking about what we liked about each other, you know, things like that. I got a bit of parsley stuck in my teeth, and Hayden noticed."

"Oh, no!" said Hermione. "I told him I was afraid that he would have found me less attractive, but he told me that he gets stuff stuck in his teeth all the time. It didn't bother him."

"That's good," said Hermione.

Lizzie went through the rest of the details of their dinner date. How their talk had turned to Lizzie's near-death experience in the Forbidden Forest and how Hayden had told her how scared he had been to almost lose her.

"He asked me if I believed in destiny or coincidences, and I told him that I definitely believe that things happen for a reason."

Hermione nodded. "Oh, and he gave me a book on para-dressage, look!" she said as she handed her The Encyclopedia of Para-Dressage as Hermione took it eagerly and began flipping through the pages. Eventually Lizzie had to clear her throat to get her attention. "Sorry, Lizzie, what happened next?" asked Hermione. "At the end of dinner, we got int a little bit of a – debate – as to who should foot the bill," said Lizzie. "And?" asked Hermione. "I offered to do it, he insisted on paying, I offered to split the check, and he said, 'just let me spoil you for once.' You were right about the prices though, that dinner didn't come cheap." "I'm amazed Hayden could afford it," said Hermione.

"We saw a shooting star outside," said Lizzie. "Really?" asked Hermione. "Yeah, it was the first I've ever seen one. I asked Hayden if we were supposed to wish on it." "What did he say?" asked Hermione. "He asked me what I would wish for, and I told him 'something I'll never be able to have'." "Meaning a relationship with him?" asked Hermione Lizzie nodded. "But I didn't tell him that," she said. "It was almost like he could read my mind, because the next thing he said was, 'what if you could have it'? I didn't understand what he meant at first, then he asked me about how during Christmas I asked him what his worst fear was – we had been talking about boggarts – and at the time, he wasn't able to give me an answer."

"Did he tell you this time?" asked Hermione. "Yeah," said Lizzie. "He said the day that I went out of Flicka and didn't come back for over four hours, and he had no ide where I was or whether or not he would find me…He said that in that moment he had never been more scared of losing something in his life, but on the other hand, he also said that nothing in his life has ever meant as much to him as I have. He said that his biggest fear was losing me."

"Wow!" said Hermione. "He really, really likes you then." Lizzie nodded. "And he proved it to me," she said. "What do you mean?" asked Hermione. "I see why you had me carry those mints around," said Lizzie. A grin slowly spread across Hermione's face. "I told him that I knew I was probably the last person he wanted," said Lizzie. "Lizzie!" said Hermione. "No, hear me out!" said Lizzie quickly and Hermione was silent again. "He…..held my face and told me that I was the one he needed," said Lizzie.

Hermione's grin widened. She seemed to be guessing where this was going. "Then he told me that he was so grateful that he met me, then he….he…..

She stopped. She wanted to tell Hermione what had happened, but it was like the words had become lodged in her throat and she couldn't get them out. She didn't have to, though. Hermione seemed to read her mind. "Did he kiss you?" she asked. Lizzie was silent for a moment, then she smiled and nodded. "Twice," she said. "Actually it was more than a kiss. We sort of…..made out a little bit…"

"I'm not surprised," said Hermione. "Oh?" asked Lizzie. Hermione shook her head. "Given how long you two have fancied one another and suppressed it for so long," she said.

Lizzie's smile widened. "How was it?" asked Hermione. "It was nice…really nice actually," said Lizzie. "He literally swept me off my feet the second time."

Hermione was grinning. "I love him, I really do," said Lizzie. "How long have you felt like that?" asked Hermione. "A while," said Lizzie. Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Okay, I started to fall for him when we did our figure skating show and over Christmas. But it wasn't until he saved my life that…..

She stopped again as she remembered Professor Trelawney's prediction that she had made last term, and it all seemed to fall in to place. Hayden fit all the criteria mentioned in the prediction: He was a stranger when they first met, he was handsome, he had become very important to her over the course of the school year, and he had saved her life.

There was simply no other explanation for it. This whole time Professor Trelawney was talking about Hayden!

But she also knew Hermione's attitude toward Professor Trelawney, so she hesitated to tell her this revelation.

"What?" asked Hermione. "Nothing," said Lizzie. "It's not important – anyway, we already have a second date planned!" she said happily. "I'm really happy for you, Liz," said Hermione. "Took you two long enough," she added. "Wait!" said Lizzie. "Were you cheering us on from the sidelines or something?" "Everyone was," said Hermione. "Except Lavender and Parvati," "Obviously," said Lizzie. "I think you're perfect for each other!" said Hermione.

Lizzie smiled and yawned. She only realized now, how tired she was. "I'm going to bed," she said. "Come here," said Hermione as she pulled Lizzie into a tight hug. "You've got to feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off your shoulders," she said. "Hayden kissing me broke the wall down," said Lizzie, hugging her back. "Tonight could not have gone better! It was just too good to last!"

Hermione smiled as they walked up to the girls' dormitory together. They dressed in silence as Lizzie put on her pajamas and clambered into bed, but not before taking of her figure skate necklace and carefully placing it inside the velvet box on her bedside table.

She had nearly forgotten to take out her contacts as she removed them from her eyes and put them back in their case as she settled into bed. She fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.