From the other side of the void.....Sixth form sucks, I have never had so much work in my life, 6 essays yes 6 all at once and I'm only taking four goddamn subjects! I'm sorry if this takes a while but it's due to reasons out of my control glares at chemistry teacher. Oh well hope life is good with everyone reading this may you be happy, go forth and dream of Alex Band!

Disclaimer: Not mine, pays no bills. (Unfortunately)

Author: Scam

Rating: um dunno pg 13? Screw it yeah that'll do

Point Of View: Lavender (and some Hermione)

Chapter 7 – E Terebres

I watched as the light from the fire fluttered lazily on the polished marble surround. I sat in a half dream knowing that I was waiting, for what for I wasn't sure. Maybe for an angry professor, maybe for a disappointed ministry official, maybe I was waiting for Ron.

I knew it was wrong; it had started off as a fantasy, a nice little dream in which no one ever got hurt. Then I started collecting potion ingredients and researching forbidden spells. It had seemed like nothing, after all how could some salamander scales 'falling' into my bag or the reading of a book ever hurt anyone? Sooner than I thought I'd done the unforgivable. I'd broken the wizarding law, concocted an illegal love potion.

Under normal circumstances I would have never dreamed of breaking the law but I reflected these were hardly normal circumstances and I found uncharacteristically that I honestly didn't care.

I didn't care what trouble it caused Hermione or what the dire consequences could be, if it bought me closer to Ron it would be worth it. I had been in love with Ron now for two terms and with the heightened perception of a loved ones every move, every conversation, every smile it had not taken me very long to work out that Hermione was in love with him too.

They did everything together, shared their hopes fears even their mutual friendship for Harry how could I ever compete with that, unless of course Hermione was in love with someone else.

For a moment I wondered who it was that Hermione was in love with, of course the spell couldn't work on Ron a few of his hairs added to the potion in the early days has ensured that but unlike conventional love potions which made you falling love with the first person you see the cruder but easier to make potion I'd used made you fall in love with the first person you had strong emotional thoughts about. A light lazy thought drifted through my head as I pictured Hermione hating Filch and falling in love with him.

I sobered again thinking of Ron, now I was sure it was him I was waiting for. The aching that had been part of me for the last 6 months intensified as I unconsciously called his face to mind. I let my mind flicker back to a state of half-dream, the feeling of familiarity grew as I felt his imaginary hands run through my hair like a cool breeze and felt his whisper on my neck.

The creaking of the common room door snapped me sharply out of my reverie almost jumping to my feet I glanced round to see a figure dressed in stripy pajamas wander through the portrait, it meandered aimlessly through the clusters of armchairs and swarms of side tables. It was only when they drew level with me I realised their eyes were closed. My heart settled back into its natural rhythm and I closed my eyes in relief without even knowing why. "Neville go back to bed." I said wearily, he muttered some obscure phrase that sounded something like "but the moles will get me".

"That's nice dear, off you go."

He turned to face the boy's dormitories, which was impressive in itself, I noted that he seemed to have more sense of direction when he was asleep than he did awake. Almost immediately I was proven wrong as he walked into the side of the stairs leading up to the boy's dorms, He fell backwards and hit the floor with a crash, shortly followed by a snore.

Bored I turned back to studying the fire. A wild unprepared thought flashed through my mind, why didn't I use the love potion on Ron? It was odd really that the thought had never occurred to me before but my mind had been more filled with jealousy that logic recently and maybe subconsciously I wanted to cause Hermione the pain that I knew the potion would bring, to punish her. I did have half a flask full of love potion, why not? I often sat next to Ron passing him pumpkin juice like any other member of Gryffindor hoping that our hands would touch.

Almost instantaneously my mind was made up, I was not going to spent the rest of the year hoping to be noticed, watching his every move hoping for the faintest smile or gesture, I was going to make him love me and with this thought fresh in my mind I got up and turned towards the girls dorms leaving Neville sleeping on the flagstones.

Following Morning

As I slipped through the gigantic doors to the Great Hall I felt uncomfortably noticeable and worried, I sidled behind some giggling forth formers their gleeful renditions a sharp contrast to my own feelings. I turned and started to chat animatedly to another Gryffindor girl, I didn't even know her name but it had to look like a coincidence. I placed each step carefully drawing us towards the end of the Gryffindor table where Ron and Hermione usually sit. Ron was there as predicted. I sat down next to him whilst all the time talking to the other Gryffindor, Violet? Oh well I thought her name doesn't really matter much in the long run anyway. Now was the bit I hated I poured myself a glass of pumpkin juice and added the potion to it, I stealthily switched our drinks and watched as minutes later he drank the potion. Now was the even trickier bit. He needed to feel strongly about me in the next few seconds, he might think of me but I wasn't ready to rely on that.

I stood up suddenly knocking my drink over, it spilt down onto Ron's lap disturbing him from some important looking whispered conversation he was having with Hermione. He leapt to his feet with a noise that sounded vaguely like "yghk" but then again it could have been a "yugh"

"Lavender, what the hell was that for?!" There was no need for acting, feeling incredibly embarrassed I apologized and told him it was an accident hoping that his anger would trigger the spell. I made my apologies and walked off hoping against hope that next time I saw Ron I would be able to look at him and know he felt the same about me as I did him.

The day passed in a blur of anticipation. I did not see Ron at all, I was unsure as to weather this was a good or a bad sign and gradually grew to thinking the worse. As I changed for bed I shrugged things were in motion now there was not much I could do either way but wait. I slept badly that night dreaming of many disturbing things I wish I didn't know about myself with the same words floating through the shrouds of mist,

Once a loan of power for your need

Twice is to indulge in your own greed

The world from equilibrium you wake

You cannot create your own fate

See the spoils of your own war

Was it worth your dream dying for?

Hermione's pov

It was only nine in the morning yet I felt un-rested and edgy. Harry was being a prat thinking up stupid dangerous plans. It was OK for him, he was already dead. I was trying to involve myself in the plotting to break into Azkaban. It was an odd concept a group of teenagers trying to get in to the most notorious wizarding prison in the world. But that world seemed an awful lot simpler than that of my own head. I had come to the conclusion that I must be totally irrational to feel so in love with two people at the same time, maybe I didn't know what love was? Even as I thought it I knew that wasn't true I'd been in love with Ron for years and I'd always know it but Draco? That was a different feeling altogether.

I'd always considered Draco to be good looking with his defined chiselled features long blonde hair. He seemed a lot more observant and alive than most of the other students in Hogwarts, his sharp wit stood as testament to that for many years now he'd made a worthy adversary.

And yet I'd never quite fancied him. This fact alone had always struck me as odd considering my thoughts on him and yet in the last few hour's things had seemed that way. I'd been in love before and what I wanted to know was how? It had been like I could feel myself fall in love with Draco, that I felt it the moment my feeling's towards him changed. The irrationality of it reverberated in my logical mind until a jab from Ron's sharp (hehe stares innocently at Jude)) elbow bought me back to my senses.

Ron and I were discussing plans to break into Azkaban,

"Hermione, I know more time would be helpful but we just don't have it, it's not an exam piece it just needs to work"

"I know Harry's worried that the time he's been given will end too soon but if that potion is messed up not only might it not work but I may end up poisoning us all, Harry's not quite thinking straight Ron, its not his fault probably just some inconvenient side effects of death, I think he's forgotten we are still alive and hope to be for a few years to come.."

It was at exactly this inconvenient moment that Ron leapt from his chair with a yelp which

sounded something like a "yghk" but then again it could have been a "yugh",

apparently Lavender had spilt her drink over him I returned to my thoughts as Lavender walked off.

I had to stick near Harry, we couldn't fall out now. With me by his side Draco would be safe,

I knew I couldn't stop Harry outright he was possibly more determined than I'd ever seen him

before including the last time he'd thought Voldemort but I could try and make Harry's plans fail.

The polyjuice potion was well underway it was wrong of course in the slightest detail, it would not harm us but it wouldn't work either. I told Ron I was going to go and work on the potion and left the hall, Harry and Ron had both used the potion before, it had to look authentic or they might guess that I knew it would not work.

I never quite reached Myrtles bathroom (which needless to say served as a constant reminder of all that had passed between us when Harry was alive and played on my conscience as I readied myself to deceive them) because Neville intercepted me and told me that Ron had collapsed and was in the hospital wing.

All thoughts of the potion or the plan or Harry dissipated as I fled towards the hospital wing.

Ron was my only friend now, the only alive one at least. I knew I had to put him before Harry who was in fact dead after all. I knew I wasn't going to Azkaban anytime soon.

Right I understand that the many romances that wind themselves into the story may be getting a bit confusing so here they are in simple terms in case anyone is getting confused. Think they're hard to understand then try writing the next chapter! Please bear in mind no relationship can ever be as straight forward as this and everyone has their own definitions of love and so on so this is hardly an ultimate guide.

Lavender loves Ron

Ron loves Draco

Draco loves Harry

Hermione 'loves' Draco and loves Ron

Wow that made my physics prep look easy!

To everyone and anyone reading this at Stonar, I miss you all tonnes and hope that you are all well, listen to Tenacious D and think of me! Don't you go breaking any school rules.......or windows!!! Rock on Stonar Spirit!

P.S. Title translates as 'out of the darkness' borrowed from an Oscar Wilde poem.

Yahey Little Britain's on now!!!! Bitty!