They woke up tangled in each other's embrace, his fingers gently stroking fiery hair spilled on the pillow, her lips pressing against his in a tender gesture, eyes locking. Their words were hushed, in fear of being found, working through the plan, making certain they both were on the same page.

The report Talbott wrote waited patiently on the small worn out desk. It spoke of their inability to conquer their fears at first, thus appealing to Jasper's manic side and wishes of seeing them fail and how much they actually still had to learn from the camp and his lessons. It spoke of rounding up the remaining Boggarts after sweeping through every inch of the castle and its grounds, speaking with professors. It described how they evaded Filtch since they learned Jasper's life was Hell whenever coming across the caretaker.

All wrote in Talbott's neat handwriting, forged to please and romance Jasper Munday's ego.

But above all else, Talbott and Talia vowed to keep their relationship a secret, relying on hope, on the fact that they haven't been found out. And if they did, they would lie through their teeth, willing to divide forces in order to conquer over the tyrant that hid within the camp's walls. They were willing to ignore each other, blame their own inability to react when needed, shape words to sound as if there was a rift between them.

Anything, they would lie about anything as long as it served their purpose.

As soon as they reached the main gates, it immediately felt off, Jasper's thugs sitting outside like guard dogs, snarling at everyone who drew too close or dared to direct a stare their way "Munday is waiting for you."

The entire camp was shrouded in silence as if there were no inhabitants in there anymore, the entire earie setting sending chills down their spines.

The pair did not look at each other, however the dread sank in the pits of their stomach. It was the first time Jasper had not left the camp for the weekend. Just like on any other week day, he sat inside his poorly lit office, hunched over papers neatly written, frowning as if not agreeing to what was related on them.

His large nose cast a shadow on his upper lip, dark eyes lifting to glare at the partners sitting in the middle of the room, flame from the candle dancing dangerously in his pupils. He sat in silence reading the report presented, unimpressed as always, uncharacteristically stiff once he rose from the chair that creaked.

"Are you not satisfied with your partner mister Winger?" Talia saw him tense through the corner of her eyes as Jasper approached like a wild animal on the prowl "Has the box not produced a suitable and talented witch?" his beady eyes lingered on her face, speaking to Talbott but never looking away from Talia "She is truly a beauty, strong willed." Lifting her chin he spoke trough his stained teeth "Surprised honestly there is still such fire in her eyes, I expected them to be cold, lifeless, yet here she is, fighting, defying."

Letting her go, he wiped his hand on his coat as if Talia had a disease Jasper did not wish to catch "Aurors need to be tamed, follow orders to the letter. You are machines, war machines if I may say." Shaking his head slowly, his nose wrinkled "I am disappointed in your lack of ability to focus, it shows how much you still have to learn, perhaps a new class, that's what I need to add to the programme." Shifting his eyes between the pair in from of him, he spoke once more "Dismissed mister Winger. I need a word with miss Hayes."

He complied, of course he had to, it was what they discussed, could not show any animosity against Jasper being alone in a room with Talia. Pulling a chair he urged her to take a seat "Do you know why I give you such a hard time miss Hayes?"

Sitting as instructed she answered slowly "Because I am here to learn sir." She did not follow him with her eyes, knowing well enough he was sitting behind her chair just to rattle her.

A dry chuckle left his throat, bony hands resting on her shoulders, long pale fingers tapping against her "The box that produces the teams is a strong and unique artefact. It has the ability to tell who will be permanent partners, who will fall apart and who need to be paired with certain people just for the simple purpose of learning a certain ability or polishing a trait that will serve them in the future." Letting her go, he came in her peripheral vision, wand out at his side. Slowly exhaling through her nose, Talia tried not to move although her hand was itching to disarm him before he could hurt her.

"How will this information benefit me?" she had to remain calm despite the growing voice in her head yelling at her to flee. Thoughts that had been silenced for so long, were now raging at her to run, run away and never look back like she had always done.

He suddenly turned on his heels, making her flinch "Glad you asked. You see, names are written with a certain colour scheme in mind." With a flick of his wrist a paper lifted from the desk "Black is for permanent pairs, once a pair has both names written in black, the box will not produce them again since the match has been made."

Turning to her, his head tilt made him look sinister "Of course if one of the partner dies, the name will be produced once more if they are still at the camp. Blue" the aforementioned coloured ink spilled on the paper in front of Talia "is for those who have yet to be paired up, who are still searching. Such was Winger's name until he was paired with you, the box was particular about him, not pairing him with anyone actually, however he wasn't the first case." She continued to stare at the paper, until a new colour appeared.

"Red, miss Hayes, has never been a colour produced. It took me a while to try and see why the box acted that way. While Winger finally had the colour black, yours was red, blood red ink spelling out your name. Do you want to know my theory?"

"I'm all ears." Her voice dropped dangerously low, now not letting Jasper out of her sight. He leaned in, a smirk playing on his lips prior to summoning the Incarcerous spell, thick ropes strapping her to the chair.

"Oh I know you are." From his pocket a small vial was produced "You see, I believe you are lying about something and that, that certain lie can prove to be dangerous for this establishment." Her eyes lowered to the clear liquid, widening as his hand gripped her jaw "I see you recognised the Veritaserum." A low guttural growl resonated from Talia's chest, her struggling as he tried to open her mouth.

Sighing heavily, his grip loosened "I don't truly want to hurt you." The back of his hand caressed her cheek, shaky breath leaving his lips "But I need to know for our sake." Turning her face away, she continued to keep her jaw shut tight, so much so that her teeth hurt "I initially figured you were using the Pollyjuice potion, however you do not hold such ingredients in your possession and it is after all a rather difficult task to maintain by the sheer complexity of the potion alone."

She had to endure, as Jasper's voice dimmed, her thoughts raged, haunting ideas springing to life.

It was not for her sake, but Talbott's. She could not let Jasper know about them, could not let him reach deep inside her mind and force words of adoration from her lips. She hated it, the situation, the fear gripping her chest, how her lips shook slightly as her mind raced.

She saw him pour a few drops inside a cup, mixing water on top, all moves calculated. He was contemplating on how to do it, how to force her to submit, she recognised the behaviour.

Talia's eyes widened when Jasper poured the content of the cup in his mouth, getting in her face seconds later. Yanking her hair, throwing her head back, fingers painfully digging in her jaw, knee pressing into her stomach, she soon submitted to his will and force. When her mouth opened, his lips crashed onto hers, liquid pouring down her throat. Sharp teeth found home in his bottom lip, piercing it until she tasted blood, Jasper letting out a pain filled groan.

As soon as she let go, his hand interacted with her cheek, hard slap echoing inside the small room as Jasper cursed, hand patting the blood dripping from his lip. Lifting her eyes, Talia threw her head back laughing "You utter failure, I met children who hit harder."

"Really now, we'll see about that. However I am glad to see it's working, you would have never had the nerve to speak to me like that." Taking out the small whip from his desk, he approached her once more "We'll start simple. Tell me your name." pressing the back of his hand against his mouth, greedy eyes watched as her face morphed into steel, eyes locking with his in pure defiance.

Her beating heart stilled inside her chest fear evaporating entirely as she tensed when he pulled up her sleeves, revealing pale skin "Talia Hayes." The first strike landed on her forearm, however she barely flinched.

"You see, I believe you are actually hiding another persona, or that your name is not yours entirely. Tell me who you really are." His voice elevated, eyes widening in a manic display as he hit her again.

Somewhere far in the back of her head the idea formed, he knew, Jasper knew about her.

Through blood stained teeth Talia spoke enunciating each syllable "A monster, that's who I really am." Jasper froze taking a step back witnessing her eyes darkening like the ragging sea during a storm "And I will make you pay for this." Lifting a shaky hand, he stopped mid-air "Come on, I know you want to do it, to make me suffer. Did your mommy do this to you as well?"

Every lesson, every manic part of her lit up like fireworks on New Year. She would not bow, she would not bend.

She could read it on his face, how he hated her words and wished with every fibre in his thin body to make her submit to his will "I see." a few more hits were delivered, skin splitting, blood splashing "I have told you before about pain and how you should be the sturdy base of the partnership. You have failed in every aspect, due to your fear. You were willing to die for nothing. So, once more, tell me your name."

"Talia Hayes, that is my real name, the name I have as my own." Her eyes infuriated him, how she endured, rarely blinked, not breaking eye contact "You could never become an Auror because your parents were Death Eaters, that's why you are nothing more than a trainer. How sad, wishing to be something, having it so close that you could taste it, smell it, yet you can never have it." the corner of her lips lifted in a small smirk "Like me."

She knew it was the serum talking, making her spill truths learned in the last few days, however it was a must. She had to steer the conversation, make him change the subject.

She caught it, the shock widening his eyes, body going rigid for a moment. Talia noticed how his eyes lingered on her form, how he followed her inside a crowded room, learning patterns as to how her body moved. It became clear to her it was not for duelling, after all she always purposely lost when going up against him. No, she knew Jasper saw something in her, something he loved to hate and hated to love, so much so that he was willing to destroy it.

How he pressed her lips against hers, how his body slightly shivered in anticipation as his tongue found hers sealed the theory in her head even more.

Opening a small wooden box, thin fingers retrieved a rolled up cigarette, smoke soon leaving his mouth in small swirls dancing in the air between them "You do have a rotten mouth, perhaps the serum was not the best idea, alas, it is a bit late for that." Flicking the ash on the floor he continued "Are you losing the duels on purpose?"

"Yes." It triggered him, it rattled him. Him knowing she watched him, bowing in defeat to defy him even more, to not show her true potential "I have figured out how to beat you on the first week."

He continued to hit her until he was out of breath. Tears spilled from her eyes, jaw clenched as to not cry out, eyes never leaving his face "How are you doing this?"

Sniffing her nose a trembled breath fell from her lips, head falling back, eyes finally breaking away from his to stare at the ceiling "Monsters are not born like this, they are shaped and taught to withstand a lot. Are you done? Have you had your fill?"

"I understand." Placing the whip on his desk, he also took a seat, crossing one leg over the other "Well miss Hayes, I have to say you have a certain way about you, something dangerous that managed to draw out of me something dark, something I wish to not show the world." Gesturing loosely with his hand towards her, his lips shaped into a cruel smile "However I did give you the serum, asking for the truth." Leaning in, forearms resting on his legs, he watched her blood glisten in the candle light.

"That you did. So do you have any fables to tell me, wise words to bestow on me?" she mocked him further, still holding to her initial plan.

"I do actually." Pointing a shaky finger at her he continued speaking "You are never going to become an Auror, you are not fit for it. Curse breaker perhaps, but not Auror." Taking out of his pocket a handkerchief, he threw it on her lap for future use "Funny, I can't even remember the last time someone managed to make me feel something." Putting out the cigarette that smoked itself by the time he finished beating her, he took out another one "Do you smoke?"

"No." she continued to watch him sit there, smoking lazily, eyes set on a random corner of the room, head clouded with thoughts.

"However you withstood all the pain like a true Auror. So then why is your name in red?" lowering his eyes, he frowned "You're bleeding on my floor."

Smirking, she glared at him "Pardon me, I will try to do better in the future."

Jasper mirrored her, teeth sinking into the cigarette bud, almost snapping it "You have let me down Talia and that is not something you wish to do. My suggestion would be to quit, save yourself the trouble, go enjoy a simple life." She hated how her name sounded on his tongue, it screeched against her ear drums, making her sick to the stomach.

"My life has been nothing simple, so excuse me if I can't enjoy a mundane affair, Munday." He nodded once, as if understanding what her words meant. Raising his wand, the ropes around her came undone, Jasper lifting his body from the old chair, eyes lingering on the bloody mess in front of him.

"Welcome to the end game miss Hayes." Finger tips traced the bruise already forming on her cheek, her grabbing him by the wrist, feral eyes spelling murder. The heat emanating from her touch soon started to burn, her letting go with just a warning.

"Thank you mister Munday."

The moment she was outside of his office, reality hit her square in the chest, pain digging deep throughout her arms as she pulled down her sleeves. Turning a corner she spit, using the handkerchief Jasper provided, to wipe away the blood on her chin. It made her feel sick to the stomach, acid travelling up her throat. Taking a few deep breaths she made a dash for the showers, unbuttoning her shirt on the way there, immediately throwing it to the floor alongside her shawl.

Cold water poured down her body, shaky hands working on cleaning up the blood that still flowed, painting the floor, disappearing down the drain alongside all composure. Covering her mouth, Talia suppressed a scream as she kneeled on the freezing tiles, eyes shut tight. Her body shook under the pressure of her feelings, everything inside her surfacing.

The curtain behind her drew open, two hands turning her around "Blimey what in Merlin's name happened to you?" stopping the water, Tonks quickly took a few towels, wrapping them against Talia's arms, voice yelling out for Amy.

"No, don't, I'm fine." Pushing her away, Tonks still held a firm grip on her arms as Talia repeated as if in a trance, over and over that she was fine, that there was no need to worry. Opening her eyes, she saw exactly where Tonks was looking. With arms wrapped up, the scar on her chest became the soul focus of the witches' stare.

"Amy, get someone in here now!" Tonks's voice echoed, bouncing off the walls, arms desperately trying to hold onto Talia, to keep her from struggling.

Footsteps were heard entering, stopping for a moment to assess the situation before closing in on the girls "I got this." Lifting her eyes, shock grounded Talia as she stared at Talbott. Taking off his shirt, he pulled it over her head, hiding her scar from prying eyes. Unwrapping one of the towels, his eyes widened as he sucked in a sharp breath of air, blinking only once as he picked her up in his arms.

As soon as they reached their room, strong hands worked on attempting to heal the damage done, Talia still repeating that she is fine, that there is no serious damage inflicted. It took one look from him to silence her completely, a loud gulp resonating between them.

"We're leaving, I'm healing you and then we're leaving."

"No." pulling her hand away, he allowed it as to not cause her more pain "If we leave now he will not get exposed, we will never know why…" her voice broke midsentence, teeth grinding as she shook her head "Don't tell me I let him do this to me so we can quit. What about all the good people you wanted to save? Just" exhaling sharply, Talia rubbing away at her mouth "don't."

It was then when Talbott truly noticed the blood staining her teeth, however no matter how hard he looked, there was no visible wound on her lips. He felt his entire body fill with rage, burning through his chest as he shook away a shiver "Did he do anything else to you?" the question was spoken slow, Talia taking note at how he was ready to leave her side and go after Jasper.

Sunset coloured eyes widened at her trembling admission, about how he forced the serum down her mouth, what questions he asked, what he did. Running a hand over his face, he sighed, extending a hand out to touch the red mark on her face that would surely result in a bruise if not healed soon.

Words failed him as he brought her close to his body, trying his best to grant her comfort and not lose his mind in the process. Inside his brain one sentence repeated in a loop "She is my priority." It was all he could conjure in terms of proper thoughts, every other corner of his mind being filled with images and scenarios on how he would make Jasper pay.

For daring to look at her.

For hurting her.

For touching her.

Turning to look at the door, he all but growled, wand at the ready as soon as the knock came "I'm coming in." Mirunna's stepps stilled in the door way seeing Talbott ready to attack, hand urging Tonks and Amy to let her enter alone "I'm here to help, Amy came to me."

Her eyes lingered on them, Talbott refusing to lower his wand or let her go, Talia crying against him, hands painting his skin crimson "You promised, you promised me you would not let him touch her." The surprise on Mirunna's face was evident, her not even for a second thinking Jasper was behind the bloodied scene in the bathroom and a clearly disturbed scared pair.

"I had no idea, you need to believe that. Let me heal her, then leave this matter to me. I can see you want to act, but you need to trust me."

It was Talia who slowly pulled herself together, eyes searching Talbott's "It's alright, let her help." As soon as she got the go ahead, Mirunna took the lead, healing magic working on repairing damaged skin.

Entering the room, Amy brought fresh towels and a small bowl of water. All that time, Tonks sat behind Talbott, hand resting on his shoulder. She did not utter a single word, instead just offering her support in the only way she saw fit for Talbott to accept it.

"All please assemble in the yard for an important announcement." Most of them were startled by the sudden gathering announcement, part from Mirunna. Placing her wand to its rightful place, she left the room without any explanation.

Looking over at the small gang in the room, Talia broke the silence "Don't count on one person being able to make this right, we all need to fight." Stepping from behind Talbott, Tonks offered her a wide smile.

"I got a plan."