Chapter 24 - A Lesson in the Dark Arts

Ezra paled at Jo's words; after the shock had worn off, though, his eyes darkened with resignation.

"Yes, I suppose they would resort to that," he said quietly, closing his eyes and sighing. Then, he gave his housemates another look. He took out his wand and waved it twice. Both of them reverted to their normal selves.

"That was bothering me," he mumbled in explanation. "Did you get everything?"

Daniella had been distractedly organizing the space that would function as a kitchen to her liking, but she wasn't getting much done. She was too anxious for Jo and Noah.

When she heard their voices, she dropped everything to meet them.

"He's what?!" She stopped abruptly, eyes skipping from Jo to Noah, who confirmed with a silent nod.

Noah added, "They're offering 1000 Galleons for you." He was surprised by the lack of a reation from Ezra. He could not show his face anywhere again without the risk of being caught.

"How can you stay so calm?" Daniella asked Ezra. "What are we going to do about this? Or will you just spend the rest of your life drinking Polyjuice potion or Transfiguring your face?"

Ezra snorted wryly as Noah told him the price on his head. One thousand galleons? His parents were going soft, clearly. That wasn't even a half of a quarter of what he was worth.

"It appears my parents have given up on hiring your brother to find me," he said dryly to Daniella, although he didn't meet her eyes. He was certain that he could only remain nonchalant if he didn't look at the fear and hurt in her eyes. "They're using their money and connections to try to drag me out by force."

He rifled through the bag of potion ingredients, picking out the things that were his. The small box containing boomslang skin was in the bottom of the bag; he picked it up gingerly, opening it with gentle fingertips to confirm its contents before cradling it in his arms.

"What good would it do me to not be calm?" he asked them, still examining the bag's contents. He technically could spend the rest of his life as someone else, but that wasn't really his style. The words rolled around in his mind, unsaid, because of the effect they would have:

Now that this was his reality, he wasn't sure how long his life was going to be.

"I'm going to start brewing this while it's fresh," he murmured, grasping a small vial of venom. "When I'm done, I daresay it will be time for a lesson in the Dark Arts."

Daniella just looked at him, her expression changing from shock, to fear, to something close to anger. But he didn't even bother to look at her. He might love her, and enjoy being with her when everything was relatively fine, and he wanted to know she would be on his side.

But when things got difficult, he just shut out. He didn't count on her, not really. Whatever was on his mind, he would want to sort things out by himself, not realizing – or not caring – if it put him in danger; if it might end up taking him away from her. How could someone be so careless about their own life?

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Fine," she murmured, mostly to herself. That was just fine. "I'll be outside," she said, taking the bag with the seeds and the herbs and leaving the small, crowded house.

Ezra watched her leave, letting his mouth hang open very slightly, as though he might say something and had then thought better of it. The door opened and closed, and he was alone with Noah and Josiah.

"Honestly," he said under his breath, closing his eyes and putting a hand to his temple. His eyebrows were furrowed. He stood that way for a few moments, as though trying to will away the scene that had just unfolded.

Then, he let all of the ingredients fall back onto the table and stalked across the room, opened the door, and went outside after her. He shut the door a little harder than was necessary.

"How many times have you told me not to do that?" he demanded, enunciating painfully clearly. "Please, enlighten me, Daniella. Tell me what I can do for you. Should I cry? Should I curl up in bed and do nothing? Mourn? What is it that I should be doing? How can I satisfy your persistent need for me to express vulnerability?"

He clenched his jaw. His brown eyes, filled with impressive and unusual heat, were fixed on her.

Daniella stopped, clenching the bag so hard her fingernails were digging into her skin. She turned to look at him; just looked at him, at the heat in his eyes.

She didn't have the strength to argue anymore. Since she'd met him, she'd had to poke and push and tease until she got a glimpse of that fire. Maybe she was asking for something he just couldn't give.

She let her arms fall at her sides. "Just tell me, with all honesty, that you know you're not alone anymore. That you don't have to make decisions alone like when you lived with your family," she said quietly, for once not meeting that rare fire with her own emotions. "Tell me that you are alone simply because you want to be and I'll leave you be."

She shrugged. "I won't let my emotions interfere anymore. You want to fix everything by yourself, like it's not a big deal, or even much of a challenge? Fine, I'll give you all the space you want. That way you can mull it over on your own. I won't insist anymore."

She started to turn away, but stopped in mid-movement and said, "Just ask yourself one thing: what do you think losing you will do to me?"

She knelt down next to a patch of freshly tended soil and put the bag down beside her.

"I don't think I'm alone," Ezra said defensively. "And if I'm alone, it's only because everyone keeps pushing me away! You know, maybe people expect me to be alone, so they don't treat me like they treat other people," he added heatedly. "You saw the way Ledger flinched from me earlier. Do you think that doesn't hurt? It hurts, Daniella. It's not easy. When you walk away from me, it hurts even more. I don't even know what I've done now."

He sighed audibly, pressing both palms against his face and then moving them up through his hair, ruffling it.

"Daniella, this is a war."

His eyes were still closed, and he felt almost as though he was saying it for his own benefit.

"I could die tomorrow. We could all die tomorrow. I can't just promise you - I can't promise you I won't take risks. I have a cause now. I have to fight. Do you understand? I have to fight."

His eyes flicked open, and he stared at her for a few moments. Tears welled up in his eyes, itchy and hot in the sweltering humidity.

"I need you to understand," he said thickly. "No matter what happens to me, I can't let them do this to innocent people. Not after meeting you. Not after meeting Johnston and Ledger. Not with everything I know. I am directly involved. I am responsible. I need you to understand me. And even if I die fighting, I need you to promise me that you'll love me. Otherwise there's nothing left for me to fight for."

Daniella shut her eyes, as if with that she could keep the words out, as if with that she could keep her heart safe. Suddenly, the fear of losing him forever was so powerful and so real, she couldn't breathe; tears slipped out despite her efforts to contain them.

They were out hunting him. They would take him away, and he would fight them without thinking twice, even if he was outnumbered and outpowered. She covered her face with her hands, struggling to regain some shreds of control.

"I do understand. That's why I'm afraid," she said after what seemed like a long time. "It is a war, but it won't end if they catch you, if they ki-" her voice broke, "…if they kill you."

She looked up at him, knowing she'd stay by his side whether he wanted her to or not.

"I will always love you no matter what, Ezra; I'll love you more than I thought I could possibly love anyone. But you need to understand I can't live without you anymore. If you die fighting, I will die trying to save you."

They were both crying now, and Ezra had lost all semblance of manners at trying to keep his tears contained. His face was wet for what seemed like the first time since his childhood - forever ago. He closed the distance between them and knelt beside her, needing to be close to her now more than ever.

"No, it won't stop," he agreed, his voice hoarse. "But I can slow them down. I can make an impact, even a short one, and it might make the difference for someone else. For you, or for Johnston, or Ledger, or anyone else they're looking for."

He sniffed, rubbing at his eyes determinedly.

"All that matters to me is that we are together," he whispered, putting his forehead against hers. "And I will do all that I can, I will use everything I know, to keep us all safe. I promise you."

He was silent for a few moments, feeling uncomfortably warm from his sudden bout of crying. Then, he slid something off of his hand; it was a pure silver ring, set with a finely cut emerald. It had the Greengrass family crest on one side, and so he resented having to honor his family at the same time - but he didn't have anything else to give her.

He took her hand in his and held out the ring.

"I promise you, Daniella," he repeated, softly. He let his other hand brush some hair away from her cheek. "Let me prove it to you."

Daniella leaned against him. As long as she could feel his arms around her, she could believe they would be alright.

"Just promise me you won't take off on your own, thinking it's for the best, thinking I'll be better off that way, because I won't. And I want you to know that, if they do catch you, I will go after you. We will all go. You are not alone anymore," she said intensely. "So, your only mission, if they take you from me, is to stay alive until I get there." She held on to him more tightly. "Just stay alive for me, Ezra Greengrass," she whispered.

She sniffed, trying to stop crying. Then, he took his family ring. She stared at it, not quite reacting until he took her hand.

"Oh, sweet Merlin… What are you doing?" She breathed, barely daring to believe her eyes.

"I'm not alone anymore," Ezra confirmed, meeting her eyes in earnest. "But I daresay you should know me better than to think I would go easily."

He smirked a little, halfheartedly, and managed a breathy laugh.

There was a pause, in which Ezra could feel his heart hammering against his chest relentlessly, that he lost all sense of reality and was momentarily floating in a dream-like state far, far away; all he knew was that he loved this woman, loved her more than life itself, and if anyone was ever going to bear his children, it would be her.

It could only, ever, be her.

"I'm asking you to marry me, Daniella Hawke," he whispered aloud. He searched her eyes, needing affirmation.

Her hands shook slightly as Daniella finally looked away from the ring and met his eyes. Her heart hammered against her chest making her feel a little lightheaded. Or maybe it had been his question.

There was nothing she wanted more than to build a life with him, to live each day to make him happy, to relish that fire for the rest of her life.

She smiled, huffed out a chuckle, then wiped her eyes. Yes. Had she said it out loud? "Yes," she whispered back. "Yes!" She gave him a wet, tear salty kiss. "I will marry you."

Ezra hadn't realized that he had needed to hear her say it; he hadn't realized the kind of joy it would bring him, having her approval. He lost himself in the kiss for a few moments, then stroked the back of her hair.

Merlin, she was so beautiful.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured, giving her lips a soft peck again. Then, he slipped the ring, the ring that he had always worn, the ring that symbolized so much that was now irrelevant, onto her finger. It magically adjusted itself to fit.

The ring, which had been a relic of his past, was now a token of their future together. He couldn't help but think that it was how it was supposed to be.

"They're going to think we've hexed each other," he said into her ear, grinning.

His words warmed her heart. Even if she had never felt particularly stunning, she did feel very beautiful right then.

For a moment, she was intensely aware of the ring on her finger, the weight of that moment. Then it adjusted itself magically around her slender, delicate finger; and nothing had ever been so right, so in place. Her smile widened as she studied the delicate, intricate details of the ring like she'd never seen it before.

It widened even more when she met his eyes, her heart bursting with happiness. She brushed a finger lightly over his lips, over that sweet, mischievous grin that was just hers.

"We're actually getting married…" she chuckled, with a mix of wonder and disbelief. Then, at his last words, the chuckle turned into a giggle. "Jo's going to freak out," she whispered. "Are you ready to share the news?"

Ezra nuzzled against her hand, grabbed it gently, and kissed it.

"We're actually getting married," he confirmed, laughing. "Although there's still the matter of finding someone to hold the ceremony... you know what, we'll fuss with that later."

He stood, pulling her up with him; at her words, though, he faked a grimace.

"I'm not sure I could ever be ready," he mused. "I should probably Conjure some earplugs."

Nevertheless, he led her over to the cottage door, still holding her hand firmly in his own. He twisted the doorknob, stepped inside, and closed the door behind her.

"You're holding hands," said Josiah, astutely, but also cautiously solemn. "I heard yelling, and now you're holding hands. Merlin's pants, I don't think I can handle it. Noah, did we buy any booze?"

"I don't think they'd be very helpful," Daniella teased, walking with him back into the cottage, the bag of seeds forgotten on the patch of dirt she'd been working on.

"I may have slipped a pack of beers in there," Noah said innocently, eyeing the couple with curiosity. "Wine was too expensive."

Daniella tried very, very hard to keep a straight face as Jo studied her, but he knew her too well. Unable to keep quiet any longer, she broke into a wide grin and held out her hand for Jo to see it. The emerald seemed to gleam with a light of its own. "I'll need some help planning a reception," she said innocently.

Noah looked at the ring on her finger, then at Ezra. He offered the Slytherin a sideways smirk. "So, it seems like it was pretty simple, after all!" He stepped forward, holding out his hand to greet Ezra. "Congratulations!"

Ezra looked at Noah's hand somewhat tentatively, and then, after a moment of consideration and a slight pang of happiness that the other boy had reached out to him, took the larger, more calloused hand in his own and shook.

"It seems so," he said, smiling a small smile. They broke the handshake, and Ezra looked over just in time to see Daniella show the ring to Josiah, who was still sitting. He had one hand over his heart, as though he was having trouble breathing. Then, his eyes welled up with tears unexpectedly. Ezra raised his eyebrows, alarmed.

"Don't look at me like that," said Josiah with a small, watery chuckle. He got up and rushed over to Dan, wrapping her up in a tight, warm hug. "Congratulations, love. I'm so happy for you."

Ezra stood to the side awkwardly, although he was still smiling faintly. It was then that Josiah got his attention by resting a hand on his arm. The shorter boy stared at him for a moment, as though he was deciding something.

Then, he hugged Ezra, too.

Ezra blinked for a moment, stunned, before raising a hand to pat Josiah on the back gingerly.

"I'm sorry I called you dementor-boy behind your back when we were at Hogwarts," he said breathlessly, pulling away. Ezra blinked again, this time arching one eyebrow. "I mean, you are kind of surly, but it's all for the good, really. Oh, I'm all a-flutter now."

Noah shook Ezra's hand a bit awkwardly, but truly happy for the two of them. He hesitated, then gave Daniella a quick, light hug and wished them the best.

Daniella didn't have time to feel awkward at all before Jo lunged at her. She slipped her arms around her friend. "Thanks, Jo," she murmured, still grinning.

She watched as Jo and Ezra danced around each other with amusement, then pressed her lips together and looked away at Jo's confession.

"Why don't you get those beers?" She asked Noah.

Noah quickly reached for the cabinet that Jo had prepared with a cooling charm and took out four bottles of beer. He passed them around. "Who's making the toast?" He asked lightly.

Ezra accepted a beer, turning it around to look at the label curiously. He'd never had Muggle beer; he'd only ever had butterbeer and firewhiskey and mead. He wondered briefly if it was any good, and supposed he would have to wait for someone to toast before he could find out.

"I'll do it," Josiah said brightly, taking his own beer and popping the cap off with the edge of his wand. Ezra did, too; the entire room was full of fizzing noises and the clink of beer caps for a moment.

"To Daniella Hawke and Ezra Greengrass - the only Slytherins I have ever loved, or even liked, to be honest," he said with mock seriousness. "May you live a long and prosperous life together and have many beautiful children. Cheers."

Josiah held his bottle towards the middle, and Ezra met it with his own, offering a small breathy chuckle. He took his first sip of beer; the taste was so bitter that it made him scrunch up his eyes for a moment.

"That's interesting," he said hoarsely, examining the bottle again. He was so used to the sweetness of butterbeer that he found the whole experience rather jarring. "And this is quite popular?"

He paused for a moment, thinking of how silly Muggles were really, when a pang of nostalgia hit him.

"I do wish we could have brought the television," he said lowly, somewhat morose.

Daniella had tried beer only once before, and couldn't say she was a fan, but she wasn't about to complain with Noah's choice. So she took it and popped the cap, joining the toast.

"Many children?" Daniella gasped. Then she grinned wickedly. "You're aware you'll be in the one babysitting, right, Uncle Jo?" She winked at him.

She took a small sip, stopping before Ezra's face made the beer she'd drank come back out through her nose. She wiped her mouth delicately with one hand, then gave Ezra a teasing smirk.

"We could've brought it, but you'd have to settle for just looking at the black screen." She leaned against him, and whispered, "but don't worry, I'll keep you entertained."

The four of them spent hours drinking beer and laughing, and it soon grew dark in their little corner of the woods. Ezra, who had been cheerful, if a little quiet, noticed this and began to fiddle with his wand. His eyes were distant with thought.

"We should get started," he said absentmindedly. Josiah, who had been nursing a second beer, looked at him cluelessly.

"Get started doing what?" he asked politely, leaning forward a bit. His eyes were sparkling; Ezra almost changed his mind. But this was important - now that the hunt was out for him, anything could happen. If something did happen to him and he hadn't prepared them properly, they wouldn't have a very good chance of survival.

"Well, I thought you could all take turns hexing me," he said dryly, folding his fingers under his chin. "And I could teach you some spells that would make Merlin cringe."

"Ooooh," said Josiah, interestedly. Then, he faltered. "Are you sure you want me to hex you?"

Daniella had drunk, had laughed, had kept the dark cloud of concern as far in the back of her mind as she could. All the while, though, a certainty had been growing inside her, quietly. The certainty that she would do anything to protect what she had. Anything. That thought scared her more than a little bit, since it brought out a side of her she didn't know existed; the side of her that probably explained why she'd been put in Slytherin.

But she would have time to deal with that later. When Ezra spoke, she looked at her fiancé – the word made her feel a mix of wonder and disbelief –, gave his hand a brief squeeze, put the empty bottle down and reached for her wand.

There was no time to waste. She had no time to lose. She was fully aware of Logan's abilities in a duel, and there was no reason to believe any of his companions would be any worse. It was up to her to rise to the occasion.

"Yes, we should," she agreed. She looked at Jo, then at Noah. "It's either him or me," she said. "Your choice."

After a moment's hesitation, Noah rubbed his hands and stood as well. After all that had happened to them, he needed to feel like he was doing something more than just running away all the time. "I'm in!"

Josiah pursed his lips, looking from Dan to Ezra and then deciding that, if he was going to pretend one of them was a Death Eater, it would probably need to be Ezra. He drained the rest of his drink with a hint of seriousness before pulling out his willow wand.

"What are you going to teach us?" he asked curiously, unable to keep a hint of excitement out of his voice. It wasn't that he was truly interested in the Dark Arts - they were awful, of course - but the idea of learning about them was too much for any Ravenclaw to turn up his or her nose at.

Noah and Daniella seemed to be in agreement, and Ezra looked back down at his wand, thinking. He was quiet for a few moments.

"Let's make this simple," he murmured, after a while. "What do you want me to teach you?"

Josiah shuffled for a moment.

"Like, anything?" he asked, in a small voice.

"Anything," Ezra repeated seriously.

Daniella listened to the exchange silently. She kept looking at Ezra thoughtfully long after they fell silent. Neither of them had any idea what they were getting into, and the fact that Ezra gave them freedom to ask for anything was disturbing.

She figured her request could be just as disturbing, but she had to make it. "I know my-" She paused, "Logan," she continued, her eyes fixed on Ezra even though she was talking to everyone. "Since he won't get the cooperation from any of us to get to you," she hesitated again, biting her lower lip. "I want to know what it's like to be under the Imperius Curse," she said slowly. "I want to be able to fight it."

All eyes turned to Dan as she began to speak, and Ezra's in particular, because it was her that he was most afraid of fighting. Really, the last thing he wanted to do was hex his fiancée, but if it meant keeping her safe and able to fight, potentially without him…

He would do anything.

At her request, however, he set his jaw a bit. He searched her eyes, feeling a little helpless. He had asked, after all. He'd said anything.

He broke their eye contact and gripped his wand, pulling himself to his feet.

"Go to the other side of the room," he told her quietly, motioning vaguely to the other side of the small living area. "Both of you should watch closely," he murmured to Josiah and Noah.

Once they were both in place, Ezra closed his eyes, trying to get in the right frame of mind for casting an Unforgivable Curse. Many people thought knowing the incantation was enough, and in some way, it was all that could feasibly be taught. But the mindset… you had to want it.

You had to feel it in the marrow of your bones. You had to crave the control.

Daniella walked to the opposite side, holding her wand tightly. She sighed slowly, feeling more nervous than she'd like to admit. She looked up at Ezra, who had closed his eyes, and tried to smile. "Just don't make me act like a chicken," she murmured, trying to make a joke, but her smile quickly faded.

Ezra didn't smile; his brown eyes were dark, almost black, clouded with purpose. After she had affirmed her consent, he held out his wand. It was long, thin, almost perfectly straight except for a slight curve in the middle. His fingers were slender around it, pale-white in contrast.

His hand was shaking lightly.

"Imperio," he half-whispered. He saw her eyes go cloudy immediately, and it took all of his willpower not to falter. He could feel her will being trapped under his own, a strange sensation that made him want to be ill.

He clenched his jaw.

Walk across the room, he instructed, thinking with the whole of his being.

Daniella noticed the darkness in his expression for a brief moment, before everything was erased from her mind. Her muscles relaxed, free of the tension of the last few weeks, free of every concern or emotion that wasn't an ethereal sense of peace and numbness.

A voice filled her head, echoing around her mind. 'Walk across the room,' it said. Walk across the room.

Her legs moved without any conscious decision from her.

Slowly, trance-like, Daniella crossed the room to him. When she was close enough to touch, he reached out for her; he grabbed her arms gently, holding her upright.

He released her. Her eyes cleared, returning to that beautiful, haunting shade of blue-green.

His hands were still shaking.

"That's how it feels," he murmured, clearing his throat as the words came out strangled. "For most people, it happens just like that. The mind is like an open door, waiting for someone to take the opportunity to let themselves in. It takes practice… sometimes years of practice… to be able to close your mind. And once you've learned how…" he trailed off, casting his eyes toward the floor.

"It's a hard habit to break," he finished, feebly. He pocketed his wand, and then he crossed to the other side of the room where Daniella had stood just moments before.

"I'll show you what it looks like," he said, letting his hands fall passively at his sides. "I'll show you, Daniella. You have to look at me and want - more than anything - to control me. Do you understand? You have to need to control me."

The feel of those hands on her arms made something inside Daniella flicker. But, before she could understand what it was, Ezra released her, and her thoughts rushed in again.

She listened in silence, looking back at the other side of the room. She'd failed. And now he wanted her to…

He was already standing across the room, looking at her intently. Control him? Like everyone had tried to do to him all his life? She opened her mouth to object, but his look was determined. She closed her eyes; her thumb kept rubbing the ring he'd just offered her.

She needed to learn, no matter how painful it was. "Alright," she murmured. She didn't look at the other two boys, didn't even look Ezra in the eyes, knowing that if she did, she wouldn't have the guts to do as he asked.

She cleared her throat and raised her wand. She needed a few seconds to keep it steady enough. She looked at Ezra then, trying to think of a situation where she'd need him to do something specific. To keep him save, she told herself, trying not to think that that was her brother's argument as well.

A few moments passed. Her shoulders slowly started to relax.

"Imperio," she said quietly. She had to steel herself when she saw the light disappear from his eyes, and held her wand more fiercely. When she was confident her emotions were under control, she said, "Jump!"

A familiar feeling rolled over Ezra, a feeling so peaceful that he thought he might collapse due to the laxity of his muscles. Yes, he'd been very stressed recently, very preoccupied. But not now - all of that was gone now. He knew how this worked. He only had to wait for the voice.

Jump, said the voice. It was Daniella's voice, stern but pleading. It went directly to his heart, filling him up; her will covered him like a thick blanket.

His leg twitched, his knee bent slightly, and his eyebrows furrowed; a sharp crack of his own vitality ripped through the fog of the Curse like electricity.

I don't want to, he replied, stubbornly. He reeled for a moment as the Curse billowed over him again, drowning his protests.

Jump. Jump. Jump.

Ezra grit his teeth. It might have been painful, if he could feel anything.

Everything happened in very quick succession.

He let out a cry that was half-yell and half-gasp, as though he'd been trapped underwater; his knees hit the floor, hard enough to be painful; he bent over, assuming a fetal position, resting his head on the cold stone floor.

He lay there for a moment, panting, exhausted.

"I won't," he said through clenched teeth. He still felt the tickle at the back of his mind. Years. It had taken him years, but it still hurt in the end. His mouth tasted metallic and bitter, and he realized that his tongue was bleeding, probably from being bitten.

Daniella took her other hand to the wand, trying to make Ezra jump. The clash of wills went on for what seemed like days, until…

Ezra fell down; his cry pierced through her, shattering the illusion of control. Startled, Daniella struggled to remember how to release him from the curse. Then, she ran across the room, falling to her knees beside him, brushing the hair away from his face, trying to see if he was hurt. "I'm sorry," she murmured, "I'm so sorry!"

Ezra relished the feel of Daniella's cool hand against his forehead. The tickling was gone. He took one last deep breath and then huffed out a small puff of air that might have been a weak attempt at a laugh.

"It's okay," he murmured hoarsely. "I'm okay."

He unfolded slowly, dabbing at the blood that had trickled out of his mouth and onto his bottom lip. It wasn't much. With his other hand, he brushed at her long, golden-brown hair.

"I'm okay. You did well," he praised her, with a small half-smile. "Do you understand now? You must always remember that the voice is your enemy. No matter who it is. No matter if you love them, love them more than life itself. That voice is your enemy. You have to fight it."

Josiah, who had been looking on worriedly for some time, knit his hands together anxiously and finally spoke.

"You said it took years," he whispered, with a mix of pity and horror. "How many times…?"

"Many," Ezra answered, rolling his eyes shut wryly. He smoothed his hair meticulously, trying to slow his mind. "Many, many times."

He stood, pulling Daniella up with him.

"We'll practice this again later," he said. "We should practice duelling, too."

"I understand," Daniella said with a nod, her voice still husky with anxiety. "I'll do better next time."

She tried not to think of all those other times; tried not to wonder if someone had even bothered to make sure he was well before forcing him to do it all over again.

She would practice that again. Over and over until she was sure she could resist it; because she knew if she could resist Ezra's voice, she could definitely resist Logan's.

"Alright, we can duel now, but you'll take a break first," she said firmly. It might not have been a cursed order, but she wasn't going to give him a chance to object either. "Jo and Noah can practice for a while," she said, looking at Jo for support.

Noah had been looking at the scene in front of him, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest and eyes focused on the two Slytherins, studying them the same way he would study a Quidditch opponent.

He had known Daniella long enough to be aware of how strong-minded she was, but she hadn't even hesitated before following that simple command. And Ezra, who had spent years training, had struggled to fight a voice he loved.

He pushed off of the wall, sighing at the perspective of dueling with his boyfriend, not sure how to stop the urge to let Jo hurt him before he hurt Jo. "So, how do you want to do this?" He asked Jo.

Josiah, still looking at Ezra worriedly, nodded at Dan's words. Then, he turned to face Noah, his face a mask of anxiety and determination.

"Preferably bloodlessly," he replied, giving his boyfriend a small smile that was almost a smirk. "Don't go easy on me, Noah Ledger. You know better."

The pudgier boy cleared the couch and stepped back into a more open area of the living room, wand held aloft. Despite himself, his heart was pounding; he was good at Charms, yes, but not offensive ones. The thought of hurting people was terrible to him - he could manage a Stinging Hex when he was very determined, but other times…

"St-stupefy," he murmured uncertainly. For a moment, he'd thought it had work, and he closed one eye instinctively; a small jet of red sparks shot out of his wand and sizzled harmlessly on the stone floor. Panicking, he realized that this left him open to an attack, and he quickly yelled, "Protego!"

Noah held his wand high, aiming it at Jo, not sure if his boyfriend's expression made him want to laugh or worry. He avoided the first Hex easily, taking a small step to the side. He could've explored that moment of vulnerability, but he focused on creating his own bubble shield properly instead. He didn't do it quite as easily as Jo yet.

He shook his head. "Now, now, Jo. You're already good at those. Come on, attack me," he teased, his eyes fixed on Jo's wand hand. "How else can you protect your friends?"

"Stupefy!" He knew his hexes would never get through Jo's shields, so he needed him to focus on something other than just defending himself. Especially because Death Eaters would use curses he couldn't defend himself against, like Logan had. "Come on, Jo, they're attacking your friends!" He provoked.

Jo looked at Noah with wide, uncertain eyes; his lips were pursed. For some reason, his hand was shaking and he couldn't get it to stop.

How else could he protect his friends?

He flung a nonverbal curse that culminated in a beam of orange light and landed on the back of the couch with a menacing hiss. It startled Ezra, whose head was quite nearby, and he scooted a few inches to the side.

"I can't," Josiah said in a small voice, looking at the floor. He dropped his wand back to the side. "I can't. I can't think straight."

Ezra, whose eyebrows were still furrowed in worry from his earlier close call, sighed.

"Let's try it this way," he murmured, running a hand through his already-unkempt hair. "Johnston, your assignment is to stun Ledger. Use any method at your disposal." He looked up at Noah for approval, then back to Josiah, who looked uneasy.

Noah looked at the place on the couch where Josiah's curse hit, then back at Jo. His aim was really bad when he got nervous. He took one step to the opposite side of where Ezra and Daniella were.

"I'm right here, Jo," he coerced. He nodded at Ezra's words. "Just look at me. If you don't stun me, I'm going outside and I'll do something very stupid," he teased. He was going to pay for it later, but there was no other choice. He needed to rile him up, so he could forget his nerves. It usually worked on Chasers at least. "Maybe I'll go out on my bike for a while. All alone. I don't even know where yet, but somewhere with a lot of wizards. Even if it's a stupid idea."

Josiah looked up sharply at Noah's mention of the bike, and anger flared up in him against his will. He knew it was stupid - Noah was obviously saying those things on purpose just to make him upset. Rationally, he shouldn't let it affect him. It was a trap.

But it was a well-placed trap, and Jo grit his teeth at the memory.

Noah covered in blood. Noah covered in blood for that stupid, stupid bike.

"Stupefy!" he said, with better aim and much more conviction.

Noah had about half a second to prepare for the hit; when he saw Jo's eyes darkening with anger, he thought that maybe he'd pushed a bit too far. He didn't have time to strengthen his shield, before the hex hit him fully on the chest.

Daniella winced at the sound of Noah's bulky body hitting the floor. "Well, then…" She peeked over at the stunned boy, then at Josiah. "That was impressive!"

As Noah fell with a dull, room-shaking thud, Josiah's nerves peaked so much that he nearly dropped his wand.

"Oh," he said softly, rushing over to Noah's side. "I'm so, so sorry. Rennervate!" He waved his wand over the other boy hastily, bringing him back to consciousness.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, checking over his boyfriend for any obvious injuries. "Maybe it was too much," he murmured, looking up at Ezra with some disdain.

Ezra looked back plainly, unfazed.

"No, it was good," he said silkily, feeling strong enough to stand again. "You might have done a bit more forcefully, even. A muscular person doesn't stay down for long."

He gave Noah a small, feral smile, offering him a pale arm.

Noah opened his eyes to find Jo looking at him, his brows furrowed with concern. He groaned a bit, trying to move. His chest was a bit sore, and his elbow hurt where he'd hit the ground. "Wow, remind me to never irritate you again…" he said, but he grinned at Jo.

"I'm fine," he assured him. "It was nothing I'm not used to." He took Ezra's hand and got back on his feet.

"We can probably work on our aim tomorrow, I'll set some empty bottles outside for us," he suggested. Then, he focused on Ezra, as if he was their Captain. "What now?" he asked, awaiting further instructions.

Ezra crumpled a little under Noah's weight; resisting Daniella's Curse earlier had taken more out of him than he'd realized. Or, perhaps, he thought with a bit of disdain, he was just not very strong.

"Now," Ezra replied, straightening his back again. "It's your task to stun me, Ledger. We're both a bit worse for wear, so I don't see how it could be any more level than it is now."

He pulled out his wand with a flourish, raising his eyebrows.

The grin vanished from Noah's face. Much as it hurt his pride, he was quite aware that the Slytherin was far better than him in a duel. He gave Jo a quick glance before picking up his wand and moving to the side again, to face Ezra.

He'd been studying the Slytherin. Noah's only advantage in a confrontation with him would be his reflexes, acquired from years of Quidditch. But he was the one attacking now and, as far as he could tell, the easier way to get Ezra was by catching him off guard, which wouldn't be likely right now.

He licked his lips, not sure how much he could trust Ezra's apparent soreness. Trying to get into the mood, he remembered that DADA class, months ago, where Greengrass had accidentally hit Jo.

He aimed and murmured, "Stupefy!"

Ezra narrowed his eyes, studying the other boy's lips and then the quick - almost too-quick - movement of his wand. He managed a hasty jump back and a weak, barely acceptable Shield Charm; he smiled a small, grim smile, humming in the back of his throat.

The shield disintegrated, and with a quick movement, three large, green-black snakes erupted from the tip of his wand. They hit the floor with an angry hiss and began slithering quickly across the room.

"We'll stay here all night if we have to, Ledger," he drawled teasingly.

Noah took a small step back at the sight of the snakes, splitting his attention between them and Ezra's wand. He exhaled softly, smirking inwardly at the other boy's words. Challenge accepted.

He moved a few inches to his left, as the snake on his right was approaching more quickly. He only had one shot at this. Silently thanking the years as a Beater under his belt, he pretended to focus all of his attention on the snakes, while keeping Greengrass on line of sight. "Confringo!" he enunciated clearly, making the snake explode messily.

Immediately, he turned to the second one – perfectly aligned with Ezra from his stand point – as if he was going to take care of it too, opened his mouth and, in the very last moment, raised his wand to Ezra and said, "Stupefy!" with all his determination.

"No need," he added, lowering his wand.

Ezra smirked as Noah recoiled, caught off guard by the snakes slithering toward him. He didn't flinch as snake bits showered the room; he merely smiled, somewhat lazily.

"Creative," he praised, getting ready to raise his wand and stun the boy again. He was currently focused on the other snake. Silly, Ezra thought idly to himself. Anyone could see that something like that would leave your defenses wide open...

And then, much to his surprise, he was hit with a jet of red light squarely in the chest. He toppled back with a dull, limp thud.

Josiah beamed.

"Well done," he murmured, squeezing Noah's arm approvingly as he scooted by and made his way over to Ezra. "Rennervate," he said solemnly. Ezra's eyes flickered open; he furrowed his eyebrows.

Then, he laughed.

"Fair enough," he said weakly, but with good humor.

Noah gave Ezra a lopsided grin, offered his hand in turn to help him up and then stepped aside to let Daniella fuss at him.

"We will do this again, Greengrass, when you're back in shape," Noah said seriously. He wouldn't be the one pulling them down because he was the weakest at Charms, even if it meant working day and night, by himself.

"Tomorrow," Daniella said firmly. "I think we've all had our share for a first day." She studied Ezra intently. "You should really get some rest now," she said softly. "Jo, can you help me fix us something for dinner?"

-/-/-

Ezra was staring deeply into the contents of his ornate silver cauldron. The potion he was brewing was nothing special; it was only a mild concoction to aid sleep, which he felt that they would be needing increasingly in the next few months. Years, maybe. He wasn't entirely sure anymore. The fact remained that they would need it, though, and even though Daniella had nudged him off to bed early after their... lessons, he hadn't been able to turn off his mind enough to sleep.

He stirred the lilac brew gently. The steam, which was periwinkle in color, began to rise to the ceiling, covering the whole upper half of the small room in a fine, mint-scented mist.

He was thinking about the wedding.

Daniella woke up when she turned around and didn't find Ezra's warm body next to her on the bed. Rubbing her eyes, she got up on her elbow and looked around.

He had his back to the bed, staring – judging by the soft periwinkle steam above his head – into his cauldron, seeming lost in thought. She breathed in; it smelled nice, at least.

She slipped out of bed and kissed the point where his neck met his shoulder, sliding a hand around his waist. "What are you up to?" She peeked into the cauldron's contents.

Ezra blinked into the soft mist, only a little startled, as he heard rustling followed by Daniella's soft voice behind him.

"I couldn't sleep," he murmured equally quietly in reply. He relished the feel of her lips on his neck; he closed his eyes and smiled into the comfort of her presence. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." His eyes followed hers to the velvet-smooth lavender liquid in his cauldron. "It's just a Dozing Draught. I thought it might help."

It would help with the lack of sleep, anyway, he thought idly. He wasn't sure there was anything that could help the rest of him, what with him being simultaneously a wanted and soon-to-be-married man.

He found her hand at his side, took it in his own, and brought it to his lips, where he kissed it gently. Then, he conjured a small silver cup.

"You can get back into bed if you like. I'll join you."

He dipped the cup into the liquid's surface, under which it temporarily disappeared; when he brought it up, the excess potion beaded and rolled off, leaving no trace on the outside of the vessel. Ezra tilted his head back and drained the cup.

Daniella had felt a nagging headache after their… lesson, and she hadn't even managed to resist his curse. She could only imagine what all that effort had done to him.

She slipped back under the sheets and waited for him. Slowly, she was starting to read his expressions better. It didn't take a genius to figure out he was concerned, though.

She gave him a small smile when he joined her. "Where would you like to go on our honeymoon?" She asked, in an attempt to distract him. "Any ideas?"

Ezra siphoned the potion slowly into a large cobalt apothecary jar. He corked the top carefully, sealed it with magic, and waved his wand once more to clean out the inside of his cauldron.

Then, he rolled lazily into bed. His body settled warmly against Daniella's; he smirked in the dark at her question.

"Somewhere safe," he whispered, resting his head on her shoulder and closing his eyes. "A deserted island off the southern coast of France, perhaps. Or the Orient. I doubt we'd be found in the Orient."

He kissed her shoulder. The potion was kicking in; a gentle fog rolled over his mind, which seemed to slow. He blinked through half-lidded eyes at the woman he loved.

"Anywhere, really," he murmured. "As long as we're together and safe, I'm not going to kick up a fuss. We do have to do the deed first, mind."

Daniella smiled at his options, all the while running her fingers soothingly through his hair. "Maybe they wouldn't find us, but you might feel tempted to sell me for a dozen camels and a barrel of spices," she teased. "I'll let you know, if you accept anything less than a hundred camels, I'll feel insulted."

"We do," she sighed, slowly starting to acknowledge the huge list of things they'd have to take care of. Then, she realized she wasn't exactly sure of what needed to be on that list.

She'd never been the type of girl to daydream about her wedding day. If she was perfectly honest, she'd never thought she'd get married at all; most of the time, she tried to avoid being set up with anyone her parents chose, instead.

"I suppose we'll have our work cut short, since we're on the run. No big guest list, or fancy ceremony…" she murmured after a long thoughtful silence, not sure if he was still awake. Her smile widened. Yes, she liked that idea. "Would you have liked a big wedding?" She asked, realizing she wasn't sure what his thoughts were on that.

The gentle fingertips raking along his scalp made his eyes ease shut again, and he sighed a soft, contented sigh. A hint of a smile graced his lips.

"Really," he said thickly, with mock offense. "If I'm worth 4,000 galleons, you're worth at least double that."

Her words glided over him, but didn't stick; the potion he'd ingested was kicking in with full force now, and he was having a rather gentle, peaceful floating sensation. The candid exchange segued into long silence, wherein only their breathing was audible against the quiet of the cottage.

Her voice broke the fog again; he realized he'd almost drifted off, and his eyelashes fluttered sleepily before involuntarily closing themselves.

"I don't think I ever wanted to be married," he murmured quietly, fatigue blunting his words. "Seemed a dreadful proposition, before I met you."

He shifted, sniffing tiredly and wedging his arm under the pillow. His eyes were still closed.

"Perhaps we can invite some house elves," he said hopefully. Then, he fell asleep.