"You're pretty good with your hands."

"Wh-what?"

Maddy's fingers slipped, and she fumbled the cards. Half of them spilled into her lap, and the other half shot across the table toward her partner. Peter Pettigrew gathered the cards up and handed them back to her, looking sheepish.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to distract you. I just meant it seems like you're good at shuffling. I'm hopeless at it, as you've probably noticed."

"Right," mumbled Maddy, hoping her blush did not show in the dimly-lit Divination classroom.

She fixed her attention once more on the stack of cards, making sure they were all face down, and quickly shuffled them three times before placing them on the table in front of Pettigrew.

They had begun the Tarot unit two weeks before, starting with committing the seventy-eight cards of the major and minor arcana, their meanings, and their inverses to memory. Today, Professor Holmes had judged their understanding "adequate", and allowed them to begin attempting simple three-card readings with a partner. While Maddy enjoyed puzzling out her own future, she disliked paired exercises. The last thing she wanted was someone snooping into her private business, or sniffing out her secrets. Thankfully, Venice and Karima were partnered with one another today, leaving Maddy with Pettigrew, who was less skilled at Divination than her friends were.

Turning over the top card, Pettigrew laid it on the table between them.

"The first card represents your present situation. Five of Pentacles. Upright, that means, um, insecurity?" he ventured.

Maddy flushed again. She already did not like this reading. "Insecurity" was indeed one of the card's meanings. Another was "poverty".

"The Knight of Cups," Pettigrew continued, turning over a second card and placing it to the right of the first. "This is an action you're pursuing, or may decide to pursue in the future. It means -" he flipped through his textbook until he found the right page. "Here it is. Upright, it means romantic idealism. Following your heart." He glanced at her shyly.

Maddy nodded, but said nothing. It was still too personal, but at least it was more positive than the first card. She held her breath as he turned over the final card, which would theoretically show the outcome of her present path.

"Oh." Pettigrew frowned down at the Fool, reversed. "That's, um, that one's not very good, is it?"

"You've got it the wrong way up," Maddy snapped, plucking the card from his fingers. The Fool, reversed, meant being made a fool of. Surely the card should be upright, for innocence and new beginnings.

"Sorry," Pettigrew babbled. "You're probably right. I'm rubbish at Divination. I should've taken Arithmancy with my mates instead, only it sounded boring."

"I think I was supposed to draw the cards," said Maddy, ignoring him. "You were just supposed to turn them over and read them. That reading was probably about you." That was it; he was the insecure fool, not she.

Pettigrew looked at the three cards again doubtfully. "Yeah. That's probably what happened. Maybe we should try again?"

"No, I'll do yours," she said, grabbing the deck and shuffling furiously until the disagreeable cards were well buried.

Though they followed the Divination master's instructions precisely this time, Pettigrew's reading came out even murkier than Maddy's had. It spoke of indecisiveness and surprises. Neither of them could make head nor tail of what the cards were trying to tell them.

"I want fifteen inches of parchment from each of you by next Friday," said Professor Holmes, as the bell rang signaling the end of the lesson. "Describe two different interpretations of your reading today, and analyse them in light of the common pitfalls of Tarot reading."

Maddy groaned as she carefully wrapped her Tarot deck in its white silk cloth, and tucked it into her bag. She knew OWL year was supposed to be hard, but the work was piling up, and she could think of more interesting ways to spend her time.

At the foot of the ladder leading down from the Divination classroom, Maddy felt a light touch on her arm.

"Hey," said Pettigrew awkwardly. His ears and his nose were very pink. "Listen; don't worry about the card reading. Like I said, I probably cocked it up."

"I wasn't worried about it," Maddy informed him frostily.

"Oh. Good." He gave her a tentative smile. "Y'know, you could just make up any old cards you like for the assignment. I won't say anything, and I bet Holmes would never know the difference."

Maddy bit her lip. "Yeah, maybe," she said at last, and turned away.

"What was that about?" Venice asked, as they made their way down the stairs.

"Nothing," said Maddy. "Pettigrew just bungled the reading."

"D'you want me to do one for you, for the assignment?" asked Karima.

"Assuming you're coming along to Myrtle's, that is," her cousin added acerbically. "We've barely seen you in ages."

Maddy scowled. "It hasn't been that long. And I don't need another reading; I already know what I'm going to write," she invented quickly.

Karima gave her a sidelong glance. "If you say so."

They met Ravenna at the landing, and the four of them continued together to Myrtle's toilets, Maddy trailing silently behind the others.

"Well, it finally happened," Ravenna said triumphantly, as they settled amongst the freshly-inflated cushions.

Maddy squirmed into the corner, trying to get comfortable. "What did?" she asked distractedly.

"Xeno kissed me!"

Karima gave a squeak of delight.

"What was it like?" asked Venice.

"Did you let him put his tongue in your mouth?" Myrtle asked eagerly.

Ravenna laughed. "Of course not! I'm not a tart. I just told him I wanted to talk to him after Herbology, and we went off behind the greenhouses together. I stood really close to him and looked into his eyes, and I guess he finally got the message, because he kissed me right on the mouth."

Maddy tried to look interested as the other girls bombarded Ravenna with questions, but she did not see what was so exciting about a single dry peck on the lips from her cousin's odd and oblivious boyfriend. Kisses like that were for children playing at romance; Rabastan's kisses were always very grown-up, making Maddy feel like a real woman.

They're like little girls, thought Maddy pityingly. They don't understand. Letting a boy put his tongue in your mouth doesn't make you a tart. Not if you really love him. But she was not about to say such a thing out loud. Her friends would be scandalised if they knew how often she let him kiss her like that. And if they found out about the other things she let him do ...

Rabastan could not keep his hands off her. Under the table at meals. In the back of the classroom during lessons. In the shadows of the Slytherin common room. In quiet alcoves of empty corridors. Every moment they could steal when no one was looking, he could not resist touching her.

"You're so sexy, I just can't help myself," he told her once, when she batted his hand away for fear of being seen.

It was flattering to be found so irresistible - so desirable. Maddy loved the attention. No one had ever looked at her the way Rabastan did. His touch sent heat rushing through her, and set her heart pounding, as if calling out to his.

I'm in love, she thought, delighted by the secret thrill of it. She had not told Rabastan yet; she was waiting for just the right romantic moment.

The only real privacy they had found since their date in Hogsmeade had come the previous weekend, while the rest of the school were watching the first Quidditch match of the year. Even though it was only Gryffindor v. Hufflepuff, the corridors were empty. Rabastan gave her a wicked grin, and pulled her into a broom cupboard.

"Finally," he growled, pushing her up against the closed door. His hands were on her breasts, and the hard shape of his staff pressed against her belly. "Been needing this all week."

"What if the house-elves find us?" squeaked Maddy, heart hammering in the darkness.

"Guess we'd better be quick about it. C'mon, Yaxley; you owe me. All that help in Runes, and leaving me with blue bollocks in Hogsmeade. It's more than a bloke can bear."

He guided her hand to the hole in his pocket, and there it was again, hot and thick in her grasp.

"It's easy. You hardly have to do anything," he panted, wrapping her fingers around the shaft and demonstrating an up-and-down movement.

She hurried to obey, but when his own hands began gathering her robes about her waist, she froze.

"Don't -"

"I'm not gonna hurt you, Yaxley. It's just a bit of fun."

"No, it's just -" Maddy could feel her cheeks flushing, and squeezed her eyes shut, even though they could barely see one another in the darkness. "It-it's my time of the month," she mumbled.

With a quiet sound of disgust, Rabastan let go of her robes. "Could've warned a bloke sooner," he grumbled.

"Sorry," said Maddy, awash with humiliation. "Should I ... stop?"

He gripped her hand. "Don't you dare. You're not leaving me high and dry again."

She carried on with the awkward and unfamiliar motion, her hand hot and damp with sweat, as Rabastan squeezed her breast and leaned over her, grunting. Maddy wished he would kiss her, or whisper sweet words to her, but he seemed too distracted by what she was doing to him.

"Oh - fuck - yeah," he muttered at last.

Maddy blinked in shock as wetness dribbled over her knuckles.

"Is-is that all right?" she asked hesitantly. Was she supposed to stop now? Or did he want her to keep at it?

"That was great, Yaxley." Rabastan stepped away from her, adjusting his robes, and letting her hand slip free of his pocket. "Suppose we'd better get out of here."

"I suppose." Maddy flexed her fingers, feeling the wet, sticky stuff cooling on her skin.

"Oh. Here." He drew his wand and tapped her knuckles, uttering a cleaning charm.

"Thanks. So, um, did that ... feel good?"

"Good enough. For a first attempt," he added, grinning. "I'll make sure you get plenty of practice. Lemme know when you're off the rag; we'll have some real fun."

Maddy sighed. If it had not been her time of the month, maybe she could have showed Rabastan how to touch her, too. They could make each other feel good.

"Maddy?"

"Huh?" she blinked.

Ravenna, Venice, Karima, and Myrtle were all staring at her with looks ranging from frowns of suspicion to curiosity.

"Welcome back," said Karima, the corner of her mouth curling up in a half-smile. "You looked about a million miles away."

"Oh." Maddy's cheeks felt hot. "I was just - thinking about my Runes assignment. We're doing a locking charm this week, and it's kind of complicated."

"Sure," said Venice, looking sceptical. "Ravenna was just saying she heard Eudoxia Avery's betrothed to Otto Bagman. I'd've thought you would've told us, seeing as she's your roommate."

"Oh. Yeah," said Maddy, trying to remember. "She said she had an owl from home the other day, telling her that her parents have signed the betrothal contract."

"Bagman the Quidditch player?" frowned Karima. "Isn't he in his twenties?"

"No, that's Ludo Bagman," said Ravenna. "Otto is his younger brother. He was in Ravenclaw, a couple years ahead of me. I think he works for the Ministry now."

"That's still a big age difference," said Karima. "I have a cousin that age, and he treats me like a child."

"They're just getting betrothed," scowled Maddy. "They won't be married until she's of age. Mum says it's good for a man to be older than his wife."

"She could die before she comes of age," Myrtle said cheerfully. "That happens sometimes."

"They can't have spent much time together," said Venice, ignoring her. "How can you decide you want to marry someone if you don't know them at all?"

"I don't think love works like that," said Maddy. "I think when you know, you just know."

Venice gave her a suspicious look. "How would you know?"

Maddy blushed. She thought of Rabastan and how her heart beat faster when she was with him. How much she enjoyed his kisses. How his touch thrilled her. But if her friends had never felt it, how could they understand?

"That's how it always happens in stories," she deflected. "Two people meet, and even if they don't know it straight away, before long they realise they're meant to be together."

"So are you and Lestrange meant to be?" asked Ravenna shrewdly. "Or will you let Auntie Manda choose an older man for you?"

Maddy shrugged, trying for nonchalance. "Maybe. I dunno. Mum and I haven't really talked about it. What about you and Lovegood?"

Ravenna sighed wistfully. "I don't know. But kissing him is nice. I'd like to do it again."

"D'you think Auntie Boudica and your dad would be open to arranging a match with his family?" Maddy asked.

Her cousin shook her head. "Arranged marriages are so old fashioned. I want to marry for love."

"My parents had an arranged marriage," Karima pointed out. "They love each other. It's embarrassing how soppy they are together sometimes."

"My parents were a love match," said Maddy bitterly. "And look how that turned out."

If only she could have it both ways: a passionate romance with a man she loved, and who loved her in return, and the full-throated approval of both their families. Her mother just had to approve of Rabastan; he came from such a good family. But would his family consider Maddy a worthy match for their son? Or would they think her a gold-digger, who was only interested in his family's wealth and status?

"I'm not ready to even think about marriage," said Venice. "I want to finish school first, and maybe wait until things settle down in the world."

"I don't think I ever would have got married," Myrtle said dramatically. "Boys are terrible."

Maddy privately suspected Myrtle was only saying that to make herself feel better about being dead, and about the fact that no boy had probably ever looked at her twice when she was alive.

"Some boys are," said Ravenna. "Maddy, have you asked Lestrange about what happened with Alice Finch?"

Maddy scowled. "I did."

"And?"

"He said they were just messing about, and she was afraid of getting into trouble."

Karima frowned. "And you believed him?"

"Yes," snapped Maddy. "Why wouldn't I? He's never tried to make me do anything I don't want to do."

"But what do you do together?" Venice asked pointedly. "He doesn't seem like the romantic sort."

"Well, he is," said Maddy hotly. "We study together, and we eat meals together, and we go for walks, and we hold hands. He's never been anything but a perfect gentleman."

"But what do you talk about?" asked Karima.

Maddy shrugged. "The usual things. School work. Our families. Our friends. Politics."

In truth, Rabastan was the one who talked about politics, while Maddy listened. It was the only subject in which he seemed to have much interest, when he was not trying to get her alone so that they could kiss and touch each other. Maddy would talk about her friends or her mother or her school work, but she sensed those subjects bored him. She could not blame him; he was interested in the big picture, and her own life felt very small sometimes.

"You've snogged him, though," said Myrtle. "I've seen you do it. Did you like it?"

Maddy felt her cheeks turn pink. How much had Myrtle seen?

"Of course I liked it. Rab's a really good kisser."

"But you haven't let him do anything else, have you?" asked Ravenna.

"What do you take me for?" Maddy demanded haughtily, sidestepping the question.

What else could she tell them? Certainly not the truth. She bunched her fist in the folds of her robes, pushing away the memory of the sticky, slimy stuff between her fingers.

"Just don't let him take any liberties," said Venice. "You don't want him to get the wrong idea about you."

What was the wrong idea about her? Maddy wondered. What was the right one? That she loved him? That she wanted to be with him?

"I know romance is exciting, Maddy," Ravenna said gently, "but be mindful of your reputation. If people see you two getting too cosy in public, they'll wonder what you're letting him get away with in private."

"What 'private'?" scoffed Maddy. "Where exactly do people think we'd be sneaking off to for all this supposed scandalous activity?"

"It's a big castle," said Myrtle. "There are always places."

"Well, you needn't worry yourselves on my account," Maddy informed them. "I've told Rab I plan to stay pure for marriage, and he doesn't have a problem with that."

Ravenna looked unconvinced. "Even so, if he ever gets pushy, or gives you trouble, you know you can always come to us. We'll sort it out."

Oh yes, I'll just do that, thought Maddy sourly. If I ever want to be told how it's all my fault for encouraging him.

"I've told you: he's a perfect gentleman."

"All right," said Ravenna dubiously. "Just ... be careful."

When they left to get ready for supper, Maddy hung back.

"I need to - it's my time of the month." She made a vague gesture toward the stalls.

"D'you want us to wait for you?" asked Karima.

"No, it's all right. You go ahead."

Maddy had had her fill of their judgement, and their endless prying into her personal life. She sat on the toilet until the door swung closed, and the murmur of her friends' voices retreated, then she slipped out of the stall and went to the sink to wash her hands.

"It's not really your time of the month," said a sharp voice.

Maddy's shoulders hunched. She had forgotten about Myrtle.

"What d'you know about it?" Maddy demanded, not looking up.

"I know because you told that boy you had the Curse days ago," Myrtle said smugly. "You can't still have it now."

"Wh-what?" Maddy gripped the edge of the sink, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach.

"I saw you. I saw him touch your baps, and I saw you touch his thing."

Blood pounded in Maddy's ears. Myrtle had seen them. What if she told the others? What if she told the whole school?

"You can't have," Maddy forced out between bloodless lips. Horror and humiliation threatened to choke her. "It was dark. You weren't there."

"You think ghosts can't see in the dark?" Myrtle crowed, triumphant. "You think we can't make ourselves invisible?"

Maddy whirled around, drawing her wand and pointing it at the ghost girl with a hand that shook. "If you dare breathe so much as a word, I-I'll banish you to the-the netherworld! Or I'll silence you and make you sightless, so all you can do is hang about, doing nothing forever!"

"Y-you can't do that," said Myrtle uncertainly.

"Can't I?" demanded Maddy, shoving as much confidence into her voice as she could muster. "D'you want to find out?"

"I swear, I won't tell a soul, living or dead," said Myrtle earnestly, drawing an X with her finger on her translucent chest, over the place where her heart used to be. "If -"

"If what?"

"If you'll let me watch next time," said Myrtle eagerly.

Maddy stared at her, openmouthed. "What?"

"There's not much to do when you're dead," explained Myrtle. "How else am I supposed to pass the time? Sit in on lessons? Read over people's shoulders? Watch Quidditch practice? So what if I spy on people sometimes? I'm not hurting anyone. You never even knew I was there."

"So what d'you need me for?" demanded Maddy. Her wand wavered uncertainly. "It sounds like the whole school is already your private peep show."

"The thing is," said Myrtle earnestly, eyes wide behind her ghostly spectacles, "I hardly ever get to see the good stuff. It's usually just hands under robes, or underwater in the baths. If you tell me when and where you're meeting that boy next time, and you let me watch, I can act as your lookout, and -"

"You're a filthy perv," spat Maddy, disgusted.

Myrtle shrugged. "So, we both like doing things we're not supposed to. Either you let me watch, or else I have some juicy gossip to share the next time anyone asks."

There was no way out that Maddy could see. Her shoulders slumped. She lowered her wand, defeated.

"All right," she said, reluctantly. "All right. If you promise not to tell anyone, ever, I'll let you know where to find us next time. But," she hastened to add, "I don't want to know you're there, and I don't want Rab to know you're there either. Unless there's someone about to find us out. Then you have to distract them until we can get away."

"I can do that," promised Myrtle, eyes shining with avid excitement.

Maddy sighed. "Then I suppose we have a bargain."