Authors Note: Hello, just letting you know I will be updating from now on on the 14th of every month. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, your support is extremely appreciated.

Also - Sorry about this chapter. Its short and not my best work but I promise better in the future

-The Eye of Slytherin

Chapter 15 ~ The Common Room

The evening of the 2nd arrived with a large drop in temperature. I settled down in the living room, strangely without a book in my hand, and watched the flames flicker and lick the edges of the grate. In the peace of the moment I couldn't help but ponder upon the last few months at Hogwarts. Classes were going well, as was quidditch. The Forbidden Forest was as thrilling as usual. Everything was continuing on as it always was, except for the "relationship" side of things. Sure, I was still as friendless as usual, but this suited me quite well.

It had come quickly to my attention that I did not see my fellow classmate Greengrass as a friend like I had just a few months before. There was obviously a deeper feeling running through my veins for her, though when this feeling suddenly sprang to life inside of me was a mystery – Not unlike the girl herself. I found myself asking the dreaded question… 'Do I fancy her?'

As much as I would have loved to say "no" and ignore all my human feelings, I just couldn't stop thinking about her. I liked her, yes, but did I really and truly fancy her? Fancy is a strong word for some, and a weak word for others. Take Tracey Davis, for example. She would constantly brag about fancying a new boy every week. Then if I compared it to, say… Malfoy who (despite sucking Puggy's face off every other day) would be reluctant to admit he fancied anyone, even Parkinson.

'If I did fancy Greengrass,' I thought to myself 'what on earth would I even be hoping to achieve with her?'
Did I want to date her? To take her out to dinner and spoil her?
To take long walks with her and talk about absolutely nothing and everything at the same time?
Did I want to hold her safe in my arms at night and hold her hand during the day?

The answer was easy. 'Yes'.

A rush of excitement rolled over me. I felt somewhat… giddy. Yes, it was true. I fancied Greengrass. I fancied Greengrass. I fancied Greengrass. I repeated this to myself over and over to let it really sink in. These three words brought many emotions to the surface. Excitement, fear, happiness, anxiety… Who knows what would become of this. Perhaps I would soon be the happiest wizard alive… Or, perhaps, I would be crushed.

Even with the awful thought in mind of being torn to shreds, I decided that she was what I desired, and I decided to toss caution to the wind and go after her. To chase her. I wanted her more than I feared being hurt.

I did remind myself, however, that I needed to take it slowly. One step at a time. The first step, of course, being her name. No longer should I call her 'Greengrass'. It was far too impersonal, and I much preferred her first name, anyway. 'Daphne.'

I repeated her name to myself a few times. Yes, I could get quite used to that…

I celebrated my 17th birthday the day after, on the third of January. Usually I pay no attention to the dates, and merely keep in mind that as a New Year arrives, I am a year older. This year was different as this was the year I became an adult. 17 years old meant (legal) drinking, and the ability to move out and purchase my own home. Those didn't sound particularly interesting to me as I had been drinking since I was 14 and I have had the resources to move away from my mother since I was 7.

What interested me about becoming an adult was the ability to apparate, and to perform magic wherever and whenever I liked. Of course, this excluded being in the presence of muggles, though it didn't seem likely I would come within sight of a muggle at any given time in the future. The thought of magic without restrictions (within reason) thrilled me. There would be no need to use my little flashlight, for now with a simple "lumos" I could bright my path. Forgotten where I had left something? No problem, I wouldn't have to search. A simple "accio" would do the trick.

I waited patiently for the clock to tick over to 12:00am and as soon as it did so I sprung out of bed and thought back to the lessons I had been given on apparition before Chistmas break, by the Ministry Official. I had been told that it is best to keep the distances between where you are, and where you want to go, to the minimum - especially in the beginning. The greater the distance, the higher the chance of being splinched, and only the greatest wizards or witches crossed continents successfully.

Promising myself that, someday, I would be one of those great wizards, I focused on my doorway. It seemed harmless enough, only 20 metres away from where I stood, next to my bed. Still, I was by myself in this large house, and, chances were, I would bleed out before a house elf or my mother found me.

I closed my eyes and pictured the doorway clearly in my head. I stepped forward and with a 'crack! I opened my eyes to find my nose inches from the door.

I glanced over myself. I was, thankfully, still whole. To be honest I was a bit nauseous, but I knew that that would pass quickly. Only a few moments passed before I tried again. With a successful arrival back at my closet, I decided it was time to try something a little more difficult. A place I could not see – I could only picture. As I was feeling a wee bit peckish, I decided the kitchen would be the perfect experiment. Plus, if I did happen to be splinched in my travel, plenty of house elves ran through constantly. One would surely find me quickly.

I once again closed my eyes and pictured the kitchen in my mind. I tried to imagine every split in the tiles, every tiny detail on the cupboards, and, with a crack, I opened my eyes to find myself exactly where I had pictured. I couldn't help but think about how marvelous it would be if I had the ability to bring what seems like my imagination to life. If I could picture a place that was entirely my own, and apparate into that world. If it was as simple as going from my bedroom to the kitchen.

I grabbed an apple and walked back up the stairs, spending the rest of the morning apparating as far as I could to each of the borders of the property. Afternoon arrived and I quickly threw a few things into a bag and apparated to Hogsmeade. I had promised Gree- Daphne that I would come back to Hogwarts for my birthday so that she could "show me up again" as she had playfully put it.

I don't know what I was expecting to receive, but it wasn't the large Black Forest cake, nor the Italian Cornicello necklace. Though I had briefly wondered how she knew the Black Forest cake was my favourite, as I held up the pendent my thoughts quickly turned into memories. I glanced back Gr-Daphne to see her hold up her own Cornicello charm… The one I had given to her, years before.

'How are you going over in England?' I wrote to her, 7 years young, though not as naïve as most children that age.
'Not good. Mum's been hitting me and pulling my hair a lot, lately.' Her reply came shortly. Her words had sent my stomach in knots with worry.
'Come visit me in Italy. There's a lot more of my Aunt then your mother' I sent to her, only half-joking.
'That made me laugh. I wish I could go…' her reply arrived only a few hours later.

'Hold on, I'll send you something to keep you safe' I sent to her as I lifted my horn pendent from around my neck, scrambling to find something to wrap it in, so it would arrive safely.
'What are you sending? …Your aunt?' her reply arrived, even quicker than the last.
"…I wish. I don't think my owl could carry her, though" I wrote, praying my aunt didn't intercept my letters.

I handed my nicely wrapped pendent to my owl, along with my note. ' I'm sending you an Italian Cornicello. It's a horn. Well, a necklace. With a horn. It protects those who wear it from the evil eye… If the evil eye can't see them, surely the evil hand can't hurt them.'
Her reply came after a torturous wait. 'Oh, it's lovely… Thank you, Blaise, but I might just have to stab her with it. Thank you... It means a lot~'

'You're welcome… Well, horns are good for that too, but should just send my uncles sword over, then? ...Don't worry. The horn is really powerful, you'll see. It's kept me safe, I know it will do the same for you.'
'Gosh Blaise, don't send me weapons~! I'm sure it is...Thank you, very much. That's very sweet... Did it keep you safe? From what...? ...You're not sending me yours, are you...?'
'My auntie's slobbery kisses, that's what. So what if I am...?'

'...You're so silly. Thank you, Blaise. I don't want you to be unprotected...'
'It's okay, I have my zia, remember? That's Italian for aunt, by the way.'
'...Are you sure…?'
'Absolutely. Trust me – Works like a charm… No pun intended.'

I glanced up to Greengrass and gave her a small smile. "Thank you... I can't believe you remembered... Or even have yours still, after all these years" She smiled and played with her own charm absentmindedly. "Of course I still have it... You know I'm a sucker for jewellery." I laughed gently, though I was quite touched by her thoughtfulness and memory and we spent the rest of the evening talking about birthdays (I noted hers was November the 5th) and eating the Black Forest cake she had given me.

Many more evenings were spent like this in the Slytherin Common and soon enough we were facing the harsh reality of going back to class. On one of our last nights before our freedom was snatched I sat with my arm around Daphne, reading the Daily Prophet. My fingers traced gently against her right shoulder and everything was quiet except for the soft crackling of the warm fire. Sitting beside me, head on my shoulder, Daphne re-read 'Perfume,' sighing gently every so often. Our guards were down and our trust was sky high.

I placed the Daily Prophet on the couch beside me, staring into the fire for a few minutes before I glanced at her. She looked peaceful, a small smile on the corner of her lips. "Enjoying the book, are we?" I asked her, however I was well aware the book wasn't the reason for her smile. It seemed I had pulled her out of the world in her novel as she looked confused for a moment, but she smiled a little more as she looked me in the eye. She traced the page of her book, absentmindedly, laughing a little as she did so. "Oh yes, very much so."

I nodded gently, holding her gaze. Her eyes were soft and gentle, with a hint of affection lying underneath… I knew my eyes must have reflected very much the same. I couldn't stop a small yawn from passing my lips, and I laughed softly at myself. "I'd probably best be getting to sleep… But I might just do what you do and sleep here… I must admit, it is quite comfortable" I teased her.

She nudged me gently with a soft laugh. "Oh, shh. I don't always fall asleep here" she told me. "…But yes, it is quite comfortable" she added. I shook my head, smiling. Honestly, I wasn't used to smiling so often, my cheeks ached. "No, no, you don't always fall asleep here… Only sometimes" I said playfully and she laughed, fiddling with the page of her book once more, a warm blush on her cheeks.

A few minutes passed and another yawn escaped. I laughed at myself once again, and my laughter only increased as Daphne then yawned as well, bringing a hand to her mouth. "I suppose I should head off to bed…" I said. "Mm perhaps you should, before I fall asleep too" she teased. Despite this, I stayed where I was. I was the most comfortable I had been in a long time. It seemed just as I thought this she leant a little more against me, playing with a lock of her hair.

As we watched the fire I thought back to the decision I made only a few weeks before. Perhaps I would be setting myself up to fail, or perhaps I was making a big mistake… But, despite these thoughts looming overhead, I wasn't worried. It felt… Right. It felt right to be sitting here with her in my arms and the moment seemed… perfect. To show her how I felt about her. Pursing my lips I glanced to her, as I had been doing for months now. She turned after a few moments to catch my gaze, giving me a small smile as she kept her eyes on mine.

The flames brought out to golden brown in her eyes, I noticed. Usually the speckles of bronze were hidden by the green. She didn't say anything, and we sat, our eyes locked for a few moments. I searched her eyes, enjoying the splashes of golden brown. The moment was so perfect… I could only think of one thing to make it even more so. I leaned down slowly and her breath caught before her eyes fluttered closed.

I placed my lips against her own; sharing with her the silent words I knew only she would understand. I kissed her delicately, as though she was as fragile as a China Doll, though it wasn't her that was fragile, but the memory. It wasn't just a kiss under the mistletoe, or a peck on the cheek at the door. This kiss would forever be the memory of us diving headfirst into the unknown. Our first steps into the maze as we got lost together.
To me, this was the beginning.