AN: I. AM. SO. SORRYYYY. I know this took way waywaywayyayawyaway too long but I've been so busy with preseason starting and college shit. I know this isn't the longest chapter but I hope you all enjoy it. I'll say there's a 2-3 chapters left in this story before I move on to the sequel. I am not giving up on this, I assure you. I love you all.

"Rachel, what the hell happened to you?" Cosima asked, not being able to take her eye off of Rachel's bandages.

"What does it look like, Cosima. I've been attacked, which I'm sure you're very happy about," Rachel responded with a slow blink of her good eye.

Cosima opened her mouth to say something, but when she was bumped forward by the bustling Slytherin students behind her, she decided to take action, "Whoa, whoa! Not to be rude or whatever, but if you guys would kindly fuck off, that'd be great."

The students all looked at her.

Cosima blinked, "That wasn't a question. What are you all still doing here? Beat it," she said, pushing them out of the area, "Shoo!"

All started moving away angrily except for Delphine. Cosima squeezed her hand gently, and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Give me a few minutes, sweetness, alright?"

Delphine nodded and walked off with some of the other students.

Once the grumbling students shuffled off, Cosima took a seat next to Rachel's bed, "Rachel, no matter how much of a bitch you may be, I wouldn't want you to get hurt. You're our sister."

Rachel scoffed, "Don't use that term. It's inaccurate."

"Whatever. It may not have been the most traditional way, but we all came out of the same vagina, so… " Cosima said, resting her head on one hand.

"Our birthing process is not the focus. Someone attacked me."

Cosima sat up straighter, "Who was it?"

"Had you not been sitting here, I would have thought it was you."

Cosima blinked again, "What the hell does that mean?"

Rachel rolled her… eye, "It means it was another copy. Or sister, as you so eloquently put it."

"Besides the four of us?"

"Obviously, Cosima. Or else I would have told you who it was," Rachel said, growing irritated.

"Hey, I don't know what happened, okay? I'm trying to wrap my head around the situation," Cosima said, rubbing at her forehead, "Just tell it to me from the beginning."

"I really don't think that's necessary," Rachel responded curtly, turning her head away from the girl.

Cosima scoffed, "Oh grow the fuck up, Rachel. I'm trying to help you out- help us out. They could be coming after me or our sisters next."

Rachel stayed quiet and unmoving, so Cosima did what she never thought she would ever do. She took Rachel's hand between hers. She wasn't surprised at its coldness so much as how soft it felt. Rachel turned back to Cosima with a furrowed brow, not used to seeing such a warm look from the girl.

"Please, Rachel. I wanna find out who did this to you."

Rachel looked down at their joined hands and sighed. Something about seeing her own hands holding hers made her feel a bit warmer. She didn't know whether to revel in this newly found feeling or push it away, but something told her that she had already hit rock bottom. "She had blonde hair."

Cosima squeezed her hand gently, "Okay, that's a start. Was it like, your blonde, or…"

"It was a fake blonde, like some… poorly done bleach job."

"Okay, hooker blonde. Got it," Cosima said as she took in the information, "So she looked like us?

"Yes."

"Fuck…" Cosima muttered, "I heard there was a fifth one but I thought she had died in childbirth."

"Or maybe that was what they wanted you all to think," Rachel suggested.

"Maybe," Cosima said leaning back in her chair, "What did she uh…" Cosima gestured to her eye.

"She stabbed it with a knife."

"Shit, dude. That's effed up," Cosima said with a wince.

"It's the least of my worries. We live in a magical world, after all. Healing is completely possible, especially since she did not destroy it with magic."

"You're totally right. That's good, then."

"Mm."

The two sat in silence for a moment before Cosima remembered something, "Yo, do you think she put my name in the cup?"

"I thought you did, to be quite honest, but I should have known better than to think you would actually be able to."

"Ouch, man. We were having a moment for like five minutes straight before you blew it."

"I'm a Slytherin. Something within me swells upon being hostile to others," Rachel said with a smirk.

Cosima chuckled, "I guess that's true."

"Mm."

Cosima got up and stretched, "Welp, I guess that's it then. Unless you have anything else to tell me."

Rachel shook her head.

"Alright then. I'll keep a lookout for crazy clone. You heal your eye, okay?" Cosima said before turning around.

"Wait."

Cosima looked over her shoulder.

"When she talked to me, she had an accent. Like the Bulgarians, almost. Except it was sharper, like Russian."

"Oh, that's interesting," Cosima said furrowing her brows. "I'll think about that."

"Mm."

"Alright then… Uh… later. Get better," Cosima said, pushing the curtains open.

Delphine was immediately at her side, "What happened?"

Cosima rubbed her temples, "I don't know, man. I need a nap."

Delphine rubbed Cosima's arm gently, "We could, if you want."

"We have class though…"

"Since when has class been a priority for you?"

Cosima smiled, "True that."

Delphine grinned, "Come on."

Delphine had tugged her less than two feet before they were stopped in their tracks.

"Cosima!"

Cosima's arms were suddenly filled with another human being, one with a pink headband and razor cut bangs. "Ali…"

"Thank god you're alright!" Alison said, wiping tears from her eyes, "They told me and Sarah that our sister had been attacked! What happened?"

"Oh," Cosima said looking over her shoulder at a relieved Sarah, "It was Rachel who got attacked, not me."

"Oh, thank god for that, yeah?" Sarah said, "I thought it was actually my sister."

"It was. She got stabbed in the eye," Cosima said with a frown.

Alison gasped.

"Bloody hell," Sarah exhaled, "By who?"

"Apparently there's another one of us. With blonde hair and a Slavic accent."

"What?!" Alison exclaimed, looking around as her voice echoed through the wing, "I thought the fifth one had died…" she whispered.

"I did too, but how would any of us know? Maybe she was taken away before they had a chance to verify her death."

Sarah shook her head, "This is turning into a serious shitestorm."

Cosima sighed, "I know, I know… We're gonna have to talk later about it, okay? For now I just need to think on it," she said grabbing Delphine's hand, "If you need us, we'll be in Ravenclaw. Watch your backs, alright? She could still be on the loose."

"Yeah, yeah."

Cosima dragged Delphine out of the hall and quickly ran up to the dormitories. Once they got past the door, Delphine spoke up, "Cosima."

Cosima turned.

"Do you think that this is really the time to take a nap? This girl could be anywhere."

"This is the perfect time to take a nap. I'm dead tired, mentally exhausted, and freaked the fuck out," Cosima said frantically, opening the door to her bed.

Delphine gently grabbed Cosima's arms, "I understand you are stressed, chérie, but shouldn't you tell your headmaster about this?"

Cosima scoffed, "That old bat knows everything that goes on in this school, he just chooses to let us handle it ourselves. Do you know what happened our first year here?"

Delphine shook her head.

"There was a giant fucking snake lurking around in the plumbing system, and when muggles saw its reflection, they would be petrified. When they made direct eye-contact with it, they would be killed. So you know what Dumbledore did to solve the problem?"

Delphine shook her head again.

"He sent the fraudulent Defense against the Dark Arts teacher and two second year students to go kill the snake, and rescue the girl that was kidnapped. I mean, what the hell? You're our headmaster and you depend on second year students to save the school? That's bullshit," Cosima said with a huff. Delphine rubbed her back soothingly.

"That's why I say fuck the headmaster, and fuck this school's security system. It's all up to us. And what I plan to do now, is take a nap and cuddle with my girlfriend." Cosima finished, laying down with open arms. Delphine smiled sadly and shifted into them, feeling Cosima's lips peck her forehead softly.

"You missed your target."

"What?"

"The girl did not die. You did not kill her," the man elaborated.

"How did she not die? I stabbed her. Right in face. She bled. A lot," the young girl said, eating a bite of her chicken.

"The girl lives!" The man exclaimed slapping the chicken out of her hands. The girl flinched slightly, but remained in her seat.

"I want all of them dead. They are abominations. Monsters." The man continued, pacing. He stopped and looked at his young accomplice, "But not you. You are the original. They are all copies of you."

"I am light?"

"Yes, Helena. You are the light." The man said, putting a hand on the girl's frizzy blond hair.

"This event has delayed us some, so it will not be as easy to target the others before they leave the school, but I may be able to get you one more chance at disposing another."

Helena looked up hopefully at the man, who smiled back down at her.

"Do not fail me again."

"Yes, Igor."

"Alright Miss Niehaus, here is your potion," Madam Pomfrey said, handing Cosima the bottle.

Cosima took a sniff, recoiling immediately at the scent, "Ew! What the hell is in that?"

Madam Pomfrey sighed, "It's just better if I don't tell you, but rest assured, this will work. Just take a spoonful every night before you go to bed. In a few weeks, you should notice that your coughs are significantly suppressed."

"And this is the fastest solution to my problem?"

"Yes, as of now."

Cosima pulled her lips to the side as she analyzed the bottle, "Alright then… thanks doc." Cosima slid off the bed and began to leave.

"Wait, don't leave yet," Madam Pomfrey said shuffling to the cabinet, pulling out another vial of potion, "You may need to take this in tandem. It's an anti-nausea potion. We've only had to make this potion thrice before, and a couple have complained of upset stomachs. So just in case you need it," she finished, holding out the vial.

Cosima smiled tightly, "Let's hope I don't," she said, taking the vial.

Cosima walked out of the wing and was beginning to put the potions in her bag before she was approached.

"'Ey, Cos."

Cosima looked up quickly to see both of her sisters approaching her. Panicked, she frantically stuffed both bottles in her bag, tossing it over her shoulder casually. "Hey guys… what's uh… what's up?"

Alison frowned at Cosima's bag, silently analyzing her position, and was about to ask what she had gone to the wing fore before Sarah beat her to it.

Cosima scratched her dreads, "It's nothing, I'm just getting over a cold."

"What, like a three month long cold?" Sarah supplied

"Nah, just- wait, what?"

"Cosima," Alison spoke up, "you haven't been looking… well… well since before the second challenge."

Cosima laughed nervously, "Guys, I'm fine. I just had a chest cold."

"Not even that, Cos. You've gotten paler too, and you've been skipping meals. Cosima the human vacuum does not skip meals."

"Wow, Sarah. Really?"

"Although badly worded," Alison started, shooting a scolding look at Sarah, "she's making a good point, Cosima."

"Okay," Cosima said, dropping a shoulder, "If you guys had been noticing these things before, why didn't you come to me about it?"

"Why don't we ask you that question, Cos? Why didn't you tell us you were sick?"

"It didn't matter. I didn't want you guys to worry over nothing."

"Cosima, we're your sisters. We always worry, even when it may not seem like it."

"It's just a f-!" Cosima shouted before doubling over, coughing violently. Both sisters were immediately at her side. After a few minutes, Cosima finally caught her breath, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. She knew it was probably bloody, but she thanked the stars that her sleeve was black.

"That's not a bloody chest cold, Cosima."

"…I know."

"Explain."

Cosima started to straighten, but put her hands back on her knees as she felt light-headed. "Lung infection," she panted.

Alison gasped, "How?!"

"Grindylow shit."

"Cosima, be serious."

"I am," she said, finally straightening. Cosima took off her glasses to rub at her eyes that had watered during her fit, "When I almost drowned, there was bacteria from grindylow shit in my lungs that ate away at some of my tissue or whatever. That's what Madam Pomfrey said."

"For real?" Sarah asked disbelievingly, "Holy shit."

"Yeah. I just got the potion for it today."

"What the hell took them so long?"

"You know how potions are, Sarah. Some take minutes, others take friggin' months," Cosima said, wiping the lenses.

"Does Delphine know?"

Cosima put her glasses on wordlessly and wrung her hands.

"She does doesn't she? How does your girl get to know before your sisters?" Sarah asked accusingly.

"Because she was there with me when I started coughing up bl- stuff," Cosima recovered. It didn't go unnoticed, however.

"Cosima Niehaus, you're coughing up blood?!" Alison shrieked. Cosima jumped and looked around anxiously.

"Ali, keep your voice down-"

"I fail to see how you possibly could have thought it was okay to keep that from us."

Cosima rubbed at her dreads irritatingly.

"Answer me!"

"It wasn't a question," she snapped.

"Cos, come on, don't get mad. We're just tryna help, yeah? We wanna be here for you, but every time it gets tough for you, you just close the door on us."

"Then don't be so annoying about it! Sorry I didn't freakin' tell you. I have a lung infection. I have a potion to get rid of it now, so there's nothing to worry about, okay?!"

"It's not just about us worrying about you, Cos! What if you had died?!" Sarah exclaimed.

Cosima's face fell as she looked down guiltily.

"If it had been worse? We would have had no idea."

"Do you not think you can talk to us? Like, are we unapproachable or sumthin'?"

"No! It's not that, I just-" Cosima sighed, "I didn't want you guys to treat me different, you know?"

Alison opened her mouth, but Cosima cut her off quickly, "And don't say you wouldn't have, because you totally would. Especially you, Ali. I wouldn't even be allowed to pick up a fork."

"Hey, I resent that!"

"She has a point, Alison."

"I know I do."

"Cosima… the third task is weeks away. Are you sure you're going to be ok for it?"

Cosima sighed again. "I won't know until then, I guess. I don't know how the potion will treat me, but hopefully I'll be close to one hundred percent when the time comes."

"There's gotta be another way though, yeah? Can't you just forfeit or somethin'?"

"No I can't. I'm like, magically bound. Plus, it'd be dumb to quit now after coming this far."

"Damn, this sucks."

"Tell me about it, dude."

The three talked a bit more before they were approached by another person.

"Cosima!"

Cosima turned, smiling brightly when she saw who it was, "Hey, Phine!"

Delphine greeted her with a hug before pulling back and giving her a peck on the lips. Cosima refused to let it end there as she wrapped her arms tighter around the French girl, kissing her again and again, "Hi," she whispered between kisses.

"Allô," Delphine reciprocated, "Comment allez-vous?"

"Better now that you're here," Cosima said with a cheeky grin.

"Ugh," Sarah groaned, "The both of ya reek of cheese."

Delphine smiled at the other girls, letting go of Cosima, "Hello Sarah, Alison."

"Hello, Delphine."

"Frenchie."

Cosima tugged at Delphine's sweater, "Are you about to work?"

"Oui. For two hours."

Cosima frowned, and Delphine didn't like it. "I'll be over later, after I'm done. We can get some ice cream."

Cosima brightened at that, "Awesome idea, madame."

Delphine smiled and pecked Cosima's lips once more, making sure to pull back quickly before they ended up making out in the hallway. "Have a good day!" she said to the three of them before disappearing into the Hospital Wing.

Cosima cocked her head to the side with a dreamy smile as she watched Delphine walk away. Sarah looked over at her sister, shaking her head with a chuckle.

"Cosima, you are whipped."