Theodore Nott lounged lazily on a cream sofa. His head lulled back against the plush fabric as he barely listened to the surrounding conversations. With an empty glass in one hand, he secretly watched the entrance into the Slytherin common room. He waited patiently, eyes quickly glancing to the stone staircase every time he thought he saw Dahlia Aldair's honey-blonde hair in his periphery.

"It's still early," Blaise said as he noticed Theo's decaying mood. He had no patience for Theo's romantic and obsessive notions.

Blaise and Draco sat at a nearby wooden table along with Lucas Leerweather and Xavier Grey. Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson lingered behind the boys, gossiping about other girls no doubt. They were playing card games on the smooth, wooden table. Draco took the cork out of a new bottle of fire whisky and took a swig. Xavier's father owned several liquor distilleries across Europe along with a few other questionable businesses. He was a titan that his own father wouldn't dare cross.

Draco let out a cruel laugh at Theo's expense.

"Never should have switched your classes for that girl, mate," Draco announced leaning to pour the whisky into Theo's empty glass.

Theo clenched his jaw and said nothing in return.

Theo hated how Draco was so secretive himself but quick to divulge everyone else's business if it suited his mood. He wouldn't pick this fight, though. He had been staying at the Malfoy Manor over the summer since his father's capture and imprisonment in Azkaban after the recent events at the ministry.

"Please tell me you did not sign up for Advanced Potions," Blaise said humorously in disbelief as Lucas exclaimed, "Come on, not with quidditch tryouts coming up." His golden waves falling into his face, masking his pine green eyes. He quickly rubbed his hands over his face as if their season had just been lost before it even started.

Theo only threw the glass back, ignoring his friends. The whiskey burned his throat, but he welcomed it; deserved it. He felt the beat of the music in his pulse.

"I need some air," he stated with a sneer. He leaned over Blaise and stole a line of the sweetened lilac powder before he could snort it himself. It hit him in the chest before he could even utter a thank you.

Blaise gave him a disappointed look that his mother might have saved for him.

"Are you fucking serious, mate? That was mine!" He exclaimed.

"I thought it was mine!"

"It was right in front of m-" Blaise closed his eyes and calmed himself. "You know what, go fuck off and write in your diary, Nott."

"Only about you!" Theo yelled as he stepped away from the table and left the common room.

He disappeared into the shadows of the castle for an evening stroll.

A shoe flew through the Ravenclaw dormitory.

"Don't speak about Harry like that!" Juliet exclaimed.

"He doesn't even know you!" Eloise yelled back.

Dahlia hummed to herself.

The girls had been getting ready for over an hour and they had already gotten a late start. Juliet had asked Dahlia to braid her hair in an elaborate style after Dahlia had asked Eloise to add a smoky wing to her eye makeup. They were definitely running behind schedule.

"Oh please, Eloise, you have crushes on several boys that aren't even real!" Juliet said pointing to her stack of books. Dahlia felt that insult, too.

Eloise repaid Juliet by sending a black strappy sandal flying in their direction. Dahlia ducked as she was working on Juliet's braids. The shoe went flying out their window.

"Eloise!" Juliet exclaimed angrily.

She stood up and ran to the window. Her shoe lay far below on a landing below Ravenclaw tower.

"I was going to wear those tonight!" She yelled from the window. She looked back down at her lone sandal and noticed a shadowy figure standing alone, looking over the ledge.

She squinted then paused.

"Dahlia!" Juliet whisper-screamed from the window. "I think it's Theo. Dahlia, you must go get my shoe!"

Juliet loved putting her friends in the perfect situations where flames might ignite between t. Dahlia doubted it was Theo. She thought Juliet was just wishful-thinking.

"I'll go get your stupid shoe if you promise to be ready by the time I return?"

She was ready to see Amelia and needed harder drinks.

"Yes," she agreed. "Now go! How romantic!" Juliet swooned sarcastically for a dramatic flare.

"We almost hit him with your shoe," she reminded her as she left their dorm nearly stomping.

Dahlia exited the common room and headed down the spiraling staircase of Ravenclaw tower. She peered through the towering glass windows to a cloudless sky. The diamonds of the sky nudged her to turn back. She swatted their warnings away like pesky gnats. Her footsteps echoed on the stone in the quiet evening. Once she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she spotted a large wooden door that she hoped led to the landing where she could find Juliet's sandal.

Theo looked over the ledge, leaning against the stone wall as he lazily lit a cigarette. He enjoyed being able to spend time alone to think since everything had changed in his life. He no longer had any family to turn to anymore. He often felt like he was drifting alone in an endless sea, waiting for a gruesome predator to emerge from the darkened depths and swallow him whole before he could fight back. It was a matter of time before he would be summoned. He closed his eyes and exhaled the smoke. He heard the door behind him open and quickly looked over his shoulder. A fallen angel. The world seemed to moved reverently around her.

He grinned slowly as he saw what he had been searching for all night — Dahlia Aldair's honey-blonde hair. It danced in the wind as she bent down to pick up one lone shoe. He knew this secluded landing was below a quarter of the Ravenclaw dormitories but he did not expect to find himself here in this position. He thought briefly about how many times he had come to this exact landing in the past. Had she always been above him? Had she looked out her window before and seen him below? Did she care enough to wonder who it was? She never had in the past.

He leaned against the railing removing the cigarette from his lips.

"Were you trying to kill me then? I thought we had a nice moment today in potions class," he said smoothly.

His sour mood had quickly turned into playful banter at his luck. Dahlia's face transformed with a shy smile. He took in the way her skin glowed in the moonlight.

"If I were cut out for murder, I don't think this would be my weapon of choice," she said holding up the sandal. She attempted to tame her wavy hair in the gale to no avail.

"Come here," Theo said impulsively. He couldn't help himself. With all the darkness that surrounded him, he wanted more beautiful things kept close.

"We don't know each other that well. What if you sat below my window to lure me out of my dorm for your own murderous activities," she asked spiritedly.

She was still so close to the door leading back inside the castle. He desperately wanted to keep her from walking through it and leaving him once again with his own miserable thoughts.

"Oh, so is my curious Ravenclaw scared of me now?" He blew out smoke in her direction.

"I wouldn't say mine," she said dubiously as if he had been too presumptuous.

"And maybe I've heard things," Dahlia said in a teasing manner, which wasn't a lie. It was well known in hushed hallways that Theodore Nott's father was a devout follower of the Dark Lord. Dahlia knew she was stupid for ever entertaining this flirtation. If he was a potential death eater, he would hand her over to the Dark Lord himself. But she had yet to have any visions that would identify her as a seer to others. Plus, she hadn't thought about Theo in any certain capacity beyond this ongoing flirtation and the attraction she felt. She just needed to resist the urge her heart felt for attachment. He was too wondrous for what ifs.

Theo knew the undertone of her comment but he was determined to keep the conversation light.

"I assume the girls only have good things to say about me," he said with a cocky grin and a raise brow.

"And may I remind you, that I was the innocent civilian who almost suffered blunt force trauma by your hands out here tonight. If this was truly my evil plan, how would I have been able to predict your shoe flying out that window at the most opportune moment. I would actually call this fate, love." He pointed to the night sky for dramatic effect.

She rolled her eyes. He blew out smoke as she peered at him with an unreadable expression. Dahlia was quiet for a moment. He began to second guess his response.

She finally let out a soft laugh and slowly walked over to join Theo by the ledge. He smelled like bergamot and oakmoss up close. Her Ravenclaw robe billowed in the wind to reveal a black dress underneath. He guessed she had been planning to go to the party after all.

"Once again, it seems you were late," he said eyeing her robe, insinuating he knew what was underneath it and where she was planning to go. He grinned in an alluring nature while his eyes begged her to take off her robe as they peered up at her from beneath his lashes. He was unbelievably smug, she thought.

"You are so," she started.

"What?" He beckoned her to continue.

She paused. While most men would call her beautiful, Theo just wanted to tease her.

"Annoying," she finished. She let her mouth hang open as the word fell so he might imagine it in places.

She looked at him as she leaned forward against the stone wall. Theo met her gaze as he remained facing the castle. It dawned on her how spectacular he was up close. His brown eyes appeared to have more dimensional shades of caramel beneath thick lashes. The light of the moon cut against the more angular features of his face and his dark brown hair seemed more unruly in the evening. The hours of the night suited him. She imagined if mischief could smile, it would look like Theo. He looked at her as if he was thinking a million things at once.

"Well, that is not what I thought you were going to say nor was it very nice," he grinned.

Dahlia adored the genuine smile on his face. She liked the way he danced through flirtation. His words pulling her close and spinning her away at all the right moments.

They suddenly heard voices from above. Dahlia turned, her back now to the stone wall. Theo stood straighter. Juliet yelled high above them from their window, "hurry, Dahlia! Just kiss him already so we can leave!" She teased.

Theo let out a hearty laugh. "Yes, Dahlia. Are you going to kiss me?" He asked expectantly with a cocky grin. He anticipated the moment where she would allow him to step closer.

She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as a gentle laugh escaped her. He was arrogant. If he was a nobody, she might.

"No, the stars warned me against it." She phrased it as a dramatic joke instead of the honest truth.

"Oh really? Should I steal you away to a place where they cannot find us?"

She gravitated towards his warmth as she let her head fall with laughter. He stepped closer. His arm brushed hers as he leaned against the ledge next to her. His muscles tensed. She could sense briefly that he fought the urge to pull her into him.

"Let's get to the party," she said expecting his displeasure that she wouldn't play his game. But she wasn't ready to give in and up the thrill of the chase yet.

"Sure," he paused. "Yes, absolutely." He was a bit disappointed to cut their time alone short, but he was grateful that she was coming at all. He also wanted to see the look on his friends' faces when he came back with Dahlia after they had teased him.

She had always been elusive amongst his group despite Amelia's friendship. Whether she distanced herself on purpose or Amelia kept her at arm's length, he wasn't sure. He had always known who she was. Her father was renowned publicly and infamous within certain circles. She had been touted as the ministry darling, the pureblood princess due to her father's position and quite frankly, her appearance. She was both heaven and a haunting to gaze upon. He had admired her from afar in class and at parties but he never felt the need to speak to her. If he was being more honest with himself, he wasn't sure if his words were worthy of her. He had given her his charm's textbook in class one year when she had forgotten her own. She had smiled at him and he had seen something foredoomed to be revered in her wide eyes. He knew now after the carriage ride that she hadn't even remembered.

"I'll wait for you to grab your friends and we can head over. I can let you guys in."

Theo watched her walk away. He gave one last look at the view from the castle as the mist rolled in. He gazed up at the sky, wishing for once the angels or demons would hear him and answer his wishes. He threw his cigarette and followed her inside.

"So, how was the rest of your day? Blow up anymore classrooms?" He asked attempting to make conversation as he walked her back to the base of Ravenclaw tower.

Dahlia was more than happy to stay in a comfortable silence but Theo felt insecure as he couldn't quite read her.

"It was perfectly fine. And no, unfortunately not," she laughed.

"How was yours?" She asked happily enough.

"Well," he sighed, "I signed up for Advanced Potions on a whim to impress a girl. I'm not sure if it's working." He playfully nudged her. He no longer cared if she knew he had switched his classes. He hoped it might impress her.

She threw her head back and laughed. Her approval meant everything to him.

"Maybe so, maybe not," she teased, a smile never leaving her face.

—-

Draco Malfoy hated losing.

The common room was at max capacity and a large group had gathered around the table to watch them play poker. They had just started, but surely as the night got older and the bottles got lower, the bets would get higher. Theo had yet to return, forcing a helpless Hufflepuff to take his place in their usual game. Amelia smirked as she attempted to cheat, whispering possible strategies into the poor man's ear. Blaise watched her intently with a jealous gleam in his eyes.

"Oi!" Xavier yelled waving over to the entrance of the common room. Draco looked up and saw Theo walk into the common room with no other than Dahlia Aldair and two other girls. Draco felt a wave of discontent wash over him. He wondered how long they had spent together since Theo had left close to two hours ago. He hovered above her like a hopeless shadow.

Draco had first noticed Dahlia in his third year. She had been in both his Charms and Care of Magical Creatures classes. He used to cheat off her papers during exams. He wasn't sure if she either didn't notice or didn't care. Draco never struggled to get attention from girls. However, Dahlia had never given him the time the day. His parents had asked about her several times, suggesting how lovely they might look together. She was Devereaux Aldair's daughter after all; they had reminded him. He wasn't sure if that made him more curious or more displeased. He often wondered if Amelia had ever told her he asked about her more than once over the years. Amelia had claimed she was too good for him and that she would slit his throat for even considering flirting with Dahlia. She said Dahlia always had her head in clouds and she lived in her books — it would never work. She said he was too cruel for her, but he had heard through the rumor mill that she was no stranger to late night trysts despite her persona.

In his deepest thoughts, he'd admit that he liked the way she hemmed her skirt a little too short despite her sweet demeanor. It was the reason she had ended up in detention with him in his fourth year. But mostly, he liked the way she laughed like no wickedness existed in this world. He wondered what it must feel like to be so blissfully naïve to the corruption surrounding them. Draco had been tasked by the Dark Lord himself to mend a vanishing cabinet within the Room of Requirement. It seemed he was destined to drown in his own wickedness.

He wondered if she was aware that her father spent occasional nights at the Malfoy Manor, working alongside his own father. He wondered if she too was was weighed down by shadows and her demure nature was an act.

He gripped his cards, knuckles turning a shade of white as Theo approached with Dahlia. Why Theo was interested in Dahlia was beyond him. He had lived more permanently in his home over the summer after both of their fathers were captured. Although Theo's home life was never a pretty picture and he had spent several holidays with his family already. Theo knew that Draco's father had urged him to court the potential seer before he was taken to Azkaban, which is precisely why Draco planned to do the opposite and ignore her. He hadn't disclosed to Theo that his father had puzzled it together that she had Sight. Nothing good could come from his father's wishes. He may have to do dark things to survive, but he didn't believe the end justified the means and would save collateral damage where he could. It crossed his mind that Theo may have been flirting with Dahlia only to annoy him. If it was a game, Draco wasn't laying down any cards, and he wanted to keep Theo from rolling any dices.

"Hi, my love!" Amelia said pulling Dahlia out of Theo's grasp and into a hug. She removed her cloak and revealed a short black dress with a small slit on her right thigh. The dress hugged her curves and featured a low, square neckline that accentuated her cleavage. Draco almost choked. He may have hated her many falsities, but he worshiped the way she looked. Even though he was determined to stay away from her, he had to admit she was stunning. There was something unsettling to her beauty. He thought if someone were to gaze too long, it might make them weep. Her beauty was both dazzling and alluring yet ghastly like a disaster of natural devastation.

Dahlia leaned over Blaise who was seated next to Draco and gave him a light hug to say hello to her best friend's boyfriend. Draco couldn't help but notice she smelled like warm florals and vanilla as her hair bounced in his direction. He held his breath and stiffened. Dahlia noticed due to the close proximity and gave him a peculiar look.

"Do I sicken you, Draco?" She leered, still leaning in his direction. Even positioned as an insult, he loved to watch her lips say his name. She put her hand on his shoulder as she stood up straight. He prayed to whatever god there was to drag her back to hell — at least when he was drinking.

Dahlia sat on the arm of a velvet sofa, crossing her legs. Xavier and Lucas introduced themselves and began chatting them up as Theo poured her and her friends a drink.

Everyone knew Xavier as he somehow managed to smuggle a ridiculous amount of drugs and liquor through the abandoned tunnels of Hogwarts. He had orchestrated a deal with the Weasley twins. While popular, few spoke to him outside his immediate circle. He was uncomfortably attractive. He was tall with raven hair and ocean blue eyes. Unlike Lucas, he wasn't one for sports and he wasn't as outwardly friendly. Although Xavier was far more outspoken, he wielded his words carefully. She wondered how many times a man could say 'allegedly'. Lucas practically looked like a golden retriever next to Xavier with his waved blonde hair and supple, tanned face. She wondered how someone with such kind eyes found themselves within the group.

"Here you go, love," Theo said passing Dahlia a drink as she migrated closer to her friends. He didn't linger. Instead, he let her catch up with them and made his way to talk with his own. He brushed his hand against her waist and said, "I'll find you later," before disappearing. She watched him go and noticed the other girls who watched him, as well.

"I'm so glad you are finally putting Slytherin boys back on your radar," Amelia joked to Dahlia.

She was alluding to Dahlia's third year oath to never date a Slytherin boy again after one had broken her heart.

She snorted at Amelia.

"It's okay, I also can't seem to drop morally grey men," she sighed in Blaise's direction as she took a swig of her glass.

"That boy may or may not have caught me writing love notes to Cedric Diggory," said Dahlia as she shook her head.

"I think we all wrote love letters to Cedric," Juliet added, shrugging like it was no big deal and a rite of passage. They took a swig in his memory.

They caught up on their summers away. Amelia told them how she had chased Dahlia's summer crush out her second-story window one night or two. Dahlia had tried to cover her face to avoid the embarrassment as they laughed.

Three drinks in and Dahlia was being pulled by Amelia and Juliet to dance. Dahlia loved the way liquor made her feel. It calmed her wandering mind and heightened her senses. She felt one plane closer to the ether in the dark. The bass of the music thrummed through her veins in sync with the whisky. Amelia was behind her dancing as Juliet was facing Dahlia, laughing and singing loudly.

She looked around and spotted Eloise talking to Xavier in a dark corner by the glass windows that looked into the depths of the Black Lake. He leaned over her with his hand against the cold, stone wall. Dahlia wanted her to dance with them but she was thrilled that her friend might actually hook up with a guy at a party.

She was leaning back into Amelia when she locked eyes with Draco. He sat directly across the room from her on a velvet couch. His legs were spread wide apart as he leaned forward and blew smoke from his mouth. His silver hair was distinguishable even in the darkness and through the crowd. She wasn't sure if he knew she had caught him staring in the haze. Regardless, his eyes remained on her. Even as a girl sat on his lap, he grinned for her hatefully as to confirm he wanted her to watch him too. She felt a small ping of anger and resentment in her heart. The whole thing was vexing.

She felt a hand slip around her waist and turned to find Theo. She looked up into his glassy eyes. Whatever den he had fallen into must have been full of drugs and more liquor.

"Come with me?" He spoke silkily into her ear.

She had no objections. Theo took her hand and led her down a hall with rounded, stained glass ceilings that peered into the lake above. The floor was constructed of metal pathways that floated above the rounded floors of the tunnels. It was deeply aquatic in nature as the temperature dropped and a cool, rain-like scent danced around her. They were going deeper into the dungeons of the Slytherin dormitories. He opened the door to reveal a circular room with domed ceilings made of light stone and dark woods. Plush furniture in varying shades of green and silver adorned the room.

She was looking around when Theo asked, "have you never been in a boy's dormitory before?" A cheeky grin encompassed his face.

"Actually, no. Only Amelia's — where you can hardly see the floor." She laughed softly.

She was trying to disguise how nervous she was. They were alone.

He leaned against his bedpost carefully choosing his next words. He didn't want to fuck this up. He felt as if he had Persephone, the goddess herself, walking amongst his own underworld right now. He thought maybe he should get to know her to make her feel more comfortable. He desperately didn't want her to leave.

"You know Dahlia, I just realized I don't know anything about you when it seems you've heard plenty about me."

"I was only kidding when I said I had heard things, Theo." She meant to reassure him.

She had a sense he didn't want her to think less of him because of his family's circumstances. She also didn't want him to think that he had ever crossed her mind before. She withheld any recollections of classes they had shared in the past. She doubted he remembered that one summer night between their fourth and fifth year, when her and Amelia had walked him back from a massive bonfire party at her house. He had drank a ridiculous amount of fire whisky and she had sat on the floor reading while he had slept, passed out on the couch.

"What do you want to know?" Dahlia asked, giving into his silence. Dahlia sighed and sat on his bed with a casual carelessness, as if she was completely comfortable. From the look on his face, she was hiding her nerves well.

"Whatever you'll tell me."

Gods, he thought. She looked perfect sitting on his bed. His pulse picked up. He had to promise himself to focus on her words. He could listen to her mumble on about muggle studies as long as she sat on that bed, legs crossed. He imagined what it would be like to uncross them for her. He got the sense she didn't even notice what she had done.

"Well I live with my father in London. He works for the ministry, which is how I know Amelia." She spoke to him as if the the whole wizarding world wasn't aware of who her father was.

She continued, "our fathers were good friends. My mom died three years ago but my parents were, somewhat separated, for a bit of time before that. My mom moved to a small beach town on the east coast of The States. I used to spend some time there."

During the last years of her life, Dahlia's mother couldn't move far enough away from her father despite his unrelenting love. Her mother had been desperate to keep Dahlia away from London, always claiming it was the heart of a coming darkness. Nothing her mother had said over those last few years had made much sense. She had relied on a caretaker in the end.

"My mom died, too." Theo's mood shifted as he shared this small piece of information from his life.

"Is that why you could see the thestrals pulling the carriage?" She asked.

Theo was surprised. He hadn't noticed Dahlia looking at him then.

"Perhaps," he sighed.

Theo didn't want to reveal entirely that he had witnessed his mother's own death.

It was quiet for a moment.

"Look at us," he said to fill the silence, "bonding over dead mothers."

Dahlia snorted and rolled her eyes. She pointed to the picture by his bed and asked, "is that her?"

It was a photo of a beautiful woman holding the hands of a young boy.

"Yes, in happier times," he said trying to hide a hint of sadness in his smile. Dahlia didn't want to pry when she had already heard all the details about his family. She stood up and walked over to where he was still leaning against one of his roommate's bedpost with his his hands crossed over his chest. She touched his arms gently.

"You'll find happiness again." She smiled up at him with unbridled kindness.

He didn't feel like he deserved the sincerity in her doe eyes. She really believed in the goodness of the world and that fate was kind to all. She warmed his black heart with her hopefulness.

They looked at each other within a moment of hesitation. The air felt electric. He leaned forward to bring his forehead to hers, as to ask for permission.

She felt a rush of heat cascade down her spine. She was practically vibrating with anticipation. She loved this part of the game where you were left to imagine how they would touch you and what things they would whisper in your ear. She was on the cusp of finding out. The warnings of the screaming star's couldn't reach her so deep in the dungeons. She closed the space between them with a soft kiss to tease him and pulled away — looking into his eyes.

That featherlight kiss ignited him. He pulled her back into his arms with a firm grip and deepened the kiss. He slipped his tongue into her mouth. He squeezed her lower back and slid his hand lower and lower. He traced his hand along her jawline, then clutched her hair and pulled her head back to kiss her neck. He moaned into the kiss as she arched her back. She wanted to touch more of him. He leaned over her, finding her mouth again and squeezed the back of her thighs —his hands creeping just below the bottom of the hem of her dress. He wanted to go under the silky fabric and find out just how much she liked this.

Dahlia pulled away suddenly. She was feeling a bit lightheaded either from the kiss or the liquor. He was resistant to let her pull back from him.

"Are you ok?" He asked. Her mood had suddenly changed. He noticed her skin was feverish.

"Can we go back?" Dahlia inquired nervously.

She felt herself spiraling. She wasn't sure if she was going to throw up and she suddenly wished she had her friends around for support. She knew she had about a half hour before Eloise would be holding her hair back and out of a toilet.

"You're going to kill me, love," he said, breathless.

He kissed her temple and straightened her dress. "Come on, let's get out of here."

She took his hand and he led her out of his room. She was singularly focused on getting back to her bed. If Theo spoke to her, she wasn't sure what he might've said. When they arrived back to the main space in the common room, Dahlia let go of his hand and disappeared into the night.

Dahlia found herself in the hands of Amelia. She had pulled her away into the chaos. She greeted her by pouring a shot in her mouth. Dahlia choked it down and laughed. She had reached the point in the early hours of the morning where good decision making had abandoned her. Where was her room and how could she get out of here?

She wasn't sure if the noise and lights were making her feel sick or ethereal. She touched the back of the wall to ground herself. She felt wood instead of stone. She turned around and saw a figment of her mother's cottage. Unclear if she was panicked or at peace, she looked up expecting to see the wooden beams of her childhood home. But no, she looked up and saw carved stone and intricate stained glass. No, she thought, this is the common room. She was dissociating. She turned to find Amelia but she was kissing Blaise in the darkness.

A stranger harshly gripped her arm. She looked up and saw silver-white hair. He looked down at her and a forged metal mask covered his face. She closed her eyes and pulled away. His grip didn't falter. She looked up at him again with terror but saw nothing but his usual scowl.

"Would you stop struggling, Aldair. I'm kicking you out before you puke all over everyone," he scowled. Draco led her up the stairs of the dungeons and through the serpent door of the Slytherin common room.

"Let go of me! You fucking smell," she exclaimed as she hit his arms. He wore entirely too much cologne.

He laughed quite genuinely like her attempts at insults were amusing.

Then he pushed her off of him roughly.

"Walk," he commanded as he pointed towards the stairs leading up to the other common rooms. She took her shoes off and felt infinitely more smaller next to him now. She suddenly wished she had support as she was feeling quite dizzy. She wasn't about to prove his point by stumbling up the stairs.

"Come on," she sighed innocently. "You're walking me back." She shrugged as if she was admitting defeat to Amelia, her best friend, not someone who hated her dearly.

"I'm not taking you anywhere," he sneered in disbelief.

"You made me your problem when you dragged me out of the party," she whispered even though it was just the two of them. "There is a thing called a consequence. Unclear if you've heard it."

"Oh, shut the fuck up, Aldair." He talked animately with his hands in a way she had never seen before. He was typically cool and collected.

She felt a sudden surge of clarity. "You know what? Fuck you, Draco. I'm going back to find one of my roommates or Theo to walk me to my dorm."

He proceeded to grab her arm and pulled her up the stairs. As much as he hated her, he hated seeing her with Theo more. They walked back in tense silence until he couldn't stand it anymore.

"Are you happy with yourself? You ruined my potion in class today and you ruined my fucking night," he spat.

They approached the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room. She laughed in his face.

"I want you to know I am quite happy with myself," she said leaning into his grasp.

She turned to face him. "I think you like this," she whispered. "You don't think I saw you watching me?"

"You are nothing but a joke to me," he whispered back.

They were playing a game of pulling in and out of each other as she leaned back from his terrible murmur. Neither could resist the invisible pull. His insult stung but in her drunken heat she was almost more annoyed he wasn't acting on the tension between them.

"A Malfoy who can only run his mouth, how original." She smirked getting closer to his face.

She saw a fury rise within his eyes. He let go of her, harshly shoving her into the wall.

"I knew from the first fucking moment I saw you that you were a stupid, little nightmare. Do you think our status isn't aligned? You go around oblivious to the notion that you're also a pureblood and carry that responsibility. At least I'm worth something to my family. I have purpose. The only thing you're good for is wasting your father's time and money until he can marry you off to someone he considers more important and useful to him than you." He chuckled at the notion, "what a miserable life."

She grinned up at him as he cut her a hundred little times with her deepest insecurities. No one deserved this.

He pushed his chest to hers. "I don't want to look at you. I don't want to hear you. And I most definitely, don't want to touch you. I don't care who your fucking father is. You're beneath me."

Draco violently ripped himself away from her. He walked down the stairs of the tower smoothly as if he hadn't just devastated her. She stood arms crossed, barefoot and shivering. She wondered what the point of him pulling her away from the party had been. To yell at her? Punish her?

When he was gone and out of earshot, she instantly covered her mouth, forcing herself to keep in a sob. She reminded herself that she was just drunk and that it would be okay. His words only hurt worse because she was intoxicated and emotional.

Draco could sense a disgusting self-hatred that was entirely new. He didn't return back to her though as much as it urged him. There was nothing to regret, he told himself. She had practically asked for his wrath and he delivered. He heard the door shut above, noting she was now safely within the walls of her own common room. He pressed on.

Dahlia went to her room and immediately crawled into her bed. She held herself together and forced her eyes shut despite a spinning sensation. She imagined her mother behind her but it only soothed her for so long as she felt like she would be a disappointment to her, too. She eventually fell asleep. She dreamt she was a child on a bright, golden beach. She put her head in her mother's lap, closed her eyes and listened to the waves.