I fought against the bitterness of the wind upon my journey into Hogsmeade, my scarf snug around the lower half of my face.

When I entered the pub I spotted Merton at the back, he didn't notice me however, as he was talking to Professor Slughorn who had already arrived, I also noticed Ginny, Luna and Neville sat together at a table, conversing quietly with one another. I ignored them in passing and walked straight towards Merton.

'Mara.' he stood 'Uh, sorry Horace, my girlfriends here-'

'Oh, you and Miss Morgan are dating are you?' beamed Slughorn 'I had heard rumours that you were dating a girl but I didn't know who.'

'Yeah, I-Mara? What happened to your eye!' Merton asked, his hands to my jaw

'It's fine,' I said, pulling away from him 'it's better than it was.'

'Who did it to you?' Merton demanded 'I told you it was a bad idea coming back to school!'

'Don't start that shit again!' I snapped 'Can you just get me a drink?'

Merton shook his head 'Fine, what do you want?'

'A mead will do.' Merton marched by Slughorn who looked uncomfortable

'I'll just uh-leave you to it!' he grimaced slightly, turned and hurried off towards the bar.

I could feel eyes on me and I looked up to see Ginny watching curiously along with Neville and Luna, I turned my nose up at them and turned towards the bar, where I felt a surge of jealousy overcome me at the sight of Merton talking happily to a group of excited, pretty witches.

I grit my teeth and glanced away when he turned back towards me with my drink in hand.

'Here you go.'

'Thanks.'

Merton watched as I gulped back some of my mead.

'Are you going to tell me who did that to you?' he asked, and I threw my head back in annoyance.

'If I tell you, you won't keep going on?'

Merton looked uncertain, but nodded.

'It was Amycus Carrow, the new 'Dark Arts' teacher.'

Merton looked in alarm.

'That Death Eater did that to you!' he hissed

'You said you wouldn't go on about it.'

Merton scowled and huffed angrily.

'...look...' he muttered, pulling my attention 'are you still angry at me from before?'

I remained silent, peering away from him.

'Mara, please,' Merton plead 'I love you, alright, I didn't mean any of it I was just angry, of course I still want to be Arties dad, and your boyfriend, I don't want to abandon any of you.'

I looked back at him, my eyes watering 'You mean it?' I asked 'You won't leave me?'

His head shook 'I won't leave you, not for anything. I'm really sorry.'

Merton looked relieved when I pressed my head onto his shoulders 'I love you.'

He beamed 'I love you too. And I've missed you.'

'I've missed you too.' I grabbed him tightly, never wanting to let him go.

'By the way...' I said, looking up at him 'uh...Harold knows about Greyback.'

His eyes widened

'He only knows that Greyback gave me the scars, nothing else.'

Merton looked relieved

'How do you know he knows?'

'Well...he's been sneaking into the castle grounds again,' I whispered and Merton looked annoyed 'I told him he should be with Maureen and Artie, but well, he didn't listen.'

'That idiot...let me guess, he's gone off to go and find Greyback?'

'Yes...' I said quietly 'and I'm scared he's going to find out about Artie, about what happened..'

Merton pressed his chin to my head and held me close, comfort and safety engulfing me.

'I mean-Greyback hasn't exactly been quiet about the whole ordeal, he's been bragging about it, Carrow knows about it, he was saying all sorts of horrible things, that I was gagging for it and egged him on, so I spat in his face and that's why he punched me.'

'That bastard,' Merton snarled, who pulled me towards him tighter 'I'm sorry you have to put up with that shit.'

'Yeah...' I sighed, snuggling in close to him 'So, how is Artie? And Maureen?'

'I don't know to tell you the truth,' said Merton with a guilty expression on his face 'I've been so busy with the band.' he gulped back some of his mead then said 'But I promise I'll visit them as soon as possible and write you, hopefully you'll respond to my letters now.'

'I will, I'm sorry I haven't responded.' I replied 'Just be careful, post is being searched thoroughly, so don't mention Artie!'

'Hmm,' Merton said in thought 'I'll think of something in place.'

I nodded, and drank some mead 'And don't mention Harold,' I remarked 'That's a sure fire way to get me in Snape's office. I said I didn't know where he was.'

'Right, I'll remember.'

We talked and talked, laughing joyfully with one another as we did so, it felt good to joke, and feel better about things, the tension that had been hanging over my head seemed to lift, especially as Merton kissed me and we began to snog.

'Mara-knock that off-' Merton chuckled, pulling my hand away from his trousers 'We'll get caught..'

'So what?' I muttered, my lips pushing against his throat

'I think you've had enough to drink.' Merton sighed

'Oh I don't know,' I replied, grinning 'Come on.'

'Huh-where are we going-' Merton said in alarm as I pulled him to his feet and towards the toilets

'Mara-come on-don't be stupid-'

'Ahem.'

Slughorn was now in front of us, looking very stern indeed.

'I think it's time you returned to the castle, Miss Morgan, don't you think?'

'Uh-we were just-' Merton muttered

'Oh I know what you were 'just', and I thought you would be more responsible, Merton!' Slughorn shook his head and Merton bit his lip 'I will make sure the young lady gets safely back to the castle, you should return to your band.'

'Right.' Merton replied, looking uncomfortable under Slughorn's stare.

'Uh, come on, Mara, I'll walk you outside.' He helped me into my coat and wrapped my scarf around my neck, thankfully it stopped raining at least when we emerged from the cosy pub.

'Well, I'll see you on your next trip maybe.' said Merton, who lowered to my height and pressed his lips upon my own, and I kissed him longingly back in a close embrace.

We pulled apart however at the sound of growling, and before us was a black fox, it's teeth bared up at Merton.

'Whoa-wait a minute-' Merton began, but cried out, as the foxes teeth sank deep into his leg, and he fell back in pain.

'Knock it off!' I snarled 'Knock it off right now!'

The fox chewed deeper into Merton's leg, and I had no choice but to withdraw my wand and aim it at the fox, it hurled backwards away from Merton and scarpered off towards the school.

'Merton!' I cried, lowering down to his pained figure

'He bit me!' Merton said in disbelief 'The fucker bit me!'

'Professor!' I cried 'We have to get him to the hospital wing! Help me.'

Slughorn looked horrified but helped Merton up onto one leg and wrapped his arm around his shoulder, and I wrapped the other around mine and helped him hobble along to the school...

'Why did he bite me?' Merton asked once he was in a hospital bed, horrified 'What did I do!?'

'Shush.' I pressed my hands to his arm 'Stop referring to it as a 'he''

'That's what you're worried about?' he hissed 'Your damn father attacked me. Again.'

'Shut up!' I spat as Snape arrived in the cubical.

'Am I interrupting?' asked Snape with a suspicious glance

'Not at all, Headmaster.' I replied, biting my lip.

'Then tell me, what would provoke a random fox to attack Mr Graves? Hm?'

'Uh-well I-'

'I was teasing it.' said Merton 'Had a couple to drink and got brave. That's all.'

Snape's eyes narrowed

'And Miss Morris couldn't heal your wound then and there? She is learning to become a Healer after all.'

'Well, yeah, but I'm not an expert am I? Madam Pomfrey is way more experienced and the school was the closest.'

Snape looked skeptical, and my heart was racing.

'I see...'

'Can he stay the night? Please, Headmaster?' I asked 'He'll go tomorrow morning when he's better.'

'It's fine, I can-fuck-' Merton snapped as he rose, pressing his hand to his newly bandaged leg

'He isn't fit to leave, look at him.'

Snape lowered his eyes in disdain.

'He may stay for the night.' he said 'After all, I shouldn't have any reason to distrust your Husband should I.'

I looked at Merton in alarm as he looked visibly confused, Snape looked satisfied, turned and made his way out of the hospital wing.

'What did he mean by that?' asked Merton 'What have you been telling people?'

'I'm really sorry,' I said, shaking my head 'but Snape was questioning me as to why I upped and left last year, and we hadn't really thought of a reason as to why, so I made one up on the spot!'

'And you didn't think he would find that suspicious?' asked Merton 'You don't exactly have a ring!'

'I know!' I snapped 'He was suspicious, I just said I left the ring at home, and we had a private ceremony.'

'Jesus Christ Mara.' his head shook and he leant back into the pillow 'I probably told Snape all he needed to know just by my stupid expression.'

'Well...let's just hope it doesn't interest him enough to go snooping any deeper into it.' I said

'Right...but that brings us back to my original question, why the fuck did Harold bite me!'

'I don't know!' I said 'Maybe he's just being overprotective or something.'

'Well, he has no right to be that way now.' Merton sneered 'That asshole.'

'I'll give him a what for when I see him next, don't worry.' I said, frowning after he remained silent 'You're not mad at me, are you?' I asked quietly

'Not at you, no.' Merton sighed 'Your father, yeah.'

I pressed my head on his chest and he pressed his hand to my hair and we sat like that for a number of minutes until the sound of Madam Pomfrey's scolding voice came from the wing.

'No more than six at a time, thank you!' she snapped, and soon a gaggle of girls emerged in front of the cubical.

'Word spread quick.' I said, raising to my feet 'I'll leave you to it.'

'You don't have to go.'

'No, I'll leave you to your fans.' Merton frowned at the hint of annoyance in my tone and I marched by the staring girls, jealousy once again surging inside me.