On Thursday evening, Aurora received confirmation that her letter to the Warlock Post would be appearing in the next morning's issue, from an anonymised source. She did not tell anyone, apart from Theo, who she sought out after Quidditch practice, sat alone on the couches before the windows, quiet and lost in thought until she roused him with a soft smile.

"Good practice?" he asked, and she nodded. Things were still stilted over the last couple of days, but she could not blame him for that.

"Yeah. It was. I really think we're going to win on Saturday."

"Good," he said. "You deserve a win. It was just rotten luck last time, but you all played great."

There was a moment of silence, and Aurora forced herself to sit down beside him and turn, taking a steadying breath before she said, "There's an anonymous letter to the editor appearing in tomorrow's Warlock Post. It calls out the injustice and lack of compassion in the Ministry, and general incompetence, and the culture of blood supremacy that's been allowed to persist, and there aren't any lords called out by name — that would be too dangerous — but I just thought you should know. I haven't told anyone else, except Hermione and Harry, because they had to know, and they will probably have told Weasley, but, I wanted to tell you because — well, you know."

"You wrote it?" Theo asked, with a soft frown.

"Yeah." She swallowed tightly. "I did."

"I look forward to reading it."

"You don't have to—"

"I want to," he told her, with a faint smile. "Thank you. For telling me."

Their awkward silence lingered, uncomfortable, between them, until Aurora managed to break it by asking cheerfully, "So, you think I played great in November, hm?"

"You all did," Theo said, rolling his eyes with a reluctant smile, "and you know you did."

"Yeah," she said with a smirk, bumping his shoulder, "I do know."

The article appeared the next morning. Only a handful of students received it, but there were more than a few at the Slytherin table. Cassius, Drina Bulstrode, and, it transpired, Lucille Travers, who threw Aurora a venomous look from down the table as though she knew, and whispered something in Pansy's ear that had her friend's eyes widening in panic.

At Aurora's side, Leah watched them warily. "Something's got Travers riled up. She's calling the Carrow girls over — and the Rosier boy?"

"Sounds like an awful drama. I hope she hasn't sure cracked a nail," Aurora said blandly, pretending to be interested in her breakfast. Theo glanced up from his seat between Robin and Daphne, frowning.

"Suppose I should check it out. Draco and the others have joined, too. Come on, Daph, your cousins are hailing you."

"Leave them be," Daphne grumbled, but went over anyway. Aurora's chest tightened as she watched them go, and the way they were greeted with a mix of wary and conspiratorial looks.

"I hope someone's been found by the Ministry," Leah said, "at last. Or that there isn't any worse news — but the Prophet's quiet."

"Yeah," Aurora said, frowning. "Perhaps it's personal — the Prophet would have said if there is anything of notice. Well, probably."

The decree banning the Warlock Post took longer to arrive than the one banning the Quibbler, but it came just as Aurora had predicted, and she was prepared, with a hundred self-destructive duplicates ready to send out at the end of dinner. They flew into the Great Hall like a flurry of seagulls, into the hands of curious students.

It was far less exciting than the Quibbler, of course, and no one had a person to make into a focal point tonight. But people still whispered about the Ministry cover-up, suspicious looks were thrown Umbridge's way, and at breakfast the next morning before the Ravenclaw match, Leah told Aurora, "My father's well excited about this Warlock Post letter, he says it's a sign that the public are starting to move against Fudge, and it's got more people thinking, including his constituents!"

Aurora smiled, but was keenly aware of the rest of the team around her, not least her cousin, who had been acting suspicious all day the day before. She had been too busy yesterday to ask Theo and Daphne what exactly had been the topic of conversation at breakfast yesterday, other than quick, hushed words in Herbology which determined that they were all — Lucille and Pansy and Millie and the rest — deeply troubled by the attack on the Sacred Twenty-Eight, and their families by proxy, and that whoever they decided was to blame for the article, might be best to keep quiet about it.

"I really do think this investigation they want to open up might go ahead, you know. It's in the public interest, now people are writing stuff like this, and I mean, no one really got any satisfactory answers about the World Cup, and there's nothing coming about Azkaban, and it's all adding up to something dangerous." Leah was still grinning through out this all, a triumphant look in her eye. "I mean, I don't think as many people are bothered about blood supremacy—" Aurora tried not to show her irritation at the observation "—though that's obviously still a major underlying issue, but it's got people talking and thinking and Father says his Assembly allies are all over it already! We just need more of this stuff, you know? We need people to put their names to things and fight. But, maybe that's what more of the Assembly will feel empowered to do, if the public keep saying this stuff." Her grin widened and she shook her head and Aurora nodded slowly, silently.

"I suppose so," she said, "I hope so. This didn't all come out of nowhere after all — even if You-Know-Who hasn't returned, there's still a significant contingent who support his views. That's just as worrying."

Leah hummed and opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Felix Vaisey, who leaned across her to say with an air of great importance, "My father says that Fudge is furious, as is Vabsley. He spoke with him yesterday evening — Vabsley's an old family friend—"

"You couldn't pay me to admit that," Leah muttered under her breath, giving Felix a scathing look.

"He's actually a very lovely gentleman," Felix said, nettled. "Regardless of political opinion." Leah let out a derisive snort. "But he didn't think the Warlock Post would have the nerve to publish such a thing, and now they have there's even pressure from within the Assembly Moderates. They're worried their constituents think the same, that Fudge has made a grave miscalculation — Ruby Donetti claimed she's received over fifty letters since the Azkaban breakout, asking when the Ministry is going to publish a report on how they got out, and why, and catch them, which obviously they're not able to do." He munched on a bit of toast. "It's all very exciting."

"It's not exciting," Aurora said with a scowl. "People are going to get hurt, this isn't just some political game. The Ministry needs to take action, before it's too late."

Vaisey raised his eyebrows. "I'm just saying, there's a lot going on, this is the Progressives' chance to take back some power. If we force an election—"

"Alright, team!" Montague shouted, breaking off their conversation. "We've got five minutes before we head down to the pitch to get ready. I want everyone at full strength, hydrated, and ready to go. Anyone not in the team, piss off and stop distracting them."

Leah scoffed and rolled her eyes. "He's a git," she muttered to Aurora as she stood up. "Good luck." She gave Aurora a quick, unexpected hug and then stepped back, beaming. "You're going to win!"

"I bloody hope so."

"You are! I'm rooting for you, and Theodore said he saw it in the stars in Divination."

"Did he, now?"

"Yeah, and he's got a solid A in that class so it must be true."

Aurora shook her head, laughing. "Just go before Montague tells us off."

Leah grinned and gave her a mocking little salute, before hurrying back along the table to Sally-Anne, Davis, and Drought. When Aurora turned back, Felix was in conversation across the table with James Urquhart, and she did not have the energy or willpower to deal with both of them at the same time.

The team all left the Great Hall together, to a round of applause, but Aurora was waylaid on the way down by Elise, painted head to toe in blue with blue glitter in her hair and two Ravenclaw scarves tied around her, with a matching tie around her forehead.

"There's a spy," Graham grunted with suspicion, glaring at her.

"She's my cousin," Aurora told him, rolling her eyes. "She's not going to sabotage me. Just go, I'll join you in a moment."

"I might sabotage you," Elise said cheerfully, which did not help ease Graham's glower as Cassius led him away. "I know where you keep your broom. But I won't. Promise."

"Such a sweet thing you are," Aurora said, grinning as Elise hugged her quickly. "Ready to see your team absolutely decimated?"

"Yeah, right. Cho's an amazing, amazing Seeker, she can totally beat Draco! She's so cool, too, I spoke to her last night, she said she liked my lipgloss!"

"Oh." Aurora frowned. "That's nice. But we're going to win. It doesn't matter how good Chang is, our Chasers are more than capable of getting over a hundred and fifty points on yours."

"You're so not," Elise said, rolling her eyes. "But anyway, I wanted you to know that even though I'm cheering for you to lose, I will be just a little bit happy when you score all your goals, and if you see me slagging you off from the stands I don't mean it."

Aurora couldn't help but laugh at that, and ruffled Elise's hair affectionately, which was a mistake seeing as she then wound up getting blue glittered everywhere. "Good luck," Elise said, still laughing. "You'll be good, I'm sure!"

And she skipped back to the Great Hall and her friends, and Aurora could only shake her head affectionately as she made her way to the Quidditchc Pitch, catching up with her team.

It was a harshly fought match; the Slytherin goals accumulated quickly, Aurora having scored four, Cassius three, and Graham five, by the time the Ravenclaw team even got a shot in. It was too easy, really; the three of them flew in perfect harmony, flitting about the Ravenclaws for the sole purpose of annoying them, doing tricks and spins and ridiculous dives as they sent the Quaffle racing up and down the pitch, to the jubilant screams of their supporting housemates.

The race for the Snitch was close, closer than Aurora would have liked, but Chang swerved at the last minute to avoid a well-placed Bludger, and Draco caught it out from underneath her. Relief and joy rushed through Aurora as they all cascaded to the ground, her and Cassius and Graham clutching each other tightly and cheering, bouncing up and down. They were still in with a chance of getting the Cup, still capable of proving that they could swing it and Gryffindor did not have the right to their smug bastardry. They had won the game by almost three hundred points, which combined with their narrow loss against Gryffindor, meant they were still well-placed in the leaderboard.

The party in the common room that night was wild, and the first Aurora could really remember enjoying herself at. The boys had flung her up on their shoulders and done a lap of honour, and she and Cass had tried and failed to do the same for Graham, who stumbled and almost broke a centuries-old coffee table, putting a swift end to that idea.

"One game to go," Graham kept saying, pounding his fist into his hand, "and it's Hufflepuff, we can destroy Hufflepuff! Eh, little Malfoy? Think you're up to racing Diggory?"

Draco glared at him, pink in the face. "Yes," he said tightly. "Obviously. I'm going to get a drink before you destroy something else."

He stomped off, and Aurora rolled her eyes. "I don't know what's wrong with him now."

"We won, for Merlin's sake," Cassius muttered, shaking his head.

"As long as he keeps winning, I don't care," Graham said, and poured them each a shot of vodka.

"Graham, you know I hate—"

"Just the once, Black, we have to celebrate. I'm your captain, you can break out your fancy wine later."

"I don't need anything fancy," Aurora muttered defiantly, and clashed shots with them before downing hers. She grimaced at the horrid taste and burning sensation, shaking her head. "Ugh, I hate you both."

"We believe you," Graham said, and grabbed her in a swift headlock. She squealed, swatting at his arms. "Eh, little Aurora?"

"Let go of me," she muttered, shoving him off her with a playful grin. "Honestly! What's that for?"

"You're one of the lads," Cassius said cheerfully, swiping a bottle of firewhisky from a second year. "Cheers, mate — stay off the booze til you're sixteen, yeah? And, Graham wants you to be captain next year. He's trying to compensate for the show of affection."

"I was going to tell her myself!" Graham protested, with something Aurora would almost describe as a pout.

Excitement rose up swiftly within her as she stared between the two of them, beaming. "Really? You mean it?"

"Well, Bletchley's graduating, Crabbe and Goyle are too new and kind of loose cannons, and your cousin…"

"You can say what you want, it's not as if I'm going to be telling him."

"He hasn't exactly shown his best leadership," Cassius said testily, "as prefect. Besides, Graham likes you more."

"It's just practical," Graham said with a glower. "It's not because I like you."

"I believe you," Aurora said cheerfully, and took a swig of Cassius's confiscated firewhisky.

"Oi! Get your own!"

"I got more goals than you."

"Fine. Just this once. Get your own once we're done."

She winked at him, took another steadying drink, and passed it back to him. He downed the whole thing with a smirk.

"Exactly how drunk are you two planning on getting tonight?"

"We haven't had a proper celebration since, what, third year? We're well overdue, and if we do lose to Hufflepuff, we'll never get to know happiness."

"So, very?"

A few more bottles of firewhisky in, and Aurora was sat on the arm of a sofa with Vaisey and Urquhart and Bletchley, watching Cassius and Graham clamber up onto the same coffee table they had just nearly broken, knocking their bottle heads together in an attempt to call for a toast.

"How drunk are they?" Vaisey asked her in a whisper.

"Very," she replied, grinning.

"A toast!" Graham yelled across the common room, lazily waving his bottle in the air. "To the Slytherin Quidditch Team! And to Ravenclaw, for being absolutely fucking awful!"

This was met by a great load of cheering and stamping of feet. "Aye, alright, alright — settle down, you lot, your captain's speaking!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" Cassius shouted in Graham's ear, and Aurora let out a peal of laughter, almost collapsing on an unimpressed Vaisey's shoulder.

"Alright, what I want to say—" he hiccoughed, loudly "—and I'll keep this brief… Is I'm bloody well proud of this team. We've pulled together after a year off, we've got thumping good Beaters—"

"Literally," Cass added.

"Yeah, literally, and our Keeper, that's him over there, class act today, Bletchley. Seeker, Malfoy, bit too blond but bloody good eyesight, I tell you, the Black family has fantastic genes with that eyesight of theirs—"

"He does have a point," Aurora admitted with a shrug.

"—our reserves, you guys have done pretty much fuck all, to be honest, but you're decent blokes, so you get a hand." Aurora let out a snort at the blank stares on Urquhart and Vaisey's faces, and hid an ensuing bout of giggles behind her hand. "And my comrades, brother and unfortunate sister in arms—"

"Just who do you think you're calling unfortunate, Montague?"

"—my fellow Chasers, we're fucking class, aren't we? Aren't we?" he asked the crowd, hamming it up, and they all cheered as his firewhisky sloshed about out the top of the bottle. "Fuck yeah we are! We put those sorry Ravenclaw fuckers in their place and damn if it wasn't for Potter we'd have had Gryffindor on their arses too! We're a good time, we're the best team, and do you know what we're gonna do? We're gonna win the bloody cup for you! Yes we are, you know we are — where's my other Chaser! Black, get your arse up here."

"Oh, sweet Merlin," she muttered, slipping off the arm of the chair and hopping up onto the table with the boys, wobbling slightly and cursing the decision to put heels on when she had changed for the party after dinner. "You called, Captain?"

"This," Graham said, thumping her so hard on the back that she almost fell off the table, "is the future of the team!" Awkward glanced all around, many of them directed at Draco, who was holding a glass in his hand so tightly Aurora thought it might shatter. "And I'm going to go to Snape's office and I'm going to bloody tell him so — and this!" He grabbed Cassius now, breaking him out of whatever drink-induced haze he had been in. "This is my best mate, and he is going to be fucking brilliant, and if I have to beat him in a game if he joins the Ballycastle Bats like he should, I'm going to enjoy it only half as much as thumping Gryffindor!"

There was a pink, embarrassed tinge to Cassius' cheeks as the common room cheered for him, or all three of them, or the whole squad — Aurora wasn't very sure at this point.

"Are we brilliant?" Graham bellowed to the crowd, who yelled out an affirmative yes as he grabbed both Aurora and Cassius' hands and held them up high in the air, like he was about to take a bow. "Are we your best team?" Again, a roar of agreement, under which the sound of Aurora'sown laughter faded. "Are we going to beat Hufflepuff all the way down the badger hole and win the Quidditch Cup? Hell yes, we are! Drink up, you sorry wankers!"

He reached for his own drink, lurching forwards and then holding it up in triumph, and it was all Aurora and Cassius could do to haul him back from the edge of the coffee table before he face-planted onto the wooden floor. "Classy," Aurora commented as the common room returned to chatter and laughter.

"You've probably scarred some first years there, mate."

"They should be in bed, you dickhead! You're a prefect, why've you not put the kids to bed yet?"

"They needed to expand their vocabulary," Aurora put in, gently guiding Graham off of the table and into the safe arms of Drina Bulstrode. She slipped the bottle of firewhisky from his hand, too, and downed the last of it.

"He's brilliant, isn't he?" Cassius said, mouth lifted in a grin. "Nuts, but brilliant."

"He's something," Aurora agreed, eyebrows raised as she watched Graham being guided, sloppily, onto a sofa. "Right now, I think it's drunk."

"I'll get him some water," Cassius said, shaking his head, "you alright on your own?"

"Long as none of the Ravenclaw Chasers come bursting in to exact their revenge, I'll be fine."

Cassius grinned at her then headed away in search of water. Aurora placed her stolen bottle down and was about to head towards Gwen and their friends, when Draco appeared just inside her line of vision. His glare was fiercer than ever, bitterness mixed up with jealousy, and all Aurora could do was to hold his gaze for a moment, in a low challenge, before he turned on his heel and disappeared in the direction of the boys' dormitories. She turned, shaking her head, and with a sudden feeling that the alcohol might just be having a minor effect, went towards her quieter spot of the common room, where she could still hear the music but didn't feel like it was causing her skull to rattle around inside of her head.

"That was quite the performance," said a voice from behind her, and she turned, grinning at Theodore. "On and off the pitch."

"Finally come to celebrate me?" she asked, smirking, and he laughed, stepping closer.

"I thought there were seven people on the team."

"Yeah, but, I'm your favourite, right?"

Theodore laughed, his fingertips brushing against hers. The expression lit up his face, caused the sides of his eyes to crinkle in delight. His eyes were pretty, Aurora realised with sudden clarity. She felt she had never looked closely enough before. "You are my favourite, yes. But don't tell Vincent."

"It'll be our little secret," Aurora said with a grin, stepping closer. Right here, the thumping of her heart drowned out the bass of the music, as the bright lights overhead illuminated Theo's face in a way that she had rarely allowed herself to consider before. "Though I'm sure you're not alone. Didn't you hear Graham telling me I'm going to be captain?"

"He meant that?"

"Why wouldn't he?"

Theo laughed, shaking his head. "Well he does seem quite drunk."

"That's true. But I was brilliant today, didn't you notice?"

Theodore raised an eyebrow at her, and Aurora caught the pink flush to his cheeks as he noted the proximity of their bodies. Near them, people were dancing, laughing, there was a darkness that granted anonymity, safety, secrecy. "Of course I did. Eleven goals, was it, in the end?"

"My personal best, I think," she told him cheerfully, ten frowned. "Why is your hair sparkly?"

"Oh, for Merlin's — Robin threw it over me when I was trying to leave breakfast, 'cause he said I wasn't showing my support enthusiastically enough! Only mysteriously, it washes out of everyone else's hair, except for mine."

Aurora laughed, shaking her head, and she took his hand, liking the way it felt in hers, liking the way he smiled and liking the way it felt like they were just two people in a sea of others, with no burdens pressing in on them. She needed to talk to him about the Warlock Post article but she couldn't bring herself to do it, not now, not when he was looking at her like that and her heart was pounding in her chest and he looked better, freer, than he ever had.

In a burst of confidence and validation that she was right, she took him by the arm and guided him towards the crowd of people dancing. "I'm not saying it's a bad thing," she told him as they walked, "I rather like it. You did say it's your favourite colour. And it matches my dress quite nicely, the green!"

"Yeah, but I didn't anticipate having it in my hair."

"If it helps, Elise had blue glitter in hers."

"Ah, yes, I really wanted to resemble your twelve-year old cousin."

Aurora laughed, and said, "At least now you just look like you're trying to have a party. There is some confetti, somewhere, maybe you could mix it up later."

"Mhmm. Robin did say our room needs some more exciting decorations."

"It could be modern art," Aurora said cheerfully. "Muggles are all over that stuff, though Dora hasn't yet explained what it means. Add some glitter and confetti and make it a bit abstract... It'd be revolutionary to the Wizarding world, I'm sure."

"Yeah, and what should I be trying to recreate? Abstractly, and modernly, of course?"

"No idea," Aurora said with a laugh, taking his hand. It was warm, and the places where their skin connected tingled, and she could not disguise the flutter of her heart or the brief, irrepressible smile that tugged at her lips. "Maybe you can get some inspiration. Incorporate some musical themes!"

She led him backwards with her, into the dark crowd where the music grew louder, where people yelled and shouted and whirled each other around — the most unsophisticated scene she had ever witnessed within this common room, and yet at the same time exhilarating in its own way because of it, because of the allure of the music and the determined pull of the crowd. "I don't know how to dance to this!" Theodore informed her, half-yelling over the thump of the music. "I don't know anything more exciting than a polka!"

Aurora laughed, tugged him closer, her thumb running over the back of his hand as she rose up on her tiptoes, half-dancing, half-bouncing on the balls of her feet as she tugged him along with her to rhythm. It was clear that Theo was bemused by her non-existent technique, but he went along with her, laughing as she spun him around, attempting to spin him under her arm and then tugging him back to her again, a heat blossoming in her chest as his arms and hips brushed against hers for just an instant, igniting sparks where they touched.

It was silly, and it was ridiculous and it was dizzying, this closeness, this wild grin on his face which Aurora rarely got to see and yet was sure was reflected in her own.

"You're doing it," she told him brightly, sweeping around, "see, there you go! It's improv — it's easy, everybody knows how to move!"

"I'm not sure that I know this dancing."

"You do," Aurora insisted, tugging him closer, wrapping an arm around his waist and spinning him round, without a care for the subversion or the impropriety. "It's not something you know in your head, it's — your body knows it."

"My body?" Theo asked dubiously, though with the sneaking hint of a grin.

"It's human nature," Aurora insisted, unable to restrain her smile at the curious look on his face, the sparkle of his eyes. "Just listen to the music, just… Move. However you need to move."

"You realise how little that means to someone who isn't a dancer? Or, who isn't tipsy?"

"I am not!" Aurora replied, catching his eye, and in a moment both of them burst into laughter, collapsing and leaning against one another. "You can do it just — just come on, come closer to me. Dance it," she said with a flourish, releasing his hands and giving an extravagant sort of curtsy. "Feel it."

"Feel it?" Theo asked, amused, and he did a sort of awkward, halting waltz step. Aurora bit back a peak of laughter as she held her hands out to him, and he turned slightly to extend his hands and take hers. Then a funky movement like waltz mixed with swing dance, backwards and forwards and back again. "Like this?"

"Like this!" Aurora replied with a smirk, tugging him towards her so that he stumbled slightly then went smoothly into another step, with more motion this time. Theo let out a startled laugh, then tugged her along with him as he did a sort of confused salsa step, and she tossed her head back, laughing. "See, you can so dance — you've been holding out on me!"

"If it wasn't so dark you can hardly see me, you'd be taking the absolute piss out of me right now!"

"Well, maybe I'd be wrong to! It has been known to happen, after all."

"That's an unusual admission from you."

"I'm full of surprises," she said breezily, skipping closer to him, grinnng. Her breath caught as she tilted her chin upwards to look him in the eye, feel the gentle, simmering heat of his gaze, and was suddenly, acutely aware of the feeling of his skin on hers, the warmth of his body against her. "Even teaching you how to dance. Come on — add a bounce, a flourish—"

One moment she was standing normally, the next Theo had swept in and swept her off her feet, one arm around her waist and the other beneath her knees, spinning her in midair. Aurora squealed, arms flying around his neck, tossing her head back in shocked laughter. "What on earth—" she started, but her words were lost to the darkness, to the quick spinning of the world before he set her down again, smirking as he leaned over her, one arm still looped around her waist, the other resting at her hip.

"Was that enough of a flourish for you?" he asked, voice low as he murmured in her ear. His breath was warm against her neck, and when he brushed her hair away, the space where his fingertips grazed her skin felt like sparks had skittered over it.

Her lips lifted into a smile, irrepressible, and for a brief moment, heart pounding, with the rest of the world melting away, something changed in the air. Something was bright and warm and burning, something pulled her up towards him and this sudden, new spontaneity, and she let her fingers find their way in the soft hair at the nape of his neck. Her lips parted, the music around them dimmed, and then the song changed into a heavy Weird Sisters bass, and they both were jolted out of the moment, the common room coming back into perspective. Theo straightened up, tugging Aurora with him, and she put his enough space between them now to be respectable. It could be a dance and a silly moment between friends and nothing else. That was all anyone could see, if they were watching; that was what she made herself believe to combat the race of nerves inside of her, the feeling that warred beneath her skin, in an attempt to compel her to run.

But she held onto his hands, for just a moment, squeezed them tightly before she let her grip fall away and pulled back as she had to. This wasn't like the time she snogged Blaise at Halloween, needing someone to cling to, and it wasn't like the build up to that giddy, freeing kiss with Cassius at the Yule Ball. This was the person whose family would never ally her, and the person who she couldn't stand to mess things up with, or to lose. Theo was too important. But he was also too dangerous.

"I don't really know this one," she said, slightly breathless, ruffling her hair up to pull it away from her face. Theo's gaze caught on the movement of her curls, dipped to her exposed neck and the green velvet of her dress, for just a moment, before he glanced back up with pink cheeks. "I — come on, it's so warm in here, I…" She swallowed tightly, and Theo nodded. "Besides, someone needs to stop Cass and Graham from breaking through the window to the lake."

"Yeah," he said, then shook himself slightly. "Probably part of the future captain's responsibility, anyway, keeping the team intact — I should go find Robin anyway, he said he was up to something with Jones and Stebbins..."

But she didn't want to leave him. She reached back and grabbed his hand again, to lead him out of the tight knot of people in the middle of the room, until they were on the fringes and able to breathe and hear normally again, and she became excruciatingly aware of his hand in hers, and also of how little she wanted to let go. When she looked back at him, his hair sweeping across his forehead, eyes glistening and cheeks flushed and smile warm, in the soft glow of the common room, her body reacted like she was on a steep dive on a broom; heart racing, stomach swooping, knees weak. Her grip on his hand tightened and he came closer again, uncertain.

"Listen," she said before she could stop herself, "Theo, I meant to ask but, yesterday at breakfast, what were they all talking about?"

A shadow passed over his face and he led her further away from eavesdropping ears, to a quiet corner of the common room. "The Warlock Post letter, as I'm sure you've guessed. I was with Draco and the others as they were discussing it, and I think he does suspect you of writing it. Obviously, I assured everybody that I greatly doubt you would go so far, and be so bold, and everyone else agreed, but Draco doesn't exactly have a whole lot of faith in you right now."

"I can imagine. What else?"

"That everybody's families are obviously going to stand up to any such attempt at investigation, but they're worried doing so would compromise them. Which to me, sounds like there's something brewing that Draco knows about, and maybe some of the others, but I don't — yet. Pansy seemed clueless, but Millie and Greg both seemed to imply that they know something. I expect I'll know more at Easter — Grandfather's insisting on having me home."

"They might just be worried that they'll be compromising their general positions as murderers of the past, rather than murderers of the future," Aurora pointed out, and Theo shook his head at her tone.

"Maybe. But Draco said he was being called on, whatever that means. I don't think he trusts me anymore."

"No?"

"I walked over to them from sitting right next to you. Probably figured I wasn't altogether trustworthy on their part."

Not for the first time, Aurora felt a worry in the back of her mind that their friendship would end badly for Theo, that it would place him in danger. But tonight she knew he would dismiss any such concerns she raised to him.

"Right," she said quietly, watching him in the low green light. "Thanks for telling me."

He shrugged. "Anytime. I have to say I was curious too — everybody else seems to know an awful lot about an awful lot. It's strange — I can tell I'm on the outside more now. It never bothered me before, not being as socially apart of the group, when I didn't want to be. But when everyone seems to know something you don't, it is strange."

"Tell me about it," Aurora said, meeting his eyes. There was a flicker of understanding there, a look of sympathy that made her want to draw closer. And yet there was a shred of guilt in her chest, too; Theo had been so willing to tell her that, and she had hidden so much from him, and suddenly that made it feel like a gulf had opened between them. She was sure that he knew it, too.

"I should probably locate Robin. But, hey, the girls are all over there—" he nodded over Aurora's shoulder, and she turned to see Gwen, Leah, and Sally-Anne sitting over a table littered with playing cards "— want to join them after you see the team?"

"Sure," she said, swallowing the part of her that wanted to ask him to come with her. That wasn't fair of her. Whatever moment had passed between them earlier, it didn't matter. It hadn't happened, and it shouldn't happen. "See you."

He smiled and she watched him go, until she realised staring after him was embarrassing and impolite, and she turned, marching to the corner of the common room where the rest of the team were seated on a group of plush emerald green sofas.

Cassius and Graham were engaged in some deep, drunken conversation, and Bletchley and Urquhart locked in a rough arm-wrestling competition, which Felix was officiating. "Evening, boys!" she called over to them, half-skipping as Theo followed. She could hear his laugh resonating over the crowd.

"Black!" Bletchley bellowed, distracted. Urquhart took the opportunity to smash his opponent's fist into the coffee table, and he yelped. "Bloody hell, that fucking hurt, you tosser!"

"Stop yelling," Aurora snapped. "I'm checking none of you are going to destroy the place in your current state."

"Urquhart's destroyed my bloody wrist," Bletchley muttered, scowling.

"All part of his master plan," Felix said, smirking.

"Cass and I were considering getting a sing-song going again. Or invading the Hufflepuff common room — you'll know where that is, with that funny map of yours."

"You told him about the map?"

Cassius shrugged, slightly sheepish. "It wasn't a secret, was it?"

"I — well — fine, but I am not invading Hufflepuff tonight. Umbridge'll have our heads, if Snape doesn't."

"She doesn't give a shit what we do," Cassius said, "Draco's dad'll pay her off."

"Ah, yes, corruption and bribery, the backbone of the justice system." She threw him a customary look of disgust before turning to the group at large. "Speaking of, has anyone actually seen my cousin, or our dear Beaters?"

"Went off in a huff ages ago," Urquhart said. "Crabbe and Goyle probably followed."

"Don't bother about him," Graham told her, voice slightly slurred, "stupid toss can't even be happy."

"I'm not bothered," Aurora said. "If he wants to be miserable, then that's his decision. I just want to make sure none of you are in immediate danger of getting intoxicated and arranging a meeting with the giant squid."

"Oh, no," Graham said, a mischievous smile spreading over his face, "we wouldn't dare. Sit down, though, Black — I saw you dancing with Nott."

Her cheeks flooded with warmth. So they weren't as subtle as she thought. Annoyed, she whirled around the side of the sofa and pushed in beside him. "I can dance with whoever I want."

"Never said you couldnt," Graham told her, shrugging. Cassius pretended to be very interested in listening to Bletchley and Urquhart's argument. "He seems a decent bloke. But scrawny, but if that's your thing, that's your thing."

"Theo's not scrawny," she said defensively, glaring at him. "And even if he was it doesn't matter. I like him. Not like that," she added hurriedly, pointlessly. Graham saw right through her, laughing.

"Aye, sure." He winked. "'S he good, or do I have to give him a talking to?"

"You're not giving anyone a talking to on my behalf, Montague."

"Oh, I just don't want him distracting my Chaser."

"I don't get distracted," she muttered, and elbowed him in the side. "Stop being a twat, wont you?"

"Nah," he said, shaking his head, "it's great fun."

"Fuck off," she told him, and he laughed.

"Oi, lads," he called over to the rest, "Black's got herself a boy—"

She shoved him in the shoulder and, in his drunken state, he went tumbling off the couch, almost crashing into the coffee table. "Fucking hell, what are you doing?"

"Stop being a twat," she said, in a shrilling, false tone, smiling as she stood up. "And, boys, I think Montague has had himself a bit too much to drink."

"Last time I ever try to look out for you," he said with a scowl, hauling himself back onto the sofa as the others laughed. "I'm rescinding that captain ship nomination!"

"Sure you are!" she trilled, spinning round and skipping away, blowing them all a sarcastic kiss. "Bye, boys! Don't kill each other without me!"

As they laughed behind her, she skipped on towards her friends' usual spot by the lake window, where the girls plus Theo, Robin, Jones and Stebbins, were sat, laughing uproariously. She grinned and waved, dropping gracefully into the spot between Theo and the arm of the sofa, legs brushing his. He grinned at her, eyes bright, and a shiver went down her spine.

With that, trying to ignore her laughing teammates, she led Theo towards the corner of the common room their friends normally lurked in, and sank into the sofa opposite Gwen and Leah, who looked up from their game of exploding snap as they approached. "Come to sober up, have you?" Leah asked, waving a six of clubs at her.

"I'll have you know, I am extremely sober."

"Did I or did I not just see you blow a kiss at your teammates?" Robin asked, raising his eyebrows.

"We're a very affectionate bunch," she said with a sweet smile. "Didn't you hear, Slytherin team's very well known for it."

"Well, we're just getting started on scabby queen, if you want in."

"Sure," she said, curling her feet up on the sofa beneath her, and trying to tug the short green skirt of her dress to sit comfortably on her thighs. Theo was warm beside her, and she knew it was silly, but she leaned into that, sighed at their proximity, as though she could inhale whatever was between them, the deepening allure and the gentle, enticing scent of his cologne.

As Leah started dealing out, she turned to Theo and asked, "We're alright, aren't we?"

Theo looked at her, eyes gleaming in the light. When he turned, their lips were so close that she could reach out easily and draw them together. But she wouldn't, she couldn't. His hand strayed to hers. "Alright?" he asked, voice strained.

"Us. With everything and... I mean, I — I've been rubbish. And I don't want you to think that I'm just breezing past it I just—"

"Aurora," he said, cutting her off, "you think I'd have danced with you, if I didn't at least want to be alright?"

"I don't know, I just, you told me about the others and... I'm sorry. I'm grateful."

"I know," he said. "You told me so. And I would've told you anyway, you know that." She did. It made her feel even worse. "Listen, I know we argued, but we've both said what we needed to. I'd rather not go on about it. Let's just try and have some fun, yeah?"

She wanted to say more, wanted him to say more, even wanted him to push back. Leah handed them each a card, with a knowing look in her eye, and when she turned away Aurora noticed Theo's gaze had wandered, tracing her body in the light, and he said, softening, "You do look beautiful stunning tonight, by the way. I don't know if anyone's told you."

Crimson heat rushed to her cheeks. "Oh, I—"

"That was a bit cliche, I know, but it's true." He shrugged, grinning, as if he knew what he was doing to her thumping heart and her tingling skin and the swarm of butterflies in her stomach.

"Thank you," was all she could think to say, and it felt ridiculous, because surely she could say more than that. She looked away, stomach turning, fixating on the masses of people before them, some still dancing, others breaking off for chats or games. "How long do you think it'll be before Snape tries to break this up?"

"I'd say we've a couple of hours yet," Theo said, switching back into his normal tone with impossible ease, "but if he finds out you're enjoying it, he'll swoop in immediately."

"Bat bastard," she muttered, and he laughed. He shook against her as he did, and her skin fluttered where they touched. "He ruins all our fun — him and Umbridge, the boring old bitch."

"And when you performed so well, too?" Theo tutted. "It's simply unjust."

"Exactly! I was marvellous — I should be celebrated!"

"I think the whole team were celebrating."

"Nope," she said, grinning as she turned back to him, taking Leah's next card, "just me, actually. You did say I'm your favourite."

"And am I conducting this party?"

"You should be." Aurora smirked, leaning in, watching how his lips quirked in a nervous smile and his cheeks warmed as pink as her own. "I'd back your campaign to be chief Slytherin party planner."

"Because I am such a good socialite." Theo raised his eyebrows, teasing. When she chuckled, he went on in a breezy tone, "I don't know why you're laughing, Aurora, everyone knows I host the best parties. Lady Greengrass is going to have to start fighting me soon, I've issued a formal challenge for the day I turn seventeen."

"For what? The title of party-planner-in-chief?"

"Title and crown, yes." He laughed, shaking his head, and leaned back, shoulder brushing against hers again. Aurora wondered if he could hear the furious pounding of her heart, if his was the same or if it was just her, falling with nothing to cling to. "It's a green and silver crown, too, it'll suit me perfectly."

"Ah, I'm sure — how much time have you spent gazing on it? Is that why you hang out with Daphne — you've got your eye on the family jewels?"

Letting out a melodramatic gasp, Theo clasped the hand with his cards over his heart and said, "You've uncovered my secret, Lady Black!"

"You should've been more subtle. That's where bragging gets you." Instinctively, she wagged her finger at him, teasing, but it brushed against his cheek and she stopped herself, halted by the sparks that ran along her hand. They stared at one another, and Aurora's mind told her to run and run and never be so stupid again. "As I said." She cleared her throat. "You…" Her mind stopped as Theo's free hand reached up covered her own, his thumb brushing over her knuckles and tucking her finger in. The corners of his eyes were creased from withheld laughter, his lips pressed together in affectionate amusement.

"Maybe I'll put my party planning ambitions on hold for a little, then," he said, voice teasing, "or at least halt the bragging."

"That seems a good idea," Aurora told him, slightly out of breath. She swallowed, but could not look away from his face and the smile upon his lips. "Give Lady Greengrass a reprieve, I heard Merlin's Day's going to be better than ever—"

"Will you two pay attention?" Leah snapped, waving cards in their face, and Aurora flushed, snatching one from her hand. "Honestly, you'd think one of you would have some presence of mind when you've agreed to be dealt in to a game—"

"Sorry, MacMillan," Theo said with an easy grin, waving his cards at her. "Promise we won't do it again."

"Yeah, right," Leah muttered, glaring at them as she continued dealing to Robin, who snickered. "Idiots."