The crystal ball shimmered and glowed as Dahlia traced her fingertips over the smooth glass. She had one hand on the ball, and the other placed on her journal from Theo. She wasn't quite sure what to write, so she settled on a simple question. She scribbled: are you alright?
"This is fucking nonsense," Eloise mumbled in frustration as her own ball refused to ignite under her touch.
The rays of the afternoon sun danced through the expansive windows of the Divination classroom. The oriental furniture that cluttered the tower gave the classroom a pink-hued aura.
Eloise peered at Dahlia, who wasn't paying attention, clearly vexed. "You aren't even trying!" She whined.
Dahlia rolled her eyes and glanced over at Professor Trelawney who was in the midst of harassing a Gryffindor about the possibility of taking a wrong turn in life. Noting her professor was distracted, she traded crystal balls with Eloise. Without a word, she tapped the murky, gray sphere with her middle finger. The ball erupted with smoke in varying shades of oranges and teal.
"Thank you," Eloise mumbled gratefully.
Dahlia didn't respond as she watched the plumes of colored smoke within the ball slowly metamorphosize in an endless cycle. She also watched the journal in her periphery as she waited for a response.
"Are you feeling alright?" Eloise asked in a concerned tone, worried she was feeling under the weather again.
Dahlia sighed, "Defense Against the Dark Arts class was awful today."
"Why?" She lowered her voice, readying for gossip.
"Snape had us duel in pairs. Theo punched Ron Weasley for mentioning his father. He looked absolutely feral, Eloise. I wish I could have stopped it but I was too distracted."
"His behavior isn't your responsibility," she replied firmly shaking her head in disapproval. "Xavier told me that Theo can be quite the loose cannon. It's not ideal to be on the wrong side of him."
The concern in Eloise's voice gave Dahlia a cautious pause that she didn't want to explore. She wanted to drown in his touch and was too afraid to acknowledge any of his potential flaws. Dahlia brushed over her comment and asked, "Is Xavier aware if he is seeing anyone else?"
Eloise shook her head confidently with a crooked smile. "On the contrary, he said Theo talks about you often. He adores you." She paused as her smile faded into seriousness. "He also mentioned that Theo has never been one for giving his heart away lightly so, Dahlia, if this is just a flirtation — I would end it soon. I know your past romances have been quite fleeting, and I love you, but you can be fickle with your own heart. Xavier seemed a bit nervous about you two, if I'm being honest."
"It's new, Eloise. Who knows what our future will hold," she replied with an ironic wink.
Eloise read her cue that she wasn't willing to say more on the subject so she changed the topic. "Heard you roughed up Malfoy earlier. It's all anyone is talking about." Eloise grinned proudly and slowly nodded in approval.
Dahlia didn't smile. Instead, she leaned in closer to the table and murmured, "he insinuated he knew my father."
She didn't want to share that she had seen the dark mark upon his arm and that Juliet had been right about his allegiance. The gossip was too great of a risk in such a public setting.
"I'm sure he does. Both of your fathers are prominent figures. I'm sure they do business. Don't let him rattle you." She shook her head dismissing her worries over Draco's comment.
Dahlia sighed and nodded but her glum expression remained. She checked her journal for a response that never came. She stared mindlessly into the crystal ball as she traced her fingertip along the edge. A plume of pink smoke followed her touch. Her thoughts, once again, drifted to Draco.
She remembered how he had looked at her, seated in the center of the bustling party like an all-seeing phantom, as if he had been the only one capable of reading her ugly soul through her carefully constructed image. The one person able to hear her muffled cries to the universe in the night's hush to bring her mother back. How he could understand her private pains and wield it against her was a new form of savagery.
Dahlia's eyes went wide. The crystal ball went eerily clear, the smoke dissipating into the center of the sphere. She tilted her head curiously. Then, as if worlds were colliding, the smoke combusted and molded itself into tiny-shaped planets and galaxies layered on one another. The surrounding smoke shimmered as to reflect a million wondrous stars. Eloise smiled at the beauty of it as several of her classmates sighed breathlessly in awe.
"Bravo, my child!" Professor Trelawney exclaimed with a wink.
Dahlia smiled at her good work. As more heads turned to look, the galaxies began spinning wildly. In a flash, the crystal ball exploded. Dahlia covered her head with her arms and several students screamed. Glass shards cut through the air. The smoke hissed and shrieked horribly as it shot upwards like a wailing beast, then dissipated.
Her professor clapped wildly with glee.
Dahlia gasped, clutching her chest. The sudden urge to sob overtook her. The premonition twisted in her gut. The sense that all life was meaningless devoured her soul. She bit her lip and sucked back tears, refusing to give into the sensation. She slammed a memory of her and Amelia running wildly along a pink sand beach when they were children against the grotesque whisper. She took a deep breath and smiled back at her professor.
—
Dahlia waited patiently in the library as the time passed.
She sat on a leather couch facing one of the many crackling fireplaces, scribbling in her Herbology textbook. She pulled her knees to her chest in order to sketch the smaller details of the cosmos. She was attempting to draw what she had seen within her crystal ball during Divination earlier. She hummed to herself in order to drown out to the awful shriek that reverberated in her memory.
She glanced up to check the clock.
Theo was running almost an hour late. He had written to her that he was running behind because of some quidditch emergency. Dahlia didn't really care much for quidditch, but she liked that he loved it so much. He enjoyed being captain of the team and the status it came with. She personally enjoyed the attire and the way he looked when he had just finished training. She held her breath whenever she thought about how his toned muscles had felt coiled around her.
Dahlia leaned her head against the sofa. Usually, she wouldn't mind sitting alone with her thoughts but tonight it was torturous. There were so many questions she wanted to ask him but didn't know how. Did he know Draco was a death eater? Was he a death eater? She knew he had dark ties, but how bound he was still remained a mystery. She didn't know what she would do if she didn't like the answers — if he was loyal to the Dark Lord. She would absolutely need to distance herself but she felt somewhat invested now. She hoped her heart would burn true and steady and this thrill would never wear off. So many times she had gotten lost in the fantasy of someone. She would soon lose interest once she saw the true reality of the person.
She knew she was romanticizing him. She incessantly imagined all the trouble he might bring her along for. The dirty things he might whisper in her ear. The way her back might feel against his chest when she slept, and how the words 'I love you' would look upon his menacing lips. It couldn't be the end, but she had so clearly seen the dark mark on Draco's arm, who was his closest friend.
Her thoughts drifted and she began spiraling again. How did Draco know her father? Was her own father a death eater? Was that why her mother was so determined to get away from him in the end?
"Hello, love," he whispered behind her ear. A smile crept onto her face and her troubles vanished. She turned around to face Theo. He leaned comfortably against the back of the sofa and looked down upon her.
"Sorry I'm late." His hair was damp with fresh curls and he wore a freshly ironed Slytherin uniform despite the late hour. He must have just showered. He was flush from practice and smelled like fresh oakmoss. He grinned at her knowingly as he caught her breathlessly observing him. She suddenly felt nervous.
"I bet I can make it up to you," he teased silkily. He wanted to make her blush.
"I was quite fine alone," she quipped back.
"Oh, really?" He purred. He tilted her chin up to him as he narrowed his eyes.
"Are you ready to beg for my forgiveness?" She whispered with her most charming smile, leaning her chin into his touch.
"You know a Ravenclaw asking for a tryst in the library feels quite predictable," he answered flirtatiously as he pulled back his hand and crossed his arms.
She playfully hit him in the shoulder with her Herbology textbook. He pretended it hurt for her benefit. "Enough with the Ravenclaw slander. Plus, I've planned an adventure. We won't be sitting here all night." She grinned as her demeanor changed to something far more fox-like. She stood and walked around the couch to face him. He was at her eye level when seated on the back of the low sofa.
He raised a brow suspiciously. "Mm, I'm intrigued."
"We're going to the restricted section," she whispered slyly.
"And what are we looking for in there?" He was readying for her scheme. He uncrossed his arms like he might grab her waist. He tucked her hair behind her ear, instead.
"A book," she answered boredly.
"Well no shit, we're in a library," he said in an arrogant tone. The laugh that left his lips was genuine, however.
She didn't want to share that she was looking for texts that might help her understand her own unique divination abilities. She knew Eloise was right about her strange sickness and she was worried she was going to have visions soon. Her mother hadn't been very helpful in preparing her for the transition. Her mind had been too fractured by then. The books she hoped to find were heavily guarded, since they contained the lineage of oracles and their prophecies, in order to potentially help protect seers from being discovered.
"Come on," she said. "Let's go." She took his hand and led him farther into the library.
"Allow me." Theo casted a disillusionment charm over the both of them. It was late, and it was eerily quiet as they slowly crept towards the entrance of the restricted section.
"Alohamora," she whispered.
The lock clicked open. She looked around to make sure there were no onlookers, then sneaked through the iron doors. They kept the invisibility charm on them for safe measure. Dahlia read the different directory signs as they crept deeper into the restricted section.
"I wanted to ask, are you alright after what happened in class today? I heard about it." His voice was in a low whisper.
"Absolutely," she lied. She was still pretty unnerved by Draco's words. Plus, the way he had gripped her face made her feel a certain type of way that she didn't want to dig too deep into.
"It felt pretty good actually, to blast him through the air. I know he's your friend, but I think he's vile."
He chuckled lowly. "I find you quite intriguing when you're murderous," he joked. "But yes, he can be difficult," he answered tightly.
"I heard you two have been fighting?" She rolled the dice, and hoped she would get an answer.
"I've been staying with him and his family. We're just disagreeing. I'm sure you and Amelia get that way when you spend too much time together."
He didn't elaborate further. Dahlia and Amelia only ever bickered, they had never resorted to anything near what was rumored to be going on between Draco and Theo.
"I saw you punch Ron Weasley..." Her words trailed as she left room for an explanation.
He put his hands in pocket and sighed. "I don't want you to think I'm kind or forgiving, Dahlia. It's not in my nature."
Dahlia wasn't pleased with his response, but appreciated his honesty and self awareness. Before she could formulate a reply, Dahlia saw a small alcove with a sign that read 'prophecies' above it.
Theo found this quite curious since his own father had been arrested in the department of mysteries for attempting to secure a very specific prophecy. He remained silent. At this point, he would follow her into a spider den just for the chance to hear her laugh again.
Theo removed the disillusionment charm as they entered. Dahlia began roaming the different book titles. He leaned back against the built-in desks attached to the shelves, crossing his arms across his chest. He didn't know what they were looking for so he waited patiently for her to direct him.
Dahlia climbed up on the desk so she could reach a book on the top shelf. She attempted to hold her skirt closer to her legs in an attempt to maintain her modesty. He laughed softly at her.
"Stop it!" She whispered. "Don't look!"
He was most definitely going to look if she reached up. He summoned an ounce of chivalry. "Let me get it for you."
He put a knee onto the desk in order to leverage himself up high enough to grab the book she desired. He pulled it down. "Here you go, darling."
He handed her the book. He saw something new in her eyes. He thought he might always want to keep her alone so that she may never gaze at anyone else, especially with that look. He wanted to both keep her a secret and profess to all that he might steal her heart.
Dahlia was still standing on the desk as if waiting for what he might do. He didn't move. He was too afraid that the way he felt in this moment would be viciously ripped from him. She looked like a holy statue waiting to be worshipped. She was everything he needed in his wicked life.
She sighed and climbed down and as her mouth crossed paths with his own. He closed the distance between them, placing a hand on the back of her neck, but she refused to fully part her lips for him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into a sitting position on the desk in front of him.
She had allowed his impulsive kiss but pulled away quickly. She looked up at him with enchanting eyes. Her skin glowed in the dark candlelight. He knew she had only pulled away to make him miserable. She smiled innocently and brought her own hand to his neck, caressing his skin. She waited patiently, building tension. She was daring him to make another move.
Her pulse began to race. He towered over her. The cold draft of the restricted section intensified the heat between them. "Is this the part where you beg and grovel?" She whispered coyly.
"Be quiet," he murmured in a darkening tone.
He brought his fingers to his lips as to hush her. He nudged her legs open with his own. He kneeled, lifting her left thigh gently to his lips, placing a kiss on her inner thigh. She fought the urge to squirm beneath him and bit her lip. She felt him grin against her skin as he sensed her body language. He pulled her stocking down with his teeth.
His eyes met her own. There was no longer anything playful or flirtatious in the way he looked at her. His expression was menacing and heated. A nervous thrill weaved through her veins. The thought that he might actually be dangerous only made him more alluring in this heated moment.
He gripped the back of her thighs behind her knees and pulled her forward to the edge of the desk. She watched as he clenched his jaw, exerting a great effort in order to contain himself. She was barely seated on the desk now. She didn't want him restrained. She wanted all he he had to give. She wanted to kiss him so hard that he might never want to leave her.
Dahlia reached for him, placing a hand on the side of his cheek with hesitation, newly afraid to touch him. He stood, hovering above her with intimidation, tracing the column of her neck as she swallowed, hiding the anticipation. He slowly grinned like he had won as she dared to inhale.
Then, he crushed his lips to hers, warm and soft. He parted, allowing her to slip her tongue inside as the moment she had waited for arrived. She would no longer wish to know how he might touch her, kiss her; questions, answered.
She moaned into his mouth seductively as to push him past his line of self-control. She could sense he was holding back for her sake. She untucked his shirt feverishly and slipped her hands beneath the fabric to touch his bare chest. She unbuttoned his shirt and began kissing upwards on his warm, tanned skin. She looked up at him with her most alluring eyes.
He stilled for a moment, and leaned his head back. She felt something change in his body language — a tensing. He closed his eyes, breath held, as she arched upwards, licking up his neck. He gripped her jaw to stop her, his fingers pressed into her skin harshly. He looked down at her with a newfound depravity. She had to remind herself that she had wanted to push him to this point. He hovered over her mouth, teasing her.
"You're so beautiful," he mocked as if it was the worst thing for her to be in this world.
His grasp on her cheek was unrelenting as he directed her face upwards to kiss her neck. She gasped as his teeth grazed against her neck. He slipped his hands underneath her skirt with a biting grip. Her body beckoned him to go higher, but he refused. He finally brought his lips back to hers and she arched into him. He kissed her hard and when she attempted to pull back for air, he only moaned into her to summon her closer. She felt like she was going to catch fire. She needed air, her lungs burned. He held her so tightly she thought she might bruise.
With a small cry, she finally managed to pull away. She looked into his eyes. They were glassy in loving need with a hint of malicious intent. He was entirely new, revealing a glimpse of a true, darker nature. She wondered if she was enough to be the center of his world, and how many worlds he had turned black, and would ruin.
She lowered her guard and leaned back onto her elbows, willingly submitting to ruination. She gently placed her heart on the line.
Theo didn't know what he had done to deserve to touch her. A dark thought crossed his mind — that he might want to devastate her so thoroughly so that nobody else could ever have her. He shoved it down.
"Take off my shirt," she whispered.
He obliged without hesitation. He leaned over her and kissed her neck as he unbuttoned them one by one. He heard her inhale sharply as he bit down to leave behind small bruises. He would need proof tomorrow that this had happened.
She slipped out of her shirt to reveal a lace cream bra that he desperately wanted to take off. He kissed her breasts and bit her nipple through the lace. He trailed kisses down her chest and then lowered himself to his knees.
"No," she whispered as she writhed before him. "I want you instead," she practically begged.
He smirked up at her. "No," he replied sternly.
"Please," she murmured as she reached for him. He slapped her hand out of the way.
"If you keep talking, I'm going to stop," he whispered, kissing her inner thigh. He pushed back her skirt trailing soft kisses up her legs. There was a horrible pause where he was no longer on her skin. Then, he kissed her center through her lace underwear. He felt her small gasp as he held down her legs. She wanted to move against him, but he refused her. He would do this every fucking day for her, he thought.
"Theo, please." He looked up at her with glassy eyes and hushed her.
"Lift up, love," he demanded. She obeyed, and he slipped her underwear off.
She grabbed his hand on her hip, squeezing it tight, as he began to work, moving his mouth in slow motions. He was dragging out her pleasure, refusing to let her sprint to her high. He slipped his fingers inside of her and she whimpered.
Her voice was haunting. He wanted nothing more than to hear her come at his will. He began working his thumb and bit her inner thigh, leaving proof that he had been between her legs.
"Theo," she panted. He looked up at her, devilish in nature.
"I want you to come, only for me," he demanded. He brought his mouth back to her center and began moving his tongue in quicker motions. She gripped his hair and moaned quietly. He reached up and covered her mouth. She squeezed his hand harder, as it gripped the side of her own thigh. This was what it felt like to be truly touched, thoroughly worshipped. Her head fell back, as he took her over the ledge. He moved his thumb over her core and leaned up to kiss her mouth as she came. She softly murmured words of her pleasure into his mouth. They both breathed heavily, his lips swollen from her.
She closed her eyes and let her head hang back. He put her back together as she sat in bliss. He slid her underwear back on. He kissed her jaw as he buttoned her shirt back up.
She looked to him with sensual eyes, coming back down from her high. She grabbed him by the neck and pulled him in for a gentle kiss.
"I'm glad you found my groveling sufficient," he teased as he began buttoning his own shirt. He was quite satisfied with himself. She fiddled with his buttons attempting to undo his work. She began to remove his shirt.
"Don't. I enjoy pleasing you," he murmured to her.
She persisted in removing his shirt, and he finally gave into her. She ran her hands up his chest and down his arms. He closed his eyes. She traced her fingers over his bare forearm. He could feel her steady eyes upon it as she paused for a beat too long.
He stiffened. "What are you doing?" He asked, suddenly serious.
He looked down upon her with an unreadable expression. He left his arm in her grasp as if it was evidence of her actions. She felt like a child who had just been caught doing something she had been told not to do numerous times. She couldn't think fast enough for an excuse. Her mind was still lazy.
He held up his forearm to her face. She flinched as if he frightened her. "You assumed I was a death eater, Dahlia?" He spat at her quietly. "Because my father is, right?" He sneered at her as he became defensive. His tone was filled with hurt.
"Theo, please," she murmured desperately. She kissed his bare forearm and interlaced his fingers with hers. "Today in class when I was dueling Draco, I saw the dark mark. I was worried you had it, too."
She looked up into his eyes for answers.
His heart dropped. He couldn't successfully lie and say he didn't know about Draco's mark when he had been living with the Malfoys. Plus, he never wanted to lie to her anyway. There was a pause as his brain raced to find an answer that would make this all alright.
"It's alright. I would never hurt you," he answered as he brushed her temple. That's all the comfort he could offer her. He pulled her into a hug, but she gently pushed him back.
"That's it?" She pressed, disappointed and annoyed.
He reluctantly gave into her. "I know Draco has the dark mark, because I was at his home when he received it," he answered sourly, as if she was pulling this information out of him like it was his own teeth.
Her face broke, distraught at the revelation. His heart hardened as she looked up at him like she had mistaken a demon for a fallen angel.
"I'm not some knight Dahlia, if that's what you want." He laughed darkly.
Dahlia knew it wasn't, but she didn't know what his allegiance would mean for her. She tried to wiggle out from between his legs but he wouldn't budge. He gently ran his hands down her arms attempting to calm her.
"Are you planning to become a death eater, too?" Her voice raised with a bit of hysteria on the horizon as he refused to release her.
He had to look away from her disappointment. It's like the heavens were on the brink of falling in her eyes when she had asked the question. He couldn't let her escape him on these terms. He bent down to meet her at eye level as he cupped her face.
"Not willingly," he answered earnestly. "But I will do what's necessary to survive what's coming." He was resolute. He ran his hand through her long hair hoping to soothe her, keep her.
"Dahlia, if I wanted to harm you, why would I be trusting you with this information? Don't think this has been easy on me." It was a desperate attempt to restore her confidence in him and justify his choices.
He grabbed her hands and put them to his heart so she could feel it beat. They were silent for a long moment. Dahlia looked down at their hands as he watched her intensely.
Dahlia wondered if she could help him but she held back her words. She pulled her hand away, and he twitched like he might move to keep her pinned between his legs. She shot him a warning glance as she only reached to pick up the book he had grabbed for her. She opened it to reveal withering pages. It was illegible.
She let out a heavy sigh. If only she could learn to harness her visions, then maybe she could guide Theo through this without sacrificing his soul. The whole plan would require her to have a vision in the first place. She rubbed her hands against her cheeks.
"It's really not what you believe? It's not what you want?" She whispered.
"I swear it. Let's just take things slow, yeah?" He said more to himself than her. He murmured sweet nothings into her hair — that she was beautiful, one of a kind, that no one else would do for him. He could try to be better is she stuck around.
"Let's get out of here," she whispered, cutting him off. She kissed their interlaced hands to reassure him she wasn't frightened, even if she was.
"Please, Dahlia. Don't let this be the last time I see you."
"It won't," she smiled.
He didn't believe her. Her heart broke for him.
He gently lifted dahlia off the table and put her down. He buttoned his shirt and situated his clothes. He charmed them so they were once again invisible. They made their way out of the restricted section and walked towards Ravenclaw Tower in silence. She reached for his hand a few times but he wouldn't take hers.
"Please," she muttered, hating the rejection. He slowed to kiss the top of her head. He sighed, succumbing to her wishes. He took her hand.
When they got to the base of the tower, he leaned in and kissed her goodnight. She couldn't help but to kiss him back. She loved the way he tasted and how his mouth moved against hers. He was beautiful in the moonlight and he wore heartbreak so well.
She finally stepped back and dropped his hand.
"I just need time to process what you've told me," she lied.
I just need time to find answers, she thought.
He instantly fell back into his cheeky, boyish persona. She could practically see his impenetrable brick wall mortar itself before her eyes. He clenched his jaw and put his hands in his pockets, standing taller. She wondered if this was some sort of defense mechanism to keep his own heart guarded.
"Yes, whatever you need, Dahlia," he answered. He sweetened the resentment just below the surface in his tone, but it still shone through. He kissed her cheek and walked away without turning back.
She couldn't find her voice to call after him.
She kicked herself for trying to make a decision for the better. She told herself to let him go. He wasn't real; he too wore a mask to hide rigid allegiances. This wasn't a real possibility. His answer was meant to keep her heart fastened to his sleeve. He was nothing but just better at the game of chase than her.
Her thoughts spun in chaos as she was unable to guess the riddle back into the common room. The eagle finally rolled its eyes and allowed her to enter. It grew tired of her endless sneaking about and waking him at odd hours of the night.
She slowly walked inside the common room as she fought the urge to turn back. She whipped around in a moment of weakness as the door slammed in her face. It gave her pause. Her heart constricted in conflict, but she pressed on back to her dormitory. The evening had found a chill as they entered fall, but Dahlia knew that wasn't why she shivered.
She entered her dorm feeling emotionally exhausted. Her roommates were already asleep. She was relieved. She didn't want to talk about what had just occurred.
Dahlia was undressing in the darkness when she noticed a book upon her bed. She thought nothing unusual of it. Her roommates were always leaving new books for her to read after them upon her things.
She picked it up. It was an old dusty thing titled A History of The Moirai Diviners and Their Divinations. The title caught her attention. Adrenaline leaked into her veins. She cautiously opened the book. A twinge of panic roared in her ears as she read the note that fell from its pages:
Happy reading, Dahlia. Your secrets are mine. - D.M.