TThe first snowflakes of a winter storm befell Hogwarts. Dahlia watched the flurries chase each other as they rode the wind outside the towering windows of the Great Hall.
"Dahlia! Focus!" Harry exclaimed. He snapped his fingers in front of her face to garner her attention.
"Sorry," she groaned.
They were supposed to be studying for their potions midterm that was tomorrow.
She had lounged around in bed with Theo for half the weekend, then she had spent the rest cramming for her other exams.
She had gone to bed early last night and once again met Draco in a dream. It had been her dreamland this time, which was quite refreshing. She recognized the American arcade from the small beach town her mother loved so much. Her and Draco had spent hours in their dream, which might explain why she felt less than stellar today despite her many hours of sleep. She had challenged him on pinball machines and he had beat her in car racing games. She had even forced him to play the new Dance Revolution machine against his will, and he had been better than she had ever expected.
After they had grown tired of games, they had walked along the broken pavement that was covered in sand to an old ice scream shop she remembered. He had broken the glass window to unlock the door since the shop had been closed.
"The lengths I go to," he had muttered beneath his breath, wiping the blood from his knuckles.
She had stolen a tub of chocolate ice cream out of the refrigerator and brought it to the beach with them below a boardwalk. They had eaten out of the tub with stolen plastic spoons as they watched the sunrise in silence.
"Are you happy?" He had asked, turning to her with lovely annoyance.
She had nodded, digging her toes farther into the warm shore.
"Good," was all he had replied before tossing a fistful of sand in her direction.
Their truce was going well, but still too new. She was on the edge of her seat, waiting for it all to fall apart once more. Her intuition told her these dreams wouldn't last forever; it was all borrowed time. One day, she might truly have to let him go, and he would have to let her. For now, she let his brazen smile be the mural of her walls. He wore it too well, and it was quickly becoming one of her favorite things.
She couldn't help it, she glanced up at Draco from where she sat with the Gryffindors. He sat across the hall at the Slytherin table. The snowflakes formed a halo above him as they danced behind his silver hair in the window. He must have sensed her gaze as he looked up to meet her eyes with a blank expression. She thought he might have grinned had she not been sitting with Harry Potter. He looked back down without so much as an eye roll or sneer. It felt like a permission he had granted her — to share looks and speak with him publicly without quaking their fragile ground in the waking world. Their truce was bleeding out beyond dreams.
Harry followed her gaze and rolled his eyes at her. Dahlia caught his quick glance of disgust.
"Whatever you're about to say, please don't." She exhaled heavily, a daring sigh.
"I saw their fight," he muttered instead. "Draco and Theodore — it sure seemed like there was something going on between you two." He nodded up towards Draco.
"There isn't," Dahlia replied in lyrical hush. "Draco scared me the other night. I hurt myself apparating away from him. Theo was livid about it, but Theo also happens to endearingly deranged. The end."
"Why was he trying to scare you in the first place?" Harry whispered, perplexed.
"You should know better than anyone that Draco can be extraordinarily cruel, and his bullying can be without reason," she half-lied.
He narrowed his eyes, contemplating if this was the truth, or her truth. She wondered how close he was to putting all the pieces together, Draco's allegiance and her Divine sight, but she didn't dare ask.
He only flipped the page of his potions textbook so she could copy more of his notes. They sat in momentarily silence as he glared at Draco. Dahlia heard a familiar voice and glanced to see Lucas strolling over to the Slytherin table loudly. He was quite beloved amongst his peers. He was rather attractive, a great quidditch player, and was so charismatic he could start a conversation with the rudest of castle ghosts.
"Can I ask you something? And you'll keep it between the two us?" Harry leaned closer and muttered into her.
Dahlia looked up from her notebook and grinned slowly. Her eyes sparkled and she nodded quickly. She placed her hand under her cheek as she readied herself for topnotch gossip.
"Do you know if Juliet is dating Lucas Leerweather ?"
He didn't look over in his direction, but she couldn't stop herself. Lucas raised an eyebrow at her and winked as she must have caught his attention.
"Don't look! Fucking hell, Dahlia," Harry sighed, pulling her face back to him and away from Lucas's direction.
She shook her head at Harry, unbothered. "She's been oddly secretive about it since they first met at the beginning of the year. I don't think they've defined anything, but they were together at a party recently." Dahlia shrugged. She left out that Lucas had spent the night in Juliet's bed on several occasions, including this weekend.
"So I've heard." There was an edge in his tone.
"You miss her, Harry?" She elbowed him playfully with a teasing grin. He shied away from her touch as if it might burn him. Dahlia was convinced she had grown on him, perhaps in a parasitic fashion against his will, but still growth.
"I'm afraid I'm relieved more than anything…I'm quite terrified of Ravenclaw women, actually," he mumbled.
Dahlia couldn't hold back her laughter. Draco shot her an annoyed glance from across the room. She watched his grey eyes trail higher behind her, and his features twisted from friendly annoyance into a cold mask.
She turned to find Theo flipping Draco off as he swaggered up behind her seat. His face softened as she spotted him, and he changed the indecent gesture to blow a kiss at Draco. Dahlia remained expressionless, not wanting either to read into a reaction. Theo gently rubbed her back in greeting.
"Hello Harry," Theo exclaimed loudly and lyrically in a loaded voice. "I've come to steal Dahlia away from your depressing presence."
He grinned like a devil as he sat on the bench and leaned sideways against the table. He leaned his head back to smile at a group of squealing young girls with adorable first crushes. Dahlia couldn't resist. He was flush from the cold and out of uniform. She leaned closer and took his always fidgeting hand. She kissed his cheek. She kept his hand in hers, unusually naked of his rings.
He spared her a surprised, loving glance as if after all this time, she might still surprise him, maybe even make him nervous. She knew how much he loved when she initiated their public displays of affection. They were rare, few and far inbetween moments as he always gravitated to her first.
"You feel good about the exam tomorrow?" Harry asked her, ignoring Theo altogether.
She nodded, and actually meant it. She wasn't sure how much more information she could absorb at this point.
Harry sighed, "alright. You're officially on your own."
Dahlia slammed her book shut. "I'll see you in class, Harry!" She exclaimed as she stood quickly. Theo grabbed her books from the table as he made to leave with her.
"You're such a doll, Potter," Theo winked.
Dahlia slapped his chest at his snide, sarcastic remark. Theo threw his arm over her shoulder as they began walking out of the Great Hall.
"Darling, I meant it! Your grades are stellar now! And if that has anything to do with Harry Twat-ter then I am forever grateful!" He chuckled as Dahlia rolled her eyes and shoved him more harshly than usual.
He took her hand and led her down one of the quieter stone staircases in the castle. It was lit only by candlelight as the storm raged on outside, dimming the daylight. He took a seat on the stone stairs and brought her down next to him. He leaned his forearms against his legs as he rubbed his hands together nervously.
"I wanted to talk to you," his voice trailed off as he traded his usual playfulness for a more serious demeanor. He looked older, his cheekbones more hollowed, when he wore somberness. An anxious pit formed in her stomach.
"Is something wrong?" She asked.
He was quiet for a moment as he determined the best way to phrase his words. Her anxiety only heightened. He must have read her weariness as he reached for her hand. He rubbed it gently within his own.
"Nothing is wrong." He shook his head. "I just, I know where my brother is." He looked at her intently.
Theo was calculated with his statement. He honored Alex's wishes and didn't say that he had met with him in the Forbidden Forest. He waited for Dahlia to respond, but her face was only ridden with more anxiety.
"I want you to meet him." He stated as if it might be a question.
Dahlia's stomach twisted. She realized his brother very well may be the man from her vision if he was only now reappearing. Timing was critical to The Fates above, and she knew when to heed their warnings.
"I think your brother may have been in a vision I had," she blurted in an unclear mumble.
"My brother? Alexander?" He clarified skeptically.
Theo sharpened his eyes. She continued, "I told Blaise, and he told me not to worry about it — that the man I described was most likely not your brother. This man though, Theo, he looked just like you. He had me locked away. I was chained to the floor." She steadied her voice as much as possible to downplay what she had seen.
He broke their shared gaze and shook his head, firmly denying the accusation. "That's impossible. My brother doesn't serve the Dark Lord." He doubled down. "He's always been infuriatingly righteous," he muttered more to himself.
Dahlia quieted as she sensed Theo's headstrong nature lingering.
"Why didn't you tell me? When did this happen?" His tone rose to something stony.
"Not too long ago. I didn't think it was anything to worry about, and I didn't want to put the thought in your mind. I sense countless things every day, Theo." She shook her head at him remorsefully. "But if he's suddenly reappearing, it seems like it might not only be a coincidence," she added with hesitation.
His warm eyes shot back to her like daggers. He fought the unkindness in his bones.
"It's not him." He pushed his sleeves up and bounced his knee. "I want to know about every single vision you have, alright Dahlia?"
He rubbed his eyes as if stressed by a small betrayal. Dahlia felt the tension straining. He was becoming unruly.
"I love you. I just want to help you," he muttered. His muscles were coiled tightly beneath his long-sleeve shirt. Dahlia could only imagine how his thoughts swirled right now.
Dahlia nodded. "I love you, too." she rubbed his back as to soothe his fraying nerves.
"He'll be around for the holidays, if that's alright?" Theo asked quietly. He placed a kiss on her temple. "I think he'll love you."
Dahlia had finally written to her father that she would be spending Christmas with Theo. She didn't plan on returning home anytime soon. She smiled and replied, "that's more than fine with me." Despite the pit in her stomach.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap with a wide grin. They sat and watched the snow fall quietly as he played with her hair.
"What do you want to do after we graduate?" She asked lightly. She had been thinking about the future more and more.
He shot her a baffled glance. It was such a simple question that couples had probably asked each other on first dates. They were far from normal, but he knew she often dreamed about what they might be like if they were. He found it endearing, as he had no wish for such normalcy. He wanted greatness for them.
Dahlia reveled in the beautiful gleam of his whisky eyes.
The answer was obvious to him. He snorted, "not a death eater." He chuckled darkly.
She pushed softly against his chest in jest. "Seriously! Tell me." She ran her fingers through his hair.
"I guess I could be anything I wished? An auror, a healer, a crime lord. I know you're quite jealous of my grades." He gave her a cocky grin.
She shook her head. He was right. It was absolutely annoying how he never had to study for anything but still excelled in his classes.
"What about you?" He asked, pulling her closer on his lap to shield her from the winter chill.
"I want to swindle people with my psychic powers. Build a fortune, so I can lie around by the pool all day," she swooned dramatically.
He laughed softly. "Impossible. You're a horrible liar, Dahlia." He smiled, revealing his dimples.
Whether he meant that she was lying about what she wanted for her life or if she would never be a good enough liar to con people out of money, she wasn't sure.
"I could be content to lounge around your pool, I suppose." She shrugged playfully.
"Sorry, love. Only Notts are allowed to lounge by my pool," he fired back with a cheeky grin.
She held her breath, uncertain of the game he was playing and what his quip might be in search of. He kept his charming smile as his eyes danced with challenge. "I'll have to make you one first," he added smoothly. A dare for her to give him her hand one day.
"We can dream," She simply replied with a heavy breath as. she relaxed deeper into his arms.
Theo wished it might be so simple. He held her there, afraid to let her go. Their future would be much dicier, and their days may very well be numbered. He just needed to switch out the clocks before they were out of time.
—
The next day, Dahlia tapped her foot against the side of the desk as she reread her notes. She had arrived early to Advanced Potions.
"Calm down, Aldair," Draco murmured smoothly behind her as he passed.
His breath was warm on her ear. His touch graced her back in a comforting manner as he spoke. He set down his book bag at the station next to her. She looked up as she felt gravity bend to The Fate's strategic disposition. A homecoming settled within her starry bones.
"Do you ever feel it?" She wondered aloud to him.
He looked at her with peculiarity. "Feel what?" He questioned.
Before she could respond, Pansy billowed past them and gripped Draco's jaw to pull his attention away from her. She kissed him in a rapid display of lust and possession. Dahlia looked away quickly, and stared intensely at her notebook. She tried to numb her aching heart to it. The worst part of her chirped that he loved her madly; more than Pansy. He only surrendered and lowered his battered exterior for her. She hated herself for feeling so envious when she shouldn't feel anything for him to begin with. They were attempting to be friends now, and she made the right choice. Theo was the right choice, she reminded herself. She repeated this daily as a mantra.
She loved Theo. She couldn't imagine a world where she no longer woke up and thought of him as soon as her eyes fluttered open. She was with him whether how the tides turned, and even if he scorched the Earth to the ground. But sometimes Draco couldn't help himself, and stole a touch from her as he had just now. It tested her choice she had made to put Draco's yielded heart on the shelf only made her feel more guilty that she cared if Pansy kissed Draco. It was only fair. She blinked a little too hard as her thoughts spiraled.
"Don't." He shoved her lightly. "Touch me like that," he scolded her in a lethal tone.
Dahlia looked anywhere but in their direction. She was watching the door when Amelia and Theo entered the classroom. He gravitated towards her immediately.
"I'm going to study quickly," Amelia announced to him as she headed over to her desk. "Good luck, Dahlia!" She smiled.
Theo wrapped her into his arms and she breathed him in. It was the sweet moment when the sun eclipsed the moon as they reached for each other against the odds.
"You sleep well?" He asked innocently enough, completely ignoring Draco's close proximity.
"Yes," she nodded with an anxious sigh. It was clear she wasn't completely confident in her exam.
"Don't worry. I don't think you'll need to pass Advanced Potions to lounge around the Italian coast anyway — so no pressure." He grinned. Theo watched her eyes light as he reminded her they could always make a run for it and live out their innocent fantasies.
"I almost forgot we were planning to be lazy thieves," she whispered as she smirked up at him.
He brought his lips to hers for a quick kiss that hopefully softened her nerves. "Pass or I'll punish you," he winked as he walked over to his own station.
Their exam started shortly after. It comprised of brewing two different potions simultaneously. In order to test their long-term potion making skills, they needed to finish brewing the Amortentia potion they had started last week since the love potion required nine days to brew. They also needed to present a euphoria elixir which could be quickly prepared. Dahlia gathered all the ingredients required for both potions and laid them out across her station. She then brought her half-made Amortentia from the storage closet to her desk, setting it over a low flame.
Draco eyed her out of his periphery and watched her decide how to proceed nervously. He focused on their golden-twined bond and reached within himself to clutch it gently. He thought of what it might feel like to run his fingertips down her bare back and whisper folktales into her temples so he could hush her anxious thoughts. He brushed against their tether softly with the image in his mind. He watched her shoulders relax as he half paid attention to his own exam.
Dahlia stilled as she felt a peaceful rush of serenity trickle down her spine. It surged foreignly from her heart and pumped through her veins to even the smallest capillaries. It was a warm hug and the promise that everything would be fine.
She didn't shy away from their bond for once, as she wanted to take whatever grace it could offer her in this moment. She let it take hold. She found herself stepping closer to Draco as she embraced it. She tugged back on the invisible string to say thank you with little to no effort at all.
He coughed suddenly, reaching for his chest as if he might have had a seizing heart palpitation. She froze in horror as she observed him nearly choking at the sensation.
"Are you okay?" She mumbled.
"Too...hard," he rasped.
"I'm sorry," she murmured awkwardly.
He eventually recovered as he pretended he had only choked on thin air to his embarrassment. She laughed at his expense once he had fully recuperated, dropping her Ashwinder Eggs into her love potion. She felt eyes upon her and glanced over at Theo. He watched them interact with his usual flippant demeanor. They had been together for long enough now that she could read his emotional tells as easily as she read the wind. A homicidal urge lingered just below his bored facade. Her apology on Draco's behalf was most likely the trigger, she deduced.
She felt Draco begin to warm her heart with a sugared hush once again. She couldn't help but smile as her potion began to steam. She opted for a drop of blood instead of her hair so the potion would be more potent. She sliced her finger on the page of her notebook, then let her blood drip into her cauldron from her papercut. She sucked the blood off her finger to stop it from bleeding as she stared at Theo. He grinned wickedly as his rage cooled.
The cauldron suddenly cried out a ghastly howl. Professor Slughorn raced over to assess the damage. Instead, he only looked within the cauldron in amazement. The brew shown of a perfect pearlescent hue that refracted the sunlight from the small windows.
"Oh, it's marvelous!" He exclaimed.
He tilted the cauldron so he might evaluate the viscosity. It whispered a thousand languages as it moved. Dahlia knew it had been enhanced with her mythical blood.
"Oh-oh. Extra credit, my dear! I've never seen anything like this," he shouted enthusiastically. "Mr. Malfoy, come!" He demanded.
"What do you smell?" Slughorn asked.
Draco sighed. "Moonflowers, sweet wisteria, fresh pages, warm vanilla, something — I don't know, metallic?" he winced as he realized the onyx had forged itself into her very blood and bones. It was more than skin deep.
Dahlia blushed as he openly admitted he loved her, if others were observant enough to piece it together. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Pansy secretly smelled herself.
"And you, my dear?" He nodded sharply towards Dahlia as he inspected Draco's own finished potion.
She leaned over the cauldron and inhaled slowly. The scent enveloped her in the finest silks as she smelled all of her favorite things: fresh fruit from her mother's planted trees, the rich aroma of the sleeping trees within the forest she used to play in as a child, and the sweet danger of the blackest night for which the stars might paint themselves across in the brightest fashion.
Her heart sank. She had desperately wanted to smell Theo's familiar scent. The gods could be so awful, she thought as she breathed in Draco's lovely air. He had truly been born, or made, for her.
"The moss upon the damp forest floor and smoky wood crackling in a fireplace. Maybe neroli, honey and clove?" She answered with confidence.
Draco snickered next to her as she shot him a glare. He noticed how her body had stiffened, then glanced nervously to Theo from across the room. He only shook his head with a smug smile as he watched her lie through her teeth.
—
Later that week,
The wind howled violently amid the winter storm, blowing Dahlia's cloak amiss. She ignored it, continuing to hum to herself as she strolled down the bustling hallways to her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. It had been a long week, and this was her last exam before the holiday. She had passed her Advanced Potions midterm with flying colors and had managed to do exceptionally well on her Charms, Divination and Ancient Artifacts exams. Theo had left her a bouquet of peonies on her bed the night she had passed her potions exam. He knew how stressed she had been. Despite his lack of effort, he had also done well on all of his exams. They had planned to meet tonight since they had both been busier than usual.
She arrived to the classroom and removed her enchanted golden acorns from her ears. She looked out the large windows as the snow continued to fall. She hadn't seen the stars in days.
Someone violently pulled down the hood of her robe. She turned to find Draco smirking at her. She smiled back. He took his usual seat at the desk in the row next to her.
"Where are you going for the holiday?" She asked.
"My mother wants to leave for Paris Christmas morning," he replied.
"That's lovely," she answered, dumping her book bag on her desk as she searched in frustration for a quill.
"Where are the infamous Aldairs planning to spend their holiday this year? Spain? The Canary Islands?" He asked as he held his hands behind his head to stretch with a cheeky grin.
"I'm afraid Witch Weekly will have no sightings to report," she answered rolling her eyes. "I'm staying with Theo for the holiday."
The devil himself swaggered into the classroom and took his usual seat at the desk with Dahlia. He looked at her with a raised brow as he heard her reply and wondered who she was speaking with. His demeanor changed when he heard Draco's voice carrying in her direction.
"Oh, I'm sure Rita Skeeter will find that equally fascinating for her gossip column," Draco grinned sarcastically.
She snorted and shook her head. "How delightful."
She sat down, turning her attention away from him. Theo instinctively threw his arm around her seat. He bounced his knee and looked forward with his usual callous air about him. He didn't spare her a glance, which was unusual. Dahlia leaned into him and placed her hand on his thigh to steady his raging storm of irritation. He still wouldn't meet her eyes. Her stomach flipped as she realized just how unhappy he was with her. There truly had been nothing between them lately. Draco had settled for something less. She had missed him so much she wasn't sure she could start ignoring him now, but she couldn't handle the consequences Theo dealt her either.
Dahlia pulled out her ace, unable to bear Theo's rage when it was directed at her. She shifted in her seat so her skirt would lift a bit higher in his direction. She leaned further back and placed her hand in her lap, knowing how it would encourage his wicked thoughts. She let her other hand linger a little too long on his inner thigh before clasping her hands between her crossed legs Theo stilled and looked down.
"Do you need something, Dahlia?" His tone was snide.
"I broke my quill," she murmured, close enough for him to feel the heat of her breath on his neck.
He kept his vicious glare forward, only turning enough to wave his hand over her quill. It began to repair itself. The spell was simple, taught in their first year.
"Was that too hard for you?" He finally brought his glare in her direction as he spoke in a patronizing manner. He kept his eyes on her mouth.
"Thank you, Theodore," she whispered. She knew he loved when she used his full name.
He looked up from her open mouth, meeting her contrition. She grinned innocently at the heated haze now clouding his angry eyes.
"Don't push me, Dahlia." He shook his head at her.
She only pretended to stretch, letting out a small breathy sigh as she exhaled in his direction. Theo clenched his jaw, blinking several times as if trying to toss aside the image of her making similar breathless noises, moaning beneath him, that she so cleverly placed in his mind.
In an impulsive moment, he took her hand harshly.
"What are you doing?" She gasped as he spun his time turning ring in deliberate motions.
She watched in awe as he spun back time around them. She stood from her seat, and stepped forward as she watched dozens of students enter and exit the classroom as the sun began to rise backwards, setting. Time slowed as the moon rose into the sky, drenching them in its light through the large windows. She spun to face Theo, who remained seated as he adjusted his ring, unfazed by the wondrous magic he had just performed. He locked the door with a focused glance, then his unreadable eyes met her own.
"I don't want you speaking to him so casually." His voice was tight, as if pained to speak with her.
She nodded wordlessly, unable to commit verbally. "What can I do?" She asked coyly.
There was a moment where he seemed as if he was fighting an urge to coddle her or punish her — either pull her close or lash out.
"I love you, with everything in my heart. It's you." She fiddled with nails quietly, reassuring him of her choices. His hard expression softened. He ran a hand through his hair in exasperation.
"And I love you madly. We already know these things. You don't have to repeat them," he replied as if he didn't want to hear it. He leaned forward and a sultry grin slowly broke across his face. His demeanor change abruptly as if ready for a distraction.
"Now crawl to me," he whispered. His demand falling smooth from his lips.
She looked around the empty classroom nervously.
"No one is coming, love." He grinned as to convey all of his worst intentions for her.
Her pulse quickened, and she was suddenly too far from his touch. He felt dangerous and unpredictable. This type of his love was rare, nearly foreign to her, but it was alluring all the same. He hadn't fucked her in jealousy since the first time he had told her he loved her.
She turned, after a brief moment, and looked to the moon as she removed her sweater. She let its light consume her through swirling snow clouds as she hadn't seen it in quite some time. It was a euphoria in its own right.
She removed her shoes and tights. She felt his eyes on her back, watching her closely. She unbuttoned her shirt to reveal her silver bra. She turned to face him as she loosened the zipper on her skirt and let it fall to the floor. She stood in nearly nothing as the light reflected against his signet ring she had fastened around her neck with a golden chain. She hardly ever wore the charmed necklace anymore, since it had nearly suffocated her. Theo spun his own ring she had given him around his middle finger as he waited impatiently.
He motioned for her to come to him in a flippant manner, using two waved fingers as he leaned back, then shoved his hands in his pockets. She said nothing as she lowered herself to her knees and moved slowly towards him on all fours. She swayed her hips as she crawled to him across the cold floor. He shook his head and looked up to the stars as if cursing them for making her his own damned curse.
He looked down to her with a rewarding smile as he finally reached forward to cup her face. She kneeled before him between his legs as he gently caressed beneath her chin, tilting her mouth up to him but refusing to kiss her. She said nothing as she ran her hands up his inner thighs. His breath hitched as she slowed over his hardness beneath his trousers. She went to unbutton his pants. He clutched her wrists together to stop her.
"Are you wet for me?" He whispered harshly.
She shrugged as she loosened one of her wrists free. He allowed it. She brought her hand beneath her underwear and looked into his eyes with a breathless moan.
His mouth fell open slightly as he watched her. He had only wanted her to rub her thighs together to give him an answer, but this had been much sweeter.
She finally nodded. He let go of her wrist and motioned down for her to continue as he leaned farther into his chair, letting her have her wicked way with him. He watched her pull him free. She didn't spare him a moment to prepare himself before she took all of him into her mouth. He let his head fall back as he groaned. He couldn't manage this for long, not when she knew the things he liked.
"Dahlia," he breathed, trying his best to hide the effect she had on him. "Come here." He motioned for her to stand.
She smiled as she stood, the light casted behind her like a specter. He pulled her by the hips onto his lap, with her legs spread widely across his own. He sat taller, smirking like a winner as he teased his kiss, nearly pulling back as she anticipated him.
Like the strike of a match, he finally crashed his mouth against hers hungrily. He held her tightly with a crushing weight as if he might seep into her pores too, just as the crystal had so he may be permanent. He pulled her thin underwear to the side, unable to play his own game any longer. He lifted her hips, muscles straining, so he could bring them together. She bit his lip and moaned quietly as he brought her down on his length. She took him so well, he thought. He would surely die for this, he realized.
Theo's head fell back as he felt her twitching within to adjust for all of him. She arched her back so he might hit that sweet spot she liked. He now knew all the ways she liked to move against him; had memorized all her different moans. He leaned farther back so he could please her best with a smug grin. He knew how to bring her home quickly. There was nothing left for him to discover as he knew all of her, and loved every fragment; every breath. He knew all the right things to whisper, and all the wrong things she liked too.
He kept his mouth on hers so no whimper could escape and be lost to him. He pulled her forward and back on top of him as he sunk the edges of his rings into the delicate skin of her hips. She ran her hands down his neck and quickly unbuttoned her shirt. She placed light kisses on his collarbone. He took her face with a harsh grip.
"Don't waste time, love. Fucking kiss me," he muttered through labored breaths.
She brought her lips back to his. Their chests were pressed tightly together as he wrapped an arm around her waist and kept her rhythm with his other hand, pulling her back and forth against him steadily. He felt her begin to shake within his arms. He only smirked knowing how predictable her body was to him now. He understood her fully. She gripped his jaw as if she might find her high within moments.
He stopped abruptly. She looked devastated as if he had taken a glass of wine from her mid sip. He kissed her neck and whispered against her skin, "turn around." He sank his teeth against her salty neck, nearly drawing blood. She gasped at the harder than usual bite.
Theo traced her waist as she stood and turned. He sat up in his seat as he guided her down on top of him. Dahlia felt the warmth of his hard chest as he fisted her hair and pulled her back straight against him. He placed his other hand on her stomach as he began moving beneath her, beckoning her to move with him. He felt entirely too tight at this angle. He slowly caressed his hand downward until he found what he wanted. She whined beneath his touch.
Dahlia just wanted to see his face. She turned to kiss him, but he nudged her harshly, keeping her in place without a word. He tugged her hair, and she felt suddenly all too exposed.
"Please. I just want to kiss you," she nearly cried.
He chuckled smoothly, and she shrank into herself. Her insecurities began to rear within her troubled mind. She couldn't decide if she liked this anymore, which was enough of a decision for her. "Theo, I'm fucking serious! I don't want you like this right now!" There was an edge of panic in her voice.
Theo immediately let her go. He stood and quickly distanced himself, suddenly afraid to touch her. They took a separate beat to relax after the intense moment.
Dahlia wasn't sure where her emotional and physical boundaries met and ended with him. They were completely blurred. She had let him lightly punish her before during sex but this felt different, like he might actually have hate in his heart for her and he had mistaken it for love. Things had gotten so messy with Draco that she felt an overwhelming need to keep anything to do with him out of their intimate moments, including punishment.
Dahlia's eyes fell, threatening tears. She couldn't help but imagine how he might leave her once he realized their bond couldn't be broken. She would never be enough — never love him enough. The irony that he never felt worthy enough for her made her spin out of orbit.
She turned to face him in the black moonlight. The darkness would forever suit him best. He was gorgeous, and the small thought that any girl would want this — want him and be grateful for this — ate at her.
She turned back to the window, sneering for no one in particular. Those girls didn't know better. She pitied the ones he might have liked, or even loved, before — his love could be volatile, even taxing, as he covertly tested limits. Dahlia knew she could handle it as they couldn't; the bottomless well within her confirmed she was something else entirely.
"Dahlia." His voice was pleading, smooth like the final sip of whisky. She turned as he approached her.
"Darling..." Theo cupped her face gently and looked into her weary eyes. He knew she was spiraling. "It's alright." He picked her up by the waist and sat her on the desk in front of him. He took off his shirt fully so she could see that he was vulnerable, as well. He brought her hands to cup his own face. He leaned his forehead against hers as he gently caressed her arms.
"Is this what you wanted?" He whispered earnestly.
She nodded, feeling utterly ridiculous and like an open wound. He only smiled and kissed her cheeks gently a few times to bring her to a comfortable place. He held her tightly within his arms.
"I'll always love you. Alright?" He nodded his head. "Even when our bones return to the earth, I'll find you somewhere in a new lifetime or between the moons, so I may love you again."
She nodded with an anxious expression.
"I'm sorry, Dahlia," he whispered. Her name sounded like a hymn as it past through his lips. "I will never do that again. I never want to hurt you." He pressed his nose to hers as he murmured.
Her lips finally parted for him, and he slipped his tongue inside her mouth. She leaned back on her arms, bringing him down with her as she deepened the kiss.
She spread her legs wider for him, and he took the hint. He hesitated before thrusted into her with close attention to her features, wanting to ensure she enjoyed every moment of this. He only saw her mouth fall open as he filled her. He started moving slowly as he pulled his thumb down on her bottom lip. He wrapped one arm around her lower back and traced her jawline with the other.
"I just wanted to look at you," she murmured.
He nodded and smiled. "I like this the most," he whispered.
She placed her hand over his chest so she could feel his heartbeat. He placed his hand on top of hers and held it firm. He kissed her neck as she tilted her head back under the dark shadows from the night sky. She wondered what would happen if she tried to reach for him with her Sight. She knew she had already showed Theo a glimpse of their life somewhere out there. She channeled the moonlight through her pumping blood. She exhaled a shaky, hot breath into his mouth as he moved against her. He hissed and clenched his jaw as if it had pained him to be graced by her power — her blessings unable to fall on him. He grinned wickedly like he enjoyed the brief torture. He moved faster as if unable to control himself. She tried once more to manifest her love into a physical sensation for him. She glimmered, eyes paling with a brief incandescent glow.
"You're fucking beautiful," he spoke into her mouth. He wrapped his arms around her as if the slight scorch on his heart lit his fire. He moved rapidly in and out of her and she held the desk for support.
She moaned and panted as he got her closer. He moved his clenched hand up her side in a sweet pain. She knew it would bruise. He stopped over her bra as he pulled the fabric down, then bit her breast. She gasped, falling into the abyss. He slowed his thrusts, licking up her sternum as she came undone for him. Her moans would forever be the call his heart answered.
He brought his mouth to hers, then picked up his pace. She laid fully on her back for him so he could see how he made her move — so he could see what his touch did to her. He grabbed her hand and held it over her head. She channeled the moonlight again. She wanted to remind him she wasn't fully human, and no one else could make him feel like this. He moved roughly against her and when she blew her cosmic breath into his mouth as he leaned over her; he found his own ecstasy from the pain as he came within her. He loved making her his this way, and that she allowed such a thing for him, even if she was charmed against the consequences. She sat up and kissed him deeply as she moved her hips with his rhythm. She tousled his hair and ran her hands down his slickened chest. He kissed her forehead with an exhausted breath as he pulled out of her.
"Well, that was new," he huffed. "You're getting stronger, I think." His tone was unreadable.
She smiled, unknowing how incredible worried Theo was that her desire for Draco was building along with her strength, and she would soon leave him behind. He wasn't sure what magic she had been trying to cast onto him but The Fates wouldn't allow it. He wasn't chosen. He was cursed, and had only seen something awful through her touch. He buried it deep within himself.
"I think so, too. I wonder what else I can do." She grinned devilishly.
"You are equally marvelous and terrifying," he replied, picking up his shirt and buttoning it back up.
He walked back over to help her dress and situate herself. "Shall we?"
"If we must," she sighed.
He grinned. "It's important that we sit exactly as we were. It'll only feel like a lost second to those around us."
"I can't believe you bent time so you might fuck me," she snorted.
"Dahlia, there is little I wouldn't do for the chance," he answered with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, shaking his head.
He positioned her how he remembered and then deliberately spun his ring in select movements as if setting coordinates. Time moved forward rapidly. It was as if she blinked and she was back in class.
She squinted her eyes as they adjusting to the daylight. She turned to Theo, who wore a grin the god of mischief might throw on from time to time. She watched some students look out the window curiously and confused.
Professor Snape entered the classroom and shut the blinds. He passed out a large written exam, and she groaned in horror. She was hoping it would have been a more practical test. She looked at Theo whose mood had turned to sudden dread.
She sighed and got to work with her repaired quill. He held her hand under the table.
An hour or so had passed when Professor McGonagall entered the classroom abruptly. She quietly headed to the front of the classroom where Professor Snape was leaning against his desk supervising.
"Severus," she heard her whisper before pulling him aside.
She looked back down to her test, but felt their eyes burning on her. She glanced up and met Professor McGonagall's concerned face. She dropped her head back down quickly, ignoring them as they spoke in hushed whispers.
Theo's chair scraped against the stone floor. He stood, gathered his things, then walked to the front of the class. He threw his exam down on Snape's desk defiantly, then winked at her as he exited the classroom.
She turned to Draco, who was observing Snape intently.
She tried to focus her attention on the last page of her exam. Once finished, she stood to turn in her exam, as well. Professor McGonagall stepped towards her, then reached for her arm gently.
"Miss Aldair, the headmaster would like to speak with you," she whispered quietly as other students were still taking their exam.
Dahlia only smiled politely and nodded in an attempt to gather the least amount of attention. Professor McGonagall waved for her to follow. She grabbed her things and exited the classroom with her. She looked around the hall to see if Theo had waited, but it seemed he hadn't.
Dahlia was escorted to the headmaster's office. She approached the gilded phoenix statue and regarded it curiously. Professor McGonagall whispered the password, and the phoenix shuffled to life. It spun and revealed a swirling stone staircase. Dahlia hopped on a stair as it cascaded upwards. It halted, and she continued up the stairs until she entered the headmaster's office. The eyes of at least fifty portraits peered at her wordlessly as she stepped forward.
"Miss Aldair," Dumbledore nodded.
He stood from the seat behind his desk, and held out a hand to the opposite chair. "Have a seat if you would like." His voice was too calming.
Dahlia sat as the professor leaned back against his desk to face her.
"It just so happens that your father sent word only hours ago that he will be escorting you home directly for the holiday. He should be arriving shortly."
Dumbledore waved his hand, and a tea set whisked through the air. It began preparing itself for her. He waited for her response patiently as if he might gage her allegiance through her reaction.
Dahlia's mouth must have fallen open in shock. She slowly absorbed his words and what they meant for her. A rush of hot panic prickled her skin. She pushed her feet into the plush oriental carpet as to ground herself from the oncoming anxiety attack.
He must have deciphered the rising hysteria upon her face. "There is nothing I can do to prevent him from taking you, unfortunately," he added solemnly. "Have some tea. It should help calm the nerves."
Dahlia reached for the scolding tea as she attempted to control her rapid breathing.
"I've heard reports that you have healed quite well." He folded his hands together.
Dahlia nodded uncomfortably. "Yes, I didn't even miss class."
"That is quite remarkable." He sighed as if remembering something fondly. "You know, you are only the second seer I believe I have ever encountered."
Dahlia looked up from her steaming tea sharply. It was a shock to hear him speak so blasé about a heavily guarded secret that it seemed everyone now knew within the span of a few months. It was both freeing and horribly terrifying. She was waiting any day now for some wretch to drag her away before she could help herself.
"I had the pleasant opportunity to speak to your mother once," he paused in case she wished to not hear about her — in case it was too painful.
She nodded for him to continue, desperate for any piece to add to the broken puzzle of her mother's love.
"She was barely older than you. Maybe a year? Who knows, I'm far too old now." He looked towards the pensieve in the corner. "She was weeping beneath the window of changing constellations. You know, in the Astronomy Tower?" He nodded. "Anyway, she did this often. One evening, I finally stopped to ask if she was alright." He glanced down at his hands as if it was a troubled memory.
"We spoke and Valeria, your mother of course, told me something I still often ponder." He tilted his head in thought. "A seer's words can be haunting that way, I suppose. Many have died in search for their wisdom, and many die after in the pursuit of fulfillment. Anyway," he waved. "She asked me if I would like to know the secret. I did, very much so. Your mother told me the universe has stories to write, and it resists changes to the endings."
Dahlia sipped her tea and interrupted snidely, "that sounds about right. Vague and chaotic — like her, per usual."
He only chuckled before continuing, "I was curious, as any wizard would be when one is lucky enough to find themselves amongst such a rare circumstance. I asked her what the stars had written for myself." He paused and looked down as if still spooked.
"She foretold that I would die within these walls. She was not one to sugarcoat unfortunate happenings," he laughed morbidly. "But, she also said that it was a necessary ending to change the tides and that her daughter might need a nudge." He held his hands out to his sides and grinned. "So, here we are — the nudge. Isn't that curious? And spectacular?"
Dahlia was desperate to know anything else about her mother, eager to grasp onto anything. She only muttered back, "did she say anything else?"
He sighed as he sensed her heartache and refusal to see the point.
"She knew her time would be short. She wept under the window as she had seen you do the same once. She liked to hear your whispers through the constellations. She said you were boundless. The stars wouldn't whisper to you as clearly, only because they were waiting for you to break the silence." He brought his eyes to hers. "I have no idea what any of that means, but I'm hoping you might."
Dahlia clenched her jaw to avoid showing any deep cut emotion.
"I miss her," she mumbled. It was all she could manage.
"Miss Aldair, while I'm sure your story has a strict ending and you are on the necessary path, I worry about the company you keep. You are neither good, nor bad, you were born for the natural balance. If it ever gets too dark, please know that we are here to guide you home to the starlight. We are closer than you realize."
Dahlia shook her head, fed up. She was tired of vague knowledge that only raised more questions. "Professor, I am not boundless," she scoffed. "I am, in fact, bound to Draco Malfoy for reasons still unknown," she blurted rudely.
She wasn't totally sure why she had told him. She thought maybe the wise old man would have advice. He only laughed in surprise again.
"Isn't the universe resplendent? To think we are all pawns in a larger happening, it's both a beautiful relief and a horror amongst free will."
Dahlia only shook her head to disagree. She wouldn't, couldn't fall victim to the games of the higher powers.
"Well then, perhaps you both should work to solve it after all." He sighed, "and perhaps you should go and gather your things."
Dahlia froze as his words struck a chord. Could he possibly mean to help Draco solve the vanishing cabinet? Or did he simply mean to work together to solve the riddle of why they were bound? Regardless, she placed her teacup upon his desk and stood.
"Thank you, headmaster." She smiled. "Your words about my mother meant a lot to me."
She meant it. She would be forever searching for any crumb she could gather so she may one day know every moment she had missed of her mother.
"We will meet you in the viaduct courtyard shortly," he replied firmly.
The realization that she would be leaving Hogwarts with her father sank in as she exited Dumbledore's office and headed back towards Ravenclaw Tower. She had been gracefully trotting along, quietly obeying. She suddenly halted. What was she doing?
She took off, dashing towards the Great Hall. She needed to find Theo. She pushed past students and apologized profusely as her blue robes swelled behind her, catching wind. She wasn't even sure if he was there, but she was on limited time.
She raced through the doors of the hall. Her eyes drifted across the room in search of Theo. She had just seen him leave class less than an hour ago. He was nowhere to be found, but she did notice a few of his quidditch teammates. She approached them as they sat quietly snickering to each other. They looked up at her as she neared.
"Aldair? You alright, darling?" One of them called.
"Do you know where Theo is?" She tried to steady her voice.
They looked at each other as if perplexed. They finally shrugged.
"Sorry, love. He's usually here," one of them answered.
She smiled and thanked them before hurrying out of the Great Hall. She headed back towards the grand staircase, where all the common rooms could be easily navigated. She was heading down towards the stairs that would bring her to the dungeons so she might beg someone to let her in.
But there was suddenly no need. She heard his familiar laugh, rich in charm, echo through the staircase. She paused as she searched for it breathlessly. She looked over the railing of the moving landing, and found Theo's brilliant smile below — only this time it wasn't for her.
He was smiling devilishly and speaking animatedly with a girl in Hufflepuff robes she didn't recognize. He was flirting; she knew his demeanor — had memorized it. The girl's hair looked like hers used to, golden and streaked by the summer sun, back when he had first fallen in love with her, before he had known she was a seer. She couldn't help that the stars had permanently drenched her hair in its glowing light. Her stomach dropped as it all sunk in. The sick irrational fear that he meant to replace her found flame. It burned brightly, consuming all of her thoughts.
The girl grabbed him and stepped closer. She knew in her bones this was her karmic debt for what she had done with Draco. He had been intimate with her not even hours ago. Should she have let him have his way with her? Had he simply been a better liar? Had he flipped the tables, only to con against her instead of with her? It was a painful confusion that left her trembling with fuel in her veins.
She numbed, the blackness holding her periphery hostage. Is this envious sucker punch what Theo experienced regularly? How could he stand it? Her crumbs of empathy didn't stop her sudden bitterness from edging him out of her heart momentarily. Her darkness whispered in the back of her mind that she knew she could try to give him everything, too much, and it would still never be enough for him.
She pushed herself back from the railing and ran up the staircase to Ravenclaw Tower. She shoved through the students in a blind fury. She didn't need him to fucking save her — sever her chain. She was star-born. She didn't answer to men, only the goddesses from which she was divinely crafted by their sacred hands — from the dust between dying and birthed planets. She could forge more crystals and bones into her own, devour them all, so she might shatter his soul with the snap of her fingers if she so wished.
She hated them all. Theo could be clever, Draco might be cruel and her father was deceitful, but she knew she could be worse; an abomination if so pushed to it — if she only once dared to peer over the ledge into the bottomless well that resided within her, something sinister of her own forging might smile back, out of that blackness. She could fucking save herself and Theo would only be so lucky if she chose to save him one day.
She felt an anxious rage pin-ball through her spine with nowhere to go as she raced up the stairs. She didn't wait to solve a riddle. She placed her hand upon the gilded bird and exhaled in a loose breath a million potential answers and endless knowledge. The bronze statue whipped its wings into itself and shrieked violently. The door opened as if the magic had malfunctioned. The statue squealed as if dying, and didn't close behind her. Students gathered in horror, but Dahlia only continued a furious pace to her room. She opened the door to her dorm and slammed it shut behind her.
Juliet jumped at her arrival as she had been sitting quietly at her desk. Eloise immediately sat up from her bed where she had been reading.
"Dahlia? What's wrong?" They both exclaimed.
"My father is here. He's taking me home by force it would seem." She shrugged and laughed darkly. She wiped her hot tears away. She hadn't even realized she had been crying. Another flaw, she thought.
"Does Theo know?" Juliet asked. She watched her shove nearly all her belongings in a messy heap into her trunk.
"I tried to tell him but he was talking to some stupid Hufflepuff girl. I don't know," she spat angrily. She shook her head. "I shouldn't say she's stupid. He's definitely the stupid, fucking prick. Fucking shit," she said aloud, but she was mainly speaking to herself.
Eloise and Juliet shared a look of concern. They had never seen Dahlia quite so unhinged.
"And Dumbledore, the wisest wizard of our time, actually has no leads about what I might do with my Sight. But I think I just killed that bloody bird on the door, so I definitely didn't know I could do that." She wiped her nose as she continued to vent.
"He did get to speak to my mother on the topic of my Sight more than I ever did, so that's quite lovely for him," she added viciously.
"Dahlia, let me help you," Juliet murmured as she began folding up her clothes to make more space in her trunk.
"You're welcome to stay with me if you can manage to escape," Eloise said firmly as she hid Theo's journal in a sweatshirt before throwing it into the trunk. She had a sneaking suspicion that Dahlia would want it later and regret not packing it in her rage.
Dahlia only nodded. "I love you both," she squeaked as she forced her tears to stop.
She wouldn't allow anymore to fall. She hugged both Juliet and Eloise tightly. She never felt like anyone's safety was guaranteed anymore. She let go after a long moment. She closed her trunk and locked it with her wand.
"We'll come with you," Eloise murmured. Juliet nodded in agreement.
"Windgardium leviosa," she casted. Her trunk levitated in the air and followed her as she walked out of her dorm room. They passed through the broken door where Professor Flitwick was now standing with Mr. Filch. They both wore befuddled expressions. Dahlia paid them no mind.
They made their way down the winding staircase of Ravenclaw Tower. They moved with a force as Dahlia was now determined to avoid both Draco and Theo as she left the school with her father. Dahlia held hands with Juliet as she made her way down the grand staircase and her pulse started to pick up. She was terrified to see her father, whom she had abandoned in the middle of a dinner party the last time she saw him. She hadn't answered any of his letters — hadn't even opened the majority of them.
"Please write to me," she begged her friends. "I want to know everything, especially how it goes with Xavier's parents, Eloise."
She was walking towards the staircase in front of the Great Hall that led to the courtyard when she felt someone grab her hand from behind. She had been in such a daze of fear that she hadn't even noticed anyone approaching.
She turned quickly to find Theo towering over her. She looked up into his calculating eyes that were forever home, whether or not she liked it. He assessed her trunk and her disgruntled appearance. She didn't have the capacity to speak first. Now that they were stopped, Juliet began smoothing her hair knowing her father would criticize anything less than perfect.
"Dahlia, what's happening?" Theo finally asked.
"My father is here. He's bringing me home. I tried to find you but," she looked around at the growing whispers from the crowding students. Her father had most definitely arrived.
"Do you think he's pulling her out?" One girl whispered.
"My mother works at the ministry and said he's sending her to Beauxbatons. Or worse, Ilvermorny," another girl chimed.
Dahlia didn't want to fight with Theo so publicly. She was suddenly under a scorching microscope. She finally finished her thought and muttered, "but you weren't around. You would know sooner if you had waited for me."
He stepped closer to her in an attempt to gain some privacy from the lingering eyes. He didn't think her words were fair as he had only disappeared for her sake. There was something between the lines he couldn't read.
"I was just in the Great Hall when people started whispering that your father was here. Then I saw you with your trunk. I was just here, Dahlia," he replied in a hushed tone and pointing the hall behind them.
She smiled at him for the public eye, but her rage renewed. His honestly was all she had wanted, even if she hadn't been so forthcoming herself.
"I saw you elsewhere," she answered coolly, unable to contain her scowl.
She saw the secret revealed click in his eyes. He reached for her and took her hand.
"Dahlia, that was so innocent. I needed something," he murmured in a panic.
"It's alright," she lied.
She just needed this conversation to end so she might sort through her emotions at a better time. She didn't want to look in his eyes as she didn't want to see her home catching fire.
"I have to go," she nodded firmly with a fake smile.
"No, you don't and don't act like you've never done the same. I love all of you."
She dropped his hand as if burned. She was too overwhelmed and emotional to think clearly.
"You aren't seriously leaving with him," he whispered. He grinned at her in sour confusion as he took her arm. The situation was falling out of his control.
"What would you have me to do?" She sighed incredulously. She pulled her arm from his grasp.
"I don't know, Dahlia, but not this. Just take my hand, it'll be fine."
His expression finally broke into something more desperate as he realized that this might be entirely out of his control. He no longer understood her decision making. He set his jaw and narrowed his golden eyes as if masterminding a plan.
Dahlia knew if she took his hand that he would steal her away. He would apparate her to somewhere more private where he might cradle her heart, patch her wings and smother her with so much love that she might never feel the need to rebuild herself again.
She held steadfast, out of his reach. She didn't want Theo to whisk her away against her will. She wanted to fall into him and his safety, but she fought the urge.
"I'll be okay. You forget that I've always taken care of myself," she whispered confidently and took a step back as she crossed her arms.
It was true. She had healed herself from splinching. Draco was the one who had held her hand while her bones were reborn. She had carried her grief alone for years. She could face her father as she had all this time. She was braver than she realized.
She began walking back. The courtyard came into view through the massive castle doors that remained open and welcoming. She saw her father chatting politely with Dumbledore and Professor Snape. She felt momentarily numb as the reality sunk in. She looked back at Theo.
A defiance emerged in his eyes as they bore into her. His jaw was set with a furious unwillingness. He stepped forward as to reach for her arm or any piece of her to keep her safely within the castle walls.
Draco stepped in front of him and grabbed his shoulders. "Don't. You'll only give him leverage. You'll make it worse," he murmured with cold annoyance.
Theo viciously glared at him.
"It's chess, politics, so make a better move. He expects this," Draco added in a lower voice.
Theo ripped himself from Draco's grasp and replied, "You don't know shit, Draco."
"That's her father, Nott." Draco pushed him back towards the crowd of students.
Theo watched Dahlia shake her head, her eyes pleading with him to behave.
Theo felt Amelia interlace his hand with hers for either emotional support or to keep him in safely in the crowd. He mouthed, "I love you."
She only smiled and twirled his signet ring on the long golden chain around her neck anxiously. It brought him solace to see his house crest upon her since she had been wearing his protective heirloom less and less. She still wanted to be his, despite whatever had just happened.
Dahlia was too upset with him to say she loved him back. She only turned and walked with Juliet to meet her father in the courtyard. She felt his scrutinizing gaze on her back as she walked down the stairs.
"My beautiful moon," her father spoke as he embraced her. "And Miss Hart. I hope your parents are well."
Juliet only nodded and smiled brilliantly for Dahlia's father. She reached to hug Dahlia goodbye. "If you need anything, write to me," she whispered in her ear as she embraced her.
Dahlia only replied, "I'll see you soon."
"Miss Aldair, we will welcome you back shortly," Dumbledore said calmly with folded hands.
He turned to her father. "And Devereaux, your company is always a delightful occasion, even if unexpected."
Her father nodded with a polite grin. "Great to see you, Albus. Do let me know if there is anything you ever need from the Ministry."
"Shall we, Dahlia?" Her father extended his arm out to her. She took it and disappeared with a crack. Theo thought it might have resounded from his own heart.