Today was Potions class day and usually Romina didn't mind the subject, unlike Harry and just about every other student in the room. Today, however, was different. She absolutely hated it. She hated it the moment she begrudgingly sat down next to Draco. Why she became his partner this year, she would never understand.

Because Hermione fucking showed up late on the first day and Snape sent her to find a new partner. Romina felt like Hermione owed her some kind of payment for this ordeal.

Either way, it was all done and, unfortunately, permanent for the year. Neither she nor Draco had spoken to each other since yesterday when he kicked her out of the hospital wing. As it turned out, they were both equally stubborn. Their friends only wondered if they had realized that yet. Romina had gotten over her initial surprise, and embarrassment, about the scene and moved on to the next stage: anger. And the dire need of retribution.

Snape announced that they would be brewing a Shrinking Solution today. Each student was to turn in their own solution at the end of the class. Draco didn't wait even a minute before he made his "injury" known and told Snape he couldn't possibly cut up the ingredients on his own, not with his injured arm in a sling.

Romina rolled her eyes. She wasn't surprised when Snape told her to help him out. Who else would it be?

"Blaise is right there," she muttered to Draco when Snape turned away.

"Don't you fucking dare involve me in this," Blaise hissed at them from behind. He and Theodore were already working. "You want to keep playing mad, that's your business."

"Trust me, Blaise, I'm not playing," Romina said, then shot Draco a glare. "And I'm not cutting shit for you."

"I think you are if you plan on surviving this lesson. Unless you want to turn into Longbottom over there," Draco countered then made a nod towards Neville. Snape had already stopped by to tell him what he was doing wrong.

Romina did not want to become Neville, unfortunately. With another glare on Draco, she reached for his ingredients. She started cutting the roots.

Draco watched her like a hawk, and his smirk was just irking her. "Oswell, do I need to inform Snape you're practically mutilating my roots? What is that?"

"Go ahead. Whine."

"Or I can just take your roots."

"The fuck you will." Romina quickly reached for her roots and chopped them up as badly as she had with this. She might have even made hers worse than his.

Draco was shocked. His eyes had widened with disbelief. "You just — you just ruined yours!"

Romina looked up with a wide smirk. "Then I guess now we'll both fail. You want me to skin the shrivelfig too? Or the caterpillars?" She reached over for the shrivelfig on his side when he slammed his hand over hers.

"In your words: the fuck you will!"

Romina's smile tightened. "Glad you're getting the message." She tried pulling her hand out from under his but he pressed his hand harder over hers. "If you don't want that hand accidentally sliced, I suggest you lift it."

"Go ahead, you'll slice yours too." Draco's smirk was shortlived when Romina retaliated with her response.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't cry about it like you."

Before Draco could say anything — if he would, because Romina was sure he was furious and outwitted — they heard sniggering behind them. Quite in sync, they both looked back and saw Theodore was quietly laughing at them.

"No, no," he said as he skinned his shrivelfig, "Don't stop on my account. This is the funniest shit ever. Keep going."

Blaise wasn't laughing but he was smirking, clearly enjoying the fact he could overhear every single word of theirs. It took only a few seconds for Romina to blame Draco for it.

"You're the one refusing to help," he frowned.

"Because you're not hurt!" Romina grew tired of repeating herself. "And you" — as she went to point at him, she realized his hand was still on hers so she yanked it and then smacked his hand — "kicked me out!"

More than shocked with her childish smack, Draco was affronted with the whole thing. "You sided with—"

"I didn't side with anyone, you idiot!" Romina said, exasperatedly. "You listened to Pansy instead of me and then you decided to kick me out so guess what? Now I'm more than happy to let both of us fail this assignment!"

"You're bloody crazy!"

"Hell yeah, I am! So it's either you admit that you're not hurt and start cutting up your own ingredients or sit here with me and fail. I have no problem with failing. I've no intentions of turning anything in anyways."

"Wait..." Draco paused altogether and looked at Romina rather confused, "What do you mean you've no intention of turning anything in anyways? You're planning on failing?"

"None of your fucking business," Romina shifted in her seat and planted her elbows on the table then rested her chin on her hands.

"If you fail on purpose, Snape will see right through it. He'll call you out on it."

"And give me detention? No problem with that either."

Draco grew even more confused. In the almost 3 years that he had known Romina, she'd never gotten detention before. She did her work without protest; she was an average student. The 'I don't care' attitude was definitely new, along with several other things about her this year. His eyes roamed her ridiculously short hair. "Why'd you cut your hair?"

Romina made a face as she briefly glanced at him. "What?"

Draco was dead serious with his question. "Your hair," he repeated, "Why did you cut it?"

Romina's nose scrunched. "Because I did. What's it to you?"

"Find it strange, that's all," Draco said, giving a light shrug of his shoulders. "Most girls would've cried a river if their hair was chopped off like that."

"I like it this way." From the corner of her eyes, Romina saw him reaching for the knife set on his side of the table.

He scoffed. "No you don't." He had started cutting the uneven roots — all of them — with both of his hands.

"What? You can read minds now?"

"No, but it's fairly obvious."

"So, you can read minds?"

"You're always picking at it," Draco said matter-of-factly like it was common knowledge.

However, Romina shifted in her seat. She hadn't meant to pick at her hair so publicly. "Why are you even looking at me anyway?" she muttered. Her face had flushed in seconds.

Draco was still cutting the roots. Why the hell had she chopped them up so horribly!? "Does it annoy you?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll make sure to keep doing it."

Romina groaned. "You're insufferable."

"And you really have the worst hand when it comes to cutting," he said with a slight chuckle.

"I was trying to make you fail, and mad!"

"And how's that working out for you?"

"Shut the—!" Romina only just caught herself from cursing with Snape two tables away. She took a deep breath in, making a real effort to exhale without shaking so much. It was a lot harder when she could see Draco beside her proudly smiling to himself. "Now I get why people hate you!" she huffed.

"And where are you going?" Draco saw her getting up from her seat.

"To see if Harry has any idea how to repel you!" she exclaimed.

"Oswell, sit down before you get in trouble."

"No. Ask Pansy to sit with you. After all, you seem to listen to her before me anyways." With that, Romina walked away and immediately made herself comfortable with Harry, Ron and Hermione across the room.

Draco remained in his seat, cutting up what Romina had left behind, truly looking calm. Knowing that Blaise and Theodore still had their ears more than wide open, he spoke to them. "Is it me or did that sound a little bit like jealousy?"

Theodore snickered. it was confirmation enough.

"I wouldn't get so cocky," Blaise warned.

"Why's that?"

"You're still cutting up her ingredients, aren't you?"

Draco paused only for a second, knowing it was true, then went right back to the task anyways.

~ 0 ~

Now that he had heard the strange snippets from Romina herself, Draco began to pay more attention to her bizarre behavior in classes. He wondered if even Arden had noticed it.

It was no secret that out of all their classes, Romina favored Transfiguration the most. She was actually really good at it too. It seemed like she mastered just about every lesson McGonagall left them, even quicker than Hermione Granger herself. And yet when they had their first lesson after Potions, Romina didn't do the assignment. She didn't even try it. She just sat in silence next to Hermione, watching absolutely nothing but the board in front of them. McGonagall did not hide her surprise when, at the end of class, Romina turned nothing in.

"Miss Oswell, did you — did you need help?" McGonagall said while the class packed up.

"No, ma'am," Romina said plain and simple. "I just didn't want to do it." Her answer, albeit said politely, left not only McGonagall dumbfounded but her friends as well.

Romina left the classroom with her bag around her shoulder and without a single glance anywhere but the doors.

"Professor," Arden walked down the aisle of desks, Draco's included, "Please don't give her detention. Romina's — well, she's been having a tough time, lately. All summer, actually."

McGonagall looked at the girl curiously. "How so?"

Arden was aware that various students were still around them, making her wonder if she was really doing the best thing for Romina right now. McGonagall seemed to read her concerns because she asked Arden to stay behind to have a private conversation with her.

For a moment, Draco wished he could stick around as well and overhear what the problem was. But he didn't. He left the room with his friends and that was that. Of course around lunch time when Arden finally showed up, Draco began to wonder what Arden had told McGonagall.

Romina sat between Daphne and Carolinha, barely picking at her food. She seemed to be playing with her peas instead.

"You're not going to eat either?" Arden said as she took a seat in-between Angel and Pansy. This time, she didn't even bother with her usual frenemy relationship with Pansy.

"Not very hungry, Arden," Romina said, lowering her fork on her plate. "Why are you late anyways?"

Arden's brows shot up. "Uh...I just...I had to ask McGonagall a question about the homework."

"Oh," Romina didn't seem to have the energy, nor the curiosity to ask what Arden's question had been about. She fell pretty quiet as their friends began chatting about how their classes were going. Of course soon it turned away from academics to the outside world.

Daphne gushed about some new fashion line that had dropped just before they returned to school. "I told my mother that she had to send me some pictures! The Gejél line is absolutely divine!"

"What does it matter anyways, Daph?" Arden chuckled. "We're stuck wearing our uniforms most of the year anyways."

"There's always vacation time," Daphne said. "You'd love it if you saw it."

Pansy snorted. "Please Daphne. Arden wouldn't know fashion if it hit her square in the face. The Gejél line is basically a high class French fashion."

"And yet I'm not the least bit interested," Arden retorted. "Not everything surrounds clothes, Pansy. You'd know that if you weren't so stuck up."

"Can we please not fight?" Carolinha said with a weary sigh.

"Romina, I know you'd love the new line," Daphne turned to Romina with the same excitement as before. "You have good fashion sense. And the guts. I'd never have been able to cut my hair so drastically like you did."

Romina cleared her throat. "Well, I like changes."

"I'm still curious how your aunt and uncle let you do that," Arden said earnestly. "Sage didn't even want to let you cut it to your shoulders when we were 10. You cried for days about it."

Romina pursed her lips together. "I...I convinced her."

From his seat, which was really only two people away from her, Draco was convinced that it was a pure lie. He'd know one from a mile away.

"On the last day before break finished? How?" Arden said blankly.

"I just did," Romina shrugged. "I'm going to get a head start on some homework. I'll see you guys." She started getting up from her seat, ignoring her friends' pleas to stay and eat some more.

"Okay, we agree she's acting weird, right?" Daphne said, her nose scrunched.

"Oh, definitely," Arden said with a sudden smirk. "Which is why McGonagall is going to help."

"What? How?" Carolinha asked.

Arden's smirk. "I just told her that Romina had a hard time at home this summer and she's not getting better here. I mean, c'mon, Transfiguration is her favorite subject and she just left everything on the table. McGonagall said she would have a talk with Romina."

"Well, I hope it works," Daphne said, "It's so strange not having her usual self around us."

"Yeah, well, it would also help" — Arden's voice suddenly became louder as she threw a glance in Draco's direction — "if someone — I won't point fingers, but he's an idiot wearing a sling — apologized for kicking her out of a certain room."

Draco met Arden's gaze, unfazed. "I will be doing no such thing."

Arden's face fell into a deadpan. "Are you kidding me right now?"

"If Oswell wants to keep being weird, by all means she can keep doing it."

Beside Draco, Theodore began to snicker again and because Draco knew exactly why, he jabbed his elbow on Theodore's side. Before leaving their Potions class, he may or may not have turned in two identical Shrinking Solutions. Theodore couldn't get over it. Draco didn't want to talk about it, especially when Romina didn't even notice it. She was oh-so happy with her stupid Gryffindor friends anyways.

"You're a horrible friend," Arden flatout said and went back to eating.

~ 0 ~

Angel had caught Romina walking in the hallway later in the day. "Hey, going somewhere?"

"Just to the library," Romina gave a light shrug of her shoulders.

"You okay?" Angel thought it was a stupid question to ask but he had to start somewhere. Luckily, Romina didn't immediately shut him down.

"I'm fine."

"But...are you really?"

Romina felt his burning eyes on her and ultimately sighed. "Maybe...maybe not all the way 'fine'."

"Yeah," nodded Angel, "I can see that. I'm sorry about everything that's happened."

"It's not on you, Angel," Romina chuckled, "Actually, none of it is."

"Yeah, but," Angel sighed, bringing a hand up through his brown curls, "I don't like seeing you like this. And I hate that it's because of another of my friends."

Romina stopped walking and turned to face Angel. "You're not responsible for what Draco does. Just like I'm not responsible for half the things that Arden does. And vice versa."

"He should still apologize, and I've told him a dozen times," Angel said firmly. "But this is pretty much how it's always been. Draco does whatever he wants and says whatever he wants."

"Yeah, I'm not surprised by that," Romina nodded. She sighed. "It's just...I feel like Pansy got into his head this time. And...and it's frustrating because...he didn't listen to me. He went with what Pansy said and he just...kicked me out. I have never been kicked out of anywhere."

"It's not—"

"Well," Romina suddenly cocked her head to the side, "maybe that's not entirely true. Harry's cousin has kicked me out of his house loads of times, along with his parents. They're all horrible people."

Angel smiled at her. He always liked hearing Romina's tangents as they were typically amusing. She had all these muggle stories and nobody seemed to realize how fascinating they were.

"But I digress," Romina crossed her arms and scowled. "This was different. I hate Dudley — that's Harry's cousin's name — and his parents. And, yes, I know half the school hates Draco but I don't. He may think of me as an annoying girl but I'm sure he thinks everyone in the world is annoying except himself which" — she raised a finger in front of her — "is the real irony here."

Angel laughed. "I think that's a very good description of him. Blaise might like it."

"Oh, Blaise," Romina rolled her eyes, "He'll approve of anything if it's insulting someone. Even his own friends."

"If it's any consolation, Arden's been giving Draco a hard time. And Pansy."

"Mm, that last one might be just the usual between Arden and Pansy," Romina remarked.

Angel had to laugh again. That did seem very plausible.

"Well, hey, if there's anything I can do for you, just let me know," Angel said. "I don't like seeing you so upset."

Romina smiled softly at him. "Thanks, Angel." It did feel nice to vent a little bit without hearing the 'you want me to hurt him?' she kept getting from Arden, and Harry...and Ron.

"Soo, if you were heading the library, mind if I join you?"

Romina's smile spread. "I'd love it, actually."

Angel beamed. He motioned Romina to start walking first and then joined her on her side.

~ 0 ~

Defense Against the Dark Arts was a class no one knew whether to be excited for or dread now. Last year they had Lockhart who was a total loon obsessed with himself and fame and the year before they literally had Quirrell and Voldemort put into one. What the hell would this new professor hold for them? Walking in, the third year students found the classroom had been emptied of desks all except for a wardrobe that rattled violently every now and then. Professor Lupin stood just a couple feet from it, smiling with anticipation.

"Intriguing, yes?" he asked but of course no one answered. "Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what's inside?"

"That's a Boggart," Seamus Finnigan answered quietly.

"Very good, Mr. Finnigan. Can anyone tell us what a Boggart looks like?"

"No one knows," Hermione's voice made Ron jump in his spot. Even Harry and Romina turned to give the girl a strange look.

"When'd she get here?" Ron pointed a thumb in Hermione's general direction. Harry simply shrugged. He could have sworn Hermione hadn't walked in with them to the class. Hell, they barely managed to get Romina inside the room at all.

"Boggarts are shape-shifters. They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears most. That's what makes it so -"

"Terrifying, yes," Lupin finished for Hermione then continued addressing the class. "Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a Boggart. Let's practice it now, shall we? Without wands, please... Riddikulus!"

The rest of the students mimicked his tone and chanted, "Riddikulus!"

From the side of the class, Draco rolled his eyes and muttered. "This class is ridiculous."

"Good. So much for the easy part," Lupin continued. "You see, the incantation alone is not enough. What really finishes a Boggart off is... laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing. Neville, come up here, will you?" Neville obviously gulped at the sight of the wardrobe but dutifully came forwards as asked. "What would you say is the thing that frightens you most?"

Neville stuttered a faint answer that no one really heard, "Profter... Snafpt…"

"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry."

"Professor Snape," Neville managed the courage to respond clearly that time. Everyone in the class released a good natured laughter, including Lupin who nodded thoughtfully.

"Hmmm... yes. Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"

Neville's face garnered a new level of fear. "Yes, but I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either."

Lupin contained a laugh and said, "It won't. But I want you to picture her clothes, only her clothes, very clearly in your mind. Can you do that?"

Neville shut his eyes and began to list the articules of clothing of his grandmother. "She carries a red handbag…"

"That's fine. We don't need to hear it," Lupin cut him off softly. "If you see it, we will. Now, when I open this wardrobe, Neville, here's what I want you to do... " he leaned closer to Neville and whispered something incomprehensible to the boy. "You can do this, Neville." He stepped back to allow the boy some space.

Neville nodded nervously and took in a breath.

"Right then. Wand at the ready. One. Two. Three!" Lupin had pointed his wand at the wardrobe and turned its doorknob.

Within the second, Snape climbed out and moved straight for Neville who gasped and stepped back.

"Poor Neville…" Romina caught her breath. Harry nodded in agreement with her.

"Think, Neville. Think!" Lupin reminded as Snape got closer.

"R-r-riddikulus!"

There was a crack! noise and suddenly 'Snape' found himself in a flowery - clearly grandmotherly - dress along with a moth-eaten hat and a red handbag. Everyone burst into laughter at the sight. Neville beamed at the reaction, quite proud of himself too.

As the rest of the students - now excited of the assignment - gathered in a long, straight line, Lupin went to an old gramophone and dropped its prospecting needle over it to give the tune of an amusing song.

"Ron! Forwards!" he then instructed.

The ginger was pushed forwards and was horrified to see 'Snape' turn into none other than a large, ugly giant spider.

Harry, Hermione and Romina glanced at each other nervously.

Ron nervously raised a wand towards the boggart and said the correct spell. "Riddikulus!"

The spider garnered roller skates in each of its hairy feet in a crack of a second. It began to shuffle crazily in its spot. The class once more laughed out loud. Parvati Patil was up next and soon has a living vampire threatening to gobble her up.

"Riddikulus!"

The vampire switched its clothing, making it hilarious enough for more laughter to sunrise.

More students pushed to be next, clearly enjoying the task except for a couple Slytherins here and there.

"C'mon, Rom, you go next," Harry happily gave up his spot despite the black-haired girl fervently shaking her head.

Dean Thomas had just changed his fear of cobras into a plain ole jack-in-the-box.

"I'll go!" even Hermione was excited to do it, but Romina was already called in next.

But Romina suddenly found the spot in front of her empty...and she was next. "No, wait, I don't want to—"

But Harry gave her the last push forwards. He and Arden had made a pact to get Romina back to her normal self and if that included literally pushing her to do things, so be it.

Romina's face was already fear-stricken when she found herself facing the boggart that had yet to change. She swallowed hard. Oh God, please don't let it...

Sharp breathing came out of the girl as the boggart began to change from a frightening duck to...

The class, which had been full of laughter and cheers suddenly fell quiet as the boggart changed into a man. Confusion went from one student to the other as they tried to search for anything that seemed remotely fear-worthy. The man's shaggy dark brown, almost black, hair covered most of his forehead but the familiar chocolate, brown eyes stared directly at Romina.

Harry felt Arden push her way through the group until she stood beside him. They glanced at each other, silently asking if they recognized the man. Romina was practically frozen.

"Miss Oswell, remember the spell," Lupin's voice was gentle as he spoke to her. His eyes shifted between the girl and the boggart.

But a strangled-like gasp escaped through Romina's lips as the boggart-man changed into a woman. Her long, shiny, and curly black hair cascaded down her shoulders, covering up elegant-looking robes. Beedy, blue eyes stared towards Romina.

If Romina appeared terrified before, now she was downright horrified. Her arm raised, albeit trembling, to point her own wand at the woman.

The boggart/woman pointed her wand at Romina with a sinister smile.

Romina kept staring at the woman, her eyes constantly going up and down the woman's body. The hair was — her cheeks too? — but the man's eyes too — why were they both so—

Romina tried her best to remember what Lupin had instructed them to do but it was like her mind shut down and her body was refusing to work with her. Memories started filling her mind of photographs she saw, which she regretted with all her heart. She regretted ever going through their attic last summer, and she regretted taking the album, and the pictures and—

IlooklikethemIlooklikethemIlooklikethemIlooklikethem...

Romina felt like she couldn't breathe. Her chest actually felt tight and just as she tried breathing in, she dropped her wand to the ground and bolted from her spot.

"Romina—!" Harry tried to stop her but she shoved him away and anyone else who was in her way until she made it out the door.

"Miss Oswell!" Lupin also called after her, but she was already gone. He turned to the boggart, facing it and immediately shown his ultimate fear - which gave the impression of mist? - and promptly returned it to the wardrobe.

Arden picked up Romina's wand from the floor and turned to Harry, absolutely lost. "What the hell was that?"

Harry could only shrug as he was just as confused as she was. "I don't — who were those people?"

"Beats me!" Arden exclaimed.

The same confusion they had was in the rest of their friends. Arden walked out with her friends and heard the same questions.

"No, Carol, I don't know those people were," Arden said with a frustrated groan. "I don't — I mean, I wish I knew but I don't. I told you, Romina's been so strange."

"She seemed really upset," Angel said, "I don't think I've ever seen her get that upset about something. What could those two people mean to her?"

Draco, Blaise and Theodore joined them on their way down the stairs to the dungeons.

"You guys are that thick, then?" Draco sneered. "Idiots. All of you."

"Oh, and you know what's happened then?" Arden shot him a doubtful look.

"Not 100% but I'd say I'm at about 80%," he said pretty confidently which drew the curiosity of the rest of the group.

"What do you know, Draco?" Angel raised an eyebrow at him.

The blonde in question smiled from ear to ear. "Oh, I'm not saying a word. I have to confirm my suspicions first but," he exhaled dramatically, "I do fear Oswell would like me even less if I spilled her little secret."

"Oh, and suddenly you care about what she thinks?" scoffed Arden.

"Maybe, or maybe I just like seeing you idiots try to play detective."

"Draco, if you know something, say it," Daphne said, "Romina looked really upset. So scared."

"That's not my fault. And like I said, I want to confirm my suspicions first." Draco picked up his pace to reach the common room first. He had some writing to do, after all.

A/N:

I forgot to mention, I also have an ao3 & wattpad account under the same username "noblecrescent". I'm trying to keep all my accounts on the same schedule! :)

P.S. As always, I have a tumblr account dedicated to my fanfic works! It's a place where anyone can comment about a story or even just talk to me! I often drop aesthetic work belonging to my stories too! Feel free to check it out, my URL is "saiilorstars"