There were premonitions in the wild winds.

Dahlia sensed them, quietly reaching out into the ether as she exited the Hogwarts Express beneath the silver moon. She lingered behind her two friends, discerning the distress in the breeze. She wasn't quite able to decipher their billowing whispers, but the ominous force weighed her bones in a sickly foreboding. The gale lifted her skirt as she decidedly silenced its plea before pressing on into the night.

Communing with nature was one of the more pleasant gifts Dahlia possessed as a descendant from a powerful line of seers. Their ancestry could be traced all the way back to the Delphic oracles according to her mother's propaganda, but Dahlia knew her mother's words didn't count for much. She would often mumble in madness as she braided her hair in intricate styles, humming sweet nonsense while teaching Dahlia to listen to the wind and heed the stars.

"They're always speaking to you, even when you can't hear them," her mother had whispered, tracing the pattern in her braids. "Guiding you," she promised. Dahlia was nearly sick remembering how her mother's loose blonde strands fell over her face like a waterfall when she pulled her close. She couldn't remember the last time she had breathed in her air of jasmine. She could only remember the herbal scent of the tea that soothed her migraines near death. Her mother knew she would die young, and made her an oath every night till her last.

"I'll be in the stars whispering to you."

Dahlia hushed them now, as she had for the past several years. Her mother was gone, and with her passing Dahlia's desire to divine withered. She used to dream of communing so brightly with the sky as she had when she was a child, but time had proved that wasn't nearly as gifted as her mother. A relief — it should be, at least. The stars were distant whispers, her Sight only manifesting in simple parlor tricks. It was for the best, really. If she kept practice, she would die younger than older, just like her, with not enough time to leave a legacy nor enough days to love.

Her mother's tombstone said nothing but her name, Valeria Aldair, and listed three decades too short, but that was no one's fault but the Fates. The universe was cruel to its creatures. All seers eventually descended into chaos as their minds fractured, unable to tell the endless possibilities of the future from their present reality. Just three years ago, her mother had succumbed to her Sight. Her mind crumbling into mayhem — and worse, her mother had dearly nurtured the very gift that rotted her sanity. She didn't withdraw when she sensed Death looming, instead she leaned farther into her mystic abilities. Dahlia often wondered if it made her horrible that she resented her for doing so.

It's been years, she thought.

She should have found forgiveness by now. She should be happier by now.

Dahlia contemplated what her mother might think of her now. She pictured her mother shaking her head, mumbling that she was growing too old to still be this blind. Then she might sigh and run a gentle hand through her hair, assure her it was for the best that the bloodline weakened. Dark wizards went to great lengths to capture seers, locking them in silent darkness if only to enhance their Sight. They would force them to find their futures, all hoping to forge a path to power. Although she was young, at least her mother had gotten to live out the last years of her life in peace before passing. In that, she was lucky.

Dahlia startled in surprise as someone gently nudged her from behind, slipping their arm through hers and locking elbows.

"So much for summer love, Miss Aldair," Amelia Laurier whispered into her ear with excitement.

Dahlia rolled her eyes and scoffed.

Amelia quickly discarded her poor joke, referencing the handsome muggle Dahlia had to cut ties with only last night. She had climbed down the enchanted trellis of the Laurier's London home to achieve the feat. She scratched her arms just thinking of it as the ivy had been quite snappy.

"You know I think you would have been sorted into Slytherin with me if your mind wasn't always drifting in the stars," she giggled, hand waving to the night sky with a sly smile like she knew a secret.

And, she did. Amelia knew of her supposed prophetic abilities, which had yet to properly manifest into anything worthwhile. Amelia's family had close ties to her own. They had grown up together far before their time at Hogwarts. They often spent their summer days lounging in the fickle sun and sneaking out under the phasing moon. They were only separable when they were here at Hogwarts due to their house sorting. Amelia's cold blood ran emerald while Dahlia's thoughts were crystalized in a brilliant sapphire blue.

Dahlia returned a coy smile of her own and laughed softly. "You know I only asked that musty, old hat to put me Ravenclaw to spite my father," she lied.

Her mother had been in Ravenclaw. To be sorted into her mother's legacy house had been her greatest wish at the time, if only to make her proud.

While her mother was a descendant of seers, the Aldair House of her father was prestigiously renowned for their pure blood and long legacy of prideful ministry officials, all of whom were properly sorted into Slytherin. While her mother was light and warmth, her father had grown cold and detached. Dahlia never understood what her mother had seen in her father, or if he had simply grown so chilled with age.

Her father, Devereaux Aldair , had never been quite sure what to do with her. It was rumored he had wanted a son; gossip the Slytherin boys hadn't let her forget in her first year. He had tried his best to be loving when she was much younger — reading to her before bed and charting the constellations on the roof of their estate. However, as she had gotten older, he no longer had the time to spare to do much of anything with her. He had only become more detached after her mother died, taking a piece of his heart with her to the grave. She was sure her father loved her underneath the layers of his secrecy, but things had become increasingly strained as they grieved separately.

Deep laughter echoed behind the girls, drifting through the moonlit trees. Amelia flipped her long black hair over her shoulder, eying the Slytherin boys she had become close with over the years. They slowly strolled behind. Dahlia turned to look behind her as well, noting her friend's glare in Blaise Zabini's direction.

"Plotting his murder? Think his mother might be proud?" Dahlia asked, narrowing her eyes playfully. It was well known Blaise's mother murdered her past seven husbands.

"I only want him to think I am capable of murder so I can scare him into an apology." She kicked the gravel dramatically as Dahlia raised a brow.

"Blaise and I got into a fight on the train," she sighed, her face shadowing in melancholia.

Dahlia lowered her voice and leaned closer. "What happened?"

"He's being secretive. I can always tell when he's lying to me. He's always off with Malfoy doing gods knows what, and in gods knows where."

"Have you possibly considered just dumping him?" Dahlia asked, deadpan as she straightened her uniform into pristine perfection. She readied herself to slip on the familiar mask of her persona, the all-too-kind ministry darling, as they neared the gates exiting Hogsmeade.

"Let's be single together this year!" Dahlia spoke loudly as she flipped her hair and glared back at Blaise. He met her fierce eyes with quick irritation as he gathered they were speaking about him.

Dahlia gave him a dazzling smile and a demure wave.

He shook his head as a smirk cracked his expression. Dahlia hadn't meant it seriously. She had only wanted to hold a flame to his feet in warning. She actually found them quite perfect for each other.

"Dahlia!" Amelia exclaimed, mouth agape. She lightly shoved her away, and they both laughed at the brash nature of her advice.

"No! We've been dating for over a year!" She exclaimed in a whisper. "It's just a lover's quarrel — or battle," she sighed. The laughter evaporated and left Amelia with a cloud of worry once again.

"I would see where he goes if I could," she sighed.

Dahlia had yet to experience her first vision, which was disappointing for a seer at her age. She felt somewhat relieved though since a seer's first vision was usually a foretelling of their own death. A pit of anxiety grew in her stomach just at the thought of it.

"I know you would." Amelia smiled earnestly as she stepped into the thestral-pulled carriage. She extended a hand to help Dahlia climb in.

"I could probably make quite a profit if I extended my service...offering definitive proof of cheating boyfriends..." Dahlia mumbled and Amelia snorted.

They sat towards the back of the carriage as a few Slytherin students took their seats. Blaise, of course, sat on the other side of Amelia, trying to hold her hand. Amelia slapped away his lingering touch, not so willing to smooth things over so easily.

Theodore Nott took a seat across from Dahlia. She knew little about him beyond his name and what was whispered about his legacy at several parties she attended with her father. She heard nothing savory about the Nott House, only that they were accepted since they were members of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, the purest of blood. Her own father had commented that he would never deal business with such cruel and clever men, especially Tiberius Nott. The risk of getting burned was too great of risk.

Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Pansy Parkinson and two other boys she did not recognize filled the carriage. They stalled, and Dahlia gathered they were waiting for Draco Malfoy.

Blaise and Amelia shared hushed whispers. Feeling somewhat awkward as their whispers escalated, Dahlia turned to Pansy with a smile. They were on somewhat friendly terms.

"How was your summer?" Dahlia asked quietly.

"It was fair enough," she sighed with a shrug. "I heard you and Amelia managed to sneak around quite a bit." She raised her brows quickly. "I would be more careful now of frequenting muggle bars if I were you." Her expression was ripe with sourness, although her tone was pleasant.

Dahlia could feel curious eyes on her. She knew the accusation was unfathomable to those who only saw the carefully curated, enigmatic facade. Dahlia smiled neutrally, neither confirming nor denying her whereabouts over the summer. It would only light potential rumors aflame. Plus, Pansy was right, with the return of the Dark Lord, it had become quite a risk.

Professor Snape finally approached with Draco, practically shoving him into the carriage. He shuffled into a seat across from Blaise and next to Theodore Nott with a scowl. The door slammed shut thanks to the agitated throws of Snape. The carriage rocked back and forth violently, and Dahlia gripped the side, reaching across Pansy, with whitened knuckles as Amelia fell into her. They shared silent, shocked glances, not realizing the hidden strength of their professor, or his willingness to nearly murder his own students.

The carriage leveled itself and they were off. Dahlia felt mildly unsettled within the group now that she was officially locked inside with them, but she knew they wouldn't be carelessly unkind to her. She was Amelia's friend and her legacy matched their own. Plus, her father was in a position of power. She masked any sign of apprehension with a pleasant yet aloof expression.

Draco gave her a peculiar, quick glare as to question her presence. Dahlia eyed him in return, expressionless. She was quick to observe that he appeared restless, grinding his teeth and turning over her wand. The moonlight lit the angular features of his face and silver-white hair. Dahlia noted how the summer seemed to have aged him more than a bit, understanding now the depths of Amelia's worries.

Draco quickly tore his gaze away from her as Amelia and Blaise's hushed whispers escalated. He let out of a frustrated groan as he rubbed his hands down his face.

Amelia and Blaise were at each other's throats in no time — arguing to no end.

"Going to be another long ride," Crabbe grumbled with a worn grimace.

Dahlia turned to Pansy. "Did they fight the whole way here on the train?"

Pansy parted her lips to reply, but was quickly interrupted by a smooth voice.

"Unfortunately, yes."

Theodore Nott turned his gaze to her, shedding his flippant demeanor. His darkened curls fell into his eyes as he leaned his head back in annoyance, spreading his legs wider. He pushed his hair away from his face. Dahlia's attention was drawn to the several golden rings he wore as he began whirling his wand across his knuckles. He gave the impression that he was not fond, nor capable of, sitting still for too long. His eyes danced in the dim light of the stars through the carriage window as he held his gaze upon Dahlia a little too long, as if he had discovered something brand new and worthy of his undivided attention.

The intensity of his stare made her fidget. She pushed her long hair to the side in an effort to escape his gaze. She looked out the window to her night sky, only briefly hoping she might here a solid word of guidance from them for once. She saw him grin devilishly in her periphery and the reflection of the window. Dahlia nearly kicked herself — she had given him the exact reaction he had hoped for.

"Knock it off! Or we're throwing you two overboard into the Forbidden Forest!" He yelled in the direction of Amelia and Blaise, attempting to quiet the carriage. Neither of them glanced away from each other. Dahlia shot Theodore a sympathizing half-smile.

He took her smile as an invitation and leaned forward, propping his elbows on his thighs. He was closer than what was decent for strangers. Dahlia straightened in her seat.

He armored himself with a sly, charming smile. "I don't think we've ever officially met?"

Draco was quick to interrupt. "She was in both Charms and Transfiguration last year with us," he scoffed, visibly displeased. He somehow managed to look both bored and angered at the same time.

Dahlia crossed her legs, uncomfortable with how close he was to her bare skin. She met Theo's eyes with a steeled confidence, ignoring Draco completely.

"I'm Dahlia Aldair," she answered with her own beguiling smile.

He kept his wand whirling through his fingers. He was so close to her that the edge of his wand slapped her knee as it moved across his knuckles. She didn't flinch or slap him away. His grin slowly widened as she refused to be intimidated.

"I know, and you know that I'm Theodore Nott." His voice was velvet, and he grinned more widely to reveal a dimple, almost as if the timing was calculated.

He reminded Dahlia of a fox, as if he saw himself as a prince of hearts who had done this both countless times and for no one at all. He finally pulled back, throwing his arms behind him to lean on the back of the carriage seat. He motioned lazily to Draco.

"Don't be rude, mate. Introduce yourself," Theo nodded.

"What's the point. She knows who I am," Draco sneered. He turned to look towards the road ahead.

Dahlia tried to let the arrogant remark roll off her with a slight rolling of her eyes. She knew how rude and hurtful he could be from Amelia's own accounts. She had also spent one night with him in the Forbidden Forest for detention during her fourth year. To say he had been chivalrous was a stretch. He had left her to fend for herself when a pack of Centaurs had been approaching.

She rallied against her need to uphold her reputation, pettiness fueling. She could barely contain herself as she shifted in her seat. He got under her skin — always had.

"Draco, you're the one that got mauled by that sweet Hippogryph during our third year, right?" She blurted, bringing a polished nail to her mouth in question. She had tried to ask innocently, but she couldn't help the vindictive smile that formed on her lips. It was barely there, but he caught sight of it.

The group snickered as they recalled his account with Buckbeak. Draco locked eyes with her. They were a starry blue that neared white, although they bubbled with solidified distaste.

Dahlia held his gaze, until Theo shoved Pansy into the window of the carriage and took a seat next to her. He threw an arm around her, but Dahlia couldn't look away yet.

"Don't fret, love. He's always in a bad mood," he whispered playfully.

The warmth of his breath skittered across her cheek, and she finally broke contact with Draco. Dahlia angled her face and narrowed her eyes at Theo. He had overstepped her boundaries, yet she withheld from shifting away from him.

Theo winked in return. He was aware of his boldness and he quite liked it.

He had overplayed his hand though. Dahlia readied to shove him off her, and it was as if he had sensed the shutting of their book prematurely and played his ace.

He smiled for her, genuine and true as he revealed a dimple. It was an apology and a promise. The kind of smile a friend shared after midnight in the heat of summer when secrets were sworn. He laughed her name as if they shared a rare secret. It was a question of if he might just be allowed to sweep her off her feet. She imagined him reaching for her hand at midnight, dressed finely in silver and begging her stay for one more dance on the steps of a shimmering ball. She pictured him as an archer, luring her out with a heart-piercing bow with the low drawl of her name.

Dahlia had been mostly irritated with him until she saw such a brilliant promise upon his face. She slapped his arm away, but allowed him to stay seated next to her. She felt his muscles relax as if he had been holding a breath.

Blaise and Amelia finally came to a silence as they interlaced their hands. Either they came to a resolution or they were both exhausted from fighting all day. Dahlia was sure to get debriefed later. Draco was silent for the rest of the ride to Hogwarts, avoiding conversation and her curious eyes. They discussed the classes they had signed up for this year until the carriage finally came to a halt in front of the castle gates. Dahlia stood and began the shuffle out of the carriage. Theo swiftly reached to help her step down.

At the touch of hand, a euphoric dread roared through her veins. The premonition was indistinguishable — a thread that couldn't be followed. It was sudden and sharp, her heart momentarily plummeting to unknown depths. She imagined this was how the great explorers felt when they discovered lost treasure, only to realize it had been cursed. Dahlia winced, then quickly recovered, playing off her sharp inhale of breath as a response to the light chill in the air.

"Are you alright?" Theo's face fluttered with concern, questioning if he had done something wrong.

"Yes," she nodded with a smile. "Just a bit cold tonight."

"What is it?" Amelia whispered, softly placing a hand on her arm.

Dahlia's face twisted with anxiety. "I don't know. I just had a sudden sense. It was mesmerizing and...ghastly."

Amelia wore her usual blasé expression, but Dahlia saw something like unease shift beneath the surface. "It's okay. No need to worry. We're going to have a good year," she reassured her, but her smile seemed forced.

Dahlia turned back. She noticed Theo staring at the thestrals, most intrigued, almost as if he wished to reach for them. Amelia slapped the back of his head to gather his attention. He grunted in response.

"Rude," he muttered.

"Let's go," Amelia called to Dahlia, who had been stuck in place. They began walking towards the illuminated castle — home.

"We're having a welcome back party tomorrow night, aren't we?" Amelia said deviously, directing her question to Blaise and Theo.

"It's only tradition," Blaise responded with a sly look.

"You absolutely must be there, Dahlia. Please come!" Amelia begged.

Dahlia was hesitant to answer after her premonition.

Amelia sensed her lack of enthusiasm and swiftly hugged Dahlia as tightly as she could. "I'm not letting go until you agree to it!"

Amelia lowered her voice so only Dahlia could hear and added, "I'll hold your romance novels hostage for the rest of the year."

Dahlia stifled a laugh. "Fine! Yes! I'll come!"

Theo gave her a wink. "Good."

Before she could respond, he paced ahead to meet Draco as the rest of the group waved him forward to catch up.

Amelia turned to her with wide eyes. "Let's be single together this year," she mocked in a high-pitched voice.

Dahlia attempted to trip her. "I said single! Not celibate!"

Amelia yanked her cloak and Dahlia screeched as she stumbled back.

"You can't even make to the castle single, Aldair."

She covered Dahlia's mouth as the group ahead looked back at them curiously.

"Behave!" Blaise called.

Dahlia pulled Amelia close, locking arms once more.

As they walked through the gates of Hogwarts, Dahlia was no longer pretending to feel a chill in the air. The winds spoke in a malevolent hush. If only she would interpret them and heed their warnings. She internalized her nerves as excitement for the new year. Then, Dahlia pressed on through the gates of the castle.

————————————

Dahlia stared breathlessly up at the flickering candles and cosmic night sky as she walked through the doors of the Great Hall. They were almost late to the Welcome Feast as they had waited for Draco Malfoy to begin their carriage ride from the Hogwarts Express to the castle.

"Come to the boathouse tonight, yes?" Amelia asked giving her a small smile and a wave goodbye. She headed left to the Slytherin table as Dahlia made her way to the Ravenclaw table in the center of the hall. Her roommates waved Dahlia over to join them.

"Saved you a seat," Juliet smiled.

Her silky, light brown hair was thrown into a perfect messy bun atop of her head, surely in an effort to impress her latest crush. The summer sun had been kind to her, blessing her cheeks with more freckles and a glowing tan. Juliet had spent the past few months on holiday along the French coast with her family in an attempt to escape the dreary news of the Dark Lord's return.

"We lost you once we got off the train!" Eloise, her other roommate, exclaimed.

Dahlia took a seat across from her and next to Juliet. She considered both girls to be two of her closest friends besides Amelia. While she had grown up alongside Amelia, she had met both Eloise Dawson and Juliet Hart on her first day at Hogwarts. They had been assigned to the same dormitory and remained roommates for the rest of their school years. While Amelia made Dahlia more brave and adventurous, Eloise and Juliet filled her need for comfort and structure.

Juliet was far more aloof, and equally devious. She often disappeared without warning and never divulged too many details, although she was well versed in all of them as she loved gossip. Dahlia chalked up her disappearances to her insatiable search for romance. Eloise, on the other hand, was direct and strong-willed. She often skipped pleasantries and her words cut right to the bone. She was never afraid to give her opinion and she usually always gave unforgiving advice because she wanted the absolute best for her friends as she was fiercely loyal. She was quite focused on her studies, as well. Eloise's mother had been a professor here at Hogwarts and she always felt the need to impress her.

Dahlia couldn't help but notice Juliet smiling towards the Gryffindor table. She saw Cormac McLaggen smiling back.

"Are you crushing on Cormac?" Dahlia asked with surprise.

"No, not quite. But I must admit he is looking quite dashing. I have my eye on the chosen one this year," she replied coolly.

"You know how we like our men — with some controversy," she added with a grin as to insinuate Dahlia's own secret affairs.

Dahlia preferred to keep her romantics under the table to minimize whispers. She scoffed and haughtily replied, "you didn't even believe him about the Dark Lord returning last ye-"

"Dahlia," Eloise interrupted. She leaned closer, her copper bangs falling into her eyes. "Don't turn around, but I think Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott are having a conversation about you."

She was always the most perceptive and was quite protective of her friends. Eloise snorted as a wide smile graced her features. "Amelia just smacked Blaise in the back of the head for something he said to Nott."

Eloise gave a quick wave to Amelia as to give her stamp of approval for using violence to silence men.

"I rode with them to the castle." Dahlia buttered her bread innocently. "They actually invited us to their party tomorrow night," she added slyly.

"I'm in!" Juliet yelled before Dahlia could even take a bite.

Both girls looked at Eloise expectantly. Eloise could read their expressions — they wouldn't be taking no for an answer.

She sighed with defeat. "Ugh, fine. I'm only going to make sure you two behave though!"

Dahlia smirked wickedly. "A wise decision."

Eloise ran her hands down her face. "Honestly, you both, I'm losing years of my life chasing you around. Juliet, you hardly remember to wear underw-"

Dahlia was about to cut in defensively when Dumbledore cleared his throat. The girls quickly went silent. Juliet kicking Eloise under the table and Dahlia suppressed a laugh before turning her attention to forward.

Dumbledore introduced a new potions professor and announced that Professor Snape would be taking over Defense of the Dark Arts. Wild whispers erupted through the hall, but he wasn't finished. The room fell silent, laughter all but died, as he left them with a warning: the most powerful of dark wizards once roamed these halls only as students, and as the war loomed, we were their greatest weapons.

Her pulse quickened. An electric sensation pricked the skin on the back of her neck. She was still on edge from the agony in the winds she had sensed earlier. Her eyes quickly landed on Theo, who was casually staring, taking her in, jaw set. Dahlia squirmed beneath his gaze and averted her attention.

The mood had turned somber after Dumbledore's speech. The girls left the great hall, not wanting to linger. They made their way up the spiraling stairs to the Ravenclaw common room. They halted as the bronze eagle found life.

"The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?" The door spoke.

"Footsteps," Eloise replied quickly.

The door to the Ravenclaw common room swung open. Dahlia stepped over the threshold and was enveloped by the scent of aged books and cedar. She inhaled deeply. It smelled like true home and the promise of purpose and belonging.

Once she arrived to her dormitory, Dahlia breathed a sigh of relief. The pale stone walls were adorned with velvet and silk fabrics in shades of light and deeper blues. She kicked her shoes across the circular, golden oriental rug that was fitted to the dorm as it sat in a high turret of the castle. She sat upon her bed, framed in white wood and adorned with silk periwinkle curtains. Her trunk had been placed beneath the massive stain glass window next to her bed. She embraced the cleanliness of the space, knowing they would soon fill it with books and discarded clothes. She popped open her trunk and shuffled through it. She quickly changed into a black, knit sweater.

"Going out?" Juliet asked as she laid on the bed to the left of the circular room.

"I'm going to the boathouse to see Amelia. Care to join?" She grinned mischievously.

Juliet hesitated.

"I think the boys are coming," she added smoothly, grinning. She was desperate to end this infatuation with Harry Potter and what better way than to dangle Slytherin's finest in front of her.

"Well that settles it. Let's go!" Her voice hit an octave higher as she threw clothes out of her own trunk and onto the oriental rugs, the tidiness of their dormitory deteriorating quickly.

Dahlia rushed her out of their room as she was still braiding her hair. The girls snuck their way through the castle as they quickly disillusioned themselves, an advanced charm they had learned rather quicker than usual out of necessity.

The breeze welcomed Dahlia as they stepped outside of the castle. The stars above Hogwarts welcomed her home, glowing brightly.

Feeling bold, Dahlia removed the charm as they made their way down the winding stairs of the cliff that led to the boathouse. She felt the wind carry off the lake and dance in her hair. They laughed loudly, skipping steps. They had finally been reunited — two partners in crime.

"Dahlia," Juliet feigned seriousness as she stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

"I think I'm having a vision," she gagged. She pretended to shake dramatically.

"Stop it," Dahlia laughed as she turned away from her.

"I think..your future holds a great amount of cock tonight," she yelled in a deep melodramatic tone, swooning over the railing. She giggled wildly, thrilled with her own joke.

"I'm pretty sure you failed divinations," Dahlia snorted, shaking her head.

They finally arrived at the boathouse after running down the dock in fear as they both attempted to push each other into the Black Lake. Their laughs carried in a sweet echo to the rest of the group. Amelia approached the girls, giving them both big hugs.

Theo approached casually, as if he hadn't noticed her arrival almost immediately. He snuck a bottle of beer into her hand before Dahlia could even ask herself if she wanted a drink. He leaned down to hover above her ear.

"Come with me, yeah?" His breath was warm against her flushed skin.

She turned to find his glimmering eyes. They were honeyed like whisky — and hardly sober. She almost thought better of it until he smiled with boyish sincerity, a nervousness flickering across his expression. A quiet voice, locked away in the depths of her mind, dreamed briefly of what it must be like to be loved by him. She realized with a heart crumple that everyone he crossed paths with most likely imagined so, if only for a moment.

She hesitated too long and a vulnerable smile had accidentally fallen on her lips. He took her hand and pulled her away from her two friends. Amelia gave her a quick wink without breaking conversation with Juliet.

With her hand in his, she followed him through the back doors of the boathouse and to the outermost edge of the dock. His hand felt rough against her skin, although he was careful not to hold too tightly. She imagined him gripping her heart instead with bone-crushing force, as it felt now.

He dropped her hand, yet she felt exactly centered in the universe. This was right.

The wind pushed against her as she took a seat next to Theo. He leaned back on his hands and let his feet hang over the dock. She peered over her shoulder. They were still somewhat near the rest of the group, but far enough to have a private conversation. She was too afraid to put her feet in the water at this hour, so instead she crossed her legs and looked up to the sky for comfort.

"I see you brought Juliet?" He asked, trying to spark conversation. She had always noted his unimpressed expression in passing, but he smiled again for her.

"Yes," she sighed with a small laugh. "She thinks she has a crush on Harry Potter. I needed Amelia to distract her with someone else, immediately."

He snickered. "You don't like Potter?"

"I'm neutral, uninvolved," she said lightly, almost lyrically to butter the answer. She knew he was attempting to gage where she fell on the spectrum of ideology.

"But you're a pureblood," he stated more of a matter of fact than a question.

She paused and slowly smirked.

He grinned back, misunderstanding her clever discovery.

"Have you been asking about me?" She whispered as if she had caught him with a secret.

He blushed, withholding an answer. He looked up to the stars instead as if forcing a comet to sore past so he might make a stolen wish.

She quite liked the silence between them, but wanted, needed, to pull his eyes back to her. She answered his original question. "I just know wherever Harry goes, unfortunate things happen. I wouldn't want that for Juliet," she pointed out. She took a sip of her drink.

"And you would rather throw your lot in with this crowd?" He joked with a sideways grin.

She lightly shoved his shoulder in response, unable to resist the urge to touch him. "Are you that bad, really?" She asked, bantering lightly.

He tilted his head back a bit as he pretended to ponder the question.

"Probably..." He laughed softly, then paused before turning his gaze to her and whispering, "but I'd be good to you."

Sincerity warmed in his eyes. He grinned nervously as if he had gambled. He was spinning her rapidly in a dance of flirtation that she usually stepped to far more slowly. It was whiplash. She let a moment linger between them as she sipped her drink, hiding her blush in a blanket of hair.

His smile slowly faded with her extended silence, but she turned back to face him before it left him completely hopeless.

"I've never seen you smile much, which is a shame," she whispered back, only because his smile made her feel something that was worth a secret.

He quickly looked away as if she had caught him off guard and he hadn't prepared a response for such a compliment.

"No," he shook his head. "The real shame is that the sun has to rise every morning because you are devastating in the moonlight."

Warmth wildly gathered in her cheeks and she held her mouth closed. No one had ever complimented her in such a way. Every beat of her heart murmured that this could be the beginning of something, either enchanting or heart-shattering. It could never be. They could never be, but she would keep this feeling locked within her and guard it like a precious secret along with his smile. She didn't dare move, afraid this small second might end.

Blaise called Theo inside the boathouse, breaking their suspended moment in time. Theo sighed and stood up. He raised a brow and left without a word — inviting her to play a game if she so wished.

She watched him leave, hoping he might dream about her now, too.

He left her outside the boathouse with Draco, who lingered farther down the dock. He leaned against the rough wood and watched her for a moment as the stars drenched her in gentle light. She looked back at him sensing his gaze. Clearly caught, he stepped forward. She wondered if he remembered that night he had left her with the Centaurs.

"Do you remember that night in the Forbidden Forest?" She asked, making light conversation.

He didn't speak for a moment as he refused to engage with her.

Draco's stomach roiled as he looked down upon her saccharine eyes — possibly poison. He thought her a fool who tried far too hard to impress a world that couldn't be inspired. The serene light she radiated irritated him to no end. He always thought her seraphic aura was only a piece of her pristine facade he easily saw through. It annoyed him more now, after he had watched the night sky gravitate towards her, that he realized it wasn't. Theo had looked like nothing more than a void of blackness next to her.

Draco took a long sip of his drink and chuckled at her attempt to speak with him. They would never belong in each other's orbit. She was naive, only a sweet pawn to be used by the world.

"Yes, I do." He shook his head, amused.

She smiled, not nearly as bright as she had for him. A flare of anger lashed high as he saw so simply the web Theo was weaving around her, and how she curled into it.

"And you're a fucking idiot," he added simply, without explanation.

Dahlia was momentarily stunned that a man had spoken to her in such a manner. She then snorted and burst into laughter. It reminded her of how the muggles would yell at her out their car windows as her and Amelia ran through the city streets.

He didn't make to move inside, but he was visibly pained by her presence. She grinned at his discomfort and chose to ignore him as she leaned back and opened herself to the stars for the first time in a while. They were loud, screaming to be heard as they rippled across the sky in a shimmering dance. She let a breathy sigh escape her, somehow knowing he would hate it.

Draco noted how curious it was that her hair seemed to almost glow in the midnight hours.

————————————

Dahlia stared upwards, tracing the pattern in the wood of her canopy bed into the latest hours of the night. Her thoughts already lovesick, consumed by the image of how her name looked falling out of the mouth of Theodore Nott. She shoved the thoughts down viciously. She couldn't get her hopes up. She was always too foolish, wishing a boy might love her at first sight.

Was he thinking of her too? Right now?

Don't be a fucking idiot, she thought.

Getting involved with him wasn't the best idea. The way he looked at her, she had known it immediately — it wouldn't be a strictly physical involvement. He had snatched her heart with a smile that he probably shared all too often. She wasn't a special exception, she reminded herself. Plus, the happiness of love was the last thing Dahlia wanted, or felt she deserved. She thought she might not be capable of it anymore after the crashing tides of her grief.

Dahlia soon found herself tossing between waking and dreaming as a new face emerged. It flashed rapidly — an iteration of Draco Malfoy's harsh features fluttering through the facets of time as he turned to face her slowly. She reached for him through the threads of stars, trembling across the universe as if nothing mattered more. She jerked away as he finally reached back, but the Fates blanketed her worries forcefully with soothing mumblings.

She thrashed, yet they held firm. Their voice kissed her ear. No, her mother's voice.

"See," she ordered. "I'll be in the stars whispering to you."

And that night, Dahlia dreamed in new colors for the first time.

She sat in an elaborate garden of cream-colored dahlias, a cursive maze of flora designed to her every wish. There were only sweet nothings on the wind here. Here, it was an endless summer night. The eve kissed her cheek and her nose like a forgotten lover. She swam in a pond of starlight under a blooming willow tree, the shadow of a colossal structure hugged the distance. Grief was a distant touch, yet she sighed as a loneliness hunted her down even here and filled her bones. Her soul whispered that this place wasn't meant for only her.

"See," her mother ordered.

Dahlia awoke breathless under the welcoming light of morning, but all she could remember was the imprint of a gilded manor in the frayed edges of her mind.