The next morning was exceptionally rough.

"Please Dahlia! You're so heavy," Eloise grunted as she tried to pull her out of their bathroom by her feet.

"Please," Dahlia rasped. "Don't be a hero. Leave me behind. I'm not going to make it." She dead-weighted her body as Eloise dragged her across the chilled stone.

She had showered and brushed her teeth without dying, but when a fresh wave of nausea emerged, she had lost all hope and found solace lying on the cold floor. She would sooner make it into a coffin than make it to class.

"How much did yo-," Juliet poised herself from puking as she sat at her desk, "drink last night?" She questioned, attempting to braid her hair for the day.

"I only had maybe three drinks. I shouldn't be this hungover." She rolled over onto her back in the middle of their ornate carpets amongst discarded clothes and a spilled jar of body glitter; a rather cozy mess.

Maybe I had more than three, she thought.

"It's Malfoy," she declared. "I think he's a dementor sucking the life out of me," Dahlia grunted.

His insults still reverberated in the front of her mind. She had been too upset to repeat them to her friends. She had only mentioned that he had kicked her out of the common room then delivered her back to their dormitory last night with a few rude words.

"Well, that's not the craziest rumor I've heard," Juliet mumbled with an air of annoyance.

Dahlia picked her head curiously, raising one brow.

Juliet continued as she leaned into a small desk mirror. "Harry Potter thinks he's a Death Eater." She turned to face her with a tight expression.

"How did you hear that?" Dahlia asked in disbelief.

She sighed. "Ron told Seamus, then Seamus told Marcus Belby in the confidence of pillow talk, but Marcus tells me everything over our Monday afternoon biscuits. "

She stood to change and shot Dahlia a look of warning. "And I also heard people whispering very late into the evening about how Draco left with you last night." She shook her head, more with worry than disapproval. "I hope it doesn't get back to Theo. You two looked nice together last night."

Dahlia laughed in response at the thought of Theo being jealous over such an awful encounter. Juliet maintained a serious expression. Dahlia deflected as she looked through the towering window directly into the sun.

"Draco wishes he could be so conniving to be a Death Eater. The man sleeps on satin sheets," she answered bitterly rolling over on her stomach. Eloise threw her uniform over her nearly lifeless body.

"How would you know? What happened last night?" Eloise asked with a hint of accusatory suspicion.

"I kissed Theo in their dormitory. Nothing more," she sighed, disappointed.

"It seems you two are hitting it off," Juliet replied, grinning excitedly and spraying perfume.

Dahlia gagged, melting her shared grin into a grimace.

Eloise popped her head out of the bathroom. Juliet and Dahlia froze as if caught like meddling children. "Don't forget who he is, Dahlia. His parents were Death Eaters. He's most likely aligned with those beliefs. If he knew what you could possibly be capable of..." She shook her head, unable to voice it.

"Don't think he wouldn't keep you locked away. Or worse, hand you over the Voldemort himself." She slammed the drawer that held her toothpaste closed. "And stay away from Malfoy while you're at it, too. I worry about your blood pressure," Eloise lectured as she brushed her teeth.

Dahlia wanted to be anywhere but here as she endured their shakedown. She didn't know what she wanted with Theo yet. She only knew that she enjoyed his company and the way he touched her last night. He was an intensity unknown. A flame that promised not to burn her, despite its nature.

A sly grin landed on Juliet's rounded face. "I heard Theo is rather good at-"

"Alright. I'm up!" Dahlia interrupted, rallying herself to get off the floor. She didn't want to imagine his dark eyes falling on anyone else. His mind dreaming of a possibilities with any other was enough to make her uneasy. If it was so, she didn't want to know.

"Let's go to class," she gruffed, quick to end the conversation.

She put on her uniform and applied enough makeup to cover up her hangover. Juliet dragged her out the door and threw her hood over her wet, tangled hair. "Oh, Dahlia. We'll figure it out when we get to class," she sighed.

They hurried down the winding stairs of the tower and crossed the grand staircase. They walked swiftly through the castle, finally stopping to sit in front of their classroom in a window with some time to spare.

Juliet casted a spell so her hair would dry in an instant, then began braiding her tangled rat's nest before their Ancient Artifacts class started. Juliet was always teaching her new beauty spells that she had crafted. She placed her hair in a coronet as they sat within an arch in the courtyard. Dahlia sipped a simple restoring potion quietly.

"Thank you," Dahlia mumbled to Juliet, who nodded and hummed.

"Juliet!" Someone called too loudly.

They turned to see Lucas Leerweather and Theodore approaching. They weren't in uniform as they seemed to be heading out to the quidditch pitch. Juliet had talked to Lucas all night, as she had at the boathouse, but she was reluctant to share any details. The only things she had gathered was that he was a prefect and the son of aurors. His accent revealed he was Scottish last evening. She saw Juliet smiling hopefully out of her periphery. Dahlia became acutely aware of how awful she looked.

"Do you think we'll be each other's bridesmaids?" Dahlia murmured sarcastically as Juliet sat a little straighter, hands working more fiercely with nerves.

"Ow!" She chuckled as Juliet rolled her eyes. They quieted as the boys came into earshot.

"You look lovely today," Lucas told her. Juliet beamed, smitten and possibly already in love. She yanked Dahlia's hair more tightly as her pulse picked up. Dahlia held in a squeal.

On the flip side, Theo took one look and asked her, "are you feeling well, Aldair?"

He actually looked quite concerned. There was no hint of a grin or a smile.

"Fresh as an enchanted rose," she grimaced, holding up her tonic. She wished she could bring herself to sparkle for him like Juliet did for Lucas, but it wasn't in her.

Regardless, Theo had also woken up quiet fatigued, as well. It didn't help that the first thing he heard when he opened his eyes was Draco berating him for bringing Dahlia back to their dormitory. Draco had told him to never try it again, listing many threats.

Theo had joked, "you lose money last night, mate?" as to explain his mood. Blaise then had to keep Draco from lunging at him. Draco's behavior only added fuel to swirling fire of rumors that he had left with her last night. Pansy had found asked Theo almost immediately this morning in the common room, nearly boiling.

Dahlia could read in Theo's body language that he was itching to ask her a question. Most likely where she ended up last night. She tried to lean into the conversation Juliet was having with Lucas to avoid it. She didn't want to tell him she had left him to only be scavenged by Malfoy.

"You two want to hang out later after your classes?" Lucas asked, running his hands through his golden hair. In the daylight, there was something dark and shimmering within his irises.

Juliet gave her a hopeful look, but Dahlia knew she was barely surviving this class at most. "I'm not feeling well, but I'll catch up with you later if I'm up to it," she answered, shooting Juliet a sympathetic glance.

She could sense Theo calculating her true intentions, but she was being honest.

"You should get to class," Theo remarked as he reached to place a gentle rub on her back. She leaned into his chest and nodded her head. He finally cracked a smile.

Theo grabbed her book bag and took her hand. He made it seemed so natural, like he had done this a million times. Maybe he had with other girls but she hoped it had been with her in a daydream.

"What happened last night?" He inquired a little too tightly, but he seemed more concerned than anything.

" I just drank far too much. Amelia was practically pouring whisky down my throat. I went back to my room after I left you. Well, Draco dragged me out and threw me on the stoop of Ravenclaw Tower." She laughed, making light of it. Definitely not revealing what he had said.

His eyes danced around at her, as if puzzling the narrative together in the slight movements of her body language. She remained casual with nothing but embarrassment to hide from what had unfolded between her and Draco. Theo was skeptical, so she leaned closer to him.

"I enjoyed spending time you last night," she reassured him.

"As did I," he grinned, warming to her.

He dropped her things on her desk and pulled her chair out. She noted his outfit again. He had swapped his uniform for a Slytherin sweatshirt and tapered joggers. He looked taller, older. It almost made her contemplate what it might be like to fall in love somewhere else outside of Hogwarts. Outside of their small world. Would it be like the muggle movies she secretly watched with Juliet?

"I thought you had class this morning?" She asked curiously. She had the urge to skip this class and spend all her time lying around with him.

"Did I mention that?" He stuck his tongue into his cheek, tone lifting. "My time can be flexible, love." He shrugged.

Theo peered at her, spinning a golden ring on his finger that featured several golden bands intertwined. He tilted her chin up, pressing his front to her. "Have a nice class, Dahlia. Don't do anything I would do."

He kissed her cheek, dangerously close to her mouth.

Dahlia gasped as he disappeared, slamming against the folds of space and cracking through time. She placed a hand over her heart, registering that he was gone in a delighted grin — a high in her bones.

————————————

A few days later, Dahlia sat in the stands of the quidditch pitch next to Juliet. Her friend had wanted to watch the different teams tryout. The wind whipped through the heavy clouds, casting a chill over the valley.

The Gryffindor team was currently on the pitch. Juliet was still plotting her master plan to make Harry Potter fall in love her, despite having Lucas within her clutches. When she inquired about it, Juliet had only mumbled that Lucas was a hiccup within her heist. He was an outlier who plagued her thoughts with puppy-like eyes.

If Dahlia had to hear about Harry Potter one more time though, she was going to drown herself in the lake. She couldn't understand, Lucas was just so much more charming and dashing. He walked with a confidence that only Slytherins managed. They were usually on the same page about men. It was driving her mad.

"Weasley is so awful that it's hard to watch," Juliet said, covering her eyes as Ron almost fell off his broom.

"It's like a horror movie, but in slow motion," Dahlia replied nonchalantly, eating a snack with her feet propped up on the bench in front of them. Her allegiance to the Slytherin quidditch team went much deeper as she usually attended matches with Amelia.

Dahlia turned as the devil herself hollared her name. Amelia and Pansy walked through the crowded stands and sat down next to them.

"Are you finally feeling any better?" Amelia asked Dahlia.

Dahlia still hadn't fully recovered from what she had thought was a brutal hangover. She had gone to the hospital wing, but no medicine had seemed to work. She had missed half of her classes. She hadn't seen Theo, or luckily Draco, in nearly week.

"Thankfully, I'm finally feeling back to normal," Dahlia answered with relief.

"I'm worried about you," Juliet said. "Eloise thinks you might have visions soon. She's been reading up on it." She murmured quietly for few to hear.

"I've been thinking too," Amelia added more loudly. "What if hooking up with Nott was so repulsive, it made you physically ill for days?"

Juliet snorted and Dahlia shoved them both with a shy smirk. She had to admit the comment was funny. She would have to tell Theo when she eventually saw him.

"I hate you all," she laughed. She looked down at the quidditch pitch and saw the Slytherin team warming up as Gryffindor wrapped. She had yet to spot Theo.

"Did you ever hook up with Cormac?" Dahlia asked Juliet, spotting him below.

"Kind of? I don't know," she huffed. "He started whimpering about Hermione Granger when he went up my shirt." She reached for Dahlia's bag of pretzels as to eat her feelings about it.

Dahlia and Amelia howled in amusement. Several people turned to face them with disapproving glares, including Theo who had been walking out to the pitch below. He grinned and shook his head at her. She waved back, feeling suddenly less shy.

They spotted Eloise's auburn hair billowing in the wind as she approached them holding an ornately wrapped present. She threw it onto Dahlia's lap.

"Theo asked me to give this to you," she muttered with an unreadable expression.

"When?" Dahlia asked.

Eloise blushed, and they all snickered. "I just so happened to stop by the Slytherin common room this morning," she answered coyly.

They knew she had been secretly seeing Xavier all week, but Eloise was keeping her feelings to herself. It was difficult to pull information out of her. Dahlia had never expected them to hit it off in a million years.

"Are you sure you didn't stop by last night? And it wasn't on the way out this morning?" Dahlia shot her a teasing grin.

Eloise rolled her eyes and pulled her copper hair into a messy ponytail. She so obviously had just arrived from Xavier's bed.

Pansy, Daphne and a few Ravenclaw girls including Cho and Padma climbed down a few rows as Dahlia began opening the present in her lap. It was a rectangular box wrapped in smooth, matte black paper with a dark blue, velvet bow. Inside the box was a dusty old journal and a small, mangy quill.

Pansy visibly grimaced over her shoulder while the rest of her friends sat silently, unimpressed.

"I thought he was rich," Amelia grunted bluntly. She carefully picked up the journal as if it were roadkill. Dahlia snatched it back from her hands.

"I would send it back with a note written inside to send jewels instead," Pansy added.

Why would he give this to me? Dahlia thought.

She checked the box for a note, but couldn't find one. Then she opened the journal and saw the first page had been smudged with a drop of blood. Underneath the small blood stain, Theo had written, "my curious Dahlia, draw blood here," with an arrow pointing up.

Eloise inhaled sharply. "Dahlia, this is blood magic," she squealed. Her face was heavy with concern. Amelia had already taken out a knife from somewhere unknown, ready to get answers.

The girls scuffled over the blade, once again drawing several eyes and annoyed glances from the surrounding students. Dahlia finally gathered the knife from Juliet's weak grip and without hesitating, she pricked her middle finger and put her flesh to the page. He had been right to assume her curiosity would get the better of her. The old, dusty pages transformed and a journal entry appeared:

Dahlia,

If you are now reading this, then you must have partook in blood magic, meaning you are much naughtier than I had first thought. I have mended a pair of enchanted journals so we can write to each other always. When you use the provided quill, I will be able to see your entries and respond in an enchanted journal of my own.

With affection,

Theodore Nott

P.S. These journals are stolen. I would avoid Tomes & Scrolls for a bit. Also, feel better.

"Damn, he is quite clever," Amelia mumbled. She wouldn't have even known where to start researching blood magic. She could count how many times she had been to the library on one hand.

"That's so romantic," Juliet added. "You should write back! Pansy is right though, maybe draw a picture of diamonds and sapphires for good measure?"

Daphne slapped her arm. "No! Gold! The Notts have tons of it buried illegally!"

Dahlia looked down to the pitch and spotted Theo, snickering with his friends over a few first years who had tried out for the quidditch team and were now puking out their guts due to motion sickness. Dahlia wrote back:

Theodore,

If you are reading this, that means you have not fallen one hundred feet from the air and perished during quidditch tryouts. My last memory would have been of you bullying those poor first-year students. If you can find it in your black heart to be kinder, I'm sure I can find a way to show you just how naughty I can be.

With disappointment,

Dahlia

"Great, now we're blackmailing the men of Slytherin with sexual tension to quit bullying students," Eloise fretted as she read over Dahlia's shoulder.

"Not all heroes wear capes, my friend," Dahlia said as a matter of fact.

She closed the journal and tucked it away in her bag. She turned her attention back to the pitch. She knew little about quidditch, but she was here for moral support. It was said the Slytherin boys played rougher than any other team. Today though, as they took to the sky, they were exceptionally vicious.

"Theo made captain this year," Amelia told Dahlia. As if on cue, Draco Malfoy collided with him. Amelia stood abruptly and threw her hands in exasperation.

"Oh, for fuck's sake! I can't believe they've taken their quarrel to the skies. They're going to kill each other!" She sighed and added, "they've been at each other's throats lately."

Blaise had told Amelia that they had almost gotten into an altercation more than once since they had arrived at school. He believed they had just been spending too much time together now that Theo was living at the manor more permanently since the beginning of summer. Plus, both of their father's had been recently sent to Azkaban which had to be added weight. Blaise had also shared that Draco was under an enormous amount of pressure, as well. He hadn't divulged more details. She had Pansy working overtime to try and pull it out of Draco.

Amelia chanted for Blaise and screamed at the top of her lungs, "Kill them! Murder them all!"

Dahlia cringed down into her seat in embarrassment as she pulled the hood of her robe over her head. With the attention on her group of friends, several boys teased her about Theo since he was front and center on the field. They all ceased as Amelia began shrieking violently again.

"Fuck them!" Amelia screamed.

She noticed Dahlia shrinking into her seat. "Come on, Dahlia. You might find this therapeutic!" She slapped her shoulder. "Let that anger out! I know it's there!"

Dahlia hesitated as a fresh gust of wind touched her cheek. It felt freeing, so she loosened her binds and finally screamed, "Let's fucking go!"

Amelia shook her head as if it wasn't good enough. Dahlia grinned, knowing what would get a laugh out of her. She screamed loudly, a noise bordering on faux pleasure. "Harder!" She shrieked. "Faster!" She rasped painfully.

Juliet threw Dahlia's hood over her head and covered her mouth as Pansy smacked sunglasses onto Dahlia's face. They all giggled as they huddled closer to hide. The crowd snickered, half amused and partially annoyed. Dahlia glanced to the pitch where a few of the players had paused to grin wickedly.

"I have no earthly idea who that might have been, professors!" Juliet yelled back to the stands loudly. They all looked up to the highest seats, where professor Snape and professor McGonagall were arguing over who had to get up to reprimand them.

"Dahlia!" Pansy's mouth hung agape as if she had never expected her to act in any sort of inappropriate manner. It swiftly turned into a smile as Pansy realized Dahlia wasn't nearly as uptight as she once thought.

"Fuck his shit up!" Amelia waved violently at the sky.

The girls were respectfully asked to leave by Professor McGonagall with a few house deductions. The boys whooped and booed as they left.

"Yeah, you want to scream, Aldair?"

A heated flush filled her cheeks as an unknown seventh year called out to her.

They complained as they walked back to the Great Hall to grab an early dinner. Juliet promptly left her side to go find Harry. She guessed she was now somewhat on friendly terms with Gryffindors. She clung to Eloise.

"Shall we take dinner to go?" Dahlia asked.

"Watch a muggle movie in bed?" Eoise raised a brow.

"Absolutely." Dahlia placed the journal in her mouth and stuffed the present box with pastries before retiring for the evening.

————————————

The next morning, Dahlia woke up early for class feeling surprisingly rested.

She had once again dreamed that she was sitting under a willow tree that seemed to decay night after night. She contemplated the reasoning behind her dreams as she showered for the day.

She knew Eloise was right, she was going to have visions soon. She had been experiencing waves of fatigue and her dreams had grown more vivid. Her bones ached as if something was budding inside them. Her skin prickled as if a vast network, a map of time, spread slowly beneath it. She thought if she drew blood that she might pull out threads of cosmic dust from the wound.

She was growing overwhelmed by the whispers that used to soothe her as a child and she had so easily ignored for a good while. She begun to hear from the ether. It wa a dull weight, heaving her down. It was like the wind howled and the stars screeched. She had brewed herself potions in an attempt to dampen her senses and soothe the soreness in her bones. She was finally growing stronger, yet she was terrified. She was alone, wishing for the words of her mother more than ever.

Dahlia had just exited her bathroom when she noticed her new, enchanted journal had momentarily glowed. She smiled in delight and sat on her bed. She was relieved Theo hadn't forgotten about her or moved on quickly. She had seen how the girls looked at him at the party, like they might want to know what his touch felt like too. She had to remind herself that he had picked her. He wasn't shy about making his feelings known, even to the public. Eloise confirmed he had asked about her several times when she was too sick to get out of bed. This journal was the most thoughtful gift she had received from any man. She opened it and read his reply.

My Dahlia,

I'd be forever willing to get on my knees before you and beg for forgiveness. Let me show you just how sorry I can be for my unkindness.

With affection,

Theodore Nott

Dahlia grinned madly to herself. She closed the journal as if he might see her reaction through its pages. She opened it again and read it two more times.

She couldn't stop thinking about their kiss and how his hands had felt against her skin. She contemplated asking him to sneak into her dorm right now as she sat in nothing but a towel. She didn't want to seem overly excited though, so instead she wrote back:

Theodore,

You can grovel tonight in the library at approximately nine in the evening. I'll be waiting by the fireplace if you accept my invitation for penance.

Yours for now,

Dahlia

Words began to appear in the journal before her eyes. She wondered if he was lounging in bed too. She had a dirty thought to ask him but held back. She read his response:

My Dahlia,

I look forward to your company this evening. Also, if I may request, wear those knee socks I like to class today. Don't make me say please.

Your only lover,

Theodore Nott

She smiled, utterly enchanted. She skipped the formalities of penmanship and wrote: I guess I could bother to put on some clothes now, if you insist.

He had somehow managed to consume her thoughts entirely in such a brief time. Her heart had never felt so delicate.

————————————

Theodore Nott sat in the library. A hurricane of books surrounded him, but he was solely focused on the musty journal before his eyes on the desk as he twirled his wand between his fingers.

He thought his request for her to wear high socks that grazed her thighs had been pushing his luck. He was still assessing his boundaries with her. She was unlike any girl he had chased before. The gossip he had gathered about her had been elusive at best. Most students had nothing but kind things to say. Most of the men he had talked to had instead asked him what she was like, which has only made him feel a bit possessive.

He knew she had dated here and there in secret, he would just have to weed them out. Theo was starting to think she may have purposefully dated outside of Hogwarts. He knew her and Amelia were no strangers to muggle bars thanks to the countless fights he had overheard between her and Blaise had over the summer. That was quite scandalous though given her father's status, which only made him like her more. He was desperate to know everything about her. He had confirmed through his own means that nothing had happened between her and Draco the other night, which was a relief.

He had fallen morose when she had initially gotten sick, thinking that he might have done or said something wrong to make her avoid him. It wasn't until Amelia had noticed his grim mood and had teased him about it. She informed him Dahlia had caught something Madame Pomfrey couldn't cure so easily. She had also warned him against smothering her. He knew Amelia could be protective, and he was doing his best. He had snuck into Hogsmeade and stolen the journals so he would always have a direct line to her, which had been borderline questionable behavior. However, it seemed like she quite liked the gift. If that was her love language, he would gift her the whole night sky if only so he could see her smile, bathed in moonlight again.

He stopped spinning his wand. Words formed beneath his eyes:

I guess I could bother to put on some clothes now, if you insist.

He thought about what her skin had tasted like, whisky and hope, and smirked ferociously. The thrill that she wanted him too, that this wasn't a one-way road, sent him soaring. He couldn't quite piece together how he had done it. He wondered what he had even bothered to think about before her. He scribbled a response:

I insist, only so I can take them off.

He crossed this boundary gladly. He closed the journal shut and stood, hoping she wasn't speaking to anyone else this way. Theo checked his watch.He needed to get to class. He looked around and saw a second year Slytherin boy.

"Oi!" He called.

The boy looked up, terror-stricken. Theo put his wand in his mouth as he pulled out several galleons and threw it on the desk. "Clean this up," he ordered as he walked out of the library.

————————————

Dahlia walked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. She was dreading this class now that Professor Snape was taking over. She noticed upon her arrival a giant chalkboard. She approached along with Juliet and Amelia. The board listed student names paired together.

Snape had paired Amelia with Pansy, Juliet with Blaise and Theo with Ron Weasley. Her stomach dropped, reaching the scratchy handwriting that paired her name with Draco Malfoy. Juliet noticed her worried expression.

"It'll be fine," Amelia soothed. "Don't let him get to you."

Amelia knew he had been exceptionally cruel to her. She had grown unnerved as Theo had somehow gathered exactly what Draco had said to her the night of the party, and he had been more than displeased. He had nearly come to blows with him for walking Dahlia back to her dormitory and pushing her. Amelia didn't want to push the subject, figuring Dahlia would open up when she was ready. She didn't need to know that Draco and Theo were not quite on speaking terms at the moment, which had put a huge stress on the friend group.

Dahlia took a seat at an empty desk and waited for her partner. Theo walked in and noticed her immediately across the classroom. He gave her a quick nod. He said nothing, but smirked when he took note of her outfit. She had worn her finest socks.

Draco Malfoy stormed in right as class started. He slid into the seat next to her. Luckily, they were spared from an awkward encounter as Professor Snape quickly billowed in. "Today you will work in pairs and practice spell blocking. Offensive spells are of no purpose if you are unable to successfully block your opponent's castings," Snape drawled, dreary in tone.

Everyone remained quiet, still and focused on the professor, which seemed to irritate Snape.

"Go! Begin," he bellowed, rolling his eyes at the daftness of his students.

The class scurried. Dahlia and Draco stood from the shared desk and quickly headed to the other side of the classroom where other desks had been pushed aside. He refused to acknowledge her, even look at her.

It made her all the more irate to think about how he had looked at her the other night like he wanted her, then spoke so horribly to her later in the evening. He had tried to make her question if he had been looking at her at all, but she was sure of it. The sentiment of his harsh insults had been echoing in her head all week. He had so easily read her every insecurity and thrown them back in her face with such precision. The worst part was that she had just stood there and taken it, too stunned, or too drunk, to speak. She saw the outline of his features every night in the deepest hours. She had grown to comfortable with the shades of blue hidden beneath the greys in his eyes. She hated him, unable to blame herself for thinking of him.

They finally faced each other, yet he kept his eyes down. They stepped back slowly, distance growing. Their silence was louder than words. She didn't even understand what she had done to deserve such distaste from him to begin with. She had attempted to be friendly, and he had called her a fucking idiot.

He stood there, uninterested in her or the assignment, conversing with Lucas who was next to him. Her anger bubbled to the surface. She thought about how good it would feel to hurt him as he had hurt her. She knew physical wounds healed more quickly though, and his words would stay festering in her heart for quite some time.

He continued on as if she was nothing, invisible, a joke. She scowled with hatred.

"Depulso!" She shouted. It hit him square in the chest with great force and repelled him backwards.

In a different corner, Amelia was preparing to cast spells, like most students, when she saw Draco Malfoy fly through the air with lost grace. He landed on the pile of desks that had been shoved against the opposite wall for their dueling assignment.

He was so stunned at what had just occurred that he couldn't process Dahlia walking forward readying to cast another spell.

"Flipendo!" She hissed with pure resentment. Draco was helpless as he back flipped.

"Merlin's fucking pants! She's wrecking him!" Amelia exclaimed as she held Pansy back from assisting Draco. She wanted Dahlia to have her moment to shine. She wondered if forcing Dahlia to scream on the pitch had been the best idea as her inner rage was proving to be difficult to cage.

"You sure you want to date her, mate?" Blaise joked to Theo. They laughed as Dahlia kicked Draco's arse around the classroom. He quite liked seeing a more violent side of her.

"I think I could propose here and now," Theo replied jokingly, crossing his arms proudly.

Dahlia was about to cast her next spell when Professor Snape roughly grabbed her by the collar. She was pulled out of her lust for vengeance.

"While I'm impressed, please stick to less violent spells, Miss Aldair." Professor Snape let out a frustrated sigh. He let go of her and stalked away.

Dahlia took a breath, trying to calm herself. She walked over to Draco and offered him a hand to call a truce. He sneered at the gesture. He refused her help and picked himself up, unbothered. His grey eyes met hers with abhorrence as he towered over her.

Her animosity renewed, blooming within her. She took a daring step forward and shoved him back. She took another step, until they were almost chest to chest.

"Do want to look at me now?" She spat in a whisper as she shoved him back. He stepped back, almost as a mercy to her.

"Is this what you want?" She pushed against his chest once more, unmoving.

"Did that feel good?" She taunted him, malice dripping from her words.

He stood unreadable, jaw set. Insurmountable rage shimmered in his veins. He was beyond words.

She slowly stepped backwards, not wanting to turn her back on her opponent.

"Stupif-" He yelled.

Dahlia was too quick, blocking it easily. He was annoyed at how good of a dueler she was proving to be.

"Protego!" She created a force field of protection around her.

She grinned as he grew angrier watching her successfully block more of his spells. He was rapidly casting at her. She took a risk and attempted to expel his wand but he blocked her. With her protection down, he casted back, "Expelliarmus!"

Her wand flew from her hand, and the force of the spell pushed her backwards to the ground. She landed on her back. The wind left her lungs and she coughed in a daze as he stalked towards her. Spells were flying in every direction overhead. The classroom had fallen into chaos. She hurried to get back on her feet as his shadowed loomed, but he was too quick. He pushed her back to the ground and held her down, a cold hand gripping her face.

"This feels much better," he whispered into her ear, his wand pointed at her heart. She squirmed beneath his weight, but he held firm. "And I will look at you when it pleases me," he hissed in a low voice next to her cheek. "Understood?"

Dahlia tried to look away, but she couldn't. The silver of his rings pressed snuggly into her cheek, forming red markings. She whimpered before going still at the notice of dark ink barely peeking out from under his sleeve. His clothes had fallen into disarray from their duel. She knew what it was. No pure-blooded wizard who didn't follow the Dark Lord would ever dare to get a black tattoo on their left forearm. It was the Dark Mark. He followed her gaze.

"You might want to cover that up," she whispered with hostility.

His face filled with disgust. He gripped her jaw tighter and pulled her ear to his lips.

"I'll send regards to your father the next time I see him," he retorted, a nasty grin spreading across his lips. He let go of her face, shoving her back down, then stormed out of the classroom.

Juliet rushed over after a few seconds once she noticed Dahlia laying on the floor. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" She asked as concern took hold of her expression. Her worried eyes swept over her body looking for any physical injuries.

"I'm fine." She was anything but. She was quite shaken.

Students began shouting across the classroom, a rift forming between maroon and emerald. Juliet and Dahlia looked over to see Blaise holding Theo back. It looked like he had foregone spell casting altogether and had resorted to punching Ron across the face for something he had said or done.

"You duel just like your filthy father," Ron boomed, held back by Seamus and Dean.

Theo let out a sinister laugh with a wild gleam in his eyes. His pristine white shirt was smeared with blood. Theo lunged again. Blaise held tighter as Amelia moved in between the boys. Professor Snape intervened as he grabbed Theo by the collar of his shirt, dragging him into his office.

"Class dismissed," he roared. The order echoed, silencing them all.

Dahlia didn't wait for Theo. She desperately needed to get out of the classroom. And that was a side of him she couldn't bring herself to stomach yet.

————————————

Draco stormed out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom before Professor Snape could berate him for his outburst. He had been struggling to keep all of his emotions in check due to the sheer amount of pressure he was under. Maybe now that Dahlia had seen his dark mark and understood his allegiance to the Dark Lord, she would try to stay away from him and by extension, Theo. He remembered one of the last night's with his Father.

Draco sat in a plush cream chair, reading the Daily Prophet on a vast balcony overlooking the grounds of Malfoy Manor. He spotted his father shaking hands with Devereaux Aldair , a prominent figure within the Ministry of Magic. The Dark Lord had been laying the groundwork to slowly infiltrate the ministry. The man vanished, apparating away in a flume of grey smoke. Shortly after, his father billowed through the French doors of his balcony.

"Draco, I just had the most intriguing conversation with Devereaux Aldair . Tell me, how well do you know his daughter?" There was no hint of emotion of where this question would lead. Draco didn't take his eyes away from the paper.

"I've never spoken to her," he said dully as he remembered their night in the Forbidden Forest. His father was quiet for a moment, which made Draco roil with nerves.

"I have reason to believe his late wife was a seer. I believe Devereaux can be more useful to the cause beyond his position at the ministry."

"What led you to believe that?"

"Your mother knew his wife. I always had my suspicions. She was better than your own professor at divination. When it was rumored the Dark Lord began was beginning to rise to power again, I began researching her background as l wanted to find answers to how we might navigate this, but it was a dead end."

He paused and grinned fondly. "However, some nights ago, Devereaux let her true name slip. She must have revealed it only to those closest to her."

He lifted his eyes to Draco. "I resumed searching. I discovered her probable lineage — one that is pure and dates back hundreds of years, confirming my intuition."

Draco refused to respond. He was perturbed by where this might go. He kept focus on the paper, no matter how the ink blurred in his vision.

His Father continued, "Draco, do you know what it would mean for our family's status if we were the ones to hand over a seer? We could see a path through this, secure the Dark Lord's rise to complete power. He would be pleased with us."

He scolded him like he was a child.

"I need you to befriend Devereaux's daughter. Gain her trust and discover the extent of her own power," Lucius said firmly.

Draco was still hesitant to respond.

"Son, please do this for our family. Think of your own mother," he said desperately. His father stood and walked back into the manor, leaving him conflicted on the balcony.

If she were to fall into the grasp of the Dark Lord, she would surely die by his hand. He would break her mind until she could barely speak. He didn't know her, or much like her, but he couldn't. It felt as if it was an old vow his heart had made long ago.

Falling back into the present, Draco cast a disillusionment charm and entered the restricted section of the library. Most students were still in class, making it that much easier to sneak in. He began ripping through the shelves of old tattered books.

Why was she so dissatisfied with his disregard for her? She almost seemed to enjoy his hatred for her. Why couldn't Amelia keep her one-step removed from their group of friends like in years past? He recalled the flash of dislike in her doe eyes as he had gripped her face. She was even more beautiful when she looked at him with hatred. Fire looked good on her. He hated how he couldn't think of anything else but how she had said his name the other night. It was like a repeating nightmare.

In fact, she had visited his dreams twice this week. He dreamed of her in that same tight black dress, crawling on top of him underneath the willow tree in his gardens. He could practically smell her hair as she leaned over his face and choked him, thrusting him into a fresh grave. He played the image on repeat in his waking hours; the look she gave him before she wrapped her fingers around his neck, like she might bless him with a kiss.

"I'm sorry Draco," she would whisper into his mouth as she shoved him six feet under by his throat.

Why did she have to make herself a presence in his life? And why was Theo always trying to take what was deemed his? He had told Theo in passing that his father had asked him to get close to Dahlia. Theo thought it was impossible, that she appeared disinterested in nearly everyone. Did Theo think he could take this task from him and reap the benefits from the Dark Lord for himself?

He doubted Theo's intentions. There was an uncontrollable rage that burned within him but he surely would keep his distance if he knew befriending, or dating Dahlia, could lead to her death. Still, it annoyed him to no end to see him look at her. It made him sick to think of how she so easily gave him acceptance despite his prominence in the dark arts.

Draco grimaced. He had made everything worse. If Dahlia wasn't already aware that her father conspired with Death Eaters then she would surely start to ask questions after what he had said to her.

He finally found the book he had been looking for: A History of The Moirai Diviners and Their Divinations. The same book he had found in his father's office.

He was going to send Dahlia a message.