I woke up with a start and at the end of bed, I saw him. He was wearing the same outfit as the masked ball, his hood up, mask covering his face. Looking as magnificent as the first time I saw him. I couldn't quite believe my eyes as I rubbed them.

"It's you!" I breathed as I shot up from my bed, I didn't feel conscious that I was in my light nightdress as he held out his hand to me and beckoned me to follow him.

Where was he taking me? Was he going to at last reveal whom he was? The butterflies grew in my stomach as his cape whipped around the corners of the Palace, the stoned tiles chilling my feet. He stopped suddenly by a door, as he opened it up, I felt a cool breeze leave the room. Why was it so cold? He held out his hand to me as I tried to reach from him, it seemed like his hand kept moving further. Why couldn't I reach him?

"Bella!" I heard a voice shout from behind me, but I wasn't interested because I had everything in front of me.

"Bella, stop!" The voice called more urgently this time, but I couldn't pull myself away from the masked man, not they I had finally found him again.

I took a step towards him and the ground below me seemed strange somehow as I put one foot out towards him. I trusted him, I'd follow him to the end.

"Bella, no!" shouted the voice again and I felt myself forced away from the masked man as he disappeared into thin air and then I realised I was standing out on the ledge of one of the high windows in the Palace, the Kingdom below me looking like tiny fireflies flickering in the distance. I gasped as I stumbled back as I then noticed who had held of my arm.

"What were you thinking?" Septimus practically shouted at me, he looked so angry. I was still trying to catch my breath from my near-death experience as I realised it all was only a dream, I hadn't found the man of my dreams, instead the man I despised was clutching onto my arm. But in turned I realised that he also had saved my life and now I was in his debt.

"Prince Septimus" I acknowledged, my heart still racing "I was dreaming, I don't know how I got here. You saved me, now I am in your debt".

He rolled his eyes and replied "If you tell anyone about this, I'll push you off the edge myself next time".

"Then why not just do it? Since you despise me so much" I argued back, still broken that all of what had passed was a dream, perhaps this masked man was only ever to be a dream?

In the darkness, I saw Septimus's green eyes soften as he surprisingly returned "Is that what you think?"

"It's what I know, remember I am a witch after all" I snapped back at him, trying to hold my tears in. I didn't want him to see them and think they were for his sake.

"You aren't a witch" he mumbled, looking away from me as he then added "Come, it's the middle of the night, I will escort you back to your room".

I was surprised by his chivalry but accepted as we strolled down the dark, lifeless halls in silence. It was an eerie scene as I felt chilled from the night air.

"Are you cold?" Septimus noticed me shiver, he didn't wait for me to answer and placed his black jacket over my shoulders as I whispered my thanks, almost forgetting that he had seen me in my nightdress.

Soon enough, we reached my room, and I handed back his jacket that smelled of his scent, it seemed familiar somehow. We stood there silently awkward for a moment, not knowing how to part.

"Thank you for your assistance, Prince Septimus" I bowed my head to him, not wanting to make eye contact through my own embarrassment.

"Keep your doors locked, Bella" was all he managed to say as he then turned from me and walked back into the darkness.