The dark brunette leaned across the table, snatching the cigarette from her friend's mouth and lightly stubbed it out onto the porcelain bowl. At her friend's accusatory glare, the young woman replied, "You're the physician, Char. You know better than anyone about the dangers of smoking."

The blonde huffed in annoyance, "We're all dying. A cigarette or two won't kill me any faster, Mahira."

The brunette chuckled darkly, "At the rate where we're going? I don't disagree." She leaned back into her chair, her cold pale eyes taking in her surroundings.

Her friend, Charlotte, continued to fidget, crossing and uncrossing her legs, clasping her hands nervously on the table, and running her hair through the blonde hair that was now unravelling from her bun.

"I wonder what he will decide," she whispered.

The Prime Minister had gathered all of them in the room to discuss the details of the exfiltration. Now, he was meeting alone with their team leader to debrief further and present his perspective. The rest of the team had dispersed, leaving only Charlotte and Mahira in the vicinity.

"We'll know soon enough," Mahira reassured her oldest friend. "At any rate, I'm sure Daniel is wearing down the floor somewhere with all of his pacing."

Charlotte shot her friend an annoyed look, her amber eyes narrowing, "You are too hard on him. He doesn't deserve that."

"You're too forgiving," Mahira countered. "He should be lucky to be trusted after all the things he did."

"You know he couldn't help it. The Imperius Curse is not something to be taken lightly, Mahira."

Mahira snorted, "The man made snide remarks about muggles and muggleborns long before he claimed to be put under the Imperius Curse. As far as I am concerned, he does not have a leg to stand on."

Charlotte opened her mouth to retort, but she caught sight of a tall figure behind Mahira making its way towards them.

"Behind you," she hissed, and the two immediately stood up to greet their team leader, waiting with bated breaths.

"Oh I like that one," Teresa commented.

"Really?" Laila turned around, the skirt of the white dress fluttering around her feet in a silky puddle. She was surrounded by mirrors and wrinkled her nose slightly. "I don't love it, but I don't hate it either."

"It does flatter you, but it is only the fourth one! Keep looking, dear," Mrs. Weasley encouraged.

"I agree, that dress is totally not you." A tinkling voice floated behind Laila, and she turned to see her best friend grinning at her.

"Mila," Laila beamed. She pulled up the skirt and made the short distance to her best friend, wrapping her in a huge hug. Laila stepped back, and she was met with her best friend's smile. Mila's dark eyes were twinkling, and she grasped Laila's forearms to keep her in place as she looked her up and down.

"You look beautiful," Mila gushed. "I cannot believe you're getting married!"

Laila smiled, and she knew it was genuine. Her cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling, and seeing her best friend only made things better.

"Before you. I never thought I beat you to the altar," Laila glanced pointedly at the beautiful diamond that decorated Mila's left hand. "Thank you for agreeing to be my maid of honour!"

"I never thought you would end up marrying a Brit," Mila retorted back, falling into their familiar banter-style of conversation. "And of course! What did you think I was going to do, leave you in the lurch?"

Laila had decided to have only Mila as her bridesmaid, especially since Fred had proclaimed he only wanted George up there on the wedding day. In Laila's mind, keeping it simple would reduce the headache of planning a wedding in less than a week. She knew Mrs. Weasley and Teresa had plans to go shopping after this for more wedding decor, and she had given Teresa her credit card with the promise that she would not buy something too outrageous or expensive.

Laila laughed and dragged her friend into the room, introducing her to Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Hermione, and Angelina. When she got to Teresa, Mila immediately gave her a hug.

"Oh honey, it's good to see," Teresa gushed. She lowered her voice so only Mila and Laila could hear. "We Americans are outnumbered here."

Laila's lips twitched, and she did her best to keep her face neutral. She always had a hard time maintaining a poker face among her loved ones. It was much easier when she put on her work hat and was doing depositions, supervising interrogations, and engaging in court.

"Where's Adrian?"

Mila turned around in response to Laila's question. "He's exploring Diagon Alley. We passed by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and he ditched me to go in. He was enamoured the second he saw that giant head outside the shop."

Laila grinned, "He'll be there for the rest of the day then."

Mila snorted, "Mission accomplished. He was looking for an excuse to ditch shopping."

"Oh don't worry about it," Laila assured her. "We can head there after we're done here, and I can introduce you to Fred."

A white fabric was shoved in front of Laila's face, and she pulled it down and made eye contact with Mrs. Weasley.

"Try this one, dear. It's simple and elegant, which I think fits your style. No extra ruffles or giant ball gowns."

Laila took the dress with a smile and walked into the changing room. She emerged minutes later and stared at her reflection. The dress outlined her slender figure and was a soft white lace that contrasted beautifully with her olive skin.

She didn't realise she had tears in her eyes until a few drops fell on her hands. Laila looked up in surprise and was met with her reflection, her tears reflecting off her pale eyes. She blinked rapidly as she hunted for a tissue, trying to dab the tears before the fountain burst wide open.

"Laila," Angelina gasped.

"Oh sweetie, I think this is one," Teresa's eyes sparkled, the unshed tears lighting up her bright green eyes. She adjusted the straps on the dress before stepping back. "I think we need to see the veil for the full effect."

Laila glanced around the shop, trying to find a veil that would match the lace on her dress. It turns out, her future mother-in-law had already found one.

"This one, dear. It is simple, and it will allow your dress to shine."

Mrs. Weasley gently draped the veil over Laila's head and stepped back. Teresa joined her and smiled, wiping the tears that were spilling from her eyes.

"Teresa," Laila laughed, stepping forward and grasping her old friend by her arms. This woman, who was an Auror and had bravely fought for justice during one of the darkest times of Wizarding history, had never shed tears in front of her before.

This was definitely a new experience for Laila, and it made her wonder about all of the new changes that they were still getting used to after the war. Going back to the "new normal" took an enormous effort, especially after years of living on high alert.

"Oh don't mind me," Teresa gave a watery laugh as she hastily wiped her tears. "I can't seem to stop crying ever since I got pregnant."

She beamed at Laila, "Your mother would have been so proud to see you like this."

Laila gave a small smile, the mention of her mom piercing her heart. It had been a struggle to not imagine how much her life would have been different had her mom lived. Maybe her dad wouldn't have turned to alcohol. But then, maybe she might have never gone into a law career and ended up in the UK. The twists and turns of all possible outcomes were beginning to overwhelm her, and she shoved those thoughts into the farthest recesses of her mind.

She jolted back to reality when she felt a deep squeeze on her shoulder. Laila turned to meet Mila's concerning gaze, her friend's dark eyes trained on her. After years of being such close friends from their first day at Ilvermorny, Laila could read her friend easily. And she knew the same was true for Mila.

She gave Mila a quick smile and gentle thumps on her back, indicating she was fine. She didn't trust herself to speak quite yet.

"Well then, we should get it packed and ready before the wedding in a few days," Mrs Weasley was beaming, and she engulfed Laila in a tight hug.

"I am so happy Fred is marrying you. If you need anything at all, come to me, dear. We're your family as well now," Mrs. Weasley whispered in Laila's ear. Laila swallowed back her tears and gave her future mother-in-law another quick hug before stepping back.

"Look who's the one crying now," Mila grinned good-naturedly.

Laila let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head at one of her closest friends. "Stop, you'll only make it worse."

"Well I guess we just have to get you into your wedding dress any time we want to see you cry Laila," Angelina grinned, giving her a hug. "Come on, let's get you out of this dress so it can be cleaned before your big day."

Laila stepped back into the dressing room and came out changed in her street clothes. She gazed into the main area and saw Mila, Angelina, Ginny, and Hermione sprawled on the white leather couches of the store, drinks in hand and laughing hysterically. A small smile planted itself on her face. It was nice to see that everyone was getting along.

She stayed there for several seconds longer, only to be noticed by Mila.

"Laila," Mila had a sly grin on her face as she gestured for her friend to come over.

"I was telling the girls about the time Adrian got detention for turning Professor Faustus's class into a swamp after she said his prediction wasn't in-line with the cosmos or something."

Laila rolled her eyes, "To be fair, he predicted that the divination classroom would be blotted in a horrific accident and the history of the entire subject would be erased for all time."

"It's divination," Hermione piped in. "As a former prefect, I would not give him detention for that."

"Hermione Granger!" Ginny gasped. "This is news."

"Really?" Angelina asked. "Considering this is the same Hermione who cast a curse on anyone who spoke about the D.A. and didn't bother to lift a finger after the twins turned Hogwarts into a swamp."

"Wait, hold it," Laila furrowed her brows, trying to process this new knowledge. "The twins turned your school into a swamp?" She pulled a stool next to the couch and got comfortable.

"Oh yeah," Ginny grinned. She lounged back on the couch casually glancing around before whispering conspiratorially. "Had to make sure Mum and Teresa had actually left to do some shopping before I spilled the beans."

She tossed her bright red hair back with a sly grin, and for a moment, Laila saw Fred's mischievous expression cross Ginny's face. The similarities between the two siblings startled her, and she blinked a few times before tuning into what Ginny was saying.

"They left Hogwarts at the end of their seventh year and in the middle of OWLs season. But they left with a bang, enormous fireworks and a huge swamp that started right next to Umbridge's office."

"Umbridge," Laila's voice hardened at hearing that name. "The woman who scarred minors under the guise of detention? That same bitch?"

Hermione blinked in shock, and Angelina let out a low whistle. "Damn, Laila. I didn't think you were a cusser."

"Not in my professional life," Laila gave her new friend a grim smile. "But I'm not above using a few choice words to describe people who ignore their humanity and commit horrific crimes. Especially against children."

She felt a quick squeeze on her knee and Mila's eyes. Both exchanged knowing grim smiles before Laila decided to shift the conversation.

But she waved her hand casually in the air. "Anyways, that's neither here nor there. I'm more invested in this swamp story."

Ginny grinned, "They left the whole school a celebratory mess with fireworks and a swamp. And the best part is, the professors acted incompetent and had Umbridge running around the whole school trying to clean up everything. It was bloody fantastic."

Laila laughed, the image of a tiny old hag running around in a desperate state cheering her immensely. "But wait, how did they get out of Hogwarts? You can't apparate out of there, and using something stealthy like a Portkey or the Floo Network doesn't really sound like Fred and George's style…"

Her voice trailed off as she remembered Fred making fun of her for not knowing the difference between Quodpot and Quidditch.

"Oh dear god," she whispered in a mixture of delight and horror, "Please don't tell me they used broomsticks to make a grand exit."

"Bingo," Angelina laughed. "They left with a bang, no pun intended."

Mila grinned, "I have to meet these two now."

She turned to Laila with a mischievous smile, "We're waiting on you, bride-to-be."

Laila glared at her friend and gestured to her clothes. "Does the fact that I changed out of the wedding dress and into my regular clothes not signal that I am ready to get out of here?"

"Meh," Mila shrugged casually. "Considering you pulled up a stool next to me, I thought we would be here for the rest of our lives."

"Oh shut up," Laila laughed, punching her best friend gently in the shoulder before giving her a quick side hug.

"Come on, then." Angelina stood as well. "You can meet the infamous Weasley twins."

The three prepared to head out after Laila paid for the dress, separating from Ginny and Hermione, who had their own plans for the afternoon.

The sun's bright rays reflected off the cobblestone path and directed them to the twins' shop. Laila walked a few metres behind Angelina and Mila, lost in thought over her impending meeting with Draco Malfoy next week, Carrow's murder and who could be behind it, and the wedding. Everything was piling up really fast, and a flash of Joanna's face in her mind almost stopped Laila in her tracks. Joanna had agreed to meet with her in January, and Laila wondered how the young woman was taking the news that one of her tormentors was dead.

A shriek pulled Laila deep out of her thoughts. She felt two hands grab her shoulders, and looked up sharply to see Mila staring back at her incredulously, "Why didn't you tell me that your fiance just entered into a business arrangement with the cheating whore?"

Laila met Angelina's gaze over Mila's shoulder. Angelina shrugged as if to say she was going to find out eventually.

"Mila, don't call her that," Laila sighed. "Yes she cheated and I don't plan on letting her back in my life ever, but this arrangement will help Fred and George's business to grow."

"But-"

"Don't worry, Fred asked me multiple times if I was sure. He wouldn't sign the papers until I assured him for the hundredth time that this wouldn't affect me. Besides, Eleanor is good at what she does. I know how to put her in her place if she tries to get involved in my personal life," Laila finished.

Mila let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, all right. But you could have told me! Why am I finding out about this now?!"

Laila smiled, "Because if I sent you this in a letter or told you over the phone, you would find her and try to tear her hair out. I figured it was better to wait until I saw you in person. Angelina just happened to get to it first."

Laila raised her eyebrows while gazing at the person in question. Angelina responded by putting her hands up in defence. "Look, if we're going to be seeing her and your horrible ex again very soon, I figured it would be good to have extra backup besides just me."

"Hold up," Mila whipped her head back to give Laila a long look. "You're telling me that you are going to be seeing her again?"

"Yes, at a business party to finalise the deal," Laila bit her lip, and stepped forward, cautiously placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Look, I know you're worried about me. But everything is fine. I stopped thinking about them a long time ago."

Mila pursed her lips, "I just don't want to see you getting hurt again."

"I'll be fine," Laila gave her a small smile. "They don't have the power to hurt me anymore."

A comfortable silence lingered on between the three girls before Laila decided to break it.

"Well, come on then. I still have to see Adrian!"

Within a few moments, they arrived in front of the twins' large head tipping its hat back and forth at them.

Mila laughed at the image, "It's definitely an eye-stopper, you have to admit."

"Wait until you see the inside," Angelina grinned.

The door burst open with a bang as a bunch of young teenage wizards flocked out, carrying bags and whispering excitedly amongst themselves. The three waited for the crowd to clear before stepping in. As usual, the shop was busy, flocked with people of all ages sorting through different products.

Laila let her eyes drift amongst the crowd, trying to catch a glimpse of red hair and freckles that would signal Fred. Instead, she caught a mop of dark sandy hair and bright green eyes.

"Adrian," she cried out, the joy at seeing one of her oldest friends bursting out of her. Laila waved her hand dramatically to get his attention, and the blonde turned in the direction of his voice.

A huge grin appeared over Adrian's face, and he rushed over to give Laila a hug. His tall, broad frame engulfed Laila, and she separated from him to get a good look.

"My god," Laila laughed. "Are you trying to grow a beard?"

Adrian's normally clean-shaven face was touched with patches of light blonde hair that stubbornly refused to connect to his face.

He grimaced, "I'm trying. Mila's been at me to shave it off for a while now."

Mila rolled her eyes, planting a kiss on the corner of his mouth. "You look like a teenager trying to grow facial hair. Can you blame me?"

Laila joined in Mila's laughter before gesturing behind her.

"Adrian, this is Angelina. She has become a fast friend of mine since I have been here. And Angelina, this is Adrian. One of my oldest friends."

Laila's cheeks were beginning to strain from the amount of smiling she had been doing the entire day. Just seeing her family here had lifted a huge weight off her shoulders, and she knew seeing her sisters later this week would only make things better. But worries about her father continued to linger on, and she had to push those thoughts to the deepest recesses of her mind.

"So, have you met the infamous Weasley twins?" Angelina smirked knowingly at Adrian.

"Met them? Are you kidding? They're geniuses! This shop is the best thing I've ever seen. Joke products that I could only dream of when I was in school. Too bad the two of them didn't go to the States. Imagine the things we could have done." Adrian was bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement, and Laila was amused to see that even now, joke and prank products made his day.

"Well, they've certainly added onto their fan list," Laila remarked.

"Nice to see you're keeping track." Fred's voice popped out from behind her, and she almost jumped out of her skin.

She turned to catch sight of him dressed in a colourful vest and dark pants, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. Her eyes must have lingered on for him too long because when she made eye contact, Fred didn't bother to hide his smirk.

She felt her cheeks turning hot, and decided to clap back to change the subject. "I have to build up proof in case I need to charge you for unlawful business practices."

"Ouch Laila," George popped out behind Adrian. "I thought you were finally becoming loyal to the Weasleys."

"But it seems we were mistaken." Fred shook his head in mock grief. "Just when I thought I was getting to know you. You know what this means, George?"

"Time to organise our escape plan and hire a barrister who will get us off, of course," George chuckled.

"Lucky that we found one who seems to love our shop," Fred's grin was blinding as he gestured towards Adrian.

"What…are you kidding me? You're trying to hire my friend to defend you? He's just met you!" Laila exclaimed.

"Sorry, Laila," Adrian shrugged. "Everyone deserves a defence. Besides, I actually like these clients."

"I think we got you beat, darling." Fred leaned his head closer to Laila's ears as he whispered for dramatic effect. Laila did her best to suppress an involuntary shudder and willed herself to not move. She immediately felt Fred take a step back.

Laila turned and found him gazing at her in concern. He must have thought I was having a flashback. She gave him a soft smile in reassurance and watched as his shoulders relaxed.

The moment was broken with Mila asking the twins for a tour. George immediately obliged, gesturing for everyone to follow him into the shop. Laila began to follow, but felt a cool hand on her wrist.

Fred leaned in and quietly asked, "All right?"

She gave him a genuine smile, "Yes. Are you?"

"Yes, but I definitely have to up my spice game with the food you fed me last night." Fred's grin widened when Laila laughed.

"I'll definitely keep that in mind for future meals," she murmured. Her nose was just below his shoulder, and when she looked up, Fred's warm brown eyes seemed closer. He gently tugged her forward, and Laila felt her breath hitch.

The clanging of the shop's door and a shout of "Laila" broke them apart. Ron burst through the door, his eyes searching for Laila.

Laila heard more than saw Fred swearing "bloody wanker" under his breath. She turned around and gave him what she hoped was an admonishing look, but he seemed unfazed by it and shot her a smirk.

"Laila," Ron wheezed. He was out of breath and waving a piece of paper. "I've got some news on Carrow."

"Take a breath, Ron," Laila spoke calmly, giving the young Auror some space. "Do you need to sit down?"

"No, I'm fine." Ron looked up and noticed Fred, "Mind giving us privacy? I can't really discuss this with you eavesdropping."

Fred raised his eyebrows, "Last I checked, this was my shop. I'm entitled to go wherever I please."

Laila knew Fred was purposefully baiting Ron for his amusement, but she was not keen on seeing an argument start between the two brothers. "Fred, do you mind if we use your workspace for a few minutes?"

Fred turned his gaze towards her and nodded.

Ron breathed a sigh of relief and began to make the trek to the back of the shop. Laila made to follow, but she was stopped by Fred again.

"Are you okay dealing with all this?"

A burst anger shot through Laila. Did he think she was weak and incapable of handling horrific crimes because of her past? Definitely not! She was more than capable of doing her job. She was about to retort this to him, but the genuine concern in Fred's eyes stopped her short.

She gave herself a few seconds before responding to him. "I'm okay. If I'm struggling with something, I'll reach out, okay?"

Fred still seemed unsure, and Laila had no idea what prompted her to take her next step. She stood on her toes and planted a brief kiss on his lips before stepping back. The stunned look on Fred's face was worth the action, but she didn't get to enjoy it because Ron's exasperated call of "Laila" rang through the shop.

"I'd better go," she spoke softly. "Don't want your customers to run away with Ron continuing to yell my name."

She left Fred standing there, not having the courage to wait for his reply and met Ron in the back.

"Finally," he sighed. "I really don't want the image of you and Fred snogging haunting my memory. You two can do that on your own time."

Laila pursed her lips, "While I appreciate that me showing affection to Fred may make you uncomfortable, this is your brother's shop, Ron. And neither of us were expecting you."

"All right, fair enough." Ron raised his hands in defence. "But the autopsy on Carrow's body came back. The stab wound wasn't what killed him. He was poisoned."

Laila paused, processing what Ron had told her. "So he was stabbed to cover up the fact he was poisoned?"

"That's what I reckon," Ron scratched his head. "We still haven't found the knife or the weapon used to stab him. We turned Azkaban inside and out."

Laila nodded thoughtfully, "Someone must have been deliberately targeting him if Carrow was the only one poisoned and killed. I wonder if his murder is connected back to one of his victims."

"But how would they get access to his food?" Ron's brows furrowed.

"It may be an employee in the prison. One of them may have a connection to Carrow's victims, and they could have decided to exercise revenge," Laila surmised.

"So basically all the Aurors and other people who work at Azkaban. Everyone lost someone during the War, Laila. It could be anyone," Ron explained.

Laila bit her lip. "Poison is typically attributed to female killers, but the stabbing doesn't make sense to me. Did a random fight just break out? Or did Carrow's killer instigate a fight to make his death look like an accident? But then, wouldn't they have known that we would perform an autopsy?"

She shook her head, the information swirling around her brain.

"I think Harry and I should take a look at Hogwarts students who had Carrow as a professor and compare that list to family members of the students who work at Azkaban currently. That might give us somewhere to go," Ron suggested.

Laila nodded in agreement. "Good idea, Ron. Do you need help?"

Ron shook his head. "It shouldn't be too bad. I'll get in touch with you if we need subpoenas for any searches or anything."

He paused, "I know you may not like hearing this, but I wish we weren't wasting so much time finding who killed a Death Eater."

Laila sighed, "I don't disagree with your viewpoint, Ron. But it becomes really tricky if we start deciding who should be charged for a crime based on their motivations. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

"Blimey," Ron chuckled. "Never heard of that before. Very original, Laila."

She gave him a grim smile. "Thanks for keeping me updated."

Ron nodded, made to leave, and stopped for a second. "Listen, thank you for making Fred smile. It's good to see him coming back to his normal self."

The tips of Ron's ears turned red, "I just get a little grossed out seeing my siblings engage in PDA in front of me."

Laila coughed discreetly to hide her laugh, "No worries. I have two older sisters and can relate."

Ron looked relieved and dashed out. "We'll try to get as much done as we can this week. With your wedding and New Year's, I won't have much time left."

Laila waved as Ron left, letting out a whoosh of hair when she was alone. She sat down on a nearby stool, her legs dangling a few inches above the floor. She leaned back and closed her eyes, trying to piece together all the new information that Ron had just relayed to her. Everything was a mess, and she couldn't make sense of anything.

"That bad, huh?"

Fred's voice pulled Laila out of her jumbled thoughts, and she turned her head to see him leaning against the doorway, watching her every move carefully.

"You wouldn't believe it," she sighed.

"Anything you can tell me?" He stepped closer to her, leaning against the work table with crossed arms.

"Nothing yet, but everything seems to be leading towards an outcome that I am not going to like." Laila shook her head, her frustration piling up.

Fred didn't say anything, giving her the space to formulate her words.

"I came here to help the survivors find their voice, and now I'm investigating the murder of a Death Eater." She shook her head, "And now I'm worried that the murder may be linked to one of Carrow's victims."

Fred raised his eyebrows at this piece of information, "What are you going to do?"

She clenched her jaw and stood up, the stool scraping behind her, making a screeching noise in the quiet space. "I have to go where the evidence leads me. Once we catch who did it, I'll do my best to reduce their sentence."

Fred nodded. Silence lingered between the two of them for the next few minutes. But it wasn't uncomfortable like it was the first time they had met. This was the silence of knowing that she was in a safe space, with someone she could trust.

"What can I do to make this better?" Fred's questions punctured the air softly.

She stepped closer to him and gave him a hug. He remained standing with his hands by his side for a few seconds before reciprocating.

"You already are," she mumbled into the fabric of his vest.

The day of the party had arrived, and Laila was busy putting on last minute touches to her look. She thought back to the conversation she had with Mila earlier that day.

"Why am I wearing a sari when I have plenty of nice, formal dresses for this occasion?"

"Because you will stand out and look amazing, and you can show off to Liam what he missed when he decided to cheat on you," Mila huffed. "And you look amazing in red. End of story."

Laila had agreed to put on a simple red sari. Her reflection stared at her, pale eyes and blood red lips surrounded by an inky curtain of wavy hair. She definitely stood out. A fleeting memory of her childhood suddenly sailed back, knocking the wind out of her. She recalled sitting down on a bed with her sisters, her feet rocking back and forth as she watched her mother get dressed for Diwali, wearing a red sari not unlike the one she was wearing now. Her mother's dark hair had been arranged in a beautiful up-do, and she had turned towards her daughters, her dark eyes flashing with joy.

"Well, what do you think, girls?"

A knock at her door interrupted her from her thoughts, and given the time, she knew it would be Fred. Taking a deep breath, she strolled over and opened the door, finding him dressed in a black wizarding dress robes and looking immaculate.

"You clean up well, Weasley," she smiled at him, cocking her head to the side.

She expected Fred to retort back with his usually laid-back sense of humour, but he seemed speechless as he stared at her. Laila felt herself growing self-conscious and began flicking imaginary dust off her clothes.

"Something wrong?" she asked, checking herself over to make sure nothing was amiss. Maybe the sari was too much, and she should have gone with one of her dresses.

"You look beautiful," he breathed, his eyes taking her in before a slow smile spread across his face.

"Oh," she blinked. "Well, thank you." Laila busied herself with gathering her clutch and other supplies, Fred's comment suddenly making her feel exposed. Not in a bad way, more in a getting-to-know her vulnerable way. It was still a lot to process, though.

"We should get going," she stated as she carefully locked the door behind her.

"No Teresa and Patrick to threaten me with bodily harm if I bring you home past your curfew?" Fred teased.

Laila laughed. "No, they're out on a date. So do you need me to interact with anyone, butter them up to give you more money?"

"Nope. The deal is set, so this is just a formality. But George and I plan on taking advantage and networking as much as possible. And Vikander, I'm surprised that you're resorting to bribery and extortion at my expense," Fred joked, a fond grin stretched over his face.

"You seem to be having a strong influence on me," Laila smiled.

They apparated to a giant banquet centre decked out in beautiful curtains and black and gold, with floating lanterns illuminating the tables and rooms. Laughter echoed in the party as drinks were poured and people exchanged pleasantries. Laila stood back, allowing her eyes to adjust to the scene.

"Laila!" Angelina rushed towards her, draped in a beautiful light blue gown with George a few inches behind her. Laila felt a flood of relief rush through her. She was thankful to run into familiar faces right when she entered.

"You look breathtaking! I love that sari on you," Angelina breathed, an enormous smile brightening her face.

"Thank you! Look at you, my god. I love that colour on you! You're absolutely stunning!" Laila gave her friend a quick hug before stepping back to greet George.

"Well, I hate to leave you ladies alone, but the person who arranged our deal is looking for us," George interrupted, gesturing towards Eleanor, who was smiling at the four of them and waving.

Laila felt a hand around her waist as Fred leaned in close, "We won't be too long. I don't want to force you to interact with her more than necessary."

"I'll be okay. Go do what you need to do. I'm pretty good at keeping myself entertained," she gave Fred a reassuring smile and watched as the twins made their way to Eleanor.

"Well, they have some pretty good hor d'oeuvres if you're interested. I nabbed a mini table earlier so we don't have to stand with our food." Angelina gestured towards the back.

"Right behind you," Laila smiled.

She spent the next few minutes laughing and joking with Angelina about everything under the sun.

"Laila?"

Time froze, and Laila felt herself stiffen. She recognised that voice, and she had been dreading hearing it again.

Laila turned and faced her ex-boyfriend, Liam, the man who had broken her heart all those years ago. His dark hair was swept back, and she could not read the emotions swirling in his olive eyes. She thought back to the times her heart would skip a beat when he would walk into a room. But now, she felt nothing.

All she could think about was walking into her home after a long day and catching this man with one of her closest friends. The hatred and anger she had felt all those years ago had melted away, and it was replaced with indifference.

Liam continued to stare at her, and Laila realised she hadn't spoken a word since he walked in, her fingers tightly clutching her glass of water, the knuckles in her hand blanching. She forced her face to mask her expressions and did her best to present a neutral demeanour, even though her insides were churning.

"Liam," she replied evenly. "How are you?"

She was proud that her voice was not shaking, and she stared at her ex with an expression of cool indifference.

"Good….I didn't expect to see you here of all places." Liam offered her a sheepish grin.

"Relly?" Laila arched an eyebrow. "I didn't realise being American meant I couldn't leave the country."

Two bright red splotches appeared on Liam's cheeks, "No-that's not what I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

Laila sipped her water deliberately, watching mercilessly as he stumbled over her words. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Angelina was watching the entire exchange with undisguised amusement.

"I'm just glad you're doing well, is all," Liam finally stammered.

She smirked coldly, "Nice to see that you care about my feelings after all this time."

Liam flinched and looked down at his feet, having the decency to at least realise there was nothing he could say at that moment. Laila remained quiet, letting the uncomfortable silence drag on as he squirmed. A tiny part of herself felt guilty for being this cruel, but another part of her gleefully rejoiced in the fact she had finally been able to extract some form of revenge.

Liam glanced furtively at Laila before continuing quietly as he stepped closer, "Could we speak in private?"

Laila pursed her lips and was about to deny him, when she felt Angelina give her hand a quick squeeze.

"Sorry, George is calling me over. I'll try to be as quick as possible," Angelina whispered. Laila nodded, and she watched as Angelina passed by Liam, tossing him a glare as she went.

Laila cocked her head, continuing to stare Liam down. "Well?"

"I'm sorry for what I did…in the past. You didn't deserve that…I should have come to you first."

Laila let out a mirthless laugh, "Instead of sleeping with my friend. Yeah I think that would have been the right thing to do.:

Liam's jaw tightened slightly. "I'm sorry, Laila. I can't change the past, but I don't want to see you hurt in the future."

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean it's not like you to marry someone after barely knowing them for a week."

Oh. So that's why he had come to talk to her. Not to apologise, but to provide his unnecessary input in her life once more. Laila straightened herself up and glared at him coldly.

"You have no right to dictate to me on how I should live my life. One week is all it took for me to learn that Fred is kind, caring, and more than twice the man you will ever be."

She paused, composing herself before continuing. "Besides," she spat, "I knew you for over five years and didn't think you would stoop as low as you did. Turns out, I didn't know you at all."

As she watched, a myriad of expressions crossed Liam's face before anger finally settled in. He stepped closer, his tall frame looming over.

"You have no right to threaten me," he hissed. "I came here to apologise to you, and you keep on insulting me."

Laila suppressed a shudder as fear began to crawl up her spine, the expression on Liam's face daring her to take a step back. Instead, she did her best to not let fear creep into her voice.

"Step back, Liam. I won't say it twice."

He narrowed his eyes menacingly.

"Mate, I think you'd better back off."

Liam whirled around, and Laila felt relief flooding her veins when she realised Fred was behind him. His hands were casually tucked into his pockets, and his tone was light. But the expression in his eyes was stone cold as he stepped forward.

Thankfully, Liam moved back and turned his attention to Fred. "Enjoy your life with her," he sneered. "She'll put out for strangers but not her significant other."

Laila froze in shock, and she watched as a shadow passed over Fred's face. Instinctively she rushed forward, immediately clutching his wrist as it formed into a fist.

"Fred, he's not worth it," She tightened her grasp on his wrist as Liam walked around them with a sneer on his face.

She waited until he was out of sight before loosening her grasp. "Are you okay?"

Fred glanced down at her in surprise. "Me? Are you okay?"

Laila paused, not sure how to respond. "Yes. This conversation just confirmed that dumping him was the best thing I ever did."

A slow smile slid over Fred's face. "Of course it was, Vikander. Otherwise you would never have had the opportunity to woo me," he replied cheekily.

She chuckled quietly, letting him have the win.

"C'mon. Let's see what your dance moves look like."