I know it has been seriously very long. And what I have said about abandoning stories stands, but I do have more empathy for authors who have moved away from fandoms for one reason or another.

As you can see, this is still alive (somewhat). For the longest, I was of the opinion of not switching up the narration of the story. It can be jarring, but well so can be 10 or more months of radio silence.

I have grown since I first posted this so some of it will inevitably seep in as well.
That sort of sealed the decision for me.

Whenever I update more, the story is going to get condensed, and not as detailed as before. It will not match the brevity in Valor, because this is an elaborate plot in comparison with too much happening. I think the most affect will be on writing style, and me skipping some fluff (that seems filler when I want to get the plot points across).

I am going to stick to my game plan but with some curating at work.

Let me know what you think.

Happy Reading (this is a longer update than usual considering my long silence)

Love,

Kat.

P.S. Send me some love in reviews so I know there are some readers who will appreciate the fact that I am not dead.

Flipped Chapter 42

The Conclusions of Synthesis

Evelyn's POV

Evelyn vaguely hoped that Cordelia would allow Evelyn to dispel her persistent opinion that Cordelia was a reckless marvel. It was another matter that Cordelia dashed Evelyn's hopes at least twice a day.

She had hoped that the race to examinations might quell the innate entropy that Cordelia possessed. Cordelia cared about education and her grades. Something about institutes giving Cordelia's intelligence a serious due. She also liked to spend most of her time around Tom, who not only diligently studied but also kept Cordelia's worse impulses in check.

Evelyn's hopes had dashed because Cordelia's popularity had taken off even more during exams. Cordelia invariably enjoyed tutoring. So did Tom, but while Tom managed his time judiciously, Cordelia was almost brazen.

Sebastian Longbottom had to pursue his lips and widen his eyes just a tad bit, and soon Cordelia was tutoring the majority of the 5th years so that they could pass their History OWL.

She was helping Alphard in his potions, answering tricky arithmantic hypotheticals for Dorea and Charlie, offering pointers to nearly everyone who chimed at her with questions on their enunciation or wand movements, or the soundness of their arguments for prospective essays.

Bones had needled her on Transfiguration, Titania, Burke, Gambol and Ogden had collectively monopolized her for covering a section on Conjuring; and she had seen Cordelia stop and correct the Charm wand movements for first years so many times that Evelyn barely noticed it anymore.

She also did rotations in the infirmary and spent time gently easing panicking, and tearful first years. Handing them calming draughts and then eliciting laughter, and often promising academic help.

Evelyn still had lessons from her on pureblood culture, she also knew Cordelia was incapable of neglecting Tom.

It was not sustainable. She needed to speak to Tom, but she could not get hold of him. He had disappeared.

She eventually decided to speak to Heir Malfoy, to find him rolling away on a plan of a meeting of Alke Mars: NEWT edition on a desk in the Slytherin Common Room.

She gave him a look. She was almost afraid to ask. Cordelia surely could not.

"Merryweather's idea," Heir Malfoy supplied, then added, "I quite like it. Tom cannot be in the dueling ring because we plan to have an external guest and Lia is paranoid. Tom is trying to keep a close eye on her since Dumbledore. So, I just decided to take over the other logistical details."

"She will duel." Evelyn meant to be interrogative, but it was almost a statement. In the middle of exams, against someone external, likely someone who had cleared a Defense NEWT, and had maintained themselves in the field post-graduation; someone on the dueling circuits, or aurors or… could she be any more callous towards her own self.

Heir Malfoy nodded, as he made some annotations on some large plan.

"Where is she at the moment? Someone new has monopolized her for tutoring?" Evelyn asked incredulously.

Heir Malfoy gave a small, amused smile, even as he kept working, "Not exactly."

Evelyn gave him an expectant look. She was less afraid of him these days, less stilted, less nervous.

"Tom may have implored Kyran to drag her away on the pretense of a Socratic debate that he must do for his OWLs. He promised to turn it into a restful venting session." Heir Malfoy informed, giving her an askance glance, with a slightly guilty look. He recently had more hitches about what he thought of as slight manipulations of Cordelia.

Evelyn sighed, her shoulders sagged, "Thank Merlin."

"He also expressed concern to Dorea about how little Corrie has been sleeping, and I believe Dorea will refrain from bothering her, and use Walburga to successfully leash the most zealous monopolizers. They are also delegating helping the juniors to other seniors and pointing juniors to other sources and capable adults. We, her cousins understand that she can be helpless and unreasonable when it comes to giving. Dorea also feels guilty, so she is very stringent about protecting Cordelia's well-being. Tom also requested Madam Underhill to give her a forced preparatory leave for her exams. It should normalize when people stop needling her." Heir Malfoy filled her in, unprompted.

Evelyn felt a little conscious, "Was I that transparent?"

"You might be learning the art of subtlety under the Black sisters, but your concern for Cordelia is usually palpable." He admitted with a small smile.

Evelyn did not respond. He went on, "It is not a bad thing. I appreciate that you look out for her. Most of us are so used to her being who she is, that we do not note these things."

Evelyn pointed out forcefully, "You are trying though, that counts."

"Now you are just being kind, Ms. Adler," Heir Malfoy's cheeks colored just a little but his voice did not waver.

"Kind is not a word I associate with myself Heir Malfoy. I may be pragmatic, methodical, and a keen observer. I do not embellish things for the sake of it." Evelyn responded. She was braver because of Walburga's nit-picking and coaching. She would not have dared to contradict any pureblood or a man a month ago.

Heir Malfoy froze all his actions. She had startled him. Her palms started sweating away. She had not meant to discomfit him, merely…She started fidgeting with her fingers, looking down at their strange entwining in hopes of some ease from the tension.

Her progressing dread took a pause with the soft tenors of Heir Malfoy and she immediately met his eyes, "You should call me Abraxas, Ms. Adler, and I will keep your advice on trying in mind. Sometimes, we judge ourselves more harshly. Perhaps you should think on that yourself, you may be pragmatic, but that does not preclude being kind."

He had silvery flecks in his eyes, a Malfoy trait, a marker of the family magic in their lineage.

They both looked away when a powerful, too-dense wave of magic entered the room.

Evelyn could not read or see magical auras, but the wave was so potent, that she could tell Cordelia was in a rage.

She was walking towards Evelyn. Tom was at her side, and he seemed to share Cordelia's simmering anger.

"I need some advice, Evelyn," Cordelia said without ceremony. Her tone was clipped, but it was apparent that the object of her rage was not related to Evelyn.

"Of course," Evelyn immediately said and got up.

Abraxas looked concerned, "Are you alright, Corrie?"

Cordelia's demeanor softened, she even gave him a small twitch of lips, a brief facsimile of a smile, "I will be. I have been more reactive than usual, and I am hoping Evelyn will give me a perspective. Tom has already given me some things to think about. Do you need help with any of the things for Alke Mars? You can absolutely order away Anastius and Alphard, they are just wasting their time trying to avoid revising for herbology."

"I will not get much done with those two hanging on me." Abraxas smiled wryly.

"Bother Orion," Tom suggested. Abraxas grinned, "I plan to."

"Very well, I shall catch up with you over dinner hopefully," Cordelia said in assent, grabbed Evelyn's hand, and pulled her along as they marched upstairs to the Slytherin Towers.

Cordelia's POV

If it were not for the steady grip and soothing circles from Tom on her palm, Cordelia was not sure if she could have been restrained.

Evelyn had a hand on her other shoulder in silent, steady support.

They were waiting with her, on one of the ways of the Gryffindor common room, almost hidden in the shadows of an alcove, and a suit of arms for what looked like a troll from the size. She would not put it past wizards to try something as foolish as to try to make trolls do their bidding in pointless wars. Their malice and self-importance knew no bounds.

She was seething, and she was aware of it.

Her target made way in his circle of friends, and Cordelia moved forward purposefully, waving him over with a scroll in her hand, "Mr. Prewett, a word."

"Heiress Black," The greeting was flat with an empty, haughty smile. It was indecorous to not show deference. Cordelia did not care too much about the protocol but this man grated on her badly enough that she filed away the smallest of indiscretions.

Ignatius waved his friends away importantly, "Heiress Black needs my approval." Cordelia held back her punch with a brief bland spreading of lips.

Once, they were a little out of viewing distance, he began loftily, "I suspect Lord Black returned this to you for negotiating it further Cordelia. I am reluctant…."

Cordelia waved full force of her magic and rage on him, bringing him to his knees, "You ought to remember your courtesies, Ignatius. I am the Heiress of House Black and I outrank you exponentially. Remember, you never have the leave to call me by my given name."

Ignatius's eyes were wide and furious. He opened his mouth and before he could get a word in; Cordelia socked him on his nose, breaking it.

He reached for his wand, and Cordelia disarmed him wandlessly and tossed the wand away, and backhanded his face.

There was some fear in his eyes now.

She picked at his chin, and aimed her wand end at his bloodied cheek, "You do not blame my cousin for your inadequacies, you also do not hurt or wound her. I will find out if you do, and for every single hurt you give her, I will give it to you a hundredfold."

"You will not get away with this, I am…"

"You will behave yourself," Cordelia said pointedly, "I can do much more with my wand, and I will be very pleased to do it should you step out of line."

"You cannot just punch me, I am the son of House Prewett…" He wobbled his words with blood in his mouth.

"Lucretia is a daughter of the house of Black, and your betrothed and it did not stop you from giving her a black eye. You are nothing to me, except the lech that hurt my cousin, and convinced her that it was her fault, and she must hide it from her family. I am the Heiress of the House of Black, whom you choose to disrespect at every turn. I can do so much more, but I really do not enjoy explaining blood stains, and you are beneath any intelligent effort on my part."

Ignatius tried to scramble on his feet and trip her. Cordelia sneered and socked her elbow in his skull, banging it against the floor. She summoned his wand and placed it by his side.

"Don't get any ideas as I leave, I have company," Cordelia nodded her head where Tom and Evelyn stood calmly. She kicked at his feet and left. Any more times staring at that obnoxious face and she would need to enroll Tom and Evelyn in hiding a body.

She quickly laced her fingers into Tom's, sinking into his side, also grabbing and squeezing Evelyn's hands.

They walked away.

Nobody broke the silence as they walked into the grounds. Cordelia gave a loud sigh, and Tom gave her a questioning look.

"I feel dreadful. I cannot convince Lucy to break off the troth. He should not be allowed to come within a foot of her. Wretched person."

"I can still imagine taking offense to not being included in the Bonanza, but physically harming Lucretia.." Evelyn trailed off.

"Yes, apparently, we should have. Lucy should have been offended and not participated because he was not invited. He has no skill to speak off, and Burke is the one who came up with the list, not me. He called me some choice names and said shit about filthy mudbloods or some such. Lucy was quiet until it reached me and then she protested and he gave her a black eye and manipulated her into using glamours. I am just so extra sensitive to magic that I saw through the glamour. She did not want me to even confront him or let him know that I knew."

"Are you planning to tell her about this?" Evelyn was curious.

"No." Cordelia sighed, "It will make her reluctant to seek help should she need it. Ignatius is prideful enough that he will not admit this encounter to anyone."

"I am glad you confronted him. The audacity." Evelyn had a stubborn set to her jaw.

"I am going to set up a trust for her, in case of emergencies. It should supplement the measures you have already taken." Tom said lightly. He had kept his rage in check, allowing her to be outraged and do her thing.

She kissed his cheek, "I love you; you know." Tom responded with a kiss on her hair.

Evelyn's cheeks colored and Cordelia decided to go easy on her and pretend nothing had happened.

Evelyn's POV

Evelyn started questioning Cordelia's sanity even more when she found out that the guest duellist was Gibson Gore, a newly minted auror, Heir to the House of Gore, and Trinity's elder brother.

Evelyn would have liked to claim that Gibson Gore was not as foolhardy as his sister, but considering he was actually a Gryffindor in his time at Hogwarts unlike his sister who just emulated her largely Gryffindor family while being a Ravenclaw, Evelyn could make no claims.

Gibson also had the honor of topping the NEWTs for DADA in his year. He also had some of the highest scores in Auror trainee exams and would have represented the country in dueling circuits if not for the war across the continent.

Evelyn wanted to strangle Cordelia.

Although all of Hogwarts was woefully crying about the upcoming exams; it did not surprise Evelyn to see a packed hall.

She saw Dorea, Applebee, Sebastian, and Shafiq weeding out first and second-years who were too young to actually benefit from the demonstration apart from being entertained. Also, there was little space with all the upper years crowding in around the raised, and warded dueling platform. It also had a huge blackboard attached where Professor Merryweather was going to do academic commentary on the spells used in the duel.

Abraxas, Charlie, Alphard, Orion, and Anastius were bustling about trying to organize things, around that and also keeping Gibson Gore company with Professor.

More people surrounded Gibson, the star of the show; she spotted Septimus Weasley, the younger Longbottom, Carmichael, Vance, and Diggory.

Surprisingly, Trinity was nowhere around him. Hiding in the corner with Gambol, and Prince of all the people.

"I see enough of his strut at home," Trinity had simply rolled her eyes.

Tom and Kyran were also in the shadows. Their erudition had made at least a scholastic bond between the two of them. Pritchard had also floated towards them.

Cordelia was conspicuously absent. But so were Lucretia and Walburga so she presumed that there was some plan that she was out of the loop of.

Evelyn was keeping company with Amara and Mary today. Timothy Rowle, Bolton, Titania, and even Odgen were surrounding them. Her friends from the inner circle had not lost their protective streak since Evelyn's incident. They were hovering even when she hung out with Amara and Mary, and surprisingly her other girlfriends seemed grateful for the intrusion. They had been treating Evelyn like a delicate flower. Evelyn was trying not to be annoyed.

Mary had ordered flowers for her, and Amara had somehow procured her mother's mincemeat pies that Evelyn had gotten partial to in year one. They were lovely and comforting.

But there was something about her bond with Cordelia. Cordelia shielded her, but not… Or mostly, Cordelia had more prudence on when Evelyn was to be infantilized, and more importantly, that Evelyn was perfectly capable despite the incidents. She was protective and available but not …Evelyn even felt bad for thinking that way. Amara and Mary were always around, her first friends. She did not want to be the person who moved away for greener pastures. She had not, and Cordelia also was mindful of her earlier friendships.

Thankfully, Bolton was trying to explain the intricacies of airplanes to Rowle who had taken to concepts of muggles flying and the gathering was more meshed with everyone engaging with each other in discussions on aerodynamics.

Walburga and Lucretia made their way to her, a bit flustered for the Black sisters.

"Her damn fiancé would not stop talking and we could not walk out, " Walburga gritted her teeth close to Evelyn's ears, much too low for anyone else to pick her words out.

"Mister Prewett?" Evelyn looked a bit confused, "I thought the two of you were accompanying Cordelia?"

Lucretia looked at her with wide eyes and said slowly, "No, we presumed you were doing it."

Walburga rolled her eyes. She had picked the mundane habit from Cordelia who did it every chance she could despite it being uncouth, "This is the Parisian Christmas all over again. I cannot believe she still gets away with using old-used tricks. I swear she is the one who has inherited our mother's flair for dramatics. She is going to make an entrance."

Her arms were folded close to her bosom in faux haughtiness and irritation but Evelyn had learned more about Black sisters, and she could see the fondness dance in Walburga's eyes.

A flair of dramatics indeed. Evelyn mused wryly, as she saw Cordelia transfigure ice shoes in response to Gibson's glacius on the floor, and execute an almost perfect lutz across the dueling dais.

As Gibson tried to manage the jellyfingers she struck him with, Cordelia dispelled the icy floor and her shoes.

She sidestepped the Expulso before getting caught in a Flagrante.

A quick wordless spell sucked the air around the fire on her skirt, sucking away the fire as well before she shot a quick Expulso back at Gibson. Which was strange. Cordelia was a lot more creative than shooting the same spell back.

Gibson dodged it. Obviously.

But the few moments he needed to get his bearings back was all the time Cordelia seemed to need.

Fumos Duo (Smoke rose up on a dias)

Cordelia sidestepped and cast spells in succession:

(Small jet of water) Aguamenti? What would so little water do? What was she going for?

(The water froze) Glacius Trio

(The ice broke into shards,) Finestra, or a variant of it likely

Aiguiser Tria (The quill sharpening charm, Evelyn recognized the odd wand movement. Cordelia was making icicles!)

Another charm (Infragilis from Merryweather's board. The unbreakable charm)

Cordelia smiled then, as the hundreds of mini icicles hovered in the air.

(Gibson's shoes got stuck on the floor) Collashoo

(Gibson's tongue seemed to have turned into a horn)

(The icicles attacked) Oppungo

(The smoke cleared) Vaccuus Fumo

Cordelia had taken less than a minute to mount that attack. Gibson was a little too slow to respond, a little bewildered and icicles impaled him.

Or almost.

Cordelia had stopped them within a very small distance, dispelling them, and looked in amusement to Merryweather, "I shall count that as a win for me."

Merryweather nodded with a glint and the room devolved into applause.

Gibson had managed to get rid of both curses but looked a bit awed, "Should have listened to Trinny and not underestimated you."

Evelyn heard a screech from somewhere behind her and she presumed it was Trinity protesting the nickname.

Cordelia glared at him meaningfully with pursed lips and folded arms, "Should not have underestimated me yes."

Merryweather went on to the center of the dais for the brief discussion Abraxas had planned, as Cordelia and Gibson side-lined themselves, "Something as mundane as a quill sharpening charm can be useful in battle. Use your imagination and creativity. 50 points to Slytherin for a wonderful example of spell synthesis. Conjuring water and turning it into ice is one of the fundamentals ones and Heiress Black reinvented it. Of course, there are more commonly used syntheses…"

Tom's POV

Hogwarts was different.

As he looked around the Slytherin common room, the green tinge and eeriness of the lake were subdued with a roaring fire and a pitcher of pumpkin juice in every corner, alongside snacks.

"A lot of people have nervous breakdowns during exams because they do not eat." Cordelia had informed the house prefects sagely, and it was adopted very quickly.

It also helped that the room was more well-lit, and it was less of a room for political maneuvering and more of a common area. First years took space easily, and so did others.

Cordelia's parents had gotten her furnishings for the entire common room on her birthday because their daughter deserved more than dreariness. Colorful patches, still predominantly green, but more of spring and life and flowers than the death curse filled the space. Cushions, drapes, and small throws. It was softer, taking over the more austere space as if alighting with the changes in Hogwarts court. Slytherin was no longer just the domain of pureblood men.

There were more lamps and more lighted areas. More foldable rugs and cushions, and even games. A music box played soft tenors of something classical, ambient in the quiet bustle of the room.

The wizarding wireless lay near the fire, silent this evening as the room was busy with the race to the final exams, but a mere week ago, there had been a full-blown chant and foot-stomping going at a league game.

Tom did not even have Kyran as a reprieve because quidditch was a religion to which even Kyran was not immune. At least, he had the decency to not pull off his scarves and pullovers or jump all around.

He did put a lot of kindling in the all-out riot between Sebastian and Cordelia on the opposing teams. When Longbottom had glared at him for mocking him, he simply raised his hand and said, "Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit Longbottom, " He continued after a pause as Sebastian turned back towards the Wireless, "It is a shame you do not understand it as well."

Tom had snorted into his butterbeer. The collective sniggering of Cordelia, Charlie, and Dorea into each other's sides also led Sebastian to become suspicious, but by the time he turned around in his outrage, Kyran had lost himself in the general mayhem of Slytherin Common Room and a match night. Sebastian scowled fiercely at Tom, but Sebastian still had a healthy fear of him so the scowl was all he dished out.

Tom had simply toasted his butterbeer to Kyran across the room in amusement.

It was a wonder what memories could do to a place. Slytherin Common Room was no longer a political stronghold, it invited other houses, it had laughter, and play, and fun, and a lot of camaraderie.

Hogwarts had been the closest thing to a home Tom had ever known. His ideas of the home had shifted to Cordelia over the last few months, but under her influence, the Slytherin common room had started feeling like what home should be, and not just simply a place that was a knut better than Wool's orphanage.

Even right now, a muggle-born was tutoring the Malfoy heir in History of Magic. The said heir would return the favor by tutoring her in the cheats purebloods used for wand movements. In the Slytherin Common Room.

A little further away Walburga Black was socializing with the Gryffindors. A Hufflepuff was snoozing away on the Slytherin couch using a Slytherin as a pillow. Somehow Applebee had given over her house's infamous loyalty to Eileen Prince. Heiress Prince did not mind being a pillow, too deep in conversation with her new Ravenclaw friend, Trinity Gore.

Lucretia, Titania, and Burke were missing, bunking in the Hufflepuff dorm for easy access to food, and the comfortable sleepover/revision opportunities it offered as they managed NEWTs.

And this was not all.

It seemed bizarre that one person could have such a cascading effect all around, but Cordelia was magicae. He supposed the magical world would respond more strongly to her than any other person.

Of course, beyond his excellent logic, he was also in love with her. And absolutely convinced that the world should bend for her, magicae or not.

They were both using Jormy as a mild cushion, barely heeding the lines of propriety in being sprawled next to each other.

Jormy had recently had a massive growth spurt, so she could snugly wrap around them, and take some weight without getting squished.

Cordelia and he were quizzing each other on the recent Muggle Studies OWL. They had not taken the class, but no rule prevented them from appearing in the exam when the time came.

It was an additional OWL, and it did not matter if you were muggle-born or muggle raised, you needed to have a qualification beyond that to liaison in any manner with muggles.

Most of the quiz was a discussion on what had already updated itself in the muggle world and that the wizarding world was still catching on as evidenced by what was asked in the examination. Cordelia was musing on the bits on penicillin, a drug that fought sepsis, as well as the working women of the Americas.

Prince suddenly looked away from Gore's face, "Did you say that a mold functions like a purifier in muggle medicine?"

All eyes turned to Cordelia, including Evelyn and Abraxas.

"In simplistic terms, yes. Their testing on mice has been promising. I also recently read in the Times about a case of a policeman, the muggle aurors, who showed marked improvement." Cordelia confirmed.

Prince kept looking at Cordelia as if she expected more explanation, so Cordelia sighed, raised herself from the lounging position to sit up, but still remained close to him, "I may need your excellent input Evei."

Evelyn nodded.

"Well, think of it as spellwork. A charm has a countercharm, a curse had a countercurse and so on. There are very few universal spells. Finite incantatem has diverse uses, but it will not work against something slightly sophisticated or complex." She threw at the room.

Everyone nodded, patiently waiting for more.

"In recent years, muggle science has advanced enough to identify tiny creatures that live in the world. Some of them can cause disease. Not visible through eyes, but they have special equipment to see them. The creatures are of different types, like our spellwork. Research has also concluded that a festering wound is because of those creatures, like some influenzas, or sore throats and the like. The mold, penicillin is effective against one type of such creature. It helps the body fight back. It will be useless against other types of illnesses. It also is not purifying because it is indiscriminate. Like when you cauterize a wound, you may also burn away some good flesh to get rid of the bad one. Similarly, we have tiny creatures inside of us that help run our systems. The Mould does kill them too, so does not purify as much as expunge most of it. And it is a very new development, so I would not say it is a very large part of muggle medicine just yet. " Here Cordelia looked at Evelyn.

"We do not have facilities to produce it at scale." Evelyn confirmed, "The war is using up resources, though there are arguments that claim that directing resources towards penicillin production might lead to overall efficiency. For one, we would not lose as many men on frontlines from festering wounds. It would also save medical aid and nurses and newer recruitments. If it becomes possible to produce it on the scale, it will first go to frontlines, not across the country."

Prince looked deep in thought.

"You wish to read the paper on it?" Cordelia offered, "I may need to search for it because it has drowned in all the work with Bonanza and Binns and court and exams, but I should have it lying around somewhere. It came out of an inoculation institute."

"That would be great." Prince noted, "I had been thinking along the lines of that, inoculation,"

"What like bad magic, " Applbee asked from her lap.

"Not exactly, "Prince said.

"You wish to study the basic elements of magic, like what makes something a curse, and what makes it a charm, and then come up with counters in herb or potion forms so we do not need to rely on skilled healers for everything?" Cordelia said in a nonchalant manner.

"Yes," Prince was awed and very surprised, "Exactly that Heiress Black. You are as smart as a whip."

Color bloomed in Cordelia's cheeks.

Abraxas said, " I am afraid they do not teach magic like that here. Magic just is. It is a worthwhile endeavor, but probably will not see light in our lifetime."

Cordelia sighed, "That's a good assessment but not completely right. They do not teach magic like that to us. yes, I have heard vague theories from other spaces on the building blocks of magic. Of course, it is a grueling task even if we locate that source. People will not permit breaking down magic even to understand it. Even if we do step over that obstacle, it is a multi and interdisciplinary work that will take a lot of great minds and a great deal of time. Frankly, I am not certain if the premise is right. As I understand the magical theory, magic actually is. It is how it is built and worked with those results in variations. Which is why my analogy was not perfect. I do agree there is a great deal to learn from there. They eliminated small pox. It looks like they are going to be able to come up with efficient methods to manage and prevent sepsis. Morgana knows how helpful it would be if we can do something for dragon pox. Evie and I have been planning a visit to a London hospital this summer to see if I can pick up something. "

At that moment, Prince's attention wavered and diverted to Trinity whom she pinned under a meaningful stare.

Gore fought back with the same intensity, then sighed, "Must I?"

Cordelia looked confused and curious. So, was Tom.

"If it is the reason, I am not allowed to visit you and then accompany Cordelia on that excursion, yes," Prince said.

"In my defense, Heiress Black, I already sent back a simple No, but Lady Gore is a relentless harpy." Gore folded her arms petulantly.

Cordelia tilted her head questioningly. Even Tom was confused. Gore belonged to a typical, well-adjusted, happy household.

Gore cleared her throat and began in a mocking formal flourish, "My mother, Lady Gore, requests you to allow my brother, the Heir Gore to write to you."

Cordelia blinked. Whatever it was she expected, this was out of ball court. She did immediately reach for his palm and entwined their fingers.

Applebee snorted, "I thought your brother had more class than hiding behind his mother's skirts."

"It would not be proper to address her directly for no reason without an invite," Evelyn said hesitantly.

"This is not proper either," Abraxas said wryly, "For that, the request should have at least gone to her parents, if not the Head of the House."

Gore threw up her hands, "I shall not be held responsible. I sent a single word after her first letter on it. NO. She threatened to ground me and disallow visitors and now Prince has forced my hand. If she has to visit the muggle world, it will have to be when she is visiting me."

Tom had gathered that Eileen's father was a difficult man. Moreso, Tom remembered all too well how Cordelia was a prize amongst pureblood circles. He was trying not to react.

Cordelia seemed to regain her composure. She still held his hand strongly, but inclined her head formally, "You can tell Lady Gore that her message was relayed."

Everyone looked at her expectantly, including Gore. Tom was looking at the room, circling Cordelia's palm in a soothing gesture.

"You gave the message, so you are off the hook Trinity. I think your mother banked on the angelic image the grapevine has of me. Unfortunately for her, this is not my first time thwarting overzealous matchmaking mamas." Cordelia said.

"Your mother has not been one of them though before this Gore," Abraxas noted.

"I was surprised that he had not known how formidable you are Cordelia. Don't you nobles have soirees all the time?" Applebee said.

"They had not met. He was old enough to enter the grown-up parties to come to the kids' stands. I live in Britain and I have hardly met Gibson. Corrie still lived in France," Abraxas informed quickly.

Gore was rolling her eyes too, "That and he has never been into …well, mother was not pleased that he is not interested in chasing girls even in his twenties. Very focused on his career. I guess any positive acknowledgment of a female may have set off Mama. I doubt he even realized what he was setting off."

"Most likely," Cordelia agreed genially, "Gibson was less awestruck, and more pinning his win on underestimating me. I got no sense that me beating him into next week made him fall for me."

Now, that was still a sham. Cordelia was immensely great whether she caught Gibson off-guard or not.

At this, Cordelia had leaned down on his chest, tucking herself under his chin. He could sense the unease in her. They were secure with each other, but this subject still made her uncomfortable.

"Oh you won't unleash your complete machinations of mother, will you? She is just worried about him. She does not mean anything bad, " Gore suddenly looked concerned.

At that, Cordelia looked startled, "Of course not Trinity. All I see is a mum who loves her son, and who trusts her daughter to do something for her. And you are a dear friend of mine. You will not become a scapegoat in this, and I will handle it. Right now, we have the readymade excuse of managing our exams."

Evelyn asked, the hesitance apparent in her soft tone, "Eileen, could you let us know some dates that might potentially work for you? Father can arrange the visit, but he does stay busy and I will need some tangible dates in advance to plan the trip."

Eileen turned around to speak to Evelyn. Applebee returned to her snooze, and something passed between Gore and Cordelia.

It was as if Gore expected something to spring up, but it did not. Cordelia gave her a small smile, closed her eyes, and mumbled against his chest, "Wake me up in a few minutes."

Gore still kept sneaking glances at her over time, a worried furrow on her face. Tom wondered if it was something to do with the all-women dueling group, but ultimately, he got distracted as well.

Evelyn's POV

The Great Hall had a louder cacophony than usual. The exams were wrapped and it was the day of the final Quidditch match of the season; Ravenclaw vs Slytherin.

Evelyn had never paid attention to the sport and its scores. She had not started in the last year as well. She attended all matches for Ravenclaw. Someone who did not attend a match would have gotten considerably more attention than a quiet attendee who ducked behind in one of the stands, and clapped when needed, but was otherwise engrossed in a book and a parchment. Not terribly strange doings for a Ravenclaw.

It suited her mission to fly under Dumbledore and everyone's radar nicely. Of course, this year's quidditch had been more eventful.

First, Cordelia had entered the Slytherin team. Second, the whole event around Charles Potter made to fall off his broom and the consequent showdown between Cordelia and Dumbledore.

Third, the finals to decide the victor of the Quidditch Cup were between Ravenclaw and Slytherin this year. Her closest friend was the seeker of the Slytherin team. Not to mention Abraxas, Orion Black, Zabini, and Alphard.

She was much closer to any of them than the Ravenclaw team. Trinity had been a beater for two years before a head injury prevented her from anything mentally strenuous for a couple of months. She loved Quidditch but she loved studying more.

So, while she was a major enthusiast, the only persons Evelyn tangibly recognized were Cassius Zabini and Dolohov. Everyone else was a housemate and she could put their faces to names, but beyond that, Evelyn has clueless.

Of course, Gore had decided that Evelyn spent enough time in the dungeons with the snakes and had been loudly advocating for house pride.

Evelyn was proud of the qualities that Ravenclaw represented. She was! Yet, to cheer for a team of strangers over Cordelia, Abraxas, and everyone else?

The entire team was busy round the clock practicing. Dorea was busy with Charlie.

Evelyn and Tom had decided to make a headstart on some of the summer homework together in absence of everyone.

"She just thinks you are an easier target than Eileen," Tom whispered to her after she looked like a deer caught in front of headlights a dozenth time.

Evelyn rapidly blinked at him in confusion.

"Trinity argued that it was fair for her to expect Eileen to come to support Ravenclaw because you would surely sit with Slytherin," Tom quickly said in a low voice.

"To Eileen?" Evelyn was sure her mother would have glared at her for her incredulous tone.

Tom let out an involuntary smile and nodded, "Of course, she failed. And usually, Slytherins have more animosity so Ravenclaw would have had more cheerleaders, but even the inner circle of Gryffindor is cheering for us this time around. Applebee detests Heir Zabini, actually so does Gore, however—" He gave an easy shrug.

"And Bones and Odgen have more lasting friendships with Slytherin," Evelyn added.

"Timothy is ambivalent about Quidditch and he is not as forward as Gore. Shafiq prefers carpets over brooms. Kyran is not a part of our political circle and he is too Machiavellian for the bluntness of Gore and he actually thinks the Ravenclaw team is, well, he used a cuss word." Tom said.

"She is lonely," Evelyn concluded.

"More like her pride is wounded. Eileen brushed her off and I believe Gore is resorting to pettiness by engaging in something Eileen deems inane,"

"Eileen is too busy experimenting with the shed skin of Jormy to focus on anything that is happening outside the lab. She was willing to shell out so many galleons for a single sample and Cordelia gave her a good amount of length for experimentation without any strings." Evelyn groaned, "And I do not blame her. It is very vital and intriguing. There is barely any Apophis outside of the Middle East."

Tom agreed with a nod. Tom understood Evelyn's itch to be in the same room as Prince, doing all that scholastic work. In some sense, this is why he calmed her down.

As Evelyn mulled the new information, Tom seemed to spot someone across the room and waved them over.

Walburga gathered her skirts and sat regally on the seat in front of them, "Evelyn, Lord Slytherin."

Tom looked meaningfully at Evelyn.

"You need some assistance, Evelyn?" Walburga was not one to miss cues.

Evelyn nodded, jerkily at first and then firmly, "I need to be obligated to the Black family till further notice. Trinity is being persistent. I am not yet great at thwarting…"

Walburga was immediately nodding, "We are finalizing some things for Lucy's wedding anyhow. You can simply be in our vicinity and do your thing. If she bothers you around me, I will tackle it. Even if we are not around, just use my name and the wedding preparation and excuse yourself."

If anyone could tire Trinity Gore's tirades, it was Walburga Black's caustic tongue and reputation. Tom looked very satisfied with himself.

Evelyn thanked Walburga profusely before Walburga waved it away firmly, "You are family."

Walburga's allyship and goodwill were still a shock to Evelyn. She was getting better at accepting it, but she could not help but feel warm inside at such casual inclusions.

Oh, there was no way she was cheering against the Blacks.

The next time Gore managed to do the whole spiel about house pride, Cordelia was around because it was breakfast in Great Hall. Cordelia was very visibly amused.

"We are planning an inter-house party." She ignored everything Gore had said.

"You have not won yet," Gore was upset.

"Regardless of the outcome, it will be a celebration for any house winning the cup," Cordelia could somehow talk over someone as obstinate as Trinity. She then calmly sipped her tea and leaned on Tom's shoulders, bothering him to caress her hair because she was tired.

Gore looked furious.

And then as if it had just occurred to her, Cordelia called to Eileen who was not looking at the food she was eating but rather at the journal that presumably noted her findings.

" Eileen, you promised me about the party."

Eileen looked up, and nodded, "Yes, yes I will be there."

Gore was sputtering. She stomped her feet out of the hall, leaving behind a hoard of sniggering.

"How did you manage that?' Abraxas asked Cordelia as he buttered a toast for himself.

"I gave her the Apophis skin under a strict contract to not become a recluse. She is obligated to a certain number of social events that I deem important. The party gives more chances at socialization and will be more fun for her than Quidditch so I deemed it important," Cordelia shrugged, as she leaned back again on Tom who gathered her close and started running his fingers through her hair in a soothing manner.

Evelyn's POV

Slytherin won.

It was not very climatic as well. Ravenclaw did not have the best team, but circumstances meant that their points were the highest after Slytherin.

Evelyn watched it from the box that had the most inner circle and then some. She had Tom on one side, and Dorea on the other. For the first time, she watched an entire match without looking anywhere else. She laughed and cheered, and binge-ate the candies and treats everyone had sneaked in.

Cordelia had managed to convince a few non-Slytherins to at least support Ravenclaw alongside Slytherin if they must. So some of them, like Applebee, Odgen, and very reluctantly Charlie had the Ravenclaw colors painted on one side of their face.

Evelyn was not sure if that would help Gore. She was certain she was missing something very crucial in the midst of all this, but she could not linger on the thought as she was dragged into the celebrations.

The party was post-dinner in the great hall, so all houses could attend. Evelyn was not sure how it could be possible because of curfew and Professors, but a very mischievous smile on Cordelia's face told her it was taken care of.

It was also a 'Pajama Party'. Everyone was expected to be in their nightclothes.

The Great Hall looked otherworldly. All the tables were on the side. There were slides made out of ice that Kyran Mckinnon was bemoaning. Colorful Bubbles and light orbs, and music coming out of a jukebox. And other houses had shown, in good numbers.

She was grateful for Titania's whispered warning that the punch was most certainly spiked.

Cordelia herself was in silk pants and a shirt with an overrobe. So did the rest of the team. And so were most of the people, decent, fancy nightclothes, but nightclothes.

Everyone danced and drank and played numerous games.

And no teacher turned up. Not once.

Cordelia scandalized a lot of people. That majorly included Evelyn.

She unabashedly seemed to dance alongside the all-male team. She even dragged other women alongside her and they joined her, after a fashion.

Evelyn stayed on the sidelines. So did Tom. He seemed to enjoy watching everything though. Cordelia dropped by every few minutes to hang around with him, and her, mostly him.

And he kissed her on her forehead and sent her back to have her fun. Cordelia did not pull them along, respecting their wish to remain on the sidelines.

The room had eventually emptied, trickle by trickle with only a few remnants. Most of it was the inner circle with a few scattered additions.

"This night calls for a good mead" Burke had exclaimed. Odgen had agreed.

And somehow all of them, the inner circle plus Kyran (after a few waves of Cordelia and Tom's wands set the room straight, and Titania urged the remaining stragglers to go to beds) were marching back to the balcony of Slytherin Chambers, singing something very popular off-key.

"I have two excellent bottles and I have been saving them for a good night." Cordelia had said. She was lucid, just a bit buzzed. She had most certainly drank a few glasses of the punch. Her cheeks were rosy but she walked steadily unlike some of them. Her robe was discarded, and her shirt was unbuttoned a little showing off the matching silk chemise underneath. Nobody was paying attention though.

It was a gorgeous night, starlit. The Balcony was supplied with rugs and roaring fire and glasses and the bottle of mead did its round.

This Evelyn also tasted. It was an excellent drink.

She vaguely heard them discuss the year of the mead and heard the laughter as a poker game went awry.

She dreamed she heard a crooning, sweet melody. She opened her eyes and Cordelia was softly singing a lullaby to Tom who was sleeping in her lap. It was not even an Anglican language, something otherworldly.

Everyone else seemed to be deeply asleep.

It was…it was overwhelming the way Cordelia looked at him, softly sifting through his hair. So much affection, so much everything in that gaze.

Was it really a dream when Evelyn could not have imagined such a sight, such intimacy by herself? But surely Cordelia would not slight propriety to this extent, letting Tom sleep like that?

The room oozed comforting magic, and the lulling, soft tunes of the lullaby made Evelyn flutter her eyelashes close without her volition.

Reviews, please. And I will try to update sooner than once in 12 months.