"What's going on with you and Leon?" Harry whispered, daring to glance at him and Ron as they talked half-heartedly to one another. "Something's been off for a while now, hasn't it?"

"We had a big fight," Amora replied in a soft murmur. "He did something that I don't think I can ever forgive him for."

Harry frowned. "Must have been pretty bad. What was it?"

"I'll tell you one day, Harry," Amora said, and she thought it might be the truth. "Just not today."

The rest of the class went on for a long time. Professor Trelawney set them more homework on top of the stuff they already had for Potions. They had to keep a dream journal for a month, and Amora was ready to make hers up whilst she continued to get Dreamless Sleep Potions from Madam Pomfrey every night. She wondered how long she could go before Pomfrey had to stop authorising her to take it. She couldn't stay on it forever.

Amora kept her promise and met Draco at the bottom of the field, beneath the tree they spent a lot of last spring underneath. He was already seated in the roots, his robe flung over a branch. Much to her surprise, he had brought his friends with him too. Pansy was looking through The Dream Oracle from the last lesson whilst Theo and Blaise bickered about something.

"Hi, guys," Amora smiled slightly.

"Oh, thank Merlin for Buckley," Pansy huffed, patting the grassy ground beside her. "The only reason I endure so much time with these insufferable idiots is to see you."

Amora grinned. "Careful, Pansy. Someone might think you actually care about me."

Pansy rolled her eyes as Amora placed herself down on the ground beside Pansy and by Draco's legs. She was clearly the odd one out; her golden robes sticking out in a sea of royal green, yet, strangely, this was where Amora had felt most comfortable since she arrived at Hogwarts this year.

This time last year, if she could see herself like this, she would have called bluff-- said that she was definitely under the Imperius Curse or something.

"C'mere," Draco muttered from behind her.

Amora felt his hands on her and then her head was in his lap, his pale fingers in her dark locks. Amora bit down on her bottom lip and grinned up at him, watching him half-smile back. Snickering came from the side and Draco tore his gaze to shoot Blaise and Theo a cruel glare. If looks could kill, they would have been six feet under.

"You're so lucky, Amora," she heard Blaise call, "Draco never lets us put our heads in his lap or plays with our hair."

Amora laughed out loud but heard Draco pick up what must have been a small stone and toss it straight at Blaise. Blaise yelped in an exaggerated manner.

"How's your first day back going?" Draco murmured as he peered down at her. "Sorry I couldn't get us alone. These tossers wanted to come as soon as they heard I was meeting you."

"I don't mind, I like them," Amora replied, nearly shuddering as his hand ran through her hair. "And, ur... Could have been better but also could have been worse, I suppose."

"Holloway's a dick," Pansy growled.

Amora shrugged. "We had already gotten off to a bad start this morning. I got the last word in, so I suppose he had some pent up rage to let out."

"No excuses," Blaise huffed, "Nobody embarrasses our wittle Hufflepuff like that," he joked, making baby noises.

His hand moved to tickle her chin like a real infant, but Draco smacked it away angrily. "Just fuck off, Zabini. I'll give you detention."

"Ah, sorry, Amora. Forgot we weren't allowed to touch you."

Amora rolled her eyes at both Blaise and Draco, believing they were mostly joking around with each other but not being a hundred percent sure. She could barely tell with any of them, really.

"Well, thanks anyway for defending me," she said to Draco as he peered back down at her.

"There is no need to thank me."

Yet Amora felt as though there was every need to thank him-- to thank all four of them, even. Being around them felt like some sort of safe space, like she could relax and let her guard down for a while. None of them seemed to judge her-- not for anything that would hurt, anyway. Pansy might call her soft and they may be very blunt, but it was almost refreshing in a way.

This was the happiest Amora had felt since before Cedric had died and the weight of that thought nearly crushed her, because she knew this would never be permanent. Everything about the situation was a huge secret. She was supposed to be eating lunch with her Hufflepuff friends right now.

"We have ten minutes left," Theo muttered bitterly after a while. "Defence with that new woman. The one that looks like walking candy floss."

Amora laughed loudly, her nose scrunching up. "Umbridge?"

"That's the one. My parents want me to get in good with her," Theo huffed.

"Same," the other Slytherin's replied quietly, much to Amora's surprise.

"Shouldn't be too hard. Just follow her rules and everything will be fine."

...