"First Date"

It was half six when she stumbled across Mica stargazing on a picnic blanket by the black lake with a plate full of sandwiches stolen from the Great Hall.

Circi, out of breath from stumbling down the hill after narrowly avoiding one of the Professors, stood at a distance and watched her for a moment. She thought that Mica's eyes were closed for a moment but her head tilted to look at a constellation as the clouds passed over it. Her blonde hair looked especially soft in the moonlight, spread over the ground like a halo and she was balancing her wand between her fingertips. Her cheeks puffed and a cloud of mist left her mouth as she sighed, in this light her beige skin held more warmth. Always fawn, the moonlight did everything to accentuate her beauty and-

She looked over her shoulder and smiled at Circi. Merlin, she's beautiful.

When they were both situated on the blanket, they exchanged small talk and fell into silence. Circi was tense, they never exchanged small talk and now she had no idea where to take the conversation. As she began to think up conversation starters, Mica lay back down and pointed up at the clouds clearing the sky.

"Are you up there?" She asked, her hand falling limply across her chest as she looked over at her.

"What?" Lying down next to her, Circi nibbled on a sandwich and looked up at the sky.

"Your constellation- Circini."

"Circinus," she corrected, "the compass. It probably is up there, although its stars are small. It's easier to spot from the astronomy tower."

Mica continued to watch as Circi scanned the sky to see if she could spot the constellation. She smiled, inching her fingers across to hold Circi's empty hand resting between them. The gentle touch gathered her attention as their fingers interlocked.

"Maybe you can show me one day." Swallowing the lump in her throat, Circi's focus flitted between Mica's eyes, unsure of where to look as she nodded. "Maybe," Mica looked down at their hands, her thumb rubbing along Circi's hand, "as long as we're not under siege in a few months."

"What?" Circi's eyebrows knitted together.

"You know, with all these death eater attacks and those muggles being snatched over christmas."

"What?" Circi sat up now, her hand squeezing Mica's tightly as she looked over her shoulder to make sure they were alone. "I don't understand-"

"You didn't hear? It was all over the news, the Daily Prophet wouldn't leave it be."

Circi shook her head, "No. No, it's too soon." Her knees trembled as she slumped forward, her breathing speeding up. "We're too young for a war." Mica sat up alongside her and scooted closer so that they could lean on each other.

"No one said anything about a war, Circ." Her eyes were hopeful, unable to think that anything could escalate so much.

"But it will happen..." Her mind drifted to Draco and she leaned her head against Mica's shoulder. For once she had initiated the touch between them and, when Mica twisted towards her to embrace her fully. Circi stumbled over her words, barely getting anything out but his name. In Mica's arms she could feel her burdens lifting, she felt as though she could tell her anything.

And no one was around. She could say anything to her and no one else would know.

"I'm here for whatever you need."

She wouldn't burden Mica with what she knew. If they were on the brink of war then she would find out soon enough. As she sank into the embrace, she looked out over the Black Lake and saw a ripple in the distance.

"Tell me something new," she said quietly, listening to Mica's heart beating rapidly in her chest.

"When I graduate," she began, "I'm going to go travelling. I'll follow the Quidditch team when the world cup starts. I've been saving so I can go to every match in every country. And after it all, I'll join them." She paused for breath, sighing wistfully at the lake as the clouds drifted over the moon. "You can come too," she said after some deliberation, not looking at Circi as she said so.

A small smile fell across Circi's face and she shut her eyes, picturing them somewhere else. Somewhere warmer, where they felt nothing but comfort and simple happiness.

"I'd like that," she said. And they began to imagine what it would be like travelling the world. They would travel by boat, like Wizardkind used to before the floo network expanded out of the country. They pictured the rolling waves of the sea, the sun on their backs and the smell of salt. And that was just the travelling. They talked about the food and the animals and the new people, new wizards- new things to learn.

And when they had exhausted their breath, laughing at a story about Mica's experience with Italian cuisine, the bell in the distance chimed ten times.

"Curfew was an hour ago," Mica looked back at the castle, lit only by the dorm windows and a few offices.

"Let's just stay out here then." Circi shivered as she said it, trying to hide it despite their bodies being connected.

"But you're cold!" Mica's voice rose as she rubbed at Circi's arms vigorously. Her hand strayed and she tickled her side. Circi crumpled, twisting away as she giggled. She tried to catch her breath, yielding as she rolled off the blanket.

"Okay, fine! But if I get any more detention, you're doing mine."

Mica held her arms up, shrugging slightly before gathering up the empty plate and the blanket.

They entered the castle grounds the same way they would if they were returning from Hogsmeade. In fact, they could spy a group of students sneaking through the front door after undoubtedly losing time themselves.

"See, we won't be alone if we do get caught." Mica pointed at the closing door as they entered the courtyard, turning to give Circi a cheeky grin. "What is it?" Circi's face was sullen and looking up at the astronomy tower. Her mouth was limp, eyes wide with terror and apprehension. "Circ..."

Up on the tower, by the rail that looked out over the grounds, was a figure in a billowing gown, their beard drifting over their shoulder in the wind. The two would recognise Dumbledore anywhere. What was unusual, however, was that he was up there to begin with. The man had always been eccentric, and he had been disappearing frequently throughout the last few years, but he was looking into the astronomy tower instead of over the grounds. The two girls tried to figure out what he was doing, he was moving as though he was talking but they saw no one else.

And then, a flash. A spell hit their Headmaster and he fell over the railing.

As his body fell, a mass of fabric and hair, plummeting to the ground before landing with a thud that rippled through their bones.

Mica's hand clapped over her mouth as she screamed, Circi could hardly twitch her fingers as her body rippled with pain at the lump lying on the ground ahead of them. From the astronomy tower a cackle echoed into the air and another stream of light flew into the sky.

She could hear her neck creak as she forced herself to look up. In the sky, smoking and slithering through the air, was the projection of a snake exiting the mouth of a skull- the dark mark. His mark.

Mica dropped everything and forced herself forward. A step, and then a skip and, finally, she broke into a run.

Circi could barely move. She looked from the dark mark to the astronomy tower where voices were now screeching and laughing. There were explosions from within the castle. A nagging sensation in the back of her mind told Circi that this was what Draco had been trying to protect her from. This was what he was supposed to do. But he wasn't a killer. Draco had killed when the vanishing cabinet had killed a bird, he would never-

The vanishing cabinet.

Circi forced herself to run towards the castle, where chaos was ensuing behind the doors. In the distance she could hear Mica crying for help but there was only one person in her mind. She had to get to Draco.

He had protected her from the hard truth all year. He didn't want her to believe war was imminent but it was, and he had brought it into Hogwarts. Her brother and the death eaters. Draco the death eater.

Everyone was running towards her in the corridors, the few students who had been out past curfew no longer bothered to hide from Professors but were hiding behind them. Someone had thrust their wand in her face when she joined the chaos before recognising her as a student. Professor Sprout called her back when she ran towards the Great Hall where she could hear the cackle of none other than Bellatrix Lestrange. But, where Bellatrix was she would find Draco.

Her voice grew hoarse as she yelled for him.

She was pushed against the wall, her legs buckling as the back of her knees hit the bench. When she looked up she could see the distorted face of one of the death eaters, their face was slim, cheeks hollow and their hair dark as night. Their eyes were thirsty for pain and they opened their mouth as they raised their wand.

"Not that one, Amycus," a voice drawled, pushing the wand away.

Severus Snape stepped into view, grabbing Circi by the shoulder and shoving Draco ahead of them into the hall. Her legs could barely keep up as she was swept into the Great Hall where the benches were overturned and the plates smashed. Snape tugged on her when she tried to slow down to look at the damage done to the windows. The stained-glass shattered on the floor and cracked beneath their feet.

She was ushered through the exit at the back of the hall as two of the death eaters remained in the hall briefly to ward off any brave souls who tried to stop them. As they hurried down the hill, Circi tried to pull free. She didn't want to be near them. She didn't want to be associated with them.

Bellatrix called out to Hagrid as she neared their hut before striking it with two spells and cackling as it was set alight.

"No!" Circi cried out, desperate for Snape to release her. She thrashed around like a wild animal, half-tempted to crawl out of her shirt and risk baring herself to them.

"Snape!" A voice cried after them. Draco noticed first, stumbling as he saw Harry Potter running after them. Snape threw her to the ground and blocked Harry's spell as he threw all he knew at their Professor. "He trusted you!"

Circi crawled backwards, crying out as she bumped into Draco. He tried to console her as he lifted her to her feet but she thrashed and kicked out at the air, forcing them to fall backwards and tumble down the hill. She could feel the heat from Hagrid's hut on her cheek as she scrambled to her feet. Patting at her pockets, she tried to find her wand but it had snapped on the tumble down and was lying on the ground at her feet. Draco was also, notably, wandless and so she held up her fists.

"Circ, please," he stepped closer to her, "I won't hurt you."

"No?" She cried out, tears streaming down her face and carving clean cracks in the dirt on her face. Draco shook his head, his own tears falling as his face crumpled up.

"He trusted you and you killed him!" Harry yelled at Snape up the hill.

Circi looked up at them as Snape once again parried Harry's attack. Any words he said in response were lost as Circi looked back at Draco who was sobbing now. He reached out to her, his hair a mess, shirt torn- nothing like the boy she knew.

"You didn't-?"

"I couldn't!" He stumbled towards her and she met him halfway. They fell into each other's arms, crying. Draco clawed at her back, trying to drag her as close as possible. "I tried- for you... I was trying..."

"For me?"

Snape was making his way back to them, grabbing each of them by the collar and dragging them further down the hill. Circi glanced over her shoulder and saw Harry Potter, on his knees, watching them go and looking utterly helpless for once in his life.