Isla strived to stay low, and she made herself nearly invisible during the last few days.

She was terrified to come across the Slytherin boys again, not that they frightened her, but for how they'd treated her.

She was already putting up with more than she was capable of, and the thought of having to deal with both Theodore and Draco's acts made her exhausted. She was still hurting, still mourning the war. She didn't have the strength to battle this too.

It was clear to her that Draco had no clue that she was his decision, that he was the one she had to choose between, along with his best friend, and that bothered her to a point where she didn't want to get out of bed in the morning.

It was the worst situation she'd found herself in yet, and it didn't seem to become any easier.

Isla flinched by the harsh sound of an owl knocking its beak against the window of her and Ava's room. Propping herself off the mattress, she huffed, and with a twitch of her wand, the glass shifted open, and the letter magically floated towards her.

Her fingers gripped it, and she could, without a second doubt, see that it was from her mother. The elegant handwriting gave her mother away every time, and the way she made a slight arch at the beginning of the I's, was something only she did.

''What was that?'' Ava called out for her from inside the bathroom as the stream of the shower gushed, ''Was that an owl?''

Isla's head shook as she stuffed the letter underneath her pillow, ''Yes, it's from mother.''

Ava merely hummed back before she let the water soak over her again, and Isla's face fell into a look of agony. She didn't know how to explain this to her mother, how to explain the utter fact that the two choices she got despised her more than anything else, and she'd barely spoken to them.

Her veins iced as she thought about it, how she was doomed to meet both Draco and Theodore in detention, with no other students there apart from Blaise and Ava. It wasn't terrifying, but still irritating. The way she would have to spend hours locked up in a room with those four wasn't something she craved to do. Nothing she wanted to do. She hated the idea of it, and she didn't live to hate a lot of things.

''We're going to be late,'' Isla pushed herself off the bed. She caught Ava's damp feet as they stepped over the tile floor, ''And if we're late to detention, there is a high chance that McGonagall is sending my mother a letter too.''

''Your mother doesn't care about that stuff, Isla. You know that, so don't even try—'' Ava sought to speak, but the sigh trembling off Isla's lips caused her to hush.

''I know, but I don't want her to think about anything else than Lucy right now, even if it's just late to detention. She went through a lot when—''

''I know.'' Ava peered out from the bathroom door. Her features stunned in compassion, ''I know, I know, don't think about that. I'll hurry, and we'll make it in time.''

The two girls hurried their way to Professor McGonagall's classroom, and just as the teacher was meant to close the door, they came running. It was with her arms crossed over her chest and a loud sigh. She let their lost track of time slip.

''Absolutely not.'' The Professor held a stern look as the two girls stopped entirely in their movements, ''You two are not sitting together today. We have had enough of your little tricks.''

Isla's eyes grew wide at the statement, and she silently nodded, slipping down at a chair far behind Ava's, and her friend shrugged.

None of them said a word to the other. Isla didn't quite dare to, and Ava did, as usual, fell lost in the pages of her schoolwork. Both of them were so sealed into the tasks the Professor had granted them on paper, that they failed to notice the fact that the boys weren't there.

Isla's hand raised in the air as she caught McGonagall's attention, ''Yes, miss Clarke?''

''I was wondering...'' Isla tucked a wave behind her ear as she pointed down towards her paper, ''It says here that I'm meant to do this with another student, but—''

''Shut the fuck up, Zabini.'' Theodore's voice broke the peaceful silence around them, ''No, just because he didn't—''

''Mr. Nott.'' The Professor forced her chair back as she marched to the middle of the classroom, ''Such a perfect time for you to join us, Mr. Nott,'' Her eyes snapped down to Blaise, ''Mr. Zabini.''

''Professor...'' Theodore's brows dragged together into a gaze of confusion. He merely believed McGonagall to be mad, upset for them being late, but she wasn't. Her upper lip was slightly arched as she turned around to face Isla.

''Miss Clarke here is on the same page as you are in your book, Mr. Nott, and I believe that the both of you are going to be of great use to one another.''

Isla's eyes shut as she felt her breaths hitch in the back of her throat.

If she didn't already hate her own being, she did now.

''No, it's not—'' Theo swallowed thickly, ''I'm not working together with her. She's not on my level anyway.''

''Not on your level?'' The lady rose a brow as Isla felt the embarrassment swell through her ears, and her heart pounded roughly within, ''That's not a very kind thing to say, Mr. Nott.''

Theo's eyes rolled from the Professor as they snapped to Isla, who turned around in her seat, facing the front of the class as fast as she possibly could, anything not to match the look of disgust his pinning eyes held for her.

''I don't care, and with all respect, Professor — I'm more than capable of working on my own.'' Theo folded his arms over his chest. Isla could feel his stare as it burnt into her back.

''I'm certain that you are, Mr. Nott, but this isn't up for discussion. You are going to take a seat next to Miss Clarke, and the two of you are going to work together.''

''Professor—''

''No, Mr. Nott, perhaps you need to visit the hospital since it seems you have a problem with your hearing. Now, take a seat.''

Theodore groaned loudly, his arms flung out annoyingly in front of him as he dragged his chair away from hers.

''And you, Mr. Zabini, is more than welcome to take a seat next to Miss Green.'' The Professor stated again before she strode her way back to the front of the class.

Isla could barely move. She didn't want to set off the boy next to her, and as she slowly, almost unnoticeably, picked up her quill and began to write on her paper again, his head snapped to hers.

''I thought we were doing this together?'' Theo's note held argumentatively, ''Isn't that the whole point with a paired assignment?''

She could feel the tiny muscle in her jaw as it ticked, rising to feel annoyed with his smug demeanor and his provoking tells.

''Well, to be fair—'' Her head turned to face his damned eyes, ''You said that we weren't on the same level, so excuse me for doing this my way.''

Theodore's tongue rolled over his bottom lip, and he narrowed his sight in hers, almost a bit astonished by her sudden change in attitude towards him.

''Well, to be fair to you,'' He paused as the corner of his mouth twitched, ''We're not, so you do you, and I—''

''That's not the point with a pair at all, Mr. Nott.'' The Professor called out for them, ''You two will work together, and if you don't — I have no trouble to stay here all night until you do.''

Theo's tongue rolled again as his face shifted coldly, ''Well—'' He slammed his book open, ''We better get to work then, because I have matters to attend to tonight.''

It was as if he quietly mumbled that to himself, and Isla didn't bother to acknowledge it.

He unwillingly shoved his seat closer to hers, and she stayed silent, not that it pleased Theodore at all. He merely seemed to grow more and more impatient with her, no matter what she did, if she stayed quiet or if she talked.

Isla scribbled on her paper as she continuously peered into her book before she scribbled some more, and Theodore sought to keep up with her studies.

''This was a—'' He held his growl, leaning closer to her, ''We were supposed to work together.''

''Then work with me.'' Isla snapped back without even looking at him. He frowned, gripping his own quill tighter to copy her work, and she noticed, ''That's not working with me, that's copying me.''

Theo's head shook, and he slightly grinned, ''What's the difference?''

Her eyes rolled, placing her elbow over her paper, not for him to see her work, and his head shot up. The brown locks fell more than messily over his forehead, ''Is that how we're going to play it?''

''It is,'' Isla said, and he kept his eyes on her. He couldn't help but feel bothered by her hair and how it spilled all over her desk, and without a thought to what he was doing, he brushed it off the wood.

His act made her eyes widen, and her lips parted.

''Don't act so surprised, Clarke.'' Theodore rushed a hand through his locks, scratching the back of his head after, ''I was annoyed by it.''

''I'm sure you were.''

Ava couldn't help but notice the conversation between the two as she shouldered Blaise to the side for him to pay attention to both Isla and Theodore as well.

''Well, keep going.'' Theodore nodded towards the assignment, ''I'm waiting.''

''You say well, an awful lot, you know that, right?'' Isla's eyes gazed over the brunet.

''Is that a problem?''

''No—''

''So why comment on it?''

''Because I was—''

''Sure you were—''

''Mr. Nott and Miss Clarke.'' Professor McGonagall huffed again, her high-pitch voice cutting them off, ''This is the last time I'm telling you to focus on your schoolwork.''

Both of them groaned at the other as they spun around, away from each other on the chairs, and attended their work in silence again.

''Do we know where Mr. Malfoy might be?'' The lady said, loudly again, ''Because it's been nearly—''

''He didn't feel well, so he decided to stay in his room.'' Blaise was quick to answer as Theodore chuckled. Blaise flung around, whispering harshly below his breath, ''What? Shut up right now, Nott, or you're going to ruin it.''

''Very well then.'' The Professor mumbled before attending her own matters again, and Isla's eyes flickered to Theodore's for a slight second.

''What is it with you and staring?'' Theodore rose a brow, eyeing her down, ''This is the second time I've caught—''

''Yeah, both of you can come if you want to,'' Blaise mumbled close to Ava as it caught Theodore's attention, ''I mean, it's just a party, but both of you are in Slytherin, so it's fine, I guess.''

''What the hell are you doing?'' Theodore spat, not bothered by McGonagall anymore, ''They are not supposed to—''

''What?'' Blaise turned around on his chair to face the brunet, ''They are not supposed to what? Can you act human for a minute and stay out of my business, Nott? They can be my guests, and you don't have to worry about it.''

''But Clarke?'' Theodore shoved his seat back, and her name fell off his tongue with something that sounded like pure disgust, ''If Malfoy were to find out that you invited her, he'd—''

''Oh please,'' Zabini chuckled, ''I can do as I please, and if I want to invite them, I can.''

''Mr. Nott—'' The Professor called out, without a reaction from the boy, ''I'm not telling you again.''

''Suit yourself then—'' Theo slammed his book shut before he rose from his chair and stormed out, leaving Isla startled behind, and her eyes flickered to Ava's.

''What was that about?'' She asked her friend, but before Ava had the chance to respond, Blaise smiled proudly at her,

''A break-up party for Malfoy tonight, didn't you hear?'' He slowly turned around again as Isla's head shook, ''Him and Pansy broke it off yesterday, and the both of you are coming.''

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