"can't you see that you're smothering me?
holding too tightly, afraid to lose control
'cause everything that you thought I would be
has fallen apart right in front of you"

NOVEMBER 14TH, 1994

The past two weeks had been difficult to say the least for Maia.

First, as was the custom in the castle, at least since she had begun her studies, there was a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. This would not have been a problem if, as had always been the case, the professor had continued to look beyond the shield on her uniform. Maia was an excellent student, with a prodigious memory and an enviable ability to retain new knowledge.

So when the new teacher, Alastor Moody, better known as Mad Eye between student body and faculty, had acquired an unfounded hatred for his Slytherin students and had uncharacteristically praised the Gryffindors, it was when things had begun to change. Even the most incompetent teacher could see the differences between the best Slytherin students and the best Gryffindor students.

It wasn't a problem for Malfoy to accept that Hermione Granger was a competitor, at least as far as theoretical studies were concerned. She had seen her in Flight classes, and it was a certain thing to say that the Gryffindor was not good at that; and although she wasn't not skillful in duels, she was far from Maia's abilities.

It was frustrating for the teenager to see how the teacher of her favorite subject only favored others for reasons of houses. She had once thought to discuss it with the head of her house, but she knew that Severus could not do anything, and, besides, she did not want to look like a sneak. So she sank into her desk, next to her brother, at the back of the class, and entertained herself by practicing useless spells or playing with Pansy's hair with her wand.

As if that were not enough, the chest pains had returned.

They had been weak at first, she had hardly noticed them. But at that very moment she had to lean on the nearest tree or she was afraid of falling and someone witnessing the scene. She put her bag down on the floor near her and took a few breaths. The feeling of tightness in her heart seemed to dissipate again, and when a few seconds passed and she was able to confirm it, she resumed her journey.

She needed to clear her mind and stop thinking about things that were a waste of time, so she approached, at a prudent distance, of course, the forest, knowing that the creatures roamed there at all hours.

She held back the urge to cover her face when a creature appeared beside her. It had black fur, with snow-white eyes and a reptilian appearance. She didn't complain when it got close, made a noise, and stared at her. She raised her arm, stunned; she'd never seen such a thing.

"What are you doing?" Said a voice behind her. Maia turned around and saw a younger girl, with hair as blonde as hers and a dreamy look in her eyes. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Maia did not reply, but neither did she turn back to admire the animal. The girl was from Ravenclaw, and she did not know her age, but from her scrawny body and childish face she could be perfectly a first year.

Maia's curiosity spoke for her.

"What is this? It was never around before."

The Ravenclaw approached her. She was very short, or Maia's perception was distorted given her height.

"They have always been around. They're called thestrals. You don't see one until you witness death and grasp the concept of it. I guess you see them, too. They're beautiful, aren't they? "The girl stroke one of them, and the thestral looked at her." I'm Luna Lovegood. I know you're Maia. I can see in your eyes you're not very happy to be able to see them. I'm sorry about your sadness."

Maia froze, but said nothing. She had to get out of there. She was starting to feel overwhelmed.

However, Luna Lovegood did not notice that.

"Who do you think is going to win the Triwizard Tournament?"

Maia didn't blink twice before answering.

"Harry Potter. Doesn't he always? " And she walked away.

TODAY

Maia crumpled the parchment in her fist with all her might. Her jaw clenched, and with a wand movement she set the crumpled paper on fire, which now lay on the ground, reduced to ashes. The owls, at her side, howled loudly from their cages, looking at her inquisitively and stopped eating.

Saying she was furious was an understatement. She slammed the owl room shut, aware that this might alert someone passing by. Who did Lucius think he was to have such power over her? Was it not enough for him to have used her since she was a baby, and now, in these times, asked her to take a step forward?

She returned to her room, encountering a student scared to see her burning eyes and her contained rage. She leaned against the door, taking a deep breath and grateful that no one was in there: she didn't need to vent her anger on anyone. She closed her eyes and remembered the contents of the parchment.

Dear Maia,

I'll be brief. I heard about your encounter with Amycus. Do not even think about it. Soon it will become our time, and he will have take into account everyone that's made it difficult. I spoke to Amycus and he said everything is alright.

I ask you to reconsider your adolescent matters and put them aside. I need you to step up and make sure everything will go our way. Start by apologizing to Amycus.

I hope I have made myself clear.

Her father hadn't even had the detail of signing his name, but it wasn't necessary. Maia was well aware of who was writing that letter and who didn't care about her feelings. She could even imagine the scene. Lucius sitting at the large table that presided over the dining room, with Narcissa standing beside him, prostrating a hand on his shoulder, probably worried about the content of the letter but without knowing the message. Lucius calling the owl, curtly ordering it the address where it had to deliver the letter. "She's smart, Lucius. She'll know what is best." Narcissa would have said.

And yes, she would have been right. Maia was extremely intelligent. She knew how to distinguish what was right from what was wrong. But she also knew what was in her interests and what was not. So her intelligence was not what would lead her to act now, but her feelings. If she kept quiet and followed her father's orders, then she and Draco would be safe. If she rebelled and did the right thing, they would probably both be dead sooner than a rooster crows.

So she went into the bathroom to freshen up her face, aware that she had flushed with fury, and left the room somewhat calmer. To her surprise, Draco and Eden occupied the Common Room. They played magic chess, and Draco's pieces had just destroyed Eden's. The latter growled out loud and Draco laughed. His smile widened when he saw his sister appear.

"Hey. Where were you? I'm stuck with this fool —he doesn't even know how to play, I assure you— thanks to you being missing all day."

"Father sent a letter, so I had to get it." Draco raised his eyebrows, surprised. "Same ol 'parents, you know them. They hope everything's alright here, and that they are looking forward to seeing us during Christmas. They are fine, Draco." The boy nodded and gave her a tight-lipped smile, vanishing quickly. "I was thinking I could use some fresh air. I'll see you both at the kitchens tonight?"

Draco got up quickly. "I can come with, if you want."

"Oh, you're not going anywhere. I demand revenge." Eden furrowed his eyebrows, concentrating in putting all of his pieces together.

Draco was facing away from him and looking at his sister, so the boy winked at his friend, who, as much as she loved her brother, needed to do this alone without him knowing.

"You've heard him. As long as you let him win... " Maia trailed off and shrugged with a small smile. She sent a wink back when Draco turned around and sat again.

Maia found it strange to trust someone other than her own brother. But, she told herself, it was for justified reasons. She would never put a person before Draco, it was the only thing she was sure of in that life: the love she felt for her brother.

She had to do what her father said, or else everything that made her life have a meaning would fade away. She had to do it for him.

It was already night at Hogwarts. She had missed dinner, but her stomach had barely noticed the lack of food thanks to all the emotions that had mixed in her body. No one was in the hallways, and while she knew perfectly well that nothing could happen to her by walking through them at that hour, she had the feeling that she was eleven and doing something wrong.

She searched for Alecto and Amycus everywhere she could think of. She knew that both siblings stayed together all day, except for the "class" schedule and during the nights, when they retired to their rooms. However, even though it was close to eleven, she knew their schedule and it was clear that they would continue to wander around the castle.

She tried this time in the principal's office. She knew that Snape spent most of his time outside of Hogwarts territory, and that his office — before Dumbledore's — was far more frequented by the Death Eater siblings than by him. Maia thought that Dumbledore wouldn't have been stupid enough to leave anything to favor the dark side, but she did think that the Carrows were stupid, so it made sense that they wasted their time trying to find nothing.

Before reaching the office on the corner, she heard voices. She decided to stay still, still tucked behind the wall, in case she could figure out what was being said.

"Stupid kids. You think you can get away with anything. This is why we have to be hard on you; you don't learn. What were you looking for?" Maia recognized Amycus voice. "Crucio!" Then screams of pain. Sobs. Slaps and more hexes.

Maia knew she would regret it the moment she decided to turn the corner and witness the scene. On the floor lay Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley, and Neville Longbottom. The Ravenclaw had a bruise on her cheekbone, really striking on her pale skin. The boy was lying on the floor, covered in sweat — and maybe tears, too— and Ginny had a deep cut on her lip and eyebrow, where blood was coming out from. Their mouths parted when they noticed the presence of the Malfoy. Amycus and Alecto turned around.

Maia looked at her nails. "I can come back another time, if you wish."

The Death Eaters shared a knowing look and nodded.

"Leave, you imbeciles. We will make sure you have learned the lesson."

The three students got up as fast as they could. Ginny and Luna had to help Neville, who was barely standing up and holding his ribs with his hands. Maia gave them a look as they passed that none of the three knew how to decipher.

"I just came to apologize for my behavior the other day. This situation is overwhelming for us, too. We don't know when the time will come, but be sure I will be on your side. Your cause is my cause. " Maia said with as much emotion as she could. The Death Eaters seemed to believe her, at least now. "What do you need me to do?"

"You just need to be quiet by now. We don't need you taking the spotlight. The Dark Lord has to know it's been us who have made this place his."

"Now leave, you too. We have things to take care of. " Alecto cut her brother.

Maia gave them a nod and left as fast as she had come. She didn't know why, but that image had chilled her insides.

What were they looking for? They were breaking the rules of the curfew, but also taking the risk of going to the principal's office. It had to be something powerful enough to risk everything. But Maia knew that it was Harry Potter who controlled the matter, so they should have done it for him, and if Harry Potter thought it was interesting... Maia did, too.

She hastened her way to the Hospital Wing. There was nowhere else they could have gone.

She didn't even have in her mind that she had promised Draco and Eden to meet in the kitchens. She didn't have time to think about it. She must discover the secret.

She opened the door to the infirmary quickly, almost as if the knob was burning, and closed it the same way. She put a finger to her lips to keep the three of them silent. She hexed the door in such a way that it couldn't open or people could hear things from outside.

"What are you doing here?" Neville let out, as loud as he could. He was lying on the stretcher, with dried blood on his nose and on his clothes, and his face was tight with pain.

"What were you looking for?" Was the only thing Maia said.

Neville chuckled with effort. "What makes you think we'll ever tell you?"

Maia walked over to him and pulled out her wand. Neville looked at her, scared. He didn't know what he was capable of, and that was not a good thing for Neville.

"Trust me, I'm asking nicely." Maia whispered. Then she forced her wand into Neville's skin. "What were you looking for?"

Neville stifled a cry of pain. The wand had not yet dug into his skin, but the tip was beginning to hurt.

Maia froze.

What was she doing?

She looked into Longbottom's terrified eyes, clenching his teeth so that no sob of pain escaped his mouth.

She was not like that. She had never had to harm someone. She put the wand in her cloak pocket. Maia was not Lucius, nor Narcissa, nor any Death Eater. She did not want to harm anyone. It wasn't convenient for her to be seen as an enemy. They really had the same goal even if they didn't realize it: all four wanted to live in peace, with no Voldemort in their lives.

She looked at the three friends, lying on their stretchers, sore and listless. Probably wanting to go to their rooms, lie in their own beds and not talk to anyone about what had just happened. Neither of them had asked to be there, and Maia understood them deeply.

So she did something none of the four expected.

She took off her cloak and her black Slytherin sweater, keeping the white short-sleeved blouse, and wrapped Neville with them.

"What—"

"You've been hit by a crucio. You need to be warm and feel the heat in order to sweat. You feel the hot sensation, right? As if fire was going through your bones." The boy nodded, unsure. Then you need to sweat. The sensation will die off because you'll be warm enough."

Luna stood up easily, less stunned than before. She took off her jacket and put it on Neville, who was beginning to feel overwhelmed. Why was Maia Malfoy helping him? What did she want from them?

"It's going to take a few minutes. If you got up and did things that make you sweat, it would be lovely, but I understand if you're feeling too much pain."

Neville tried to get up, wrapping himself in all the clothes he had been given. "How do you know how to take care of this?"

"Because I've been hexed with crucios, too."

The silence in the infirmary was sepulchral. Ginny, Luna and Neville looked at each other, not knowing exactly what was implied in what the blonde had just admitted. Neville began to move around the room, being grateful for how spacious it was, with less and less discomfort. Apart from the crucio, he had also received other blows, but it was nothing he could not overcome in a couple of days.

The girls returned to their stretchers, tired and somewhat suspicious, not knowing what Maia had gone to do in Madame Pomfrey's medicine cabinet. They assumed that Malfoy had no idea what she was doing, or that she was setting them up, or Merlin knew what, but the thought that she might actually be helping them didn't fit.

Only Luna seemed less reluctant to Maia's cooperation. She remembered the first time they had exchanged a few words, she remembered the thestrals and the deep, melancholic eyes of the Slytherin. Luna had a special gift, and everyone knew it: she was able to distinguish good from bad people. And just as Draco inspired her more distrust, she didn't feel that feeling with Maia. She saw her as the protector of her brother, who cleaned up his disasters. Above all, who had never looked down on her or called her "loony".

Maia returned with a bottle of clear liquid and a package of cotton.

"I figured Madame Pomfrey would have this. It's peroxide. It stinks a bit, but it's better than nothing."

Luna approached her, silently relaying that she was trusting her. Maia dipped the cotton in the peroxide and held it close to her cheekbone, which had a small cut. Luna complained a little, but Maia kept applying the liquid.

"There's nothing much I can do. I don't know much about medicine or health, so I assume it will be gone in a week or so."

"Thanks." Said Luna with a small smile. Maia nodded.

The Slytherin watched Luna approach Neville, who seemed to be doing a little better. Then she approached Ginny's stretcher.

"May I?" The redhead looked at her, not sure what to do. She looked at Luna and Neville, who looked better than before, for sure. She sighed. "Come on. You help me, I help you. "

The Gryffindor nodded slightly and sat up, flinching. Maia furrowed her eyebrows.

"It's the ribs. The bastard kicked me." Ginny muttered with anger. "How's your wrist?"

"Perfect. You were good." Maia answered, looking at her directly in the eyes.

"How do you even know how to use peroxide? It's a muggle thing."

"My brother and I went to a muggle school until we were eleven. Kids thought I was weird because I started showing signs of magic at a early age and I couldn't control it, so they used to mess with me. The teachers often used peroxide on my wounds."

Ginny looked at her, somewhat saddened.

"But yes, I'm weird. Look where I am right now." Maia tried to soften her face.

Maia put her hand on the end of the shirt and looked at Ginny, asking for permission. The redhead flushed a little at the soft trace of the blonde's fingers. She was able to appreciate how she had goosebumps, and hoped Maia hadn't noticed.

"It's not bruised yet, but it definitely will. Try to grab something cold tomorrow at breakfast and apply." Maia pulled her shirt down, because she was cold, judging by her skin. She picked up cotton with peroxide and applied it to the cut of her eyebrow without warning. "Don't complain. You could've been much worse."

"I don't get how that's comforting."

"It's not. But you should take a look at how Longbottom looked before you try and do something crazy like that again. You never know what could happen with the Carrows."

"Neither do you, right?" Maia stopped. "Your lip. He hit you. You couldn't have been in a fight with no one else. You said you were hit by crucios, too. Was it him?"

"You sure do ask a lot for someone who doesn't want to know the answers." Maia firmly said. She blew the wound on her eyebrow and on her lip, and Ginny felt her closer than ever. However, Maia didn't even flinch. "You shouldn't go to class tomorrow." Maia whispered in between of blows of air.

"What?"

"If they believe you've learned the lesson by not attending class tomorrow, they won't suspect of you as much. They will think you're afraid, that you won't be brave enough to stand up to them again." The blood in Ginny's face was already gone. "Let them think they won."

"But hey haven't. And they never will." Ginny spat, remembering whose side Maia was in.

The Slytherin simply nodded.

Neville approached her, trying not to interrupt any conversation.

"I'm better now. Thank you for the tip. Here." Neville handed her her clothes back. "You might be cold."

Maia hadn't even felt the cold.

"You should lay off for a bit and rest. You know, before you decide to do any more stupid shit. Be careful next time, because knowing you, Merlin knows there will be a next time."

Luna laughed, as if she was agreeing with her. "We won't tell you were here."

"I don't care if you do. Nobody will believe you, anyways. " She smiled a bit. "Now leave. Try and not get caught this time."

Luna helped Neville a bit, wanting to make sure he was fine, and Ginny followed behind. "Thank you." She mouthed to Maia.

And that made her smile a bit.

What she didn't know was that someone was watching from the shadows.