THE NEXT TIME OPHELIA WOKE up from her sleep, Dumbledore was gone, and Umbridge was the new Headmistress of Hogwarts instead. 

At first, Ophelia thought it was a very horrible dream. It was only when she pinched herself that she realized it was actually real.

And then it hit her like a moving truck.

Oh shit—

Nope, this was a very real, terrible, horrible nightmare in which Umbridge was headmistress, and Ophelia had confessed her deepest, darkest secret to Colin Creevey.

The worst part was that she told Colin she was in love with him.

Not only did she ruin their friendship, but if any word of this got out to Lucius Malfoy, then the entire Malfoy name would be screwed.

Why? Because Colin was a mudblood. And Ophelia was a pureblood.

Everyone in the wizarding world knew of this.

So naturally, Ophelia went back to avoiding Colin. But this time, she took it to the extreme. She avoided all the places he would probably be at, and avoided all the places that he would think to look for her.

Also known as residing in the room of requirement and skipping meals in the Great Hall.

At least this all had one good outcome; Ophelia was able to go a month without much talking or eating, and so, it was easy for her to keep a mandrake leaf in her mouth for a month as the first step of her Animagus training.

And then, she put the leaf in a crystal phial, added one of her hairs, and collected dew from the forbidden forest.

Then, she left her phial in a cool, dark place. The room of requirement became a cave, and Ophelia left her potion there, and began waiting for the next electrical storm.

Along with making the Hogwarts' students' lives hell, Professor Umbridge also decided that she needed a group of spies and bullies to make life at Hogwarts worse.

Of course, Draco was only too keen to become one of Umbridge's spies. He boasted and bragged that he was part of the Inquisitorial Squad— Ophelia thought that name sounded like child detectives— and how many great privileges were bestowed upon him. 

As in, members of the Inquisitorial Squad were allowed to give and take points from the other Hogwarts students as they pleased, and were allowed to hand out detentions to other prefects.

Not to mention that their curfew was a whole hour later than those of the other Hogwarts students.

What with Ophelia's friendship with Colin ruined, Umbridge as headmistress, and the fact that all her classes were tense and uninteresting as they were being monitored by Umbridge, Ophelia no longer enjoyed Hogwarts.

In fact, she hated waking up each morning and attending classes.

And so, she fell depressed again.

She would attend her classes, and as soon as they were over, she would stay in the Room of Requirement.

She knew nobody would find her there.

By nobody, she mostly meant Colin.

But a month after she confessed her feelings for Colin, and began avoiding him, Professor McGonagall seemed to notice, and the Professor pulled her aside after one of her Transfiguration lessons, and ushered Ophelia into her office.

As she sat back in the chair opposite Professor McGonagall's desk, the professor pushed forth a large plate of cookies.

Naturally, due to the reason that she was avoiding meals in the Great Hall, Ophelia was starving, so she took one.

"So, Ophelia," began Professor McGonagall with a deep sigh, taking off her glasses. "It has come to my notice that once again, you are not eating, and sleeping in your dormitory. May I ask why?"

Ophelia sighed and folded her arms. "I'm avoiding Colin," she mumbled. 

But to Professor McGonagall, it sounded like, "Mavoidgoli."

"Speak up, Ophelia, I cannot hear you," Professor McGonagall remarked.

"I'm avoiding Colin," Ophelia muttered. There was no use lying to Professor McGonagall. She saw through everything and everyone.

"I see," Professor McGonagall replied. "Aren't the two of you supposed to be friends?"

"No," Ophelia shook her head. "We had a fight."

She took another cookie.

At this, Professor McGonagall clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Very well, I won't ask for details, but I will tell you this; sometimes, if you think deep enough, you'll realize that there is a simple resolution for everything. It just takes time."

"Not this time, Professor," Ophelia sighed miserably. "I ruined things too much this time."

"Well, if you are in need of company, my child, then my office is always open."

At this, the edges of Ophelia's lips curved upwards, very slightly, for the first time in a month. "Thank you, Professor. I'll be sure to keep that in mind." 

Her hand reached for the plate of cookies again, but Professor McGonagall pulled the plate away from reach. "Miss Malfoy, if you are hungry then I would advise you to eat proper food."

"Right," Ophelia muttered, embarrassed, rubbing the back of her neck as her cheeks turned pink.

"Ah yes, you are avoiding the Great Hall," Professor McGonagall remarked with a sigh. "Well then, it is against the rules for me to inform you that the Hogwarts kitchen is on the fourth floor," the Professor remarked with a stern face.

Ophelia's eyes widened. Surely the Professor was not—?

"It is also against the rules for me to tell you that you must tickle the pear on the painting of the fruit bowl, in order to gain access to these kitchens," the Professor continued, marking her essays without looking up.

"Right," Ophelia remarked with a raised brow. "I'll keep that in mind.."

"Miss Malfoy, I trust you'll make good use of this information?" Professor McGonagall asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"Yes Professor," Ophelia said with a bright smile, before grabbing her bag and standing up. "Thanks Professor."

"Good day, Ophelia."

And then, Ophelia walked to the fourth floor, replaying her conversation with Professor McGonagall several times in her head. It just did not make sense! Ophelia realized that there was much, much more to Professor McGonagall than the surface.

When Ophelia reached the painting of the fruit, she slowly brought her fingers out to tickle the pear. And the portrait hole swung forward, and a wonderful sight met her eyes.

Hundreds of house elves, and thousands of dishes, being prepared. Pastries and fruit, dairy and soups, everything that she was craving.

The mixed aromas of the foods wafted to her nose, instantly making her stomach grumble. And then, much to Ophelia's surprise, she saw—

"Dobby?"

Said elf looked at the Malfoy heiress with his big, green, tennis-ball like eyes, wearing what looked like twenty poorly knitted hats on his head, and a strange jumper with three arm-holes, and two mismatched socks, a big grin etched on his face.

"Miss Malfoy?" the elf spoke, his voice high pitched.

"Dobby!" Ophelia exclaimed, a small smile on her face. "It is you!" Dobby was Lucius' elf, and Ophelia distinctly remembered him.

"Tis I, Miss Malfoy, how can Dobby help Miss?" the elf was shaking.

"Well, I would like..." she began, tilting her head to think. "A sandwich. Turkey and ham sandwich," she finally replied. "With tomato."

"As you wish, Miss Malfoy," the elf bowed, his nose nearly touching the floor.

Ophelia found a place to sit on one of the kitchen counters, her legs dangling down. Dobby brought her sandwich and a glass of cold milk, and Ophelia began to eat. But as soon as she took a bite of her sandwich, two identical redheads entered the kitchen, and before Ophelia could duck and hide out of the way, they spotted her.

Ophelia stared at them, eyes wide. And they stared back.

"Malfoy," the remarked.

"Weasleys," Ophelia stated coolly.

The Weasleys began placing their order of what they would like, while Ophelia sat there frozen, embarrassed that she had been caught in the kitchens.

The Weasleys sat not far from her, as they were unable to find any other space in the kitchen that was not being used.

"What brings you here, Malfoy?" one of the twins finally asked.

"Food," she replied curtly.

"A sandwich?" the other twin scoffed. "You come to the Hogwarts kitchens for a simple sandwich?"

Ophelia scowled. "How does it bother you?" she asked tiredly, in no mood to argue and fight with them.

"Malfoy, anyone in their right mind would come to the kitchens and demand the elves to make something a bit more complex, or delicious."

"My sandwich is delicious," Ophelia defended, taking a sip of her cold milk.

"I say," one of the twins began. "You were a pretty decent beater in the last match."

Ophelia flushed red with pleasure. The edges of her lips turned up. She said nothing.

"Creevey was looking for you this morning, by the way," one of the twins said.

"I know," Ophelia replied.

One twin nudged the other. "It's obvious she's avoiding him, Fred!" he whispered.

The other one— Fred— looked at Ophelia. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen you around the common room either.."

Ophelia shifted uncomfortably. Before she could open her mouth and say something horribly mean however, George spoke.

"It's obvious she's uncomfortable, you git!" he whispered.

Fred changed the subject. "Hey Malfoy, are you aware that Umbridge is interrogating students?"

At this, Ophelia nearly fell of the counter, choking on her milk. She violently shook her head.

"Yeah, she's interrogating each and every student in the school," George continued. "Takes them into her office, offers them a drink, and then asks them questions."

"Oh," Ophelia said simply.

"But any sane person knows not to drink it. It's spiked with Veritaserum," Fred added.

"Right," the blonde nodded. "Thanks for the heads up."

"Oh," and George added. "Tomorrow we're planning something big. You might want to stay away from the Great Hall and the Quidditch pitch tomorrow, as Umbridge might suspect you..."

"Oh?" Ophelia remarked softly, taking another sip of her milk. "Me?"

"Well yeah," replied George, "Umbridge hates all Gryffindors. And Gryffindors stick up for each other, right?"

At this, Ophelia couldn't help but give the Weasley twins a small smile. Perhaps they weren't so bad after all.

And boy did she look pretty when she smiled. Her dimple showed, and her bluish-grey eyes softened.

"Though I'd recommend the Astronomy Tower. The view's not bad," Fred continued. "If you want to watch, that is."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ophelia replied, as she finished her sandwich, and jumped off the counter, heading to the door.

"Hey Malfoy?" George asked, a dumbfounded expression on his face.

"What?" she replied, turning back for a quick second.

"Go out with me?"

Ophelia gave him a sharp glare before she walked out of the kitchens.

Just like the Weasley twins had mentioned, Professor Umbridge, was indeed interrogating students, and much to Ophelia's utmost disappointment, her turn came the very next day, right after her last class. The new Hogwarts Headmistress entered the dungeon during potions class, and asked for Ophelia, and the blonde had to leave potions early.

"Sit down, Miss Malfoy," Umbridge said sweetly, as they entered her office. The professor took a seat on her pink squashy armchair, and Ophelia sat opposite her, across the teacher's table.

There was a white teapot with an ugly pink rim, a jug of water, and a jug of pumpkin juice on the table.

"Have a drink, Miss Malfoy. Would you like to have some tea? Water? Pumpkin juice?" Professor Umbridge accompanied these words with a shrill, high-pitched giggle.

"Just water, thanks," Ophelia replied politely, making a mental note not to drink even a sip of that water, lest she'd end up spilling her deepest, darkest secrets.

Professor Umbridge handed Ophelia a glass of water.

She pretended to take a sip, making sure to keep her lips sealed tight so as to make sure that she did not even swallow a single drop.

"So, are you aware of the whereabouts of Albus Dumbledore?" Umbridge asked, her steely gaze boring into Ophelia's soft gray eyes.

Ophelia shook her head. "No."

"Do you know where Sirius Black is?"

"No," Ophelia replied again.

"And what of his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange? And the rest of the Lestranges?"

At this, her heart skipped a beat.

Yes. Malfoy Manor. But I'm not telling you.

"No Professor," Ophelia lied. "No idea."

At this, Umbridge looked disappointed. "Very well, Miss Malfoy, you can leave."

And Ophelia stood up, knocking down the glass of water in the process, so Umbridge would not be able to tell that she hadn't drunk any of it.

The last thing she heard before she shut the door was Umbridge's angry sigh.

Ophelia smirked before the door locked behind her.

The blonde contemplated going back to the room of requirement as soon as Umbridge had finished interrogating her, but then remembered that Fred and George had planned something big. 

Ophelia was in need of a distraction, and fresh breath.

Needless to say, she found herself heading in the direction of the Astronomy tower.

As she climbed the stairs, she pondered deeply on what would have happened if the Weasley twins hadn't told her about the Veritaserum in the drinks Umbridge was serving.

All Ophelia knew would be that her whole family would be in Azkaban by now had Umbridge found out the her aunt Bellatrix and the rest of the Lestranges were residing at Malfoy Manor like kings and queens.

She made a mental note to thank the Weasley twins later. But for now, the least she could do, was watch their performance from the Astronomy tower. 

She at least owed them that.

And then, finally, she was at the very top. The highest point in Hogwarts. As soon as she made her way to the rickety, wooden platform of the tower, the cold air hit her face, along with the strong smell of cigarette smoke, which caused her to cough breathlessly.

It was then that Ophelia noticed that she was not alone in the Astronomy tower.

Just by catching a glimpse of his messy hair, and his chiseled back, Ophelia knew it was Theodore.

But Ophelia, who was in no mood to deal with any sort of crap, suddenly decided that she would rather turn around and leave than deal with any more hurtful words from her brother's best friend.

But it was too late.

Before she could even contemplate on leaving, Theodore had already noticed her.

Ophelia stood frozen in her step. 

She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe.

The wind had been knocked fully out of her lungs, and her voice seemed caught in her throat. Cigarette smoke filled her nostrils, and it was like she was stuck in a trance, as her greyish blue eyes were locked in Theodore's dark gaze.

Then, she gulped slightly.

Theodore's lips coiled themselves into a smirk, his dark gaze glittering with amusement. 

"Don't you look miserable," he drawled, smoke leaving his lips with every word he spoke.

Ophelia ignored him, and promptly made a quick turn in the direction of the steps. But Theodore was quicker. His arm outstretched and grabbed her wrist, and he pulled her back swiftly, closer to him, until there was only two feet's distance between them. 

The blonde wrenched her hand away from his grasp, her jaw clenched as she breathed a heavy sigh. "What do you want?" she snapped. "If you only want me here to annoy me then I'm not in the mood."

Theodore let out a dry chuckle. "Why do you always assume I want to annoy you?" he asked dryly.

Ophelia sent him a glare in response.

"Fair enough," the Slytherin shrugged. "I only want to talk..."

"But I don't want to talk to you," Ophelia replied coolly. "Goodbye."

And then, she walked back to the stairs of the Astronomy tower.

She had taken two steps down when Theodore spoke again, his voice raised. "You're in love with him, aren't you?" he asked loudly, his voice clearly audible despite the wind. "The mudblood..."

At this, Ophelia froze, and couldn't help but turn around.

"Don't call him that!" she said sharply, taking a few steps closer. Tears pricked her eyes. 

It only made it more realistic when he said it.

Yes, she was in love with a mudblood.

"Don't call him what, a mudblood?" Theodore smirked, taking a drag of his cigarette, smoke puffing forth from his lips. "But that's what he is, isn't he? A filthy little mudblood..."

"Stop it!" Ophelia said roughly, her two hands reaching forward and connecting with the Slytherin's chest as she shoved Theodore, pushing him backwards lightly.

"Stop what?" he drawled. "Calling him a mudblood?" he continued, letting his lips part as he blew out a huge puff of smoke. "Alright," he shrugged.

Ophelia's eyes narrowed suspiciously. It had never been that easy for Theodore to stop bullying her.

He said nothing.

She said nothing.

And then, all of a sudden, there was a deafening crack and a red flare went up in the sky. Not even a second later, it shattered into several pieces, spreading red light everywhere.

Fireworks.

Ophelia smiled slightly, her argument with Theodore temporarily forgotten.

In fact, she had completely forgotten about his presence as well, a gentle smile slowly worming its way onto her lips as she stared at the bursting fireworks against the dark, dusky sky.

This was what Fred and George had planned. And Ophelia couldn't help but admire how mesmerizing they looked, spiraling and splattering hues of every color imaginable as they lit up the dark sky with life.

And then, she felt his presence beside her. 

He'd taken a step closer, standing next to her while she leant against the railing of the Astronomy tower.

She had never seen fireworks like this before. She noticed Umbridge all the way down in the courtyard, trying to vanish one of the fireworks, but she miserably failed when the firework multiplied itself by ten. 

Ophelia let out a small chuckle.

"Rather remarkable, wouldn't you say?" Theodore drawled beside her, blowing a puff of smoke into the air, filling Ophelia's nose with the toxic vapors.

She silently agreed. And then, she coughed slightly before speaking.

"You know that smoking is bad for you, don't you?" she asked quietly, stealing a side glance of him. 

His brown hair looked as if he had run his hands through it countless times, the front permanently sticking up on his forehead, the hair at the back touching the nape of his neck. 

He ran his long, thin fingers through his hair, and Ophelia noticed that he now wore a ring that bore the Nott crest on his finger, no doubt an heirloom. His knuckles looked slightly bruised, slight red marks contrasting against his deathly pale skin.

He chuckled slightly, an amused scoff bursting from his lips. "So you keep telling me every time we meet. The point is, I don't care."

"Well you should," Ophelia said in a saint-like tone. "Smoking kills."

"It's the only reason worth living for," Theodore shrugged, putting out his cigarette and tossing it over the edge of the Astronomy tower.

Ophelia's lips parted, her eyes widening as she comprehended the deeper meaning behind his words. He only smoked because the pressure of life was too much for him to handle, and Ophelia... understood.

She had Colin when she was in a dark place, but Theodore had... no one.

Well, he had Draco, but Draco was too busy dealing with his own traumatic daddy issues. 

It was probably his dad. The way Lucius was a Death Eater, the same way Theodore Nott Sr. was a Death Eater. But Lucius had Narcissa as his light, and Nott Sr. was darkness itself. The blonde had no doubt that he was exerting some sort of pressure on his son.

At that moment, Ophelia felt nothing but pity for the Nott boy before her; the boy who had lost his mother at an age so young; the boy who had everything but a mother.

Theodore lit another cigarette using the tip of his wand, reciting an incantation Ophelia had never heard of. It was probably a fifth year spell. 

"It's rather sad he's got a girlfriend," Theodore remarked quietly. 

Ophelia's head snapped towards him. "Hmm?"

"I said it's rather sad Creevey's got a girlfriend, don't you think?"

The blonde shrugged, her thoughts churning in her head as uneasiness washed over her.

That's because Colin and I were never meant to be.

"Why do you like him?" Theodore asked again, just as a blue firework burst in the sky.

Ophelia shrugged again. "He was there for me when nobody else was," she said quietly. "He's my rock, my best friend..." she broke off, not sure why she was telling him this.

And then suddenly, like a switch being flicked, Theodore's calm expression turned dark and wicked, as a confident smirk formed on his lips. "Aww, poor Baby Malfoy," he drawled. "Giving the cold shoulder to everyone until she leeches onto a filthy little mudblood.." He chuckled, running the back of his fingers against her cheek. "Tsk, tsk... you're just a spoiled brat with insecurities and no real personality..."

At this, Ophelia gasped, her soft gaze pricking with tears, her lips parting slightly at how harsh those words sounded. 

She didn't know what to say.

"You know what?" Ophelia raised her voice, raising her hand and slapping Theodore clean across his cheek, the sound drowned out by the popping fireworks. "I don't even know why I bother. Colin is twice the man you will ever be, and I'd rather love him and not get to be with him, than ever spend a single second in your presence. I despise you."

A quick flash of hurt and anger flitted across Theodore's face, but it vanished before Ophelia could even blink.

Ophelia closed her eyes tightly, a single tear spilling down her left cheek, expecting Theodore to get angry and say more hurtful things, or physically hurt her, but nothing came.

Instead, she opened her eyes, just in time to see Theodore look at the floor, a heavy, burdened sigh erupting from his lips.

Theodore let out a frustrated sigh, angrily kicking the wall beside him, while Ophelia stood still, her eyes transfixed on his very unpredictable actions.

And then, their eyes met.

Dark blue met blue-gray, like the angry sea and the sand on a stormy night.

The Slytherin suddenly pounced on Ophelia, pinning her to the wall, knocking the wind out from her lungs. 

"I can't do this anymore," muttered Theodore, placing his hand aggressively against the wall, trapping Ophelia between himself and the wall, giving her no way to leave. Do what?, Ophelia wanted to ask, but as her brain formed the words, and before she could even part her lips to speak, Theodore had already leant down to her height and captured his lips between her own.

His lips crashed down on hers into a bruising kiss, and Ophelia could feel how rough and demanding his lips were, as his hand gripped her arm harshly, pulling her into his chest and leaving no space at all. His other hand had navigated its way to the back of her head, tangling itself into her blonde hair as he drove his tongue between her lips, tasting her.

Ophelia was dizzy. She could feel her knees on the verge of giving up. She tried to resist... until... she couldn't anymore. Her mind succumbed to Theo's darkness, and she slowly began kissing him back.

And the words were forgotten as they died on her lips, as his mouth found her own, kissing her like his life depended on it; like there was no tomorrow.

He was irresistible. His cold lips tasted strongly of cigarette smoke, and the lingering taste of mint. His strong cologne caressed her senses, driving her to the brink of insanity, where she had no choice but to let go and let the devil drag her down with him.

Her hands had found their path to gently hold his waist, and she was very conscious that she could feel his strong muscles and his toned chest beneath her cold fingertips, the warmth from his body penetrating through his shirt and seeping into her digits.

Her mind was blank. The fireworks raged in the background, and Theodore's mouth angrily battled her own, his teeth dipping gently into her bottom lip, like fire on ice. 

She was the moon, and he was the clouds, desperate to drown her in his darkness.

And then, just as she couldn't take any more; just as she was about to collapse with the lack of breath, he pulled away from her.

His dark blue gaze was soft, for a moment; just for a moment, before his stare hardened once more.

Once more, Ophelia was left speechless as Theodore spared her one final glance, before turning around, and leaving her alone.

She took a minute to catch her breath, her brain still trying to comprehend what the hell had just happened.

Her heart was thundering loudly against her chest, beating heavily enough for her to feel the vibrations at her feet. Her blood pulsed through her body, making her ears throb.

He just left.

He just fucking left!

Why did he kiss her? What did he mean when he said he couldn't do this anymore? Do what? What was going on?

All these questions were being shouted loudly into Ophelia's mind, but there was only one question that she wished would be answered. 

A small, tiny voice in the depths of Ophelia's mind asked the question she had been dying to know the answer to.

Why did I never want him to stop?

She didn't know the answer. Her heart raged angrily at how he'd messed around with her feelings and brutally stolen her first kiss from her. He was playing with her; toying with her feelings. He found it amusing how she was madly in love with Colin, and now... now she felt like she betrayed Colin in some way.

Thoroughly confused, a heavy sob burst from Ophelia's lips, and she cried her heart out, standing alone at the edge of the Astronomy tower. Her hair billowed in the breeze, and the deafening wind and fireworks took turns in drowning her cries out.

While Ophelia stared at the fireworks in the night sky, she couldn't help but wish she could burn like them.

All at once, then split into shreds, letting fragments of her fire burn out until there was no more light left.

{ hey guys! so i finally updated. nearly two weeks later... anyway, how are you guys all doing? i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as i did writing it! please, please please vote, follow, share, and spam me with comments! 
also follow my spotify dessertoholic where i've made a playlist for this fic.
on another note, how are you guys adjusting to routine?
i'm doing okay!
love you guys. please, please comment, vote, follow, and share. 
p.s: what do you think will happen next? what did theo's words mean?
p.p.s: i will only update the next chapter if we reach 100 votes on this one, and spammed comments.
anyway, take care guys. love you.
thank you to each and every one of you who have supported me so far. 
luv, jasmine. }

{SEP 27. 2023}