It was difficult to accurately describe the exact dynamic that held together Sage Clarke and Samael Harris. They were stark contrasts of each other in the most obvious of ways, and yet so similar that it was frightening – even to themselves, at times.

If Remus Lupin, who spent more time observing Sage and her counterpart than he'd care to admit, had to try, though, he'd describe them as electric.

The energy that crackled between them was almost tangible, presenting itself as they roamed the halls without sparing a glance at anyone else, as they popped up sporadically throughout the castle with their heads bent together in conspiracy, but most prominently, as they faced off against each other in the classroom.

At times, Remus could hardly fathom why Sage, with her radiant smile and heart of gold, would bother with someone like Samael who carried a glint of wickedness in his gaze and didn't bother trying to hide it. Then he'd see them casting spells in class far more advanced than the rest of their year with ease, or creating new potions as though it were child's play, and he understood.

He understood that the two young sorcerers were in a league of their own, so lonesome drowning in their own minds that they needed each other to drag them out again.

This understanding is why he also knew that the day Samael Harris disappeared was the same day that Sage Clarke allowed herself to fall back into the depths of her own consciousness, the same day that she lost her light.

✤

"Do you ever feel like you're destined for more?"

Sage's hand didn't falter from scribbling furiously into the bound book before her as she took in the words of her best friend, though the lack of his usual sarcastic drawl within his tone caused a spark of interest to run through her.

"In an existential sense, or are you referring to yourself personally?" she mused, crossing her last 't' before closing her notebook and turning to face him.

Samael's gaze shifted from the Black Lake to meet her own, his usual intelligent glint replaced with one of steely determination.

"I'm serious, Via, don't you think we're just wasting our time here?" he insisted, "I mean, honestly, I haven't felt as though I've been learning anything since third year."

"Maybe," Sage shrugged, tucking her quill behind her ear, "but St. Mungo's requires N.E.W.T.'s and we're only in our fifth year."

"You're still stuck on being a Healer, then?" Samael was not able to hide the obvious distaste infecting his words.

"What's the point of magic if you can't help people with it?" Sage sighed, reciting the same argument with a tinge of annoyance.

"What's the point of a mind like yours if you're stuck serving others?" Samael countered, "Besides, if being able to help people's all your after, I'll bet you can already out-heal every one of the witches at St. Mungo's. You can do it on your own. For the love of Merlin, you even invented a spell to help cure victims with long-term effects from the Cruciatus curse."

"Nothing beats experience, Ven," she chastised, "I need a mentor to train me properly, everyone does. No matter how capable. Besides, you focus far too much on intelligence as the qualifier of a person's worth. Seriously, it worries me."

She nudged shoulders with her friend before looking back out at the lake, a soft smile gracing her features as she took in the sight of four boys laughing as they threw what looked to be algae at each other.

"Idiots," Samael muttered, referring to the self-proclaimed marauders.

"You know, Remus Lupin is neck and neck with Lily Evans in most of his classes," Sage felt an odd twinge of protectiveness spark her, "and I'm almost positive Sirius Black would be right there with them if he applied himself at all."

"Why do you even know that?" he scoffed.

"It may be hard to believe," Sage looked at him with mock-earnest, "but there are more people in the world besides you and I."

"Well, you shouldn't bother with them," Samael clenched his jaw slightly, "the world is changing, and it's leaving people like them behind."

"Do you ever think your head might explode if your ego gets any bigger?" Sage leaned towards him with her eyebrows raised in challenge.

Samael only snorted, nudging her shoulder lightly before wrapping his arm around her. She leaned into his side casually, gazing up at the clouds.

"Remember that spell we made last year?" he muttered, trying his best to sound casual.

"We make a lot of spells, Ven," her eyes blinked softly as she realized how sleepy she was under the warm sun.

"The one that we deemed strictly theoretical," he elaborated.

"Oh, that one," Sage frowned as her chest burned unpleasantly at the memory of the particularly dangerous spell, "The one we made strictly for research purposes."

"Do you think it could ever be... materialized?" he spoke carefully.

The girl's relaxed mood immediately dissipated and she pulled away to glare at him suspiciously.

"I believe we agreed that the reasons for keeping the spell theoretical extended beyond a lack of ability to execute it," she analyzed his slightly stiffened shoulders cautiously.

"I know, Sage," he ran a hand through his dark locks exasperatedly, "It was only a question."

Sage eyed him critically for a moment before going to question him, but was interrupted as a glob of green... goo splattered across her chest.

✤

Remus felt his face go utterly pale as he realized James had ducked and his handful of thick lake algae had hit Sage Clarke where she sat with her friend a few yards away.

Of course, it was exactly his luck to finally grab Sage bloody Clarke's attention by attacking her with kelp.

The four boys all went silent as a furious looking Samael Harris leapt up from beside her and stormed over to them, walnut-wood wand drawn and pointing directly at the young werewolf.

Remus' hand automatically went to his back pocket, where he kept his wand, but he was hesitant to retrieve it in hopes that the matter could be resolved peacefully.

He was no stranger to dueling, in fact he'd consider Defense Against the Dark Arts his best subject, but the Slytherin before him was known for using spells no one had even heard of before, let alone how to defend against them.

More importantly, Samael was not known for playing fair.

His friends had no similar qualms, their wands immediately drawn and pointed as they eyed the green-robed boy warily.

"It was an honest mistake, mate," Sirius narrowed his eyes slightly, "No need to get upset."

"An honest mistake?" Samael seethed, "You bloody Gryffindor's think you own this school and everyone in it. You aren't even-,"

"You'll have to excuse my friend here," Sage came waltzing up behind him with an easy smile, "He's been on edge ever since he lost our duel this morning. Used Reducto like an absolute amateur."

The brown-haired girl traipsed into the scene with no tension throughout her figure, a stark contrast to the five boys glaring at each other. Remus found his face heating up and his heart beating faster despite the current situation.

"Sage-," Samael practically growled out in warning, only to be cut off again.

"Really, Ven, you act as though they've murdered my first born," Sage tutted, resting her hand on his wand-arm gently, "I'm fine. It's lake algae, not Floo powder. See? Tergeo."

With a single flick of her own willow-wood wand, her blue and bronze robes were completely clear of any mess.

"Floo powder?" Peter piped up, still looking very nervous.

"She's allergic."

"I'm allergic."

Sage and Remus both spoke at the same time, causing the former to look at the latter in surprise, raising an eyebrow with slight amusement. Remus was blushing profusely, and immediately looked away and began coughing furiously.

James and Sirius sniggered knowingly behind him.

"Whatever," Samael relented with a huff, pulling his wand away, "just know your place, Lupin."

"His place?" Sirius' eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, "Not being of pure blood doesn't make you any lesser of a person. In fact, if anyone here's a massive git, it's you, snake."

"I wasn't referring to his bloodline, you idiot," Samael rolled his eyes impatiently, "I was speaking about his inferior intellect. You take the prize in that regard, though."

Samael, though his blood was as pure as it comes, held little regard for blood status. If that were the case, he wouldn't go anywhere near Sage, who was a muggleborn herself. His ranking system was based solely on who he deemed intelligent enough to hold a conversation with.

It was still very prejudiced, of course, but he did not find bloodline to be any more telling than astrology and thus deemed it irrelevant.

He must have realized he was speaking to someone of "lesser intelligence" for longer than a minute, for he took this moment to turn on his heel and storm off back towards the castle.

"Sorry about him," the bright, unbothered smile had yet to leave Sage's face, "Don't worry, we're working on his social skills."

"Can't give a sociopath social skills," Sirius muttered, causing James to jab him in the stomach with his elbow.

Remus winced, hoping Sage hadn't heard. He had already mucked the situation up enough on his own, he didn't need her thinking his friends were rude and inconsiderate.

They were, of course, but he didn't want her thinking that.

"Actually, you can," she was still smiling easily as she glanced at them, "It's empathy that sociopaths lack, not social skills. In fact, they are often more socially adept than the average individual, because their lack of shame emboldens them where others are limited."

"You didn't deny he was a sociopath," Sirius pointed out.

Sage only smirked, shaking her head lightly.

"I should get back to him before he works himself up even more," she pointed behind her.

"Wait!" Remus spluttered out.

"Yes?" she smiled up at him, her eyes curious.

"I didn't know you were allergic to Floo powder," he began to ramble, "Or, I did, but only because I overheard you talking about it a few years ago. Not that I was listening in to your conversation! I mean, technically I guess I was, but I wasn't stalking you or anything. I just happened to be right behind you in the corridor, by mere... coincidence. Yes, coincidence. So yeah, anyways, I'm not a total creep, I promise."

Her expression remained neutral as he babbled, her eyes scanning his face before returning to meet his gaze.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Remus," she spoke softly.

With that, she turned around and walked away, her gait as carefree as it had been when she approached them.

Remus's eyes widened comically after her. The full moon had been a few days ago, and he had just recently recovered from the particularly rough night.

Any worries about her possibly knowing his secret were temporarily buried by an elation at the fact that she had been paying enough attention to him – him!­ – to notice that he had been ill in the first place.

This information would run through his head for the next sixteen days repeatedly as he broke down every aspect of their interaction over and over, a giddy smile breaking out over his face as he recalled her carefree, dimpled smile in vivid detail. The smile that had been, if only for a chaste moment, only for him.

Sixteen days, while a rather insignificant stretch of time in it's own right, was a very important time frame indeed when one factored in the detail that it was precisely sixteen days later that Samael Harris vanished from the halls of Hogwarts without a trace, leaving behind only his reputation and a wholly shattered Sage Clarke.

✤✤✤

writing this story makes me so nostalgic and much happier than writing a fanfic has in a long time. i feel so much more creatively free in this universe and i love it jshkjshlf

also sad bc i know what's coming ;( (sad winky face bc i'm sad but im still smooth)

don't usually do dedications but i have to dt this to my baby iz for not only always making me the best covers but also for inspiring me to get back into fic-ness (fanfic business)

lots of love and stay hydrated,

-belle xx