"Alohomora."

The lock on the door clicked. Raven pushed it open, ushering Natty and Poppy inside before closing the door and locking it back. She couldn't keep from smiling at how her friends marveled at the sight. The massive tub in the middle of the room was big enough to swim in if one wished. There were racks full of towels and various soaps and shampoo. A mural on the wall depicted a mermaid that would play with her hair and occasionally swish her tail.

"You weren't kidding," Poppy said. "This is way better than our bathrooms!"

"I have only ever heard of the Prefects' Bathroom until now!" Natty added. "But this is unlike anything I could have imagined!"

"And that's why I thought it could be fun to bring you both for a late night bath. It gets a bit lonely when I'm here for too long."

Poppy laughed. "Just how often do you go sneaking in here exactly?"

Raven shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, you know, maybe once or twice a week depending on how stressed I am. I also only discovered this place about a month ago, so…"

"So you are quite the sly Slytherin indeed," Natty joked. "I am grateful to have been invited."

"Me too. Thanks, Raven."

Raven matched their enthused smiles. "You're welcome. It's rare that all three of us can spend time together like this. Besides, we've been working hard. We deserve a ladies night."

Natty and Poppy were often her favorite people to go poacher hunting with, mostly because their goals aligned. Not to say she didn't enjoy the company of Ominis or Sebastian, but facing bad guys wasn't exactly their favorite thing to do. Sebastian didn't mind really, but more often than not, he had his nose buried in a book researching archaic magic. She hated to interrupt him when he was so focused.

Raven moved past the girls to turn on several of the taps surrounding the pool. They watched it fill faster than expected, and the Slytherin added a soap to the water that created a mountain of bubbles and smelled of lavender. She didn't hesitate to remove her robe and hang it up, then undid her tie, kicked off her shoes and unbuttoned her shirt. A glance toward her friends proved they were just as eager to get in, for they were undressing as well. As soon as she pulled off her socks and let her skirt fall to the floor, she had Natty untie her corset.

"Your chemise is so cute!" Poppy gushed.

Raven met her gaze, then looked down at her undergarments. Her chemise under her corset was cotton like many others, but it was decorated with bits of lace and embroidery. "Thank you. Yours is nice, too. Natty's as well."

"Ours is plain compared to yours," Natty pointed out.

Raven smiled at her. "I still think they're lovely."

The girls were beaming, unable to contain their girlish delite over clothing. Once all the undergarments were off, Raven jumped into the pool, sending up a splash that soaked the other girls. Giggling, Natty and Poppy hopped in to return the favor, sending a small wave crashing over Raven. It was all in good fun. But after the initial excitement died down, the trio calmed and took the time to actually wash their skin and hair. Natty sat on one of the steps at the shallow end, surrounded by bubbles. Poppy stood nearby, leaning back against the side of the tub. Raven casually swam around, swirling bubbles up around her.

"Raven, Natty, I was wondering…" They looked over at Poppy. "What do you think my Animagus would be? You know, if I became one."

"Why? Are you thinking about it? It's a tediously long and difficult process."

Poppy hummed at the Slytherin's warning. "Not really. I was just curious."

"Some type of dog, perhaps?" Natty guessed. "You are loyal, gentle and kind."

"Or maybe a lovely little songbird," Raven chimed in.

"I don't think I have the voice to be a songbird," she replied with a laugh. "Not like you, Raven. I've heard you in choir. You have a real gift."

Raven gave an exaggerated flick of her wet hair. "I am quite talented, I know." She giggled with her friends at the feigned arrogance. "It's because my mother taught me when I was young." She stopped swimming. "She would sing to me every night, and whenever I was scared or sad."

"That is similar to the nursery rhymes the children sang back in Uagadou. It always lifted my spirits."

Raven went to the far edge of the pool, closest to the door, and waded to the top step to sit with her legs dipped in the water, trading places with Natty who swam out toward the opposite end. "How about a more interesting topic of conversation? This is our ladies night, after all. As such, I believe it's rather customary to discuss things like…boys."

"Boys?" Poppy and Natty said in unison, glancing at each other with surprise.

"Yes. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I would like to know if there's anyone you're interested in."

"Oh my, I never gave it much thought before," the Gryffindor admitted with a slight blush. "Well, I suppose there are some that I am around quite often, though not always by choice."

Poppy grinned. "You mean Garreth, don't you? He does have a knack for potions…if he'd stop experimenting and blowing up everything he brews."

"What about you, Poppy?" Raven asked.

"Like Natty, I've never thought about it really, but…" She suddenly turned bright red. "I suppose Amit is pretty nice. He's quite intelligent and doesn't cause a big ruckus in class." Raven nodded in agreement, completely understanding what she meant. The Hufflepuff suddenly gave a sly little smile. "And I've noticed Leander has his eye on you."

Raven stuck her tongue out, exaggerating her disgust. "Unfortunately."

"He may be a fellow Gryffindor, but that boy is obnoxious." Natty shook her head. "He tries to act as tough as Sebastian, but he does not compare. He just comes off as overly proud and annoyingly persistent."

"You hit the nail on the head. He's been trying to court me ever since we met in Herbology. I've been nothing short of polite when I have to turn him down, but still he sticks to me like a troll bogey."

"Wow. That does sound bothersome. I don't know him very well, but I'm only guessing that giving him a chance is out of the question."

Raven suddenly looked away with a blush of her own, causing Natty to stifle a laugh, a knowing smile on her face. "You have not noticed that someone already has Raven's attention. She and Ominis Gaunt go way back, at least that is what I heard."

Poppy gasped. "That's why I always see you with him! I didn't even think about it that way! Ominis has never been very open to others, but you and Sebastian are the exception. You must mean a lot to him. That's adorable, Raven! I'm so happy for you!"

The Slytherin was quick to wave her hands in front of her. "N-no! We're not together!"

Poppy gave her a baffled expression, causing Natty to speak up. "Raven has been keeping her distance despite her feelings. It has to do with that cursed magic, I think."

"Natty…" Raven turned her head away with embarrassment. Even if Natty and Poppy knew of her curse, she still didn't like talking about it. "I just don't want to risk him getting hurt. That's it. Please, let's not talk about this."

Poppy looked a little disappointed. "Very well. But if it's all right, may I ask how far back you and Ominis go?"

"We've known each other since before our magic developed." Raven's mood instantly brightened and there was a dreamy look in her eyes. "My family moved closer to the Gaunt family because…well…Ominis and I were betrothed."

Both girls gasped with Natty saying, "That is the first I have heard of this!"

"Was that because of your pure-blood status?" Poppy inquired.

"That's right. We might've been forced into it, but we grew close naturally over time. Obviously things changed once my messed up magic developed, and after my parents died, I had to leave with my grandfather. I lost contact with Ominis until this school year."

"That's crazy!" Poppy exclaimed. "And after all this time, you still care about each other! I don't know how you can stand to not go back to the way things were!"

Raven sighed sadly. "It's difficult, but it's better this way." She pressed her palm over her heart. "Ominis means the world to me. Because of that, I have to stay away."

The door behind her suddenly clicked. All three girls stiffened with Raven turning her head slowly to watch in horror as the door swung open.

~~~~~

"I don't know about this, Sebastian," Ominis whispered, following his friend's quiet footsteps. "We could both wind up in detention if we're caught, and after those difficult potions today, I'm in no mood for even more work."

"Then we won't get caught. Stop worrying and live a little. I promise it'll be worth it."

The Slytherin boys moved silently up the Faculty Tower, concealed by Disillusionment. Classes that day had been hectic with tons of work and, worst of all, a long and tedious brew in Potions Class. Ominis was weary, but as usual, his best friend just had to drag him from their room for a little side adventure. He told him it would help erase the day's troubles. It took a bit of walking, but finally they came to a stop. The blind boy's brows were raised, his wand giving him an idea of the layout alongside his mental map.

"Hold on, Sebastian, are we…?"

"At the Prefects' Bathroom? We are indeed."

"You know very well that we shouldn't be here. What if there are prefects already occupying it?"

Sebastian nearly snorted. "I've been here countless times. There's never any prefects here after curfew. They're all too busy patrolling the halls and being tattletales."

Ominis couldn't help but be pulled in by the idea of partaking in such a luxurious bath. He'd only ever heard about it from Sebastian, and while his friend may very well have been exaggerating, he did always go to bed completely relaxed. And that evening, he could really use a hot, soothing bath.

"Oh, very well," he finally said. "But let us be quick. I don't want to linger and increase our chances of getting caught."

The brunet grinned triumphantly. "That's more like it. Alohomora."

His charm unlocked the door, and the boys hurried inside to lower their charms. But as soon as they did, Sebastian froze. His jaw dropped and his eyes felt like they might pop out of their sockets. Three familiar faces were staring at them, completely stunned, and he quickly noticed that they were bare. It felt like all the blood in his body rushed to his face, making it unbearably warm. Natty and Poppy were fairly concealed by water and bubbles, giving him little to see. But Raven sat at the steps of the pool closest to the door. Her body was mostly turned away, but that didn't keep his curious eyes from wandering. The delicate frame of her slender shoulders, the curve of her spine as it traveled down to the top of her-

His train of thought was broken when the girls shrieked and swiftly covered themselves with their arms, and Raven furiously shouted, "S-Sebastian! Ominis! Get out!"

Ominis jolted with alarm, and Sebastian finally turned his head away and covered his eyes. "Gah! We're sorry! We didn't know you were in here!"

With one arm covering her chest, Raven turned enough to glare at them with a face flushed with anger and embarrassment. "I don't care about your excuses! Just GET OUT!" She snatched the nearest thing she could find, a shampoo bottle, and threw it. It smacked Sebastian in the chest before clattering to the floor.

"We're so sorry!" Ominis apologized in a panic. "Please, get yourselves dressed, ladies!" The blind boy grabbed his friend by the arm and yanked him out the door with him. Once the door was shut, he was scowling angrily. "I thought you said no one would be here!"

"There shouldn't be! I didn't know that Raven and the girls visited this place!"

Ominis was quick to press his friend against the nearest wall, looking furious. "Speaking of which, I sincerely hope you didn't gaze upon Raven in any sort of desirable way." His tone was dark and his wand was pointed at the boy threateningly. "And I do hope that you were a gentleman and averted your gaze as swiftly as possible. I'd hate to have to use Obliviate on my closest friend."

It took Sebastian a moment to realize he wasn't joking. He was completely serious. He almost wanted to tease Ominis over his obvious feelings for the girl to be so adamant about protecting her dignity. But the pure rage on his face told him not to push his buttons.

"I barely saw a thing."

Ominis lowered his wand and backed off. "Good. Because I think you, of all people, know the lengths I would go to to defend Raven." He moved to stand beside his freckled friend, leaning back against the wall. There was a brief moment of silence between them, at least until Ominis's curiosity got the best of him. "Describe her for me."

Sebastian was taken aback. "What? Weren't you just threatening me over the possibility that I saw her?"

"I was. But I know you inevitably got at least a glimpse of her. So now I'm asking you to describe her for me."

"Well…" Sebastian smirked and leaned closer to lower his voice. "She was sitting on the steps of the pool with her feet in the water."

"Yes, go on. Help me paint a picture of her."

"Her hair was all wet and sticking to her face and shoulders. It was all out of place compared to how she usually has it neat and brushed. And her skin was practically shimmering from the droplets of water reflecting the light."

Ominis tilted his head back with a hum, an almost melancholy smile on his lips. "Merlin, she sounds beautiful."

Sebastian felt a bit bad for him. Blindness had never once caused him any issue whatsoever. But now, when there was someone he loved so dearly, he surely wished he was able to see her with his own two eyes. Maybe there was a way to grant that wish, but it would be extremely difficult and Ominis had to be willing to go through with it. His train of thought was interrupted by the bathroom door swinging open. The girls avoided eye contact, their faces red out of humiliation.

"Again, we are very sorry for intruding," Ominis told them. "We had no way of knowing anyone was in there."

"You do not need to apologize," Natty said. "It was no one's fault."

"Although it doesn't make it any less embarrassing," Poppy added. "We're going to go back to our rooms. It was fun, Raven."

"Thank you for bringing us. Despite the mishap, I greatly enjoyed this evening."

Raven smiled weakly at them. "No problem. You girls have a good night." Casting Disillusionment, Natty and Poppy were quick to disappear, leaving the Slytherin students. The girl was quick to snatch Sebastian by his tie, shaking him back and forth. "As for you! You're lucky I don't Obliviate you right here! And if anything like this happens again, I will hunt you down, Sallow!"

"I'm sorry, all right?! It was an accident! Stop strangling me, woman!" Sebastian was released from her grasp, fixing his tie so he could better breathe. "Merlin, you don't have to attack me! Why isn't Ominis in trouble?!"

"Because Ominis didn't see me completely undressed!" Raven argued, glaring at him.

Ominis decided to cut in to hopefully calm her rage. "Raven, please, I can vouch for Sebastian. This was one big accident. He only wanted to help me relax after a rough day."

The girl looked at the blond, noting the sincerity in his voice. She couldn't stay mad with him being so sweet. "All…is forgiven, I suppose," she breathed out. "But don't let it happen again."

"Wheeee!"

Sebastian nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard that obnoxious voice. "Blast! Peeves is coming! Quick, we can't let him see us!"

Out of instinct, Raven took Ominis's hand, tugging him along. The three of them ducked behind the nearby statue of Boris the Bewildered and hid with Disillusionment. Ominis scooted as close to Raven as possible, his hand squeezing hers. Sebastian watched from their hiding spot as Peeves came sliding down the railing of the staircase leading up to the Hospital Wing. The pesky poltergeist looked to be having a grand time without harassing anyone for once. Peeves floated around laughing to himself before diving down through the floor.

"He's gone. He didn't see us."

Sebastian was the first to show himself. Raven and Ominis followed, and the girl glanced down at their connected hands before letting go and getting up. The blind boy did the same, but was disappointed to no longer feel her hand in his.

"That was a close one," she said. "I'd best get back to my room. Enjoy your bath. I need to check on Hazel anyway. She's been so skittish since the poachers caught her."

"Hold on." The girl stopped, barely taking a few steps only to hear Ominis. "Would it be all right if we come visit her soon?"

"You did say you would show us your secret place sometime," Sebastian chimed in.

Raven pursed her lips to think about it. It didn't take long to come to a decision, for she trusted in both of them. "Very well. Tomorrow's Saturday. After breakfast, I'll take you there, if you like."

Ominis nodded with enthusiasm, smiling. "That would be perfect. Then until tomorrow."

"See you then. You boys have a good evening." Raven left with a smile on her face.

Ominis breathed deeply, as if infatuated. "Sleep well, my dove," he muttered under his breath.

Sebastian couldn't contain the chuckle that left him. "Dove? I'd think a dove would be more delicate."

"Oh, but she is. She can be as gentle as a Mooncalf when she chooses to be."

"You're the lucky one to get that side of her, then. I usually receive the ferocious Graphorn side." He lightly patted his friend's shoulder. "Come on. Let's enjoy the bath while we still can. You can fawn over Raven all you want tomorrow."