*The italics are in 3rd POV, and Rory obviously can't remember this. But this is important so we know what happens directly after the spell was cast* before we go to Rory's pov*

"Sam!" Draco screamed as Rory hit the floor. Her eyes were glazed over, and she was writhing, trying to fight the spell that couldn't be fought. He tried breaking Sam's concentration, but as if in a trance she carried on.

As a sob escaped Rory's mouth, Draco couldn't take it any longer and threw Sam off him and ran to her side. He had barely wrapped his arms around her in a lame attempt to protect her from the spell when she fell unconcious, head dropping onto Draco's lap.

"I need to modify her memory otherwise she'll know something's missing, damn, my wand's almost broke." Sam said almost breezily, despite the fact Draco practically threw the small girl onto the tiled floor.

"Samantha," Draco said angrily. "This is going too far."

When Draco was an official death eater, Sam was paired to him to help him with his mission, introduce him to this new lifestyle. But then Draco learned a few of Sam's secrets and she knew his, so it gave them a mutal understanding and dysfunctional friendship.

But it didn't mean she still didn't annoy the hell out of him.

"I know what I'm doing Draco," Sam said quietly, picking up her wand and kneeling next to Draco and Rory's unconcious body.

"Your eyes went red. RED. You told me that if your eyes went red things were going too far." Draco snapped. 

"Yeah well the red eyes also mean it's my deepest instics taking over." Sam shrugged. "What happened was for a reason."

Draco shook his head in disbelief at her but stayed silent as she began speaking with her wand pointed at Rory's forehead.

"You followed us because you're too damn curious for your own good. You saw me yelling at Draco for using you, and scared at seeing him for the first time in ages you tried to run but slipped and hit your head. Once you woke up, Draco was gone and I took you back to Gryffindor tower."

She put her wand back into her skirt pocket and told Draco, "Well you can go now. She'll be waking up soon and it won't meet up with the story."

"Can't I just tell her the truth, it'd make everything so much easier." Draco pleaded, running a finger down Rory's jawline. He missed the touch of her, he'd realised in her last few months. And her smile and that little giggle---With his heart hurting, he stopped thinking and dropped his hand.

"Too many people know already how you really feel about her. It's too dangerous." Sam said, and she looked sad as Draco looked at her. "She can't be harmed anymore as it is. Rory and her brother are going to be the ones to end this."

Draco nodded, and kissed Rory on the forehead, slowly, knowing that it could be months--years--before she knew that all along he'd always loved her.

He left her in Sam's arms, and was planning to make a clean break, run away before his heart could shatter anymore. But of course, he had to turn back, for Rory he always did.

She looked so peaceful half-asleep, and he couldn't help wonder if she would be happier without him. "I love her so much," he whispered, voice full of pain.

"I know you do, it's quite sickening." Sam gave him a small smile.

"Sam...." Draco trailed off. "Let me help you... You've helped me so much... Please."

Sam gave him a steel-coated smile. "Nobody can help me. Not even me."

* * * * 

My head felt as though a hammer had been smashed over it.

I'd woken up in the girl's bathroom with blood on my head and Sam babbling on about me hitting my head on the sink. I was confused to how I'd managed to be that clumsy, but if it was between an awkward situation with Malfoy or clumsiness I knew which one I'd pick.

After Malfoy made it pretty clear he meant to use me last night by sneering and running off without helping my bloody head--I knew I was done with him. If there had been a flicker of love in his cold heart for me, he would have told me it was a lie by now, wouldn't he?

It made me feel sad and almost as if a piece of myself was missing by admitting this but I supposed part was down to forgetting my medication this morning.

"You're not going back to magical creatures for NEWTS are you?" Gennie said, breaking me away from grey thoughts.

"Hmm? No, I wasn't thinking of." I shook my head. "Magical creatures are interesting and everything, but I don't need the subject for healer work."

"Do you think anybody will go back?" Ron asked around to the six of us.

There was an awkward silence. Nobody in our year seemed to really enjoy the lesson because 90% of the creatures could injure or maim you by accident, as proved by Buckbeak three year ago.

After I surprisingly ate a lot for breakfast, McGonagall came over to our table to hand out timetables. They were a lot more complex than last year, considering people had failed certain subjects they wanted.

Hermione was accepted into all of her classes automatically, and rushed off towards an Ancient Runes class with Sam almost immeadiatley.

Cole and Gennie were accepted into the classes they both wanted, but they ended up over at Hufflepuff as it appeared Arthur was having problems with his timetable.

"Miss Potter," McGonagall said, arriving to where Harry and I were still sat with Ron. "Charms, Transfiguration, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Herbology and Potions.... All fine. I assume you still want to work in the healer industry?"

"Yes, Professor." I said, remembering our careers meeting last year where she urged me to carry out my ambitions.

She gave me a rare smile. "Good." she turned to Harry and confirmed him for all his subjects but frowned. "Why haven't you applied to carry on with potions? You told me wanted to become an Auror."

"Professor Snape I needed at least an Outstanding." Harry said awkwardly.

"Yes, well Professor Slughorn takes students with Exceeds Expectations." McGonagall said crisply.

"Yeah, but I didn't buy books or ingredients."

I rolled my eyes. "Well maybe you could have asked me to buy some extras in case."

McGonagall nodded at me in agreement. "Precisly. However I think Professor Slughorn or your sister will lend you these things. Here's your schedule--and additionally, over twenty people have applied for the Quidditch team this year. You'll have to set up trials soon."

Ron was cleared for the same subjects within moments and marvelled on about how we had free lessons throughout the day.

"You realise we're meant to do work during the free lessons, right?" I laughed.

"Oh yeah, like that will happen." Ron laughed.

"Take advantage of the free lessons, dear children." Arthur said, appearing as Gennie and Cole left the hall. "When it comes around to May, you'll have work up to your eyeballs."

Ron rolled his eyes like he didn't believe him. Harry smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Arthur. Well uh we'll go take advantage of the free time now then."

And Ron and Harry headed off, eagerly talking about all the games of Wizard's chess they could play in free lessons. After finding out Arthur had a free lesson too, we ended up down at Hagrid's, feeding Buckbeak.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Arthur asked suddenly, not looking up from picking off some loose feathers from Buckbeak's wings.

I blinked a few times, considering a few minutes ago we'd been arguing over whether Squirtle was a better pokemon that Charmander. "I think you're real smart, you always seem to know what you're on about."

Arthur looked almost sad, which was odd to see when he smiled most of the time. "I--I failed two of my classes last year, I have to re-take them and do the Seventh year work if I have a hope in hell at graduating."

"Which ones?" I asked. "I could help you out if you like."

"Defence and Potions." Arthur sighed. "And after all the help you and Harry gave me in Dumbledore's Army as well..."

"I got outstanding in those, I can help!" I said eagerly. "You helped me all summer, so I can help you with school work! It'll be like a re-payment!"

Arthur chuckled lightly. "You don't need to re-pay me, Rory. I helped you because I wanted to, not because I had to." he paused. "But thanks. It'll be like Dumbledore's Army all over again."

I stroked Buckbeak's side, feeding him a dead ferret, which Arthur shuddred at. "Yeah, the good old times. When things were less complicated..." I sighed. "Well, never mind, it's in the past now. I'm looking forward now."

"Ugh, I just don't know why I can't get the marks in school though. I barely scraped passes in all my subjects--apart from muggle studies and herbology--. I'm more pop-culture smart. I can remember the lyrics to an entire album and every freaking fire pokemon, but not a single potion ingredient."

"Well I'm not giving up until you get Outstandings in defence and potions." I said firmly. "And then you can get a fancy job to set up your own therapy business."

Arthur had told me in the summer he'd always wanted to be a therapist, have people come to him for help and help those who needed him. Learning that helped it make more sense why he wanted to help me of all people over the summer.

Arthur put his hand into mine, and gave it a squeeze. "You always say that I make you happy, but damn Rory--you always know how to make me feel so happy and confident."

And realising it was almost time for our shared defence lesson, we headed up to the castle with intertwined hands, not letting go until we reached big crowds of people commuting to class.

We ended up lining up outside the defence classroom talking to Harry and the others about how awful of a teacher we thought Snape would be.

"Just think, you've only got one lot of him today, I've got a seventh year class with him later." Arthur said gloomily.

Sam and Hermione arrived, and Sam gave me a timid smile for a reason. I wondered if she felt guilty about me falling yesterday, but that would be stupid. It was my own fault, right?

"We've got so much homework for runes." Hermione said anxiously. "A fifteen inch essay, two translations, and three chapters of this huge book by Wednesday!"

Sam rolled her eyes. "It's not too bad, he was going to give us a thirty inch essay. Luckily that Slytherin kid passed out at the thought of the essay."

"Shame." Cole said, not sounded interested.

"Just you wait, Snape will give us loads of homework." Sam said, sounding annoyed.

Cole gave her a questioning look, but Snape came out and ordered us inside. His eyes passed over Arthur like he was garbage, which wasn't fair considering he was taking the time to actually re-take the course.

The room was darker than usual, curtains drawn. The walls were covered in pictures of gruesome torture, maiming injuries and extra body parts. I noticed Cole's leg was starting to shake in front of me, a sign that he was quickly becoming uncomfortable with the pictures.

"Great learning atmosphere." Arthur said dryly as we took out our books. "Really cosy. I kinda want Lockhart's giant portraits back, not going to lie."

"I have not asked you to take out your books," said Snape, closing the door behind him. Arthur and I slid the books onto the floor, though they almost hit Gennie in the back. "I wish to speak to you, and I want your fullest attention."

"You've had five teachers in this subject, I believe."

"I've only had three," I muttered.

"I've had six." Arthur whispered next to me, and I snorted to stop myself giggling.

"Naturally, these teachers will all have had their own methods and priorities. Given this confusion I am surprised so many of you scraped an O.W.L. in this subject. I shall be even more surprised if all of you manage to keep up with the N.E.W.T. work, which will be more advanced."

He glared at Arthur when he said this, but Arthur just rolled his eyes.

We ended up talking about non-verbal spells, and for some reason Malfoy gave Sam stinkers from across the room. That made no sense to me, but I thought there was no point in persuing lost causes.

"You will now divide," Snape went on, "into pairs. One partner will attempt to jinx the other without speaking. The other will attempt to repel the jinx in equal silence. Carry on."

Little did Snape know that over half the class had been taught by Harry and Sam the year previously to repell jinxes, but not without speaking.

Arthur and I ended up pairing up, considering Sam darted across the room to partner with Malfoy before I could even ask if she wanted to work together. Shaking my head, I turned back to working with Arthur.

Neither of us were very good with non-verbal, and I kept unintentionally whispering, which Snape told me off for (not that I cared). After a lot of concentration, near the end of the lesson, Arthur managed to make my wand fall on the floor without speaking.

We high-fived, proud at the progress, but of course Snape wasn't going to praise him for it, no. He was annoying Harry again.

I looked over in time to see Harry use a shield charm on Snape. He was knocked off balence and almost hit a desk. The class was silent.

"Do you remember me telling you we are practicing non-verbal spells, Potter?"

"Yes," said Harry stiffly.

"Yes, sir."

"There's no need to call me 'sir,' Professor." 

I couldn't help grinning. "God, he's brilliant."

Inevitably, Harry ended up with detention. But I think even Harry thought the comment was worth the detention.

The day went past quickly and soon enough we were heading down to the dungeons for potions, the last lesson of the day. The front of the class had several cauldrons on tables, with smoke swirling out of it. Smelling something familar, I couldn't help smiling.

Not many people had made it to NEWT level it seemed. There were only four Slytherins (including Malfoy) a handful of Ravenclaws, two Hufflepuffs (and Sam) and the seven of us.

Arthur, Cole, Gennie and I took a table near the front, and left a seat for Sam, as we hadn't really seen her much today.

"Sam! Sam!" Cole called as Sam walked into the class with Ernie Macmillian. She lowered her gaze and acted like she hadn't heard him, sitting next to Hermione. Cole huffed. "Fine, be like that."

Taking my books out, I couldn't help but notice the smell coming from a golden cauldron. It smelt so beautiful my heart was almost leaping up my throat. It reminded me at once of clean bed sheets, freshly burnt cd's and strangley--cheap aftershave. But all put together it put me into a happy little daze.

I looked to my right and Arthur had a cute little smile on his face, as if he could smell something just as nice in the potion. I briefly wondered what was in the cauldron.

"Now then, now then, now then," said Slughorn, whose massive outline was quivering through the many shimmering vapors. "Scales out, everyone, and potion kits, and don't forget your copies of Advanced Potion-Making..."

"Sir?" said Harry, raising his hand.

"Harry, m'boy?"

"I haven't got a book or scales or anything--nor's Ron--we didn't realize we'd be able to do the N.E.W.T., you see--"

Slughorn gave Ron and Harry battered copies of the text book, and turned to the class.

"Now then, I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing your N.E.W.T.s. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is?"

He indicated the cauldron nearest the Slytherin table. It looked like normal water to me. Hermione stuck her hand up in the air, almost hitting Sam in the head.

"It's Veritaserum, a colorless, odorless potion thar forces the drinker to tell the truth," said Hermione.

I remembered Umbridge attempting to use that on me, and I grimaced.

The next potion ended up being polyjuice potion, something Harry apparently used in second year for some reason.

"Excellent, excellent! Now, this one her... yes, my dear?" said Slughorn, turning his attention to Sam, who'd stuck her hand up in the air.

"It's Amortentia, of course." Sam snorted like it was obivious, pointing to the cauldron next to use. "The most powerful love potion in the world."

"I suppose you recognised it from the sheen on it?" Slughorn asked.

Sam shook her head, and muttered, "I could smell her shampoo." before playing with the necklace I'd come to recgonise as Jia's.

"I recognised it from the sheen," Hermione spoke up, since Sam looked uncomfortable now. "And it has a distinct smell of who we're attracted to romantically."

I frowned, even more confused by the potion now, even though it did smell so wonderful my heart ached.

"May I ask your name, my dear?" said Slughorn, ignoring Hermione's embarrassment.

"Hermione Granger, sir."

"Granger? Granger? Can you possibly be related to Hector Dagworth-Granger, who founded the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers?"

"No. I don't think so, sir. I'm Muggle-born, you see."

"I'm assuming this is the very friend of whom you spoke, Harry?"

"Yes, sir," said Harry.

"Well, well, take twenty well-earned points for Gryffindor, Miss Granger," said Slughorn genially.

"Amortentia doesn't really create love, of course. It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love. No, this will simply cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. It is probably the most dangerous and powerful potion in this room--oh yes," he said, nodding gravely at Malfoy and Nott, both of whom were smirking skeptically. "When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love... And now, it is time for us to start work."

"Sir, you haven't told us what's in this one," said Ernie Macmillan, pointing at a small black cauldron standing on Slughorn's desk. The potion within was splashing about merrily; it was the color of molten gold, and large drops were leaping like goldfish above the surface, though not a particle had spilled.

"Oho, yes. That. Well, that one, ladies and gentlemen, is a most curious little potion called Felix Felicis. I take it," he turned, smiling, to look at Hermione, who had let out an audible gasp, "that you know what Felix Felicis does, Miss Granger?"

"It's liquid luck," said Hermione excitedly. "It makes you lucky!"

The whole class seemed to sit up a little straighter. Even Malfoy looked curious.

"Quite right, take another ten points for Gryffindor. Yes, it's a funny little potion, Felix Felicis," said Slughorn. "Desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong. However, if brewed correctly, as this has been, you will find that all your endeavors tend to succeed ... at least until the effects wear off."

"Why don't people drink it all the time, sir?" said Terry Boot eagerly.

"Because if taken in excess, it causes giddiness, recklessness, and dangerous overconfidence," said Slughorn. "Too much of a good thing, you know... highly toxic in large quantities. But taken sparingly, and very occasionally..."

"Have you ever taken it, sir?" asked Michael Corner with great interest.

"Twice in my life," said Slughorn. "Once when I was twenty-four, once when I was fifty-seven. Two tablespoonfuls taken with breakfast. Two perfect days. And that is what I'm offering as a prize."

There was silence in the room.

"One tiny bottle of Felix Felicis," said Slughorn, taking a minuscule glass bottle with a cork in it out of his pocket and showing it to them all. "Enough for twelve hours' luck. From dawn till dusk, you will be lucky in everything you attempt."

"Now, I must give you warning that Felix Felicis is a banned substance in organized competition... sporting events, for instance, examinations, or elections. So the winner is to use it on an ordinary day only... and watch how that ordinary day becomes extraordinary!"

"So," said Slughorn, suddenly brisk, "how are you to win this fabulous prize? Well, by turning to page ten of Advanced Potion Making. We have a little over an hour left to us, which should be time for you to make a decent attempt at the Draught of Living Death. I know it is more complex than anything you have attempted before, and I do not expect a perfect potion from anybody. The person who does best, however, will win little Felix here. Off you go!"

Everybody began scrabbling around for books and ingredients, all wanting that lucky day. Arthur sighed as his potion went white instead of the blue steam it was meant to have. "I really wanted that lucky potion as well. Might help me pass my exams."

Before Arthur could protest I poured some of my potion into his. It started turning blue and Arthur stared at me in disbelief. "You didn't have to do that!"

I shrugged. "C'mon, you don't want to end up in potions class with Alia, you noob."

Arthur and I ended up helping each other throughout making the potion, exchanging puns and generally making un-funny jokes that ended up with rolling eyes and 'You need to stop' comments.

"What sort of a name is Living Death?" Arthur wondered out loud as the two of us stirred our seperate potions. Mine was going sort-of-pink and I thought that I was doing okay. "It sounds like a heavy metal band. Maybe I could make a band called Living Death!"

"Arthur, you're about as metal as a noodle." I laughed as he pouted. "Oh don't make that face, you are a noodle!"

"I'm a manly noodle covered in hot sauce, I'll have you know!" Arthur turned to Cole and Gennie, "Aren't I? Tell her I'm a manly noodle!"

"What are you two grinning at?" I questioned, as Gennie and Cole were exchanging a fond glance, close to laughter.

"Just seeing something familiar, tis all." Cole snorted, and before I could question him Slughorn called that time was up.

He looked through the potions, and didn't make any comments, apart from saying Arthur had made a good attempt, which he seemed pleased at. Finally he reached Harry's table, and grinned.

"The clear winner!" he cried to the dungeon. "Excellent, excellent, Harry! Good lord, it's clear you've inherited your mother's talent. She was a dab hand at Potions, Lily was! Here you are, then, here you are--one bottle of Felix Felicis, as promised, and use it well!"

I frowned, knowing that I'd gotten higher marks than Harry at OWLS, what had he done? Knowing Harry, it was something probably semi-illegal and breaking twenty-seven school rules.

Arthur had to run off after potions to his seventh year defence class after giving us all quick hugs, leaving Gennie, Cole and I with a free lesson. We'd barely sat down in the library when Sam appeared sitting opposite us.

"Hey," she nodded to us, opening a book and acting like she'd hadn't been off with us for the whole summer.

"Hey?" Cole said, his voice high. "You haven't talked to us properly since before Jia died, and you say hey?"

"Oops?" Sam shrugged, not really paying attention.

"Cole," Gennie hissed. "Give her a break."

"No." Cole said shortly. "She's been pushing us all away all summer! I mean seriously Sam, what are you doing to yourself? Hanging around with Rory's potentional death eater cactus/ferret ex boyfriend? Sneaking out on some crazy mission to kill my brother? Seriously Sam, you are losing it!"

"It's not like you care!" Sam shouted, standing up. Cole stood up as well and the two of them were glaring at each other darkly. "You weren't asking this all summer! You were just off hugging kittens and letting me suffer alone!"

"I was giving you space!" Cole yelled. "I didn't want you thinking I'm clingy!"

"Well that's what you're being!" Sam screamed, looking angrier than I'd ever seen her. "Like oh my god Cole, you're being so biploar!"

There was an awkward silence in the air, all of us knowing Sam had gone too far. Cole just nodded, looking calm. "Yeah, well I have a piece of paper and a drawer full of meds to prove it at least. You just have an annoying habit of pushing away the people who care the most."

Cole grabbed his bag and left, and Sam looked after him. "Cole!"

"Leave me alone!" Cole shouted, and a few books flew off the shelves by his accidental magic. He slammed the door behind him, attracting the glare of the librarian as Sam hurried after him.

"What is Sam playing at?" Gennie said angrily. "Ugh, I'm going to give her a piece of my mind... She can't go around saying stuff like that! I'll see you later, Rory."

She grabbed her bag and hurried out. Sighing at how bad everything had gotten quickly, I started on the potions essay I'd been set. Throughout the words, I couldn't help feel like something was missing from my day, something related to Sam...

The librarian came up to me suddenly, a school owl on her arm, looking irritated. "This owl keeps flying around, I believe it's yours."

"Thanks." I said, even though I wasn't expecting a letter.

I opened it, seeing handwriting I didn't recognise. It said:

Don't trust Sam. She's hiding things from you all. Especially you, Rory. You need to find out what she's taken from you before it's too late. Don't reply, don't try and find out who this is. Just know that I care about you, and don't want you hurt.

I frowned uneasily, an image of red eyes coming to my mind. Dropping the letter, I felt unsettled. What was Sam keeping from us, and why did it involve Malfoy of all people?

- - - - - - - 

A/N Think it's obvious who sent the letter at the end but oh well lol. I think it's really obvious who Rory was thinking of when the love potion was there as well but she doesn't realise it yet.

Rory will eventually find out the truth about Draco, but not for a while. We'll also find out what's up with Sam around maybe ten chapters time? Something like that anyway.

I was also reading Obliviate my Rebellion earlier and found some great comments on there. Totally going to put a page of favourite comments in this companion book I'm planning once the series is over lol.