3rd Person's POV

"You called her a what?"

Karina purses her lips while rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet, "A nasty old git..."

Snape looks up from the papers he was grading with a raised eyebrow, "And how did that go for you?"

Karina shrugs before sitting down at the table in front of her, "You know... the usual..."

"I presume you received another week of detention."

"You presumed well."

Snape sighs blinking frequently before shaking his head and looking back down at his desk. Karina huffs sitting back in the chair watching her god father mark red slashes through paper after paper. The red slashes slowly start to remind her of the magic quill that she had to use in detention.

Finally Karina speaks up in a low whisper. It was a wonder that Snape had even heard her.

"Did my parents die for nothing?"

Freezing, Snape furrows his eyebrows before dropping his quill and glancing up at Karina who was looking down at her sweater covered hand with teary eyes. Snape frowns slightly seeing as Karina was wearing a long sleeve sweater and it was blistering hot outside. But he chooses to ignore that small detail... for now.

"Whatever do you mean dear child?"

Karina bites her lips shrugging slightly, "Did they die for no reason at all? Harry still survived and he would've even if they did bring him to the Dark Lord.
The Dark Lord was defeated and yet still he rises once again. And even then there are evil people with evil agendas and black souls who prance around doing nothing but causing havoc and chaos. What was the point? The hero's and good people always die... the villain will continue to conquer..."

Snape pushes back his chair and stands up walking towards Karina who was still staring at her hands blankly. Bending down to Karina's level, Snape for the first time is the first to show reassurance through embrace.

"Where is this all coming from? Where is my strong fearless god child? You know... it's alright to sit around and be depressed for a little bit. And even to cry about it. Do whatever you have to do to get better again. But don't stay there in that moment, in your head for too long. You know who are you and what you're capable of. You know what you stand for and I know that your parents would be proud of you. Whether you believe it or not you are the complete opposite of them... you have drive, courage... you are everything that I wanted to be growing up. Don't give up now child... there's still so much to be done."

...

Rolling her shoulders, Karina let's put a harsh huff. Her talk with Severus was very much needed. She was so close to giving up once again. So close to letting herself drop back into that deep dark hole... that abyss of sadness. She couldn't. She wouldn't go back there. Not when she was so close to the end.

Turning a corner sharply, Karina let's out a squeal as she bumps into someone. She falls to the ground dropping her books and the other persons belongings.

"I'm so sorry Karina. Here let me help you."

"That's quite alright. Thanks so much for the help."

Karina gathers her belongings off the ground before lightly grabbing the hand that was held out to her. She smiles lightly at Aubrey as he picks up his books and then dusts himself off.

"You in a hurry?"

"No not at all. I just wanted to get back to my dorm before dark."

Aubrey nods staring at her with his dazzling brown eyes, "I can walk you if you like?"

Karina glances around biting her lip. She didn't know if Aubrey liked her or was being friendly and she didn't want to lead him on. But it would be nice to have company.

"Su-"

Karina is interrupted by someone yelling out her name. Frowning Karina glances behind her and sees the golden trio running through the courtyard. Sighing inwardly she thanks God and awkwardly smiles at Aubrey.

"It seems as if my presence is needed. Thanks for almost walking with me. I appreciate it."

Aubrey nods with a light smile even though on the inside he was fuming, "Of course. I'll see you tomorrow then."

Karina nods watching him walk away. Letting out a sigh of relief she turns around just as the golden trio appears right in front of her. Her fingers lightly poke at the corner of a journal before she realizes someone.

Gasping she turns around looking for Aubrey, "Wait you forgot your..."

But he was no where to be seen.

"... journal."

Biting her lip she wonders if she should peek inside then she shakes her head frantically knowing that was an invasion of privacy. Turning back to the trio she smiles lightly.

"Oh well... what's the stitch?"

"The stitch?" Hermione frowns confused.

Ron rolls his yes, "The 411 Hermione. Have you never heard that phrase before?"

"No... and where have you?"

Ron shrugs, "On the Telly. And sometimes Ginny says it."

Hermione raises an eyebrow, "Why not just say what's the problem? Or the situation?"

Now it's Karina's turn to roll her eyes, "Because that's boring."

"It's simple and easy to understand. What's going on is also good."

"I'll do you one better... what's got your panties in a wad."

Ron and Karina chuckle and high five as Hermione gives them a disturbed grimace.

Harry groans slapping his hand to his face, "Can we get back to the problem at hand please?"

Hermione nods, "Oh right. Karina, we know."

Karina shrugs looking between the three of them in question, "Okay... know what?"

Ron sighs glancing down at her covered hand, "About Umbridge..."

"Oh you man Umbitch... how fun."

"Well that's clever." Ron laughs.

"I know. Anyways. What does this have to do with me? So you know... I don't care. It's not going to change anything. No offense."

Hermione nods, "None taken. I figured out something that might help your wound."

Karina chuckles pulling her sleeve back to reveal three rows of words scarred into her hand. Harry only had to write one sentence. Karina was on her third mantra this week.

"Wounds you mean?"

Ron and Hermione gasp looking at the red raw scar, "Why do you have so many?"

"That's what happens when you're a stubborn Slytherin who always wants the last word."

Hermione tentatively. "You know, I was thinking today..." She shot a slightly nervous look at Harry and then plunged on, "I was thinking that... maybe the time's come when we should j-just do it ourselves."

"Do what ourselves?" said Harry suspiciously.

"Well— learn Defense Against the Dark Arts ourselves," said Hermione.

"Come off it," groaned Ron. "You want us to do extra work? D'you realize Harry and I are behind on homework again and it's only the second week?"

"But this is much more important than homework!" said Hermione.

Harry and Ron ogled at her as Karina looks at Hermione smirking.

"I didn't think there was anything in the universe more important than homework," said Ron.

"Don't be silly, of course there is!" said Hermione, "I mean as much as I love school-"

Karina sighs looking away, "And she's back..."

Karina watches Hermione's face, with an ominous feeling, as it is suddenly alight with the kind of fervor that S.P.E.W. usually inspired in her. "It's about preparing ourselves, like Harry said in Umbridge's first lesson, for what's waiting out there. It's about making sure we really can defend ourselves. If we don't learn anything for a whole year —"

"We can't do much by ourselves," said Ron in a defeated voice. "I mean, all right, we can go and look jinxes up in the library and try and practice them, I suppose —"

"No, I agree, we've gone past the stage where we can just learn things out of books," said Hermione. "We need a teacher, a proper one, who can show us how to use the spells and correct us if we're going wrong."

"If you're talking about Lupin..." Harry began.

"No, no, I'm not talking about Lupin," said Hermione. "He's too busy with the Order and anyway, the most we could see him is during Hogsmeade weekends and that's not nearly often enough."

"Who, then?" said Harry, frowning at her.

Hermione heaved a very deep sigh.

"Isn't it obvious?" she said. "I'm talking about you two, Harry."

There was a moment's silence. A light night breeze rattles the windowpanes behind Ron on the building.

"About me what?" said Harry.

Karina rolls her eyes then frowns crossing her arms over her chest, "Wait hold on. You said two?"

"I'm talking about you both teaching us Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Harry stares at her in shock as Karina scoffs, "Right..."

"That's an idea."

"What's an idea?" Harry snaps his head over to Ron looking exasperated.

"You," said Ron. "Teaching us to do it."

"But..." Harry was grinning now, sure the pair of them were pulling his leg. "But I'm not a teacher, I can't —"

"Harry, you're the best in the year at Defense Against the Dark Arts-" Hermione is interrupted by a loud cough making her roll her eyes, "One of the best..."

Karina smiles, "Thank you."

"Me?" Harry chuckles now grinning more broadly than ever. "No I'm not, you've beaten me in every test —"

"Actually, I haven't," said Hermione coolly. "You beat me in our third year. The only year we both sat the test and had a teacher who actually knew the subject."

Harry shakes his head, "I'm pretty sure Karina has us both beat."

"It's true I do."

Hermione huffs, "But I'm not just talking about test results guys. Look what you've done!"

"How d'you mean?" Harry frowns confused.

"You know what, I'm not sure I want someone this stupid teaching me," Ron replies smirking slightly.

Karina chuckles, "Honestly... I agree."

"Let's think," Ron says, "Uh... first year, Harry you saved the Stone from You-Know-Who."

"True..." Hermione nods.

"But that was luck," said Harry, "that wasn't skill —"

"Second year," Karina interrupted, "you killed the basilisk and destroyed Riddle."

"Yeah, but if Fawkes hadn't turned up I —"

"Third year," said Ron, louder still, "you fought off about a hundred dementors at once —"

"Very wicked." Karina smiles.

"You know that was a fluke, if the Time-Turner hadn't —"

"Last year," Ron said, almost shouting now, "you fought off You- Know-Who again —"

"Listen to me!" said Harry, almost angrily, because all three were smirking now knowing they were right. "Just listen to me, all right? It sounds great when you say it like that, but all that stuff was luck — I didn't know what I was doing half the time, I didn't plan any of it, I just did whatever I could think of, and I nearly always had help —"

Karina leans back against a wall with her arms still crossed over her chest. It was understandable that Harry was upset. His friends didn't really truly grasp the fact that Harry could've been dead if it weren't for coincidences and luck. Karina could definitely understand.

Ron and Hermione were still smirking and Harry felt his temper rise; he wasn't even sure why he was feeling so angry.

"Don't sit there grinning like you know better than I do, I was there, wasn't I?" he said heatedly. "I know what went on, all right? And I didn't get through any of that because I was brilliant at Defense Against the Dark Arts, I got through it all because — because help came at the right time, or because I guessed right — but I just blundered through it all, I didn't have a clue what I was doing — STOP LAUGHING!"

Ron and Hermione's smiles had vanished.

"You don't know what it's like! Karina does to an extent but you — neither of you — you've never had to face him, have you? You think it's just memorizing a bunch of spells and throwing them at him, like you're in class or something? The whole time you know there's nothing between you and dying except your own... your own brain or guts or whatever — like you can think straight when you know you're about a second from being murdered, or tortured, or watching your friends die. They've never taught us that in their classes, what it's like to deal with things like that — and you two sit there acting like I'm a clever little boy to be standing here, alive, like Diggory was stupid, like he messed up. You just don't get it, that could just as easily have been me, it would have been if Voldemort hadn't needed me —"

"We weren't saying anything like that, mate," said Ron, looking aghast. "We weren't having a go at Diggory, we didn't... you've got the wrong end of the-"

He looked helplessly at Hermione, whose face was stricken.

"Harry," she said timidly, "don't you see? This... this is exactly why we need you... We need to know what it's r-really like facing him... facing V-Voldemort."

It was the first time she had ever said Voldemort's name, and it was this, more than anything else, that calmed Harry. Still breathing hard, Harry becomes aware of how angry he got.

"Karina please tell me you understand... tell him."

Karina sighs with a light shrug, "I don't know guys. It's a good idea. But it's risky. It's very dangerous. This isn't a game. The Dark Lord is the real thing. My entire family is dead because of him. If we do this there's no mistakes, no second chances, no redos... it's real."

Harry has yet to say anything.

"Well... think about it," said Hermione quietly, "Please?"

Harry could not think of anything to say. He was feeling ashamed of his outburst already. He nodded, hardly aware of what he was agreeing to.

....

Karina anxiously puts together ingredients that Hermione had told her about. The small yellow bowl was filled with yellow liquid. Apparently a solution of strained and pickled murtlap tentacles helps.

Sighing, Karina places her bleeding, aching hand into the bowl and experiences a wonderful feeling of relief. Marvel curls around her legs, purring loudly, before settling down on her lap.

Her eyes close for a moment and a quick flash of her laying on the ground withering in pain plays in her head. Gasping she sits up straight and blinks frantically while shaking her head.

"Get it together Karina."

She didn't know what to do. She didn't know when her vision would come true. She didn't know anything anymore.

Thinking back to the conversation with Harry, Hermione, and Ron, Karina can't help but realize what in fact she would be doing. She would be a complete traitor to all pureblood followers. If Voldemort found her she would be dead. Was this a risk she was willing to take? To end up in the same exact position as her parents.

KNOCK KNOCK

Karina leaps in the sky as her heart beats quickly from getting scared. Sighing looking down at Marvel distractedly she says come in thinking it was Pansy or one of the other girls.

The door opens revealing the last person she wanted to see.

"Karina, Pansy said you weren't sleeping so..."

Snapping her head up immediately to the sound of the familiar voice, Karina internally curses. She looks down at her hand in the bowl just as Draco Malfoy appears in front of her bed.

Looking down at Karina's hand, Draco frowns, "What happened?"

Karina bites her lip looking down, "Nothing... I'm fine. Just an ache."

Draco scoffs lightly before sitting down in front of Karina. He lightly grabs her hand and pulls it out the bowl revealing angry red scars. Draco curses as his finger barely hovers over the words scarred into Karina's hand.

"Who did this? I want a name."

"Draco..."

"They're dead."

"Dray..."

"Karina give me a name!"

"I can't!"

Draco clenches his jaw in anger as he looks Karina dead in her eyes, "Why not? Your hand is cut up, it's literally raw, you're still bleeding."

"Because... you won't understand."

"Why the hell wouldn't I? Are you kidding right now?"

Karina sighs shaking her head, "It's not someone that you can just tear into Draco. There's consequences-"

"I don't care about any of that Karina! I care about you!"

Karina looks down at her hand as a tear slides down her cheek. Draco huffs frustrated then peeks at Karina. Seeing how upset and torn she was Draco calms down and lifts his hand to caress her face. His thumb slides across her cheek and wipes away the tear.

"Karina I just want to help. Do you know how it feels to see someone you love in pain? To see someone you love hurt. Let me help you."

Karina says nothing as Draco gets up and walks to her bathroom. He comes back holding gauze and cream. Watching the boy she loved with all her heart wrap her hand, makes her curse inwardly knowing there was no going back.

Karina frowns speaking in the lowest most inaudible tone, "It was the pink sweater..."

Draco freezes eyebrows furrowing, "Umbitch?"

Karina chuckles smiling lightly as Draco runs his thumb across her her cheekbone.

"There's nothing you can do. She's part of the ministry. She'll just come for you and your family. I don't want that."

"Well I don't want you to have to cut off your own hand because of infection."

"I won't. I'm done with detentions. That was my last one."

Draco sighs, "I don't know what to do with you."

Karina smiles, "There's nothing you can do."

"Of course not."

Draco shakes his head with a smile then starts to move away but freezes when he feels a hand tug on his shirt not allowing him to go.

"Can you stay?... Please?"

Draco nods slightly as the two slowly move towards one another. Their foreheads rest upon each other's as they stare intensely in one another's eyes. Both Karina's hands pull Draco closer as his hand wraps around the back of her head.

As their lips lightly touch, Draco sighs, "I can't."

"Why..." Karina whispers.

"What if we're moving too fast."

"I want to."

"We won't be together..."

"Not yet... but that's okay with me. You know you want this Dray... it's killing both of us."

Draco doesn't say anything but he refuses to let her go.

"Just this once."

Without warning he grabs both of her cheeks and pulls her into a firm kiss on the lips. Karina is very surprised at first. She didn't think he would give in but she was glad.

Their lips move in sync as he pulls her close to his body. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Karina is pulled into his lap. Tingles run down Karina's spine making her shiver in delight. After another minute, Draco pulls away and pecks her lips once more.

"Just that once..."

𝑯𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌!!! 𝑺𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕! 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒚 𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔! 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰'𝒎 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍!!!

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒐?

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈?

𝑭𝒂𝒗 𝒅𝒖𝒐? 𝑻𝒓𝒊𝒐?

𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔?