Chapter 26

Soon enough he was back at Hogwarts and fell into a routine as he studied, taught, worked on his projects and meditated for Hyper-Percipience and it was mid April when he decided to contact Emer Sayre once more.

He twisted the stone thrice and a misty form coalesced into Emer Sayre.

"Oh. You again. What do you want know?" Emer said as he stared at Atticus.

He grew a grin "Don't be so grouchy." He chastised a little. They'd built a decent relationship one that was built on the shared Sayre ability.

"You would have told me not to contact you if you weren't so pleased to take a break from the afterlife." He said pointedly and Emer grumbled something about ungrateful youths or some such.

"Well, do tell me what you want. I've taught you all you needed to know about the Sayre ability" Emer asked pointedly

"I would like to know all you know about Morrigan" he said seriously and Emer eyed him for a good while.

"Why?" Emer asked simply.

It was a good question. Was he simply interested in seeing if she was a truly real being? Whether she still lived? If he could find her? All of the above.

"I know little things about her but really, I want to know more about who she was and if she still lives where I might find her" he said hopefully.

If he knew nothing, he'd try Seth Sayre next but he might not be as forthcoming as Emer has been.

"I do not know much about her myself. She never really interested me and once I was told her involvement in our family, I never thought about her again" Emer admitted to his disappointment.

"But I do know she and Seth lived on an island off the coast of Ireland. I came across that bit of knowledge late in my life when one of the younger members of our house went on an expedition to find and combed through every record we had" Emer scoffed. "He never managed to find her in the end" Emer looked at him scrutinising him "You do have the stone though. Do you know the name of our ancestor that married her? Or even her children with him?" he asked plainly and Atticus nodded.

"I do. It was going to be my next call" he admitted and Emer grumbled.

"Well, I have nothing more to add. End the call" he said firmly and Atticus acquiesced.

He waited for ten minutes before turning the stone thrice once more "Seth Sayre" he said calmly.

A couple of seconds passed as nothing happened and he frowned as his mind considered it all but soon enough a pale mist coalesced and a figure began to form.

He took the figure in. He was thinly build and had features that were distinctly non- Celtic or English. He remembered interacting with a few Coptic Egyptians and he looked very similar to them which made sense given that he was Egyptian.

"Send me back!" Seth Sayre bellowed as he looked at Atticus with fury etched on his face.

"Hel-" Atticus began.

"No SEND ME BACK NOW" he bellowed at even a higher volume and Atticus narrowed his eyes.

"I won't send you back until you listen to why I called you here" he said calmly as he prepared himself for another tirade.

Seth Sayre glared so hard at him that he felt that he likely would have combusted there and then if Seth was alive through sheer fury.

"Speak" Seth simply said.

"My name is Atticus Sayre, heir to House Sayre and I have called upon you to find out about my ancestor Morrigan" he bowed lightly "I wish to meet her and none of our records give any indication how I can find her." He said finally.

Seth Sayre remained impassive as over a minute passed "I cannot help you" Seth Sayre said finally.

He narrowed his eyes slightly "Can't or won't?" he asked plainly.

Seth sent a glare before he sighed and looked tired "I can't help you. I do not remember, even in death where we lived. That knowledge was never available to me and I was able to be with her merely because she wished me to." Seth said.

Atticus frowned. "That almost sounds like..." he trailed off. It had similarities to a Fidilius charm. Could it be something that the Fidilius was built on?

"Surely you must know something?" he asked almost beseechingly. 

Seth eyed him curiously "Why do you want to find her so badly?" Seth asked finally.

He sighed "I want to find her because I want to know more about the world. About magic." He smiled wryly "and because she is my grandmother. Even if I lost count how many greats of a grandmother she is. She just fascinates me and I'm endlessly curious" he said finally.

Seth tilted his head as he pondered to himself before he set his eyes on Atticus "You remind me of my youngest." Seth sighed "He was the one who loved magic the most of my children and who spent the most time with Moira." Seth said finally.

"Moira?" he prompted.

"Aye. Moira." Seth said wistfully "It was the name I chose for her and that she agreed to."

"Individual Destiny." He murmured 

Seth nodded "Her story isn't one for me to tell" Seth said wistfully and Atticus burned to know.

"Why did you choose her name?" Atticus asked.

Seth simply shook his head at that and he shifted towards another direction.

"What was her true name?" he asked intently as he hungered for more information.

Seth frowned "She once told me her family name had been Yprikushma and she was once a daughter of an important woman a long time ago." Seth paused before continuing "I won't tell you anything further than this. You will have to ask her yourself if you're able to meet her." He said firmly.

Atticus brought out a map of Ireland and brought it in front of Seth. "This is a map of Ireland" he paused briefly "It likely won't do you much good to see such details given the era you lived in but please look if you recognise anything" he asked keenly.

Seth frowned as he looked at the map for more than a few minutes and directed Atticus to bring map closer as he looked at the features.

"I recognise these islands" Seth said as he pointed at the Inishkea Islands and Atticus grew excited. "I do not believe our island was far from there. That is all I can say. Send me back" he asked firmly and Atticus acceded.

He sat back in his chair with barely contained excitement. He was such a step closer to finding her.

He wasn't ignorant to the fact that she might not wish to meet him but he doubted that she would hurt him. There were only a few mages that were capable of hurting him at this stage and he wasn't sure what she was. 

She was ancient at the very least thrice as old as the Flamels. The things she must know...

He suspected that she might well have been alive long enough to know more about the world before civilisations such as Ancient Egypt came into existence. If the family stories about her were true and given the way Seth talked, he didn't talk in any way that indicated that she was anything less than alive.

What would she be? She's definitely no ordinary magical and a strange gut feeling took hold of him that she might well be much older than he could ever comprehend.

His mind whirled at the possibilities. Could she be an Atlantean? Could she know of Atlantis? What about other magical civilisations? Would she know of them? Visited them?

He shook his head and made his way out of the ROR and towards his classroom. He'd been working on Alchemy for the past few weeks

He's made headway with magical metals, in particular Orichalcum. 

Orichalcum is forged and the base of it is bronze. He spent a lot of time in the Time Room modifying one of the spare workrooms into one suited for forging on a very small scale.

He knew much about manufacturing, rather the processes involved but he had zero experience in it. 

One of the things he will do during the summer break was to lift the knowledge from someone at a metal manufacturing plant.

That was for planning ahead as he intended to create a large plant dedicated to forging magical metals.

Orichalcum required imbuing your magic in a very specific way during the forging process.

He managed, in the end to successfully forge just under a kilogram of Orichalcum after dozens, easily nearing 40, of failures. 

He only managed to succeed a few days but he avidly tested the metal. Its magical conduction was better than he's seen before and he was eager to work on it, to enchant it or something once he figures out what to do with it.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he nearly bumped into someone.

"Ah my apologies" he said at the same time as a "Watch whereyer going!" rang out with a mild Scottish accent that became apparent as she spoke fast.

He looked at her and saw it was McGonagall. Her eyes widened and she straightened out "My apologies Mr Sayre for my tone of speaking" she said, far less noticeable Scottish accent.

He inclined his head "It's not a concern Ms McGonagall." He said calmly.

She wasn't an official professor yet though it didn't stop the Hogwarts students from calling her that. In fact he himself was called professor by the first and second years.

She was a no nonsense witch and she carried herself in a stiff manner that demanded respect. Well, he wasn't particularly interested in speaking with her. She was a diehard Dumbledore man...woman even now and he had no intention to allow a spy to his bosom.

"Well, if that is all, I have a few things to do. Have a good evening" he said inclining his head and walked past her.

"Wait!" she called out and he halted and turned around with a raised eyebrow and looked at her expectantly.

She hadn't evolved to prime McGonagall and her hair was in a loose bun, vibrantly dark red. She wasn't unattractive in truth but her personality wasn't one that interested him in her. The only thing that he'd be interested in talking with her was perhaps transfiguration and animagus transformation.

It wouldn't surprise him if she already done it by now.

He had looked into the process and found that the animagus was boringly only mundane creatures. Something he wasn't particularly interested. He wanted to figure out a way to become a magical one.

Why become a common cat if you could possibly become a phoenix or a thunderbird. How awesome would that be?

Of course, there was nothing in the Sayre Library or Hogwarts Library for that matter that even hinted towards magical animagus forms. 

That meant something he didn't quite understand. What made magical animagus impossible? He had a theory that perhaps it was magical incompatibility...that the magic of magical creatures is substantially different to wizard magic and so it made it impossible for there to be a match. Another was perhaps simply sheer magical power. But he was a fan of his last theory. That people consciously or subconsciously identified with certain animals who share traits that they valued rather than a fixed soul connection to an animal.

Like for example James Potter was a Stag animagus. The animal, the deer are definitely not what you associate James Potter with but funnily enough if you consider Celtic Zodiac signs, most of the traits fit James Potter. Peter Pettigrew reflected his own animagus form well as did Sirius Black and McGonagall.

Of course, it would then pose the classic question, what came first; the chicken or the egg? 

Do traits developed by the individual create a connection with a particular animal or does the connection to a particular animal influence the adoption of corresponding traits?

Of course there was a definite inconsistency regarding the sheer difference of what the animal is and what the animal is viewed to be. That is why he felt that the animagus form didn't have to be mundane in nature. Only a few ever did the animagus training so there were bound to be many that had magical forms but never would find out.

He spent quite some time pondering about the nature of magical creatures and their associations to humanity. Humanity had ascribed certain traits to certain animals. Dogs being loyal, cats being independent etcetera. Was there a magical creature people ascribed traits to, traits that made those magical creatures relatable to magicals? He came to the sound conclusion; no.

The only thing that made him leery was the soul aspect. According to literature, it was the animal representative of your soul. If he figured out how to force a certain animagus form would it have an effect on his soul? He'd figure it out once he looks into the process which he would, likely next academic year when he had a lot more free time.

"I read your paper" she began as she straightened out and looked at him appraisingly "It was masterful work. The sheer leap in logic and application of muggle science was inspired. How did you think of it? Why did you think of using muggle science in the first place?" she asked primly and he stared at her for a moment as he considered how he should answer. 'Why not' he mused.

"In truth, I was fascinated with muggle science first before I even thought of applying it to magic" he said as he looked into the distance frowned as he did "Only when I understood the contents that I was reading did I realise that the work muggles have done could have profound impact on many branches of magic" he shrugged "From there, it was merely simply deduction and reasoning that brought me my first contribution to the field" he said as he smiled at her.

He tilted his head "Is it something you will be interested in?" he asked curiously and she shook her head.

She frowned "I don't know yet what my thesis will be" she admitted as she thinned her lips that made her lips disappear almost completely. 'Wild' he thought amusedly.

"Well, you have three years to figure it out" he said gently and she nodded firmly.

"I do." She conceded. 

"If you wish, I can recommend a number of muggle books to see if they can inspire you?" he asked with a tilted head and saw her consider it briefly before she dismissed it.

"No thank you, the offer is tempting but I would rather approach it from the usual manner" she said firmly and he wondered what that exactly meant. He knew truly what she meant but even so...

"How did you manage to get so far ahead at such a young age?" she asked intensely curious "You were able to do fifth year spells as a first year, practically unheard off" she said as she peered down her glasses at him.

He shrugged "I simply was interested in magic at a very young age and I was able to understand difficult concepts at a very young age too. My family always encouraged me and my sibling so I had pretty much free reign to learn what I wish, provided it was safe of course."

She frowned at him disapprovingly "Magic before the age of eleven is not recommended nor is it allowed"

He raised an eyebrow "There are numerous schools around the world that teach children magic from the age of eight. Granted, wands are not allowed until eleven but they nonetheless are taught magical theory at that age. I didn't use a wand until I was eleven either" he pointed out before continuing "Most of my learning was done on theory mostly and miming the wand movements with a stick. When I got my wand, it was simply familiarising my magic with the wand and the rest is history." He said calmly as he assessed her.

"If you wish" he began "We can talk about transfiguration later as I was on my way to do something" he said with an expectant look and she blinked and looked a little sheepish "Of course Mr Sayre. My apologies for keeping you. I'm available in the evenings after dinner. I'd certainly like to discuss transfiguration further with you" she said with a small smile and he nodded 

"I'll make sure to make some time available to you" he said calmly before he walked away.

He shook his head clear from that random encounter and finally made it to his classroom.

He refitted the room into a small forge as he experimented in Alchemy.

It was immensely time consuming and it was far more difficult as it incorporated by far the most number of branches of magic. 

And he hadn't even touched on alchemy applied to biology. He shook his head as he stepped into his classroom/workroom. It was Sunday and he still had a number of hours to kill. He sat down at his desk and began once more slogging away.

----------------------------------------------Break----------------------------------------------

Emily POV

She sat cross legged in her favourite seat in the Slytherin common room with Dolohov, Rosier, Carrow and Malfoy around her as she read her book. The fire crackled in the background and the light of the flame gently created an ambient atmosphere that was soothing.

Perfect conditions for reading and yet it was disrupted by a stomping Tarquin Selwyn and it was raising her ire. She lifted her head up from her book and looked at his direction. He looked unhinged, almost frothing from the mouth and purple faced from uncontrollable rage.

It was well known in Slytherin that Selwyn was...unstable. He mostly managed to control it, lest he be expelled and suffer at the hands of his father who was rumoured to be savage even amongst the darker purebloods.

Rockwood made his way towards her and sat with them. The group cast their eyes at him with expectant looks and he began "It seems Sayre once again got in his way" Rockwood informed them and she cast her eyes once again at Selwyn.

"How many points has he lost us this time?" Malfoy asked with a look of annoyance.

"25 points" Rockwood confirmed. 

"Surely it's the last straw" Dolohov queried and started off a mild discussion with Malfoy and Rockwood.

Since the start of the year, Selwyn and his gang Winston Ferlet, Myrus Lowe and Leo Blishwick who were all heavy instigators of much of the friction that occurred between Slytherin and the rest of the school, were often caught in their bullying by Atticus and MacMillan. He somehow managed to always find out when Selwyn was on the move to seek out his usual victims even when Selwyn found out the patrols and avoided the fifth year prefects. Even then, the Head boy and other on duty prefects were alerted to him and he never managed to get away with it. 

Slytherin were second to last in the ranking and it was causing...strife...within Slytherin. The only reason why Selwyn hasn't been...acted against was because of the remaining friends of Daniel Selwyn, the elder brother who had been on the Hierarchy who graduated the year before.

However, support was wearing thin and soon the ghost of his brother would not be able to protect him any longer.

Before the crusade on Selwyn, none bothered to curb his excesses which had been impactful in the degrading relationship with the rest of Hogwarts that already strained. After all, he only targeted mudbloods and none cared a sniff about them.

There was also the factor that his group were eyed warily by the majority of the house due to their penchant for violence. Her own group hardly clashed with his given her own reputation of ruthlessness and magical strength.

But now...it was directly impacting on Slytherin's standing and it was unacceptable. And she could not wait until it boiled over and presented her with an opportunity to increase her own standing within her house whilst casting down Selwyn and his group to the bottom of the House. It seemed today might well present an opportunity after all.

It's been an interesting year for her so far, she mused quietly to her. From the excitement she felt at the prospects of finding out her background, to the bitter disappointment it all was, to the...intimate moments she had with Atticus. 

The months since he had gifted the Slytherin Locket to her, their...relationship for a lack of a better word had progressed to something she didn't quite have a name for.

They were...comfortable in each other's presence and it was warmer. They sat closer together though she suspected that he himself was unsure on how to progress. She had always known that he had a healthy suspicion of her and she had to admit that he had more than enough reasons to be suspicious and wary of her. 

After all, she had been assessing him how soon he'd need to die for her plans to succeed given how much of a threat he appeared to be and even if he hadn't known that, he was annoyingly perceptive and likely considered something close enough.

She herself wasn't quite sure how to progress either. It was...territory she never expected to cross. After all, feelings such as what she felt for him were weaknesses and she shed them a long time ago or so she thought.

But one thing she was certain of was that she was not...against...a more intimate relationship. She still remembered how she felt when he cupped her cheek as he put a strand of hair behind her ear.

It felt as if something had been missing all her life and she finally had it until she forcefully removed herself lest she lost herself to the feeling. It evoked a deep fear within her.

But it hadn't stopped her from craving it. 

She cast her gaze at the crackling fire. It was an annoying conundrum. She wanted to but she feared it at the same time. In many ways, for many reasons, she often wondered if she should never have approached him that day in the Astronomy Tower.

If she had the choice to go back to that moment, she would still choose to go and speak with him. She had something that was hers and hers alone and she knew he felt the same and it likely bothered him in some way like it did her.

To her pleasant surprise much of the rumours that involved him reduced significantly. She wasn't worried that he would act on any advances on him...they developed an easy understanding that they were special to each other. Whilst they weren't anything confirmed, it was not needed. Should he betray her...

Following her 'debut' in proper society as Malfoy described, her social standing despite having no recognisable name was immensely elevated and it showed in Slytherin.

It amused her that they were...confused about her. She carried herself as a proper pureblood and yet her own blood status was unknown to them all though it was clear to them all that she was certainly no mudblood. 

Before, her talent, her ruthlessness and academics had been enough to propel her to the top of the hierarchy but there still had been a huge...question regarding her that was left unanswered. If anything, her performance had only increased the interest into the question but no longer from a perspective 'Is she a mudblood' but rather 'what family is she from'. Her own links with the Sayre family only seemed to fuel it.

Even if she knew that she was no mudblood, the fact that all it took was wonderful displays of manipulation to make certain that she wasn't a mudblood despite no true evidence had her hold many of them in contempt at their superficial nature and that they thought that everything she was capable of had to be from some long lost prominent family.

It reminded her of the two psychology books that Atticus had given her to read in her pastime at the start of the New Year. She smiled to herself at the memory.

'These books, while they are pretty much only at the beginning at the analysis of the human psyche and human behavioural tendencies, will help you much in understanding people. What motivates them, why it motivates them, why they feel the way they do and so on. Given that you're the most Slytherin Slytherin, you likely knew many of the concepts through experience and intellect but these will help you gain a deeper understanding.'

Once again, she had been grudgingly impressed at the depth of thought and understanding of the muggles. She hadn't read all of it, it was heavy material to digest after all and she had many other commitments, but already it proved useful and practical.

The muggles had come far from superstitious exorcisms on those who were...ill of mind and have developed terminologies for several behaviours though unfortunately they haven't quite made much progress in the more nuanced and less visible mental conditions

Some terminologies that didn't quite apply but one thing that was close enough was confirmation bias. They believed she was never a mudblood despite no evidence, merely her own abilities, and when she acted like them, it only cemented the notion she was 'proper' given that no mudblood could be anything other than inferior. 

She refocused on the seething form that Selwyn. 

Her eyes roved over Tarquin Selwyn as she considered him. He was a prime case of violent erratic behaviour that has sudden onsets. Chances were that it likely meant some form of childhood abuse was involved.

It was interesting to see Atticus put in so much effort at policing the school. She knew he cared not particular much about people but she knew he hated pointlessness of things, such as bullying that served no purpose than false expressions of superiority. And so his crusade began.

Despite of what some Slytherins have said, his actions are largely unbiased and he defends anyone regardless of blood status or house. His popularity was at an all time high as every house had something to like about him. Given his ridiculous popularity and status, it wasn't often that offenders repeated their actions once he spoke to and punished them. 

Unless you were Tarquin Selwyn.

"Riddle, what is the current stance of the hierarchy?" Malfoy asked and she turned to gaze at him with half lidded eyes.

"The hierarchy will no longer defend him." She said lazily and her associates were peaked with interest.

"So, he can be...spoken to about his behaviour and have him corrected?" Dolohov asked with a savage glint in his eye and she turned her head towards him and a cruel glint entered her eye.

"Yes" she drawled as she set aside the book and brushed her hair back behind her ears. "Selwyn is no longer protected by goodwill that was earned by his brother." She said calmly that belied the excitement she felt.

Selwyn had been...problematic for her. She hadn't liked the way he talked about Atticus. Whilst it was known they had a friendship...of sorts...it would be unbecoming if she acted against a Slytherin for someone outside of the House, even if he was well liked.

Not to mention, it would have given an impression that she was not ready for. But now...

She was free to act.

"Finally!" Alard Carrow exclaimed excitedly as a manic look took him over and she looked at him bemused. Alard was perhaps her most avid supporter ever since she acted against the Avery's. His penchant for cruelty was useful and she often used him when she wasn't able to act herself.

"So will we talk with him?" Alard asked keenly.

She nodded lazily "We will and we will invite his friends along as well. After all, the message must be thorough, do you not think?" she said sweetly in a way that didn't reach her half lidded eyes.

Alard, Dolohov and Rockwood were palpable with excitement whilst Rosier and Malfoy looked on bemused. Rosier and Malfoy weren't particularly keen on acting themselves though they certainly enjoyed seeing others in certain states.

Ah well.

It's been a while since they all had a group bonding moment together and this will certainly scratch that itch. 

"There are a few hours until curfew. So here's what we will do..." she said as she began her explanation.

Soon enough, Selwyn, Ferlet, Low and Blishwick were all unconscious in an abandoned dungeon room with her, Malfoy, Dolohov, Carrow and Orion Black in attendance with Rockwood on the lookout.

She sat on the edge of the desk playing with a lock of hair as she watched the four miscreants rouse from their state of rest that they will soon wish they were once more in.

"Wha-" one of the boys said confusedly as the others groaned into awareness. It hadn't been difficult to lure the boys away from the Slytherin common room nor was finding an abandoned room in the dungeon.

"Good evening" Alard almost sing songed as he stepped forward and doused them with an Augiumenti which woke them right up.

Selwyn was the most alert "Carrow!" he called out as he shivered "Once I'm out of here, you're going to get it. Don't think that mudblood of yours will protect you" he seethed. Blishwick pulled on Selwyn's robes "Selwyn, don't" he said in a panicked voice.

Sharp intakes of breath rang out from her associates as she dropped the notice-me-not charm of everyone whilst Orion laughed out loud as he shook his head.

"Oh, this'll be fun" Orion smirked as a bright grin appeared on his face.

"Is that so..." she said so very sweetly as she eyed Selwyn lazily with predatory eyes.

Selwyn stiffened at her voice and immediately turned and blanched at seeing her before steeling himself.

"What do you think you're doing Riddle" he sneered and as he tried to get up but Carrow lazily cast an underpowered bludgeoning curse at his feet.

"Argh" he cried out as he fell on the ground. 

"We haven't given you leave to get up boys" Carrow said brightly to the growing dismay of the other three boys sprawled on the floor.

"Riddle, we haven't done anything" Low pleaded with big eyes filled with fear as the other boys agreed with him and gave her some plain platitudes. 

She cast her eyes to Dolohov with a small smirk appearing on her face and he lit up and turned towards the boys with his wand pointed at Ferlet.

He muttered an incantation and watched with glee as Ferlet's body began to twitch as his screams reverberated around the room to the delight of everyone around.

Low and Blishwick tried to get up and run towards the door but Malfoy and Carrow petrified both boys and they fell flat on their faces before they levitated them over to watch Ferlet flopping around destroying his voice as he cried out in pain.

It was an interesting curse and one that she herself taught Dolohov. It attacked muscle and would feel as if insect pincers gnawed at the muscles.

And it was seemingly immensely painful as she watched on dispassionately. 

She raised her hand and Dolohov ceased his curse as Ferlet fell unconscious. His face and neck and the exposed chest were all red from the scratches his clawing produced.

She turned her head towards Selwyn who looked horrified as he looked at Ferlet and turned his head towards her and she saw great fear emanating from him that was only loosely held beneath a thin veneer of bravado.

She flicked her wand and he flinched to her amusement and she took the petrified boys and set them next to the other two.

"Your recent behaviour has been...poorly reflecting on Slytherin" she began calmly as she twirled her wand as she elegantly walked towards the boys on the floor.

"Above all else, we are the house of cunning which means adaptation is quite key to how we approach things" she said lazily with half lidded eyes as she approached the subject in a faux lecturing mode. 

She would deny that she took inspiration from the way Atticus lectured if anyone ever asked.

"And yet, you were unable to adapt and have caused the Slytherin House to slip down to second to last in ranking as you continued to conduct yourself in the most un-Slytherin way." She said as she sighed dramatically as cruel chuckles came from her associates.

"Yo-You can't" Selwyn stammered "My brother's friends won't allow you to get away with this" he said in a panic.

Orion chuckled as he came forth "Oh dear Selwyn" he mocked "Did you think you could hide behind your brother's skirt forever?" he delightfully smiled

Malfoy scoffed "It seems that he thought Slytherins were just green Hufflepuffs" he said amused.

Selwyn looked panicked as it dawned to him that he would be in a world of pain and began to plead "Look, I - I won't mess up again" he pleaded carefully.

She looked at him pityingly and remorseful "I'm afraid Selwyn, it is too late for you to get off scot free" she said with a sad tone that she soon dropped.

"We have a number of spells to try out on you all and it seems a waste to let you go after we went through all the trouble to get you here." She said cruelly as she let go of the tight control of her magic.

Magic became tangible as she unleashed her magic and the room began to be filled with her magic and she released the petrifying curse on Low and Blishwick who were soon held down on the ground along with Selwyn.

Tendrils of magic gathered around her as her face turned savage and malevolent.

Her associates came forth and stepped in line with her as they watched with excitement and relish as they were bathed in her magic, comforted in the dark feel of her magic.

"Plea-" Selwyn looked at her with such pitiful fearful eyes and pale.

She raised her open hand, pointed at Selwyn, fingers outstretched and she closed her hand into a fist and her magic responded. He shrieked as her intent, her will, her malice manifested itself and ran through him and he began to bleed from his mouth as his tongue got caught between his jaws as he twitched in utter agony. 

She had read some of the human biology books that were in Atticus' room and she used her imagination to agitate certain parts of his body that would leave no lasting damage beyond severe pain.

Orion raised his own wand and started to curse Low with his own curses whilst Dolohov and Carrow cast on Blishwick and they all screamed out.

It was music to her ears. A symphony of pain, of blood and of fear. She spread her free arm out and moved her arm around in a faux conductor way as her associates continued to cast primarily torture and pain curses that wouldn't be permanent.

She closed her eyes as she let of the full reign of her magic and bathed the room with her magic as she held Selwyn under the curse. Her magic had the strange effect on her associates as she could feel their excitement rising as they continued to curse the boys. She opened her eyes and watched her associates bask in the cruelty they inflicted on their victims and she smiled approvingly.

After a little while she ended her curse on Selwyn who was twitching and his eyes were gazing into the distance as he lay twitching on the ground. Low and Blishwick were no better off but they were still coherent.

She revived Ferlet and he looked at them all with abject fear which was enhanced with the effect of her magic.

"Riddle, your eyes are glowing" Orion next to her remarked amused.

"Yes, it looks amazing. How do you do it?" Carrow asked almost giddy.

She shrugged "It just happens." She said daintily as she smiled at Carrow before she dropped it and cast her gaze at the boys.

Orion scoffed "It just happens" he muttered and continued to say something about overpowered witches under his breath.

She raised her wand at Selwyn, a mild torture curse to get him responsive and a cry of pain later he returned to coherence. 

"Selwyn, good of you to rejoin us" she said pleasantly as she let her magic saturate the room and tendrils of magic caressed him and he shivered and tried to crawl away from the contact.

She smiled with warmth at the boys as her magic felt tinged with anticipation and excitement.

"Do you want this to stop?" she said softly and alluring

Pathetic nods and sounds from ruined throats were all the confirmation she needed.

"I really would like to." She said in commiserative tone before she sighed as she looked at them "But unfortunately, I do not believe we have had a long enough talk for you to understand, you see" she said as her tone took on a sad inflection.

"I think you may need a talk that lasts through the night...to make sure you understand fully what the situation is" she said with a cruel glint in her eye.

"Please Riddle, I think they need a little more time with me" he said gleefully and with desperate cruelty etched on his face.

"N-n-no...plea- please" Low begged and stammered "I-I understand now" he said with widened and frantic eyes as he soiled himself at the prospect of an entire night at the hands of Carrow.

Malfoy and Dolohov began to laugh at the sight whilst the rest wore amused faces.

"What do you suggest then?" Orion smoothly interjected "You say you learnt your lesson but what is to stop you from...informing others of our little talk" he said with a tilted head.

Orion stepped forward akin to a lion who'd locked his gaze on his prey and crouched down and came face to face with Low who flinched but wisely didn't move away.

Orion brought his hand forward, intentionally slow, to Low's face and caressed it gently "My sweet little Low" he murmured and Low trembled under the touch and she could feel nothing but amusement at the sheer fear that radiated of the boy.

She cast her gaze at the other three boys and saw them both looking at Orion with horrified eyes and Selwyn flickered his eyes between Orion and Low before he turned to meet hers and he immediately looked away in fear.

"It saddens me to do this to fellow Slytherins but you see...you weren't following what we, the Hierarchy, were telling you to do" he tutted as he moved from caressing to slowly padding Low's cheek.

"And now we're at an impasse. We want to believe you understood the message" Orion said as he looked at Low and then to the others with sympathetic eyes before he returned his grey eyes to Low "But we are Slytherins." He said in a steely tone and Low began to tremble even further as his mind undoubtedly whirled around the amount of torture they'd be subjected to.

"We'll swear oaths" Blishwick shouted out in sheer fear and Selwyn looked at Blishwick in shock.

"Thno I wo-" Selwyn began before he started choking as she raised her hand. She lifted him up and jerked his limbs wide appeared and a look of pain from the actions came upon his face as she forced his limbs apart.

"I think Selwyn might need a little bit more attention from me" she said a bored tone.

Selwyn eyes grew large in horror and she once again subjected him to her magic for a number of minutes and his screams once more rang around the room and she glanced at the other boys who were petrified at another bout of torture and flinched once they saw her looking.

An interesting thing that she came across in the psychology books was an experiment muggle scientists did called the Little Albert Experiment where they conditioned a young boy to fear white rats.

It was a fascinating exploration of the human psyche which held potential as she thought of the many applications such conditioning could yield. She knew Atticus would be displeased if he knew that what she was thinking off. 

But she wondered if he would object if she tried to determine if such conditioning was possible on people like Tarquin Selwyn rather than children who he would be definitely opposed to. She was brought of her musings by his tapering off groans of pain.

She stopped before he became incoherent.

"Selwyn" she began in almost cooing tone and he flinched at the sound of her voice.

"Is there anything you like to say?" she asked sweetly as her eyes looked on expectantly with a malicious glint.

"I wie thwear the oath" he said pitifully.

"Excellent" Orion crowed as he got up from crouching.

"A standard magical oath will do" Orion said as he stood beside her with a querying look and she nods before she turns towards the four boys.

"I think that will suffice. No need to go all the way to an unbreakable vow do we boys?" she asked lazily with a tilted head.

Rapid shakes of the heads made it apparent and she let Selwyn down.

She turned towards Malfoy "What do you think Abraxas" she said softly with lidded eyes. "What do you think the oath should say?" she asked calmly.

Abraxas looked thoughtful before he spoke " 'I swear on my magic to never make anything known that happened in this room from the moment I arrived until I left it' sounds quite all catching?" Abraxas offered and she considered it for a moment before she nods amiably.

"Excellent Abraxas" she praised who preened under her approval. She turned her gaze towards the boys and coldly looked at them. She raised her hand which gained some flinching and brought out the wands they took from them and handed one to Blishwick first.

Carrow looked intently at Blishwick "Please don't swear it" he begged "I want to spend more time with you" he said manically and Blishwick hurried swore the oath whilst still under the effects of the curses to the amusement of her associates.

Soon enough as she returned the wands to each of them one by one and they all swore the oaths.

"Excellent." She said in a pleased tone before she tilted her head "Now, there is no misunderstanding is there? Regarding your future conduct?" she said lowly in what only could be perceived in a threatening way.

They all shook their heads and Ferlet stammered out "N-No M-m-misunderstanding" 

She nodded lazily as she twirled a lock of hair as she crossed her legs as she stood. "Good." She said approvingly before she cocked her head "You may go" she said simply and they all nearly fled out of the room if it weren't for the fact that they were severely hurt from the curses they were on.

As soon as they were out of the room Orion laughed out loud and Dolohov chuckled.

"I haven't had such fun in such a long time" Orion crowed before he turned thoughtful "Do you think we'll get to do this again soon?" Orion pondered.

She smiled indulgently at him "Who knows...I doubt we will have any dissidents any time soon once people understand what happened to Selwyn and his friends" she said lazily as she brushed her hair behind her ears.

Carrow yawned "It's nearing curfew, I could do with a nice little nap" and she looked on amused before they left the room and made it back into the Slytherin common.

Within a few days, the atmosphere in Slytherin changed as they all understood that Selwyn and his gang were cast down and they were all aware of who had done by the way Selwyn flinched when his eyes fell upon her.

There had been a little hangover in Slytherin House about who exactly was in charge and while she had been a preeminent figure to be the leader, there was no clear sign and with this single act, unless the other members of the Hierarchy challenge her, she was viewed as the ultimate authority in Slytherin House even if it was still unofficial. 

She was patient.

Next year she'd make it clear to everyone. Orion Black was happy enough to be influential rather than a leader, much to the dismay of Walburga, and she was content for him to act as he wished, for the most part.

A stir from Atticus broke her out of her thoughts as he readjusted himself on the sofa as he read a Chinese book on Divination.

They were comfortably seated on a large sofa that he transfigured and she was half rested on his shoulder until he moved away to her annoyance.

She must have made a face or a sound of discontent because he turned to face her with an amused look "Did I disrupt your comfortable state?" said with twitching lips and a raised eyebrow.

"You did" she said primly as she lightly glared at him. "You should have had the decency to remain where you were." She said with a calm tone though it was clear she was teasing him.

He chuckled "Well, my apologies fair lady" he said in a specially put on aristocratic tone.

"Not accepted." She said with a raised eyebrow as she taunted him. 

He tilted his head and she wondered what he'd do. He flicked his finger and pulled her book from her hands and set it on the side and she looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"Well in that case I can only do more wrong" he said as he leaned forward into her and her eyes widened as she felt a hint of anticipation.

"Oh?" she said as she turned towards him with one of her legs underneath her and her other leg hanging of the soft mirroring Atticus as their knees touched.

He hummed as he nodded as a playful glint entered his eye which she liked very much.

"Yes..." he said softly as leaned even further and her breathe hitched a little as she saw his eyes dilate.

His hand came up and stroked a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips gently touching her cheek.

His eyes followed his hand before he met hers. "My wonderful Slytherin" he whispered to her as he brought his face forward and she felt strange at the sheer excitement and hunger she felt before she retook control and she grabbed his robes gently and pulled briefly forward to his surprise until a smirk came on her face and she pushed him away to his greater surprise and she laughed as he rolled onto the ground.

She felt a disappointed that she pushed him away but she wasn't ready to express what she felt for him. Not quite yet. Besides, she did not want to be the one who was wooed first. 

He got up and he glared lightly at her before he chuckled and sat back on the sofa. "Low blow" he murmured as he looked at her curiously.

She ignored it "So, why were you so interested in Chinese Divination?" she queried as she sought to change the subject.

It caught off guard when she saw a look of disappointment pass his face. 'Was he not simply teasing' she wondered. 

It had been a game of theirs. To tease to the point of gaining an upper hand in the...relationship they had together. It had made things...interesting and she knew, and he also knew, that there was only one way this was leading towards but neither had taken that step yet even if they came close like today.

If he wasn't teasing...she would consider it further later.

"I'm interested in Chinese Divination because I'm trying to collate methods of scrying. The European way of scrying is hit and miss and I wanted to see if the Far Eastern methods would yield more results." He paused momentarily before he continued.

"There are many things to divination that isn't taught at Hogwarts which is more like muggle crystal viewing than anything else" he scowled lightly before he reset his face as he continued "Scrying, sympathetic magic more specific to Divination, Divining the future through mediums and so on are but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Divination. You don't need to be a Seer or a Prophet to be able to do Divination." He shook his head "But anyway, I'm interested mostly in seeing if there is a more certain way of pinpointing things" he said finally.

She looked keenly at him as her thoughts whirled. To this day, she never brought up her suspicions regarding him being a Seer. She didn't quite see the point yet. 

"Why are you interested in Scrying?" she looked at him with a tilted head and he looked at her in surprise.

"Why wouldn't I be interested in scrying?" he said with an excited glint in his eye that bemused her.

She raised her eyebrow in return and he rolled his eyes.

He turned completely to her once more with his leg over her knees and she looked at him and he simply ignored it with twitching lips as he continued to speak "There are so many things that are lost to history Emily" he began in an excited tone 

"Imagine what there is to find. Ancient magical civilisations where only myths speak of their existence that may hold artefacts or knowledge long lost. Maybe even strange magical sentient beings that we have never heard of. So many other possibilities that I can't think of at the moment." He paused briefly as he considered his words.

"If I can figure out the divining element of scrying, I may be able to find a lot of things a lot easier." He shrugged "It is a simple and ancient talent but you can't deny the prospects it may hold." He finished with a smirk.

"From what I understand, scrying requires a personal connection no?" she asked with furrowed brows and he nods amiably.

"Yes, it does but there are forms of scrying that do not require such personal connection but are very weak and unreliable." He said

"Unreliable in terms of wards?" she said with a tilted head and he nods in affirmation.

"Yes. The more modern wards don't really have wards against scrying as everyone knows where everyone lives but the more ancient homes do have anti scrying wards which make it impossible – for the moment" he said with a smirk "to pinpoint locations."

"Sayre Manor likely would have anti scrying wards wouldn't it?" she asked curiously and he nods 

"Yes but I don't know much about the wards there" he said dismissively as he moved on from the subject.

"In any case, if I can understand the underlying magic of different forms of scrying, I should be able to come up with a form of scrying that can evade the more weaker anti scrying wards. Uninhabited places, even if they sit under leylines, tend to have degrading wards if there aren't people to ensure that they are kept up."

Her eyes light up in understanding "You seek to take advantage of the weakening wards of ancient homes and places" she said and he nods with a smile.

"Yes. I expect it likely will pose me problems" he said with a frown "So far, magic like Scrying are kind of a" he said with ridiculous fluttering fingers "woolly thing and I don't quite understand it" he paused with a raised finger "yet" with a determined excited look.

She liked that about him. The passion for magic and the challenge of solving difficult problems.

She looked at him as he continued to speak about scrying and other linked magic to it and she unconsciously smiled as he talked until he looked at her oddly.

"Why are you smiling like that?" he asked with a bemused confused look.

"Ah, I was just thinking of how much a Ravenclaw you were" she said smoothly and he just chuckled as he settled down on the sofa.

"Speaking of how much we resemble our House..." he began and she raised an eyebrow as he turned to her.

"What's the deal with Selwyn?" he asked pointedly.

Ah. Of course he would ask. It did not go unnoticed to the rest of the school of the sudden behaviour shift of Selwyn and his miscreants. 

Dumbledore certainly blamed her given the looks he had sent her way. He'd blame her even if she was innocent.

Some of them had to go to the infirmary and had been questioned by Slughorn but they weren't able to say anything.

In any case, it had been a point of interest when Selwyn didn't even once make remarks against mudbloods in the last four days and was now a subject to a number of rumours. Thankfully the Slytherins kept mum about it all and she wasn't suspected...much.

"There's nothing particular about Selwyn. He simply changed on his own behalf" she said with a serious face and he looked at her with a deadpan expression and her lips twitched.

"Alright" she sighed as she twirled a lock of hair as she thought on what to say. She looked back at him "Slytherin House had a talk with him about his behaviour and requested him to adjust his attitude lest he cast further negativity on the House" she said calmly and he didn't look surprised.

"Figured as much." he said calmly as he searched her face.

"Will it happen again?" he asked calmly as he met her gaze. Translation 'will she use her...methods again'.

"The message was understood." She said smoothly. Translation 'Her methods were good enough to ensure no dissension'.

He nods calmly "Fair enough" he said with pursed lips. Lips she wanted to kiss, ravage.

'Not yet'. She thought to herself.

"Are you going home for the break?" she asked curiously and he shook his head "Not this year." He hesitated for a moment as he eyed her. "Though I intend to go to the Beltane festival in Wales this year" and she widened her eyes in surprise.

"You will be in Hogwarts that day" she pointed out as she took in his face "You intend to sneak out that day." She said with narrowed eyes,

"Yes." He said with a smile. 

"You do realise it will be a Thursday – you have classes and you will be teaching" she remarked calmly.

He nods agreeably "I will also have a 'family emergency' that I have to attend to." He said calmly.

She narrowed her eyes "That won't work." She said almost accusingly.

He smirked at her "It will. I have a...strange situation. I'm a student but I'm also an assistant and I should have privileges but I don't and my Head of House knows this. Given that I have an excellent relationship with Fawley, he has made it clear that I can exercise the grey areas once I asked him about it earlier in the year. Initially I simply intended to disappear for the day but" he sighed.

"It would be noticed quite easily" she finished for him and he nodded.

She pursed her lips. She still hadn't gone to a Samhain or a Beltane and it clicked for her and she smirked at him and he eyed her warily.

"No" he simply said pre-emptively. 

"Yes" she said soothingly as she lightly tapped his knee as she looked at him calculatingly.

"No." He said more firmly.

"I'm cashing in that favour Mother's little boy" she mocked as she took in his grimace to her eternal delight as a grin formed on her face.

He glared at her "How am I supposed to pull that off?" he asked her in disbelief.

She shrugged carelessly as she got up and stretched. She eyed him in the corner of her eyes and enjoyed his eyes roving over her.

"I don't care. I simply care that you pay the favour you owe me." She said simply as she turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

He pursed his lips as he thought it over before he met her eyes "Fine. I'll figure it out. But you will have to promise never to bring that up" he said as he glared at her to her amusement.

She giggled a little "Fine. I won't bring it up unless we're in private." She said calmly and met his gaze easily and he sighed to her triumph.

"I suppose that will do" he murmured.

"Excellent" she said victoriously. 

He got up and checked the time. "Well, it's almost dinner. Let's go"

----------------------------------------------Break----------------------------------------------

30th of April 1941

"How many of these passageways into and out of Hogwarts are there?" she asked curiously as they walked through the dark corridor that lead towards the Forbidden Forest.

"I'm not certain" he frowned. He could probably find out but he hadn't had a need for it.

"It's an awful security risk" she commented and he agreed. 

"I know. I intend to seal them off before I leave Hogwarts. I don't want Hogwarts to be infiltrated by those who have ill intentions towards the students or the castle itself" he informed her.

They made it outside and saw that the sun was still up but it would soon become dusk.

"Honourable caring Mr Sayre" she drawled before she continued "Not the professors?" she asked curiously.

He shrugged "They're adults." He said simply. "Besides, anyone who would attack Hogwarts can't have good intentions to the students." He simply reasoned.

She hummed neither in agreement or disagreement.

They finally made it to the edge of the wards and Atticus stuck out his arm.

"We're apparating?" she asked surprised. 

"We are. How did you think we'd get there?" he asked as he glanced at her.

"Portkey" she replied simply before she looked at him curiously "How long have you been able to apparate?" she asked.

"For a few years now" he said as he wiggled his arm and looked at her pointedly.

"You never said anything" she looked at him accusingly and he looked at her in amusement.

"You don't tell me everything either" he said with twitching lips as she lightly glared at him.

She narrowed her eyes "Have you ever side alonged anyone?" she asked intently as she eyed his arm.

"Nope" he said cheerfully before he turned to her completely.

"You will have to trust me that I am capable of getting us there safely and whole" he said calmly as he eyed her and she met his gaze and they remained silent for a moment.

Finally she took his arm and he smiled at her before he apparated them to their destination.

They arrived in Northern Wales with a small crack, at the same spot he would arrive at with his parents before he went to Hogwarts.

He looked at her and saw that she mildly nauseous. "Are you alright" he asked her and she turned to him and nodded "I'm fine. Simply wasn't expecting such a rough ride" she said calmly with he could see a little accusing in her eyes and he chuckled.

"I've only been apparating for the last few years and you were my first passenger. Forgive me if I'm not as smooth as my parents yet" he said a little mirthfully before he extended his arm which she took and they began to walk down the hill they arrived at.

He looked at Emily as they walked saw that she cast her eyes, which were full of interest, towards the congregation of people in the clearing of the forest and the hundreds if not thousands of lanterns that floated in the air giving it a serene atmosphere.

"What do you know of Beltane" he asked her gently as he turned his eyes to the congregation.

"I know that Beltane is the celebration of the awakening of the earth, the return of summer and that it is one of renewal and rebirth" she began calmly as her eyes remained on the sights.

He hummed in agreement and she continued.

"It is one of the oldest celebrations of wizardkind and has been done for thousands of years." She said in a strange tone and he looked at her and saw unguarded look of longing on her face. He smiled at the sight and returned his gaze at the congregation as they neared it.

"Yes. It is" he agreed. "It is also when magic is at its strongest" he said wistfully.

Before either of them could say anything, someone approached them "Ah welcome, fellow magicals" a happy and eerie voice rang out and they turned towards the voice.

In front of them was a blond but kindly looking middle aged woman – for a magical – dressed in floral robes that was extremely colourful and she wore a crown of flowers.

Her face looked familiar but he couldn't place it.

"My aren't you young?" she queried as she came closer. "Aren't you meant to be in Hogwarts?" she said in that strange eerie voice.

He glanced at Emily who was looking at the woman calculatingly and he spoke up for them both.

"We are taught at home" he said smoothly "Hogwarts misses a lot of the curriculum and our parents, who are friends, teach us at home" 

"Ah, I see and you decided to come to the Beltane festival" she said once again in that strange voice "How wonderful" she said as she smiled kindly at them.

An awkward moment fell though it seemed it didn't affect the woman at all. 

He looked at Emily bemused and saw her straight face though she wasn't annoyed – yet.

"Well" she finally began as she put her hand in her robes which then turned her putting her entire arm into her robes and she brought out two crowns of flowers and his lips twitched.

"Here you go. While I think your robes could use some colour, it is good enough" she said what he now considered to be a spacey voice.

"But I think these crowns would look wonderful on you, don't you agree?" she said with focused eyes that he hadn't seen before.

Emily opened her mouth to speak, presumably to reject but he managed to interject before she could "I think that's a wonderful idea Ms..." he said as he grabbed the crown of flowers to Emily's annoyance and he could feel her glare on his face even if he couldn't see it.

She clapped once her hands were free "Wonderful. Enjoy your Beltane" she said as she turned before she halted and he looked at her expectantly "I am Ms Elsa Lovegood." She said as she finally left "It was wonderful meeting you Mr Sayre" she said loud enough for him and Emily to hear.

It left them surprised and a little shocked. 

He began to laugh, hard, to the point that he buckled over and he had a grin on his face.

"That...was strange" Emily said finally. "She was mad." She said finally as she got over the bizarre encounter.

He shook his head. "No, it was a Lovegood" he said with a grin "Amazing people, amazing family" he sighed blissfully.

Luna Lovegood was his favourite HP character. It may sound odd considering how contrasting he was to her but he was truly happy to see such a free individual.

She epitomised much about what was good about magic and wizardkind. She was open minded and willing to consider what most would see as impossible and she never adjusted herself for others.

Not to mention, he quite liked the whole hippy thing she had going on though he had no idea why he liked it.

"Is that meant to mean anything?" she said looking at him and he shook his head "No, not particularly" he said with a smile before he grew serious and extended his arm that held the crown of flowers.

She looked at it and then met his gaze with a cute glare. Well cute to him. He imagined she sent that kind of glare to many of her associates who would blanch under that glare.

"Yes..." he said as he moved closer to her with the crown outstretched.

"There is no chance that thing will be on my head" she said through gritted teeth.

"Emily..." he said kindly "It is not a proper Beltane without a crown of flowers" he said seriously.

"Don't make your very first Beltane lacklustre." He said seriously even as he was under her glare "It will stay with you for the rest of your life" he said with faux sadness.

"No." She said firmly as she began to turn towards the congregation but he stepped in front of her with a grin. 

He definitely wanted to see her with that crown of flowers. Ha! Imagine that. Voldemort's counterpart wearing a crown of flowers. 

He reckoned he could power a patronus with the memory.

"Emily..." he began with expectant eyes. 

"No." She said with gritted teeth. "It's bad enough you got me to wear these colourful robes" she said with narrowed eyes.

"It's barely colourful. It's only two tones. My mother once dressed me almost as colourful as Else Lovegood when I was like six" he said calmly.

"I won't wear that thing." She said in a tone that was final and he sighed. He won't push any further.

"Fine." He said calmly and he put the crown of flowers on his head to her dismay. He shrugged "I will wear it for the both of us" he said with a glint in his eye.

She rolled her eyes but didn't comment. He stretched out his arm once more and she looked at him and saw her lips twitching and she grabbed it and he smiled as they walked towards the crowd.

He carefully glanced at her from the corner of his eyes and saw that she was captivated as they walked through the crowd.

Hundreds of people were present. Some were at the stalls, eating and drinking, whilst others were dancing to funny little tunes as musicians played their music.

He directed them to a stall that served wine and got them a few glasses.

"What do you think so far?" he commented after taking a sip of his wine.

A dark look came over her face "I think the matrons would like to burn everyone here" she said darkly and he looked at her in sheer surprise before he blinked it away.

She continued "I think it's fascinating. There's a kind of carefree that I haven't witnessed at Hogwarts" she said in a curious tone.

He hummed "Hogwarts does a disservice banning these kind of festivals. It would do great amounts of good for the students to be as carefree as these people are tonight."

He closed his eyes and extended his magic slightly and felt the rising magic of the night. "Close your eyes Emily and extend your magic outwards." He said as his eyes remained closed.

"It's getting close to the point where magic is at its highest. For the moment it's still not there yet but within the hour..." he trailed off as he opened his eyes to look at her and saw that she had been doing as he instructed. Moments later she opened her eyes and looked at him with a strange glint in her eyes.

"I've never felt that before" she said strangely and he nodded "The magic of Beltane is a strange feedback loop" he said and she looked at him not comprehending and he remembered the terminology won't become relevant for decades to come and possibly never in the magical world.

"Consider a feedback loop as a circle that has two arrows that follow the circle line. Feedback loop refers to the one arrow continuously feeding the next arrow." He said trying to explain it as simply as he could and he saw the understanding dawning on her face.

"I see. Magic of the Beltane affects them and they in turn affect the magic of Beltane?" she asked and he nodded smiling at her.

"Yes" as he looked at the crowd who were dancing to the music. "The magic is soothing, warm and embracing and so it continues to grow with the presence of magicals" he said happily.

They remained silent for sometime as they watched the crowd. It was an hour later that he felt the magic.

He extended his hand to her and she looked at him and grabbed it whilst they kept their eyes on each other.

They walked towards the centre of the grounds as they weaved through the crowd.

He looked up in the sky and saw thousands of lanterns high up in the sky, lanterns of various colours illuminating the grounds. It was a mesmerising sight. 

It made it appear as if the heavens were brought low.

He glanced at Emily and saw her looking at him and he turned to her once they arrived at a decent spot at the edge of the crowd away from them.

The music now reflected Beltane and it seemed to be enhanced by the magic in the air.

"Extend your magic" he whispered to her as he pulled her closer. She looked at him with a strange glint in her eyes before she did as he asked and he reciprocated.

She gasped lightly as she felt the magic of Beltane and she looked at him with widened eyes and he looked at her with a smile on his face.

Her eyes were full of hunger as her magic extended outwards.

"That is the magic of Beltane" he said as he lead her into the dances of Beltane.

He met her gaze as their magic intertwined with each other and with the magic of Beltane. She loosened up as danced, eyes on each other.

All apprehension was lost from either of them as took in the magic, as they took in each other. 

The songs fell into the distance as they focused on each other, as they swayed gently, moving away from the more extravagant Beltane dances.

He felt giddy, intoxicated on the magic and he knew she was too. Music became whispers into the night as they become each other's centre. He drew her closer and she readily allowed herself to be closer in proximity to her.

He didn't know how long they were in that moment, basking in the magic present in the air, he didn't care. 

They were in an enchantment that neither wanted to break as magic and body became mere concepts that faded away. The magic of Beltane had always felt as if he was high and drunk at the same time but this time...this time there was a different feel to it that he couldn't explain.

He removed both of his hands from her waist and brought them to her face which had locks of hair free obscuring her a little. He tucked the strands back behind her ears and moved to hold her face with one of his hands.

She looked at him with such an intensity that it almost distracted him from what he wanted to do, what he planned on doing.

He palmed her face with his hand and gently caressed her face with his thumbs. 

He was in awe of her beauty tonight. She looked glowing, so utterly magical.

In this moment she was magic. 

He moved his face down and saw her eyes widen a little but she didn't move away, like she always did when they were teasing each other.

He hoped she wouldn't.

Finally when his face was so close that he could almost touch her nose with his own, she moved forward and their lips met for the first time.

He lost all sense of time as he began to move his lips as she did and he didn't know for how long they kissed until she pulled away.

Instantly, he missed the sweet taste of her blood red lips but he opened his eyes and saw her gazing at him with intense eyes.

She said nothing as she raised a hand and pulled him into her and he wrapped his arms around her as they swayed to the tune of the magic with their magic tightly entwined. Her head laid on his chest and he rested his cheek on her head.

The things he felt tonight...What he felt as they kissed...

He knew now he cared far more about Emily than he ever thought possible.

Hours past and soon enough, it was dawn and the magic of the night began to weaken.

They parted and moved to sit on top of a hill. 

They sat next to each other as they watched the sun rise with the crowd directly in front of the coming dawn.

She moved her hand to his and he tightened around her hand.

Nothing was needed to be said. They had danced around it for some time but last night...

They were forever entwined now. 

They both understood this.

Come what may, they would face it together.