It was almost midnight when Kylo climbed out of the portrait hole, his thoughts dark and dwelling on the note he'd slipped into his back pocket.

All was quiet in the castle except the muffled echo of his footfalls as he passed through the empty halls. A portrait nearby snuffled in her sleep, and he reflexively tugged at his left sleeve. An unfortunate habit he'd picked up recently. It was a gross display of weakness, but he had good reason for it. He'd never been summoned for a private meeting with his Uncle before, except maybe once or twice in his first year, so this late night conversation was rather disconcerting.

What if his Uncle suspected he'd become a Deatheater? He'd done his best to be careful over the last few days, but there was always a chance he'd slipped up. Like last night, for example.

The girl.

His frown deepened. She'd been making a nuisance of herself lately, and though it seemed unlikely, there was a chance that she knew something and had told his Uncle of her suspicions. He couldn't imagine what would happen if his Uncle managed to read his thoughts, and saw the Dark Lord's plans for Harry Potter...

He shuddered at the idea. He'd seen what the Dark Lord did to those who failed him, the pain that they endured. He had no desire to be among them.

His jaw was set as he swept around the corner and approached the bottom of the staircase. He wasn't sure what his Uncle had in store for him, but he'd learned much about occlumency over the summer. Perhaps now was the time to test it, to prove his worth and tap into his potential. Perhaps he could-

There was a short intake of breath behind him.

He automatically reached for his Uncle's letter. "I have permission from the Headmaster to-"

He came to a stumbling halt. He'd expected to meet a prefect while on this walk, or maybe a professor, but it was neither.

It was her.

It was always her.

He could feel her emotions roiling beneath her frozen facade, and he knew he shouldn't antagonize her. Now was not the time for a duel in the hallways. And yet something kept him rooted to the floor.

He'd heard the rumors about last night. Rey hadn't been caught with the Dameron brothers, she'd been missing for hours until she'd arrived at Professor McGonagall's office covered in rain and mud.

Fear ensnared him.

What if she'd managed to follow him? What if, in all the confusion, she'd somehow tracked them to the whomping willow, and overheard their plans? They'd taken every possible precaution, set up spells around the shrieking shack that would have informed them if anyone was snooping. He also knew she didn't know how to apparate, but what if...

He turned about to fully face her and pulled out his wand, hiding it behind him.

She tensed, and he let an uncomfortable silence linger between them.

"I heard the Dameron brothers weren't expelled after last night's unfortunate accident. That must be a great relief to you."

"What do you want?" She spat.

"From you? Nothing much. Just your memories." He took a step towards her.

"Stop where you are or you'll regret it."

He paused, pretending to consider, then took another.

The spell came at him so fast, he barely had time to deflect it. He laughed. "You've mastered non-verbal spells. I'm impressed."

She bared her teeth and let the curses fly. But she was no match for him. He prowled, steadily guiding her towards the stair railing. Then when the moment was right, he cast a curse close enough to catch her off balance.

He flicked his wand and she flew back with an unholy shriek. She landed up against the side of the stairwell, and he smiled. Just as he planned it.

Another flick and she was bound tightly to the railing.

He took his time picking up her wand, which she'd dropped in her surprise. "Incarcerous. A very useful spell, especially when one's opponent doesn't know when they're in over their head."

She was struggling against her restraints when he bent down to look at her more closely. He'd rarely been this close to her before, close enough to see the small scar on her right cheek, and the light smattering of freckles across her nose. Then there were her eyes. They glistened in the torchlight, alive with fear. Tears threatened to fall from her dark lashes.

"It's useless to fight. We both know I can take whatever I want." He raised his wand, the one he'd made and trained to use for stronger spells. "Legilimens."

Her memories were watery before him. He could see only vague pictures before they rippled, then went black.

He frowned. She frowned back, breathing hard.

"Legilimens!"

Her teeth clenched and she hissed. He found himself unable to grasp the images in her mind, but they were ever so slowly rising to the surface. He could feel her will slipping. If he could only see but a picture…

At last there was a crack.

She gasped.

He could see her on the stairwell, the entire scene of last night's adventure on display. He watched her fall down the stairs, and run to help Finn, who was holding Poe's lifeless form over an abyss. Then she was dodging Filch, apparently invisible, and sneaking behind a dark figure in a hall. He heard a loud cackling, and her hand reached out, placing something very small inside the pocket of a very familiar belt...

His hand twitched back. Confusion filled him, and his attention wavered. Not much, but enough for her to regain control.

No!

He wasn't fast enough to shutter his wild thoughts. She was inside his mind in a flash, her will so strong that for a moment he completely forgot himself.

The Dark Lord had done the same to him many times before, but he had never felt this same level of-

Connection.

It was her voice that spoke the thought inside his head. Emotions flooded him like a wave. Confusion. Anger. Shame. And something else he didn't dare name...

With a gasp he broke the link, and they were both panting. Kylo could still feel the ghost of her inside his head, and it sent a shiver down his spine. She was powerful, even more powerful than she knew.

Ben?

"Shut up!" He stumbled back with a vicious shake of his head.

She was staring at him with wide eyes, and for a moment he was caught in their spell.

Then reason began to return. A sudden impulse seized him. The stunning spell he released hit her in the chest. She convulsed once and slumped sideways, eerily still.

He released an unsteady breath, watching her for some moments before dropping her wand at her feet.

"Silencio." He muttered at last, sealing her momentary silence, then with a blink he turned and made his way up the stairs to his Uncle's office.