Author's Note: Enjoy…

Maggie spent the rest of her Easter break in a daze. She tried writing to Edwin, but she didn't get a reply. After a few days, she Apparated herself to his hometown. However, when his mother opened the door and saw Maggie standing there, she told Maggie with a teary sniffle that Edwin wasn't there.

It was obviously a lie, but Maggie didn't hold it against Mrs. Prince. She knew Edwin had likely told her to say that. It broke Maggie's heart, but she reasoned that he couldn't avoid her forever. He was embarrassed, she told herself. He was upset that Maggie had seen him without his Wolfsbane Potion. That was understandable.

Once they got to school, he would have no choice. Maggie would talk to him then. She would make him understand that her feelings for him hadn't changed, and that Draco's threats were empty and hollow – though, truth be told, Maggie suspected that they were quite genuine. She would just have to figure out how to outsmart him.

Venom filled her heart when she thought about Draco's words, but she refused to think about anything other than Edwin. She would fix this. She would. She was Maggie Malfoy. She didn't let anything stand in her way.

And she wasn't about to start now.

This determination was the only thing that kept Maggie going during her solitary break. Not once did she attend dinner with her family, no matter how much Ginny tried to talk her into it. She refused to let anyone in her room except Athena, who sometimes came and sat with her for a while as Maggie looked listlessly out of the window. She felt a strange sense of urgency, an anxiety that would not go away. Her heart felt like it was in the pit of her stomach, and every day brought with it a new pendulum of dread, swinging back and forth in her mind.

She needed to see him. She had to let him know she loved him. And she had to know he still loved her.

Because he had loved her, hadn't he? He'd never said it, but she'd felt it! Maggie had felt his love, and now it seemed so far away from her, so unreachable. Maggie cried each night of her break, hoping against hope that Edwin would show up on her doorstep like she had for him.

What if he came to their house and demanded to see Maggie? What if he appeared at their front door and told Draco that he didn't care about the other wizard's approval, that Maggie's feelings were the only ones that mattered?

It was a nice dream. Maggie did not think it would really happen.

And it didn't.

There was no valiant appearance, no loving rescue. Edwin did not come to her. He did not contact her. And when Maggie tried, he would not even see her.

Maggie hung her head and cried. On the last night of her stay at the manor, she walked the beautiful halls of Malfoy Manor with her head in a fog and her heart aching. At some point, she passed by Athena's room. Inside, Athena was sitting on her large four-poster bed with her two friends, Marseille and Parvartus. They had marbles between them, even though a bed wasn't a very good place to play marbles.

Athena must have told them about Maggie's argument with Draco, because Parvartus asked her as Maggie walked by, "Athena, would you still love me if I was a werewolf?"

Athena rolled some marbles in her hand. "I think I would love you even more if you were a werewolf, Parvartus," she told him earnestly.

Parvartus looked pleased. "What about you, Marseille? Would you still love me if I was a werewolf?"

"No," said Marseille with a smirk. "I would kill you and turn you into a big, smelly rug!" He and Athena burst out laughing, and Parvartus snorted.

"Well, at least I know who not to tell!" he yelped, before laughing, too.

Maggie sighed heavily and returned to her room.

For a while, she sat near her window and stared out at the moon. After nearly an hour, she narrowed her eyes at the dark night sky and got up, throwing her things into her trunk. She grabbed up Edwin's old bag and tossed it in there as well. It only took her about fifteen minutes, and when she was done, she grabbed her wand and levitated her things out into the corridor.

It was there that Ginny and Draco spotted her, and Draco stepped forward, brows furrowed.

"Maggie, where are you going?"

Maggie shrugged on her cloak and turned her sharp glare to her parents. "I'm going to an inn tonight. And tomorrow, I'm taking myself to King's Cross."

Draco's grey eyes flickered. "But… we always take you to the station. We've done it every year."

Maggie clenched her jaw. She felt hot angry tears gather at the corners of her eyes. "Yeah, well, I don't want you there," she said flatly.

The hurt that passed over Draco's expression caused her heart to fold in on itself, but heated anger kept her from reacting. Ginny frowned deeply, eyes dropping for a moment before she took a cautious step forward.

"Maggie, please don't leave like this…"

"I'm sorry," Maggie said sharply, voice trembling. "But I can't stand to be here anymore. And I'm seventeen. You can't stop me."

Draco drew in a deep breath, and she could see the pain he tried desperately to mask behind indifference. "Maggie, you are not being fair about this," he said, stepping forward. Maggie jerked back, and he stopped where he was. "I am only trying to do what is best for you – "

"What you did was unforgiveable!" Maggie hissed at him, a hot tear falling down her cheek. She blinked rapidly, the words spilling out of her before she could stop them. "And you will be lucky… if I ever set foot in this house again."

Draco's eyes widened, his hand half-extended to her. It froze in the air, and then he lowered it.

Behind Ginny and Draco, a whimper sounded. Maggie looked up to see Athena, hiding behind Ginny and Draco. All three of them looked to her just as Athena began crying. Maggie's chest collapsed with guilt, and she moved quickly past Ginny and Draco, taking her little sister into her arms.

"I'm sorry, Athena," Maggie whispered to her as the little girl cried, looking between her parents and Maggie as if – for all her intellect – she could not understand why her normally loving family was breaking apart. "I'll see you soon, I promise," Maggie told her, and Athena's red, tear-stained face nodded even as she cried more.

Unable to bear it for a moment longer, Maggie sent one last teary glare at Draco, grabbed her things, and left the Malfoy Manor.

It was all she could do not to look back, knowing the anguish she would see there.

Maggie checked into an inn that night, and the next morning, she got up and began her lonely but determined journey to King's Cross Station. There, she got onto Platform 9 ¾ , shoved her trunk at the train's nearest open compartment, and then she hurried up the steps and into the train cars. Without taking a moment to stop for anyone else, she hurried to the very front train car, where she knew McGonagall would once again be waiting.

It was here she would see Edwin. Her heart pounded.

But when Maggie finally arrived at the front train compartment, Edwin was not to be found. McGonagall, on the other hand, waited patiently just as before. Maggie shut the door breathlessly behind her, eyes darting all around.

"Is Edwin here yet?" she asked, without even greeting her headmistress.

McGonagall observed Maggie in silence for a few seconds, her features grave. Maggie's heart sank.

"I am afraid Mr. Prince has renounced his position as Head Boy," McGonagall told her. Maggie's jaw dropped.

"Wha – Why?" cried out Maggie. "Have you seen him? Please, Headmistress! Tell me where he is."

"Mr. Prince is taking a separate route to the school," McGonagall informed Maggie with heart wrenching sympathy. How much did she know? Maggie fought not to cry again. "And he will be living in the Slytherin seventh-year boys dormitories until the end of term."

Maggie's expression crumbled. "But… but Headmistress – "

"I tried to convince him against this," McGonagall admitted softly. "But I am afraid he was quite adamant." She paused. "I am… sorry, Miss Malfoy."

After that, McGonagall gave Maggie a very brief overview of what she needed to know before classes. Then she left, giving Maggie one last look before departing. Maggie sank into her seat, put her hands in her face, and cried all the way to Hogwarts.

By the time they reached the school, Maggie had grown determined once more. Maybe Edwin had left their tower, but he would not be able to hide in class. She would find him. She would corner him. And she would MAKE him talk to her.

As soon as Maggie got to Hogwarts, she hurried up to her tower and went to his room, just to confirm for herself that he was really gone. Edwin's room was empty, stripped of all its Slytherin colors. His bathroom was plain and all his personal items were gone. Even his books in the Common Room were missing.

There was no trace of him left at all.

Maggie fought with herself not to be angry with him. She had no idea what Draco had actually said. He might have threatened him. He might have told him to do just this.

She had to talk to Edwin. She had to be sure.

So, the next morning when classes resumed, Maggie got up and went straight to Potions, focused on nothing else but seeing Edwin. When she got to the classroom, Edwin was not in there.

She waited. And waited. Slughorn got up to begin the lecture. And then – at literally the last minute – Edwin appeared at the door.

Maggie barely kept in her seat.

Edwin entered with his eyes low. He was not using the briefcase she had given him, but instead his old bag with the bad strap. He took a seat as far away from Maggie as he could, right next to the door.

And never once did he look up at her.

Maggie's heart sank once more. She would talk to him as soon as class was over, she reasoned. But as soon as Slughorn dismissed them, Edwin was out of the door so quickly, she had to wonder if he'd somehow managed to Apparate. By the time Maggie reached the hall, Edwin was gone in a crowd of students.

She stomped her foot and let out a frustrated shriek.

All that day, Maggie fought hard to corner Edwin before or after class. However, he managed to evade her each and every time. He did not eat in the Great Hall, and it seemed that whenever he wasn't in class, he was in the Slytherin dungeons. Maggie could technically entered the Slytherin Common Room as Head Girl, but only in emergency.

She would not go for him there. Not yet.

But as the week went on and Edwin continued to escape her, Maggie grew more and more desperate. Every time she thought she had him, Edwin would vanish into a crowd or down a staircase. She had no idea how he managed it, but he never looked in her direction or acknowledged her existence at all. She knew people were gossiping about them, wondering what had gone wrong. The two had been inseparable before.

Maggie said nothing. She didn't care what other people thought. She could barely bring herself to care about her schoolwork.

She was going to talk to Edwin if it bloody killed her.

But still, she could not catch him. She thought he would eventually slip up, or maybe even miss her enough to come to her, but he didn't. Maggie felt anger stir inside of her. Every night, she lay awake in her bed, missing him. And yet each day, she looked at his face and saw absolutely nothing.

Gretchen consoled her the best she could, having little idea what was going on. She thought all of this stemmed from Draco's lack of approval. She had no idea how complex it really was.

Finally, Maggie had had enough. When Edwin left class and disappeared into the Slytherin dungeons, Maggie followed him. Not caring who saw her or reported her for entering without good cause, Maggie went through the Slytherin portrait, stomped through the Common Room, and then went up the staircase to the boys' dormitories. When she found the one with a number 7 on it, she tried to pull it open only to find it was locked.

"Open this door!" she shouted to Avery, who was a dormmate of Edwin's. He was standing nearby, watching with wide eyes.

"It doesn't have a key," he said, shrugging fruitlessly. "Try your wand."

Maggie snarled and pulled out her wand, trying every unlocking charm she knew on the door. But Edwin was clever. He knew Maggie. And when she tried to break down the door with a spell, it held up against that, too. No matter how hard Maggie tried, she could not get past the door. The whole Slytherin Common Room listened as Maggie began beating on the wood, uncaring of who heard her.

"EDWIN!" she yelled, tears choking her. "EDWIN, OPEN THIS DOOR! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! BLOODY COME AND TALK TO ME!" Sobs robbed her of her voice for a moment, and Maggie leaned her head against the door, crying. "Please, Edwin… Please! I don't care what Draco says! Please, just come out and talk to me!"

She leaned against the door with her shoulder and slid to the floor. "Please, Edwin… I miss you."

Nothing. No response. Maggie stayed there for nearly half an hour, but at last, she made herself stand. Edwin would have to open the door eventually, but after begging him to talk to her and getting only silence, Maggie could not bring herself to wait for him anymore. It hurt too much.

So she left the Slytherin dungeons with a hundred stares on her back, feeling her misery settle on her shoulders like a weight. The hope and determination from before were gone.

Edwin wasn't coming back to her.

Inside his dormitory, curled on the floor next to his bed, Edwin pulled his arms over his head and cried.

Back home in Wiltshire, Draco Malfoy sat in an elegant, high-backed chair and stared out a window. For the last three weeks, he had written to Maggie every day, hoping for a letter back. The letters were simple things – asking about school, Quidditch, and what she wanted for her birthday. He tried to tell her how he and Ginny loved her, and he hoped she would at least talk to them soon. He wrote that he only wanted her to be safe. That he hadn't meant to hurt her.

But she had not written back. And each day, the fear grew that she would make good on her word, and never return home. Maggie had been mad at him many times, but she had never looked at him like that. Not once.

It made Draco's stomach twist to think about it. He closed his eyes, but only for a moment. Baby Atticus was sitting on the floor near his feet, playing with a toy and doing his best to shuffle around the room while clinging to furniture, wobbling on his little baby legs. Ginny was out, working at Lavender's shop, so Draco was watching his infant son alone.

It was not nearly enough distraction. Draco could think of nothing but Maggie's hatred for him.

Across the room, a door opened and Athena entered. Draco scarcely noticed her until she was right next to him, extending a small bottle.

"Daddy, will you open this please?"

Draco glanced up tiredly before he nodded, taking the bottle and twisting the cap. Then he noticed the label and raised a brow. "This is Firewhiskey," he said.

Athena's eyes darted around the room. "Yes," she confirmed.

"And what do you need Firewhiskey for?"

"I'm not going to drink it," said Athena, blinking owlishly. "It's for an experiment."

Draco gave her a skeptical look. "You need highly flammable liquor for an experiment?"

"Mmhm."

Draco did nothing but blink for a long moment. Then he sighed and shrugged. "Whatever," he said. He opened the bottle and then looked at Athena again. "Athena, you aren't going to give me trouble in the boy department, are you?"

"I don't think so," said Athena. "I'm probably going to marry Parvartus."

Draco's lips quirked. "Decided that already, have you?"

"Mmhm."

"Have you asked his opinion on this?"

"Mm, no." And then, as if it had just occurred to her, she said, "Do you think I should?"

"Probably safe to wait a few years," said Draco.

"I think you're right," said Athena, nodding. Draco handed her the bottle, and she accepted it. "Thank you, Daddy." Then she turned to head out of the room. However, she stopped before she reached the door and looked back at Draco. "Daddy?"

He looked at her again, chin in his hand. "Yes, darling?"

"You should really let Maggie date Edwin," she said.

Draco's eyes flickered. "And why do you say that?"

Athena tilted her head. "Because one day, I'm going to cure lycanthropy."

Draco couldn't help a small smile. "And I suppose you want Edwin to be the first person you cure? For your sister?"

"Perhaps," said Athena. "Mostly I just need someone around to experiment on. Having Edwin nearby would be convenient." And then she left.

Draco's brows furrowed, and he shifted to look at baby Atticus.

"Are you normal?" he asked desperately.

A few minutes later, Ginny appeared, pulling her hair down from a ponytail as she swept up Atticus and kissed his cheeks. When she saw her forlorn husband in his chair, Ginny put Atticus in his walker and came over to Draco, perching herself on her husband's knees.

"Draco, just go and apologize already."

"Apologize for what, Ginny?" asked Draco irritably, arms moving around his wife's waist. "I am trying to protect her!"

"It's been three weeks, Draco. This isn't going be resolved unless you do something." Ginny shifted in his lap, and then she reached into her robes and pulled out something small from the pocket. Draco felt his chest tighten, and he clenched his jaw as he looked away.

Ginny, rather than letting him ignore it, brought up his hand and gently placed the folded paper bird in his palm. It had pink-tipped wings, and it was rather old.

"Draco," said Ginny softly. "You and I both know this about a lot more than just Edwin's health."

Draco closed his eyes, features hard as he fought to drown out her voice. When Ginny touched his chin, he felt powerless against the desire to open his eyes and see her face. He swallowed hard at her knowing look.

"You don't want Maggie to grow up," whispered Ginny. "And you are doing whatever you can to stop it."

Draco cleared his throat and shifted in the chair. In his hand, he tenderly curled his fingers around the paper bird. For several long moments, Draco said nothing. At last, he spoke.

"I just want her to have the best life possible," he murmured, voice shaking. "How can she do that with someone like Edwin?"

Ginny brushed a hand through his hair. "I don't know, Draco. But if anyone can figure it out, it's Maggie." She traced her fingers over his jaw. "You have got to let her try, darling. You owe her that."

Draco blinked back a tear. "But she's only seventeen. How can she possible know what she's getting into? How can she know her feelings are worth the risk?"

"How old were we, Draco?" asked Ginny with a soft smile. "How old were we when we knew we wanted to risk our lives for each other? For our families? Our friends?" She pressed their foreheads together. "We were Maggie's age when we fought our second war, Draco. Our second war. And now all she's trying to do is be with the young wizard she loves, and everything is working against her. Including us." Ginny pulled away enough to look at Draco's face. "Draco, I understand why you're worried. I am, too. But you cannot hold on to her forever, any more than your own mother could hold on to you."

Draco inhaled deeply, and his eyes dropped to the paper bird.

"You have to trust her, Draco," said Ginny. "You know that, don't you?"

Draco curled his palm around the paper bird, careful not to crush it. Finally, he nodded. "Yes," he whispered. He brought up the curled palm and knocked it lightly against his head. "Fine," he murmured. "I'll go to Hogwarts tonight after my conference. I'll … I'll talk to her first thing in the morning."

Ginny smiled, and she pressed a kiss to Draco's lips. "Really love," she said lightly, "you need to start getting used to this sort of thing – our girls not listening to you, I mean. Because I can't imagine we're going to have any sway over Athena much longer either, smart little bugger that she is."

Draco sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair. "Oh believe me, I know," he said dryly. "How did we make such a brilliant child anyway?"

"No idea."

"Who did you cheat on me with, Ginny? Be honest."

Ginny laughed. "She looks just bloody like you!"

"Glamour charms," said Draco with a shrug, and Ginny rolled her eyes.

"For ten years, Draco? Really?" she asked, before jumping up. "Shut up. Go apologize to Maggie."

Draco groaned and dragged his hands down his face. He did not want to do this.

But he would.

For Maggie.

At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Maggie Malfoy sat on her balcony and stared expressionlessly at the night sky. The moon was round and full, hanging like a colossal orb, watchful and aware. The hour was quite late, well past curfew, but Maggie could not sleep.

Her body itched with a lack of rest, and her eyes felt like sandpaper. Still, she did not close them, and she did not go to bed. It was useless. Each time she laid on her pillow and closed her eyes, misery tugged her mind in a dozen different directions, and sleep simply would not take her.

So instead, she sat on her balcony and looked out at the school she would leave forever in only two weeks time. She was not sure how she would feel on that day. Not now. She did not know if she would experience even an ounce of joy. Would Edwin ignore her on that day, too?

Likely. And then, once the term was over and the seventh years were graduated, she would never see him again. If he could hide from her so well at school, he would never allow her to find him once they were graduated.

Maggie sucked in a deep breath and fought the urge to cry.

She missed Edwin, but the separation from her family was nearly as bad. Draco and Ginny had both written to her, but she had tossed them all in her trunk without opening them.

Edwin had not loved her. He couldn't have. If he had truly loved her, he wouldn't be acting as he was now. He would have come to her. He would have tried. Instead, he'd just given up. He was once more the reclusive, expressionless wizard he'd been all through their schooling.

And it broke Maggie's heart. She had left her home for him. And what had he done?

Scorned her. Left her. Hidden himself away.

Maggie put her face in her hand and cried. Sniffling, she lifted her head to feel the warm breeze against her face, wishing desperately that it was Edwin's gentle hand. Words could not describe how her heart ached. And thinking about her departure from her family – with so much anger, so much hurt – only made her feel worse.

For the first time in her life, she truly considered whether or not her life was worth living.

She looked to the moon again, miserable. It was then that movement caught her eye. Maggie's teary gaze dropped to the lawn of Hogwarts, far below her balcony. For a moment, she wasn't sure what she was looking at. Then she realized it was a student, running full-speed across the moonlit grass in front of the castle. Maggie's brow furrowed, and she looked up at the clock.

It was nearly two am. What on earth was that student doing out?

Maggie stood up and whistled, letting her broomstick jump into her hand. She also grabbed her bag, throwing the strap around her neck. It had her write-up notes in it, and she figured she'd have to send this kid to McGonagall. Tucking the broomstick between her legs, Maggie jumped off her balcony and flew down to the grass, stopping just in front of the little boy as she finally saw his face and realized who he was.

"Parvartus!" she said sharply, barely recognizing her own voice. "What are you doing out here? It's past curfew!"

Her eyes widened when she saw the first-year's horrified expression. "Maggie!" he exclaimed, running to her and clinging to her robes, crying. "Maggie, you have to help!"

"What happened?" asked Maggie, touching his face.

"It's Margrethe and Teddy!" said Parvartus desperately. "Margrethe ran into the Forbidden Forest after her cat, and Teddy went after her! They told me to stay at the lake and wait for them, but it's been hours and they haven't come back!"

Maggie's eyes widened, and fear jumped up her throat. "And you're just now telling someone, Parvartus?" snapped Maggie, looking up at the dark and foreboding tree line.

"I'm sorry!" cried the little boy. "They made me promise not to tell! They said they'd be right back!" He began to sob, and Maggie quickly pulled him around, close to the castle.

"Parvartus, listen to me. Go inside and head straight to McGonagall's office, do you hear? Tell her what happened, and tell her I'm in the forest looking for them. GO! NOW!"

Parvartus whimpered and nodded, turning and running towards the castle. Maggie looked back at the dark trees and pulled out her wand, fury, misery, and fear compounding in her chest as she left her broomstick against the stone wall and hurried forward.

She had to find them.

With a deep breath, Maggie stepped into the Forbidden Forest and raised her wand. Her eyes became watchful and narrowed, jaw locked tight as her eyes swept the shadowy forest floor. Pockets of moonlight struggled through the gnarled tree branches, teasing Maggie with narrow slivers of illumination.

"Lumos," Maggie whispered, and the tip of her wand lit up in a white glow. She looked all around, knowing how large the forest was and hoping against hope that Margrethe and Teddy hadn't gone too far. "Margrethe!" called out Maggie, moving quickly through the overgrown patches of thorny underbrush and upraised roots. Owls hooted in the distance, and invisible creatures stirred in patches of darkness. Maggie felt her throat grow dry. She knew the sorts of creatures that kept in these woods. They were not mere trifles.

"TEDDY!" she bellowed, wand raised high.

Each time she took a step, Maggie flicked her wand behind her, leaving a trail of glowing red specks. It was the only way she could ever hope to return to Hogwarts in one piece. The forest seemed sentient, watching her with malicious delight as she treaded further and further into the darkness. The full moon lingering overhead sometimes disappeared entirely, as if it, too, wanted to go no further.

Maggie closed her eyes and concentrated her Legilimency. She reached out with her mind, hoping to find Teddy or Margrethe.

But she sensed nothing.

So Maggie lifted her wand and concentrated, for the next spell was difficult. "Laasyahnir," she hissed into the darkness. Magical energy jumped from her wand, spreading out into the forest floor and highlighting every living creature in red magical energy. Maggie swallowed hard, her eyes looking around fearfully as she spotted the slow-moving silhouettes of hidden beasts.

There were small ones creeping around the forest floor, cloaked in darkness. A creature roughly the size and shape of an ape was watching her from the trees. In the distance, something tall slipped behind a tree, vanishing one instant and appearing several feet away the next.

It was like peering down into the depth of the ocean, only to see what lurked below. Maggie fought the urge to scream. The forest was full of living things. She had known that.

But she had to press on, even as she trembled with fear. As she looked around her, fighting the urge to shrink into the shadows for safety, she did not see any life energies that looked like a little boy and little girl. Maggie kept going, reaching out with her mind. When the spell faded, she cast it again, and all the living creatures nearby were once more highlighted.

Maggie's insides quaked. Nothing yet.

"Teddy!" she called out again, wand raised high. "MARGRETHE!"

She felt her hope begin to fade. And then – something. A strange, distant presence in her mind. Maggie turned towards it, and she began to walk quickly, following the small circle of light afforded to her by her wand. The spell flickered and faded again, letting all the living creatures of the forest sink back into hiding. Maggie did not recast it, instead focusing in the growing mental presence she felt. It was Teddy's. She knew it, she would have known his mind anywhere.

"Teddy!" she called out loudly. "Margrethe!"

She stopped, looking all around. She was now in the very heart of the forest. She could not see any hint of Hogwarts or the grounds. Even the moon was gone now. "TEDDY!" she screamed.

"Maggie!" came a hushed voice from above, and Maggie's breath caught as she looked all around before her eyes jumped up.

Above her, perched on a branch and crouched protectively in front of Margrethe, was Teddy. Maggie nearly collapsed with relief. "Teddy!"

"Shh!" hissed the little boy, and Maggie now saw that he was covered in scratches, and there was a deep cut on his cheek that would likely scar. Behind him, pressed against the tree trunk, Margrethe hid in the back of his robes and cried softly.

"What is it?" asked Maggie, holding up her illuminated wand high. "Why are you hiding?"

"There's something out there," whispered Teddy down to her, his voice shaking. "It chased us and chased us, and we hid up here! But it's still out there! I can hear it!"

Maggie bit her lip and whirled around. Around her was a sea of darkness. She could hear the faint stirrings of animals in the brush, but she could not see anything. She lifted her wand.

"Laasyahnir," she whispered, her heart pounding.

Again, all living creatures around her appeared in a dark red magical glow. There did not seem to be many this time.

But there was one larger than all the others. It was about twenty feet in front of Maggie. The shape was difficult to discern, and when Maggie shifted around slowly, she could tell it was hunched over. It seemed to be moving rapidly without changing spots, jerking back and forth. Maggie swallowed hard and held up her wand, the glowing white tip pouring what light it could into the pitch blackness.

Maggie edged forward. She could not see the creature yet, but she could hear it grunting. There was the sound of jaws crunching, and the ripping of flesh. Maggie's insides trembled violently. She was about to step back when her wand's light caught the tail of the beast.

It was tufted, dark and short.

Maggie's eyes widened. Unable to stop herself, she lifted the wand higher to see the great large back, the matted fur, and the ears of a large lupine head. Maggie felt her throat close up.

"… Edwin?" she whispered.

The beast stopped, and then it turned, rising to its full height as it did so.

Maggie's lips parted in fear, and her hold on the wand nearly failed entirely. The creature looked right at her, lips pulled back in a snarl.

It was a werewolf, but it was not Edwin.

Maggie took a step back, blinking rapidly against the frightened tears that threatened. The werewolf advanced slowly, teeth bared. They were stained red with blood; the werewolf had been eating a dead fawn.

Maggie heard a terrified whimper behind her, and she knew it was Margrethe. They were still in the tree… a tree the werewolf could scale in seconds, if it spotted them. Maggie drew in as deep a breath as she could muster.

"Teddy," she said loudly, never taking her eyes off the werewolf. It advanced on her, and she continued to step back. "On the count of three, I want you to run as fast as you can… " she pointed at the red glimmering trail she had created, "…that way."

"But… but Maggie – " whispered Teddy in trembling tones.

"Do as I say!" snapped Maggie, locking eyes with the werewolf. "One…" She raised her wand. "Two… " She narrowed her eyes. "THREE!"

The werewolf leaped at Maggie, and Maggie met it half-way.

Ducking low and sliding on her knees, Maggie thrust up her wand. "STUPEFY!" The spell rocked the werewolf with such force that it was flung out of the air and into a tree. Teddy and Margrethe jumped down at the same time and took off running, hand in hand.

The werewolf got back to its feet, shaking its head and letting out a soul-shattering snarl. It started after Teddy and Margrethe, but Maggie blasted it with a spell, and the werewolf barely dodged it before rounding on her. Maggie's eyes widened, and she turned and ran just as the werewolf bolted at her, howling in anger. Adrenaline pulsing through her blood, Maggie looked over her shoulder to see the werewolf nearly on her, so she catapulted herself off the ground with a quick spell and flew up into the trees, landing on a tree branch just as the werewolf jumped up after her, crashing through branches and snapping right at her ankles. Maggie screamed and twisted around the trunk of the tree, sprinting away from the limb and onto another.

The werewolf rushed through the branches, its large body breaking the small pieces of wood with stunning ferocity. Maggie jumped up and grabbed a branch, barely swinging out of the way as the werewolf swiped at her with a large bloody claw. It got caught between two thick branches, and Maggie turned and ran to the next tree, screaming when the werewolf burst loose and leaped at her with a roar.

Turning sharply, Maggie let herself drop through the branches and hit the next one below her on her stomach, knocking the wind from her lungs. The werewolf missed her and crashed into another trunk, free falling several feet to the forest floor below.

Maggie heaved in a deep breath and dropped to the ground again, finding her footing and trying to run in the opposite direction. The werewolf pushed itself back up with inhuman strength and slashed at the tree trunk in frustration, nearly severing it in half.

It crouched to bolt after Maggie, but a cry got its attention, and Maggie looked to see – to her horror – that Teddy and Margrethe had not made it out of the forest yet. Margrethe's foot was stuck in a root, and Teddy was trying desperately to free her. Maggie's heart stopped when the werewolf turned and raced at the children.

Then she slashed out with her wand, casting two spells in the blink of an eye – one to lock her feet to the ground, and the next to send out a glowing gold rope, which she wrapped around the werewolf's back leg like a lasso and yanked up with all her strength. The werewolf was jerked to a stop and fell onto its stomach with a furious growl, just inches out of arms reach of Margrethe, who screamed at the top of her lungs.

The werewolf let out a howl and stretched out as far as it could go, bloody claws digging into the damp forest floor as it fought desperately to get to Teddy and Margrethe.

"NO, YOU DON'T!" screamed Maggie, pulling as hard as she could on the struggling werewolf. The spell holding her feet in place began to waver, and Maggie dug in her heels, her muscles aching with the effort to keep the snarling, flailing werewolf in place.

"GOT IT!" shouted Teddy, freeing Margrethe's foot at last. The little girl was limping, but Teddy pulled her along, and they were once more dashing through the Forbidden Forest, following Maggie's trail to the grounds of Hogwarts.

The werewolf roared furiously, and then it looked back at Maggie. With a feral growl, it closed one large clawed hand around the golden rope tied to the end of Maggie's wand, and it yanked Maggie out of her spell and off her feet, flinging her through a dozen or more branches before she flew straight of the treeline and into the open grass outside Hogwarts, where she landed with a crunch. Her bag flew off her torso and landed a few feet away.

Only a few steps ahead of her, still many yards away from the castle, Teddy and Margrethe stumbled their way to safety. The moon was on them once more, bathing the open grounds of Hogwarts in white luminescence.

Out of the forest, savage and lethal, the werewolf appeared. It fell to all fours and advanced slowly, blood-stained teeth bared and lips pulled back in a snarl. Maggie choked with fear, and she rolled over on the grass to grab her wand.

It was then that she realized the crunch she'd heard when she landed was not one of her bones. It was her wand.

It had been snapped in two.

Maggie's eyes widened, and she looked back up to see the werewolf moving on her. However, it looked sharply over her head, and she could see now that it was watching Teddy and Margrethe stumble back to the castle.

Maggie's insides quivered, and her glassy eyes looked around. There was an old stone wall nearby, some old structure forgotten on the forest-side of the lake. If she jumped behind that, she might be able to escape the werewolf.

But then it would be on Teddy and Margrethe in three great leaps.

Maggie looked back at the werewolf, and it locked eyes with her, daring her to fight now that she had no wand. Maggie blinked rapidly, tears falling down her cheeks. She looked one last time over her shoulder, only for the second that she dared.

Teddy and Margrethe were still running. They were not safe.

So Maggie looked back at the werewolf, and she breathed in a deep, shuddering breath. Without breaking her gaze from its, Maggie crouched low and reached in her fallen bag.

She pulled out her Beater's bat.

With a quick flick of her wrist, she tossed the handle into her hand and raised the bat high.

The werewolf roared at her. Maggie roared right back.

Then, all at once, the werewolf rushed at her. Maggie charged at it, too, and as soon as the werewolf swiped at her with its massive claws, Maggie ducked and brought up the bat as hard as she could. It connected with the werewolf's jaw with a loud crack, and the werewolf lurched to the side, crying out in wild pain.

Screaming, Maggie brought the bat down its head again, bashing its skull. The werewolf took two hits and swayed dangerously, but then it knocked Maggie hard with the back of its large hand, and Maggie went flying again, this time rolling on the grass several feet away and losing her bat.

No sooner had she looked up to see the werewolf racing at her than a large tree branch came flying through the air. Maggie shrieked and rolled out of the way just as the tree branch smashed into the ground where she'd been only seconds before, and Maggie began to scramble all over the place, only faintly registering that she was now in reach of the Whomping Willow.

"Fuck!" she shrieked, falling this way and that, doing her best to avoid getting crushed without going in the direction of the werewolf. The werewolf hurried forward, leaping aside when the vicious tree's branches swiped at it, too. Maggie kept pulling further and further back, close to the tree's trunk, and each time she did, the werewolf ducked another hit from the willow and advanced further on her.

Maggie stumbled, falling onto her back and barely avoiding another branch as it crushed the ground between her spread legs, catching her robes but not her fragile bones. The werewolf was close now, and as Maggie felt herself fall against the roots of the magical tree, she knew she had nowhere to go.

Her chest heaved with sobs, and she felt fear like never before in her life. Her only comfort was that Teddy and Margrethe had to be safe by now. They would be okay.

So Maggie closed her eyes and waited for the werewolf to reach her. It was only a few feet away, still dodging branches.

Just then, something jolted Maggie violently from behind, and she sat straight-up, terror and confusion filling her. The werewolf in front of her snarled, advancing ever closer. The tree's base shook again, and Maggie's teary eyes widened. She looked to the approaching werewolf, and then back to the shaking tree, unsure what to do. A hard thud echoed in the tree once more, and Maggie felt frozen.

Then her head jerked to the side. The werewolf was right there next to her. In the next instant, it leaped, claws extended.

That was when the tree's base burst open, and a massive creature collided with the werewolf in mid-air, flying over Maggie's head and sending them both soaring out of the tree's reach and into the open grass once more.

The werewolf rolled on the grass and then jumped back up, snarling with anger.

Edwin, enormous in his werewolf form, stood on two legs and let out a furious, echoing roar the likes of which Maggie had never heard. Then he leaped at the other werewolf and snatched him to the ground with razor-sharp claws, sharp teeth snapping at the werewolf's throat.

Maggie pitched forward in all fours and hurried through the Whomping Willow's branches again, fighting to avoid being hit as she jumped forward and rolled out of range. Somewhere in the distance, a voice called her name, but Maggie could not answer because in the next moment, Edwin and the werewolf slammed into the ground right next to her, all teeth and claws and growls. Maggie shrieked and dropped to her stomach as the two huge beasts tangled right next to her, the werewolf flinging Edwin off him and tossing him right over Maggie.

Maggie's head jerked up to see the werewolf raise itself up to strike her, but Edwin jumped to his feet and stopped the werwolf's claws with his own, inches from Maggie's head as she ducked and tossed up her arms. The two werewolves grappled over Maggie's head, large clawed feet cutting up earth and digging deep rivets into the grass as they struggled.

Maggie crawled out from between them and moved to run, but as soon as she did, the werewolf escaped Edwin and went running for her. Edwin rushed forward, snatching the werewolf with claws in its shoulder-blades, causing it to howl in pain. With a great loud snarl, Edwin yanked the werewolf off the ground and tossed it across the grass. He jumped on the werewolf with a flurry of movements too fast for Maggie to see, and the werewolf lashed out, cutting Edwin's chest with three deep claw marks that caused Edwin to yelp in pain.

Maggie turned to run – she could see now that people were outside the castle, and she heard a voice shout her name again – was that Draco? No, it couldn't be – but when she looked back at Edwin and the werewolf, the insane creature now had Edwin beneath him, and Edwin was inches away from having his throat bitten and ripped out.

Maggie stared, her chest heaving. And then, without another thought, she ran back at the feuding werewolves, picked up her fallen Beater's bat and – without breaking her stride – she smashed it into the face of the werewolf with all her might. The wood splintered and broke, and the werewolf cried out in pain as a large piece of the bat became lodged in its eye.

Edwin brought up both clawed feet and shoved the werewolf off, leaping back up even as blood poured from his chest. In a flash of movement, he was on the other werewolf again, and this time he pulled back a large clawed hand and – with a great, loud roar – jabbed it into the creature's chest.

The werewolf sputtered and flailed, but the damage was done. Edwin yanked out his claws, and then he picked up the werewolf's huge body and tossed it through the sky. The werewolf's lifeless form flew through the air and landed in the lake, where it disappeared with a splash.

Edwin fell to all fours, panting heavily. Maggie turned slowly, her aching fingers lowering her bat. It fell from her hands and landed noiselessly on the grass.

Edwin's eyes, still human, met Maggie's. She stepped closer to him.

Nearby, a group of nearly all the students at Hogwarts watched, shocked. Maggie did not even register them. She could only look at Edwin, bloody gashes in his chest and sharp teeth bared as he fought to catch his breath. She stepped forward, extending a hand.

He jerked, and Maggie pulled back. But then a flash of light caught her eyes, and she realized Edwin had not pulled away from her.

The sun was coming up.

"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Maggie, yanking off her light spring cloak.

In front of her – and everyone else – Edwin's lupine form trembled and shook, his body lurching back against the grass. He yowled and groaned, sharp teeth snatching even as the long snout receded and the jowls fell back. The hair began to fall away, sinking into soft white skin.

Maggie rushed forward and draped the cloak over him. It was not quite long enough, but it covered him from the waist down, at least. Edwin's voice turned from a snarl to a yell, and he rocked back and forth on his hands and knees, slowly, slowly turning back into a human.

On the horizon, the sun continued to make its slow, lazy appearance.

"AGH!" shouted Edwin, his bones shifting, breaking, and reforming once more. Maggie crouched next to him, her eyes filling with tears once more as she saw his bare chest appear, still gashed by three cuts that would no doubt live forever as scars. Edwin's slim arms and narrow shoulders appeared as well, and his hair fell back to his head, messy and brown like before.

At long last, Edwin's human eyes – flecked with gold and green – flickered and looked up to Maggie.

"Oh Merlin," he croaked, reaching for her immediately. "Are you alright? Oh, Maggie…"

Maggie fell into his arms, pulling him to her with a cry. "Edwin!" she exclaimed, but he pressed her back so he could see her. His entire body trembled, but he gripped her with all the strength he could muster, looking over every inch of her he could see.

"Maggie – Merlin, are you – please – "

"I'm fine, I'm fine," murmured Maggie over and over. "I didn't get bitten or scratched, I swear – I'm fine…"

With a cry, Edwin tugged her to him again, enfolding her in his arms even as he still lay on the grass, barely covered by the cloak. "I'm sorry," he sobbed to her. "I missed you so much, and I just – I couldn't – "

Maggie ran her hands over his face and through his hair, gripping him as tightly as he held her.

Edwin's lips turned and brushed over her cheek, tears streaming down his face. His love for her poured through his touch, filling Maggie so suddenly with the depth of it that she nearly choked.

At last, the pair noticed all the people watching. At the forefront of the astonished group was Draco Malfoy. Maggie and Edwin turned slowly, still holding each other on the grass.

The grounds were silent. The entire student body of Hogwarts stared.

It was Teddy Lupin who spoke up at last.

"That was totally WICKED!" he shouted, before pointing vehemently. "We have the coolest Head Boy and Head Girl EVER!"

He and Margrethe burst into applause, and Parvartus joined them. Slowly, other claps and shouts joined them, and within moments, the entire group was cheering.

Edwin's mouth fell open.

"You saved us!" shouted Margrethe happily. "Maggie and Edwin saved us!"

The warm glow of the sun fell around them, lifting the darkness of the night away. Maggie let out an incredulous laugh, looking to Edwin's astounded expression and touching his face with loving fingertips. He leaned into her touch, sliding his hand over hers and brushing her palm with his lips longingly.

Someone appeared at their side, and Maggie looked up to see Draco Malfoy kneeling next to them. In one smooth movement, he swept his much larger cloak over Edwin and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, lifting him to his feet so he could stand. Maggie and Edwin gaped at Draco, who looked at Maggie behind Edwin's back and gave her a soft smile. Then he looked back at Edwin.

"Let's get you some clothes, shall we?" he said to Edwin, and the astonished young wizard nodded jerkily. Reaching out with his other hand, Edwin took Maggie's fingers in his shaking grip, and they went together past the cheering group and on into the castle.

Two weeks later, Maggie crossed a stage filled with eager Hogwarts students. When she reached the end, it was Headmistress McGonagall who waited for her.

"Congratulations, Miss Malfoy," said the wise headmistress with a smile.

Maggie beamed. "Thank you, Headmistress." She accepted the diploma, and then stepped off the stage. Instead of going back to her seat, though, she waited through the next several names until it came at last.

"Edwin Prince."

On the stage, Edwin accepted his diploma with a smile, worn features brilliant in their joy. He nodded to McGonagall and crossed the stage . His free hand reached for Maggie's before he was even down the steps, and as soon as they were able, the two graduates laced fingers and walked to their seats together, shoulder to shoulder and smiling.

As soon as the ceremony ended, they hurried over to their two families where they sat side by side. Maggie let herself fall into Draco's arms in a tight hug, and he looked over her adoringly. Then his eyes flickered over to Edwin and his parents.

"Come on then," he said, gesturing to all of them. "We have a dinner reservation to keep!"

Edwin reached for Maggie again, and she happily took his hand.

"I love you," she told him.

Edwin's paused and lifted her knuckles to his lips, kissing them softly.

"I know," he said coyly, and Maggie laughed long and loud.

Four Years Later

"Something about this still doesn't sound right."

Edwin paced their bedroom, flipping through one piece of parchment after the other.

"You're overthinking it, love," said Maggie, before turning to lean on their dresser. She straightened and walked over to her boyfriend, hands moving over his shoulders which were only covered by an open house robe. "Give it til tomorrow."

"But the hearing is tomorrow," pointed out Edwin, biting his lip.

"You're going to do great!" Maggie told him, smiling. "You always do. That court room is yours." She took the legal files away from him and put them on a table next to their bed. Edwin made a face, but he nodded.

When Maggie handed him his Wolfsbane Potion, he gulped it down and let her take the empty bottle away. Then she kissed his cheek and stepped back. "Once you transform, we can look over the file again. I promise."

"Good, thank you," said Edwin, relaxing. He moved away from Maggie and stood in the center of their room. The seconds ticked by, and then the minutes. Maggie waited, studying her fingernails.

"Take your time, love," she teased.

Edwin huffed. "Nothing is happening."

Maggie's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Edwin flapped his arms. "I don't feel anything."

Maggie straightened from her spot. "Are we sure tonight is the full moon?"

"Of course we're sure," said Edwin, striding across the room and looking at the calendar. "See, right there? Today is the fifteenth, isn't it?"

"Aye," said Maggie, putting her hands on her hips. "Maybe we misjudged the time."

Edwin turned on his heel and walked to the window, where he pulled open the curtains.

The moon shone down brilliantly on them, round and full. Edwin balked, as did Maggie, who came up behind him. "That is so odd," she said, perplexed. "And you don't feel anything? Really?"

Edwin looked down at his body, outrageously confused. "No," he said, shrugging. "Nothing at all – "

"SUCCESS!" Athena burst out of their closet.

"ARGH!" screamed Maggie and Edwin in unison, and Maggie tossed out her arms. When she saw it was Athena, she made a loud shrieking noise. "What the hell Athena! What are you doing in our CLOSET?"

Athena ignored her, rushing forward and grabbing Edwin's face with her hands. "Look at that, Parvartus! Not a symptom in sight!" A wild grin took over her face. "Perfection," she whispered, eyes glittering.

Behind her, Parvartus also came out of the closet and brushed himself off.

"What is going on, Athena?" growled Maggie, stomping her foot.

Athena released Edwin. "Did you drink it all?" she asked him excitedly. "Down to the last drop?"

"Drink what?" asked Edwin incredulously.

"The potion I slipped into your coffee this morning," answered Athena, and Edwin sputtered. "Didn't even notice the taste, did you?" went on Athena proudly. "We've been working on it for ages."

"Working on what, Athena?" asked Maggie, eyes wide.

Athena grinned slowly. "A cure," she whispered.

Maggie and Edwin's jaws dropped.

"Or at least, that's what I hoped it would be," went on Athena, tapping her chin. "To be quite honest, the last few attempts have been absolutely disastrous."

"Mm," said Parvartus in agreement. "Poor Victor."

"Oh, I know," said Athena conversationally. "We should visit him soon."

"I think he's still in a coma."

"Oh," said Athena, before waving a hand dismissively. "Well anyway, the point is, this time it worked." She held up both hands. "Now, Edwin, what I need for YOU to do is keep an eye out for any symptoms or side-effects – muscle aches, fever, internal bleeding, that sort of thing." She pointed. "Oh, and definitely tell me if you see purple boils, that is very, very bad – " she tapped her chin. "On second thought, you might want to just go straight to the hospital, there's really nothing I can do for you at that point."

Maggie and Edwin stared, mouths open.

"Well!" said Athena, clapping her hands together. "We'd best be off." She turned to her best friend and thrust a finger into the air. "Parvartus! This calls for victory ice cream."

"Ooh, good idea!" said Parvartus.

Athena rounded to face Maggie and Edwin again. "Good-bye various family members. I hope you enjoy your evening of – copulating, or whatever it is you two do. Farewell!"

With that, she bounced off with Parvartus, who turned and waved before disappearing with Athena.

The door shut, and Maggie and Edwin were alone again, bathed in the bright moonlight streaming in through their window.

Edwin looked down slowly at his human hands, and he reached up to touch his unchanged face. His eyes drifted to the full moon outside, and for a long moment, nothing happened.

Then he burst into tears, and Maggie wrapped him up in her arms, laughing through her own sobs as they sank to the floor together.

"Oh, my love…" murmured Maggie, rocking back and forth with him. "Look at you! Look at you…"

She kissed him over and over and over again, and they stayed like that all night.

Six months later, Athena made her cure available to the public.

For free.

And no one who took it – including Edwin Prince – ever transformed again.

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"If it's a girl, you should name her Athena."

"Athena?" repeated Ginny, laughing. "Where did you hear that name?"

"I read it in a book," said Maggie. "Athena was very, um, smart and powerful and strong, and she was um, really beautiful, too. I'm pretty sure she was a hero."

"Is that what you think our child will be?" asked Draco with amusement. "A hero?"

"Well, sure," Maggie said earnestly. "That's what you two are!"

- The Sacred 28, Chapter 30

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The End.