Chapter Forty-Six

Draco being in the Hospital Wing gave Daisy more than an opportunity to get on the Quidditch team - it gave her a sense of routine.

In the morning, she'd make her way to the Hospital Wing and have breakfast with him, catching him up on anything interesting he might have missed from the Common Room the night before. It felt good to be in a position to have the gossip rather than be excluded from it. Blaise, Theodore and Tracy would then pick her up on the way to class, filling her up on anything that had happened at breakfast. Daisy was taking notes for Draco which forced her to pay close attention to her teachers instead of being distracted by her own thoughts. She was currently trying to weigh up the pros and cons of going after Black. Knowing Snape had her back did lift some of the weight off her shoulders, allowing her to try and concentrate on schoolwork during the day and leave the heavy thinking to when she was behind the drawn curtains of her four-poster bed.

Contrary to Harry's current belief, she wasn't actively out to ruin his life. She just didn't think it fair that everyone thought he was the sweetest person in the entire world. Though there was a part of Daisy that regularly pointed out the hypocrisy of her forgiving everyone but him, the loss of her family still felt raw. She couldn't help but hate him for being able to go back to them when she couldn't.

At lunch and dinner, she'd only stay at the Hospital Wing long enough to drop off a copy of her class notes. Parkinson had claimed that time as her own to sit by Draco's bedside. Daisy had better things to do than argue with the bint, so she focused on getting to know her housemates better in the Common Room - specifically Tracey Davis (who she had decided to stop calling her by her surname almost instantly much to the other girl's delight). It was strange to think that had things gone differently, the two of them might have ended up closer. It was even stranger to think that they still might.

Tracey had mastered the art of paying close attention to even the most whinging of whines (perhaps from all her time spent with Parkinson). Given that Daisy spent most of her time complaining about something or other it was a welcome trait. The boys had reached the point where they would either filter it out or have a sarcastic comment or two to add. Tracey also had a flair for fashion which made flicking through catalogues all that more fun - on Wednesday she had even customised Daisy's skirts so that the stitching was now green. Daisy was looking forward to learning more about fashion and makeup magic which hadn't been much of a priority before. It would be nice to stand out for a reason other than being mentioned in every article about Lockhart, Sirius Black and her mysterious Ministry attackers who were still at large.

Draco, on the other hand, was sick and tired of the routine by the time Thursday morning came round. Daisy sat on a chair, silently laughing in between sips of the Nutrition Potion Madam Pomfrey had made for her when she expressed a desire to reach a healthier weight than the one she was at, while Draco tried to make the discharge procedure go faster. Yes, he understood that he wasn't to do anything with his left arm; yes, he understood what to look out for and come back instantly if he felt it; yes, he was more than capable of casting the spell to keep the bandages from getting wet when he bathed.

He was about to get ready when an unexpected visitor appeared.

"Pansy!" Daisy greeted, smiling sweetly at the other girl. "What an unexpected delight to see you so early in the morning. Have you come to do something about your face?"

"Actually, Dursley," Parkinson replied through gritted teeth, "I've come to see Draco. I thought we could walk to class together."

"Isn't that so sweet? Draco - were you aware that Miss Parkinson here is deeply in love with you and foresees marriage in the not-so-distant future?" Draco spluttered. "You're far too good for her obviously. If you get a say in my love life, I think it only fair you provide me with god-children of good breeding. You couldn't possibly introduce her features into the family line."

"Daisy!" Draco snapped when he finally found his words, his cheeks red, but nothing in comparison to the shade that Parkinson was turning. "Enough!"

"Okay, okay, no need to shout," Daisy said, grabbing her book bag. "I'll leave you two star-crossed lovers in peace. Which is funny, because you're named after a star. See you in class!"

Daisy could only laugh as Parkinson finally burst as she skipped across through the Hospital Wing door.

"Draco, she is such a bitch! I hate her, I hate, I hate her!"

She was still chuckling to herself when the pair arrived in the dungeons where the class was lined up waiting for Professor Snape's arrival, Slytherins on one side and Gryffindors on the other. Draco levelled a glare at her as he approached their group, though it was nothing compared to the daggers Parkinson was sending her way as she fell back to the end of the line. Parkinson realised her social ranking had plummeted and she knew better than to try and muscle her way back in.

"I've been through a horrific accident," he began the moment he reached Daisy's side, "I almost lost my arm to that beast of a creature and endured hours of pain, and this is how you repay me?"

"I confessed Parkinson's love to him this morning," Daisy explained to a confused group. "I may have also voiced my disapproval which she did not approve of."

"I don't even fancy her!"

"All the time you spend together says otherwise."

"And what does that make you and Zabini, huh?"

"Best friends," Daisy countered, weaving her arm through Blaise's. "I'll be best man at your wedding, won't I? Do wizards do that?"

"Some do. Will you be expecting me to wear a dress as your maid of honour?" Blaise countered, grateful for every moment that she initiated contact. He was still unsure when it was okay for him to do so. It broke his heart whenever she jumped at unexpected touch. "I do think I look good in green - or were you thinking gold?"

"Ooo - gold. Or how about silver? Or would that wash you out?"

"You two are incorrigible!" Draco snapped, scowling when he only received laughter in return. His face steadily morphed into a pout. "I'm injured. You're supposed to be nice to injured people."

"Oh, my poor bubba," Daisy cooed, reaching out to pinch his cheeks, grinning as he struggled to bat her away with his good arm encumbered by his insistence on carrying his own book bag. "Is Drakie Wakie not grateful enough that I'll be cutting up all his Potions ingredients for the foreseeable future?"

"I mean, it's got to be Stockholm Syndrome," Dean Thomas commented loudly from the other side of the corridor as he watched the interaction. "They took her from her parents - basically killed one really - and she's happy to act like it's nothing."

"What is your problem, Thomas?" Daisy demanded. He'd been a pain in the backside since the end of last year and the summer holidays hadn't calmed his bark.

"You are. How long are you going to stay silent? You know what they're like. You've met Umbridge - you know exactly how far she went to get a confession for something you didn't do - and still you say nothing. The Malfoys stole you from your family and you act like they saved you. They killed your father, forced us all to be here, forced us all to register - how long before they start kidnapping other Muggleborn children? How long before the killing starts, huh?"

Daisy sighed, already bored of this. "I don't do politics, Thomas."

"You are the bloody politics! You're an excuse for their measures - and they're just going to get worse!"

"Well, Umbridge got fired and my mother abandoned me and my father tried to kill me, so I really don't know what you want me to say. I hate the Malfoys for saving my life…?"

"It's not all about you."

"Contrary to popular opinion, you'll find the world does revolve around me actually," Daisy said, striking a pose. "I'm Daisy Dursley."

"That you are," Snape said as he arrived to open the door. "Our resident celebrity. Well - don't just stand there - in you get."

Though Slytherins and Gryffindors tended to stick to their own side of the room, Bullstrode choosing to sit with Neville had upset some sacred balance, and somehow (though Daisy wondered if it had been on purpose), she and Draco ended up sitting at the same workstation as Harry and Ron. Daisy hated these four-by-four workstations some of the Potions classrooms had instead of the two-by-two which made sure this kind of thing never happened. She tried to focus on the Shrinking Solution they were making that day, gathering up the ingredients and setting them up while Draco mainly sat there, giving her the odd instruction on how he preferred his workstation to be set up.

"I'm so sorry I have to be such an inconvenience to you," Draco said in a tone that didn't sound sincere at all, "but here we are. The only consolation is that Hagrid probably won't be a teacher much longer. Father is incredibly displeased by the entire situation, and as you know, his role as Head Governor on the Hogwarts Board of Governors does carry some weight."

"Keep talking Malfoy, and I'll give you something else to cry about," Ron snarled under his breath, but loud enough to be heard. Daisy rolled her eyes at the gleam that appeared in Draco's eyes. Ron had caught the bait.

"And you know how incredibly close Father is to the Minister, Daisy. Everything that's happened with you and now this - it's a terrible affair. Swift action will have to be taken."

"Do you really have nothing better to do than getting Hagrid sacked?" Harry asked.

"Well, it's not like it's undeserved, cousin," Daisy said, not looking up from the Shrivelfigs she was skinning. She added her own before passing the board to Draco so he could tip his in. "Our first class and he brings out those things. And Draco might never regain full use of his arm if he's not careful."

"It's his own fault!"

"So you keep saying, but only you and your friends can verify it. Now, I'm not calling you a liar but…"

She smiled as Harry fell silent, with only a frustrated groan moments later as he butchered his own ingredients. For awhile, the only sound that could be heard was the bubbling of cauldrons and the chopping of ingredients, before Seamus leaned over to borrow Harry's scales.

"You heard, Harry? Daily Prophet this morning - Black's been sighted not far from here." Daisy looked up in time to see the colour draining from Harry's face. "It was a Muggle that saw him. 'Course she doesn't get how dangerous he is, so she 'phoned their hotline. By the time the Aurors arrived, he was long gone. I hope he gets a nasty surprise when he finds the place he's getting to is surrounded by Dementors."

Daisy added a dash of leech juice to her cauldron, watching as it turned a bright, acid green before turning her attention to Harry, who appeared to be struggling with his cauldron while Ron tried to reassure him there was a way to save it.

"Oh dear, Potter," she said in mock concern. "Seems you didn't read the Prophet this morning. Could it be you're scared that Black is getting so close?"

"Look, whatever's going on between you two, just stop it," Ron said, trying to keep his own cauldron safe from the splashes coming off of Harry's cauldron as the content turned orange. "You're scared, he's scared, we're all scared - he's a mass murderer."

"I just find his reaction interesting, that's all. The Dementors are here because everyone knows Black is coming to Hogwarts for one reason or another - so why the surprise?"

"What's going on here? What is this? Orange, Potter," Snape said as he reached their workstation, ladling some of Harry's potion only to let it splash back into the cauldron so that everyone could see. "Orange. Were you busy daydreaming? Do you think yourself too good for this class? I said, quite clearly, that one rat spleen would suffice. I stated that only a dash of leech juice would be necessary. And somehow, here you sit, with this orange mess. Even Longbottom has miraculously fared better."

"Sorry sir," Harry said. "I got distracted."

"Five points from Gryffindor - that is unacceptable."

"You'd be distracted too if you found out a mass murderer out for our neck's just been spotted nearby," Ron muttered. Snape glowered at him.

"Five more points from Gryffindor. If I needed your opinion, Weasley, I would have asked for it. Get back to work."

Daisy and Draco smirked at each other as they carried on making their potions, which were flawless thus far. Snape's touch was visible in the precision that Daisy prepared the ingredients, and Draco had learned early on when to follow instructions and when human error made it necessary to deviate from them slightly. One last ingredient for them and they only needed to let it stew while they cleared away.

"I've been doing some thinking, Daisy," Draco said, his mouth curving into a mean smile as Daisy began to tidy up their workstations. "If I was Potter, and I knew what Black had done, would I sit here in the castle like a good boy or would I go out there and hunt him down myself?"

"That's a very good question, Draco," Daisy said, pretending to muse it over. "I mean, I'd want revenge. Unless I was hiding something, of course."

"Hiding something? It's not like Potter to hide something, is it?"

"It's funny, though. I mean, I want revenge. There's a reason I ended up at the Ministry, and Black definitely had something to do with it. If it wasn't for your Father, I'd be out there looking for him now. And if he's coming to Hogwarts, that just makes him that much easier to find, don't you think?"

Seeker reflexes came in handy, and Daisy and Draco were sat on top of their workstation before most of the class had realised that the sizzle and pop coming from the middle of the classroom was Harry's cauldron melting, dirty purple gunk oozing slowly from it and onto the stone floor, steaming as it reacted with the stone. Daisy struggled to contain her smile as Snape berated Harry in front of the whole class. She almost burst into laughter when a high-five from Draco behind the Potion's Professors back got Harry a week's worth of detention for glowering.

Oh, she'd definitely missed this.

Had she not met Lupin on the train, Daisy might have been nervous about her first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. Instead, like everyone else, she was rather looking forward to the class. This feeling increased when he announced that they were going to have a practical lesson, leading them out of the classroom and through the deserted corridors.

Lupin somehow looked...healthier than he had looked on the train. The only way Daisy could describe it was the same look that she had now - after a few days of square meals and a Nutrition Potion or two - the sullenness was leaving her cheeks, and she had regained some pep in her walk. It made functioning so much easier, and she enjoyed the reckless abandonment of eating what she wanted, waistline be damned. Watching Lupin shoot a piece of gum up Peeves' nose was oddly comforting. It was a rare treat to be gifted with a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who could actually do magic and wasn't afraid of demonstrating it. It was a shame that he would only be around for a year.

Daisy recognised the staff room door as soon as they arrived. She had stood outside the door waiting for Snape in first year, hoping to warn him off from Quirrell. He was the last person she had expected to be sat amongst the mismatched chairs in the long, panelled room, watching them over the papers spread out around him as they all filed in.

"Are you staying, Severus?" Lupin asked as he closed the door behind him.

"Evidently," Snape sneered, returning to his marking. "If you are about to attempt the lesson that I think you're about to attempt, it can only end in disaster. Possibly nobody's warned you Lupin, but this class contains Potter, who only this morning tried to burn a hole through my floor, a feat even Longbottom has yet to manage. And then of course, there's Daisy Dursley."

Daisy felt her cheeks burn at the snickers that followed, though she had to admit it wasn't particularly undeserved. She had been suspended from this very class.

"A simple yes would have been sufficient, Severus," Lupin smiled.

He beckoned them to the end of the room, and the unassuming old wardrobe suddenly turned into Daisy's worst nightmare - or was about to. Boggarts. She had already read ahead to most of this year's curriculum so she knew full well what they were. They were shape-shifters that took on the shape of what the person before it feared most. And she had no intention of discovering what that was in a classroom full of her peers.

Daisy could feel the panic rising in her chest as she unenthusiastically repeated the charm, but got stuck at the idea of imagining something that would render her fear less frightening, ridiculous even. Tom dressed as a clown would have the opposite effect. Her mind went completely blank at the idea of rendering Lockhart less terrifying. Or what if her father appeared? What was there to laugh about there?

"I'd like you all to form a circle - or a rather large semi-circle I suppose," Lupin said. "Those who would like to participate will form the first layer. Those who merely wish to observe will form a layer behind them and join in by laughing. The laughter will confuse it, giving us a moment for the next person to step forward. Is everyone ready?"

Despite knowing she didn't have to participate, Daisy still felt somewhat on edge, staying firmly back. The first Boggart that truly made her smile was when Neville's Boggart of Snape suddenly sported old woman's clothes - a vulture-topped hat and bright red handbag included. By the time Gregory stepped forward, Daisy had relaxed, her sides hurting when the large mountain sheep stood before him started talking in Draco's voice.

"Baaa - what you looking at?" it asked. "Baa - wait until my father hears about this!"

Daisy was about to turn and tease Draco about it when she felt a hard shove in her back.

She fell forward in the gap that Gregory had left, her palms and knees skidding hard on the stone floor. She was just registering the pain, when she noted the eerie silence and the footsteps echoing on the stone floor. Daisy froze with recognition as they came to a stop before her. She knew those shoes.

"Hello Daisy," came Lockhart's smooth voice. But it wasn't the Lockhart they had known. It was the Lockhart she had known. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "Look at me when I'm talking to you."

Old habits compelled her to slowly look up, taking in the dark robes that offset against the tanned skin, the bright hair and that grin. That evil grin that promised pain. The very one he had worn as he stepped back to admire the results of his torture as if she was his greatest masterpiece.

"Did you miss me?" he asked, squatting down to her level so she was unable to tear her eyes away from his own blue ones. "I must say, I'm honoured. Of all the accolades I've been awarded, Daisy Dursley's Greatest Fear is the one I am most proud to receive. You were a little tough to crack, but that's what makes it all the more fun, right? So delectably brave, so deliciously stubborn - so worried about others when you really should have been worried about yourself."

Her greatest fear. Yes, this wasn't real. Yet as she tried to do something - anything - Daisy was paralysed by the fear bubbling up inside her, radiating from the pit of her stomach to every inch of her being. She tried to focus on the fact that she was in the Hogwarts staff room making a complete idiot of herself, but she couldn't shake it. With his voice, she was transported back to the dusty little apartment in the French district where there was no escape, where reality and dreams blended together, where everything was a game.

Everything about him made her remember. He was the first person to make her feel truly hopeless, to make her fear that death wouldn't come as opposed to fearing death itself.

"I've missed you, you know. My favourite little toy. I get so angry when others try to play with my toy. You're mine. But you know that, don't you Daisy? Always so smart - too smart for your own good. You lay awake at night, and you can feel my anger brewing - imagine the blood that I'll be spilling all in your name. Knowing you can't save them. I'll kill them all. I'll kill them all and you can't stop me, no matter how hard you try. All you can do is watch."

"Stop it," Daisy managed to choke out. She was calling out for help as much as she was asking the apparition before her to stop - to stop voicing her innermost thoughts. The familiar inky darkness was beginning to dance at the edge of her vision, tremors beginning to make their way up her hands and into her body and she didn't know how much longer she could hold on. "Please."

"They'll all see you for who you truly are in the end," the Lockhart Boggart continued. "The pathetic little girl calling out for a mummy and daddy who never loved her. The mediocre Mudblood witch craving the smallest drop of acceptance in a world that abhors your very being. They don't love you, Daisy. They never did and never will. I'm the only one you have left."

"Liar."

"The only lie I've ever told was that I would let you go. You are mine. The sweet death you so desperately crave? I promise you this now - it will never come."

"Lupin!"

Lupin, who had been mesmerised by the scene like everyone else, was jolted into action by Snape's voice, stepping in front of the boggart. Lockhart's taunting laugh was silenced as it momentarily turned into a silver-white orb. With a wave of Lupin's wand, there was a loud snap and the boggart burst into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke and it was gone. The class instinctively cleared a space as Snape stalked over to Daisy's frozen form.

She was sat staring blankly at where Lockhart had stood, her body shaking like a leaf.

"Daisy?" Snape said softly. She slowly turned to look at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "It's me, Professor Snape. Are you alright?"

"How - how do I know you're real?" she asked.

Snape's stomach sunk as he tried to figure out how to proceed. This was bad. Daisy was on the verge of an episode with an entire class looking on. He exchanged a look with Lupin but the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor seemed equally lost. The only reason for the class' current silence was curiosity as to how current events would continue to unfold, but there was no telling how long before someone made a comment that could trigger her.

He almost jumped when he felt a presence by his side. Harry stood beside him, a grave expression on his face.

"Just get everyone out of here," Harry said quietly. Daisy had gone back to staring into nothing. It was a bad sign, but at least she was currently unaware of her surroundings. "I'll - I'll try what's worked before but we haven't got long." There was a tense moment when he thought Snape was going to argue but the Potions Professor merely nodded. Harry turned to Draco who had stepped forward, but had the look of someone who had no clue what to do next. "Come on Malfoy - I'll need your help."

While Lupin and Snape herded the class out of the staff room, Harry guided Draco to sit down in front of Daisy. Over the summer, Harry had silently watched as Dudley and Aunt Petunia tried to stop the onset of a full-blown episode. It had a 50/50 success rate, and Dudley was the only one who had ever been able to buy them enough time to sedate her. But Dudley wasn't here, and the fact that he never would be again weighed heavily on Harry's shoulders as he tried to do all he could to help.

"Daisy?" Harry said, feeling a small comfort when Daisy turned to look at him. There was a flicker of recognition in her eyes, but it was fleeting. "Do you know who I am?"

"Harry," she said after a moment of staring at him. "Harry Potter."

"Right. And who's this?"

"Malfoy." She frowned as she turned to Draco. "What's he doing here?"

This was good. "Why do you think he's here?"

"I - I don't - I don't know. Malfoy hates me. What are you doing here?" Daisy placed a hand to her temple at the searing pain in her head. "Where am I?"

"Hogwarts," Draco said at Harry's prompting. "Erm - I'm here because I - stop looking at me like that Potter, I have no idea what I'm doing! We just had Defence Against the Dark Arts, Daisy. You just saw a Boggart of Lockhart. It's freaked you out a bit."

"Boggart," Daisy repeated slowly. "The thing you fear the most. I fear Lockhart the most."

"Apparently. It was a bit of a relief really. I was half expecting it to be the Dark Lord."

"The Dark Lord… This is real, isn't it? I'm - I'm having an episode, aren't I? This is real and I'm at Hogwarts. I-" She looked down at her shaking hands, surveying them as if it was the first time she'd seen them. The skin on her palm was raw and bleeding. "Someone pushed me."

"Exactly," Harry said, leaning forward excitedly at this development. "You're alright, Daisy. You can beat it. Just take deep breaths and hold on to this reality. Malfoy and I are sitting in front of you waiting for Snape to come back and get you to the Hospital Wing."

She shook her head slowly. "I - it's there. It's waiting - I can't stop it. He'll never let me go. He did this on purpose. He lied, Harry. He never intended on letting me go. He lied and I believed it. He's a liar. He - it's all a lie. It's all a game to him."

"What's waiting?" Draco asked. He reached out his good arm to her as panic spread across her face. "Daisy, what is it? Daisy!"

"He won't ever let me go," Daisy repeated, the tears spilling down her face. "It's him. The darkness is him. It's inside of me! He's inside of me! I've got to get it out! Get it out! GET IT OUT!"

"Potter - what the hell is going on?"

Harry didn't answer, a little preoccupied with stopping Daisy as she clawed at her skin, repeating the same words over and over. She was fighting the inky darkness slowly engulfing her in vain, closing in on her vision until she saw nothing. How had she never put it together? It was the same colour as the ink that had scrawled across the pages of the Diary.

In "saving" her from Lockhart, Tom had bound them together. Nothing she did would ever rid her of him. I am yours, and you are mine. Daisy tried to call out, but she was drowning, and as she tried to catch her breath, it filled her lungs with its dark tarry substance.

And then, there was nothing.

The only way Daisy could describe where she found herself, was that it was the complete opposite of when her soul had allegedly left her body. Instead of the all encompassing whiteness, and the comfort of Dudley, there was nothing but darkness everywhere she turned. And Tom. It was his magic that laced through the darkness, that ebbed and flowed around the nothingness. She reached out to it, and it sparked under her fingers, before returning to the fold of the all-encompassing blackness.

"Found you."

Daisy span around at the voice, frowning as her eyes fell on a younger Tom. He was older than he'd been in her last vision of him. For one, he sported an older version of the Hogwarts uniform, but he could be no older than a first year. Though his baby fat was beginning to melt away, it was the gangly nature of his short stature that betrayed him. He smiled at the recognition in her eyes, and took a step towards her. It was odd, the way he was illuminated in the dark, the only other presence in the darkness beside her.

"You were meant to find me first," Tom continued. "But I found you."

"W-what do you want?" Daisy said, edging backwards for every step he took. "I've been good. I haven't done anything wrong. I swear."

Tom stopped, his smile dropping. He cocked his head as he watched her. "You're scared of me."

"What else am I supposed to be? I - I've tried, I really have, but you hurt me Tom! You broke me, and you tried to have me believe that you were protecting me, but it's never been about that, has it?"

"If I've hurt you, why do you keep trying to save me?"

"Because!" Daisy said, shoulder dropping wearily. Why did she keep protecting him? "I've seen this side of you. I care for this side of you. All you wanted was to be accepted - like me. And you might be one selfish bastard, but you did save my life."

"Do you believe you're capable of changing me, Daisy Dursley?" he asked.

For a moment, they only stared at each other. It was an odd question. Daisy hadn't ever really asked herself that directly, but it was the very assumption that she had been operating under. There was a part of her that was convinced that she could change Tom. She was the one who brought out his humanity, who could stay his blood-lust, who could get him to admit that he loved - even if it was only on his death bed. She loved meeting these younger apparitions of him because a part longed for a different Tom - one that had been loved when he was younger and would come out just a little less...angry, a little less determined to see the world burn.

"If you let me," she finally answered.

He walked towards her, and this time she stayed where she was until he sat down in front of her. He rested his cheek on his hand, elbow on his crossed knee, still watching.

"What do you know about Horcruxes, Daisy?"

"Hor-what nows?"

"Horcruxes - a part in which a witch or a wizard can hide a fragment of their soul."

Daisy frowned. "Why are you asking me this? We've spoken about Soul Fragments before, but you've never called them Horcruxes."

"Probably so you wouldn't know where to look," Tom said. "But you and I, Daisy, we've never spoken about Horcruxes before. This is not the first time we've made contact, but the first time we've properly met."

"I-I don't-" Daisy's eyes widened as she looked over the dark-haired boy sat before her once more. "Who are you?"

"They call me Lord Voldemort, but I was born Tom Marvolo Riddle. You call me Tom Marvolo." He smirked at her confusion. "I am the creator of the Horcruxes. The only fragment able to exist apart from the vessels. Does that make more sense to you?"

"I don't understand," Daisy said. "What's going on?"

"I suppose it is a little confusing to talk about myself when there is another one of me running around," Tom mused. "Let us call him Riddle. You see, Riddle was never meant to survive on his own. The minute he became corporeal, I should have fused with him and my conscience would have become dominant. He has found a way to circumvent that - using you. You act as an anchor for him. I believe he plans to use that to destroy me."

"Why - why would he do that?"

"I suppose he thinks he knows better now. I promise you, he doesn't."

She narrowed her eyes at the boy before her. "Why should I trust you?"

"You really shouldn't," Tom answered, laughing at her face as he stretched out his arms, placing them behind him. "I am, after all, Riddle in another form. You have no reason to believe any promises that I make. You have no reason to think for a moment that I will not hurt you in the ways that he has done, if not worse. If you are as smart as I hope you are, you won't."

"So what do you want from me?"

"In all honesty, ever since you found me in my memory of the institution, I've been curious to see if you would find me once more, or if I would able to find you. You intrigue me, Daisy Dursley. As it turns out, when Riddle's magic is strongest in you, I can travel to you in this form. It would appear you're connected to us as a whole, not just in part. Only time will show what that means for the rest of my Horcruxes."

"This doesn't make any sense," Daisy said, shaking her head vigorously. "I didn't ask for any of this!"

"Didn't you? I've seen your ambition, Daisy. I was a...guest of Quirrell during your first year. I saw how you struggled to find your place and bulldozed on with the fire of determination. You wanted power. You still want it or you would have given up a long time ago. This is merely the asking price for that power."

"So, what do you want from me? You didn't come here for a little chat."

"Stand against Riddle," Tom said. "The only way to make this-" He waved his hands around at the darkness "-stop, is to stop him. I believe that's a mutually beneficial arrangement, don't you? You get what you want, and I get what I want. To ask you for anything more would be arrogant."

"It might have escaped your notice, but I am a third-year student who makes terrible choices and he is an insane Dark Lord who will kill everyone that I love before he lets me stand in his way! What you are asking is suicide."

Daisy stood up, regretting the choice as the darkness made her feel nauseous.

"Well, if you ever change your mind, come find me."

She was about to turn and ask him how, when there was a blinding light.

Daisy regained consciousness with a gasp, bolting upright the minute her vision cleared and she recognised the stone ceilings of the dungeons. She felt dizzy, taking deep gulping breaths to shake the remnants of the darkness, and throwing off the sweat-soaked covers off of her, barely registering the pain from her hands and knees as she did so. This couldn't be happening. There was no way in hell that this was happening.

"Breathe," Snape said, drawing her attention to his presence in the chair beside the bed. "You're safe here. Just breathe."

"Safe?" Daisy spat out. "You think I'm bloody safe? He is in here!" She tapped her head to emphasise her point. "He's in here and I don't know how to get him out! Anywhere I go, there he'll be. He lied to me! He lied, Professor. He's never going to let me go because the only way to let me go is to kill me and he won't do that. I'm never going to be free!"

"Take a deep breath. Can you do that for me, Daisy? In and out. In and out. That's right. Keep doing that." Snape watched carefully as Daisy stood off the side of the bed, eyes closed, slowly breathing. The static magic that had hung in the air calmed with each breath she took. "How do you feel?"

"Exhausted. What happened to the Hospital Wing?"

"I figured you don't have the best memories of waking up there," Snape said. "Narcissa is also likely to make an appearance and there is no need for an audience. My quarters offer more privacy."

"Why would she make an appearance?"

"She does care about your well-being, you know. Speaking of, why don't you lie down?"

"I don't want to," Daisy said. "I need to think. I need a quill and parchment. I-"

"Need to at least sit down so I can run some diagnostic tests," Snape interrupted. He gestured to the side of the bed closest to him. "If you would."

Taking the few steps around the bed drew attention to the pain in her knees, particularly her left which seemed to have taken the brunt of her fall in class. To her surprise, they - as well as her hands - were bandaged as opposed to the ruddy red of magically healing skin. She waited patiently as Snape ran through the tests before enquiring about it.

"As you said, you're exhausted," Snape explained. "Witches and wizards heal faster than your average Muggle, but there is still a limit to that. Madam Pomfrey is of the Healing opinion that you have reached that limit. You suffered a serious trauma only a week ago, and your body was forced to heal faster than it should have done. Your episode today has pushed your magic as far as it can. Without placing you into a Healing coma, it won't respond to any of our healing attempts. You might even find you struggle to practice magic."

"That's just great," Daisy scoffed. "I'm at a magical school unable to perform magic. Have you got anymore good news for me?"

"How about some soup? If you're not going to lie down, we might as well adjourn to the living room."

A fresh set of pyjamas and the warmth of the soup did help somewhat, even if every bite felt like it was sinking down into the bottom of her stomach. Daisy's thoughts raced through her mind as she tried to figure out what she was meant to do about this whole mess. The mess that she had gotten herself into. In one short moment, the tenants that had been keeping her illusions up had collapsed. There was no separating Tom and Lockhart. They were one and the same. Whatever Lockhart had done to others while he was still alive, he wasn't the one who had tortured her. It had been Tom, her Tom. Who was now also Voldemort. Who had always been Voldemort. Just a puzzle piece of the whole who had now contacted her. One same person was vying to destroy themselves. It was - to put it simply - a right mindfuck.

"So, what would you like to discuss first?" Snape asked, interrupting her internal breakdown. "Your episode or Pansy Parkinson?"

Daisy wrinkled her nose. "Why would I want to talk about that cow?"

"According to Miss Parkinson, you threatened to kill her. In retaliation, she pushed you in front of the Boggart."

"It's not like I just threatened her out of the blue!" Daisy snapped defensively. "She called me a mudblood whore, did she tell you that? And that she threatened to start spreading rumours that I was doing things with the Quidditch Team? Or that she brought Mum into it - all over some stupid bed! Yes, I snapped but it's not like I went, right, I'm going to kill you now. I just said if she tried anything like first year - then I would kill her."

"What did she do in first year?"

"It's not like you don't know." She stared at him in disbelief when he continued to look at her expectantly. "You don't know? Your best bud Lucius Malfoy told an entire courtroom full of people I'd been branded and you didn't think it was relevant to ask exactly how it happened?"

"You didn't see fit to tell me," Snape bristled, "and I didn't see fit to ask. You certainly took matters into your own hands when it came to Terence Higgs and Patrick Donahue."

"My own hands? I had no say in that! I didn't even remember who Lockhart really was at the time! Do you even understand the lengths I went to protect those fucking idiots? Your precious Dark Lord pulled out my fingernails to make me tell him who had done it! I did everything I could to protect them from him!"

Snape frowned at this new piece of information. "Why?"

"Because I'm a Slytherin! The only thing that kept me going that year through all the Heir of Slytherin crap was this idea that I was a Slytherin and I had been Sorted for a reason. I was the chosen one, I was going to change things, I was going to be the Muggleborn that survived. I would protect my own."

"Your own who rejected you."

"You don't get to choose who raises you. I thought I could change their minds. Tom promised me that I would get that chance, that I would get to choose who lived and died, who stood by my side or who perished. He changed people's opinions about him and I would do the same. He lied."

"That's the second time you've said that since you woke up," Snape said. "What happened in your episode, Daisy?"

"I don't think the episodes are because of Lockhart's unstable magic," Daisy said, deflating somewhat at the change of topic. "Marcus has mentioned before that he feels Tom's magic in me. When I have an episode, it's like I'm being consumed by the Diary. Tom did something to me. We're...linked somehow. I was just stupid enough to think he only did it to save me."

Snape frowned. "There's more that you're not telling me."

"There's so much I'm not telling you, I've honestly lost track."

Snape was about to press further when the fireplace flared green. Excusing himself, he grabbed a handful of Floo powder, his head and shoulder disappearing. The sight of her Potions Professor on his hands and knees with his head in the blazing green fire was on Daisy wasn't sure she'd ever quite become comfortable with.

"Lucius and Narcissa are coming through," Snape informed her as he straightened up, brushing dust from his robes. "I'd ask if you're alright with that, but I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice."

Narcissa was the first to emerge, making a beeline for Daisy on the sofa.

"Why are you out of bed?" Narcissa asked, sitting down besides Daisy, instantly turning her ward's head one way and then the other. Daisy had the distinct feeling of being merchandise that was being inspected.

"I didn't want to stay in bed," Daisy answered, moving her head away from the older witch's hold. "I've had worse. I'm absolutely fine."

"Is she, Severus?"

"Relatively, yes," Snape said. The fireplace turned green once more, and out stepped Lucius, as gracefully as his wife had done before him. Daisy wondered if they took classes to make getting shot out of a system of fireplaces look so elegant. "Good evening, Lucius."

"Evening," Lucius replied, before his focus zeroed in on Daisy. "Are you supposed to be up?"

"I am not an invalid!" Daisy snapped, yanking her hands out of Narcissa's own, who had been examining them. "I had an episode, yes, but I am getting better at handling them." She looked to Snape, who was standing off to the side of the living room. "Tell them!"

"I'm afraid I don't appreciate your tone."

"That happens to be Daisy's default tone. Try not to take offence," Snape commented. "Can I offer you both some tea?"

"That sounds delightful, Severus," Narcissa said. "Come sit down, Lucius. I think we can forgive Daisy this one time for forgetting her manners. This has hardly been the ideal first week back."

"I hear Pansy Parkinson was behind this whole affair," Lucius said as he made himself comfortable in the armchair across the coffee table from Snape's. "Apparently the culmination of a silly feud between the two of you."

"Silly? Silly feud? She has gone out of her way to make my life a misery since the first day I stepped into Hogwarts. Did she happen to tell you that she was the one who went and told Higgs and co. some made-up lie that I had bullied Tracey Davis into being friends with her? They branded me because of that. Because of her lie!"

"Why didn't you mention this before?"

"He would have killed her! If Tom ever finds out, he will kill her," Daisy said, frustrated that none of the adults in the room were understanding the reasoning behind her actions. "I only got Donahue expelled because it's what Tom wanted when he gave me Higgs as a gift. He already knew - knows - who branded me and he's just working down the list. I just never told him about Parkinson's involvement with it all."

"That's very noble of you." Daisy stood to storm out, only to find herself sitting down once more, her bottom seemingly fixed to the sofa. "I don't recall you being dismissed."

Snape wasn't sure whether he should warn Lucius of the extent of Daisy's tantrums or if he should warn Daisy of the shortness of Lucius's fuse when he was rubbed the wrong way, so the Potions Professor chose to settle back into his armchair, wordlessly taking the cup of tea the house elf served him. Sometimes the only thing you could do with fireworks was to watch them explode.

"What do you want?" Daisy barked. "I won't sit here and be laughed at."

"Firstly, change your tone," Lucius said coolly. "You could be on your deathbed and it still wouldn't excuse all this carrying on. You will calm yourself, and you will address me with the respect that I command as your guardian."

Daisy scowled but said nothing, choosing to bite her tongue instead. She had nothing nice to say on her mind and she couldn't trust that the words wouldn't slip out if she didn't.

"Severus was just about to explain how Daisy's...episodes, are getting better," Narcissa offered when her husband and Daisy did little more than glare at each other. "We can discuss how they were brought about afterwards."

"As I mentioned, it's all relative," Snape answered. "Up until now, the Memory Charm has been spreading almost like a parasite. With each episode, it appeared to distort the way her magic acts and consequently also affect her Psyche. However, after this episode, Madam Pomfrey informs me it has stabilised. It is nonetheless still taxing on Daisy's magical core, and as a consequence, given her latest trauma, it is interrupting her ability to heal as she should. It may also have a short-term effect on her ability to cast magic."

"Does it have the potential to render her into a Squib?" Lucius asked, his nose wrinkling at the word.

"It's hard to say. I would hypothesise that given this recent stability, it is unlikely. It would, however, involve Daisy staying away from any more trauma of the magnitude she has experienced in the past year."

Lucius nodded. "Our healers have said something similar." He turned to Daisy. "Well? Is that something that you're capable of doing?"

"I don't do it on purpose, sir," Daisy said through gritted teeth. "I just haven't figured out how to judge the...magnitude of the consequences of my actions. Maybe if you'd let me take Divination, I'd be able to divine it."

"Maybe if you did as you're told, there wouldn't be anything to divine. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that if you threaten someone who has had you branded over a silly feud, they will retaliate in kind."

"That's right, blame the Mudblood. I must have asked to be humiliated in front of all my classmates. A Pureblood would have never done anything untoward. It's certainly not the fault of precious Pansy Parkinson."

"They at least have the sense to realise that they aren't invincible," Lucius countered.

"Is that what you did, sir?" Daisy asked, her voice malicious in its sweetness. "Did you have the sense to realise that setting loose a part of your Dark Lord on a school full of children might not go exactly as you planned? Did you foresee the fact that one of them might die? Did you have the sense to consider that one of them might end up in a position to determine whether you live or die?"

"You will die before you can even dream of taking me down, you ungrateful little chit."

"I only need to die to take you down, you pompous inbred. One permanent walk into the Black Lake and that's your death warrant signed."

"Your overestimate your importance."

"Why don't you try it and see?"

"Enough," Narcissa hissed, holding out a staying hand as Lucius reached for his cane. "Enough. This isn't helping anyone. Daisy - stop it." It was only when Narcissa grabbed her hands that Daisy realised that she had been digging her fingers into her palms. She reluctantly allowed them to be unfurled, surprised by the red blossoming across the bandages. "Let's get those changed."

Daisy led Narcissa to her bedroom, glad to be as far away from Lucius Malfoy as she could. The altercation made her blood boil. How could one man be so condescending, so dismissive, when he was as much to blame as she was? If they went back far enough in the chain of causality, if the Purebloods had never supported Tom in his endeavour to be the Dark Lord, the entire war wouldn't have happened!

"You two are as stubborn as each other," Narcissa said as she unravelled the bloody bandages, gracefully perched on the edge of the simple double bed. "Contrary to what you might believe, Lucius has a conscious. He didn't anticipate what happened with the Diary. He'll never admit it, but I believe his decision to throw himself into setting up the Muggleborn Welfare Department was just as much his way of making amends as it was a way of protecting his family."

"I hope you don't expect me to feel sorry for him," Daisy grumbled.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. Those stone floors really are unforgiving, aren't they?" The fall had scraped at the skin of Daisy's palm and it was raw and now bloodied where her nails had broken the skin once more. "I would like to ask a favour of you though. Can you find it within yourself to stop viewing us as your enemy?"

"I - I don't? I would do anything to protect Draco. And Draco would do anything to protect you, so by default, my hands are tied. I would never let harm come to you."

"And what of Lucius?"

"He killed my father."

"The father who tried to kill you? Hold still please, Daisy," Narcissa said calmly, holding on to Daisy's hand as the younger witch moved to snatch them away. "I don't believe I once saw him at King's Cross with you. I heard the Muggle media had a field day splashing his past across tabloids - at your hand if I'm not mistaken. He had a mistress, did he not? How much longer would your parents have even remained together had he lived? Would he really be the father you dream of in hindsight?"

"Why are you doing this?" Daisy asked, as she felt the sting of tears at her eyes. Narcissa's grasp was strong on her wrist, even as she carefully wove bandages onto her hand with her wand.

"I would like you to consider the idea that the anger you direct at Lucius is the very anger you are unable to direct at a dead man. Killing Lucius won't quell any of the anger that you feel. And killing yourself won't make any of this go away."

Daisy sighed deeply, feeling the fight leave her. "I'm so tired."

"I know," Narcissa said, letting go of Daisy's wrists to bandage the other hand. "So lessen the load, Daisy. We are your family now. I had a choice not to come and retrieve you from the Ministry. This wasn't the first time Lucius asked, and it wouldn't have been the last time I refused if I had wanted to."

"So why didn't you?"

"Draco asked me. Lie down." Daisy complied, allowing Narcissa to pull the covers over her. The older witch stayed seated on the edge of the bed. "I've always wished Draco had a sibling. Circumstances were unfavourable and that was not possible for me. I consoled myself with the idea that he was happy as an only child, but it was all shattered when he asked - no, demanded - for me to come get you. I was sceptical, but all that fell away when I found you at the Ministry. Do you remember the first thing you asked? You asked if Draco was alright. Even at your lowest, you thought of him."

"I'll always protect him," Daisy said, nuzzling into the comforting softness of the pillow. Despite herself, a heavy drowsiness was falling over her.

"I believe you," Narcissa said, reaching over to brush stray curls out of Daisy's face. "Can you keep a secret, Daisy?" Daisy nodded. "I know how you're feeling right now. I had two older sisters once. I lost them both, but in ways worse than death. There's a finality to death, that comforting. This was worse. There's Bellatrix - she's in Azkaban now. I lost her to her passion for the Dark Lord. Nothing - not even our family bond - could stop her from getting her to see sense. In an ideal world I would be able to visit her, but in this world we couldn't possibly associate with anyone who would give the outward impression that we sympathise with Death Eaters. Quite hypocritical, isn't it? But that's just how things are."

"What would she think of me?"

"I believe she'd be torn between killing you on sight and obeying the Dark Lord's wishes. I think if she gave you a chance, she'd come to like you. You have the same sharp tongue and rebellious streak. Perhaps I'll write to her and tell her you called Lucius a 'pompous inbred'. She'd like that."

Despite herself, Daisy smiled. "And what happened to your other sister?"

"That's the sister we don't talk about. You must never mention her again after this. Andromeda. We were so close. I could have never imagined she would do what she did. In marrying a Muggleborn, she chose him over her family - over me. I knew she was out there, but I couldn't speak to her, I couldn't speak of her. We just had to pretend she didn't exist, to act like she had never existed. So I understand the pain you feel at not being able to see your brother. I understand the anger at your mother. It takes a long time to come to terms with the choices of our parents, and I was much older than you are now."

"Couldn't you speak to her now?"

"What for? She made her choice. And you have a choice to make now, Daisy. Are you going to flail around, crying for your old life that you will never get back? Or will you accept the one that you have now and try to find happiness within it?"

"I just want the pain to stop," Daisy mumbled, her eyes growing heavy.

"You'll never forget the loss, but the pain will fade if you let it. You still have a family. Don't be alone when you don't have to. Now sleep."

With a final brush of her hand through her blonde curls, Daisy was asleep. Narcissa took a moment to watch her, before straightening up and returning to the living room.

"Honestly, Lucius," Narcissa scolded as she sat down on the sofa once more. "It's almost like you've forgotten how to parent. Since when has goading an already wound up child yielded any positive results?"

"Forgive me for not realising she was raised by actual savages," Lucius snarked back. "Did you not hear how she spoke to me? I hope you reprimanded her."

"Was I supposed to do that before or after I convinced her not to kill herself? I put her to sleep, which should have been your first priority." She reached for her own teacup, only to put it down moments after. "Severus, you wouldn't happen to have anything stronger?"

A/N: Ahhh, not the chapter I planned (so it took longer to upload) but it's the chapter I wanted. Yay! Some light-hearted stuff! Some Daisy x Narcissa bonding! I'm also now loving the idea of Aunty Bella mwahahahaha

In other news, we have the first contact with the Main Voldy! Who's excited to see me figure out how to write the Riddle vs Riddle showdown? 'Cos I know I am. Be forewarned, it'll probably involve a lot of lazy plot writing. But worry not, as compensation, there will be more Harry/Daisy interactions for those of you that keep asking! ...Eventually. *wink* Until next time!