"Let's just get to the hospital wing, shall we?" I said, avoiding the question completely.

Dumbledore backed out of the room, closed the door, and took out his wand to magically lock it. Emily stood beside him.

Panicking, we all ran forwards. The two of them looked up, and a wide smile appeared under Dumbledore's long silver moustache. Emily grinned from ear to ear.

"Well?" Dumbledore said quietly.

"We did it!" Harry said breathlessly. "Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak..."

Dumbledore beamed at us.

"Well done. I think -" he listened intently for any sound within the hospital wing. "Yes, I think you've gone, too. Get inside - I'll lock you in -"

Dumbledore didn't seem to notice the blood trickling down my face and in my hair, and my limp, because I was in the middle of the group as we all slipped back inside the dormitory. Emily gave me a quick hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!" She whispered fervently. I grinned, and quick as that, Dumbledore and Emily were behind the closed doors and the lock clicked. 

We hurried back to our beds. Next moment, Madam Pomfrey had come striding back out of her office.

I angled my head so that my hair fell over the cut, and I quickly wiped at the blood on my face. 

"Did I hear the Headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now?" 

I could hardly eat my chocolate; neither could the others, it seemed. I was waiting, listening, my nerves jangling ... what if Fudge and Snape came in and saw my cut? 

Then they'd know something was up, that I'd helped in Sirius's escape...

And then, as we all took a fourth piece of chocolate each from Madam Pomfrey, we heard a distant roar of fury echoing from somewhere above us...

"What was that?" Madam Pomfrey said in alarm.

This is it...

Now we could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Madam Pomfrey was staring at the door.

"Really - they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"

I tried to hear what the voices were saying. They were drawing nearer -

"He must have Disapparated, Severus, we should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out-"

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS - HAS - SOMETHING - TO - DO - WITH - THE - POTTERS!"

"Severus - be reasonable - the twins have been locked up -"

BAM. 

The door of the hospital wing burst open.

Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. I hurried to flatten my sort-of fringe that was growing, over my cut. Thankfully, my fringe was on the other side of my forehead than my scar, because I rather liked showing it off. 

Dumbledore alone looked calm. Indeed, he looked as though he was quite enjoying himself. Fudge appeared angry. But Snape was beside himself. 

"OUT WITH IT, POTTERS!" He bellowed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Professor Snape!" Madam Pomfrey shrieked. "Control yourself!" 

"See here, Snape, be reasonable." Fudge said. "This door's been locked, we just saw -"

"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape howled, pointing at us. 

"It's rude to point." I said. I couldn't help myself, I saw the opportunity and I took it.

"Calm down, man!" Fudge barked. "You're talking nonsense!" 

"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" Snape shrieked. "SHE DID IT, I KNOW SHE DID IT -"

He looked at my forehead. He took a step closer.

FUCK. 

"That was not there when I brought them up, or before we left!" Snape said triumphantly.

Fudge looked closer. "No..." He said finally. "No, it wasn't."

They both stared at me for a second. Then Snape grabbed my arm and dragged me off the bed. Fudge marched alongside him as Snape practically trailed me out the doors. I looked back, and everyone except Terry and Ron (who was still out of it) held up their crossed fingers, worried looks in their eyes.

Dumbledore was just standing there. It was as if he knew that I would handle this...

Fudge and Snape dragged me to Snape's office. Snape practically threw me into a chair and sat down at his own. 

"Now, Miss Potter." He said, grimly smiling. "Just how did you aid Sirius Black in escaping?"

"I didn't." I said.

"Oh?" Snape said. "Then how did you get a cut in the hospital wing? And how did you develop a twisted ankle, as well?"

I said nothing.

"Shall we have to get out the Veritiserum?" 

"Sure." I hissed. 

Snape opened a cupboard next to his desk. He drew out a small vial. He waved it in front of my face. 

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Bring it." 

He forced the liquid into my mouth and me to drink it. I couldn't feel it having any effects. I could feel, however, my powers fizzling in my veins, all over me, probably getting rid of the potion.

"Now, Potter." Snape hissed. "How did you help Sirius Black escape?"

"I didn't." I repeated. I grinned and leaned back in my chair, tilting it on two legs, folding my arms behind my head.

"All legs on the ground, Potter." Snape said harshly. I ignored him. "So how did you injure yourself?" 

I rolled my eyes. I couldn't be fucked thinking up a lie, so I extended my arm, letting my powers control what I was doing.

A white mist swirled from my palm and encircled Fudge and Snape. They became motionless, and I lifted my hand to my forehead. I felt the cut closing up, then placed my hand on my ankle, and I felt the throbbing slowly stop.

I flicked my hand at the mist, and it began sinking into Fudge and Snape's heads. Seconds later, and it re-emerged, dragging out tiny flickering images of me with a bloody cut and a limp. The mist evaporated, and the two men were left with dazed, foggy looks in their eyes. 

"Alright, Daisy." Fudge said, in a stiff, out-of-place voice, and I stood up. We all walked up to the hospital wing, and I clambered back into my bed, the others all looking curiously at me and the two men. Dumbledore looked at the dazed looks on their faces, and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Daisy Potter has had no part in the escape of Sirius Black." Fudge announced. Then they turned on their heels and walked out of the hospital wing, Dumbledore following.

Madam Pomfrey hurried to the door and locked it again. Muttering angrily to herself, she headed back to her office.

There was a low moan from the other end of the ward. Ron had woken up. He was sitting up, rubbing his head, looking around.

"What - what happened?" He groaned. "Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? Where's Emily? What's going on?"

We all looked at each other. 

"You guys explain." Harry helped himself to some more chocolate, lounging back. "I can't be fucked."

~~~

There was still something preying on my mind. Terry.

As soon as I woke up the next morning, I headed straight over to his bed, where he was fully dressed, on his phone.

He looked up as I approached. 

"Look, Terry..." I hesitated. "I'm really, really sorry, like you'll never know how sorry I am..."

"Oh, I'll know how sorry you are, alright."

I stared at him. 

"Didn't I make it clear last night?" He hissed. "You and I. Are. DONE."

I took a shaky step back. 

"This is the end of you and me." 

"I - I -" I broke off, tears cascading down my face. 

Terry stood up and looked down at me disdainfully. "Pathetic." He turned and strode out of the room.

I finally collected my wits. "Excuse me?!" I screamed after him.

Everyone stared at me, worry clouding their eyes. I didn't realise that they were awake.

"Do you want us to go talk to him, Softpaw?" Fred offered, his voice heavy with sympathy.

I shook my head, unable to speak all of a sudden.

"He just needs some time to cool off, Softpaw. It's going to be fine." George said, his voice laced with pity.

"Yeah, I - I know." I said quietly, my voice squeaky. I hurried out of the hospital wing and in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.

~~~

We were in Divination, where we weren't even learning anything new (do we ever, in the last month of school after the exams?). As usual, I was sitting in between Dean and Seamus. I looked around the room and caught Terry glaring straight at me. I ducked my head quickly, letting my hair fall in front of my face, acting like a curtain.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I whipped it out, and saw that I had a text from Terry.

'Bitch.'

Dean and Seamus leaned over to see what I was typing in reply.

'I've been called worse.'

The three bubble symbol popped up, then another text. 'Like?'

'Your girlfriend.'

"OOOOHHHH!" Dean and Seamus both yelled.

The word 'read' appeared beneath my text, and I glanced up at Terry, who was glaring at his phone.

~~~

The next day, George nudged me in the corridor and pointed at Terry, who was - who was sucking the face off some Slytherin girl who was friends with Pratinson - Mina Sterritt, I think she was called.

Fred's mouth dropped open.

"W-what?" I stuttered. "How - how could he have moved on from me that quickly?" 

Fred and George exchanged a glance.

"He hasn't, Softpaw." Fred said. "He's trying to make you bloody jealous. It's so obvious - I mean - why else would he go for HER of all people?"

"That means he's still into you!" George said happily.

"I dunno if I'm still into him." I muttered.

"You would have every right to not be." Fred agreed.

"Besides, you and Draco WOULD be cute together." George said grudgingly.

I smacked his arm. "Hey! Who says we're getting together?"

"No one, but we all know it's gonna happen sooner or later." Fred smirked.

I rolled my eyes at them both.

~~~

I had rushed out of my Astronomy class after Terry had purposely started snogging Mina and shooting glances at me whilst still leeched to her lips.

I was in the girl's bathroom's on the second floor, where no one would bother me.

Well, except for Suzanne.

She closed the door softly behind her. She sat down beside me on the floor and put her arm around me as I buried my face in my knees as I hugged them to me. I shook with sobs.

She waited patiently, rubbing my back as if she's done this a lot. I finally lifted my head and blurted out, "He broke my heart, Suzie! What am I gonna do?" 

Suzanne pondered. "Well, my mother always said that if a guy breaks your heart, to fuck his best friend."

I blinked. "Oh."

"Think of how much it would hurt him, Daisy. He would go and say sorry to you." Suzanne said. "It wouldn't bring him back, but it would bring him to his knees, and make you feel better in the process."

I laughed. "But his best friends are ... me, Fred, and George. Well, were. I'm definitely not. Neither are the twins, because they're not talking to him anymore."

"But they're the closest guys to him, right?" 

I nodded.

"Then take your pick." 

~~~

Later, Fred, George, and I passed Terry in the corridor, who had Mina basically stapled to his side.

"Hey, Potter, how do you like my new girlfriend?" Terry called out, a stupid little smirk on his face.

"Fuck off, Terry." I choked, trying to stop the tears from falling. 

"Hey, don't be like that. Maybe things would be fine if you hadn't gone and ate the face off Bleach-Blondie." Terry's smirk grew bigger.

A large crowd was gathering around us.

"Just stop, Terry." I said, tears making tracks down my face. "I said I was sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Weakling." 

I froze. What did he just call me? 

"I wouldn't care if even Felix Malfoy touched you now." Terry hissed, his voice full of malice.

"Enough!" Fred yelled, and he and his twin threw their arms around my shoulders and turned me away. The pain in my heart made me shut my eyes. 

When I opened them again, tears blurring my vision, Fred and George were both staring at me with sympathetic faces. They both looked over their shoulders, glaring at Terry. 

"You made her cry." George hissed at him. The corridor had gone very quiet.

"What kind of person do you think you are?" Fred said quietly. His voice sounded dangerous.

The pair of them led me up to the Owlery. I was glad that they remembered that this was my comfort place.

The owls all hooted around us. Hedwig and Snidget swooped down and settled on my shoulders. 

"Ouch!" Fred and George hastily slid their arms down around my waist.

We sat in silence for a while. Finally, Fred spoke.

"How DARE he talk about you like that." 

He crushed some rodent bones under his foot.

"I thought I knew him." George shook his head. "Apparently not, if he's going to go around slabbering about Softpaw like that."

I remembered what Suzanne had said to me, and I explained it to them.

"Like, I'm obviously not going to fuck you guys, but if I could just do to one of you's like Terry's doing to Mina Sterritt?" 

"Gladly." Fred grinned. "Though I'm a bit disappointed that I won't be fucking you -"

"Oi!"

"You can take Fred, I'm trying to catch Amy's eye at the moment." George grinned, going slightly pink.

"Clearly." I said, remembering all the times George showed off even more than usual when he was in front of her, and the way he always went a bit pink and giggly when he talked to her. How did I not see his crush before?

"Don't be a pervert, now!" I joked, pushing Fred lightly.

"No chance of that!" Fred joked right back. 

~~~

So in the next few days, whenever I saw Terry and I was with the twins, I pulled Fred to me and snogged the life out of him. In class, I just got out my phone and texted him all the time, thinking of Draco to make myself go pink.

Sure enough, it worked. Terry was always glaring jealously at us, but there was a hint of hurt and pain behind his jealousy.

And then he started texting me.

We were in History of Magic when it started.

'I thought you loved me?'

I smirked to myself. 'I want to do bad things to you.' I replied.

'Ooh really ? like what?'

'Murder your family. Don't text me again.'

Harry, who I was sitting beside and was reading over my shoulder, high-fived me.

Then when I was in bed one night.

"It's him." I announced to the still-awake fifth-year boys, who were on their DS's.

Don't even ask how they got them.

They threw down their DS's and crowded around me.

'Are you up?' He'd sent.

'I thought I told you to never talk to me again?'

'I miss you. And it's cold, I wish we could cuddle.'

'Oh believe me, if I was there I would warm you right up. By setting you on fire. Goodnight.'

We all high-fived. Terry didn't text me after that, so the boys all collapsed back onto their own beds. Minutes later, and Fred threw his DS on the floor. 

"Mario Kart has ruined my life!" He wailed. He picked up Catching Fire from his bedside table instead and opened it up. He was completely engrossed in it. I don't blame him, it is my favourite book, after all.

"Don't you just love it when a book kidnaps you?" He sighed. He looked up and saw my face.

"Oops, sorry Softpaw!"

~~~

Days later, and I asked out to go to the bathroom in DADA. I was hurrying down a deserted corridor to get to the closest bathroom, but someone snatched me back before I could enter it.

I turned to see Floppy, who had obviously asked out, too. Professor Lupin, you made a big mistake.

"Are you serious?" I said. "After what I did to you, you're still coming after me?"

"I've got a job to do." He muttered, before forcing himself on me against the wall, biting my lip more hesitantly than usual.

A tear slipped out from my eye. Was this ever going to end? If the darkest side of me couldn't keep him in check, who could?

"Oi!" A shout echoed from down the corridor. "Get your filthy hands off her!"

A spell hit Floppy and he flew off me. I slid to the ground, gasping.

Terry was standing over me, extending a hand.

I took it apprehensively. He slowly pulled me up, looking me in the eye. There wasn't any malice in them, for a change. He gently wiped away the tear on my face, gazing into my eyes, before wrapping his arms around me, burying my face in his chest and his face burying in my hair.

"I am so, so sorry..." Terry whispered, his voice husky with tears. "I can't believe I ever said those words, like what the fuck is wrong with me? I was just so angry and - and you were the best I ever had, so I was just more pissed than I usually would have been because I'd lost you to Draco Malfoy of all people and I know that's no excuse for the things that I said - and - and - I'm so SORRY, Daisy! I love you!"

"I accept your apology." I said, my voice muffled by Terry's school jumper. I remembered what Dudley always said to me, 'Never say "It's okay" when someone apologises, because if you say that it's okay, they'll think it's okay and they'll do it again'. There is some ounce of intelligence in him, surprisingly. That was a bit mean, but after all, he is one of my closet friends, and best friends insult each other all the time without falling out. And cousins are the best kind of friends you could get.

"I know we can't be together after this, Daisy." Terry said, his voice muffled by my hair. "I know you'd be far happier with Draco, after all. I saw it all throughout this year, I just refused to believe it. I only ever want the best for you, Daisy." 

"I know." I said, pulling back. "I only ever want the best for you, too. And I'm obviously not the best."

"Daisy, of course you're the -" 

I put a finger on his lips. "Shh. I'm not." 

Terry's eyes crossed as he looked at my finger. He parted his lips slightly and I felt the tip of his tongue against my finger.

"Hey!" I drew my hand back, laughing. "You're so gross!"

Terry laughed too. I didn't realise how much I missed his laugh...

"Once more, for goodbye?" Terry suggested, his eyes on my lips.

"Well, it won't be SUCH a goodbye, will it?" I asked anxiously. "We'll go back to where we were before - best friends?"

"We'll be better than before." Terry tightened his arms around me. "We'll be closer best friends. The closest of the closest."

"You're such a dork." I giggled as he touched his lips to mine for the last time.

~~~

Later that day, I went up to Fred, George, and Lee in the common room, trailing Terry behind me, both of us beaming from ear to ear.

The entire common room went silent and looked up at us two.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were making gestures to me, basically asking what the fuck I was doing.

Neville, Dean, and Seamus were all looking confused as hell.

I handed Fred a sock. "You're a free elf."

And so I explained everything, Terry adding in a few things as well. Like how Professor Lupin had subtly suggested that he go to the bathroom after Floppy. He was trying to set all three of us up, by allowing Floppy to come after me so that he would hopefully grab me, then Terry to come after us, hopefully to save me from him. Lupin is such a genius. I must congratulate him.

Terry had apparently Stunned Floppy, so we'd dumped him in a boy's bathroom somewhere for him to wake up or for someone to find.

The whole common room heard, and so naturally the entire story was being circulated around the school about how Terry and I were besties again. 

And Draco, apparently, heard too.

He came up to me outside of Transfiguration, after my class had just got out. 

"So, I, uh, heard about you and Terry." He said awkwardly, his face pink, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah. We're cool." I said.

"Well, um ... would you like to go with me on the next Hogsmeade visit?" Draco said, messing up his hair. How did he know that I basically adored his hair? "That is, if you can sneak out?"

"Of course!" I grinned, feeling my entire face brighten up. 

And before I knew it, I was against the wall, my Dragon snogging the life out of me. 

And all I could think was - "Finally."