"... And I just see him everywhere. Even when he's not there - I know he's a ghost here now. But I mean..." 

"You mean the ghost of him - metaphorically speaking, of course - is haunting you everywhere you go." Professor Wells leaned forward with her elbows on her knees, staring at me sympathetically. "I know exactly what you mean. It can't be easy, walking around this school and trying to go back to the way your life was before all of this happened... when just last year, you were here, with him, having the most unspeakable horrors done to you." 

I nodded, glancing away. "Yeah. Yeah, exactly." 

"You have to accept that it happened, and it's in the past now; there's nothing you can do to change that. But you CAN acknowledge it and move past it." Professor Wells said, brushing her long red hair back. "I'm giving you homework. I'd like you to go to three places that remind you of him and think about what happened there." 

I opened my mouth in protest, but she held up a finger, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. 

"Also," Professor Wells sat back in her office chair, "you have to do three things that remind you of what life was like here before last year. Things that remind you of being a - well - somewhat normal student," her eyes twinkled, "things that were fun to you." 

"I'll try." I said quietly. 

"Come on, Daisy." Professor Wells stood, reaching past me to open her office door. "I've heard that you're loud, reckless, funny, boisterous. What you're acting like isn't at all like you. Try to get her back, eh?" 

I forced a smile. "I'll try." I said, putting a bit more strength into my voice. 

"Alright. Now off you go." 

I left, closing the door behind me. I ignored the stares and whispers of my fellow students as I slipped away down the corridor, my head down. 

"Was that Daisy Potter coming out of the trauma counsellor's office?" 

"Oh my God, is she crying?" 

"Nah, she was just there to beg Wells for a spot in her Muggle Studies class. Potter likes older women, I've heard." 

I raised my eyebrows at the floor, increasing my pace away from all these weirdos. 

I sat through the free period with Terry, the twins, Draco and his bridesmaid and groomsmen - Ginny, Blaise, and Louis - as they went over potential wedding venues. I gazed down at the pictures of beautiful castles and fancy hotels that I was being passed, not really taking anything in. My talk with Professor Wells that morning had shaken me up a bit. 

I thought that counselling was supposed to make you feel BETTER. Why was I now spacing out and feeling a huge weight in my chest? 

"Softpaw?" 

"Huh - what?" I jerked my head up. Everyone was staring at me. "Sorry - what was the question?" 

"What's your vote?" Terry said, indicating the pictures of the venues on the table. He was watching me hopefully - I felt a sudden, large swoop of guilt. I was his maid of honour, and he clearly thought a lot of my opinion. 

"Er..." I scanned the pictures before me quickly, biting my lip. I went with my gut and reached out for a photo of a castle with big blooming pink flowers around the entrance. "This one looks nice." 

"It's pretty much perfect, isn't it?" Terry grinned, exchanging a glance with Draco. The blond linked his hand with Terry's, squeezing, and I sighed inwardly in relief. "It's got an old sort of charm to it, plus it's got loads of rooms for everyone to stay in. It's fancy enough for your parents' standards, baby," my best friend winked at Draco, "and it's actually gorgeous inside. We'll have to pick a weekend to go up there and check it out, all of us." 

"Totally." I grinned. 

"I - I don't think I can afford..." Ginny was frowning, but she was cut off almost immediately by me, Fred and George, and Draco. 

"Don't be stupid, we'll pay for you -" 

"You're basically my sister, so don't worry about it -" 

"Bridesmaids at Malfoy weddings don't pay -" 

Ginny beamed at us. 

~~~ 

At our next Transfiguration class, Fred, George, Terry, and I turned up late in our Animagus forms. We bounded in as two squirrels, a bunny, and a puppy just as Draco, Colin, Louis, and Ginny were putting the finishing touches on the desk; a framed picture of Professor Soot sat in the middle, with lit candles and flowers decorating the area around it. Harry, Ron, Kylie, Dean, Seamus, and Blaise were snickering and taking pictures of it; Luna was filming a TikTok, zooming in on Professor Soot's framed face. 

I woofed happily as I looked around at everyone's hair; we'd 'borrowed' his hairspray and everyone had styled their hair so that it was ridiculously voluminous. We'd also found out what cologne he used: Suave Seduction. And so of course, we'd all applied this before coming to class, too. 

"Cute, Daze!" Kylie exclaimed, tossing her phone onto her desk and scooping me up. I woofed again as her fingers danced all over me, ruffling my fur and scratching behind my ears. "You're so adorable!" 

The squirrels approached Kylie's desk, and a strange, threatening hissing noise came from them. Kylie jumped, her eyes widening. 

"Okay, alright, Godric. Take your pup back. Fuck..." 

I was set back on the ground, and I could almost swear the squirrels were both glaring at my ex. 

I didn't even know squirrels could make that noise. 

"Alright, everyone, sorry I'm late -" Professor Soot strode into the room and stopped dead at the sight of his desk. "Well - I'll make sure not to be late in the future, then, if you were all mourning me so much." His voice was amused. He glanced around the classroom and spotted us animals on the ground in between the desks. "Ah. Miss Potter, Mr Boot, Mr Weasleys. Yes, I have heard of your remarkable achievement of becoming Animagi. However, I would prefer it if you were humans while I am teaching this class." 

Grinning, the four of us transformed back and sat down at our desks. Professor Soot left the memorial on his desk, smirking amusedly at it, before his gaze swept around the class for a second time. This time, he frowned slightly as he saw our hairstyles, and as his nose twitched - he could definitely smell the cologne on all of us. 

"Anyway -" 

"Sir," I said, my hand in the air, "I am in LOVE with your use of Madam Sally's Famously Fab Hairspray. It makes your hair sit just right on your head." 

"Thank you, Miss Potter. Now -" 

"Sir, I got you some merch." Terry said beside me. "Of our nation's favourite girl." 

He held up a t-shirt with a picture of me on it. A mug, a bookmark, a poster, a bag, a scarf, and a shower curtain all with the same design on them sat on his desk, and Professor Soot walked down the aisle towards us, whistling casually, and actually gathered all the merch up into his arms, folding everything neatly into his satchel and setting the mug and bookmark on top. 

"Thank you very much, Mr Boot." 

"Sir, can I lick your delicious abs?" I raised my hand again. The class dissolved into titters and giggles, and my professor smirked at me. 

"Not at this moment, no, Miss Potter." 

"Not at this moment? So, sometime?" I said excitedly. I heard a quiet scoff on my other side; Fred was scowling again. 

Professor Soot didn't reply, only inclining his head slightly, his eyes gleaming. 

"Will you go out with me, Professor?" 

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" He raised an eyebrow at me. "Apologies - two boyfriends?" 

"I do." I grinned. He didn't outright reject me. "I don't see what that's got to do with anything, though." 

"Yeah, sir." Fred said reluctantly, glancing down at number one on the list, 'Ask him out (everyone has to at least once).' "Will you go out with ME?" 

"Sorry to disappoint, Mr Weasley." Professor Soot said, the amusement back in his voice. "I'm not into lads. And something tells me you're not, either." 

"Hey, people can be bisexual, sir!" Terry protested. "Will you go out with me?" 

"I will have to decline, Mr Boot. And yes, I am aware people can be bisexual - but somehow I don't think Mr Weasley here is anything but one of the most aggressively heterosexual men I've ever met." 

A small gasp swept the classroom. Professor Soot and Fred were staring each other down, the professor with a little smirk, the redhead with a glare. 

"He's actually not that aggressive." I said. "He's been nothing but a sweetheart to me the whole time I've known him. He's only aggressive when someone pushes him too far." 

Professor Soot's smirk fell into an expression of slight surprise, and Fred's glare softened. 

"Yeah, man, you've got it wrong." George piped up on the other side of Fred. "And; will you go out with me?" 

Professor Soot shook his head, looking as if he was restraining a laugh, and returned to the front of the classroom as I scored all the ones we'd done so far off the list. 

"Sir, what was your Hogwarts House?" George raised his hand. 

"Ravenclaw." 

"Why?" George said. "It's not as if you're particularly bright, sir." 

I'd lost count of how many times the class had gasped by this point. But, as I was soon getting used to, Professor Soot didn't take anything too seriously and only smirked in response. 

"Actually, Mr Weasley, I left Hogwarts with all Os in my OWLs, and all Os in my NEWTs." 

"Nerd." I said, and the class burst out laughing. 

Professor Soot inclined his head towards me again. "That is why I was in Ravenclaw, Miss Potter." 

"Is your aim to defeat Professor McGonagall and take up the post of Headmaster, sir?" Terry raised his hand. 

"Do not be ridiculous, Mr Boot." Professor Soot said pleasantly. "Now, if we can -" 

"You'll never measure up to Professor McGonagall!" Fred said loudly, his grin a bit too mean for the comment to be made purely in fun. 

"Uh - Professor, how many times do you masturbate a week?" I said hurriedly. Harry turned around in his chair to stare at me, wide-eyed, and I pointed at 'Ask him very personal questions' on the list. 

"She's asking for a friend, Professor." Terry purred. "I think you're very sexy, and the thought of you tugging it and ejaculating all over your hot abs is something that turns me on so much -" 

The class was rife with laughter and chatter - Draco had done the exact same thing Harry had done, and I directed him to 'Get Terry to flirt heavily with him' on the parchment. 

"I am going to ignore everything you lot have said," Professor Soot said, and I smirked at the slight pink tinge on his cheeks now, "and I'm going to write up the notes for today, which I expect you to write down. Now, the particular aim of cross-specific Transfiguration is to ..." 

The majority of us didn't pay any attention, instead beginning to make small piles of paper airplanes next to our desks. Within five minutes, I'd finished, and I aimed my first paper airplane at Neville. Neville cursed, spinning around and aiming his own back at me. Fred aimed back in retaliation, and then Terry and George started on their own targets, and soon the whole classroom had devolved into a paper airplane war. 

Professor Soot turned, rolling his eyes. "Really, I've never met a more immature bunch of seventh years -" 

And this was right before I produced his hairspray from my bag, swiping the lighter from my desk, and sprayed. A paper airplane crossing my path at that very moment caught fire, and the class yelled in excitement. Our professor sighed deeply, putting the fire out with a single flick of his wand. 

And while he was distracted, I crept up the aisle towards his desk and, taking out my wand, Transfigured all of the books stacked on the oak surface into vibrators. 

"What exactly is going on here, Professor Soot?" A familiar voice came from the doorway, and I turned, grinning. 

Professor Wells was leaning against the doorframe, an eyebrow raised and a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth again. Professor Soot placed his hands on his hips, sighing, as all the paper airplanes floated to the ground. The Muggle Studies professor's eyes were drawn to his desk, and she let out a small snort. 

Professor Soot turned and stared at the vibrators. I slowly slipped back into my seat. Professor Wells' eyes twinkled at me, and she gave me a thumbs-up, mouthing, "One down!" at me. 

Oh, yeah. This was one of three things that could help me feel like I belonged to this school again. This was what was second nature to me before I'd gotten kidnapped and forced to attend Dark Hogwarts. 

"Did you need something, Professor Wells?" Professor Soot said, polishing his reading glasses on his shirt. 

"I got a message from you saying you needed help in your class. Didn't you send it?" 

Terry and I low-fived under the desks. 

"I didn't." The Transfiguration professor said. "I'm sorry, you must be mistaken. It was possibly a joke by one of these hilarious students here." 

The sarcasm was dripping from his voice, but I beamed. "Thanks, sir! Say, you wouldn't have any tips on how to charm the ladies, would you? I'd like to try it on SOME." I emphasised, turning my gaze onto Professor Wells, who laughed quietly behind her hand. 

"I'm sorry my students have wasted your time, Professor." Professor Soot said. Professor Wells turned to go, sending me a little wave; my heart fluttered as I stared at her dreamily, aware of Kylie, Hermione, Ginny, and most of the guys doing the exact same. 

"Right." Professor Soot said, sounding exhausted; boy, if you're exhausted after one class of this, you'd better get some good sleep before the next one. "Returning to cross-specific ..." 

While his attention was on the blackboard, the twins, Terry, and I subtly set up a sprinkler system on the floor, sneaking around and hooking it in around desk legs and chairs. We scurried back to our seats, sniggering, and set it off. 

Everyone was shrieking and leaping up; water drenched us all within seconds, soaking us all to the skin. Our classmates all made a break for the door, their stuff all gathered in their arms and attempting to shield their books and phones. Only the Insurgents and Professor Soot were left, staring at each other as the water made our shirts all stick to our chests. 

Terry's eyes were on Professor Soot; Professor Soot and the twins' eyes were on me; my eyes were moving between the twins and Professor Soot. 

Their shirts were all white, due to the school uniform and Professor Soot's preferred choice of shirt. Their abs were all very visible, as was the tattoo of a dragon on the left of Professor Soot's chest. I was very aware that my bright pink bra was now very visible under my soaked shirt, which was clinging to my skin; it was a lacy bra, meaning that due to the cold, my nipples were hard, and now visible through the skimpy material... 

And my boyfriends were staring at me, with obvious hard-ons - understandable - but also my professor, his eyes glued to my breasts, a tent in his trousers... 

"Um..." I cast around in my mind for something, anything, to break this tension between us, and landed on number fourteen on the list. "Can we borrow some condoms, sir?" 

Terry snorted.