Our class stopped at 7 pm. Except for the very short lunch break (just long enough to take a few bites), there was no time when we could do something other than practice.

I dare say, I was pretty proud of myself. Moody seemed to think that if he didn't criticise, he already praised, so he really put an effort into remarking everything all of the trainees did.

When he came to watch Marlene and me duel wordlessly, he was actually quiet, just nodded and went away again, all without changing the grumpy expression on his face.

Marlene grinned at me, before firing another jelly leg curse in my direction.

After the lunch break, we revised several dark creatures, such as redcaps and vampires.

And when the day was over, I finally found the time to make my way to Lina, after saying goodbye to Marlene.

"Hi," I said to her, smiling.

She smiled back. "Freya, hi. I didn't know you've applied here."

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. I'd written her several times. "You didn't? I'm sure I've told you."

She tilted her head in a confused manner. "I didn't get any letters from you."

My mouth tasted bitter. I hadn't missed how her lip had twitched. There I had my confirmation, but I tried to stay cheery. "I never said that I sent you letters. I told you on the train ride home."

No, I hadn't. But I didn't want her to know that I found out that she'd actually received my letters. She just hadn't replied. Why else would she associate me telling her about my application with letters, if she hadn't gotten or expected any?

My throat clogged up. I didn't get it. Why had she been ignoring me? What had I done wrong?

"Oh, right, I remember now," Lina chuckled and tucked back a streak of her hair. "Must've slipped my mind, sorry."

I nodded. Of course she remembered it now. "Yeah." Then I cleared my throat to get rid of the hoarseness. "Anyway, I've got to go now. It's nice to've finally seen you again."

"You too, Freya. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yup," I popped the p happily and quickly scurried away from her.

As soon as I got away from the Auror Department, I let the facade fall.

When I arrived at home, I couldn't keep the tears at bay.

I hated upsetting people, and this was just like all those years ago with Valerie. I didn't even know what I'd done wrong!

No matter how hard I tried, apparently it would never be enough. I knew that I'd never been Lina's best friend, but I had been a friend for a long time, and I'd always been nice to her! We'd always gotten along well, too, so what had changed?

I really didn't know.

What I did know, though, was that this was just another thing to add to the list of things that made me sad.

~~~~~

The next month went by in a flash.

I kept going to order meetings and spied on Death Eaters, I kept spending some time with my friends and I kept visiting my Auror classes.

I thoroughly enjoyed them, although Lina's forced kindness toward me always managed to depress me a little more. I still couldn't make a sense out of it, but I was too scared of confrontation to ask her.

And in this month, I also had to work with Marlene a lot, because we'd been assigned partners.

From riddles to practicing curses, we were a team.

Considering all of the jealousy and sadness in my life, I wanted to hate her. I really, really did.

But I just couldn't. It was impossible.

She cracked jokes, made lessons go by faster, and never shied away from helping me with Transfiguration exercises, whenever she got the hang of something quicker than I did. She'd even kicked Jack Gales in the nuts when he'd laughed after a stunning curse had knocked me into the wall.

Marlene was just too nice to hate. And although this thought always brought me back to how I stood no chance against her, I found myself enjoying her company a little.

I had held my guard up around her and didn't want to allow myself to like her, but slowly, she tore this mental wall down, without even knowing.

The thought that haunted me nowadays was the uncertainty if she was just nice to me because she was nice to everyone.... Or if she was nice to me because she actually liked me and wanted to spend time with me.

I hoped it was the latter. I didn't know why, but I wanted her to like me.

(Okay, maybe I knew why; I always wanted everyone to like me. Still, something about her was different.)

This evening, we had an order meeting directly after work, so we apparated to the headquarters instead of home.

"Tygris, McKinnon," Moody nodded at us. I quickly looked around and saw that only he and Daedalus Diggle were already here.

"We've just gotten word that some Death Eaters have been sighted north of Merlin's village. We want to know where they're going, so are you two up for it?"

That took me by surprise. "Us?"

"Yes, you," Moodly growled and I almost stepped back.

"You're the first ones here, and we have to hurry. Both of you have been on simple spying missions before and you two are a team in your training, too, you'll manage. Now hurry up."

Without hesitating, Marlene took my sleeve and pulled me out of the house again. "Let's go," She whispered and looked at me with an adventurous glint in her eyes, before taking my hand into hers and disapparating us away.

I found myself on the right side of the lantern-lit village, and on our right were some farms, that were barely visible in the darkness of the evening.

"Where do you think they are?" Marlene whispered, looking around.

I couldn't see anyone. "Dunno."

I took out my wand, and pointed it at the street below us.

Now was the perfect time to test my newest charm. I'd been trying to invent a few that would help the order, and I'd finally thought of something I could actually use now.

"Homenum Revelio," I said, thinking of masked Death Eaters to specify the instruction.

I felt my wand buzz slightly and it yanked to the side. "This way," I whispered before hurrying down the little path on our right, passing by the farms that were barely illuminated by little light bulbs.

"What's that spell?" Marlene asked quietly when we jogged down the way.

"I came up with it."

"You did?" She grinned. "That's so cool!"

Her enthusiasm made me chuckle. "Thanks?"

The buzzing in my wand got stronger. "Stop!"

Marlene immediately stopped and I held my index finger in front of my lips. "Shh, careful. We're close."

She nodded, and we began to crouch down behind little shelters the several farms could offer, bushes and trees, whatever we could find.

Then, finally, we could make out three glowing wands several feet in front of us. The Death Eaters were using lumos to keep their path illuminated.

I slowed down. This didn't sit right with me. Why would they walk down a way with lit wands if they didn't want to be seen? They couldn't just be stupid, could they?

Marlene overtook me before I could voice my thoughts and I didn't want to lose her, so I picked up my pace again, too.

I clutched my wand tighter.

When we were less feet away, we could make out what the Death Eaters were saying.

"-doing this," a female voice said.

"Someone has to. We'll be done soon," a man replied.

"I hope so," a third, also male voice added. "It's getting very late and I haven't had dinner yet."

"Flint!" The woman scolded. "Stop complaining. You should feel honored that the Dark Lord has chosen you for this important mission!"

"I don't see how -"

Crack.

I froze in horror.

I'd been so focused on eavesdropping that I hadn't watched my step. Cold panic washed over me as I looked at the branch beneath my shoe.

Stupid, Freya!, I mentally screamed at myself. This can't be happening!

But it did.

Before Marlene and I could even react, there was the familiar sound of someone disapparating, and one of the Death Eaters appeared in front of us, wand outstretched.

Marlene and I instantly mirrored his posture.

"Look who we've got here," he snarled.

I took a step towards Marlene, ready to disapparate us the hell away from here, when the other two Death Eaters appeared next to us.

Marlene and I stood back to back, wands pointed at the three masked figures.

We were surrounded.

"Move and you'll die," the woman said coldly.