The news of the events that had taken place swarmed around Hogwarts for weeks. It was hard for it not to be brought up because of both Lily and Hugo both falling victim to a Hufflepuff that played everyone.

Harlow Evergreen was known as a quiet, humble and friendly girl. It was truly a shock to the people she befriended and the people who had known her for years.

No one had come to even a single thought about what lied within her head, considering how she was able to say with a straight face that she did not regret anything.

It quite frankly horrified a lot of people just how obsessive people could be.

Though it was a lot of people that had considered the levels people would take, such as one that took a few years back with Nimah Black who suffered a fatal fall during a quidditch game—things are definitely not as they seem.

It was horrific to remember that incident and having another repeat a couple of years later had reestablished others to not let their guard down.

Regardless of the current generation not having to worry about the hardships their parents and progenies had faced, they still lived in a world with danger.

Whether they wanted to accept it or not, it was something that most of them had not considered heavily, despite being told 'everything should be okay'

Dahlia had been unsure of how she should react to everything. While both Lily and Hugo were both on the way to getting better, the overwhelming guilt she had was beyond her.

However, she did not pull away and kept herself from not walloping in self-pity that she knew was not going to help anyone.

She just like anyone else was completely fooled by Harlow, so even If there were some people that blamed her—in the end, no one was to blame whether anyone wanted to believe it or not.

Lily had awoken a couple of days later and when she did, she was the same as usual. It was really because of Lily that Dahlia was able to understand that it was not her fault.

Hugo had to be sent to St. Mungo's to get himself treated for both the lingering of the poison that remained in his system and for his afflicted eye injury.

Dahlia had not exchanged words with him during his time away, much to Lily's annoyance. So, as per usual, the red-haired Potter had decided to insert herself into the current situation and make them somehow interact.

It was what led Dahlia to grumble in the halls and head to the potion's classroom because Lily had "forgotten" her books and somehow the Potter had convinced her to retrieve it.

The thing was that it was obviously a lie, but Dahlia's usual observant nature was absent for a while now.

It was not something that would return until the events that taken place no longer took a large portion of her present thoughts.

Lily and Hugo both survived, but the consequences still remained.

Dahlia tried not to notice the way Lily walked downstairs with caution. She tried to not be wary of it knowing that it'll only make the situation worse, so she kept silent.

"Listen, Lily if you wanted to talk, why did it have to be here?" Hugo spoke up frustratedly as he turned hearing the door of the classroom open. When he turned to glare at his cousin, he stopped the gesture and furrowed his single brow that was not covered in bandages.

"Hugo?" Dahlia voiced in surprise as she tried taking in the sight of the male before her

Hugo mirrored the same face of surprise "Dahlia? Where is-"

"Lily," Both said in sync and defeat after a few seconds

"I should have figured she was up to something," Dahlia mumbled and shook her head," I did not know you were back, Hugo"

Hugo raised a hand and scratched his cheek," Just got back today actually, I was supposed to head straight to the common room, but I suddenly got a message from someone that Lily wanted to meet here, I should have known that she was up to her usual antics "

"I guess there are times we don't notice it," Dahlia joked as she slowly walked over to him.

Hugo was taken by surprise, not because of anything to do with Dahlia personally, but it being conscious about his injury and him thinking about it being found a horrendous sight.

His sudden movement caused the glasses he had to wear temporarily until his eye gotten better to fall to the ground.

Dahlia chuckled and picked up the glasses near her foot raising it towards Hugo and slowly placing it back on.

"Please don't apologize," Hugo voiced and Dahlia smiled.

"Why would I apologize? You chose to act fast and saved us both, even if things could have turned out differently, you saved yourself. None of us knew about Harlow's intentions, not until the last second. We both were utterly fooled, but in the end, we survived what could have been worse. So I rather thank you for pushing through and surviving, for not giving up and for living"

"Well, how long exactly did you rehearse that?" He joked and Dahlia laughed

"More than you would realize"