"I remember. It felt like lightning." Her voice was soft — timid.

"That's right," said Draco. He bounced his knee once. "It binds you to certain properties, locking you in. Like at Edinburgh."

A shadow passed over Giuliana's face, and her shoulder jerked. She reached to brush her fingers across her arm, where Blaise's signature was scrawled in black and gold.

"Granger created a potion to remove the tattoo." Draco pulled the vial from his robes, and Hermione felt Pansy's eyes on her when he lifted it in the light. He handed the vial to Giuliana slowly, as if she would bolt at any minute. "So you can be free."

Giuliana looked down at the contents of the vial, and her lip trembled. "Free?"

"Yes," said Hermione. "Free."

Giuliana turned it over in her fingertips.

Hermione's chest ached as she turned to Pansy. "Even though your tattoo was never activated"—her eyes flicked down to Pansy's scarred flesh—"it's still a good idea for you to take it as well."

Blaise stared at the vial over Giuliana's shoulder. "Impressive, Granger."

"Blaise—" Draco glanced around the room, and his throat bobbed. "I don't know how much longer England will be safe. You should take Giuliana back to Italy as soon as you can. As long as she stays in hiding, Pansy can—"

"I don't want to go!" The room jumped as Giuliana scrambled to shove the vial back into Draco's hand. "I'm not leaving him."

There was an eerie silence as the four of them stared at Giuliana. A tear streamed down her cheek, and she impatiently brushed it away.

"Giuliana," said Blaise softly. "Your mother misses you. I promised to bring you to her when she got to Egypt—"

"My heart is here, with you," said Giuliana, her voice thick. "Why would I go anywhere else?"

Hermione's stomach squirmed, her cheeks hot. She felt like a voyeur, watching a tragic play she hadn't paid a ticket to see. Pansy's eyes closed in resignation as she rubbed her temple, like this wasn't the first time she'd heard this. Draco sat perfectly still — his wide eyes never leaving Giuliana.

"Giuliana, we've talked about this," Blaise whispered, kneeling down in front of her. He took her hands in his. "I am here to protect you. I do not have feelings for you. You're confused—"

Giuliana's eyes filled with tears. Her voice broke as she began weeping, speaking in Italian.

Pansy stood abruptly and jerked her head toward the corridor. Hermione followed her quickly, looking over her shoulder to see Draco dragging his feet, his eyes still frozen on Blaise and Giuliana.

"Told you," Pansy whispered when Draco finally joined them.

He blinked at her, dazed.

"It'll be fine," she said, prying the vial from his fingers. "They go through this twice a week now." She pushed her fringe out of her eyes and uncapped the vial, preparing to toss it back.

Hermione startled back into her body. "You only need a bit," she said quickly. "You should save some in case Giuliana changes her mind."