Note: Thank you, Radio Free Death, for the review. I went back and fixed those few mistakes you had found. It's always appreciated. I hope everyone else enjoys the next chapter.

CHAPTER TWO

[Flashback]

'He's been staring at you all evening,' Hermione whispered

I grinned at her until she motioned that she wasn't speaking about Seamus who I had just been talking to, she was nodding over at another table. I closed my eyes briefly and wondered if I should even look over. Opening my eyes once more I ignored Ron's crazy red hair, skimming past two rows of tables with students chatting away. There, at the last table that was next to the stone wall I found Crabbe and Goyle with Pansy and Blaise having their backs to me. Thankfully he wasn't looking this way but he was staring off in space not interacting with those around him.

He was thinner than I remembered and had almost a haunted look in his eye. Not anything like the boy, I dated last year and I wondered what exactly happened this summer and his cryptic note to me. Shaking my head slightly I made eye contact with Hermione again.

'He made his choice…made it very clear.' I whispered in a dead pan voice. I didn't want to think about him or his haunted look.

She nodded solemnly before Ron's slurping caught our attention, 'Will you cut that out! Your best friend is missing!'

'Calm down you lunatic. He's right behind you.' Ron remarks dryly motioning towards doors.

Following Ron motion, we both turn around and sure enough, Harry is walking in the door with Luna behind him. I squint realizing that Harry has something held up to his nose. What the hell happened and on the first day back?

'He's covered in blood again. Why is he always covered in blood?' Ginny asks turning towards us.

'I'm still trying to figure that out.'

'Looks like it's his blood this time.' Ron states as Harry takes a seat.

'Where've you been?' Hermione whispered leaning over the table, 'What happened to your face?'

'I'll tell you later.' Harry remarks before taking a sip of pumpkin juice, 'What did I miss?'

'Greetings to you all.'

Dumbledore's voice rang out, gaining our attention. Up at the front he was standing behind his owl podium, gazing down at all the students. Once we quieted down he introduced Professor Slughorn, who was a returning professor and then announcing that Professor Snape was now Professor of the Dark Arts. We all sent each other weary looks and shocks of whispers broke out in the students before Dumbledore gained our attention once more.

'As you know, each and every one of you was searched on your way in and you have the right to know why.' Dumbledore began calmly

'Once there was a young man, who like you sat in this very hall, walked in these corridors. He seemed to all the World a student like any other. His name, was Tom Riddle. Today of course, he's know all over the world by a different name. Which is why as I stand up here, looking upon all of you tonight, I am reminded of a sobering fact. Every day, every hour, this very minute, dark forces try to penetrate these castle walls. In the end, their greatest weapon is you. Just something to think about.'

[End of Flashback]

'Looking back, I can't help but wonder how calm he always seemed even though he was staring at Death's door.' I remarked shaking my head and taking a bite of my scone; trying to gather my scattered thoughts. My mother was still silent and continued to sip on her tea, waiting for me to continue when I was ready.

'There are a lot of days that I miss Dumbledore and I have to remind myself that not only am I not returning to Hogwarts but he died. Worrying about my friends; where they are and if they are safe. I hate just staying here in this place. While they are out there on a mission or having to watch the rest of the Order fighting against You Know Who.'

'Hun, you know it's not safe out there.'

'It's not safe for them either! Yet look at them!' I remark frustrated. I wanted to be doing something, anything.

I felt useless hanging around a house that wasn't my parents, watching as people I cared about continued to risk their lives to fight against Voldemort. She stayed silent and waited. I wanted to be angry at someone. To blame them but there was no one to blame. The war had begun and I'm still trying to let last year go.

'Last year.' I remark shaking my head trying to go back, 'well. What can I really say? I'm not sure how to start.'

'One word at a time. Just let your mind let go and it'll fall into place.'

Rolling my eyes at her remark I pass over my empty plate and cup; pulling the faded crochet blanket up farther. The deeper I go the more the memories begin to hurt. I didn't want to feel the pain. The desperation, betrayal or longing. I close my eyes and I'm back in 6th year, walking the hall to Potions…

You must be our American student.'

I force a smile on my face as I look on at my new Potions instructor, Professor Slughorn. He was a balding man with a quirky personality as he stood in front of me with an odd grin. The rest of the class was behind him with bored expressions on their face.

'Yes.'

'Excellent!' Professor Slughorn exclaims his grin widening, 'I once had an acquaintance of the President of MACUSA.'

I raise an eye brow as I continue to smile at him, slowly moving to get to where my classmates were. Unsure of what this Professor was trying to imply or if he was just trying to build his importance up. He finds another student to pester as I make my escape.

'Nice hair Edwards. Very fitting.'

A voice whispers into my ear. I look up and stare into dark brown eyes, belonging to Blaise. What's he doing talking to me?

'Thanks. Aren't you going to get into trouble talking to me?' I whispered back ushering towards Malfoy and Pansy who were off the side.

'Where's the fun?' Blaise remarks giving me a grin, 'he's just salty. I told him he was making a mistake to end things with you.'

I stared back at him. Dumbfounded at this little bit of information. He only smirked and walked away as I was stopped from asked more when the doors were pulled open; Harry and Ron stepping in during Professor Slughorn's introduction speech.

'Ah Harry my boy.' Slughorn began clapping Harry on the back continuing to talk to Harry and Ron.

I rolled my eyes and shifted my weight; waiting as Slughorn released them to find books and focused once again on the rest of the class. He was a strange teacher but I didn't mind the new Potions room. It had an open space feel and brighter than Professor Snape's lecture room. He was having us guess the three potions he had displayed in front of us.

'Can anyone tell us what these three potions are?'

Hermione's arm shot into the air. Rolling my eyes, I listened as she listed the first potion and at the second she paused slightly before stating it was the love potion. Why was a Professor teaching us a love potion I couldn't help but wonder. Hermione's began to become a dull fade when a scent hit my nose. What was that smell? Smelling the air once more I couldn't help but frown in concentration trying to pinpoint exactly why this scent was familiar to me. It was at the tip of my tongue! Continuing to inhale the scent, forgetting everything around me in my quest for the source of this intoxicating smell-

'…and toothpaste.'

Jerking slightly from a daze I realize Hermione still speaking and I was no longer standing next to her, but with a group of girls. We all glanced at each other in confusion and slight embarrassment from our reaction to the love potion. What the fuck?! We all slowly inch backwards as Professor Slughorn starts to explain to us that the final item on display was a vial of Liquid Luck.

'Whoever can make the perfect vial of Draught of Living Death will be able to take this home. This is a very complex potion. Off you go!'

He motions us to get started and a frenzy of activity starts as all of us pull out our books and begin to gather our ingredients. Silence filled the room as everyone bent over their cauldrons trying to master the Draught of Living Death. The pyro tech at heart, Seamus, ended having his potion explode all over him and on Dean. Pansy Parkinson was shrieking in horror as her potion became living slime that was crawling towards her.

'Draco! Draco! Make it stop!' She shrieked latching herself to him as the potion moved forward.

I couldn't help but snicker before focusing back on mine which wasn't anywhere near perfect but at least it didn't explode or turned into living slime. I gave up at some point and just sat watching Hermione cursing and fretting about as Harry seemed to master the potion with the no problem. The catch of course was the fact that he wasn't even following the direction but deviating from them.

'Ah Edwards. Let's see was how our American student as fared.' Professor Slughorn remarks dropping a leaf into the caldron.

I leaned over anxiously and watched as it just sunk into the black potions, 'Ah it seems you may have missed a step or mixed them up my dear. No worries though. Very good effort.'

I rolled my eyes when Professor Slughorn moved passed me and went over to Harry, making more ridiculous comments before also dropping the leaf in.

'Ah! Excellent! Harry my boy, you have a perfect potion!' Professor Slughorn remarks in a giddy tone pulling Harry up to the front to hand him the vial as the rest of us looked on with annoyance. I was happy he was excelling but from the look on Hermione's face I could tell she wasn't pleased.

'That's all for today kids.' Professor Slughorn states waving us to go.

I watched as Pansy pulled Draco out from the group of us and made a beeline for the door. I couldn't place it but something seemed different this year. Something with Draco. We might not be together but he wasn't his usual self.

'See you around Edwards.'

Turning slightly, I found Blaise grinning cheekily at me before catching up with the rest of the Slytherins. Indeed. Something very odd was going on this year.

'What was that all about?' Harry questions pulling onto my arm to follow them out of the classroom.

'Hm?' I respond looking at Harry who motioned to the retreating figure of Blaise, 'Oh that. Beat's me. Never really talked to him before so I'm not sure what's going on.'

I waited as Harry continued to stare at the retreating forms of Pansy, Draco and Blaise before turning back to me, 'You should stay away from that lot. You remember what I said about what happened on the train.'

'I remember Harry.' I remark rolling my eyes. Harry was convinced that Draco is a Death Eater now and the rest of the Slytherin's are the same or two steps behind. 'Come on let's not speak about it. Tell me. Do you have anything in mind to use the Liquid Luck potion for?'

Linking arms with him we walked behind Ron and Hermione as we headed to our next class. Harry of course denied knowing what he'd use the potion on and I could only laugh in amusement. He would keep his secrets… for now.

….

Have you built yourself a tower than?' A voice called out.

Glancing sideways, ignoring the fact that I had a stack of books in front of me I couldn't even see over unless I stood up.

'Or are you trying to hide?' They remarked moving closer so they didn't have to talk as loud.

Glaring at them for their sarcasm, 'No I'm not hiding. Merely attempting to get my homework down.' I remarked watching as they fell into the seat next to me.

'I almost thought it was Granger behind this mound of books.' He remarked dryly picking up, An Ornithologists Thesis on the Success of the Bird-Conjuring Charm.

Flipping through its pages as if it wasn't a big deal that he was speaking yet alone acknowledging my existence. What the hell? I continued to listen to him prattling on about how he thought I was Hermione. What was he doing? Breaks my heart and then ignores I'm even living for the three months of school?

'What are you doing?'

He turns and gazes at me with his cold eyes. He didn't look okay; sickly almost or sleep exhaustion, 'I'm sitting here Edward's what does it look like.' He bites backs with a steely gaze.

I roll my eyes and try to ignore the fact that he was trying to rile me up, 'I figured that out myself thanks. I meant what are you doing here. Talking to me.'

'What. I can't talk to you now?' Draco remarks dropping the book back onto the table in boredom.

'Seriously?!' I whispered back; frustration and annoyance seeping through. As I struggled to remain calm in front of him, 'You've been ignoring me for months and now you want to act like that never even happened?! Or the fact that you've ignored that I even exist!?'

'I have not been ignoring you.' Draco remarked in an arrogant manner, barley making eye contact with me.

Groaning I try to keep myself from jumping over the table at him, 'Did you need something? I'm rather busy.' I remark motioning to the pile of books stacked on the table.

'No need to get feisty with me Edwards.'

'Why are you doing this? Is this your way of trying to tell me you want to be friends?'

'I thought we have been friends.' Draco remarks his gaze landing on mine.

I couldn't help but groan in frustration. Why is he doing this? I wanted nothing more than to shove thoughts of him to the back of my mind and just focus on finishing this school year. He continues to watch me and I decided to just ignore his last comment, and opt for shuffling through my papers.

[Flashback Ends]

'It was just the beginning of what would be a crazy back and forth relationship. He had a knack of always knowing when I was alone and would just bug me the whole time.' I stayed glancing at my mom.

'Did he ever try to get in contact with you during the summer?'

'No. Not really.' I began pausing a moment to think back, 'Twice I heard from him. The first was him breaking up with me and the second was months later. A late birthday gift with a cryptic letter.'

'The scarf?' My mother asked, glancing over to where the scarf hung on a hook.

'Yes. Looking back, I realized why he broke things off.' I remarked pausing for a moment, 'I just wish- I wish I would have understood then what I know now.'

'Oh sweetie. You can't beat yourself over what happened.' My mother exclaims pulling me to her, 'There would be no way for you to change his path.'

'I dunno. He never gave me a chance to even try!' I retorted trying to keep the tears from falling. Talking about last year always left me in tears. Just so much had happened and I was having a hard time coping.

'Come. You need to stop wallowing in self-doubt. You did all you could and unfortunately his family is on the wrong side of the war.' My mother remarks, pulling her wand out, waving the dishes to head back down the stairs, 'Dinner should be done. Let's play a round of cards to pass the time.'

Bowing my head in resignation I followed her off the creaking bed and made my way down the stairs. She was right of course. It wasn't helping myself or anyone else to keep questioning the past. I needed to push forward and stay strong. Shortly after Fleur and Bill were married Death Eaters had crashed the Reception and chaos followed suit. I was pulled along by Fred Weasley and lost sight of Harry, Hermione and Ron. When the battle settled down the three were nowhere in sight. Ron's family was furious and distraught. Not knowing what happened to their son and equally concerned about Harry and Hermione.

I already knew that they were planning on leaving at some point to hunt Horcruxes but I never thought they would leave without me. Up until then I was helping Hermione research and prepare traveling gear for when the time did come. I was heartbroken and for a while I was pissed at them for leaving me behind. Shortly after we were moved to this cottage by the water and I was stuck thinking about the past trying to find my place in this messed up World.