"I have it," Elodie whispered as Tom greeted her that evening in front of his room. She had not seen him the rest of that day, and when he missed two classes that they normally shared, she began to get worried. However, Adrian told her Tom spent the day in the hospital when he slipped on a stair, twisting his ankle.

"Let me see," he ordered greedily, his eyes glimmering when she pulled the book out of her cloak. He snatched it away and tossed it into his room through the open door, "Did you read any of it?"
"No-"
"Good... Now there is one more thing I need you to do for me," he murmured, cupping her cheek. She smiled and leaned into his hand, "Yes?"
"I need you to leave me alone."

The bluntness of the statement shocked her, and for a moment, she couldn't breathe.

"W-What?"

"I need some time alone, just to work out some things," he explained, somewhat coldly, his grasp tightening on her cheek, "You understand, don't you Elodie?"
"N-No... Not really," she answered honestly, pulling his hand off, "Are you... b-breaking up with me?"
"No," he replied simply, "You distract me, and I need to concentrate."
"On what?"
"Something that involves that precious book you fetched me," he chuckled, kissing her cheek, "You did well, kitten. Now go... I have a lot to do."
"Am I not allowed to see you?" she whispered, gazing up into his eyes and fearing the worst. His lips tightened, then relaxed, "Leave me alone until I ask for you."

He stepped back into his room, shutting the door loudly behind him. Her lip began to quiver, "Tom..."

She stood outside his door for what seemed like hours. Had she done something wrong? Why was he sending her away?
Tears began to flood down her cheeks, and the darkness of the hallway was closing in on her. Why didn't he want her anymore?!
Releasing a sob, she ran.
She ran through the nearly empty Common Room, not caring that Adrian and Julian watched her leave, knowing looks on their faces. She ran as her heart began to break. She ran for the sake of it all. She ran for the hurt.
When she returned to reality, she realized she had run to Dumbledore's office, but she just couldn't bring herself to going inside. She stood there for a few minutes, staring hard at the wooden door. Why had her feet brought her here?

"Elodie?"

She flinched, and turned toward the voice, only to spot Edward Potter making his way along the halls. She must have looked a complete mess and she wiped the tears off her pale skin, hoping it wouldn't look as if she had been crying.

"What are you d-doing out here?" she asked quickly, trying to catch him off guard. He shrugged, "Prefect Duty... It's my shift... Why are you here? It's after curfew."
"I..."

Her brain was so befuddled she couldn't think of a single thing to say, and instead, to her horror, she burst out into tears once again.
He would run away. No one really took the time to worry about her. It hadn't been the first time she had cried over her lengthy stay at Hogwarts. Before, whenever someone saw her cry, they would wrinkle their nose and walk off quickly in the other direction.

"Oh... Don't... uh... cry," Edward stammered, hurrying over to her and conjuring up a tissue. Elodie gingerly accepted it, then blew her nose loudly, waiting for him to sneak off. However, he stayed behind. With a bit of a curious look, she hiccupped softly and frowned, "You don't have to be charitable... I d-don't mind if you leave."
"That'd be rude," he stated, his eyebrows knitting together, "Anyone who left a girl crying apparently has no heart... Want something to drink?"
"We can't get anything," she murmured, still surprised he wanted to stay, "The kitchens are closed."
Edward grinned and grabbed her hand, "I can show you a way... But you have to keep it secret."

Who would she tell? Tom, her only companion, had just told her to leave him be. The very thought of it all renewed her tears, and Edward had to conjure up a box of tissues for her to use.

"So you ready to tell me what happened?" Edward pressed gently, returning from the kitchens with a plate full of small cakes and two mugs of steaming liquid. Elodie noted it was hot chocolate and sighed somewhat happily; she despised tea and coffee.
He set everything down on the Ravenclaw table, the closet table to the kitchens in the Great Hall. They only used wand light to see where they were going, and Elodie sat down timidly next to him, reaching for a mug in silence. He was very patient with her, allowing them to eat without saying a word for nearly ten minutes. Elodie's sniffs were the only sounds in the empty, dark hall.

"Did something happen with you and Tom?" he asked finally, causing her to whimper once more and release the flood gates, tears streaming down her face. He hastily made some more tissues, "Sorry, sorry, sorry... I'm guessing something happened then?"
"He says he wants me to leave him alone," she managed with a sob, "But we aren't breaking up... He just wants to be away from me."
"You know..." Edward mused, "You can also break up with him. He doesn't have to be the one doing it."
She shrugged and stared down into her hot chocolate, "I don't want to break up with him... He's so perfect."
"Well, if he made you cry that much, obviously he isn't," Edward argued, "If he hurts you like that... Why is it worth it?"

Elodie hated herself for only thinking of one answer; because it was Tom.

"Thank you for this," she whispered, standing up and igniting her wand, "But I need to get back."
"You don't have to go-"
"Night, Edward," she muttered sadly, sending him a dismal smile before returning to her dormitory for the night.

Elodie sat at the Slytherin table the next morning, dreading the fact that she wasn't 'allowed' to see her Tom. Most of the night she lay awake in bed, wondering why he had asked her to go. Did she do anything to bother him? Didn't he think she was pretty anymore?
When he walked into the hall, Adrian and Julian following closely, he did not even cast a look in her direction. She watched him for a moment, then gazed down at her food, hoping her tears wouldn't show. There was that one sliver of hope that he would sit next to her, like he did every morning, and apologize. That dream was ripped to shreds as he walked arrogantly past her, ignoring her completely. It was as if everything was back to how it used to be. Elodie sat at the end of the table, and Tom sat with his friends, far away from her, laughing and talking.

Why did he do this? What had she done?!
The mail owls landed noisily in the Great Hall, and Elodie was agast when her owl dropped a letter at her side. Frowning, she ripped it open and scanned it quickly.

Dearest Elodie,
At first your father and I were upset about not seeing you this year for the holidays, but you seem to have a good reason for staying.
Your father and I are flying to the Caribbean for a cruise! Exciting!
This boy sounds wonderful. Keep him.
Love,
Mother and Father.

Tears rolled down from her eyes freely and she crumpled the letter up.

*-

"Won't people notice you aren't... around her, anymore?" Adrian inquired as Tom helped himself to some bacon. Tom laughed, "So?"
"So... That's not a good thing... She's quite attractive now," Julian commented, shooting Elodie a glance, "Other blokes will try and move in on her."
"She's completely smitten with me," Tom reassured them, rolling his eyes, "She'd turn them all away."

An infatuation, Tom, an infatuation.

That's what it was. She was obsessed with him, and he knew. That was what made it so perfect.

"She seemed pretty upset about it," Adrian commented delicately, buttering his toast, "What if she won't come back?"
"Oh, she will," Tom snorted, "The moment I speak to her she'll be jumping for joy inside. All I need now is the perfect time."

Tom was forced to duck as a rather scrawny owl barely missed the top of his head, and once again, the hall was filled with noisy owls delivering the mail. He cocked an eyebrow when he noticed it was Elodie whom the owl belonged to, and he watched her read the letter, her bottom lip quivering and a few tears slipping out as she did. She crumpled the paper up and tossed it aside, resting her head on her hand as she poked at her meager set of eggs.

Who would write to her?

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed sharply as Potter made his way over to the Slytherin table, crouching down beside Elodie and rubbing her back.

"I'm not going to say I told you so..." Julian muttered, pointing his fork at the pair, "But that Potter has had his eye on her for a while now."
"Shallow idiot," Tom grumbled, watching grimly as Elodie rose and walked out of the hall, leaving Edward kneeling beside the bench. He slowly pushed himself up, and turned to Tom, sending him a vile look.

Tom wanted to laugh.

Too hasty with her, Tom, too hasty with her.

Perhaps he should have waited some time before sending Elodie away from him. She would be alone for two months now, and hateful feelings could harbour during that time. Along with hateful ones, new attachments could begin if that stupid Potter wouldn't leave her alone.

Fight to keep her, Tom, fight to keep her.

Oh he would. Potter wouldn't know what hit him.

He grinned evilly.