Jessica spent the remainder of the journey with her head in her hands muttering about how much she hated Tom bloody Riddle. Ruth stared on and nodded in agreement when it seemed appropriate, but let's face it who actually listens to their "friends" when they're complaining about something that completely, one hundred percent isn't your respective problem.

After a long journey the steam engine finally stopped and everyone except Jessica was having a most difficult time with their cases, so she sidestepped around them.

She was feeling a bit better after her rant which had actually lasted the whole train journey, that happy feeling however was replaced by a twinge of fear. Cold, grey eyes sought her own blue ones and with dark copper hair, not unlike her own, wound tightly in a bun a figure walked determinedly toward her. Her mother's navy just-below-the-knee skirt swished fiercely from side to side and her navy hat was perfectly placed upon her head.

"Well, Jessica. Are you ready?" her mother's tone was not that of friendly and loving but cold, unfeeling.

"Yes, mother," she mumbled.

Her unconvinced mother however raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Then, where is your suitcase?"

"It'll be coming later."

"It will?"

"Yes it will."

"No, your grammar!" Jessica stared up at the terrifying Christian above her, a confused look upon her face "You said it'll," her mother visibly shuddered "It is, it will, honestly Jessica I thought I taught you better"

"Sorry, mother."

"It is not me you should be apologising to."

Her mother played with her silver cross around her neck and with that her mother turned and stalked off, high heels clacking against the platform. Jessica followed obediently; she could hear the three dunces laughing behind her as she walked. She shot them a warning glance over her shoulder as she left 9¾ behind.

Her house had a familiar tone to it, it was a three story (excluding the attic and cellar) Victorian house in central London, the outer bricks were pristine and the garden was neatly pruned. Just like always. Jessica sighed as she approached the familiar, of course beautifully kept deep green door and doorframe when suddenly her mother stopped and a white, gloved hand pointed sharply to the case engraved with Jessica's name into it. Jessica's eyes widened a bit and her fingers snatched at the parchment note before her mother's eyes could bore laser holes of grey into it.

"Well get it inside," her mother shot her a glance that narrowed slightly. "Without magic!" Jessica rolled her eyes once her mother's back was turned

"Emphasis noted," she mumbled.

She quickly unfolded the note:

Jessica,

I figured you might need this at some point

-Tom

"Smug little bastard," Jessica accused, but despite herself she smiled just gently and somewhat briefly as her attention soon turned to the challenge ahead.

Tom walked back into the common room.

"I wonder if she got her case back yet," he said, smirking to himself.

He wandered up the boy's dormitory stairs and to his not outwardly displayed surprise he saw a small brown parcel tied with some string a small note attached:

Tom,

I would like to thank you and present you with a token of my appreciation

~Jessica

Curious, Tom unwrapped the parcel: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow and tossed the play on his bed before walking away to the Great Hall. Little did he know of course he would have read the entire thing by the time the Christmas holidays were over. He also couldn't have known he would spend the days afterwards telling himself he read it just because she thought he wouldn't, he wanted to spite her. This was a lie however rather than the truth. He wanted to because it was sent by her.