The school year, Elodie found, went on much faster when she had friends to share it with. Once she had finally told off Tom, she decided she no longer cared what her house thought of her, she was already a joke, and went to Edward and his Gryffindor friends. They really portrayed the image of true friends. On weekends they walked to the little village, which was slowly becoming complete over the passing months. Their favourite shop was Zonkos, which was originally from a pair of American Wizards who found it their goal in life to prank British aristocrats. Elodie was even invited into the Gryffindor Common Room, where she spent many evenings with her new friends working on homework, since the teachers were officially going overboard.
She and Edward had grown very close over the past several months, and in the warm month of May, the pair went for many walks by the lake when they were sick of doing assignments.
Tom stopped her once a week in the hall, usually when no one else was around, and he would ask how she was doing. Her answers were always minimal and restrained, and she knew he could feel it, so he kept his questioning short. She often wondered why he still talked to her, or even cared. Sometimes he would ask if she was seeing anyone, and would probe into her plans for the week.
She still liked him, and she knew she always would. He was her first love, and getting over him was one of the hardest things she had yet to accomplish in life.
Her school grades were fitting together fine, as were her new friends. She had grown close to a boy named Hirman Weasley, a redheaded young man who was a year younger then her, and a total klutz. He was quite suave, but always managed to trip over something.
On a sunny, warm afternoon in the last week of May, it was finally time to have one of the last Quidditch games of the season; Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. A long awaited match, indeed. The Gryffindors were finally shaping up, even though their house was last when it came to points. Edward was the team's keeper, so Elodie had front row seats, with the rest of her large group, to watch the game. She had never attended the Quidditch games at Hogwarts, and only vaguely knew what the sport was about. Hirman, however, was a bit of a buff, and happily explained everything there was to know about the game as they waited for it to start.
"So, really, it just depends on the seeker in the end of all things, right?" Elodie inquired as she and Hirman took the last two seats in their row. She was wearing Edward's Gryffindor scarf, and she couldn't care less about the foul looks her housemates had sent her. She had gotten far too used to the glares to care anymore.
"Right," Hirman agreed, rolling up his sleeves to reveal a large, orange GRYFFINDOR written in paint. Everything seemed so festive. He pointed to the teams as they whizzed out, "See Edward? He guards those big hoops, and makes sure the quaffle doesn't get in."
Elodie waved to Edward, as he flew around the arena with his team, and he sent her a flirty smirk back.
Something was going on. Something had always been going on. She just wasn't sure what it was yet.
Elodie watched with awe as the Slytherin team burst out onto the arena, their flying much more powered then the laid-back Gryffindor style. Her eyes locked with Tom as he flew past and he quirked a grin, only causing Hirman to scowl.
"Tom and Ed aren't going to like each other any more then usual," he remarked, "Riddle is going to try and score with the quaffle, and Ed has to keep him from doing it."
"Oh," Elodie whispered, suddenly admiring the way Tom held his broom, and shivering at the competitive air that vibrated off him.
Hirman nudged her and she looked away, bringing her attention to Hooch; a Ravenclaw third year who knew more about the rules of the sport then anyone in the school. During the summers, it was rumoured, she traveled with the Irish team and worked on their training.
Elodie's eyes instantly followed the large, red ball as it was shot up into the air, and she found she just couldn't look away. Tom snatched it out of the hands of Ian Kewrby, but it was knocked away by another chaser, and a Gryffindor sixth year zoomed across the pitch, hurling the quaffle at the hoop. However, it was blocked by the Slytherin Seeker, Julian, and the exciting game continued on.
"Gryffindor!!" Hirman shouted, waving his flag enthusiastically, "Come on! Fly! Fly!"
Elodie grinned. Perhaps she should have come to watch the games earlier. Girls weren't allowed to play, which gave any spectating girl a great view of the wonderfully "toned" players.
She let out a scream, along with a few other girls, and ducked out of the way as Tom and Adrian pursued Kirk Henderson over the Gryffindor stand, Tom's broom coming a little too close to Elodie's head for her liking.
"Watch it!" Hirman shouted, ducking once again as the three rushed across the stands.
The players finally got back onto the pitch, Adrian and Tom passing the quaffle back and forth between Gryffindor defenses, and Elodie bit her lip as Tom tossed the ball toward an empty hoop. Edward, however, managed to roll over on his broom and catch it, firing it back off to his chasers. Elodie couldn't help but let out a squeal of joy when Gryffindor scored the first goal against Slytherin.
Nearly an hour later, the two teams were neck and neck, but the snitch was nowhere to be seen. Either that, or the seekers just couldn't be bothered to find it.
"Why are they just sitting up there?" Elodie yelled over the cheers, pointing to the two seekers, "Don't they do anything?"
"It's all a matter of patience!" Hirman shouted back, "It takes time to find a little golden ball that moves faster then the human eye."
"Oh, right... Forgot," she muttered, her eyes traveling involuntarily to Tom. He was becoming more aggressive, and frustrated, as the game went on, and he nearly knocked Edward off his broom when the Gryffindor went in to block a certain shot.
One of the beaters, James Smith of Gryffindor, fired of bludger in Tom's direction, and Elodie's eyes widened as the heavy, fast flying ball slammed into Tom's ribs, sending him tumbling off his broom and to the grassy ground below.
"Tom..." she whispered, watching anxiously as the nurse and a few other teachers hurried down to retrieve him. The game carried on, however, and only the Slytherins were calling for a foul, while many of the Gryffindors were screaming for "Play on!" and such.
"Don't worry about the git," Hirman muttered, rolling his eyes, "Happens all the time... Everyone gets hurt in Quidditch."
Elodie nodded, trying hard to keep her focus on the rest of the game.
The Gryffindor team won after the seeker finally caught the snitch, but it did not put their house in the lead. They finally beat Hufflepuff, but Slytherin still came out the lead house. Elodie stayed in the Common Room to celebrate with the Gryffindors for an hour or so, then excused herself, saying she was very tired. As she was leaving, Edward gave her a peck on the lips, and she left with rosy red cheeks, covering them up with her hair as she walked through the halls.
Instead of returning to her house, she decided to check in on Tom, just to make sure he was feeling fine. She knew the nurse would be able to treat him, but she just wanted to make sure.
"Madame?" she called, poking her head into the hospital wing. The nurse came out from behind a curtain, looking a little flustered, "What, girl?"
"Is T-Tom here?" she stammered. Her eyes widened; it was the first time she had stuttered over a word in months.
"He's in the back, but only a quick visit," the large woman hissed, vanishing behind the curtain to deal with another sick student.
Elodie walked quickly to the last shaded in bed in the wing, then pulled the curtain back, spotting Tom in his green Slytherin jersey, his eyes shut and his hands folded on his chest. His body seemed so limp on the white bed, yet he was pale, and slightly worn looking.
"Tom?" she whispered, stepping in and closing the curtain. He remained motionless, which she preferred as she slowly made her way toward him. He seemed so peaceful, and Elodie's stomach clenched as she pushed a piece of hair out of his face.
After receiving no sort of reaction, she turned, deciding it was best to just call it a night.
"You looked right at home with those Gryffindors," she heard him rasp as she went to pull back to curtain, "I almost wondered whether or not you were still my Slytherin... This proves you are."
She whipped back to face him and spotted the amused smirk on his face as he hoisted himself up into a sitting position, wincing a bit.
"I just wanted to check on you," she spat, crossing her arms defensively, "And now I see you are fine."
"I'm sure there could be ways to make it better," he chuckled, "But I don't think darling Potter would like my lips all over his girlfriend."
Elodie nearly melted under the intense gaze he sent her way, but she forced herself to ignore the look of lust, "Edward isn't my boyfriend."
"That's only what the rumours are, kitten," he laughed, gently grasping his rib cage and inhaling slowly. Elodie shifted on her feet for a moment, silence settling over the pair, "What happened?"
"A bludger hit me... Weren't you watching?" he drawled, "Or were your eyes trying to undress Potter?"
"Don't be disgusting," she snapped, "And I know what happened... I mean... What ... broke?"
"My ribs shattered thanks to the damn bludger," he grumbled, "And I have to drink this disgusting stuff to make them grow back."
Elodie sauntered over to his bedside table, picking up a small bottle of skelo-growth potion. She grinned, "Oh... I remember this. I had to drink it when I broke my wrist... Horrid stuff."
"Now where, oh where, has my adorable stutter gone?" he murmured, his hand grabbing the back of her untucked shirt and yanking her into a sitting position beside him, "I haven't talked to you in a while."
"Two weeks," she informed him. She grasped the chain that held his ring around her neck and began to fiddle with it, her new nervous habit.
Tom grinned, "Aw... Kitten, did you miss me?"
"I did," she stated, trying to stand up, "But now I don't."
His fingers laced around her tie and dragged her back down, nearly pulling her on top of him. Her hands supported herself on either side of his body, trying not to land on his re-growing bones.
"Kitten," he purred, leaning forward and resting his forehead against hers, "The summer is coming soon... What say you ditch your bumbling Potter and come away with me. I can make it worth your while."
"Really?" she cooed, trailing her fingers lightly up his chest to cup his face, "Worth my while?"
He inhaled sharply, either in shock from her touching him, or the fact that her fingers were cold, "I can give you things no one else can. Leave the boy behind... I can give you a man, kitten."
"Oh, Tom," she laughed, giving him a sharp kiss on the forehead, "A year ago... Hell, even a month ago, I would have jumped to do anything with you... No more."
His jaw went slack and she stood up, straightening out her skirt, then sauntering towards the curtain. Perhaps she would go back to the Gryffindor Common Room; it was said they had wild parties. She would like to experience one, for once.
"Elodie," Tom barked, causing her to jump and look back at him, "We never used an anti-conception spell, you know."
She raised an eyebrow, "Yes, I recall that."
"And you don't take the potion, do you?" he droned, a grin slowly returning to his lips. Elodie instantly went to her chain, twirling it around her finger, "Not many boys want to sleep with me, Tom... Why bother?"
"Any sort of morning sickness I should know about?" he inquired, "Getting larger and hiding it under those robes, kitten?"
"No," she snapped curtly, her eyes narrowing, "I'm not pregnant, Tom."
He sighed and stared up to the ceiling, "Pity."
Well, I've come to the end of this series. I know it's already been published here, simply because someone took it upon themselves to copy and paste my work, so I'm sure lots of people have already read it. When I saw the last version, there were 30+ reviews, so I know people aren't as interested in it. Oh well. Thanks for those that reviewed, and to those that happily read it again. (: . I'll have the sequel up in a day or so!