The winter months crept up almost instantly as the pandemonium of the Chamber of Secrets escalated. There had been two more Mudbloods that had been petrified and much to Tom's dismay none of them were Flint Donahue. But he still had high hopes and there was still plenty of time for the Basilisk to kill Flint so he wasn't going to feel discouraged as of yet.

Veronica had been forced along to Madame Puddifoot's with Flint on the first trip to Hogsmeade which ended badly to say the least. Flint ended up in the hospital wing that day with the entire surface of his skin covered in pus filled boils for attempting to kiss Veronica on their way back to the castle. Mildred had started going out with Rufus Lamb and the pair were practically inseparable. Veronica had taken to the back seat as Rufus was Mildred's top priority now; only on the odd occasion did the two girls end up spending time together. It didn't hurt Veronica as much as it had done at first but she had sought comfort in Alphard so she rarely had the chance to think about it.

"Open up!" Veronica kept her mouth shut as best she could, though she could hardly breathe for laughing.

"Uh uh" She mumbled as Alphard tried to push in a Bertie Bott Every Flavor Bean against her lips. He too was laughing as she writhed beneath him, enjoying the fact she had chosen to lay her head on his chest.

"C'mon Ron, I ate the earwax flavored one. You have to eat the Chilli one that's the deal!" He said reasonably but she still didn't budge. Thinking tactfully he reached down with his free hand and began tickling her sides, only when she opened her mouth to stop him, did he thrust the fiery sweet into her mouth.

Veronica's face was priceless in Alphard's opinion. She suddenly sat, bolt upright, her mouth open as she panted for air. "Chew and swallow Ron. That's it!" He said slowly in a patronizing tone not even bothering to hold back his laughs. She shot him an icy glare but she reluctantly chomped quickly, her eyes scrunched up as if she was chewing on something as disgusting as a slug. The moment the sweet had slid down the throat did she open them in search of a cooling liquid. Reaching out, she pulled Alphard's empty Goblet that sat upon on a dark oak coffee table, closer to her before aiming her wand at it. "Aguamenti" She croaked and a shot of clear water sprang from the end of her wand and fell into the Goblet. Almost immediately she brought it up to her lips and downed the contents in one great gulp.

"You bastard." She finally groaned as she fell back into her usual position; legs on the sofa, head resting on Alphard's chest as he took a more casual pose, allowing his legs to stretch out in front of him on the floor. "What were you trying to do? Kill me with it?" She complained, although Alphard could tell she was resisting the urge to smile.

"You brought it on yourself. You shouldn't have made the bet if you weren't going to keep to your side of it." He retorted innocently, Veronica tutted loudly in meek response to him.

Alphard couldn't believe his luck, he had the girl every boy wanted to be with (including himself although he wouldn't admit it) laying on him. Friendly as it looked, he couldn't help but feel the urge to push his luck, to somehow lean down over her and plant a lingering kiss upon her rouge lips. It was quite comical as he was something of a 'stallion' when it came to the opposite sex; he could get any girl he wanted without so much as making an effort but he couldn't seem to get Veronica. Calm and confident as he was with other girls when it came to her; he became a completely shy, love sick puppy.

As infuriating as it was, he was still thankful that she had returned to her usual playful self around him. But this did have its down sides, he couldn't think straight when she'd knock him to the ground, her body sat upon his chest as she play fought with him restraining his flailing arms as she'd lean over him smirking. He could have quite easily knocked her off and rolled onto the top of her but he enjoyed feeling her there. At times he wished that their clothes would just melt away on command and they could somehow; end up doing something completely x-rated to them...

"Earth to Alphard?" Veronica waved a hand in front of his transfixed face. He hadn't realised he had slipped into a comma like state thinking only of skin to skin contact and pleasurable moans. He snapped out of his thoughts abruptly to find she had removed her head from his chest (much to his disappointment).

"Sorry..." He said quietly, feeling himself go red as he caught sight her confused expression wondering if she had seen what his mind held.

"I do worry about you, you know?" She smiled as she ruffled his hair in a mocking way.

"Alright Bennett?" Frances Whitehouse now appeared from behind the sofa they were sat upon. Veronica scooted a little further away from Alphard shyly as Frances jumped over the back and ended up sandwiching himself rather closely in between them.

"Yeah I'm alright thanks and you?" She said coldly as Frances smirked at her. Alphard felt his temper increasing ever so slightly, the more Frances tried his luck with Veronica.

"Me? I'm brilliant. Anyone asked you to the Yule Ball yet?" He wasted no time in getting straight to the point.

Veronica looked up at him with a slight pout of her lips, she knew what he wanted but she was going to take great pleasure in letting him down. "Nope" And before she Frances could cut in she continued. "and I'm not going either." Both Frances and Alphard looked at her incredulously. "What? Am I not allowed to not go or something?" She snapped.

"No, I just thought you'd be the type of girl who wouldn't want to miss it." Frances stated as he placed his hand on her bare knee.

Veronica instantly removed his hand before retorting back at him. "Thought wrong didn't you?"

Frances didn't seem to be fazed by her hostility towards him but merely attempted to persuade her differently. "Apparently so, but all jokes aside are you going with anyone?"

Veronica couldn't help but admire his determination but she didn't like to be contradicted, especially by someone as arrogant as Frances Whitehouse. "I just told you, I'm going with no-one because I'm not going!"

Completely dismissing what she had said, he continued. "I would have thought that weirdo Riddle might have asked you. You're the only girl he doesn't seem to mind getting close to."

That suddenly did gain Veronica's full attention. "What d'you mean gettingcloseto? He hates everyone, especially me." She said with a furrowed brow.

"I share a dorm with him Ronnie; all he ever does is constantly complain about you to that freak Lestrange." It was Frances' turn to pull a disgusted face.

"Yes because complaining about someone is a sure sign you like them." She said sarcastically.

"Maybe in his fucked up head of his, I don't know though, I don't really tend to sit around and listen to him." Frances replied in a similar tone.

Veronica sat in thought, her heart pumping with adrenaline. What could Tom Riddle possibly be saying about her? Surely it would be something downright cruel. He didn't have a nice thing to say about anyone other than himself.

Meanwhile Alphard's heart was beating for a completely different reason, his was full of jealousy. He genuinely couldn't help it, if he could stop the feelings he had for her, maybe he stop becoming so hostile towards any male in her life.