The crack echoed across the grounds as a hole appeared through the centre of the tree. Beth glared at the hole. How dare he? How dare he just saunter in like he has the right to bully and tease and terrify whenever he damn well wants? How dare he? She twirled her wand between her fingers pensively. She'd make him sorry he'd ever met her. If he threatened her just once more, away from the others, where she couldn't be stopped by one of those begging fools…

"Weren't you going to teach me some lesson?"

She swivelled around and calmly aimed her wand at him again. She smiled. Idiot. What an idiot, he really must love trouble. "Yes. But before you can be taught you need to find out how to learn from a master."

Tom smirked. Before, Beth had always hated that smirk. Now, the sight of it flooded her with adrenaline. "Why bother? So, you going to or what?"

Beth waved her wand casually. A jet of light exploded from the tip and hit the ground at Tom's feet, causing a tiny crater to be formed in the cold, wet earth. "Only if you're willing to learn. What's the matter? Scared?"

"Of course not."

"Well then, what are you waiting for? Daddy's boy…" she hissed, not knowing how her eyes darkened dangerously. Her mother had once told her that it was her eyes that gave her away. 'You can wear whatever expression you like. It's what you feel that comes from your eyes. They glitter, normally. It makes you look like everything you see, there's a funny side to it. There's a humour in life only you can find. But when you get mad… they scare people.'

Tom just smirked at the insult. "I believe in manners. Ladies first." He bowed mischievously.

Beth shrugged, waved her wand indifferently and a deep rip appeared in the shoulder of Tom's robes. He sucked air in through his teeth as blood seeped into the torn cloth, rolled his eyes and shouted "CRUCIO!"

For the second time Beth felt the screaming pain within her, as if every bone was broken, hot iron rods branding her brain, excruciating pain in every inch of her body. Then the spell broke and Beth found herself on the ground. She took a deep breath, stood and muttered, "Oh, that's playing dirty, Thomas." Lifting her wand, she made a huge slashing motion, the exact same spell he had used on her, and his stomach was sliced open. His robes were now dripping with blood. He staggered backward a few steps, in shock and pain.

"Now you're asking for it." He twirled his wand and Beth's hands were bound with rope, suddenly, behind her back. He examined her, satisfied. She just laughed. "You really think this will stop me?"

"Nope, but it's not that bad to look at." Tom flicked his wand again and the rope disappeared. Beth just narrowed her eyes.

"Tom, you really are a fool." She stabbed her wand toward him and a deep puncture wound opened high in his shoulder, just below the collar bone. Tom looked down at his now useless left arm then coughed, a trickle of blood running down his chin. He seemed to be trying desperately to remain in control. Slowly, he looked up at her.

"Do you want me dead? How will you benefit from killing me?"

Beth was unmoved. She walked up to him, caught his chin in her hand, and stared him in the eyes. "I can't live my life knowing that any second you could hurt someone I love. You have been haunting me long enough. I can't do what I like, I can't be with Marcus because of you! Every time he gets too close I-." She stopped suddenly. She couldn't admit it, not to Tom, not how guilty she still felt about hurting and lying to him. Beth dropped his chain and backed away. "I want you gone. Leave me alone."

"Every time he gets close… what?" Tom smirked. "He can't stand it because I loved you first, is that it?"

"It's not him. It's me." She waved her wand casually and heard a snap. Watching Tom, Beth smiled evilly as his wand arm bent abnormally, the spell snapping his arm. Tom snarled and lunged at her, knocking her off her feet. She gasped as her wand hit the ground, too far away for her too reach. Tom pinned her down, his face close to hers. "If you're going to kill me, then do it already! Or maybe you're finally seeing things from my point of view… like the fact he only wants something I've had."

Beth glared up at him then swiftly rolled, her knees restraining him. "He wants me! Not because you've 'had' me, as you put it! I'm not an object to own!"

"Well, think about it. Most of the girls I've been with, he's been with after me. Now, you can't tell me that's just down to us both liking the same girls?" His free hand found her neck and he slammed her over onto her back, knocking the wind out of her, pinning her beneath him again. "Don't want to believe it or something?" he shot at her.

"No," she said, not struggling. "I trust him. I love and trust him, unlike you. He'd never hurt me like you would."

"Where is he now, then?" Tom pressed down of her harder, his hand closing around her neck. "Where is he to make sure you won't get hurt?"

Beth lay still, forcing herself to breath through her closing windpipe. Tom was so close, they were nose to nose. Tom smiled smugly. "What's wrong? You know I'm right, don't you? Shame, it might really be interesting for him to be here, but like I said… he doesn't give a fu-."

"HE LOVES ME!"

Beth pulled her feet up and planted her hands on Tom's chest as fast as she could, then put all her strength in her arms and legs, letting fly, gasping for air as his hand was torn from her throat. Tom almost flew backwards, crashing to the ground with a grunt. Within seconds, Beth was on her feet, her wand trained on him again. She was shaking and her eyes were flashing murderously. Tom scrambled to his feet and, to Beth's amazement, pointed his wand at her and bellowed, "CRUCIO!"

He held the curse on her for a long time, circling round her as her body convulsed in pain. "So blissfully ignorant, aren't you?"

The curse past. This time, she didn't sit for a second to regain her composure. She was too mad. Beth leapt to her feet, her entire body screaming for a break. She ignored it. "So much… for… gentleman…" she panted.

She waved her wand and another puncture wound, much like a bullet hole, tore the flesh and meat of Tom's chest. Tom looked down slowly at it then clapped his hand over the new wound, choking in surprise. He swore softly.

Beth walked over to him, kicking his wand aside from where it had fallen from his limp hand. "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to attack a lady? Or did someone skip that lesson on manners."

Tom groaned and fell back, his hands clasped to his chest, blood rushing thick and fast from his wounds. Reaching out, he grabbed her ankle and pulled, sneering as she hit the deck, hard. Beth slowly stood again, her breathing ragged and harsh.

"Don't ever do that again."

Tom obviously didn't know a warning when one was held in front of him, written in neon lights. He tripped her again and she screamed in outrage, leaning over and bashing him with her fists, wands all but forgotten. She gave a heavy sob then stops, staring down at his white face. "I'll never give in…" she whispered.

"So kill me already." Tom moaned, giving in to the pain. Beth just shook her head. Kill him? She couldn't kill anything, let alone him.

"No, I won't kill you. But I want you to leave me alone. And to leave Marcus, Leecie and Joe alone. Jessi is your sister; you can decide what is best for her. Understand?"

He pushed her away then sat up, using all his remaining energy, and then started on a string of swearing. Beth got the gist. He didn't quite agree with what she had just proposed. Beth felt a hot flush. She didn't want to hurt him anymore, but she wasn't going to let him get away with anymore comments.

"Dammit, Tom!"

She picked up her wand and thrust it towards his shoulder, looking away as the searing pain made Tom gasp and cry out in pain.

"St… STOP!"

Beth pulled her wand aside. What? No way, not possible. She hated what she was doing and she knew the guilt would hit her later. She dreaded when that would happen. But Tom had just shouted stop…

"Stop? You want me to stop? Why on earth would you give in? To me?"

She was wrong. Those two little words had him levering himself to his feet with a groan, pointing his wand at her. She was stunned. Only her pride and stubbornness was keeping her upright, what she really wanted was to crawl into bed and sleep for a week.

"Come on, Tom, don't be stupid. One more spell from me and you'll die. I don't want to kill you."

A wide gash appeared in her thigh and Beth bent over with a gasp at the new pain. Her head bolted upright and she used a simple spell to knock Tom off his feet. Blood ran thick and hot down her leg and, at her feet, Tom's wand lay glinting in the little moonlight. Tom sucked in a deep, ragged breath.

"SO KILL ME!"

"No."

She couldn't stand it. He had always been stronger than her, so arrogant and bold. Now he was lying in a pool of blood at her feet and she felt terrible. Kneeling down she muttered a few spells learnt from Madam Pomfrey as he watched on in shock. Within five minutes Tom was half recovered, and much healthier than her. She leant forwards, coughing hard, blood running down her chin. Tom watched on in amazement, finally gasping out, "Beth, don't… don't die…"

"I won't… why should you care?" Why had she done it? What was the point, now all he's going to do is cause more havoc, kill her! Stupid, her stupid humanity getting in the way of common sense. She should have just let him stew in his own juices.

"At least I have some dignity," Beth muttered. "Cruciatus Curse… pathetic."

"You honestly don't look too bad."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. It's inside that hurts most," she sighed, forcing herself upright, then slowly, teetering, to her feet.

"Lay down."

"Like I give a screw what you think." She pushed him roughly and weakly away from her. "I'll do what I like, whenever I damn well like. This little duel has at least knocked down that wall."

"Beth, look, you haven't got much strength, just sit down, alright?"

"Get bent."