Ellie was happy to be home on the first day of the holiday. She didn't have to worry about Hogwarts or anyone from Hogwarts. Her mother asked her how school was going but one "fine" was enough to get her mother off her case. Elodie spent the days playing with her younger brother and sister and she barely ever got to see. Out of her five years at Hogwarts, she only saw them during vacations.
The second day of vacation when, Ellie was reading in her room someone knocked on the door.
"Come in," she yelled.
Her father, Bach Jennings entered. "Elodie, the Malfoys have invited you, your mother and I to a party at their house this evening. You must be ready in three hours and wear something nice."
Fear seized Ellie. "Father, I feel ill and I think I need you to stay here with me."
"Don't be silly, Elodie. You are coming." With that, her father left his daughter to get ready.
Elodie sat in a chair in the Malfoy's dining room. She hated these parties. The adults sat chatting about frivolous things and the younger people sat listening. It didn't escape Ellie's attention that there were only pureblood families present. The Malfoys, both sides of the family, the Crabbes, the Goyles, the Hendersons and the Jennings.
Halfway through the evening, Mr. Malfoy suggested that the younger people stay in the parlor. Elodie knew it was so the adults could discuss think they'd rather not have their kids hear. So Timothy, Maurice and Thomas Crabbe, Jessica Goyle and a regretful Ellie relocated.
As they entered the new room, Tim held the door. The last in line was Ellie. Before she could enter, Timothy closed the door, leaving the two of them in the hall.
"Come with me Ellie," he said. She had no choice but to follow. Tim stopped when they were in the kitchen, far away from both rooms.
"What is this about, Malfoy?" Ellie hissed.
"Kiss me," Timothy ordered.
"What?" she was taken aback.
"Come on, El, its just one little kiss."
"Tim, I can't. I won't," Ellie shrunk back.
Timothy grabbed a house elf that was scurrying through the kitchen. "Go bring Mr. Jennings."
"No!" Ellie yelled. More quietly she said, "I'll kiss you." Timothy threw the house elf to the ground. Elodie stood on her tiptoes and pecked Timothy.
"That doesn't count, El." She pushed her smoky brown hair out of her face. Then Ellie reached up and pulled Tim's head towards her's. She put her lips on his, kissing him as if he were Liam.
Ellie then stopped. She looked down at the ground. It took all of her self control not to wipe her mouth on her arm. "Are you satisfied?" she asked him nastily.
He just gave her his smug smile, "Very." They headed back to the parlor.
The young adults sat in the parlor, discussing various this from Hogwarts to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. All of the sudden Mr. Jennings burst into the room. He grabbed Ellie's arm and yanked her out of the chair.
"What were you thinking?" he screamed. His face was red and angry. "Fooling around with some mudblood!" Ellie turned her head to stare at Tim. How could he? she felt like crying.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" her father roared.
A frantic Mrs. Jennings came running in. "Stop it, Bach!" The other guests came rushing in too. Ellie could tell her mother was embarrassed beyond comprehension.
"Golda, let me deal with this," Mr. Jennings seethed.
"Bach, we'll discuss this at home," she said firmly. Mrs. Jennings grabbed her husband and let him to the door, Ellie following behind. "Thank you very much for dinner. We're very sorry for the disturbance," Ellie's mom apologized to the Malfoy's. On the ride home, Mr. Jennings said nothing and gripped the steering wheel tightly.
As they entered the house Mr. Jennings started again. "You have disgraced our family."
"Father," Ellie retorted. "I have the right to see whoever I want. Being a pureblood doesn't matter to me. Can't you understand that?"
"No, you are a pureblood and your children will be pureblood too. You aren't ruining this family," her father's voice dropped. "Elodie, I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing it for you Things are uncertain. There might be a time when having mudblood relationships could mean your death. I can't submit you or my future grandchildren to that." He paused. "I thought you could handle Hogwarts but I see now that you can't. I'm going to write a few owls and you will begin your second semester at Durmstrang."
Ellie's blood ran cold. "Father, you can't do that!" She fumbled for some excuse. "I I won't be up to their level."
"Don't worry about it, Elodie," her father finished.
Ellie ran up to her room. She grabbed a quill and piece of parchment and began to write.
Dear Liam,
The worst has happened. My father found out about us. He went into a rage and now I'm to be shipped off to Durmstrang. I don't want to go. I'd give anything to be back in your arms right now. Timothy Malfoy was the one who squealed. Be sure to punch him for me as I will not have the chance (Ellie knew he would laugh at this). Liam, I still love you. I can't change that. Nothing can change that even thousands of miles. I can understand Ellie stopped. What am I doing? She ripped up the letter and threw it in the trash.
Quietly she crept out of her room. It was well past midnight now. Ellie stepped into the living room. She grabbed a handful of floo powder that sat by the fireplace. She stepped into the it threw the powder to the ground, saying Liam's address very clearly. In a matter of seconds, Ellie was standing in the Diggory's fireplace. Ellie had never been in this house before so she had to guess where Liam's room was. She was lucky that the first room she came across was indeed his. Ellie crept to his bedside. She was going to kiss him but remembering why she had come, she just shook him awake.
"El?" he said groggily. "What's going on?"
"I need to tell you something," she whispered.
"Alright," he said, "Just a minute." Liam hopped out of bed and pulled on a shirt. He led his girlfriend down the stairs to the kitchen. Liam turned on the lights and put on some tea. Sitting at the table, Liam asked, "What did you need to tell me so badly that it couldn't wait till morning?"
"Liam, Timothy Malfoy told my father about our errrrr relationship," Ellie said.
Liam looked concerned. "What did he say?"
Ellie took a breath. "He got very upset. He said that I had shamed our family and that I could never marry someone who wasn't a pureblood." She paused, slowly shaking her head. "He told me things were changing and that there might be a time when having a relationship with someone not pureblood could mean my death."
Liam put his hands on hers. "They are just words, El. We can still be together."
Ellie shook her head. "That's not all. I'm not going back to Hogwarts. My father is enrolling me at Durmstrang." Liam felt pain. Pain that was familiar. He had felt this pain when his brother had been murdered. It was the pain of losing someone and Liam couldn't stand to lose Ellie.
Foot steps sounded in the hall but neither Liam nor Ellie heard them. Their senses were blinded by grief. "Liam!" a woman's voice exclaimed. "What are you doing?" The boy looked up at his mother.
"Mum, this is the girl I was telling you and Da about," Liam told her. "Ellie Jennings."
Ellie jumped up from her chair to shake hands with Mrs. Diggory, "Nice to meet you."
Her eyes showed uncertainty and question. "I ...ummm just had to tell Liam something. I'm sorry to have disturbed you. I'll leave now."
"Ellie, my dear, have a seat," Mrs. Diggory said. Just then Amos Diggory appeared in the hallway. "What is going on here?" he asked.
"Sit down, Amos," she told her husband. "I believe Liam and Miss Jennings were just about to tell us." The four of them discussed their problem for awhile. Eventually they moved onto other topics. They talked into the morning.
"Oh dear," Mrs. Diggory looked at her watch, "It's almost 7 a.m." Ellie's eyebrows shot up.
"I really must be going," Ellie said. She hurried to the fireplace. Liam caught her arm and kissed her passionately. It wasn't a make out session but it took Ellie's breath away. It was a kiss she would always remember. Liam's parents looked surprised but Ellie didn't see. The only thing she saw as she stood in the fireplace were Liam's dark brown eyes staring into her own.