4: Unrequited Love?

November went by in a blur. Eliza recovered strangely fast from her injuries. As for Draco and Harry they didn't fair so well. Draco would not leave his hospital bed until the scars were completely gone from his face. Harry had just started to walk without a limp. In all the confusion Harry still had not told Dumbledore or Eliza about the watch, and wasn't sure that he needed to.

Most of his time was spent with his four friends. It amazed Harry how in a course of three months his friend base had doubled. He never left Eliza's side for more then hours at a time, he wasn't sure but he thought something was different about this girl. He would often try to question her how she got out of those chains back in the cave, she would always say it was a blur and she didn't remember. When that did not work and Harry pressed on, she would run her fingers through his hair. This always made Harry lose track of what he was saying.

Ron still had Quidditch on the brain. He would send Oliver Wood, Gryffindor's old captain, an owl at least three times a week for some Quidditch crisis or other. In the evenings he and Hermione would lay by the fire, with his head on her shoulder. Ron would play with Crookshanks while Hermione would read "The origins of Quidditch out loud to him. However neither of them thought this strange behavior for people who were just friends.

Draco was still Draco. Popping in and out of the group when he pleased. He like Eliza had been black listed from his Slytherin peers for being a friend of Harry's. However there was an extreme up side to this. All the girls from the other three houses thought it was noble and brave that Draco had changed his ways. Currently Draco was wooing a 5th yr Hufflepuff by the name of Alexia that changed her hair so frequently it would make Tonks blush.

It was December 9th and the crew was sitting in Eliza's private room just passing the time till supper. Harry watched Eliza while she played with here hair in the mirror. No matter what she did with it was beautiful. She had been in much higher spirits lately. She was able to do a few minor spells and was getting damn good at jinxes. Harry didn't even mind that he had to always be her test subject.

"It's so not fair you have your own room, I don't even have my own room back at the burrow." Ron said

"How could you Weasley, you would have to live in the castle as big as Hogwarts for your family to have enough space to give everyone their own room." Joked Malfoy

"Boys don't need a lot of space anyway." Said Hermione before Ron could retort

"Mione that is such a sexist statement." Ron said as he threw her on the bed and started tickling her

"Gross." Draco moaned

"See you on the field tomorrow Malfoy, we are having a pick up Quidditch game?" Harry said trying to give Hermione and Ron their moment

"Sorry mate, I have to take Alexia shopping for her dress tommorow." Draco said

"Dress? Getting married Malfoy?"

Ron said in-between tickles

"No you git, Christmas Ball." Draco said

"Christmas what, when did we start having those?" Harry said

"It was Dumbledore's idea. After that ball we had for the wizard tournament everyone has been itching for another." Hermione said

"So you knew about this?" Ron's asked letting her up

"Yup, and so did you. I mentioned it a couple weeks back. All you said was "Whatever." she responded

"Oh well, you want to tag along with me then?" Ron said to her

"Sorry, Victors flying in the day before." She stated

Suddenly there was no talking in the room. The happy mood that they shared had evaporated. Even Draco didn't dare taunt Ron at this very moment

"What is he flying in for!" Ron yelled

"Why do you think Ron, he's my date." She smiled

"Your date! What in the bloody hell for!" He snarled

"Well since no one at this school asked me, I had to get a date from somewhere didn't I?" she snapped

"Krum…you chose Krum?"

"As I said before Ronald, no one here asked me." Hermione said heatedly

"Well then, I hope you and Vicky have a wonderful time." Ron said as he stormed out the room

"Fine." Hermione yelled as she ran out of the room in the other direction

"Bloody hell, can cut the sexual tension with a knife you can." Draco sneered

Eliza and Harry just exchanged glances, nothing was ever simple.

The next couple of days leading up to the ball were stressful. Ron and Hermione didn't even look at each other. Draco and Eliza had disappeared. Draco was spending all his time with Alexia. And Eliza had been spending a lot of time with her father. This left Harry to have to deal with the tensions between Ron and Hermione on his own.

The original trio was in the Gryffindor common room three nights before the ball each in their own little world. Instead of seeing Ron and Hermione one the floor in front of the fireplace together, Ron was in one of the over stuff sofa's just scowling at Hermione, who was sitting at a writing desk. She was making it a point to read out loud a love letter form Victor Krum. Harry had managed to tune them out thankfully. He was in heavy debate about the ball himself. He wondered if he should ask Eliza. Of course he wanted to but once again the Medori watch came into his mind. Then again he wasn't even sure Eliza wanted to go. He had witness her turn down three of the most popular boys in the school. Harry probably didn't stand a chance. Or was she waiting for him to ask her? Would she be mad if he didn't? Suddenly Harry was unwillingly jolted out of his thoughts.

"Shut up!" Ron yelled "No one wants to hear what Victor has to say, besides does he even know how to write a letter, he sounds retarded."

"I'm sorry Ron, what were you saying. I couldn't hear you over all the girls beating down the door for you to ask them to the ball. Oh wait a minute that was my imagination." Hermione joked meanfully

"This coming from a girl who had to leave the country to get a date." Ron shot back

"Ugggh!" Hermione groaned

"Will you both shut your traps?" Harry said Angrily. "You two are so annoying, either make out or move on. Just do me a favor and do it when you aren't near me." Harry said madly

Before either of them had a chance to respond he dashed out of the room. He walked for a while, the more he did the more he became calm. He shouldn't have blown up at Ron and Hermione like that, but someone had to. Besides Harry knew that his situation with Eliza parallel that of his two best friends. Sure he and Eliza didn't argue every 13 seconds, but they were living in denial. At least he was. Harry knew what he had to do.

Minutes later Harry found himself in front of Eliza's door. Before he could talk himself out of it he knocked on her door.

"It's open." She replied from the inside

Harry stepped in. His heart dropped when he saw the disappointed look on her face.

"Hi" he said

"Hey." She replied

"Haven't seen you in a while where have you been?"

"Dad has been giving me extra lessons, so i'm usually found in his quarters these days." She said blandly

"Ron and Hermione are fighting again. I had to get away."

"Glad I could be your last resort." She whispered

"No I didn't mean it like that. I meant I wanted to be cheered up and I thought of you." Harry explained

"Sure Harry." She said "Sorry I can't entertain you today i'm tired, you'd better go."

"Is that what you want?"

"Isn't that what I said?" She spat

"Fine then, didn't want to burden you." Harry said turning to leave

"Don't do that." She screamed

"Do what!" Harry whipped around angrily, yet he softened when saw tears forming in her eyes

"Don't you dare act like you are the victim Harry Potter, not this time!" She cried

"I'm sorry Eliza but what the hell are you talking about, where is this coming from?" He said a little annoyed

"Why haven't you asked me to the ball?" she blubbered through tears

"What?" is all Harry could say

"Forget it Harry." Eliza muttered

"No I will not forget it. Look I wanted to ask you the first day I knew about the dammed thing, but I saw you turn away all those guys. I figured you didn't want to go." He said, but even to him it sounded lame

"Did it ever occur to you that i was waiting for you Potter? She said sounding too much like Draco

"No." he said simply

"Of course not. Just tell the truth Harry. I'm not good enough for you. I'm Snapes Daughter, I cant do magic and I'm a Slytherin." She said crying full blast now

"Are you mad!" Harry said water filling his eyes now. "If that's what you think of me Eliza then you don't know me at all! If you think I didn't fall for you the second I saw you then you are a fool. Do you think that it doesn't kill me every time you brush up against me and I can't respond? Its not up to me Eliza, my whole life has never been up to me. I would love nothing more then to take you in my arms and love you, but I can't for your safety and mine!"

"Harry those are cowards words, if you wanted to be with me then you would!" she screamed now face to face with Harry

"Is that what your mother told the professor when he left you both and retreated to England" Harry scowled

Before she could stop herself Eliza smacked Harry as hard as she could.

"How dare you!" she screamed "Get out and don't ever say a word to me! Get out!"

Harry was burning up and seeing red, still he knew his last commit went too far

"Eliza I…." He tried to speak

"Get the fuck out of this room or I will show you just what I really am!" she screamed

Harry debated on weather to say more, but decided that nothing he could say would make her feel better. He left her room and stood on the outside of her door for a while. He heard her crying so loudly Harry thought that her heart must be physically breaking. He didn't need a stupid watch to screw his life up, he did fine on his own.

It was the night of the ball and Harry lay in his bed feeling miserable. He had not gotten out of bed since the night he had the fight with Eliza. He hadn't even made up with Ron or Hermione, though he knew that when he did see them everything would be ok. He didn't want to think about anything but that was impossible. All he could hear in his mind was the sobs he heard from Eliza after making that comment about her dad. Such a fuck up he was. How could he hurt her like that?

"Harry." Ron said bringing Harry out of his thoughts

"Yeah Ron." Harry mumbled

"Sorry mate, me and Mione, I mean Hermione shouldn't have got you all riled up like that mate. For Gods sake please get out of bed Harry." Ron whispered

Harry had to laugh; Ron actually thought he and Hermione were the reason he was is this state.

"You and Hermione are annoying, but this here isn't your doing Ron. Its my own fault."

Harry set up on his bed and told Ron about the colossal fight he had had with Eliza the night before

"Bloody hell mate that was stupid of you. Sounds like something I would do." Ron said

"Thanks Ron." Harry said

"What are you going to do?" Ron asked

" Sleep my life away." Harry joked

"Harry I have a better idea. Can I ask you something?" Ron said

"Sure." Harry replied

"Be my date?"

"What!" Harry yelled

"Oh brother you know what I mean. I mean you have to come with me to this dammed ball, I need support when I see that idiot Krum all over Mione…I mean Hermione." Ron sighed

"Why are you going anyway, Ron?" Harry asked

"Cause she cant get the best of me that's why!" Ron said

Harry could see that Ron was a wreck, and even though he hadn't seen her he knew Hermione was too. All though Harry felt like scum he had to be there for his friends, and if he were lucky he would get them to make up.

"Sure Ron, I'll be your date." Harry joked

With that Harry got up and started to rummage through his closet for something to wear.

" Draco leave me alone! I'm not going an that's final." Eliza yelled

She was sprawled on her bed as Draco paced in front of her

"Can't you think of anyone besides yourself? I'm a Malfoy I can't go to the dance alone, I need a date. So Potter screwed you over, big deal. Show him he didn't get the best of you. Throw on one of your sexy Muggle dresses and do something with that hair. I don't have time to beg you." Draco yelled back.

He could not believe Alexia backed out on him at the last minute. She said something about her mommy not wanting her in the company of a future criminal "Girls!"

"Draco get out of my room you insensitive git!" Eliza moaned

"I bet you Potter isn't hulled up in his room." Draco said even though he knew it was a lie. He had seen the boy and he was far worse than Eliza

"Leave Malfoy." She hissed

"Fine if you want Harry to think you are sulking over him, then ill leave you to your pity party. However I don't think he will care about an upset Slytherin once he sees all those lovely Griffindor angels at the party!" Draco smiled

That had done it. Draco was right. She wasn't going to mope over Harry. If she wasn't good enough for him then his loss. She after all was a Slytherin and Slytherin's don't back down or mope around for anyone.

"Be here in an hour to pick me up Malfoy. And if you are late i'm going on my own." She said not looking at Draco. She was on a mission.

"Yes mam." Draco quickly left the room before she could change her mind "I do have a way with the ladies." He joked to himself