Chapter Three

Elliot walked quietly into the library and hid in her favorite corner. No one knew about it really, and that was the best part for her. She could escape the rest of Oliver's fan club whenever she hid in the library. Being out in the open never did her any good, so she opted for this dusty table in the far corners of the vast library. She had found it nearly four months ago, during her second week of school.

She immediately pulled out her homework materials. She loaded her quill and without delay began working on her Potions essay. It wasn't due for another three days, but she wasn't one to procrastinate. She wrote in her elegant handwriting about the effects of the Draught of Living Death. There wasn't much to it, but what with the ingredients, when it was discovered and by whom, and various other things, the essay could take a few hours.

If you weren't Elliot. She paid attention to every lecture by the formidable Potions master, spent almost all of her spare time in the library, and was constantly checking things in her textbooks. She had no time for play, no time for breaks, and almost no time for friends. She had hardly spoken to the twins and Lee since the first day. They normally exchanged hellos at breakfast, and sometimes talked at dinner, but she hardly hung around them aside from mealtime. Lately, she had taken to spending almost all of her time in the library. Not only was it a sanctuary from Oliver's fan club, but also from Oliver himself.

The boy wouldn't leave her be. Apparently, being sorted into Gryffindor hadn't been all that great. He was constantly keeping an eye on her, telling her who she could associate with, where to do her homework, and when to talk to him. For instance, once he found out that she was friendly with Fred and George, he had point blank told her to keep away from them. No explanation, no warning.

Of course, Elliot could now tell why she shouldn't be associated with the energetic twins. They were constantly in trouble, lost points for the house, and were always pulling pranks.

If she got caught by Mr. Filch, the results would be horrifying. Positively dreadful. Absolutely resulting in her death.

So, she had decided to keep away from them as much as she could. Not that she didn't already do that with the rest of the people in her house. Patricia, Angelina, Katie Bell, and Alicia Spinnet had all tried to get her to hang out in the common room with them, but Elliot didn't much want to. They would no doubt be gossiping about boys, make up, boys, clothes, boys, music, boys, and hairstyles. Not to mention boys.

Elliot didn't mind gossiping, but would rather study. They would no doubt want to hear more about Oliver.

It was already bad enough that she was constantly walking in his shadow. Sure, he hadn't that great of a brain, but he was an awesome Quidditch player. At the first match of the season, though Gryffindor had lost, he was still a superb Keeper. The Hufflepuffs had managed to only get one goal past him. But, she didn't want to make friends who would just want to hang around her for Oliver.

" Hullo, Elliot."

Elliot looked up from her piece of parchment and found herself looking into the gray eyes of Cedric Diggory, who was considered the most handsome boy in the second year, and the whole school. He was a little taller than her, had dashing good looks, light brown ear length hair, and was normally on the shy side, like Elliot.

" Um…Hullo, Cedric." Elliot managed to whisper. " What brings you here?" she asked as she moved some of her books around so he could have some space on the opposite side.

" McGonagall gave us an essay due by next week." he replied as he set some of his things down on the table. " You don't mind me working here, do you?"

Elliot thought she would hyperventilate. Cedric Diggory wanted to sit with her, a lowly first year, who was only known for being Oliver's little sister?

" Of course not." she said.

They lapsed into a rather comfortable silence, only interrupted by the scratching of their quills, the sound of moving paper, and sometimes by the slamming of books.

That was until Oliver came storming into the library.

Elliot could tell it was him as soon as she heard the library doors creak open. And by the sound of his footfalls, he was pretty mad.

She quickly shoved all of her things into her bag and found a table closer to the center of the library. There was no need for Oliver to find her in the far corner of the place, sitting with Cedric.

No need at all.

" Where have you been?" Oliver all but hissed as he rounded on her.

Elliot had managed to grabbed a book from her bag and was leafing through it. " I've been studying."

" Why can't you do that in the common room?"

" Because it's too loud." Elliot said as she shoved the book into her already crammed bag. " You've said so yourself."

" Well, we're going back."

Elliot knew better than to argue with her short-tempered brother. She shouldered her bag and followed him out the door. She walked silently behind him, trying her best not to make a sound. The less Oliver noticed her, the better. He was almost a clone of their mum, in Elliot's opinion. Constantly bossing her around and threatening her with punishments.

" And if I find that you're out of the common room after eight again-"

" You'll owl Mum. For crying out loud, Oliver I know! You've only told me thirty times since I got here! Just leave me alone!"

She ran the rest of the way to the Fat Lady, shouted the password (Newton Scamander), and ran into the common room. However, she didn't stop until she bummed into an unsuspecting George, both of them toppling to the ground. Elliot got up, dusting her robes off.

" I'm so sorry, George." she replied as she grabbed her fallen bag.

George dusted himself off before getting up. " It's okay. What's got you running so fast, E.C.?"

The portrait of the Fat Lady swung open, revealing a very angry Oliver.

" I'll see you later." she called over her shoulder as she ran up the stairs to the girls' dormitories.

She fell onto her four poster bed and started crying into the pillows. She was getting so sick of having to put up with Oliver. Why couldn't he just give her two minutes of peace? And he had interrupted her study session with Cedric! Why, she was almost certain Cedric was going to ask her something before she heard Oliver come storming into the library.

" Um…Elliot?" Katie asked as she came into the room.

" What?" Elliot sniffed into her pillow.

" I just wanted to see if you're okay." Katie said softly. " You looked so upset in the common room. Did Oliver say something, again?"

" Yes, that great bullying prat said something to me." she replied as she raised up out of her bed. " And he totally ruined my study session with Cedric!"

Katie looked at her in disbelief. " Cedric Diggory was talking to you?"

" Well, we talked for, like, a minute, but we mostly just sat there."

" Cedric? Oh, my God! He so totally likes you!"

It was Elliot's turn to look disbelieving.

" Oliver just committed the biggest crime ever!" Katie continued. " Cedric never talks to anyone, let alone a girl. You are so totally lucky!"

Elliot blinked stupidly a few times. Her, the object of Cedric Diggory's affection? That was as likely as Uric the Oddball being normal.

" Elliot?"

" Hmm?" she said as she thought this over.

Nope, not likely to happen.

" I believe I need to speak with my brother." she replied dreamily as she walked down into the common room.

She found her brother locked in a heated battle with Tilly Winshill over Quaffle control.

" Oliver? Might I borrow you for a moment?"

Oliver nodded and followed her to an empty corner.

" We need to set some things straight." she said assertively. " I am not going to tolerate your bossing me around. You aren't Mum or Papa. So, leave me be! Also, don't tell me whom I can hang around and when. I can make my own decisions, thank you very much. I may only be eleven, but the children around here are trusted more than I am. And finally, unless I ask you too, I don't want you to help me in any way, shape, or form. Understand?"

She realized she had her arms crossed and had been tapping her left foot the whole time.

" You-"

" Listen to me, you bloody prat. I am not going to take this anymore. If you don't leave me alone, I'm going to write Papa and tell him exactly what's going on. And not in English. French."

She knew it struck a chord. Oliver had never bothered with learning French, and it gave Elliot the upper hand.

" Fine."

" Good." she said before walking back up to her dorm room.

She grabbed her bag and began going through her things. She realized with a start that she had an extra copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. She looked at the cover and found that it had Cedric Diggory written handsomely on the cover.

" Blimey." she whispered as she handled the book delicately in her hands.

Perhaps she had a chance with Cedric after all.