THE problem had arisen just when she was getting ready to leave. She'd spent at least fifteen minutes in the girls' bathroom at the very same sink that she'd stood in front of while she'd cut off her ring finger.
She flexed her left hand and admired her newly regenerated finger and tried to will her mind not to think of Barty tonight. She imagined how a ring on her finger would look if it were Quirinus's, how she thought she would say yes in a heartbeat if the day ever came if the wizard would ask her to marry him. She hoped so.
Her terrified but eager reflection stared back at her, and she shivered with gritted teeth at the thought of Barty ever finding her again, or worse, hurting Quirinus because Barty thought he was trying to steal her away from him. She shook her head to herself. No. No, she could not let that happen.
Without realizing what she was doing, she waved her wand and changed the color of her hair.
She could only pray that Quirinus would still find her pretty after she was finished. If he did not like it, once Barty was out of their lives for good and no longer a threat, then she would return it to its original color, but for now, this was the only thing she could think to do to try to keep the wizard away from her.
She gave her wand a sharp rap, her decision made up, her mind made, and watched as the fiery bright red was slowly stripped out of her hair, and in its place, a much darker red color that was almost brown.
She watched, mesmerized, as her lovely fiery ginger hair turned a dark auburn.
Barty had always loved her fiery red hair, running his fingers through it. He had always called her hair winter fire, like embers.
Once, in the right light, he'd called it the color of blood, clearly visibly turned on by the notion. She was just about to leave the bathroom when something caught her eye.
A flash of black and white out of the corner of her eye, to the left of the entryway. Elisabeth whirled around, a startled gasp escaping her lips as she heard the faintly audible squeak of what sounded like a house-elf as the little creature darted behind the post of the door to try to hide.
"Hello?" she questioned, into the dark, unknowing if she had been followed for some reason.
Meanwhile, from her hiding place behind the bathroom's paneled door, Winky stiffened at the sound of Master's Special Young Miss's familiar voice which sparked an ache in her gut.
If only the Special Miss could see just how important she was to Master Barty, if she would just come with her willingly, there was a chance for her Young Master that his poor soul might be saved yet.
She did not seem to have any other choice but to answer the witch, and what would happen when she stepped out from behind her hiding place and revealed herself?
Would she scold Winky, and force her to punish herself? But even that as Winky thought about it did not seem right. She could not see Master Barty's Special Mistress, hopefully soon Mistress Crouch, in that light.
With a very, very deep breath, Winky let out a terrified squeak and slipped away from the safety of the door she had ducked behind in hopes of hiding and out into the open space of the doorway, with nowhere to hide.
As Winky hesitantly slid away from the door, Elisabeth's frantic eyes caught movement.
"What on earth?! I—I don't, I never—what are you—Winky?!" she exclaimed sourly, feeling something dark and ugly rising within her chest. For a moment, she could not speak.
She could only watch as the Crouch family's house-elf nervously wrang her fingers for a moment and then darted forward and began to tug onto the pants leg of her black pants.
"Special Young Miss Raywood, please do not be angry with Winky, I's is just wanting to-to check on you, to help you's prepare for your date tonight!" she squeaked in a breathless-sounding voice that immediately set the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.
Elisabeth's gaze hardened in suspicion as she gingerly knelt and pried the little elf off of her.
"Special Miss, Winky is so very sorry, I's can be clumsy at times!"
The anxious house-elf continued to tug on her pants leg as she tried to pull Elisabeth out of the bathroom and wildly looked around the room for something with which to punish herself and finding nothing, relinquished her hold on Elisabeth's leg and began to furiously scratch and claw at her eyes.
Elisabeth's heart was in her throat, and she frantically scooped down and seized Winky's tiny little hands in hers and held them firmly, preventing the house-elf from hurting herself.
"Winky, stop! Stop this, I...I forbid you to hurt yourself!" she cried, her voice rising to match her angry mood.
She had never liked to see Barty's elf hurt herself like this, back when the two of them had been dating, and now, years later, was no different.
As apathetic and cold as she acted towards Barty, she would not wish any harm to his elf. She had always liked Winky, with the little creature going out of her way to dote on her and make her feel warm and welcome, like a part of the Crouch family, whenever she had visited.
She felt a pang of pity stab in her heart for Winky, but if Winky had come to try to convince her to get back together with Barty and give her master a second go at it, the little elf was sorely mistaken. Or perhaps Barty had done this.
"He put you up to this, Winky, didn't he? Your master, to convince me to come back to him?" she demanded, trying to keep her voice as levelheaded as possible and not sound at all angry with Winky.
Winky frantically shook her head, beads of sweat starting to glitter on top of her scalp. She was terrified that for one moment, Master's Special Young Miss Elisabeth could see right through her lie and that with just one look, she would somehow know the truth.
But the witch was not a Legilimens. Not like Master, not like Master's Special Friend, Snape.
"N-No, Mistress Raywood, Master Barty is not sending Winky here, Winky has sent herself. Winky has come to you of her own accord. Winky…Winky misses you, Special Miss," she whispered, shamefaced.
She downcast her gaze and allowed her bug eyes to make a quick scan of Elisabeth's outfit she intended to wear on her date with that shy wizard who was not her master and could not help crinkling her nose in disgust. Elisabeth noticed and furrowed her eyebrows.
Winky flinched as Master Barty's Special Young Miss looked down her nose at her sarcastically, a dark look appearing on her face that strangely enough, reminded the house elf of Master Barty whenever Winky had caught him in a lie to Master and Mistress Crouch when he was a young boy.
"You've come here for nothing, Winky. Go back to your master and tell him that if he comes near me or Quirinus ever again, I will do whatever I have to, to protect us both. I do not want to be with him anymore. I want exactly nothing from him, from now on, forever, have I made myself clear?" she snapped, with a bark to her voice that made Winky look up at Mistress Elisabeth in surprise. Winky nodded, afraid.
"Y-yes, Special Miss," stammered Winky, at a loss, finding herself in awe as she stared up at the tall witch before her.
It was no wonder Master's Special Young Miss had fled from Master Barty. She was no match for the man if the blazing passion she could see forming behind the witch's brown eyes was anything for Winky to go off of.
"Good," replied Elisabeth bluntly, running a hand through her hair and letting out a little breath before looking away, back towards her reflection in the mirror before she turned away and began to walk towards the door. "Then we have nothing more to say to each other. Goodbye, Winky. I'm sorry." Her voice trembled.
Winky's heart sank to her stomach as she watched Master Barty's Special Young Miss walk away from her without so much as another word.
Winky waited until the red-haired witch had rounded the corner and was well out of her line of sight as well as her earshot before speaking, muttering to herself under her breath, wringing her hands.
"Young Mistress Raywood, you's may survive Master Barty yet," she whispered, a note of hope to herself, as she turned on her heels to Disapparate and report back to her master.
Meanwhile, Elisabeth continued down the hallway to head to her guest room to change her clothes to prepare to meet Quirinus, blissfully unaware of the danger that the two of them were now in.
ELISABETH stared at her terrified yet hopeful expression in the mirror as she glanced down at her change of clothes, a pair of form-fitting black jeans, and a new green sweater, one of her newer items that she'd bought a month ago at a Muggle boutique in downtown London on a whim
The green brought out the familiar red undertones in her newly turned darker auburn hair. She flinched as she ran her fingers through her hair, hoping that Quirinus would like the color.
If he didn't, she tried to tell herself that once Barty was no longer a threat, she could change it back, though she prayed he would like it.
She bit her lip and gave her appearance a satisfied nod and turned on her heels to leave the room to meet him in the Courtyard, though she had trouble shaking away Winky's sudden surprise appearance.
She frowned and shook away thoughts of Barty, shoving her emotions about her former fiance down to the pit of her stomach. She refused to let thoughts of Barty ruin their first official date.
Before she realized it, she was in the Courtyard. She slipped behind Quirinus unseen and unheard, her footsteps quiet.
She realized that as she stood half concealed behind one of the pillars she had an unhindered view of the wizard she loved.
He stood stiffly and was fidgeting with his hands, a nervous habit of his whenever he was feeling especially twitchy, though Elisabeth had never minded the habit.
His body somehow looked taller and stronger when dressed in a pair of khaki trousers and a thick black knit sweater instead of his usual suit and purple robes.
She let out a deep breath and clung to the pillar she hid behind for support. The wizard's tall, looming body nearly dwarfed her shadow as she slipped away from the safety of her precious hiding spot.
The beginnings of a five o'clock shadow were already forming on his chin, the cords of muscle that flexed along his neck and shoulders.
It completely captured the mystery and enigma of Quirinus Quirrell. She wondered how much things would be different between them.
They had kissed, he had asked her to dinner, and she'd said yes. She could only hope Quirinus would love her. That this time, he would stay with her. That this time, nothing, not even Barty, could keep her from him.
Elisabeth swallowed hard at the saliva that was gathering in the back of her throat as her body was reacting to wanting this wizard, her dear friend whom most had teased growing up.
They had taunted him for his ears, which were a bit prominent, yes, and stuck out, though now that his hair was fully grown back, it hid them well enough.
His timidity too and his constantly frayed nerves were a source of bullying for Quirinus when they had been in school.
She hoped, with his help, in time, he would come to see just how much he was worth, to her, and himself. Her breath caught in her throat.
She wished just once, Quirinus could see himself as she did. That he was a handsome man, even with his scar that was now a permanent reminder of his past mistakes.
She swallowed again, the reflex shaking her from her nearly happy fantasy as she had allowed her mind to wander to what their lives would be like in the distant future. She wondered if a future with him was possible, once their friendship was rebuilt and their new relationship as a couple solidified and firm in its foundations if he ever asked her to marry him.
She stood there, shaken, trying to will her racing heart to relax and her burning lungs to calm down a bit.
After a moment, when she had recovered her composure enough to convince herself that she would not make a bloody idiot of herself in his presence, she stepped forward, clearing her throat and softly speaking his name.
He looked up, surprised, a pleasant and warm smile tugging the edges of his mouth upward.
"Elisabeth, y-you came, I...I thought you wouldn't," he breathed, sounding exhilarated that she'd come, and as she heard the colorful orchestra of the wizard's voice, paired with his glowing hopeful smile, there was no way Elisabeth could resist him.
"Of course I came," Elisabeth frowned, hating that the man she loved held such a low opinion of himself. "I told you that I would, and I'm here, aren't I? What were you looking at just now that has you so fascinated?" Elisabeth asked, curious.
"I-I was just…er…uh...admiring the—the sunset while waiting for you," he stammered, almost sounding ashamed, though his eyes widened slightly and a little grin began to grow on his face as Elisabeth stepped forward and intertwined her fingers with his, his larger hand enveloping her own.
She glanced down at their conjoined hands and was amazed at how well they fit together, like two pieces of a Muggle jigsaw puzzle. She turned to see where Quirinus had been looking.
Elisabeth lifted her head to the sky and watched, her eyes steady on the horizon, her face now holding a slightly sun-kissed look as it was aglow with the last orange rays before twilight would beckon the stars.
Her lips twitched as she fought back a smile, just enough to show that she was enjoying her thoughts.
She felt Quirinius move closer to her so that she could feel his presence, yet the wizard stayed silent, allowing her to stay lost in this peaceful moment a while longer, which she greatly appreciated.
After spending a few moments in awed silence, Elisabeth managed enough strength in her throat to say, "It's beautiful," in a voice barely above a whisper, squeezing Quirinus's hand, never taking her gaze off the magnificent view.
"Yes, you are," Quirinus murmured so softly in a voice so low that she almost didn't catch it, though thankfully, Elisabeth had been hanging onto his every word. Her eyes widened slightly, though as she turned her head to the side to regard him, he was already stammering, trying to correct his slip-up. "I—I mean…no! No, n-no, wait, I—I meant…yes, it is, Elisabeth. N-not that you're not beautiful too, I—I mean, oh, God, Merlin, Jesus, Elisabeth, I'm sorry, I—I just meant that…."
But he trailed off as Elisabeth smiled and blushed despite herself. She already knew his feelings for her or hoped that she did, and was thrilled that he had summoned up enough courage to ask her to dinner tonight. Her giggling fit interrupted her love's horrified babbling spell, and he froze for a moment.
"You're laughing at me, I can see your teeth," he scoffed, sounding slightly suspicious as his eyes narrowed.
Still chuckling, Elisabeth shook her head. "No, I—I swear that I'm not laughing at you! I-it was a sweet thing for you to say!" she giggled, letting out a relieved breath as she felt herself beginning to calm.
This realization turned the wizard's face to the sunshine. His smile was that of bright golden sunshine as they turned back collectively towards the sunset and gazed contentedly up at the twilight sky.
He eyed Elisabeth curiously and the light from the setting sun reflected on her hair, and it was then that he noticed the subtle color shift. She had changed it. "Y-your hair, Elisabeth, you-you changed it. The color is different. Why?" he blurted out clumsily, cringing as Elisabeth nearly jumped out of her skin at hearing his words and she slowly turned to face him with a deep breath and somewhat of a furtive, guilty look as she bit down on her lip.
"It will grow back, Quirinus, a-and once Barty….he uh...he always liked it much longer." She trailed off, not even sure if she was comforting the wizard at this point or more herself. Quirinus was staring at her with brows furrowed and a frown on his face. He was not pleased that she'd gone to such lengths. She swallowed down hard and tried to explain her actions, though she suddenly felt self-conscious and toyed with a lock of her new mid-length layered hair. "Barty is less likely to recognize me this way, I hope." She looked up at him. He still had that same frown on his face.
He stared so intently, that she grew worried that the simple act of her only slightly changing the redness of her hair to a more brownish red would cause the man to snap. Quirinus stared at her, his mouth shifting slightly to the side as he studied her figure in her simple green sweater and black jeans. She sighed.
"I know, but it will grow back out again, and it will be the same color again, I promise," she told him softly.
She moved to hold his hand. It was small and cool. He rolled his hand over so she could see his palm. She threaded her fingers through his, squeezing onto his hand and then releasing him.
"It…it looks good on you," he managed after a moment, though his voice sounded tinny, hollow, though the flatness of his voice did not come from the fact that she believed he did not like her new hair.
He did, but he just preferred her the other way, but he understood why she had done it. The mention of Crouch's name caused a horrible bitterness to seep into the pit of his stomach, though he forced his fury at Barty back down to the pit of his stomach. He would not let thoughts of the wizard ruin their date tonight.
"We should go," he murmured after a moment, leaning forward and planting a gentle and chaste kiss on her forehead, earning a slight blush from the witch in return as she smiled and nodded her agreement, never once letting go of his hand as they began the walk out of the Courtyard to head down to Hogsmeade. Elisabeth did not bother to hide her elatedness as they held hands.
She was certain she was the luckiest witch in all of Great Britain.
THEIR conversation over a casual dinner of fish fingers and custard at the Three Broomsticks was light and pleasant, to both of their reliefs. Elisabeth and Quirinus spoke mostly of Hogwarts, with Quirinus informing Elisabeth of the Headmaster's informal offer of a position at the school as lead Healer to Madame Pomfrey.
She was only too delighted to accept the role if it meant she would be close to him.
When their plates had been cleared away and their bill paid, Elisabeth looked out the window and was pleased that the weather looked to be cooperating, and it was just then that an idea came to her mind.
"D'you want to take a walk, Quirinus? We could walk around the shops for a bit. I need to walk off some of this food, and it's such a lovely night out, it would be a shame to waste it," she stammered shyly as she rose to her feet and gathered her purse, reaching for his hand as he stood. She wanted more time to linger.
Quirinus smiled. "I'd like that," he said, unable to deny Elisabeth's enticing offer to extend their date a little bit longer as he slipped his hand into hers and led his new partner out into the quiet streets of Hogsmeade. He had no wish to end their date. The thought of being alone with Elisabeth Raywood was far too enticing to refuse.
Once they were outside and away from the seemingly permanently crowded environment of The Three Broomsticks, away from prying eyes curious as to what a witch like Elisabeth Raywood was doing with Quirinus Quirrell, of all men, she sensed him relax.
She could feel the man's affectionate gaze on her, even as they walked, holding hands.
To her, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. She knew in her heart that it was.
Shyly, Elisabeth could not bring herself to meet his gaze, yet even just Quirinus's closeness calmed whatever nerves were within her previously. The two of them walked in silence, a thousand unspoken thoughts and emotions hanging in between them.
One way or another, Elisabeth sensed that when their date would end tonight, things would change between them, forever. She was his girlfriend now, not his friend. Quirinus's pace was slower than his usual hurried stride, for which she was grateful. Her ring finger still throbbed, and her whole body ached as a result of it, and she was still feeling somewhat miserable if she was being honest with herself. But Elisabeth was determined not to let her condition damper her otherwise good mood. She thought she could ignore the throbbing pulsating in her finger as it gave a spasmodic little twitch if it meant Quirinus would never let go of her hand.
Inappropriately, she began to wonder how long she would have to wait before their relationship progressed when she would lay with him and bed him. Suddenly, there was nothing she wanted more. She wanted to know if Quirinus would be different than Barty. She felt her cheeks turn hot and her stomach flutter.
What would his hands feel like on her skin? Would he be kind and gentle, in a way that Barty never was, and whisper soft words into her ear? Barty had always taken her into his bed with the animalistic excitement of a mad dog, ripping off her clothes and taking her like the savage bastard she knew him to be.
Though she doubted her sweet Quirinus would ever behave in such a manner, the image still brought even more heat to her cheeks. She shook her head. Unfortunately, the gesture did not go unnoticed by Quirinus.
Instantly worried, Quirinus's concerned gaze found Elisabeth's soft and heavy eyes, confused at the look on her face, not knowing that it was a look of desire. For him.
"Wh-what is it? Is it your hand? We should sit down," he stammered, growing nervous, already beginning to fret over her condition. He feared that perhaps Elisabeth was taxing her body too far, and so soon after Madame Pomfrey had discharged her from the Hospital Wing.
She blinked for a moment as she tried to process his words.
Elisabeth was touched by the concern Quirinus held for her.
She thought she could have walked through the whole of Great Britain with the wizard at her side, but she was eager to sit and linger, to spend more time with the man she knew she loved with all her heart.
"For a minute," she smiled nervously and nodded eagerly. She chewed on her lips out of agitation and nerves as Quirinus led her towards a table outside of Honeydukes.
Though it was Elisabeth who was still recovering from an amputated finger and still in considerable pain, she made sure Quirinus was comfortable first before taking a seat next to him, scooting her chair close enough to him so their shoulders touched.
As she looked deep into his eyes as though searching for something, Quirinus's breath caught in his throat. He hoped it was not merely what his eyes wanted to see, the look of awe and admiration growing in the young redhead's dark eyes.
She was so taken with him that words would not even come to her. Elisabeth smiled softly to herself, lowered her gaze to her hands in her lap, and finally, after a lingering silence, spoke very softly.
"A-are we just going to sit here, Quirinus?" she asked, and her eyes widened as she quickly realized that her question sounded like a proposition. She was eager to quickly correct her mistake at seeing the man's cheeks flush. "I-I mean…surely there's something the two of us could talk about, maybe?" she said, sounding hopeful as she looked at the man.
Quirinus mentally cursed himself for not having thought of something to carry on in their conversation.
"I…thank you, Elisabeth, for going out with me tonight," he said solemnly, thinking of the lengths this witch seated beside him now had gone to, for him, because of him, when he did not deserve it, nor her love or affection. She looked at him, stunned as if she thought there was no need for him to offer his thanks.
"I…that's—that's not necessary, but…you're welcome," she murmured, her eyes starting to twinkle the longer she looked at him. She smiled at him. "Thank you for dinner, and for walking with me, for spending the evening with me, I-I guess is what I'm trying to say," she added. "I know this takes away from time spent preparing your lesson plans," she told him, teasing.
Elisabeth smiled as he blushed. She enjoyed the humor the wizard was exhibiting as he scrunched his nose and pulled a face of disgust as he rose from the table, and pulled his arm closer as he helped her to stand.
"It's nothing, Elisabeth, I should be the one thanking you," Quirinus told her solemnly. He stiffened as a pleasant tremor went down his spine at feeling the warmth of the witch by his side as she snaked his arm around his waist. "This is far more interesting, and a more pleasant way to spend my evening than alone."
Elisabeth was still looking at him as Quirinus moved his hand down to hold hers, though her smile quickly disappeared when she saw the too-familiar figure of Winky peeking around the corner of Honeydukes. She pitied Winky for serving a wizard so cold-hearted as Barty, yet she could not excuse the house-elf's actions.
Winky was spying on them, on her, and would likely report back everything she witnessed to him.
When they locked eyes, the terrified and trembling house elf immediately cringed and vanished as if Elisabeth had just sent a Killing Curse her way. Quirinus, sensing his date's attention had drifted to somewhere behind him, turned his back to see what Elisabeth had captivated, but only saw Honeydukes.
He shook his head to clear his mind and turned back around to face her. "Did you want to go inside and look around?" he asked hesitantly and so unsure of himself. He wondered why Elisabeth was troubled.
Elisabeth swallowed, feeling like she was swallowing knives as a lump was forming in her throat and her ears were burning.
"N-no, let's uh…go check out the bookstore, there's a book I've been looking for, Quirinus," she mumbled, and took Quirinus's hand and led him away from Honeydukes towards the shop across the street.
It was as much to distract herself from the fact that she had just spotted Winky spying on them as much as to prevent Quirinus from becoming suspicious and asking questions. She had vowed nothing would ruin this night, and she intended to keep that promise to herself and him. In truth, she knew no other way.
The moment they entered the shop, the shopkeeper, an ancient old wizard by the name of Hyde Leveret greeted them like long-lost relations, eager for their business and seemingly happy to see them.
They returned the old man's greeting happily. Quirinus was amused as Elisabeth made a beeline straight for the fiction section of the shop at the back of the shop. There was a new book out that she wanted, she called to him over her shoulder as she led the way, her eyes scanning the shelves, hoping to find it.
It was the third in a series of six planned books about two werewolves, the Alpha and Omega series.
It was a lycanthropy romance tale that was becoming a number-one best-seller. The books were all the rage with witches between the ages of seventeen and forty. Romulus and Rena, both wolves who had broken free of their Pack's Alpha, their leaders. Their lives together as mates were not without their challenges and fears. Quirinus was admittedly shocked to learn that his new girlfriend was an avid fan of the series and flat-out refused to leave the shop until she'd found the book and purchased a copy for herself.
Quirinus lingered at the end of the aisle, his gaze transfixed as he watched Elisabeth flick through the pages of the book she wanted with great interest. She made it a habit to personally inspect each page to ensure none of them were marked or dog-eared. He found it adorable, and it was a habit that he recognized within himself, often preferring the company of his books rather than that of most people.
He could see it in her eyes that Elisabeth Raywood had a keen interest and was intelligent, yet underneath her shyness and soft voice, there was a fierceness within the witch, a passion that was not to be tested. He tried not to stare at her too intently and simply enjoyed her company.
Though it was growing increasingly difficult for Quirinus not to stare at the soft angles of Elisabeth Raywood's features. Her skin held a faint amber glow to it, kissed by the flickering lights of the candles set on a table behind her for light and warmth as well as the faint orange overhead light above them.
She gazed down enthralled at the copy of the book in her hands. Feeling a surge of hope and courage well within him, Quirinus thought that perhaps the Firewhisky he'd had over dinner was making him bold. He spoke more candidly to Elisabeth than perhaps he had a right to, on their first date. Quirinus approached where Elisabeth stood cautiously. The question was out before he could stop himself from asking it.
"How could Crouch have ever treated you so horribly, Elisabeth?" he demanded, doing his best not to sound angry or demanding with his date, but he wanted an answer. "To treat such a lovely witch like you, I can't even begin to understand."
He was not exactly sure what sort of reaction he had expected Elisabeth to have, though for her to give a visible start at his words and let out a gasp of surprise was not exactly the reaction he had expected.
She raised her shocked eyes to him, her face pale, and her expression pained. She looked as though Quirinus had just hit her with a Stinging Jinx, or even worse, physically raised his hand against her and hit her.
She fumbled the book in her hands as her hands began to shake and she nearly dropped it. She would have to, had she not had the foresight to set the book down on a small table that was to her left.
"Why…why would you say that to me, Quirinus?" she demanded, hurt. She looked angry with him.
Quirinus stared, dumbfounded and at a loss for words.
He hesitated, wondering what he had done wrong. He had meant his words as a compliment.
"Wh-what?" he asked softly. A pit began to form in his stomach the longer he looked at Elisabeth's crestfallen and angry expression as she shook her head, seemingly trying to send his words away now. "I-I don't understand, Elisabeth, so help me to, please…" he begged, trailing off. He was unable to continue as he struggled to comprehend the insult he had just accidentally given the witch he loved.
"Barty used to say that to me. He would call me lovely. Unfortunately, Peeves heard him one day, and the nickname Lovely Lizzy stuck around," Elisabeth growled, furrowing her brows into a frown as her bottom lip began to quiver and her eyes flooded with her tears. The bitterness in her tone was unmistakable.
She did not think she could look Quirinus in the eyes.
Elisabeth immediately cursed herself for bringing up Barty on their date. Her posture stiffened and became rigid as she turned away from the wizard, walking a few paces away, needing a moment to will her temper to cool, though her anger was not directed at him, but at Barty, and what Crouch had taken away from her.
She trembled as memories of her and Barty's relationship deteriorating flitted through her mind, the moment she found out where her fiancé's true allegiances and loyalties lay, everything had changed.
They were brief, those moments she saw, like flashing images of a preview of a memory shown to her through a Pensieve, but more than enough to cause her throat to tighten and tears to well in her eyes. They were memories she never wanted to think about again and had trouble sending them away.
Quirinus was stricken and at a loss for words.
He moved and stood behind her, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder and giving her shoulder a reassuring little squeeze. He tried to smile at her, though the gesture felt strained, untrue.
"He was foolish, Elisabeth, and anyone who would dare to hurt you as he did does not even deserve to have his name cross your lips, or even breathe the same air as you," he spoke from behind her in a voice that Elisabeth could only describe as a low growl, the bitterness dripping from his words now.
Without letting himself think over what he was doing, lest he began to doubt the surge of newfound courage that was welling within his chest, he gently pivoted Elisabeth around to face him, cupping her chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him. His dark eyes pleaded with her silently, seeming to penetrate the hardened layers of her heart, the wall she had built around her heart slowly crumbling.
Since their fight, since she had rowed so horribly with Quirinus following her ending her engagement to Barty, she had preferred to keep people at a distance. But with Quirinus, it was different. With him, Elisabeth wanted his nearness.
After what seemed an interminable struggle, Quirinus managed to find his voice again, though it shook. He tried to keep his voice as calm and level-headed as possible as he pleaded with Elisabeth, though it wasn't easy.
"I-I didn't mean to hurt you, Elisabeth. I—I didn't know," he mumbled, shamefaced, before taking a deep breath and continuing. "But…now that I know how badly it hurts you, I'll call you something else. I…you're…you're beautiful," he blurted out, his words clumsy.
"I don't want to hurt you." His affection-filled eyes met hers.
She shook her head.
"You could never hurt me, Quirinus. I know you wouldn't." She sighed and tucked a wisp of her hair back behind her ear. "I'm sorry, Quirinus. You couldn't have known. I don't want to talk about Barty anymore."
As if to emphasize her point, she reached for his hand and held it.
"But…are you sure?" he asked her, almost lovingly, as he brought up a gentle hand to caress her left cheekbone.
She nodded, something sparking to life behind her eyes.
"I'm sure," she reaffirmed, her tone sure, and her expression even more so, as she looked at him. Elisabeth hesitated and bit down on her bottom lip. She moved to let her hand rest gently against Quirinus's chest.
She swore she heard the man's heart beating, powerful and erratic. Even through the man's thick black knit sweater, Elisabeth felt the heat radiating off of him, and before she could think it through, or think of anything really, she leaned up on tiptoes, for Quirinus was quite a bit taller than she was, and kissed the edge of his mouth She flinched. She'd been aiming to be more direct, but in her haste, she'd landed to the right of Quirinus's mouth. She kissed him a second time before she could no longer stand on her toes and let herself step away. Elisabeth was sure her face had never felt so hot before as she stared down at the floor.
"Should we leave? The shop's about to close," Elisabeth whispered to Quirinus shyly. A heavy silence fell between them, and the courage and adrenaline that had compelled her to be so bold slowly ebbed away.
In its place, the witch was left with nothing but flaming cheeks and a morbid sense of embarrassment as hot shame washed over her body like a tidal wave.
Quirinus stood next to her, immobile, as though she had paralyzed him.
He offered no reaction and merely looked blankly at her.
"You—you didn't like it," Elisabeth whispered, ashamed. "I-I'm sorry, Quirinus, I—I don't know what I was thinking—"
But her voice was silenced.
As something warm and coarse pressed against her lips. It took her a half second to realize that Quirinus was kissing her and a further three point two seconds for her to realize that she was kissing him back.
It was as their kiss deepened and she felt his hands play with a few strands at the back of her hair, she closed her eyes and smiled into the kiss as it turned into something she recognized, something she had been hoping for. She realized then that he was falling in love with her, whether or not the wizard was aware of it, she was.
This time, Quirinus did not hesitate in drawing her as close to him as he wanted. They were so caught up in the moment, neither one of them wanting their kiss to end, that they did not pay attention to their surroundings.
For if either one of them would have broken the kiss and looked behind Quirinus and to the left, just slightly, towards the shop's front window, they would have spotted a figure watching them. They would have seen Barty Crouch Jr. peering through the window, murder flashing in the wizard's dark eyes like a lightning bolt.