The next two weeks, Eden had found herself almost constantly in Theo's company. From studying in the common room to walking the halls after classes just to get a spare chance alone together. Often they found themselves talking about their families and how different they were. "Honestly, my parents are very authoritative when it comes to parenting." Theo explained, "I've got a younger brother and younger sister and since they are both still living at home they get the brunt of that now that I am away. They," Theo hesitated looking for the right words and fiddling with his collar that suddenly felt too tight, "have certain expectations for us and with that consequences if they are not met. I worry about my siblings when I'm not home but I check in with them as often as I can throughout the year." This made Eden feel closer to Theo as they shared the more intimate details of their lives that Eden had begun to realize many Slytherins are resistant to share. "Well I don't have any siblings, but it is probably best that way. My mom is a witch and my dad is a nomaj. He isn't a huge fan of the magic so our house is basically ran like a nomaj house. Sometimes I feel like since I'm more like my mom than my dad, it disappoints him. But I wouldn't know because he is a professor at Boston College so he spends most of his time in his study or at school during the summer. I rarely see him and when I do it feels forced and awkward. Not the best time." At this admission, Theo pulled her up against his side and kissed her temple, "I'm sorry. That sucks."
"I suppose but I spend most of my summers at Gina's with her mom, Beth. They are like my adoptive family." At this memory, Eden smiled to herself and wrapped her arm around Theo's waist.
That Tuesday was like any other and Eden and Theo decided to take a walk before dinner. Walking down the corridors and holding hands, Theo asked, "So are there any ex boyfriends that I should worry about? Will they come in here and try to hex me to oblivion for your hand?" Eden looked at him and laughed, "No. No exes to speak of." Eden looked sheepishly at the floor as they continued to walk. He pulled her to a stop and took both of her hands in his own, "Well in that case, I know that the Yule Ball is still like a month away but would you like to go with me? As my date, I mean." Letting a genuine smile creep onto her face she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him chastely on the cheek, "I would love to. I've been waiting for you to ask. I thought I was going to have to get all American on you and buck tradition and ask you." Eden smirked at him with a twinkle in her eye and unwrapped herself from him and took a step back. "I never would have let you. I would have still found some way to ask you before you could say it first."
Grabbing her again and wrapping an arm around her shoulder, they began to walk towards the Great Hall for dinner with two stupid grins plastered to their faces. As they walked, they ran into Draco and Pansy and decided to catch up and walk with them. "Well, Chambers, you've locked a Slytherin man down. Good for you." Draco sent a sarcastic smile and Eden glared back with disdain. For some reason, Draco always took little jabs at her like she still didn't belong for whatever reason, "I really thought you'd go with one of your Gryffindor friends. I saw you studying with Potter in the library. Wouldn't it have impressed all your friends back home to know you got with English wizard royalty on your little excursion?"
"Woah, Draco, back off. That is uncalled for." Theo said to Draco and he shrugged in return. Theo looked at Eden apologetically. As they made their way through the corridor before the Great Hall, Draco ran into an unsuspecting Ginny Weasley as she was talking to Dean Thomas and her older brother, Ron. Eden had ran into all of these Gryffindors on multiple occasions and had friendly conversations with them when she was hanging out with Justin or studying with Harry and Hermione. "Watch where you are going, blood traitor. Some of us have somewhere to be." Draco glared daggers at Ginny as Ron pulled him behind her and squared up to Draco and Eden noticed Theo drop his arm from her and stand next to Draco staring down Dean Thomas. "What are you looking at, Thomas? Surprised to see what a real wizard looks like? You are basically a mudblood from the muggles both your parents are."
Eden cringed at the word she had only heard a handful of times while at Hogwarts but knew it was a nasty derogatory term. She cringed even harder due to it coming out of Theo's mouth. Draco looked at Theo as if he was making a joke, "Oh give Thomas a break, he can't help it. Now Weasleys? They chose to be blood traitors. Fraternizing with half bloods, mudbloods, and even werewolves. Believe me, they are much worse." At that, Ron's face became a bright horribly red color and he cocked his arm back and slammed it into Malfoy's face. The crack heard throughout the hall, made everyone stop and stare. Teachers ran to the spot and separated the boys before Draco was able to pull his wand and send a hex back at him. "Boys! What is this nonsense? 20 points from both Slytherin and Gryffindor and a month's worth of detention, starting now. March!" Professor McGonagall led both boys down the corridor away from the Great Hall and the circle around them began to dissipate. Eden looked around her at what had just transpired. Her blood began to boil as she thought on the words mudblood and blood traitor that were thrown around so carelessly. Theo walked back towards Eden and tried to take her hand and she pulled free of him and gave his a disgusted look, "No, don't you dare," Eden responded to the hurt expression on his face. She walked past him and decided to eat dinner with Justin that night at the Gryffindor table.
While sitting with the Gryffindors, Eden saw Theo trying to catch her eye and she refused to look back at him. Looking over at Ginny, she said sympathetically, "Ginny, I am so sorry. That was totally uncalled for and I would never say or even think those things about your family or Dean. We have our own different kinds of prejudices back home and I refuse to let it go here either. "I don't blame you and I know you don't think that, but you should start thinking about the company you keep." With a downtrodden look, Ginny got up from the dinner table and walked back to Gryffindor tower alone.
She knew that Hogwarts wouldn't be perfect and that everywhere has a band of ignorant fools who put faith in the prejudices they hold so dear, but Eden just didn't think that she would become so attached to one. After her third year at Ilvermorny, a fourth year boy had called Justin the n-word after he was ranked higher in the house Quidditch tournament as a more valuable player and Eden promised that she would never let someone make her friends or anyone, for that matter, feel badly about race or blood. Gina and Eden had taken retaliation on the ignorant fourth year boy who said this to Justin out of jealousy and put a dry itching potion in his underwear drawer. The message was read loud and clear that if you mess with Justin, you mess with Eden and Gina. Justin was more shy at this time and the girls were quick to stand up for him and promised to keep doing it from that day on. Getting back at a bully really ties people together.
She knew that no matter how much she liked Theo, this changed things for her.