Disclaimer: The usual, I don't own any of the characters or anything to do with Harry Potter. All credit goes to J.K Rowling. Anyone you don't recognise is owned by me.
A/N: Hey all, yes I know its been forever since I updated. I am so sorry, but I just haven't been motivated and I was kinda afraid of what would happen with Tom and Isolde, even though I knew what I wanted to happen.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Isolde and the other girls in her dormitory were up early on the first day of classes, excited to be starting their education in magic. After getting dressed and gathering the things they would need for their first day of classes they headed out to the common room where a couple of older Ravenclaw girls offered to show them to the Great Hall in case they had forgotten how to get there.
"This is so exciting." Alice whispered as they made their way to the Great Hall. "I wonder what class we will have first."
Acacia smiled. "I hope its Charms." She said. "That's my brother's favourite class."
Isolde listened to the others girls talking, all the while keeping an eye out for Tom. She wanted to see how his first night had been. Had he been unable to sleep as well? It was their first night sleeping apart since they had met.
As they neared the Great Hall, Isolde spotted Tom coming up a set of stairs with the boys he had been sitting with at the Slytherin table the night before. She couldn't stop the smile spreading across her face as she slipped to the end of the group of Ravenclaws she was with, hoping to get a moment alone with Tom.
Tom looked up in her direction and she gave a small wave, waiting for him to come over to her. However instead of returning the wave or her smile, he turned away from her walking straight past her and into the Great Hall.
Isolde felt a pain in her chest. What? Why had Tom ignored her? He can't have missed her, he looked straight at her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she took a couple of deep breathes to try and calm herself. However the pain in her chest refused to go away. Didn't Tom need her anymore now that he had other friends? He was the one who had been worried that she wouldn't need him anymore. She shook her head. No, there is no way Tom would have ignored her. He probably just didn't see her or recognise her in her robes. She would speak to him later.
"Isolde." She looked up to see Minerva walking toward her surrounded by a couple of other Gryffindor. Isolde quickly wiped away her tears and forced a smile for her friend.
"Hello Minerva." She said. "How was your first night?"
Minerva smiled. "It was fine. I went to bed almost immediately when we got to Gryffindor Tower." She informed her. "It was such a long day. However I am well rested and ready to start my first day of classes. How about you?"
"I'm looking forward to start learning." Isolde informed her, as they walked into the Great Hall.
"Excellent." Minerva said. "I suppose I shall see you later then."
Isolde nodded and bid the girl farewell as she headed to the Ravenclaw slipping into a spot that Acacia and Alice had saved her.
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At the Slytherin table Tom was trying to ignore the guilt he felt after seeing the hurt look on Isolde's face after he had ignored her. However it was for the best.
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It was the end of the third official day of classes. Isolde was sitting by herself in the library trying to concentrate on her History of Magic essay but it was useless. All that she could think about was Tom and the way he had cut himself off from her. After the first day, Isolde had approached him at least two other times before getting the point and staying away from him, as much as it pained her to do.
She had to face the facts. Tom had new friends and didn't need her anymore. She just thought after seven years of friendship he would at least have the decency to tell her to her face that he no longer wished to be friends with her.
Tears welled up in her eyes and she angrily wiped them away. It hurt so much. Tom had been more than her best friend, he had been her only family, and someone she had trusted and thought she could count on. Not once had she thought he would simply dump her once someone better came along.
"Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?" A voice inquired.
Isolde looked up to see two Slytherin girls with black hair standing beside her table. She recognised them from the train on the first day of school. "Um...no" she said, quickly clearing a spot for them to sit down.
"Thank you." The same person who had spoken before said, as they sat down. "I'm Lucretia." She said with a smile. "And this is Octavia."
"I'm Isolde." She said, returning the smile.
"Ravenclaw?" Octavia asked, glancing at the emblem on her robes. Isolde nodded. "Good."
Isolde was a little confused. "Why is that good?"
Lucretia opened one of her books. "We like Ravenclaws. They are much better to associate with then Gryffindors." She informed Isolde.
Isolde nodded, still confused, but decided to question any further as they settled in to continue with their homework. They worked in silence for a little while before Octavia spoke.
"What do you think of Hogwarts Isolde?"
Isolde smiled. "I love it." She said 'well most of it' she thought to herself, instructing herself not to think of Tom anymore.
Lucretia smiled as well. "It is quite wonderful isn't." She said. "I've been waiting to come since my sister got her letter. She's a third year. Both of my parents attended."
"My mother attended Hogwarts." Isolde told them, wondering why she had told them that.
The girls smiled. "Pureblood?" Octavia asked.
Isolde shook her head. "Half-blood." She answered. Why am I telling them this stuff?
Octavia went back to work while Lucretia continued with the questions. "History of Magic."
Isolde nodded. "Yes. I find it so much more interesting reading about it then listening to Professor Binns."
Lucretia laughed. "I swear that man would be just as boring if he were dead." Octavia and Isolde joined in. Isolde felt a little pang in her heart. If these two Slytherins had no problems associating with her then why did Tom?
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Isolde found herself developing a fast friendship with Lucretia and Octavia; every night after dinner they would spend an hour in the library, studying and talking about their lives, classes and anything that came to mind before making their way back to their common rooms. It was towards the end of the first week of classes that Tom came up in the conversation. Lucretia remembered that Isolde had been searching for Tom on the train.
"Tom and I are...were just friends." Isolde said in a soft voice, staring hard at her Charms essay.
Octavia frowned. "Were?" she asked.
Isolde shrugged. "He's been avoiding me since the first day of classes." She told them. "I'm not sure why, whether it's because he has new friends now or because we weren't sorted into the same house."
Lucretia had a frowned to match her housemate. "He didn't say why?"
Isolde shook her head. "Like I said, he just stopped talking to me." She said, fighting back the tears that cropped up every time she thought about Tom.
Octavia's face crumpled, she hated seeing anyone cry. "Oh Is." She said putting her arms around her friend. Lucretia joined the hug to comfort their new friend.
Isolde sniffled. "Thanks guys." She said quietly. "It just hurts that after seven years of friendship he can just dump me like that."
The three girls stayed in that position for a little while longer before Isolde pulled away, wiping the remaining tears. "I better get back to Ravenclaw Tower. I promised Acacia she could teach me how to play Gobstones." Isolde told them with a small smile.
Lucretia laughed. "Well have fun." She said, as Isolde packed up her things and bid them farewell.
The minute Isolde was out of sight, the two Slytherin girls put their heads together to hatch a plan.
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One week. It had been one week since Tom had spoken to Isolde; one week since he stood next to her, one week since he had distanced himself from her. She had stopped trying to talk to him after the fourth day at school and it hurt him a little to think she would give up so easily, He didn't stop to think that it was him who had just given up on their friendship and should not be feeling hurt.
Tom was on his way back to the Slytherin common room after classes finished, trying not to think about Isolde, when he felt two hands grab him by the arms and drag him in an unused classroom. He spun around, wand out when he found Lucretia and Octavia, two first year Slytherins standing before him, their wands also drawn.
"What the...?" he began, before Lucretia started talking.
"You are dirt." She sneered. "No, you're worst then dirt."
Tom rolled his eyes before trying to get past them when Octavia pushed her wand into his throat. "Ok, why am I dirt?" he asked.
Octavia dug her wand in deeper to his throat. "Worse than dirt." She corrected.
Lucretia glared at him. "Isolde is the nicest person I have ever met." Tom's heart leapt at the mention of her name. "And you just brushed her off like she's nothing."
Tom opened his mouth. "I didn't just..." trailing off, knowing that was a big fat lie about to leave his mouth.
"Don't lie." Octavia said viciously. "Isolde told us that you two were best friends before you started Hogwarts and now what? You're too good for her?"
Tom frowned. How did these girls know Isolde? Yes, they went to the same school, but they were Slytherins and Isolde was in Ravenclaw. Why did they care? Lucretia answered his unasked question.
"Isolde is our friend."
"We want to know why you just dumped her like she meant nothing to you." Octavia said.
Tom stepped back; the wand pressed against his throat was starting to hurt. "How can you be friends with Isolde?" he asked. "I thought Slytherins didn't associate with other houses."
Lucretia rolled her eyes. "We don't associate with Gryffindors." She told him. "Some of Hufflepuff is alright and Ravenclaw is the only house who isn't prejudiced against us. We do associate with them."
He frowned, running a hand across his forehead. He didn't have to stop being friends with Isolde because she was in Ravenclaw. He felt his stomach twist. That changed things, but would Isolde still want to be friends with him after the way he had treated. Isolde was a very forgiving person but even she had her limits.
"So, I can still be friends with Isolde?" he asked. "Even though she's in Ravenclaw."
Both girls nodded. "We're friends with her." Octavia reminded him.
Tom stared at them. "I have to find Isolde." He said strongly. He went to push past them, but Lucretia stopped him. He looked at her.
"She'll be in the library after dinner." She informed him.
He nodded, as they let him past. "Oh and Tom." Lucretia called. He turned back. "If you hurt Isolde again we will hurt you."
Octavia smiled evilly. "Oh yeah. We'll cut your manly bits off with a rusty spoon."
Tom just shook his head, leaving the room trying not to think about how Octavia's threat would be carried out.
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After dinner Isolde was sitting at her usual table in the library wondering where Lucretia and Octavia. She hadn't seen them when she had been at dinner and wondered what had become of them. Turning back to her homework, she became so engrossed in it that she didn't hear the person come up behind her, until they tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to almost jump out of her skin.
Looking up, Isolde felt her heart tighten as she saw Tom standing beside her, twisting his hands in front of him. That was strange, Tom never fidgeted. Fighting the urge to smile at him, Isolde frowned remembering the way he had treated her all week, like she hadn't existed, like they had never been friends.
"Yes." She said surprised by how her voice sounded.
Tom looked surprised as well, realising this would be harder then he thought. Sure, he and Isolde had fought before, but he had never screwed up this badly. He had never hurt her as much as he was sure he had hurt her.
Licking his lips, he swallowed before speaking. "Isolde, I am so sorry." He said, sitting down beside her in Octavia's usual spot. "I thought that because we were in separate houses that we couldn't be friends anymore."
Isolde's mouth drew in a straight line. "So you just decided to ignore me." She asked, trying not to cry.
Tom looked at the table. He recognised that tone of voice. She was trying not to cry. His heart stopped for a moment as he realised what a jerk he had been. "I didn't know any other way." He said quietly.
When he looked up Isolde was looking at him. Her face twisted in hurt and anger. "So after seven years of friendship, I didn't deserve you telling me to my face that you no longer wished to be friends." Her voice wavered for a second.
Tom felt terrible. How was he going to make it up to her? Was he going to be able to convince her that this would never happen again? Would she want to be friends with him again? This past week had been terrible not speaking to her, like his soul was missing without her.
He was silent for a moment as he thought back over her last comment. Why hadn't he had the decency to tell her why he was no longer speaking to her? He answered that question almost immediately, because he wouldn't have been able to go through with it, not if she had given him the same look she was giving him now.
"I just couldn't tell you." He answered quietly.
Isolde looked at her best friend, reading his face, his emotions. He was feeling guilt, shame, fear, sadness, remorse. He was truly sorry for his behaviour. She sighed and looked away, not sure what to do. Should she forgive him? He made a mistake, but seen then error of his ways.
Tom took Isolde's hand. "Please Isolde, you have to forgive me." He said.
Isolde pulled her hand away. "I don't have to do anything." She said vehemently.
Tom looked surprised. That wasn't his Isolde; she never spoke to anyone like that. She can't have changed that much in a week. He frowned. It must be Lucretia and Octavia's influence. He sighed.
"Of course you don't have to do anything." He said softly. He noticed Isolde's fierce expression waver slightly. She sighed and stared at the book in front of her.
The pair sat in silence for a long time, before Isolde spoke. "OK, I'll forgive you." She said and Tom smiled. "On the condition that you never, ever do anything like that again."
His smile grew. "I swear. I will never hurt you again Isolde, I promise." He said, sweeping her up in a hug. Isolde laughed as she hugged him back.
They held each other for a long time, making up for lost time, glad that things were back to normal.
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A/N So what did you think? Not some of my best writing but please read and review. I would really like to see the reviews hit 60 cos 51 is a sad looking number.
As a 'sorry i took so long to update' gift i'll give a little insight to whats going to happen in the next chapter. Tom is going to start looking into his history, specifically his father. If anyone has any name suggestions for books he might find in the Hogwarts library in reference to Genelology (yes i know Tom's father is muggle but he assumes he's a wizard.)
Also thank you to those who reviewed.
Superdania. Fairchild - Girl, i hope you were happy with this chapter. I love your reviews :)
Mego34567 - Thanks for your review. I made a mistake with Isolde's age but it has been corrected.
xxstarlightxxdreamerxx - I know i missed the sorting hat song but i was really eager to get this chapter up and too lazy to do the song. I'm glad you like the story.
Null - Sorry i took so long to update. I think this chapter is longer. Thanks for your review.
TogsTwilightFans - I'm happy you like my story. Thanks for the review.
