A/N: First off guys, HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE….and…if you guys recall, TODAY IS TOM'S BIRTHDAY! So if Harry didn't kill Voldemort he'd be…84…years old. Damn. Anyway, we know it's been more than a month since we updated and we are SO SO SO SO SO SORRY. It was kind of difficult writing this chapter since we're both in different countries but we emailed it back and forth each writing a few bits. So yeah, I know we've been awful authors but in my defence I have my GCSE mocks in TWO WEEKS and my friend's a year above me in IB which is even worse. :S

Second A/N: To flyingcrispi and Elle Q Kaye, we're so sorry we couldn't write you into this chapter but you'll be in the next, promise (or perhaps the one after the next?) We really hope you don't mind.

Third A/N: If you are still reading this…well, why are you still reading this? Go on, read the chapter! We hope you enjoy it :)

Chapter 15 – Bar fights of a sort

The men prowled through the upturned tables, slowly advancing on Tom and Elena. Tom was standing stiffly, his jaw set with resolve and his fingers tightly gripping his wand. (A/N: Get your mind out of the gutter, because clearly we can't and are currently giggling like immature middle schoolers :P)

Elena on the other hand, was trying very hard not to be afraid, but it wasn't that easy. Her hand was also wrapped around her wand (A/N: not his…yes we are filthy) but she couldn't help it from shaking slightly.

The man in front leered at her, his face a mirage of scars and various other unpleasant attributes. "Vell vat a beauty ve have managed to corner here…" The second man joined in his mirthless laughter; adding, "Yes let us keel her partner first, then take care of her…" his face was stretched into a malicious, albeit idiotic grin. Somehow, Elena didn't want to find out what 'taking care' of her meant.

Before the men reached her and Tom, he whispered, "Take Bennett and disapparate back to school. Try not to get into any more trouble this time."

"Yeah and how about you get yourself killed here, and I be held responsible?" Elena hissed back at him, gnashing her teeth.

"Fine, your choice," Tom shot back, rolling his eyes. Elena surreptitiously shoved Noah completely under their table, so he was completely obliterated from the men's view.

It all happened at once. The third man, who had been lingering in the background, was suddenly enveloped in blood red flames and vanished into them, only to re-materialise three inches behind them. Tom, who was not slightly tipsy, immediately spun around and shouted 'Impedimenta!' The curse missed the man, but he was forced to retreat several paces from them.

Black smoke erupted from the other man's wand, and suddenly none of them could see. Tom, feeling enraged at his incompetence, forced his way out of the black sphere and cast a curse that Elena was not familiar with. The other man's blood seemed to freeze in his veins; his eyes cracked a half-second later and within a minute he collapsed into a heap of dust on the floor.

"What the hell Tom?" Elena shouted from in between firing a jelly-legs jinx at both the remaining men.

To say he was shocked would be a massive understatement. "What?" Tom looked back at her sharply.

"How could you just kill him?" She ducked a purple hex shot directly to her chest.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because he was going to murder the both of us in about two seconds?" Tom joined the duel, which was a good thing considering Elena was about to succumb to the pressures of being tipsy as well as dead-tired.

Meanwhile, Elena shot a well aimed curse at her attacker, hitting him squarely in the chest.

"Well, Grey, I didn't know you could fight drunk," Tom remarked, dodging curses from his own opponent

"I'm NOT drunk!" Elena said indignantly, but her unsteady walk said otherwise. As soon as Tom's opponent was unconscious, Elena tripped over a stool and fell over, giggling hysterically.

"Not drunk, my arse," Tom muttered to himself.

After several tense moments of intense fighting, Tom once again fired an unfamiliar spell at the blonde man, who immediately crumpled on the floor, unmoving apart from the strange twitches coming from his neck.

"What did you do this time?" Elena gritted.

"He's not dead, if that's what you're wondering," Tom said angrily. "I merely fractured his neck." He said this as plainly as if he were commenting on the weather.

"Oh right, that's so much better right?" Elena leaped over yet another purple (what was up with this bloke?) curse, and with a strong body-bind, she finished the duel.

As soon as they had shoved the three dead men into an abandoned theatre a few blocks from the pub, Elena burst out "Who were they? And why on earth did they come for us?"

"Well, they were obviously Grindelwald's followers, Elena. Surely their charming accents could have told you that. As for why they came for us, well I have no idea at all." Tom did not look at her while he said this, instead busying himself with the restoration of the pub which now resembled a muggle bomb shelter…where a bomb had landed.

"Right. And you're sure you have no idea why they came so specifically for us?" Elena narrowed her eyes at Tom's retreating back, and made her way to Noah, who was still under the table.

"Yes, Grey, you know I would never lie to you," Tom said with a smirk.

No of course you wouldn't. I suppose those Dark Magic books were just a figment of my imagination then, Elena thought bitterly.

With a final sweep of his wand and some carefully chosen words, Tom returned the bar to its pre-Grindelwald-follower's-duel condition, minus the tarty waitress. "I...uh...suppose we have to wake her up then..." Tom was looking extremely uncomfortable now.

"Aw, I know you want to Tom," Elena said with a smirk. "After all, she was such an admirer."

"Oh shut up."

Laughing, Elena returned her attentions to Noah, and started to drag him out from under the table. He was much heavier than he looked and after about half dragging him out, Elena collapsed onto one of the chairs.

"Uhm a little help here please." Elena scowled, annoyed at having to ask anymore of Tom Riddle.

Tom wordlessly made his way towards them and heaved Noah out in one go. Both Tom and Elena attempted to drag him out of his stupor but were unsuccessful, even after Elena conjured some water and poured it on his face.

"Right, so he is definitely not waking up anytime soon. Looks like we're going to have to carry him back to school," Elena said with a sigh.

"Fine. Take his left arm, and I'll take...the rest of him," Tom said.

With a final glance around the place, and a sharp look at the stirring waitress, Tom, Elena and Noah walked, or hobbled out of the bar. They slipped into the first enclave they saw and disapparated back to school.

Appearing with a loud crack just outside the school grounds, the three (well Tom and Elena and a very unconscious Noah) made their way up the steps and into the Entrance Hall. Dumping Noah onto the ground, Elena transformed her dress and coat back into her school robes. Tom, with a slight pause, proceeded to do the same.

"You know, you look pretty good in black," Elena said with a sunny smile. Her head was starting to spin slightly.

"I am always in black Grey," Tom answered with a slight raise of his eyebrows.

"I know, but still you do..." Elena said. Obviously someone was still reeling from the effect of three (or was it four?) straight martinis.

"Right, well you looked pretty...decent, yourself," Tom said.

Shaking her head experimentally, Elena seemed to come to her senses for a minute, and stared at Tom in horror.

"Oh shit, shit, those stupid martinis. What did I just say?"

"Nothing Grey, absolutely nothing," Tom told her, looking thoroughly relieved she had recovered somewhat from her drunken stupor.

"Ok, great, now can you help me haul Noah back to the Gryffindor dormitory? What time is it anyway?" Elena asked.

"Just ten past three in the morning. I guess that's fairly early for someone like you," Tom said sourly. He was just thinking of all the stupid comments that he would receive from the Death Eaters' heads, when they saw the Dark Lord coming to bed two hours past his patrol time, looking like he'd been drinking.

"Someone like me? And what is that supposed to mean?" said Elena angrily, taking one of Noah's arms and throwing it around her shoulder.

"Someone who sneaks out at night Grey, hoping to get drunk, just for the thrill of flouncing school rules, in other words, someone who has no sense of responsibility," Tom shot back, as they made their slow way back to the Gryffindor tower.

"Right, well since I'm such a failure of a person Riddle, why did you bother to come along? Why not just let Noah and I go?" Elena said coldly.

"Like I said before Grey, I couldn't let Dippet think I'd let two, albeit idiotic, students sneak out and get into trouble on my watch," Tom answered. "And it was quite clear you could not have defeated those followers alone."

"I would really appreciate it Riddle, if you wouldn't pretend that you didn't enjoy yourself today," Elena said irritably. She was tipsy, dead tired and could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on. She did not need Tom-fucking-Riddle acting like a smart arse right now.

Tom abruptly stopped walking, causing Elena to stumble and fall, taking Riddle and Noah down with her. They all fell in a heap on the middle of the third floor corridor, with a thump.

"What is your problem?" Elena said angrily.

Tom was about to answer when they saw a horribly familiar silhouette appeared at the end of the corridor. It was Slughorn, looking not entirely confident on his feet, making his way back to his office. He had not seen them yet, and seemed to be humming absentmindedly.

His gaze finally fell on the three of them, and he took three steps back.

"Mr Riddle! Ms Grey? And is that you, Mr Bennett? What are you doing here and at this time of the night?" Slughorn fixed them with an indistinct stare. "And what on earth are you doing on the floor?" He blinked at them, and then blushed for some reason.

Tom immediately got up and began brushing off his clothes. "Nothing sir, we were just...just...helping Mr Bennett here back from the bathrooms. He's...he's not feeling so well, and fell on the floor" His voice came out hesitant at first, but then persuasive as he found a suitable cover.

Elena grudgingly admired Tom's impressive lying abilities, but they turned out to be unnecessary. Slughorn seemed to have had a very similar night to them.

"Right, right yes, well off you go then," he muttered indistinctly. He started up the corridor, but after a few tottering steps, leaned against one of the walls, slid down and fainted.

"Ok, seeing teachers drunk is just wrong," Elena said.

Tom did not answer, but knelt down towards Slughorn's face. "He's alive," Tom said.

"That's good to know,"

"Just sleeping," Tom stood up, ran his fingers through his hair distractedly, and looked, to Elena, for the first time at a loss of what to do.

Just then Slughorn stirred, and mumbled "Fairy lights she said...completely bonkers...as if that would make a good Intoxication Draught...mmghhfm" Tom and Elena exchanged disbelieving, slightly alarmed looks.

Slughorn let out a snore then muttered again "green...green...Myrna had a green dress on...with purple underthings...my favourite...mmmhhhmm...Intoxication Draught..."

Tom and Elena once again exchanged even more alarmed looks, but this time Tom noticed a mischievous glint in Elena's eyes.

"What...?" Tom asked suspiciously.

"Well," Elena said cheekily. "Isn't Myrna, Professor Montgomery's first name? The Astronomy professor?"

"Uh.,.well I think it is..." Riddle paused; looking hilariously (to Elena) embarrassed and continued "So now we know where he was tonight..."

"Oho yes we do..." Elena laughed and Tom, unable to stop himself, joined in. They picked Noah up again, and decided without a moment's hesitation, to leave Slughorn right where he was.

"After all," Elena said as, between intermittent peals of laughter, they made their way to the Gryffindor tower "it did not look like the first time he'd done something like that before."

"No I guess not," Tom replied with a straight face. "You would know, wouldn't you?"

"Tom, what are you suggesting?" her eyes flashed dangerously but her glare quickly subsided as she once again burst into a fit of giggles. "Can't believe…Slughorn and Professor Montgomery…blimey," she choked out.

"Can you please stop repeating that? I am trying to erase that awful image burnt in my mind," tom replied stoically.

However, this only resulted in Elena laughing harder.

"What?" Tom glared.

"Your-your expression," she stifled incoherently.

"Yes, well. Let's just try to ignore Slughorn, and please get you both to Gryffindor. We've got to get him up six more flights of stairs."

"Soh-ree Mr. Grumpy-pants," she huffed.

"Grumpy pants?"

"It's a muggle saying, ok! I heard some bloke using it in the common room," she retaliated.

"Uhh…right…are you sure you're sober Grey?"

"Of course I am," she replied defiantly before tripping down a non-existent step.

This time, Tom couldn't hold in his laughter. "Stop laughing, stop it!" she shouted, "TOM!"

Several minutes later, the two of them successfully manoeuvred Noah's unconscious body up seven flights of stairs before finally letting him drop to the ground.

"He owes me so bad," Elena glared at Noah, who was slumped against the Fat Lady (who was snoring lightly against her frame)

"Well, I suppose this is it," Tom said.

"It's only the first time you've dragged our drunk arses back to the Gryffindor common room, Tom."

"The next time you two cavort off to get drunk I am not accompanying you."

"Whatever you say, Tom."

"I'm going to leave you two alone now, get back into the dormitory and get some sleep, we do after all have lessons tomorrow."

"Yes father," Elena rolled her eyes at Tom's retreating figure.

"Wait, Tom!" she yelled.

"Yes?" He turned around.

"Thanks, you know, for coming with us," she blushed, "we'd probably be dead if I had to face the three men alone."

"Yeah well," he started, before changing his mind, "You're welcome." The corners of his mouth ghosted into a smile.

Below them Noah seemed to be stirring although the two sixth-years paid him no attention.

"Well, good night. Good early-morning actually," Elena said.

"Good night Elena, I'll see you in potions tomorrow."

Tom was about to turn around when he was very rudely interrupted.

"Mmh, Gavin, HARDER," Noah groaned.

Elena stared down at him in shock but Noah seemed to have gone right back to sleep…or whatever fantasy he was in the middle of.

"Um...who's Gavin?"

Tom grimaced. "I don't seem to recall any Gavins in school..." He broke off, frowning. "Hang on, Grey…that's Avery's first name, Gavin."

A/N: awhh Noah way to ruin the moment. So, what did you guys think? Of the bar fight scene? Slughorn drunk? Elena and Tom still arguing but not quite hating each other?

We don't have any extracts from the next chapter (since it hasn't been written :O) and we cannot promise a date but hopefully we can get it done sometime January 2011. (after my exams of course). So, we don't have an extract but lets just say the next chapter involves: A Halloween feast, spiked pumpkin juice, a raging game of truth or dare (suggested by Elena of course), and a much needed talk between Elena and Noah about Noah's little secret.

*Grins* Now, we know you can't wait. Aren't we absolutely evil? Well, what are you still here for? Click that lovely little blue link right below and let us know what you thought of the chapter :D