Tom watched as I worked on my essay. I couldn't figure out what was so interesting about me and why he was watching me. I was just writing and looking stuff up in my Potions book. As he watched, he tapped his fingers against his leg every once in a while. I knew this was a habit of his from spending so much time watching him during class. However, this time when I glanced up at his tapping fingers, I noticed a ring on his ring finger. He definitely hadn't been wearing that ring last year. So, me being as curious as I was, I asked him about it.

"Family heirloom," he said simply.

I found this remark just as confusing as the fact that he suddenly had a ring. Tom was an orphan. That was a commonly known fact around here. How was he supposed to get a family heirloom? It made no sense to me. "If you live in an orphanage, how'd you get a family heirloom?" I asked even though I knew I was prying into his own personal business.

"I've been researching and I finally found my uncle this past summer." Tom said.

"Really?" I squealed. "That's great! Is he nice? Do you like him?"

I knew immediately that I'd said the wrong thing. Tom didn't look too happy. I hastened to apologize. "Sorry. I didn't mean anything I was just…" I let my voice trail off. Tom's face hadn't changed.

"Curious," Tom finished for me. "I know. I know. But my family business is for my family. Not yours." His voice didn't sound friendly. His eyes were narrowed as well.

"Well sor-ry," I said splitting the word up to put emphasis on the fact that he was crossing a line. He could have just said he didn't want to talk about it. And then the subject would have dropped. He didn't have to become all cold on me.

"Do you have a problem?"

"Me? Not at all. I am pretty sure that you have the problem here," I said even though I knew my words were not going to go over well with him.

I was right. Tom's eyes flashed with anger. He then proceeded to hiss something under his breath.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Nothing for you to hear."

"If you can mutter it, you can say it out loud," I said. My voice was starting to sound cold as well.

"Wise words but I have a feeling that even you don't follow them."

"And why would you say that?"

"Because everyone mutters under their breath words that they don't intend for everyone to hear."

"This isn't a question of what I do," I said defensively. "This is a question about what you said that you didn't want me to hear."

"Fine," Tom said giving in. "I said 'For someone so smart, you sure know how to act dumb'"

My eyes narrowed and I slammed shut the Potions book that had still been open on my lap. "Are you sure you're talking about me here? Because that statement could also be turned around and used against you."

"Well then I guess it's a good thing that I'm talking about you."

"Then you must be mistaken because you are definitely the smart one here. Don't you know that?"

"I'm the smart one here? Stella? Are you calling yourself dumb?"

"Maybe I am. What's it matter to you?"

Tom stood up and crossed his arms. "Are you kidding me Stella?"

"Why would I kid about this Tom?" I asking standing up as well, placing my hands on my hips.

"Come on Stella. You're one of the smartest people in the year!"

"If I'm so smart than why am I the only person in this whole entire school that has to take Remedial Potions? Huh? Answer that one Tom," I snapped.

"It's just one class."

"Just one class? That's one of the classes that the Ministry of Magic actually looks into before hiring someone! They aren't going to hire me if they find out that I can't even brew the simplest of potions! Potions that a first year student should be able to brew."

"You passed your OWL though. Isn't that what matters?"

I glared at him. "My mum was talking to one of the examiners the other day. She found out that I got an Exceeds Exceptions by one point. One point. Uno punto. There's no way I'm going to be able to pass my NEWT. Absolutely no way Tom. And it's the NEWT that matters. Not the OWL."

"It doesn't matter Stella! It's just one class! Don't cut me off!" he cried as I opened my mouth to talk again. "Look at all your other classes. They practically worship you in Transfiguration. And don't even get me started on Charms. Didn't Professor Slughorn say you received seven Outstandings? And with that good of grades, what does one class matter?"

For some reason, his speech did nothing but completely piss me off. I just wanted him to shut up and walk over to the boy's dorm where he belonged. "Shut up Tom!" I finally screamed. "Look at whose talking will ya? You received even more Outstandings than I did, didn't you?" Tom opened his mouth, perhaps to answer my rhetorical question but I just went on talking. "Everyone knows you're the smartest person in the school! You've already received an award for a Special Service to the School!" Something flashed in Tom's eyes as I said that but again, I didn't care. "What's more is everyone says that you're going to become the youngest Minister of Magic ever! So don't be lecturing me on failing a subject when you've never experienced it for yourself!"

"Slughorn says that I'll be the youngest Minister of Magic ever. Not everyone. Just Slughorn."

"Slughorn might as well be everyone."

"Well you know what? Maybe I have my eyes set on a different path from his."

"Then maybe it's time that I jump off that little cart that's traveling down whatever path you're on!" I yelled at Tom.

"Go for it. See if I care."

"I will. And what's more is I'll start my own path that's better than yours."

"How do you know it will be better than mine?"

"Because while your path is just getting narrower and narrower as you become less and less open-minded, my path will be fresh and new."

"You know what Riot?" Tom shouted. I couldn't help but notice the use of my surname. "This never should have happened! We never should have so much as looked at each other."

"A-greed," I said again breaking the word up. At this point, I was so furious that it didn't even register in my brain that my crush for so long was about to walk away from me forever. All I wanted was for him to go away which he did by stomping up to his dorm room.

Once he was gone, I finally glanced around. While Tom and I had been screaming at each other, a crowd had gathered around watching us fight. Even now that we were quiet, they were still standing there. It was as if they didn't know if they should move or not. I ended up just glaring at them and then sitting back down on the sofa and picking up my Potions book again. Even though I picked up the book and dipped my quill in ink, I ended up doing nothing about the essay. All too soon, the events that had taken place that day finally sunk into my head. I ended up crying into my Potions book until I fell asleep nearly an hour later.

Authors Note: So what do ya'll think? Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top review! I really want to know what you guys think of this story. I'm slowly getting ideas for what's coming next but I would love to know what you think.

~Hufflepuffcub999~