Chapter 6- The Miracle Worker

They didn't talk about the baby from then on. Instead they made small talk at meals, and sometimes Tom believed that it was almost like old times…but then he would remember the baby and swirl back into a deep depression. No, things were not the same. Not the same at all. Their small talk was indeed small, and sometimes they chose not to talk at all. Tom and Cecilia were different people now, and nothing was going to change that. You would think that something like what happened to Tom and Cecilia would bring them closer together, but in fact, it was the complete opposite. It was as if a gigantic wall had formed between them. Even just looking at each other brought back the painful memory of that night. Sure, they weren't talking about the baby on the outside, but on the inside, that dead baby consumed their thoughts, minds, everything. Tom started having nightmares, and it got to the point where he was frightened to go to sleep. Of course, Tom didn't express any of this to anyone, and to the average student at Hogwarts, Tom looked the same as always.

It was Cecilia everyone was worried about. She had grown extremely thin, to the point where her bones could be easily seen. Her skin was paler than Professor Binn's and her golden hair had lost its shimmer. At least once a day people would come up to her and demand to know what was wrong; even teachers began to ask. But Cecilia would just smile weakly and tell them it was nothing. Just the flu, she would say.

Only Tom knew the real reason, and after this had been going on for over two weeks, he decided it was time to say something.

"Cecilia," he whispered to her at dinner one day. "You have to start eating more. You haven't eaten anything in days. You're going to get very sick."

"I know what's happening, Tom, but I can't help it. I just don't have the will to live anymore. It's like a whole part of me is missing."

"Wouldn't you say that's a little dramatic," Tom asked, raising his eyebrows.

"It's the truth," Cecilia whispered weakly.

"What if we talked about the umm… Would that make it better?" Tom 's face grew hot; he was getting dangerously close to the forbidden subject.

"Oh God, no, Tom. That would just make it worse," Her voice broke off, and she stood up, wobbling slightly. "I better just go."

As she walked off, Tom knew that all hope was lost. He put his head in his hands, closed his eyes, and tried to believe that everything was going to be okay.

"Really, Tom? Did you have to keep your head down like that the entire dinner? Quite the little drama queen. What a sad excuse for a Slytherin," Zion smirked when they were back in the common room.

A jab of anger shot through Tom, but he was too spent to act upon it. "These common room confrontations are getting old, Zion," he said, staring into the fireplace.

"You know, she's actually quite pretty. That Gryffindor girl you fancy," Zion strolled over to where Tom was sitting and put his hands on the back of Tom's chair.

"It's strange that you would say that, since I'm positive that you were saying the complete opposite not too long ago," Tom muttered, trying his best to remain indifferent.

"I've undergone a deep change this past week," Zion began dramatically, "In fact, it began after you confronted me last week about the party and the terrible mistake I made. I decided that I had to change for the better, and indeed I did. Now I'm seeing things in a whole new light," He leaned over the chair until his mouth was right next to Tom's ear. "Including your little girlfriend."

"The rest of the Slytherins wouldn't like to hear that you have a crush on a Gryffindor, Zion. Isn't your reputation extremely important to you?"

"Oh," Zion walked around Tom's chair and stood in front of the fireplace. His arms were crossed smugly over his chest. "I wouldn't worry about that. I've become quite popular with the rest of the Slytherins, you see. If they found out that I had a crush on a Gryffindor, they wouldn't question it."

Tom rolled his eyes. "Sure." He stood up. "I'll believe it when I see it." He turned around and walked up to his dormitory. Before he closed the door to his room, he heard Zion shout, "You're just jealous!"

And maybe he was. As he lay in bed that night, he thought about how Cecilia had always been his. There was nobody competing for her attention. Of course, you could count Laurence, but now Cecilia completely ignored him. It was just Tom now. He liked it that wat. To think that Zion was just going to stroll into her life and completely ruin it (and Tom fully believed that with Zion in Cecilia's life, it would be complete hell) infuriated him. Then again, though, Cecilia wouldn't be so stupid to ever befriend Zion in the first place. Especially after what he did to both of them. Tom fell asleep that night, reassured that he had nothing to worry about.

It was a miracle. It had to be. Tom couldn't conceal his shock as Cecilia walked up to him at dinner the next evening. She looked…normal. Her hair was back to it's shiny, golden self, and she had a huge smile plastered to her face. Sure, she was still skinny and pale, but her smile was so dazzling.

"Hi Tom," she said brightly as she sat down at the table.

"What happened to you?" Tom asked, dumbstruck.

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently, looking herself over.

"You're not sad anymore. You actually look happy."

"Oh," she said happily, "I suppose I do." She giggled quietly and a slight blush appeared on her face. She was hiding something.

"What's the secret?" Tom asked suspiciously.

"Well," she sighed, "I met a boy today. Well, I didn't really meet him, since I've known him for quite some time now, but it's the first time I've really ever had a conversation with him."

No. It couldn't be.

"You might know him," she continued, oblivious to Tom's discomfort.

There was no possible way…

"It's Zion Turnbeld. He's in our year, and he is so sweet. Especially for a Slytherin."

It was.

Author's Note: Sorry for the short chapter! I just really wanted to get something out, since I haven't in a really long time. I'm sorry for that. =( Well, you know the drill. Review! And I hoped you enjoyed this chapter!