Chapter Six

The next time I saw them, he had her up against a wall in the dungons. His voice was low and smooth; I couldn't make out the words, but I figured that they were no doubt something that would just break my heart all over again, and so I'd turned to leave quietly. Eleanor, though, saw me, as was indicated by the sick grin she shot at me when she was sure he wasn't looking.

Later, I found her in the Common Room- Antonin was nowhere to be seen. "Have fun 'stealing my boyfriend'?" I queried bitterly. Though I never would have admitted it, I was beyond jealous of his attentions to her. If a cow like that could snag him, why couldn't I?

After a moment, in which I assumed she discerned the plain English I used, a cruel grin spread across her face. "Why yes, I did. He wants to keep our relationship quiet, though, so could you do me a favor and not mention it to anyone? It's an open kind of arrangement, and he doesn't want me to deter other girls." I glared as she left me there, and once she was gone, collapsed on the couch to wallow in my misery.

---

It was Halloween before I even spoke to Antonin. I'm not sure how exactly I made it for that duration of time, seeing him with various girls and only receiving a noncommittal nod when he acknowledged me at all.

There was nothing special about the holiday in particular that sparked conversation. It was just like any other day, apart from the jagged grins of the huge, carved pumpkins in the Great Hall. Most likely, we would have gone on for another few weeks in our stony silence, except for the fact that I ran straight into him coming into the Common Room. I stumbled backward, and out of reflex, he caught my arm.

"Thanks," I breathed automatically, catching my balance.

He raised an eyebrow. "You're talking to me again?"

I nodded once, and then shrugged. "Why not?"

Shrugging as well, he didn't say anything. We stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"So... how are things with Eleanor?" I questioned. For his sake, not hers, I hadn't divulged anything about their relationship to anyone, but I assumed it would be alright to discuss it with him.

"What things?" He asked, looking genuinely confused.

I frowned. "Don't play dumb. You know, your whole... 'secretly dating with no commitment' deal."

An odd look came over him, one that was slightly perplexed and slightly disgusted. "I really don't know what you're talking about, Ally. I'm in no such relationship, nor have I ever been."

"But she said... and I saw you and her in the dungeons..." I faltered, trying to defend the facts that I knew.

"Oh, that? I don't know about what she's told you, but Alecto, darling, the only time I've been with her in the dungeons was when I was telling her to stay the hell away from you or else, back when she was trying to ruin your life," he informed me.

I gaped at him for a second. "You defended me?" The shock was almost enough to make me forget to be angry at Eleanor for her stupid lie.

"Only because that girl's head isn't on straight. Don't think this means I care about you," he shrugged, but my silly teenage mind was already making the very assumption he'd warned against.

"Well," I replied slowly, trying not to smile, "thanks anyway. I'm sorry for avoiding you."

"I haven't missed you," he told me, flinching ever-so-slightly when I punched him in the arm.

"Much," he amended.

I hugged him out of the lack of anything better to do. "That's better," I told him, and grinned from ear to ear as he actually hugged me back.

---

After that, things between Antonin and myself were tolerable, to say the least. Actually, our friendship was more than merely 'tolerable'. We began to talk again like we had when we were children; he'd walk with me between classes sometimes, and sit by me at meals. On occasion, I'd tell him about my feelings for him that ran deeper than friendship, but he'd just chuckle and change the subject.

I didn't protest too much, though. I'd been taught to take what I could get, and so I did. I don't think he really minded, either, that I was lovesick over him- I think it gave him an ego boost, or something of the like.

He never really seemed to return the affection, though, and hardly batted an eyelash when I got a box of Honeyduke's best chocolate from a 'secret admirer' on Valentine's day. Offended as I was that he showed not even the slightest hint of jealousy, I hid it well, and even offered to share the sweets with him. He politely refused- Antonin was never very fond of chocolate.

He made my troubles well worth it. Never did he fail to give me something to laugh about; we enjoyed the plights of other students and he even taught me a curse or two. On occasion, I'd even manage to coerce more of his rare smiles out of him.

Those were the occasions I lived for- the ones where I could revel in the fact that I was one of the few in the world who Antonin would actually, sporadically, show his more human side to.

Little did I know that the future wasn't going to be entirely smooth sailing for the two of us, nor could I ever have predicted what fate had in store.

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