*takes a deep breath* okay…i am REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY sorry that it's taken me….more than 2 months to update. I've had exams and stuff, but I finished today, so I am aiming to get a chapter up sooner. oh yeah and I've decided to change the title of this story to 'Forbidden' coz i thought the other title sounded a bit weird.

Okay so in the last chapter there was a riddle…the answer is LOVE! And DamonSalvatorelover got it right (10 imaginary points to you and a virtual cookie coz I feel like it!) anyway, on with the story!

Chapter 5: Consequences

Tom checked his timetable the next morning at breakfast. Double Potions with the Ravenclaws then free period. Oh happy day. He glanced around when an empty seat at the Ravenclaw table caught his eye. She wasn't there but her little group of friends were. Where could she be? Not that he really cared or anything. Professor Dippet gave his morning speech about something Tom couldn't care less about and before he knew it, breakfast was over and he was on his way to the dungeons.

"Ugh, can you talk a little softer, my head hurts," came a moan from around the corner. It was Blackburn and her friends.

"It's not our fault. Do you even know what you did last night?"

"No I don't, happy? I woke up this morning and puked everywhere, so excuse me for being irritating."

Tom was about to ask her what had happened when Professor Slughorn came waddling around the corner.

"M'dear boys and girls. Today is a free lesson for you to make whatever potion you like! Choose from pages 220 – 300 of your textbook and I shall be checking your potions at the end of the lesson, so get crack-a-lakin'!"

The students got into pairs and collected their ingredients from the store cupboard. Tom sat behind Blackburn and her friend and listened intently to their conversation.

"Can you please get these ingredients, Gisele? Or is that too much for you?" the girl asked.

"No, I'll get it," muttered Blackburn. She came back with the ingredients, looking rather sleepy.

"Watch it, Blackburn, you're bumping into my cauldron," Tom said. She didn't seem to hear him.

"Hey, Blackburn, I was talking to you," he said. She didn't respond. Suddenly she doubled over and threw up onto the stone floor. Several students screamed and ran from the area.

"Oh dear, oh dear," Slughorn said as he waddled over and cleaned up the mess. "Gisele, dear, are you feeling alright?"

She shook her head weakly.

"Ah, ok. Minnie, dear, would you take Gisele out to get cleaned and you too, m'boy Tom. You look like you've done enough here."

Tom nodded mutely and followed Blackburn and her friend outside. She was seated on the floor, looking dangerously pale.

"Gisele, listen to me. Drink this, it will make you feel better," Minnie advised.

"What is it?" Tom hissed. "She shouldn't be drinking anything that has been made by a mere student."

"Mere, did you say?" shrieked Minnie.

"Shut up," moaned Gisele weakly.

"Excuse me, you seem to have forgotten that you tried to kill her! So don't you dare tell me what to do." Tom ignored her jibe.

"What in Merlin's name did you do last night?" he asked Gisele incredulously, as she hurled once more.

"She drank a lot," replied Minnie quietly, "and passed out."

"No I didn't," Gisele retorted.

"Yes you did. Now drink this, it's a potion to reduce the effects of a hangover. I made it in Potions just then," Minnie ordered, glaring at Tom. He scoffed, but Gisele obediently drank it.

"Now I'm going to get Madam Pomfrey so stay here and look after her. Don't you dare harm her because if I find that she's gotten worse somehow, I'll personally hunt you down and kill you," she threatened. Tom rolled his eyes at her as she left.

"C-can you take me to the bathroom?" she whispered. He was alarmed at how fragile she sounded. He grunted in response and guided her to the girls' bathroom where she cleaned herself up.

"What the hell were you thinking? Drinking like a bloody alcoholic?" he nearly yelled as she came out.

"Shut up, I feel sick."

"Of course you do."

"I do!" she shouted. Suddenly her face crumpled in pain and she sank to the ground. Tom became panicked. What was wrong with her?

"Blackburn? Gisele? Can you hear me?" he asked urgently, slapping her face.

"Yeah, I'm just…feeling a bit…faint," she responded. Tom conjured a glass.

"Agumenti," he muttered, the glass filling with water. "Here drink this."
"Thanks," she whispered faintly. He sat down beside her.

"I just noticed something," she commented.

"What's that?"

"Just then, when I sat down, it was the first time you called me Gisele. You used to only call me Blackburn." He stared at her trying to remember. Blimey, she was right. He had called her Gisele.

"I'm pretty sure I freaked everyone out by puking everywhere," she said wryly. Tom could see a noticeable change in her behaviour. Maybe the hangover potion actually worked.

"You certainly scared me. For a minute I thought you were gonna puke into my potion and ruin it, but luckily you didn't," he teased. She slapped his arm.

"Is this how you usually make people feel better? Because it's a pretty crap way."

"Whatever."

"Aah," she said closing her eyes. "Can we talk about something else, just to get my mind off all this?"

"Uh, well, do you listen to the Weird Sisters?"

"No, are they any good?"

"I haven't the faintest idea."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"So," Gisele started, trying to get rid of the awkwardness around them, "do you know what you want to do when you leave school?"

How about taking over the world as the most powerful wizard ever to exist and finally ridding the world of filthy scum?

"I'm not sure. Maybe come back and teach Defence Against the Dark Arts here. What about you?"

"A professional Quidditch player. Or an Auror."

"Interesting. Why an Auror though?"

"Well, I just want to make the world a better, safer place. And what better than to join a team of highly skilled wizards whose sole purpose is to get rid of Dark and evil wizards?"

Maybe we will end up as enemies.

"Are you in most of my classes?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Dumbledore's such a bore."
"I know. And he's always checking up on me because I'm a prospective Head Boy."
"That must suck."
"Sometimes it does. But most of the time I don't mind the attention."

"You're so bloody obnoxious, you know that?"

"Coming from Miss-I-got-all-O's-in-my-owls?"

"I'm pretty sure you did too. At least I don't make myself superior to others."

"I'd rather call it pride in my achievements."

"No, it's called being stubborn and obnoxious," she retorted, Tom rolling his eyes. "Hey, where's Minnie? She's been gone for an awfully long time?" She was right. It had been 20 minutes now and the Hospital Wing was only 5 minutes away.

"Fine then, let's find her," he muttered. They both got up and were nearing the Wing when Gisele saw something on the floor.

"MINNIE!" she screamed, rushing forward to where an unconscious Minnie lay. Tom panicked. This situation looked a little too familiar for his liking.

"Minnie, wake up!" she yelled. She turned her over and gasped in horror. There was a small pool of blood and Minnie wasn't breathing. Tom hesitantly traced the faint trail of blood to…the wall. Peering closer, his heart stopped. A faint symbol had been etched into the stone wall and it was one Tom was all too familiar with. A small skull with a serpent protruding out of it. It was the mark of the Death Eaters. It was his mark.

Oh crap. If Dumbledore sees this…

Tom shuddered at the thought of the entire teaching staff turning against him.

"She's dead," he declared monotonously.

"Wh-what? How can you possibly know that?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"She's been murdered. See the blood? She's not breathing, Blackburn. I know what happened."

"Are you, are you saying that you know who killed her? Riddle, I swear to God, answer me. Did you kill her?" she asked quietly. Now it was his turn to be shocked.

"What are you talking about? I've been with you the entire time!" he glared at her.

"You know what I mean," she responded with an equally intense glare, "did you get your henchmen to finish her off?"

"Of course I didn't. I have no reason to. You have to believe me, Blackburn…Gisele." She sat there motionless, tears streaming down her face as she gazed at the body. Suddenly she started sobbing.

"Why did she die? How could people be so cold-blooded?" she wailed.

"Out of class, I see," a sneering voice came from behind. Pringle, the caretaker, advanced menacingly towards them. "What's your excuse, eh?" Gisele started crying all over again that Pringle looked a bit uncomfortable.

"I didn't mean to make you cry, girly." Then he noticed the body.

"Miss Blackburn and Mr. Riddle, I hope you can explain what you're doing -" Professor Dumbledore started to say but caught sight of the body. Turning to Gisele and Tom, he said, "Miss Blackburn, go immediately to Professor Dippet's office. Password is 'hippogriff'. Tom, stay here, I need to talk to you."

AN: And that's chapter 5 guys. Please review and hopefully I'll update soon.

Til next time,

xx