The story of how Elijah and Chloe met - written for the Vibe server's Halloween Bingo 2024
Gavin sighed as he leaned lower over his book. Fifth year was bloody murder! They had so much homework; he swore he and Elijah should just set up camp in the library on a permanent basis! He'd even given up Quidditch earlier that year after realising how much work he had to do. Aiming for the ministry as a career, he needed top grades in all of his subjects. He was pretty good at most of them. His only real weakness was potions, but that was where his brother shone. That made revision a lot easier. Elijah took meticulous notes and found great joy in explaining whatever he didn't understand and telling him where he went wrong. In return, Gavin helped Elijah practicing his duelling skills. He was terrible, too soft-hearted to go at it seriously. That was a fatal mistake when going up against anyone besides Gavin. He'd been jinxed and hexed more times than Gavin could count! It was never malicious, just practice gone awry.
Despite being a Slytherin, Elijah was actually well-liked by their classmates. It helped that Gavin was best friends with Tina Chen. As both a Gryffindor and a muggle-born, people listened when she insisted Gavin and Elijah weren't like most Slytherins. Where the majority of Slytherins treated their muggle-born classmates like dirt, Gavin and Elijah did not. Gavin and Tina had a rough start in their first year when he'd run his stupid pureblood mouth, but she'd put him in his place pretty quickly. Elijah didn't approve, but Gavin had been inseparable from Tina ever since.
It wasn't that Elijah disliked her. They were cordial, and actually got on quite well, but he was worried about what their parents would say. Their parents were the definition of purebloods. Rich, arrogant, and disgustingly purist, they'd certainly punish Gavin for his friendship with Tina if they could get their hands on him. As it was, he hadn't returned to the family home since his first year. He spent the summers with Tina at her house instead. He'd pretty much been adopted, though his parents still granted him access to the family vault for money each term. They just hoped Elijah would convince him to come home one day. Fat chance!
"Eli, what was that laughing potion called?" Gavin grumbled as he grabbed his recipe book. He thought, since laughter defeated a boggart, that it might be useful as a possible weapon. He was sure the answer would be in his potion book if he could just remember what it was called. Unfortunately, Elijah's mind was elsewhere. After a few moments of searching, and getting no answer, Gavin snuck a look at the space beside him and grinned. He was doing it again. Leaning his chin on his hand, dark hair loose about his shoulders, Elijah sat half-turned to stare at the fourth years at the end of the long table. Not just any fourth years. The prettiest fourth years in the school, if not the prettiest of all the years.
The first was a little rough around the edges. She was a Gryffindor, her temper as fiery as her hair. Gavin remembered butting heads with her the first time she saw him in the Gryffindor common room. She probably would have told on him if Tina and her friends hadn't stepped in. Literally everyone in his year could vouch for him, and many from the years above did too. Gavin was welcome. Though still suspicious, she'd let it drop. There wasn't much a first year could do against a second year, especially not when so many vouched for him. Over the years, she'd come to accept him as part of the furniture. They didn't really talk, but they weren't at odds either. He knew her well enough to know her name was North, but he didn't know her friend at all.
Her friend, a Hufflepuff, was by far the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. She had long blonde hair that curled over her shoulder in a long tail, and glittering crystal blue eyes that stole as many glances at Elijah as he stole at her. If not for his brother's obvious interest, Gavin might have tried his own luck. She didn't always come to the library with North. Gavin had often seen her sitting at the end of the table by herself, always in clear view of Elijah. Whenever Gavin turned up without his brother, he couldn't help noticing the pretty blonde always looked disappointed and packed away her books shortly after.
"Why don't you go and talk to her?" Gavin murmured, watching Elijah jump out of his skin at the suggestion. He looked horrified at the prospect. Gavin sort of got it. His brother wasn't exactly a social butterfly, especially when it came to girls. He had very few friends, in fact. It was hard, being in Slytherin but not really fitting in. He didn't boast about their wealth, he didn't gossip about the muggle-borns and throw slurs around, or act better than the half-bloods, and he didn't share stories about muggle hunting either. While most of their house thought it was great sport, Elijah detested those balls and the traditional game of hunting and torturing muggles. Gavin didn't ask him about it, but he was pretty sure Elijah had been forced to take part in those hunts more than once over the summers they'd spent apart. There was something in his eyes, which were often dark rimmed when he returned, his skin pale. It took weeks for him to return to normal.
"What? Who?" Looking at his book, Elijah shrugged and tried to seem aloof, as if he didn't know what Gavin was talking about. Gavin smirked, folding his arms on his heavy tome and leaning across to nod at the girls. Elijah ignored him at first, though there was no hiding the pink in his cheeks. "I wasn't looking." Gavin snorted loudly, a sound that drew the girls' eyes. Elijah sat a little lower in his chair, embarrassed at the attention as Gavin waved an apology.
"So…you're not interested?" Elijah's lips thinned, eyes stilling on the page. He didn't dare answer that. If he admitted it, he'd never hear the end of it. If he denied it, it would leave the way open for Gavin to make a move. "Because if you're not, I might try my luck." Gavin knew he had him. Elijah's head jerked up, dirty green eyes alarmed until he realised he'd been duped. Gavin's wide grin was enough to reassure him that he was teasing. "If you don't make a move soon, you might miss your shot. We can't be the only ones who noticed she's the prettiest girl in her year!" Elijah hunched lower over his book. Gavin was right. She was the prettiest girl in her year. She was the prettiest girl in the entire school! But she was a Hufflepuff, and he was a Slytherin.
It wasn't that he took the house rivalries seriously, not in the way many others did, but their houses held the exact opposite values. Slytherins were ambitious, willing to succeed by any means. They were cunning, devious, and often dishonest. Hufflepuffs prized loyalty above all else. They were kind and hardworking to a fault, and friends to all. Gavin would probably call him foolish for endorsing such limitations. They weren't even true! It was a bunch of superstitious nonsense. Yes, most Slytherins were ambitious to a fault, but they weren't all cutthroat. There were decent members on occasion. He and Gavin were proof of that. In fact, Elijah had thought more than once that the sorting hat might have made a mistake placing them in Slytherin. Gavin's bravery would have served him well in Gryffindor, and Elijah knew his intelligence would have been a worthy addition to Ravenclaw.
"It's no good asking me! You know I'm no good at this stuff." Gavin looked up at the sound of North's voice. She was leaning back in her chair with her hands behind her head, looking utterly unconcerned as Chloe stared at her like a deer in headlights. It seemed she hadn't expected her friend to speak so loudly, and Gavin was pretty sure she'd done it on purpose. Elijah winced as Gavin's foot caught his shin and he nodded meaningfully in North's direction. Elijah gave Gavin a look of horror that almost mirrored the Hufflepuff girl's and Gavin kicked him again. You're both hopeless!
"Oh, North! I thought I heard your voice." Gavin could have punched the air. It was Tina! North grinned as well, lowering her arms to greet her older housemate. "And Chloe, hey!" Gavin wasn't about to ask when Tina had time to get pally with the blonde girl, but it was nice to finally have a name to put to her face. It was a nice one, too. "Having trouble with your homework?" Tina asked as she leaned over to look at Chloe's parchment. Chloe looked relieved, thinking that Tina would be able to help.
"Yes! Professor Fial asked us to write a paper on Weedosoros, find the right antidote, and to be ready to brew it in our next class." Gavin nudged Elijah again. This was his area of expertise! He could talk Chloe through that poison and antidote in a heartbeat! Elijah was thinking it, too. He could tell. There was nothing Elijah liked to talk about more than potions. Once he got started, he could probably talk Chloe's ear off until dinner. So long as she wasn't the type to get bored, this could be his big chance! But Elijah was shy. How can I get him started?
"Oh! Potions? You should ask Elijah Kamski about that. He's the best in our whole year!" Phck yeah, Tina! It was almost like the stars aligned as North grinned and looked down the table.
"Hey! Kamski!" Both Elijah and Gavin looked over at the summons, though North was quick to scoff at Gavin. "The smart one." Gavin grinned as Elijah looked at him with a flush in his cheeks. Far from offended, Gavin leaned his chin on his hand and shrugged.
"She might mean you." Gavin was no pushover in the brains department, but they both knew which of them was the prodigy. Most of Gavin's talent came from his casting ability. Elijah was the one with the book smarts, hence his high potions grades. Unable to think of a way out of responding without seeming rude, Elijah looked over at North and hummed. He would have spoken, only Gavin was pretty sure his voice was lodged in his stomach right about now. This is going to be good! Lacing his fingers behind his head, Gavin kicked back in his chair to watch as Elijah coughed and tried again. "You're good at potions, right?"
"Uh, I-I-yes, somewhat." That was modest, and most of them knew it. It seemed Chloe hadn't heard of his prowess, but Tina and North knew. Chloe looked like she was wishing for the floor to open up and swallow her whole, which wasn't the wisest of thoughts in their school. There were certain places where the floor might do just that! North shot Chloe a grin and nodded in Elijah's general direction, but it seemed she was just as shy as Elijah.
"Great! My friend needs help with her potions homework. You don't mind, right?" Chloe looked aghast that North would be so brazen about it, and instantly stammered. Her cheeks were a pretty shade of pink as she grabbed North's sleeve and shook her head. She didn't want to both Elijah! He was clearly trying to study for his OWLs!
"North! I'm sure Elijah must be busy with his own work!" Elijah wasn't sure whether she was being polite or evasive. Had he been alone, he might have let the moment pass him by, but for some reason, having Gavin at his shoulder made him feel unexpectedly bold. For a moment, there was silence, and Gavin was about to give Elijah another kick under the table when he pushed to his feet. At first, it seemed he didn't know how he got there or what he should say, but he soon found his voice again.
"No! I-I mean, my work can wait…What do you need?" Gavin gave Tina a grin as Elijah circled the table to stand at Chloe's shoulder. Though her cheeks were still pink, it seemed Chloe was quick to recover as she pushed her book between them. North rolled her eyes as she caught Gavin's eye. Finally! Gavin grinned in agreement. Jeez, took them long enough! Chloe barely noticed her friend move at first, but she did notice as the warmth at her elbow disappeared.
"Wha-North?" The redhead grinned as she paused with her arms full of books.
"I just remembered I need to see Markus about that divination homework."
"But…you don't do divination!" North shrugged, still walking backwards towards the library doors. The librarian lifted her head as she heard the raised voiced, clicking her tongue and returning to her books as she noticed North was leaving.
"He does!" Chloe looked somewhat trapped as Tina shoved Elijah towards North's empty seat and made her way down the table to look at Gavin. Elijah took the empty chair with an awkward smile, doing his best not to seem too forward as he leaned across Chloe's elbow. Gavin nodded at the meaningful look Tina shot him. Now that they were together, it was best to minimise distractions and let both Elijah and Chloe be themselves. Nothing good ever happened with an audience.
"I'm glad I found you. You know that downwards charm?"
"You mean Descendo?"
"Yeah, that. Can you help me practice a little before dinner? I can't afford to fail Charms this year!" Like Gavin, Tina was considering a career at the ministry, so she needed OWLs in every core subject. Glancing over at Elijah, Gavin was pretty sure they could slip away unnoticed at this point. Though they were still a little awkward, Elijah was slowly slipping into teacher mode. If he chose that path, Gavin was pretty sure he would be a wonderful teacher. He had a knack for making hard things sound simple.
"Sure…Eli, I'll catch you later," Gavin murmured as he stood and gathered his books. Though nervous, Elijah gave a reluctant nod and watched Gavin getting ready to leave. Tina patted his shoulder on the way by and called a goodbye to Chloe before they both disappeared, leaving Elijah and Chloe alone at the table. Elijah caught Chloe's crystal eyes and chuckled nervously, and Chloe smiled shyly as she looked down at her book. There was a certain air of awkwardness between them as they sat in their own silent aisle. Only the sound of fluttering pages interrupted the quiet as books flitted from one shelf to the next.
"Weedosoros can be quite tricky…A bezoar would cure it, of course," Elijah said as he returned his attention to Chloe's book. She'd barely even started her research yet. Flicking the page, Elijah smiled at her clueless expression. It seemed she hadn't heard of it. Not that it was surprising. Bezoars weren't used in many potions before fourth year.
"What's a bezoar?"
"It's a little like a stone…A mass of hair and plant fibres that come together in a goat's stomach. They're powerful and can cure most poisons, but they're also very rare, which is why we study so many antidotes. Almost every poison has its own unique antidote…There are those that don't, of course, such as the extremely rare basilisk venom. The only known cure for that is phoenix tears, something almost impossible to come by. For Weedosoros, the antidote is quite simple." Chloe nodded along as she and Elijah leaned over her book. She'd thought it might be awkward, but after the initial tension wore off, it was actually quite comfortable. Elijah Kamski was much more handsome up close, especially his eyes. They were really quite captivating, and she liked the way his cheeks blushed whenever he noticed her watching him.
"Ground unicorn horn? Isn't that really rare?" Elijah smiled as they pored over the list of ingredients. She was, of course, correct.
"Yes, even rarer than powdered dragon scales and bezoars, but it's used so sparingly that a single bottle will often last for many years. For the common witch or wizard, that is. An apothecary will probably go through four or more in a month!" Chloe wasn't even sure where one might find a unicorn, but Elijah was happy to share his insights. He knew there were unicorns in the Forbidden Forest, though one would be lucky to hunt them there without the centaurs intervening. It was also illegal to kill a unicorn. Instead, horns could be ethically sourced from those that died naturally or by collecting the shedded outer layer of the horn. "You see, unicorn horns go through various phases of softness and growth. Throughout the year, the soft layer will grow and harden, becoming strongest in the spring when mating season comes around. When the season ends, the tough outer shell will crack and crumble. Those who keep unicorns use this time to shave or chip away this outer layer until the softer, fresher section beneath is revealed. This softer layer will then grow and harden over the coming year until the next mating season."
"And what is this Standard Ingredient?" She knew it was a greenish brown powdered mixture, but had no idea what was in it. It seemed to be used in many potions.
"Oh, it's a mixture of various plants and herbs. Let me think…Dried holly leaves, heather, lavender, rose petals, oak bark, barley, thyme, and rosemary." Chloe smiled. It sounded more like a cooking ingredient than something fit for potions. Elijah also smiled. Although he knew muggles used many of these as seasonings, they also had useful healing properties. "There are others, I'm sure, but those are the main ones…The Standard Ingredient is a series of mixed herbs used as a base for many potions and antidotes."
"Are all of them needed for every antidote, or is it a sort of cure all?"
"A good question. Although not every herb will be useful in every antidote, they also don't hurt or interfere with the different mixtures. It's easier to lump them all together and have those activated by various other ingredients do their job than to make a dozen different herb mixtures, so you're basically right. It is a cure all." Chloe beamed at the praise. It was quite rare for her to be right about anything when it came to potions, but Elijah made it sound so interesting and simple. She certainly enjoyed his way of explaining things more than Professor Fial, who generally leaned over her cauldron with a click of his tongue before stalking off.
"And mistletoe berries? I thought they were poisonous." Elijah smiled as he leaned his chin on one hand, a sight that made Chloe's stomach flip.
"Every other part of the plant is highly toxic, and likely to cause convulsions. The leaves are actually a key ingredient in Weedosoros. However, the berries are far less toxic. They might still cause stomach upset, but if eaten in minimal amounts, the effects can be positive." Chloe hummed thoughtfully. Perhaps it made sense that the berries were part of the cure if the leaves were part of the poison. Now that Elijah had explained the ingredients to her, she thought she might be able to make a good start on her paper. With any luck, she'd be able to whip up her first successful antidote during her next class.
"Run along on! Dinner will be starting soon! Head back to your dormitories and hurry down to The Great Hall!" The librarian's voice echoed between the shelves, as it often did at this time of the evening. Elijah looked out of the window with wide eyes. He didn't realise it was that time already. Surely Gavin and Tina had only left thirty minutes ago! It couldn't be dinnertime yet! Chloe smiled sheepishly as he looked at her, apparently sharing his surprise.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you for so long. You had your own work to do, too!" Elijah's books were still open where he'd left them earlier, along with his half-finished paper for Arithmancy. He smiled as he got to his feet and rolled up his parchment.
"It's no trouble! This paper isn't due until Friday." Chloe still felt bad. It was Wednesday! Elijah probably wanted to get a head start, so he wasn't laden down with work over the weekend. "I-I might come back after dinner and finish it…" Fifth years were allowed to stay in the library far later than the years below, as were sixth and seventh years. Chloe's stomach flipped again at the shy look on Elijah's face. It wasn't a direct invitation, but something about the way he glanced at her made her think that perhaps he'd mentioned it on purpose.
"That sounds like a good idea. If you don't mind the company, I might come back until curfew myself." She knew it was the right answer as Elijah beamed at her.
"Yes! I-I mean, it's a good idea. If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask. My paper is half finished, so it shouldn't take too long." Chloe smiled as she gathered her books and clutched them against her chest, just in time for the librarian to send a flock of books floating snapping about their heads to make them leave. Elijah grabbed his own books and led the way at a run, both of them giggling and ducking as the thick tomes snapped and pulled their hair and robes. Elijah reached the door first and held it open, shielding Chloe with his larger shoulder as she hurried through. Their laughter echoed through the empty hall all the way to the Grand Staircase, where they both headed downstairs to the dungeons and basement.
