Ink and Parchment ~ blood and bone

22: what happens in the common room stays in the common room II

Theo was glad to be going back to Hogwarts.

Nott manor was increasingly lonely these days, he thought it was because now he simply just wasn't used to the solitude. It seemed that when he was at Hogwarts he was never alone (something he was beyond thankful for) and it made him wonder how he had survive so long in his isolated ancestral home before.

Of course his grandfather was there, the only blood family Theo had left now, but it simply wasn't the same. So when he finally sees Eliza sitting alone in their compartment on the train he practically lights up with joy.

Eliza seemed just as happy to see them as they all piled into the compartment and Theo took the chance to study her as Draco rattled on about his summer.

She seemed a bit taller, not by much though and she was a lot thinner than she had been at the start of the summer. Theo made a note to pile more food onto her plate when they got to Hogwarts - she would never eat enough if it was left up to herself.

She seemed happier as well, more sure of herself as she spoke and Theo felt himself relax more and more as her magic filled the room. He was sure she never noticed when it happened, most wizard's kept their magic tightly locked in their core and even then most aren't powerful enough to be sensed but Eliza was different. She had used her magic as an intimidation tactic many times before (arsenic green eyes, a twisted smile, 'bow'-) but whenever she was happy it seemed to drift away from her twirling about them.

It felt almost like a bonfire.

Theo loved it.

The easy atmosphere was broken however when dementors boarded the Hogwarts Express

*

"If I die I'm haunting you" Theo said dubiously looking down the slimy pipe that would apparently lead to the chamber of secrets. It wasn't that he didn't trust Eliza, he trusted her with his life. Eliza would do anything to protect him. But Eliza also loved causing chaos that always made Theo feel like he was going to have a heart attack.

Such as meeting a giant basilisk.

A giant basilisk that for some reason Eliza considered as docile as a dormouse.

Theo thinks that has to be the biggest shock he's going to receive. He can't imagine Eliza revealing anything else as shocking as a 60 foot basilisk she called Jormy.

He was wrong.

Theo hadn't meant to shout at Eliza but he had tried everything else. He had tired being patient and understanding, tried to take things slow and steady but for someone so ridiculously smart Eliza truly was oblivious.

The hardest thing Theo will ever do in his life is proving to Eliza Potter that they care. And that they always will, even if she went around resurrecting dark lords.

Because Eliza Potter had been an eleven year old reckoning that he knew he would live his entire life following.

Even if she didn't know it yet.

*

Hermione didn't know what to think about Eliza Potter.

She had read all about her of course, almost every recent history book mentioned the famed Girl-Who-Lived. Hermione had once thought she had a good picture of what Eliza Potter would be like. Charming and happy, perhaps conceited or maybe more bashful, chivalrous definitely. Everyone spoke about her like they would a Gryffindor.

And then she had been sorted into Slytherin.

She was cold and aloof, she held herself like she was better than them. Better than everyone and she even beat Hermione's standing in class almost effortlessly. Hermione worked hard to get her grades, she tried to help whenever she could. Eliza Potter seemed arrogant, so sure in her skill set that she appeared untouchable.