Ink and Parchment ~ blood and bone

27

Although Eliza doesn't have to sit any end of year exams this year her professors were still ruthless with the amount of work that they set. Essays and translations and tedious quizzes on covalent bonds because OWL level alchemy was like basic muggle science. They hadn't even started transmutations yet, it was all just 'you need to know your elements' and 'stay on top of your arithmancy'

Eliza hoped NEWT level classes would be more interesting.

Tom seemed to think so, they spent a lot of time in the chamber on Eliza's 'second run through's' of the day. It hadn't taken long for Tom to realise how she was getting about to classes, not that Eliza was particular discrete about her time travel escapades around him. He had been impressed with how tightly she had the minister wrapped around her little finger however- they didn't hand time turners out to just anyone after all.

They spent most of their time in the chamber together as Tom demanded regular visits with Jormy and when they weren't planning world domination they simply took the time to talk to each other. Eliza told Tom about her summer and he in turn told her about the trouble he had gotten into over his.

"You could have told me about how much the world had advanced before I left Eliza"

"Well I wasn't exactly expecting you to pay anyone with shillings"

They hadn't made much progress with the second task yet, mostly because they couldn't be bothered but also because they both knew Tom could just threaten Karkaroff into telling them what it was about. The man did have his uses.

Tom had opened his egg in the chamber early December but after the loud horrible screeching that filled the room Jormy had threatened to bite them if it didn't stop and so they hadn't attempted it since.

It sounded like mermish to both Eliza and Tom. They both lived or in Tom's case had lived in close quarters with the creatures for years after all. You tend to pick up on a few things after living under the lake for so long.

Although Eliza now had more pressing concerns than the second task of the tournament.

Severus stood in the middle of the common room glaring them all into silent submission.

"As many of you may be aware" he began looking pained "the Yule Ball is approaching – a traditional part of the tournament and a chance to socialise with foreign guests. The dance is only open to fourth years and above but you may invite a younger guest if you wish. Don't embarrass me" he finished sternly looking out at them all.

Most the students in slytherin grew up attending balls anyway so really Eliza didn't know why he was looking so worried. Nothing bad happened at the Malfoy Yule Ball last year after all.

"Oh and Miss Potter, as champion you will be opening the dance which means you will have to find – a date"

Oh.
Oh fuck.

It was worse than Valentine's day.
Hogwarts was swept up into Yule Ball madness. Everywhere Eliza went the halls were filled with twittering girls and gangs of boys all looking for a date for the stupid ball. It had barely been a week after the initial announcement and Eliza had already been approached by 9 boys (and one girl which was very surprising) and had to turn them all down with a simple and firm 'no thanks'

She didn't want to go with someone who was just going to gawk at her for five hours, plus she knew how fickle the Hogwarts student populace was. She wasn't dating anybody who doted on her one second and then despised her the next.

She had asked her court to accompany her but they had all said that they didn't have a death wish which Eliza didn't understand at all. Sure she liked to cause trouble but going to the ball with her wouldn't be that bad would it? But none of them would be swayed by her reasoning and soon they had all acquired dates that were definitely not Eliza.