Casualty of Love: Turning Tables

Is Peeves Behind Me?

I was released from the hospital wing on Monday morning, after a long weekend of guilt. Had I led Elijah on? Was I the one to blame in this situation? I didn't know but that didn't stop me from feeling every one of his words cut into me, creating deep gashes in my heart.

Draco and I walked hand in hand to breakfast that morning where we were met with countless curious eyes. I actually heard one person saying, "I didn't think it was true...," and someone else breathing, "You owe me a galleon," as we passed by. I believe there were only two sets of eyes that didn't touch me in the entire room. Harry and Elijah were clearly avoiding my gaze, doing anything they could to not make contact.

"Where should we sit?" Draco asked me, visibly uncomfortable from being the center of this kind of attention.

"How about we sit where Elijah and I usually sit?" I suggested, not quite ready to join him at the Slytherin table.

He followed me to the end of the Gryffindor table, which was far enough from everyone else that I didn't have to worry about the snarky comments I was sure to receive, though I wasn't sure how they could rival the dark looks I was getting already.

By the time Draco and I had gotten settled, we had a guest. "Hey," Elijah said with a smile, sitting down across from us in his usual spot.

My mouth fell open but I quickly recovered before he could notice. "Hey," I replied, matching his happy expression and tone.

I wasn't expecting him to show up and act like nothing had happened a few days before. But that was exactly what he was doing. I hadn't told Draco what happened, so his look of annoyance consisted of all his feelings from before.

"So, I see you two are all out in the open now. I bet everyone else feels like a right idiot for thinking we were together then, huh? No, the truth is much worse, they've all come to find out," he said, chuckling while he poured himself some pumpkin juice.

"Right...," I said, shock still rolling through me.

"Why do you look like you've just seen a ghost? Is Peeves behind me?" he said, playfully turning in his seat to check for the ghost.

"It's just... I thought you were mad at me..."

"Why would I be mad at you? I don't know what you're talking about," he said, keeping his tone but the expression changed on his face for a split second.

"Never mind, then."

"So, Draco, how does it feel to have your relationship be the talk of the school? I think it's safe to say that your reputation as the badass was exstinguished once your love for a nice Gryffindor girl was professed." Elijah smirked at Draco.

Draco only rolled his eyes though, then looked at me and smiled. I smiled back before Elijah started speaking again. "Did you hear about your redhead friend?"

"Ginny?"

"Yeah, that one. She's dating Potter."

"No way! Why didn't she tell me?"

He shrugged. "Maybe she didn't want to overshadow your major accident slash big relationship reveal." It was Elijah's turn to roll his eyes.

"Shut up," I said, narrowing my eyes at him. "You know I didn't want this!"

"Oh, you wanted to continue your relationship in secret then?"

"Not what I meant! I just mean that I didn't want it to happen this way..."

"Allie, don't you understand? This is the absolute best way this could have happened. You were so worried about your precious Potter hating you for it and now he can't. He almost killed you; he's in your debt."