Turned - Tom Riddle

Chapter Twenty Seven

She was never happier. After ignoring any requests from Tom for nearly a week, she felt like a new woman. Well, Tom hadn't exactly sought after her, but she wanted to look on the bright side.

"What're you so cheerful about?" Walburga asked as Elizabeth sat down next to her in the Potions classroom.

Elizabeth had been involuntarily smiling all day, "Nothing, I just feel really... optimistic."

"Alright... anyways, I was hoping you could help me. I was planning on having a celebration this weekend," she started.

Elizabeth looked at her curiously, "A celebration for what, exactly?"

Walburga scoffed, "A celebration for what, my arse. Beth, my birthday!"

"Oh, truly sorry, I must have forgotten," Elizabeth told her honestly.

"Whatever, we need to figure out a theme of some sort that everyone who is attending will follow, I was thinking sort of a masquerade...," she kept talking and talking.

Elizabeth noticed that behind her, Tom and his group were taking their seats. She hadn't spoken with him since he put her under the Imperious curse. In all honesty, she just assumed he didn't know that she was aware of it. She didn't even notice that she had been staring at him until their eyes met. It wasn't like it had been before. Her stomach didn't do a leap, and she didn't feel happy that he even noticed her. She felt nothing. It was just as if she made eye contact with a stranger.

"Hello, love," Joshua surprised Elizabeth by wrapping his arm around her as he sat down in the seat next to her.

Tom looked away and angrily grabbed the textbook from his bag. He was enraged that Elizabeth hadn't communicated with him in all that time. Tom reckoned that Joshua was behind it.

Bonnie came in and sat down next to Walburga, followed by Klaus and Matilda, who sat across from each other at the nearest table. Melissa sat down with them and was shortly joined by Henry.

"Joshua, you prepared for the Quidditch game tomorrow night?" Klaus asked loudly from the other table.

He shrugged, "I believe so, we haven't played Hufflepuff in quite some time."

"Well, they've beat Slytherin nearly four times," Matilda pointed out. "You'd better be ready," she concluded with a laugh.

Professor Slughorn made a sort of wobbly entrance to the room. "Alright class, I have prepared a lesson for today, but first an announcement for those in the Slug Club. We will have dinner tonight, wear your best!"

Joshua groaned, "I don't understand why he won't let me join his bloody club."

"He has favorites and everyone knows it," Walburga rolled her eyes.

"Class, please pay attention to the cauldron in front of me. Today we will be brewing an Elixir to Induce Euphoria. This is a powerful potion that has the ability to induce a sense of inexplicable happiness upon the drinker. It even has the strength to cure certain cases of depression," Professor Slughorn explained. He began talking about the ingredients as well as mixing them in.

Elizabeth felt a pair of eyes on her. She knew who it was. It was the only person who really knew how to aggravate someone. Resisting him in person was harder said than done. He was incredibly persuasive and was a pathological liar. Finally giving in, she glanced over slowly. Sure enough, Tom was looking at her. His eyes were so focused and they had such anger held within them. After a moment, Elizabeth shook her head in a small, slow motion. Tom grew even more tense as she looked away. He needed her.

"And then finally, once you've added the Woodworm, stir the potion six times in an anti-clockwise motion. If your end result is a yellow liquid resembling infinite sunshine and happiness, then you have performed excellently. Now, off to work, page forty!" Slughorn waved them off.