OF SERPENT AND ANGEL ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎➝ tom riddle ¹ | ✓ |

SEVEN

Eliza grinned happily as she looked down at the 'O' marked in a shiny scarlet ink on the top of her Herbology test that Friday whilst Atha groaned next to her. "I got a P!" she exclaimed before she let her head hit the desk with a thud. "That means I have to go to detention."

"No, but if you go to detention I have to go to Slughorn's dinner alone," the blonde said with a frown as the class was dismissed and they all filed into the corridor.

Atha glared at her from the corners of her eyes. "Would you really rather be in detention than a fancy dinner with good food?" she asked irritably. "And Slughorn idolises you nearly as much as he does Tom, so it surely isn't bad."

"You're right, I suppose," Eliza said though the constricting feeling of dread was beginning to spread around her heart. She had not told Atha of her and Tom's second interaction, not wanting to bother her with it if it was nothing. But never had Eliza been so scared of Tom Riddle before. For six years they had barely exchanged a word; why was he so insisted in them talking now?

"When am I supposed to find the time for that bleeding Charms paper?" the brunette whined as they entered the Great Hall (currently showing a clear blue sky with the sun shining brightly) for lunch. "I'll have detention tonight and then we've got Quidditch tryout tomorrow. I'll need a new Chaser now that Jack's gone."

"What about tonight after detention? That way it'll be out of the way for the weekend," Eliza suggested as she piled food onto her plate. "We can do it together."

Atha gave her a soft smile, pouring herself a goblet of pumpkin juice. "Thanks."

"Now we just have to hope we both survive that long," she said with a small smile of her own. 

Once they had finished eating, both girls left for Defence Against The Dark Arts before separating for the next period and reuniting once more for Ancient Runes. They exited the classroom and began their way down from the sixth floor both silently dreading what was ahead of them.

"I'll see you later, then," Atha said gloomily once they reached the Entrance Hall and she turned toward classroom 1A and Eliza continued into the dungeons where Slughorn's office was located.

"Miss Galway!" exclaimed the Potions Master when he opened the door after she had knocked. "Wonderful, wonderful. Miss Creage is not with you?"

"I'm afraid she's in detention, Sir," the girl replied.

"Her as well?" said Slughorn with a small shake of his head. "We've already lost Avery to Professor Knotley. Well, we'll have to make due, won't we? Take a seat, take a seat."

Eliza gave him a slightly tightly-lipped smiled before moving to take her regular seat at the round table next to Gregorio Nott from the year below herself and the now empty chair where Atha usually sat. Slughorn took his own seat, the chair rather more lavish than the rest as he smiled at the students around him, male Slytherins easily having the majority.