𝕬 𝕯𝖆𝖗𝖐 𝕷𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝖎𝖘 𝕭𝖔𝖗𝖓 | 𝑇𝑜𝑚 𝑅𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒 |

Chapter 12- The Dark Magic of Envy

"Where have you been all day?" Quin asked, as she sat down next to him.

"Walking—just walking—around the castle." Frankie replied, trying too hard to sound casual. She wasn't sneaky, but knew she would have to lie about this. She couldn't tell him that she was out with Tom. It was plain to see from that first day of class, they could not stand each other, and these negative feelings would not ever be quelled by their shared friend. They were clearly going off the stereotypes that had been placed upon their houses for centuries and refused to listen to reason. The last thing she wanted to hear at this moment was a rant about who he thought Tom was when he didn't even know him. It was best to keep Sunday walks a secret, if there really was to be more of them in the future.

"Well, Monty said that you spent the night in the hospital wing. Are you okay?" Quin asked. He sounded worried, but Frankie didn't really care. She had been asked that questions so many times in the last twenty-four hours. So, she decided not to answer and just start taking food, ignoring him. While Quin, figuring he wasn't going to receive an answer, did the same.

"—Oi, Quin! Don't forget you just broke out of the hospital wing a few minutes ago. You should be worrying more about yourself." Daphne stated, as she started to take one of the dozens of rolls that appeared out of thin air.

"Are you alright?" Frankie asked. She was being a complete hypocrite in that moment, but she didn't care. His injury was probably an actual injury, not some fainting nonsense he'd recover from in five minutes.

"I'm fine. I just got into a bit of a tiff with some third-year blokes. It was nothing." Quin smirked, as if taking on boys twice his size was not such a foolish fleet. "I think Monty and I passed right by you. Didn't you see us?"

"Oh yes! It was only for a moment, and I was on my way out." she replied. Frankie barely remembered seeing them, but she did remember waving at them. Tom was rushing her out as they were rushing in. She didn't realize they had even seen her.

Before he could question her about the boy who he'd most definitely seen escorting her out of the hospital wing, Nurse Glinda appeared behind them. She looked furious. Apparently, when Daphne had said he'd broken out, she was being serious. Quin's arm was still in the process of being mended and had been broken itself mere hours ago. He was dragged back to the wing. Thankfully, Frankie must've been deemed fine enough to stay at dinner, despite the fact that the nurse had also expressed a wish for her to return to the hospital wing after her walk.

"—So, Frankie, how was your secret rendezvous?" Daphne inquired, suddenly changing the subject. Now that Quin was gone, she would be privy to the whole story. All ears within hearing range turned towards them at the words 'secret' and 'rendezvous'. It was scandalous gossip waiting to happen.

"Keep your voice down. I told you it wasn't like that!" Frankie whisper-shouted back at her, getting all flushed.

"What's this about a 'secret rendezvous' now?" Rodger inquired. He changed seats to sit right next to Frankie and find out what was up. "This ought to be good."

"It's not any of your business, Day." Frankie responded, quickly. However, Rodger figured that if she wouldn't tell him, he'd just have to noogie the information out of her.

Over at the Slytherin table, they were not initiated in such lively chatter and uncivilized roughhousing. They all sat and ate, making polite conversation. Tom sat staring at the 'nothing of interest' book on the table in front of him instead of food. He had decided to come up with nothing else better to do, but he just ended up sitting in silence. He was still thinking about what happened with Frankie and if he should actually make some 'friends' in his own house. He looked at them sitting on the other side of the table, talking, and making utter pigs out of themselves. Where would he fit into all of that? His eyes quickly lingered to the Ravenclaws and almost instantly found Prue sitting amongst them. He thought when he met the Slytherins, it'd feel the same as meeting her, or the boy in Flourish and Blotts. He hadn't even spoken to the boy who was now in Hufflepuff, but felt a connection between them for that brief moment in time. He was busy wondering if there was a particular reason these people in other houses were drawn more to him, when suddenly he felt someone tap his shoulder. It was the girl sitting beside him. He recognized her as one of the girls he took the boat with, but nothing beyond that was ringing any bells. She was in his house, in his year, in his classes, and yet he didn't even have the faintest clue as to what her name was.