Elizabeth had never felt as much relief as she had when she got the news that their holiday vacation would start the next day. However, she was equally disappointed to hear that their classes would indeed resume after the break. A certain happiness was in the air as her and her friend packed their belongings away to go home.
"Walburga, what will you be doing for the holidays?" Elizabeth asked as she folded one of her sweaters.
Walburga closed her trunk and sat down on it, crossing her legs, "I will be going Santorini. Hopefully there will be men there that aren't as foolish as the boys here. How about yourself, Beth?"
"I am going to be in Florida with my grandparents," she told them. "I might have a friend join me," Elizabeth thought of Tom. "An old friend, from Baxtart's," she covered up.
Matilda swung around from one of the post's on Elizabeth's bed, plopping herself on it. "Is this friend... a boy?"
Elizabeth said nothing, but continued packing her clothes with a small grin. Melissa closed her trunk and walked over, "So what is this boy's name?"
"Angelina," she closed her trunk. "She was my best friend from Baxtart's. Don't worry, no boys besides Joshua for me. Besides, the boy we should all be focusing on is Klaus," Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at Matilda.
"Oh, stop, it was just one night."
Walburga chortled, "One times fourty." Matilda gave a sarcastic grin, laying back onto Elizabeth's bed.
"What's this?" Matilda asked, her arm non-visible from their views.
"Oh no," Elizabeth whispered under her breathe. Matilda pulled out a sock that clearly wasn't any of theirs.
Matilda stood on Elizabeth's bed, dangling the sock like a trophy, "Beth, if I stand corrected, you only own stockings that go up to your knees."
"Well, I-,"
"And since I have no recollection of you ever purchasing socks from Hogsmeade, this must be...," Matilda raised her eyebrow to let Elizabeth finish the sentence.
"None of your concern," Elizabeth snatched the sock and stuffed it into her trunk, slamming it shut.
Matilda made a face and sat down on the bed again, "So does this mean you and Joshua have done the do?" Melissa and Walburga waltzed over as well, becoming very concerned with the matter of sex.
"We would have heard it, she couldn't have," Melissa pointed out.
"Silencing charms," Walburga explained.
Elizabeth groaned, "If I do have sex, which will not be happening for a long time, you would know."
They all shrugged and accepted that answer. After they all had closed their trunks and had their tote bags on their shoulders, there was a hard knock at the door.
"Come in!" Walburga shouted and Elizabeth winced. Her voice was truly annoying. A first year peeked their head in.
"Anyone boarding the train has to leave on the carriages now," the girl said. After the girls picked up their trunks, they headed out the door.
Melissa and Matilda were only going home, while Walburga and Elizabeth were going elsewhere, causing a bit of jealousy to rise. Well, Walburga was bragging of her trip to Greece, so of course, it would make anyone annoyed. They sat in the car of the train and listened on as Walburga chatted about her vacation.
"Wal, not to be rude, but we understand that your trip will be 'so fabulous' and 'lavishly exciting', okay?" Matilda finally put an end to Walburga's nonsense.
Walburga looked appalled, then shrunk back into her seat. "Beth can you come with me to give something to Abraxas?" Walburga asked after a few minutes. Elizabeth looked up from the book she was reading.
"What are you going to give him?" Elizabeth asked, closing the book and setting it in between her and Melissa.
"Just come with me," Walburga stood and pulled Elizabeth up with her. She waved goodbye to the confused girls as they walked at a brisk pace down the narrow train. "I just want to talk to Tom without those girls shoving their opinions down my throat."
Elizabeth furrowed her brows, "Why did you bring me?"
"You seem to be my good luck charm. Every time you come with me, Tom seems to be extra cheerful and talkative," Walburga explained. "Maybe it makes me look less intimidating if I have a friend around."
"Oh, alright," Elizabeth mumbled. Walburga slid open a door to another car and they both entered. Tom and his acquaintances were sitting at a few tables.
Walburga strutted past and then looked over her shoulder. "Oh, hello boys, I didn't see you. Tom," she addressed. Elizabeth cringed and watched the event unfold.
"Hello, Miss Black," Tom greeted her. "Miss Maryn," he looked over at Elizabeth with a sickening grin. She felt a chill go down her spine. He ran his hand over the table and her eyes drew to it. His fingers grazed over that serpent she had seen on her ride to Hogwarts. Elizabeth looked away. "What are you ladies doing back here?"
Walburga sat down next to him, "Just passing through."
"Well, by all means, pass on," Tom dismissed her with a cheeky smile. Elizabeth almost laughed, but refrained by pretending to cough.
Walburga's lip quivered, "Very well, I will see you when the term resumes." She stood and grabbed Elizabeth's arm, "Come on Beth, let's go." As she was being pulled away by Walburga, she caught Tom's eye. He gave the smallest of a wink before she disappeared from the car.
"My Lord, have you considered that creating an alliance with the girl isn't perhaps the most logical idea?" Abraxas asked with a cold and emotionless voice.
Tom turned to him, "Malfoy, my most trusted server, you doubt me?"
"No, my Lord, of course not, I just want to make sure you are indeed aware of what you are getting yourself into," Abraxas' voice was at a whisper. "She may be more powerful than you think, and if she finds out that you are only using her for that, who knows what she could do."
"I understand your concern," Tom spoke softly as if Malfoy were indeed his friend. "However, my plans have never failed. I know of her power, but I also know of her weaknesses."
Abraxas raised an eyebrow, "Her weaknesses?"
"Yes. She may have a good grip on her magic, but she's emotionally weak, I know it," Tom informed him. "I can tell that whenever I bring up Baxtart's or anything before she came here, the girl nearly loses her sanity. It is like she can't bear to even tell one thing about that school."
"Maybe you should try someone else. I don't think Elizabeth will ever be able to trust you," Abraxas pointed out. "Perhaps, she would trust someone else...."
"What are you getting at, Malfoy?" Tom now had his full attention on Abraxas.
Abraxas leaned in and whispered, "Get the oaf under the Imperious curse, have him get the information, there you go. Then you'll be able to understand her I suppose. If you can understand her weaknesses, it'll help you pry into her personal life, therefore opening her up to tell you more."
"My, my," Tom leaned back, genuinely impressed with Abraxas' thoughts, "You've done your research on this, haven't you?"
"Whatever it takes, my Lord," Abraxas mumbled. Tom gazed out the window. He could practice the Imperious curse over the holidays so it would be perfected by the time he returned to Hogwarts. When he cursed Corrington, it would need to work. If Elizabeth even detected a slight change in his aura, she'd know Tom was behind it.
Elizabeth gazed out the window as well. Night had fallen and her friends had all fallen asleep. She could see the outline of mountains and lakes, the water reflecting the moonlight. A small knock on the door caused her to jump out of her seat. It was only Klaus. She stood and slid the glass door open.
"Hello," she whispered, loud enough to be heard, but quiet enough to not wake any of the sleeping passengers.
Klaus had something in his hand, "As you know, Joshua isn't coming home for the holidays, so he wanted me to give you this." He handed Elizabeth a small box sloppily wrapped in parchment paper. "Don't open it until Christmas," Klaus told her.
"Thank you for delivering this," she smiled. "Merry Christmas, Klaus." The two shared a friendly hug. He pulled away and opened his mouth again.
"I also wanted to get your opinion on something," Klaus asked. "I was thinking of taking on your friend Matilda. Would she go for a Gryffindor? Do you think?"
Elizabeth laughed in a whisper, "Of course she would."
"Okay," he smiled and turned to walk away. "Thank you," Klaus walked away with the largest grin on his face. Elizabeth chuckled to herself, looking back at Matilda. She was laying down on the bench and her legs were bent so that Elizabeth could sit. When she looked back to close the door, a hand pushed it back open.
Tom entered into the frame of the door and leaned against it. "I was wondering how long you'd let me be alone," Elizabeth joked, regarding the fact that they had spent nearly every second together for the past month.
"I just wanted to let you know I'll be joining you three days after you return to your grandparent's home. I have something to do."
"What do you have to do?" Elizabeth asked.
He let out a small chuckle, as if she weren't worthy of knowing what he was doing. "Nothing important. Also, I believe you have something of mine," he reminded her.
"I can't believe you left a bloody sock in my bed. I know you did that purposefully," Elizabeth grabbed the sock out of her smaller bag and threw it at him.
Tom smirked, "Been keeping my sock in your handbag?" Elizabeth rolled her eyes and pushed him out of the door frame.
"I will see you in three days," she dismissed and closed the door, drawing the shade. Elizabeth sat back down. She didn't know how to explain Tom staying with her to her grandparents.
-
"Elizabeth!" a warm voice called out as she stepped off of the train. It was her grandmother, Sandra.
Elizabeth's grandfather greeted her as well, signing hello in sign language. He had gone mute after a nasty potion mishap forty years prior. The polyjuice potion had been tampered with and he had lost his voice when he consumed it.
He took her trunk and they walked through the wall again, exiting the platform. "I know these British folks frown upon the underaged witches and wizards apparating, but I can't think of a more effective way to get around," Sandra pointed out.
"I couldn't agree more," Elizabeth nodded. The three of them went around a corner to an empty area of the train station. Elizabeth stuck out her hand and her grandparents put their hands on her arm. Suddenly, they were being sucked through a tunnel of light and broken images. The familiar feeling of being pushed from all sides formed in Elizabeth's body before her feet landed on the ground with a thud. The three of them were in the living room of a house on the beach.
"I believe dinner is in order," Sandra clapped her hands together. "Elizabeth, go unpack your things and join us down here in half an hour."
After being dismissed, Elizabeth lugged her trunk upstairs. She pulled her owl's cage along as well. It was a small brown bird with a few white spots. Not the brightest owl, but she was as sweet as they come. Elizabeth opened her trunk and began putting her clothes into the dresser of the guest bedroom. Her owl started hooting quite loudly, so to refrain from being scolded for having an unruly bird, she set a light silencing charm on the room.
She pulled out the box Klaus had given her from Joshua and set it on the nightstand. Elizabeth took off her coat and hung it up in the closet, not needing it at all.
"This place really is hot."
Elizabeth dropped the hairbrush she was holding and turned around. Tom was standing in front of her by the door.
"W-wh- how did you get here?" Elizabeth stuttered, "And why didn't I hear a noise from your apparation?"
"I apparated here when you left to put your things in the bathroom."
"Tom, that was ten minutes ago. Have you just been wandering the house?" she asked, exasperated by his presence.
He looked around the room and then took his jacket off, "Apparently so." Tom began looking around the room. "Do you stay here often?" he picked up a photograph of her and two girls.
"Yes, usually every summer and winter. My parents are always away working. They're aurors," she explained. Tom's face seemed to freeze. "There's a headquarters in New York, so they are usually there."
"Why don't they move there and take you with them?" Tom asked.
Elizabeth shrugged, "Dunno, guess it's too hard to stay in one place. We live in Virginia right now, but I don't think it'll be permanent. They were talking about moving back to London."
"You've lived in London?"
"No," she shook her head. "My parents both lived there, but came to the United States to raise me. I don't know why."
"Odd," Tom said under his breath. "Who are these girls in this photograph?" He was still holding it.
Elizabeth walked over and took it from him, "No one, not any more." They were her best friends at Baxtart's but had died before Elizabeth could take the photographs down.
"You know you can tell me anything, right?" Tom informed her. He wanted to know, so desperately about her past and anything he could that would possibly help him gain power. "Anything at all."
She nodded, "I know." Elizabeth was smarter than that. She had many secrets, secrets that would shock him, but she couldn't tell him.
"Elizabeth! Dinner!" her grandmother called. Elizabeth stuck her head out of the room so that she was no longer engulfed by the charm.
"One moment!" she shouted loud enough to be heard. "Tom you can't stay here, you said you were coming in three days."
He sat down on her bed, "I changed my mind. I can do what I was planning on another time. Just go ask your grandparents if I can stay and then pretend to send an owl. I'll even apparate to the front door if it'll suit you."
"Fine," she walked out of the room. Elizabeth walked down the stairs and the wonderful smell of turkey hit her nose. She sat down at the dinner table.
"Help yourself, darling," Sandra told her.
"Thank you," Elizabeth smiled, setting her napkin on her lap. After they had eaten for a few moments, she spoke, "I wanted to ask you both about something."
Her grandfather signed, "What is it, dear?"
"Well, I have a friend whose family isn't able to take him for the holidays. He doesn't want to spend Christmas alone at Hogwarts, so he was wondering if he could stay here."
"I don't see why not," her grandmother said after a bite, "As long as he sleeps in a separate bedroom, it should be alright. What say you, Harold?"
Her grandfather wiped his hands, then signed, "If it makes her happy, it's alright with me."
"Thank you so much! I will go owl him straight away after dinner," she smiled. Elizabeth nearly choked because she was shoving food down her throat so quickly. All she wanted was to go back up to Tom and tell him he could stay.
She thanked her grandparents again, both for dinner and letting him stay. With her bare feet thumping against the carpet, she ran upstairs to her room. When she made it to the door, she opened it up and her smile faded when she saw Tom, sitting on the ground, looking genuinely terrified.
"What the bloody hell is that, Elizabeth?" he nearly shrieked, motioning to something on the ground.
The small framed photograph of her brother was laying on the ground, the glass slightly cracked. He had touched her Horcrux.