"Is that...is that a Horcrux?" Tom sputtered, looking the most distressed Elizabeth had ever seen. "Why did it do that when I touched it? How did you make it do that?"
She said nothing.
"Elizabeth, talk to me!" he yelled at her. She looked up.
"It is. I am sorry that you had to see that, Tom, I really am. There was no other way to keep people away from it," Elizabeth told him. A tear rolled down her cheek.
He was shaking his head, "That was the most...horrific thing I've ever experienced."
It wasn't an exaggeration. Elizabeth had charmed the photograph to show those who touched it besides her, the thing they feared most, the people they loved being killed, or whatever else would detract them from the Horcrux. She sat down next to him, leaning against the wall.
There was silence for a moment, "My grandparents said you could stay. Although, I understand if you don't."
"No, I will stay. I just...didn't expect that from you, that's all," he whispered. Tom was different. His eyes showed the most fearful expression.
"I have to ask...what did you see?" Elizabeth pondered, referring to the Horcrux.
"I saw you," he looked over at her. Elizabeth's eyes brightened. "I saw you, being tortured and the thought of seeing you in that much pain, it was awful."
Elizabeth was idle. She always tried to convince herself that he didn't have any feelings for her. She brushed it off and didn't let herself form false hope.
Tom had lied. He only saw himself without power, back in that orphanage for the rest of his years. Yes, Elizabeth being killed would put a fairly large damper on his move to control, but she wasn't that important.
"Again, I am really sorry," Elizabeth apologized again. "But Tom, why were you going through my drawers?"
"I was looking for something."
She raised an eyebrow, "In my sock drawer?"
"Well, you took one of my socks already, who knows what else you've got of mine," he joked with a smirk.
Elizabeth wanted to ask again, but she had been desensitized to Tom's strange behavior. He could charm her nightstand to sing and she wouldn't question it twice.
"Just letting you know, you can't make any noise or wander about the house. My grandparents think you're arriving tomorrow morning," Elizabeth told him.
"I assume we'll have a similar sleeping arrangement as we did before?" He made a cheeky grin. Elizabeth hit his arm playfully.
"You cannot bring that up again, especially in front of the other students."
The grin fell from his face and he formed an irritated expression, "By students, you mean Corrington. Don't you?" After her silence, he raised his voice again, "Does he know that you are spending all of this time with me?"
"No. I told him-"
"I do not care what you told him, but I do care how you feel about him. You can't have us both," he explained. Elizabeth saw his fist was tight. Tom feared she wouldn't choose him.
"Tom, you should go. And don't come back," Elizabeth whispered. She couldn't do this to Joshua. "Please."
"Elizabeth, this isn't what you really want. It's what he wants," Tom was nearly stuttering. "I am the only one that really cares about you." He couldn't let her go. He didn't know where else to gain the power he needed. There couldn't be anyone more powerful than him.
She shook her head, "No." Elizabeth stood, "You have to leave." She didn't want to believe what Tom was saying, but suddenly, she did. It was almost as if a cloud had formed in her head.
He put his wand away, thankful that Elizabeth hadn't seen him.
"What were we talking about?" she mumbled after a moment, a dazed look on her face. Elizabeth yawned.
"Didn't sleep on the train?"
She shook her head, "No, I was busy trying to prevent Walburga from throwing herself at you." Tom let out a small chuckle. It wasn't the first time he'd put a light charm on her to make her forget what they had been discussing. If he had let that fight go any further, all of his plans would have gone to waste.
"She's an interesting character, I must admit," Tom pondered. He despised Walburga with all of his heart, however she was entertaining to have around.
"I agree. Well, I am going to go to sleep. You can go in the guest room, but you have to lock the door and you cannot make a sound," Elizabeth emphasized. "If my grandparents find out you are here, they'll send me back to Hogwarts." That seemed to capture his attention.
"I won't make a sound," he winked. Elizabeth didn't like the way he played with her emotions. He stood to his full height. "And if all else fails, it seems there's some extra space in here," Tom looked around the room.
He almost exited when Elizabeth spoke again, "Did you bring a trunk or anything? Where did all of your bags go?"
"I already put them in the spare bedroom," Tom informed her with an amused grin. "Goodnight, sweet Elizabeth," he closed the door.
She felt a chill go down her back. Elizabeth knew that it was wrong. It was completely wrong the way that she felt towards him.
She sat down in front of the mirror which sat on the dark cherry wood vanity. As she intertwined her hair into a loose braid, her mind began wandering. She hadn't really done anything wrong. Tom and her had kissed before Joshua asked their relationship to be exclusive. And when he slept in her bed...well, nothing happened.
Her hands fell to her sides. She looked at herself in the mirror, and she was ashamed. For the first time, tears fell from Elizabeth's eyes, not because of the people who had messed with her life so terribly, but because she hated herself.
She walked over to her trunk and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill as well as ink. Yes, Hogwarts didn't do things in the most modern fashion, but she adored it. Elizabeth flattened out the paper and dipped the quill in the ink.
She wrote,
Dear Joshua,
Since you told me to write straight away, here I am. I can't imagine how dreadful it is being cooped up at the castle all of your holidays. I wanted to thank you for whatever is in that poorly wrapped box of yours. The suspense is killing me! I wish you the best.
Happy Holidays,
Elizabeth
She set the quill down. It was so superficial, the letter. To Joshua, she seemed like a perfect angelic being, but he didn't know anything about her other than her undeniable feelings towards him. Elizabeth folded the parchment and sealed it inside of an envelope. With the letter in between her fingertips, she walked over to where her owl was resting in its cage. It's name was originally Podigeon, but she found it repulsive, so she began calling the brown owl, Amethyst, after her favorite stone.
"Amethyst," she called out. Of course, she didn't respond. Elizabeth sighed, "Podigeon." The bird quivered slightly. She unhooked the small door on the cage and let the owl get out and stretch its wings. After a moment, the bird was out the window with Elizabeth's letter in its beak. It grazed over a palm tree and flapped its wings elegantly in the moonlight, which was reflecting in a soothing manner over the ocean.
Elizabeth finished tidying herself for bed and went through her drawer that contained her nightgowns. She pulled out her favorite one, just in case Tom happened to wander into her room. It was a light shade of pink and had thin straps at the top. A dainty silk bow which sat in the middle of the top seam had its ends trailing down to the bottom of the gown, which fell at Elizabeth's knees.
After she had gotten into bed, she turned out the light and listened to the sounds of the ocean soothe her to sleep. It was a sound she missed so dearly. She was out cold within minutes.
-
That morning, Elizabeth awoke to seagulls squawking as they flew over the house. She looked at the clock which resided in the nightstand. The small hand was on the seven. The sun was barely up, so she took the liberty of snuggling back down into the blankets. She eyed the box from Joshua which was sitting in her trunk.
"Glad you're awake," Tom's voice caused her to nearly scream. He was sitting out on the balcony, rocking back and forth in a chair.
"Tom, you cannot scare me like that!"
He chuckled and stood, pulling open the screen door and walking inside. Tom was wearing his usual pair of black trousers, had on a white, button down dress shirt and wasn't wearing any shoes. Something about his bare feet made him seem more mundane.
"I'll leave you to get dressed," Tom told her, exiting the room again. Elizabeth laughed to herself.
She put on a white dress which had thick straps at the top and was very loose after it remained tight until her waist. It made her feel confident in herself. Elizabeth sat down at the vanity once again and pulled her hair out of the braid, combing it through with her fingers. She figured the salt in the air would do her hair some good. After she'd brushed her teeth, she went downstairs to eat breakfast. She froze on the stairs when she saw Tom sitting and laughing with her grandparents.
"Oh, Elizabeth, you're awake!" her grandmother greeted her at the stairs. "If I would have known your friend was coming so early, I would have tidied up a bit."
"It's completely fine, you have a wonderful home," Tom complimented with a broad grin. He was really putting on his charm. "Thank you so much for letting me stay in your home."
Sandra waved her hand, "Oh, any friend of Elizabeth's is a friend of ours." Elizabeth sat down at the table and waited for someone to speak. "I'm sure you two will find plenty to do here, but don't go too far out of town."
"Do you know that Tarpon Springs is the sponge capitol of the world?" Elizabeth awkwardly said, referring to the town they were staying in. Her grandmother walked over to the window where a bird had landed with a letter. Elizabeth looked over and seeing that it was a white owl, not hers, she sighed.
"I did not," Tom chuckled. He truly enjoyed how adorably awkward she was at times.
"Oh, my stars!" Sandra exclaimed, dropping the letter she was reading. Seeing the confused expressions on the other's faces, she explained. "There's a wizard in San Fransisco who thinks he can cure your grandfather. I've written to him numerous times and he finally confirmed to do a therapy session!"
Elizabeth's grandfather stood, hugging his wife in joy. "When is the appointment?" Elizabeth asked.
"Oh no," Sandra's smile faded, "It's tomorrow and I'm afraid we couldn't be able to be back before Christmas." Her grandfather's eyes sunk and he looked longingly at her.
"No, you have to go, this is too important. I'll be okay, I can go back to Hogwarts and I'm sure Tom can-,"
"Don't be silly, love," her grandfather signed. "I have no problem with the two of you staying here, I trust you. I think I speak for the both of us, when I say I will feel extremely guilty for not being with you on Christmas."
Elizabeth stood and wrapped her arms around her grandfather, "You need to go. That way, possibly when you return, you can say Merry Christmas to me. Or a Happy New Year." She laughed, pulling away.
"Thank you, Elizabeth. You've been through so much, but you are the most compassionate and empathetic person." Her grandmother pulled her in for another quick hug. "Harold, we have to pack and leave soon if we are ever to get a hotel. It is the holiday season."
He nodded and they both went down the hall to their bedroom. Elizabeth was standing and Tom was silently munching on an apple, a leer growing on his face.
"Now we will have plenty of time to work on those spells," Tom pointed out in a snarky tone. "Among other things."