Jade Evans, Death Eater {Jade Book 4}

Chapter 2

I had managed to successfully resist the temptation to use my Time-Turner during the holidays, but when I got back to school, I would have to use it again.

I still hadn't told Anja and Blaise that I was using it. In fact, the only people who knew of its existence were Kaya Adams and Holly Burton (who had used it along with me last year), Professor McGonagall (who had given me my Time-Turner) and Hermione Granger, who had told me that she was giving up Muggle Studies and therefore wouldn't need hers anymore.

I absentmindedly rubbed my Time-Turner as I looked around for Blaise, Alex and Anja. As soon as we entered Diagon Alley, Anja had gone off with Alex, but I was hoping they would have found Blaise and come back to me by now. I had had no such luck, unfortunately.

I was just stepping out of Flourish and Blotts, having just bought my last schoolbook, when a familiar-looking, blond haired, blue-eyed girl of about my height ran up to me, a crazy grin on her face.

Holly Burton.

We were very unlikely friends, and, indeed, we never would have met if it wasn't for Divination. Over the previous year, we had grown so close that there were hardly any secrets between us and our other friend, Kaya Adams.

"Jade! Finally! I was looking for you everywhere!" she exclaimed, grabbing my arm and dragging me down the street.

Older witches and wizards stared at us, and I could easily imagine them thinking'Children these days'.Though we couldn't really be considered children anymore – we were both 14 years old.

I rolled my eyes. "Alright...why are you dragging me down the street? I appreciate the fact that we are friends, but I'm sure it is quite unnecessary to treat my arm like a dog's leash."

She sighed, as if the answer was completely obvious. "Partly because I wanted to know if you'd seen Kaya anywhere – she did say she'd be here – and also because I wanted you to meet my friend. I told him to wait around here somewhere...he's a Slytherin in our year, so I expect you'll know him anyway...his name's Theodore..."

There was no-one else in our year, let alone in Slytherin, called Theodore, I realised in panic. But even so, I was hoping it wouldn't be him, it couldn't be him, anyone but him.

"Theodore Nott," Holly finished, leading me over to him. She turned to Theodore. "Hi, Theo! This is –"

"We've met," he interrupted tersely, glancing over at me so that his gaze met mine. "Jade Evans."

I looked away quickly.

Holly frowned, noticing our expressions. "Do you two...not get along, or something?" she asked uncertainly.

I kept my eyes on Holly, avoiding Theodore's stare. "Well, we've only spoken once, and it didn't really end very well..." I trailed off.

For the first time in this conversation, Theodore smiled. I couldn't help it – my face broke into a grin too.

At the perfect time (not), Kaya skipped up to us. "Hi!" she greeted us brightly, glancing between us.

"Hi," the three of us replied in unison.

I suddenly realised that I still had a stupid grin on my face, so I wiped it off rapidly – but not rapidly enough. Kaya had already seen it. "What's the joke?"

I didn't bother explaining. I would only embarrass myself. Instead, I just shrugged and motioned towards Theodore.

"Right, that explains so much," Kaya commented sarcastically, making Theodore laugh.

"How about we go buy ice-cream from Fortescue's?" Holly suggested.

We all agreed easily. After all, who would say no to ice-cream? It was early August, anyway – the height of summer.

When we entered, Holly asked us each what we wanted and went up to buy the ice-creams. Kaya went to the bathroom. As a result, Theodore and I had to sit down together.

I felt as if the girls had done that on purpose.

"So, how long have you been friends with Holly and Kaya?" I asked, to break the silence.

"Since our first year." He laughed. "We met on the platform. As I recall, Holly was eating chocolate – I think it helps with her nerves."

I shook my head, grinning. "Or not."

I thought of our last night at school in our third year, where Holly had essentially eaten chocolate.

Theodore leaned forward, looking serious. "Look, Jade, I'm sorry about what happened at the Great Hall. I shouldn't have done what I did. I know it made you feel uncomfortable, and I'm sorry."

I stared at him for a few seconds, but I couldn't ignore the sincerity in his voice. I nodded, accepting his apology.

He looked relieved.

Right then, Holly got the ice-creams and came back over to our table. Theodore and I repaid her and we all sat down. Kaya then reappeared. While she was handing Holly the money, she kept glancing between Theodore and me as if we were bombs about to explode. Slowly, she seated herself between Holly and me.

We ate in the midst of a deep silence that no-one really wanted to break.

Whenever I looked up at Theodore, he was staring at me, which in theory should have creeped me out, but I found that I didn't mind all that much.

"So," Holly stated. We all looked up at her. "Are any of you going to the Quidditch World Cup?"

Theodore, Kaya and I nodded. "Father almost didn't let us go, but Anja and I managed to convince him," I told them, smiling at the memory.

"I'll see you then," Holly answered, glancing at her watch. "I have to go now."

She got up and left the store. Kaya muttered some kind of excuse under her breath and then left too.

So Theodore Nott and I were left to sit together.

Again.

I didn't even want to try having a conversation with him. All I wanted to do was get up and leave, but I knew how offended Theodore would be – especially after me telling him that he wasn't ordinary.

Luckily for me, however, Blaise, Anja and Alex happened to be walking past Fortescue's at that point. "I see my friends," I mumbled, then stood up and dashed out the door.

I easily caught up with my three friends. Blaise, my best friend, turned to look at me with an expression of surprise on his face. "Hi, Jade. Where were you?"

I grinned. motioning to the door I had just come out of and which Theodore was now walking out of. "At Fortescue's. The ice-cream parlour."

Alex groaned. "Wow. We were getting all our schoolbooks...and you were eating?"

I nodded cheerfully. "Exactly. Though I've already bought all my schoolbooks, so I don't need to worry about that."

Anja nodded in agreement. "Where are we going now?"

Blaise fumbled with his list of school supplies. "Shall we go to...hmm...Flourish and Blotts?"

"I've already been there," I admitted, "but we can go there anyway. I don't have any problem with being in a bookshop."

Having come to an agreement, we went over to the store.

We actually spent the rest of our afternoon there.

I wasn't focusing, though. I was distracted by thoughts of the upcoming Ireland vs Bulgaria Quidditch match.