Blackbird

Chapter 24

"Do you need something?" Teresa asked, but Ted continued to stare at her.

"Hello?" She waved her hand in front of his face. "Ted? Are you there?"

Liv hit his arm, finally pulling him out of his stupor.

"What? Umm... Yes, sorry." He averted his gaze.

Teresa gave him a look somewhere between worried and bemused before returning to her work. As soon as she turned away his gaze returned to her.

He should just tell her what those boys were planning to do, but every time he thought about it, he pictured the look of horror on her face, and his resolve died. There had to be way of saving her without giving her reason to look over her shoulder every five minutes for who knows how long.

Despite his anger at Andromeda, he couldn't bring himself to tell a teacher either. What if she was right, and someone found out about them? He couldn't risk hurting her, which only made him feel guiltier every time he saw Teresa.

Though "them" may not be the best way to describe Andromeda and him, since they'd scarcely spoken all week.

But he really needed to stop thinking about Andromeda. Teresa came first. At least, she was supposed to.

He sighed. The only thing he could do was make sure Teresa wasn't alone and didn't go by the greenhouses. If their plan failed then they wouldn't try again, hopefully. Otherwise, he'd have to guard her every Friday for the next two years.

He could see Liv staring at him out of the corner of his eye. Out of habit he looked at her. She nodded her head in Teresa's direction, and raised her eyebrows. Clearly, she wanted an explanation.

He wetted his lips. He could tell her. He almost wanted to tell her, but she'd have the same question everybody else did. How did he know? Besides, getting her involved might make her a target. It was better not to get her involved.

Lunch came. Ted practically ran to the Great Hall, leaving his friends behind. Teresa was already there, sitting next to Susannah, as per usual. Ted quickly took a seat next to her.

"You mind?" he asked.

She stole a quick glance at Susannah, before returning to him with a smile. "Of course not."

"Great." He reached for the food nearest him, stuffing it directly in his mouth as he put more on the plate.

He caught sight of Susannah staring at him as shot her a grin. She blushed. Teresa also watched him with a slightly amused expression, though upon catching his glance she rolled her eyes and looked away.

Though if he wasn't mistaken, he caught something else in her eyes, something far less judgmental.

Under different circumstances he might be embarrassed, but the stakes were high. He had to be done eating by the time Teresa was ready to leave, otherwise he'd be facing the prospects of being starving until dinnertime. That was almost as horrible as what the snakes were planning to do to Teresa.

"Look who decided to join the civilized," Jake said tauntingly as he and the others took seats around them.

Liv quickly noticed who he was sitting next too, and her eyebrows raised even higher than last time.

"I think it's cute he's so in touch with the outdoors," Teresa said, smiling at him again.

"What you think doesn't count," Jake said. He had a point. Teresa found the good side in everyone. It was probably what originally attracted Dolohov to her. He wanted to snuff her light out.

Almost without thinking, he glanced at the Slytherin table. He saw some of the Slytherin seventh years, such as Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Black. And even, his face flushed, Rabastan Lestrange. But Rabastan's brother, among the other three, were missing. Unless they all had last minute homework to do it looked like Andromeda was wrong, they hadn't been bluffing.