Love, Potions and Legacies: Fifth Year (UPDATED)

Chapter 11: Abraxia Lupus's Diary

After dinner, Pansy, Astoria and I decide to head up to the library to study. Millie had gone off to study with some of her friends near the Ravenclaw Common Room and we'd had to race out the Common Room after making kissy faces and smooching noises at Daphne as she took a seat with Blaise.

I mindlessly chat to Astoria as we climb the library stairs, Pansy following close behind us. We head upstairs to the quieter section for older students, searching for an available table. I scowl when I see there isn't one and start to turn around or look for fourth years we could force back downstairs.

Bloody exam week.

I lean against the end of the bookshelf, watching with a confused, raised brow and then a surprised grin as Pansy uses her bitchy, unkind side to make some of the Hufflepuff's in our year move tables. Once they get up, she grins and waves us over and we take our seats.

Gods, I love that about Pans. She always got her own way and she didn't care what anyone who wasn't her friend thought about her. Part of me envied that in her. I tried my best to not worry about what everyone thought of me but I definitely got anxious and I tried my best to keep any rude or negative comments about others inside my head. I knew not every thought or opinion had to be voiced, sometimes it was more to your advantage to stay quiet. But sometimes I wish I was more rude and bitchy like Pansy or Astoria, they tended to get their way.

We settle in our seats and start sharing notes, quietly discussing possible essay questions. We didn't really like coming all the way up here to study together but the Common Room was filled to the brim with students in all years preparing for exams. Even the younger years had midterm exams to get them used to being tested before their O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T's.

The plan is to pull together to get through this next exam. There was so many dates and times and quotes to remember for History of Magic and the hope was that if we worked together, we could all help each other pass this one. But as I try to listen to Astoria and Pansy, I keep feeling my eyes losing their focus and my mind zoning out.

I was still focused on the strange moment earlier with Velvet and Tom. Seeing Tom disappear that quickly, seeing him so shaken out of his usually stoic, strong and sarcastic self had been an interesting thing to witness and my brain kept replaying it. The way he'd stretched and flexed his hand after touching me had made my stomach feel acidic as hell.

Had he felt disgusted? I didn't think so, his face seemed so confusing to read. He'd had a flicker of embarrassment on his face when he'd turned away when our hands had touched but the look was soft, not angry or disgusted. As I start writing out a bullet-pointed essay plan, Pansy nudges my other arm, a smirk on her face and I look at her with a confused look.

"Look who it is... Daphne will be upset that she isn't here... hot tutor at twelve o'clock." Pansy whispers to me and giggles and she jabs her quill forward over the edge of the mezzanine.

My head follows her direction and I feel my chest tighten with excitement as I look down at the crown of perfect almost black wavy hair and tall stature of Tom striding through the library, his friends right behind him.

The other boys rush up the stairs past him leaving him on the ground floor. He was overseeing homework hour for the younger years as Head Boy. He disappears into the stacks to the right and a few seconds later, three huge heavy books start to float after him, thudding themselves down on the librarian's desk with such a loud thud it sent a silencing calm throughout the library. The sound causes all of those who were still chattering or giggling to sit down immediately and start busying themselves by pulling out homework.

He'd changed out of his running gear and was now wearing one of the most relaxed outfits I'd ever seen him in. Black slim jeans, black polo shirt and a black, cashmere knitted jumper over the top. Thick soled, heavy, black military style boots on under his jeans. All of his look was well-fitted with no obvious labels but I knew everything was expensive.