ELIXIR: A Harry Potter Fan Fiction

Twenty Three. Ravenclaw vs. Slytherin.

"Theo!" Caiti called. He stopped just by the door where he and Clara, with her white blonde hair pulled back in a low, messy ponytail, were just about to leave for Hogsmeade. Caiti thought she seemed nervous, though she was hiding it well. She wore a blue puffy vest over her magenta turtleneck and jeans. Her wand stuck out of her back pocket and her wallet, emblazoned with the Applebee Arrows symbol, hung from her wrist.

"Sorry-" She thrust her hand out to him, palm up, holding three galleons. "Could you do me a huge favor?"

He glanced at her open hand but did not take the money. "I can do you a favor without you paying me," he said, frowning.

"Don't be stupid. I want you to pick something up for me." She grabbed his hand and put the galleons in it. "Some of that crystallized pineapple from Honeydukes," she said. Then she added, "It's Marlowe's favorite."

"Oh, yeah," he looked at the money in his hand before he closed his fist around it. "Yeah, no problem."

"Thanks," said Caiti, all business. Then she glanced at Clara and back at him and said, "Have fun."

Theo nodded, half-smiled at her, and they turned to go.

Caiti waited till he had gone, and then she headed out the door herself, down to the potions classroom.

---

When Theo returned late that afternoon, Caiti was sitting by the fireplace, enjoying the fact that almost no one was there. She had just finished playing a round of Gobstones with Elliot, who was too young for Hogsmeade, but then he and his friends had gone off to the library and she'd been left almost alone. When he and Clara entered, she watched the two of them say their "I had a nice time's" and Theo gave her an awkward hug. "Uhm... see you at practice," he said, holding up a hand as she headed upstairs. She turned her head and smiled at him on her way.

Theo stood there a minute watching her go. He ran a hand through his hair and then he nodded smiling to himself.

He spotted Caiti in one of the comfy armchairs and headed over to her. "Hey," he said, plopping down in another chair.

"How was it?" Caiti asked.

"Good. Yeah. It was really good. She's cool."

Caiti smiled and tucked her knees up to her chest. "Good," she said. "I'm glad."

"Oh-" Theo fished inside a Hogsmeade bag for a minute before pulling out the crystallized pineapple. He clapped it into his opposite hand once and then held it out to her. "This is the right stuff?"

"Perfect," said Caiti. "Thanks." She smiled a little as she took it, but it didn't last long.

"D'you want me to leave you alone?" he asked.

Caiti hesitated before she nodded. The day had not been a particularly good one.

"Kay," said Theo. He stood again. "Oh, almost forgot," he added, searching inside the shopping bag again. This time, he pulled out a chocolate frog. "I got this for you, too."

Caiti rolled her lips together and blinked hard. The corners of her mouth quivered, not sure if they wanted to smile or turn down and cry. She reached out for the box. "Thank you."

She looked down until he left and then she tipped her head to rest on her hand and let herself cry for the first time since Monday. She had never thought of herself as a Valentine's Day girl. It was, in her opinion, a bit of a stupid holiday. But she had watched Sean and Evelyn leave that morning, Evelyn all dolled up, and then Theo and Clara going out for the first time, and all these others passing cards and candies to each other, and it hit her that, more than anything, she just missed Marlowe. She hated what had happened to him, hated that he would have to deal with it for the rest of his life, but what bothered her more than anything was simply his absence. He was her best friend, and without him, she felt like she was just adding herself into other groups she didn't belong to. Her go-to person, her home person, was not here.