Thick Smoke

Shocking Entertainment

Next morning, Eliza woke up all alone. Furvus was gone, and so were the girls. It was Sunday, so she spent more time in bed, doing nothing but thinking about her pets. Both Willy and Furvus were very smart and had been given to her by the same man, so it was only natural that she questioned Remus' ways.

Of course, once she got into the Great Hall, people, especially Gryffindors, were still talking about Harry and his mischievous ways of getting into the competition. Among them was one very disappointed ginger who couldn't shut up about what friendship and loyalty meant.

"Don't you think something is weird?" Neville interrupted Ron.

"Nothing's weird. He got his name in the Goblet one way or another and didn't tell me," Ron hissed.

Eliza rolled her eyes, exchanging a knowing look with Hermione, already getting fed up with Ron's constant complaints.

"I mean—I'm his best friend, or at least, I was—I don't know what we are anymore," he continued as he played with his food.

"He speaks like they were in a relationship," Hermione mumbled, making Eliza chuckle behind her hand. "Have you talked to your father?" the smart girl changed the subject.

"No. I only got a letter from Remus in which he tells me to be careful," Eliza responded like it was nothing.

"You're not angry. Why are you not mad at him?" Ron suddenly asked Eliza, who was ignoring everything. "Or he told you about it?" he trailed, narrowing his eyes at her.

Eliza blinked and stared at the ginger blankly. Those were moments when she could actually be ruthless and get away with it.

"I'm not mad because I actually believe him. We're friends, remember?" she started, Ron's eyes narrowing into a deadly glare. "Now, you can get over it and give him the presumption of innocence until proven wrong, or you can be a big baby and go boil with jealousy in a corner," she finished.

Her words got everyone at the table to turn towards her in awe because she sounded cold and completely insensitive.

In the end, the ginger jolted from his seat and left while fuming. She bit her lip and realized she had only aggravated the situation instead of softening it up.

That was how Ron began to avoid Eliza, just like she used to avoid Harry. Every class they had together, Ron would stay with Seamus and Dean or anyone whose name wasn't Molley or Potter.

However, that didn't mean Eliza and Harry were hanging out together. They were spending time with other people and only talked when they were in need of something, which wasn't often.

She was all alone in Potions because of the circumstances—Harry snatched Dean while Ron snatched Hermione, Neville and Seamus teaming up out of need, thus leaving Eliza with Blaise Zabini.

Unlike what the Slytherin expected, Eliza was very gifted at Potions and finished rather quickly without really asking for help. He just stood there, watching her work with a peaceful expression.

"Molley, Zabini," Snape trailed, glancing at their potion before looking at them. "Very well done. Ten points for Slytherin, one for Gryffindor," he said, and as he left, Eliza could almost see amusement in his eyes.

Zabini blinked, taken aback by how well their team had turned out. The Slytherin turned to Eliza with a smile and leaned against the table.

"I heard about you," he started, trying to seem both friendly and imposing in a way.

"I haven't heard about you," she responded bluntly, her eyes scanning the pages of her Potions book.

Since he didn't say anything afterwards, she glanced at him from beneath her eyelashes, seeing how he was at a loss for words.