Thick Smoke

Sense

On the day of the match, Eliza only gave Ron a sympathetic pat on the back before sitting with Seamus.

"You think we'll win today?" He asked before stuffing his face with toast.

Eliza looked at Ron and saw him in the most deplorable state in the past week.

"Maybe if we're very lucky." She said before taking a bite from a delicious looking apple.

But they won. They got lucky and Ron saved every blow towards Gryffindor. It was amazing to see him play so well and Eliza was sure there was some spell involved or else he wouldn't gloat like that.

"It wasn't." Harry said once they met on the way back to the castle. "I faked dripping liquid luck in his pumpkin juice this morning."

"Power of suggestion, huh? It may not work a second time, though." Eliza added, the cheers covering most of the talking done in the vicinity.

"It doesn't have to. Maybe now he'll believe in himself and stop sulking every time." Harry continued as they got inside the castle.

Ron's victory against Slytherins has been properly celebrated by the whole house. Eliza slipped out for one moment and when she came back, Lavender was all over the ginger. It was very weird how two people could be so all over each other.

"It looks disturbing." She finally said to anyone close to hear.

"I know what you mean. But he has to start somewhere." Ginny answered as she passed by.

However amusing it was, parties weren't Eliza's type of noisy fun. She slipped out in complete silence and walked around thoughtfully.

Hermione was not in the common room and Eliza was curious if she saw Ron and Lavender or not. It was better if she didn't but Harry slipped out before her which meant only one thing. Was it a disaster or wasn't it? It was confusing, love, and Eliza was the last person to give opinions over that matter.

The first place she thought to go to was the library. That changed abruptly when she remembered the girl' bathroom from the second floor. She went there once and found out very plausible information. However, she was curious what the Dark Wizards knew about Voldemort and her mother.

In the end Eliza went in the library. No one was there and she could freely read for how long she wanted. Shelf after shelf, book after book, she found nothing relevant. It was an hour later and the only interesting things she found was an article about a Morfin Gaunt that got in Azkaban and a witch that died after a muggle attacked her in Birmingham. The two articles were noted in the same year, at a difference of a few months. It was the closest she could get, really.

On the way back, she was hoping she could meet Malfoy so that she could question him further. Luckily, she did see him standing in a howl of the wall, right below a window; his blond hair was messy and his face was paler than usually. Eliza was ready to go and bug him when she noticed he was fidgeting nervously, whispering stuff that she couldn't hear because she was hiding too far.

She sighed and leaned against the wall, watching him squirm while at the same time trying to find his courage for whatever he had to do. Eliza couldn't help but pity him and the direction he had chosen; whatever he was feeling at the moment was only the beginning of a very hateful life.

It was a few weeks later when Slughorn trotted to Eliza while she was in the Great Hall. Her eyes widened and she looked around for help but everyone was busy.

"Eliza, my dear! I just wanted to assure myself that you will be at my Christmas party tomorrow night! I hope Mr. Zabini told you about it? I also wanted to inform you that you can come with a partner if you'd like." He started with that perky smile of his.