Abigail's Riddle (HP fanfic)

9: Farewell

        Exams are only moments away, yet Olive is just the same as ever.  Somehow, she is managing to prattle on about Tom.  I do not quite understand how, as we are clearly friends and nothing more. Besides the slight shake around Hogsmeade, we have remained close, but not intimate.  The purely logical part of me wonders if she, in fact, fancies him.  The mere notion is improbable, considering that he hardly even glances in her direction when I am not by her side.  Still, I refuse to rule it out.

        “You like him.  And he fancies you."  She giggles,  "He's watching you at this very moment, in fact.”

        I glare at her and speak without moving my mouth.  “Then why are you talking?”

        She rolls her eyes and instead of being the compliant person I long for her to be, she waves.  “Tom, oy, over here!”

        I have become so used to this behaviour that I only half-heartedly stomp on her toe.

        “Olive, Abigail,” he says politely.  His composure is fixed, but I find it hard to believe that he isn’t squirming under the scrutiny.  Tom is popular enough in his own house that nobody bothers him for talking to us, but eyes still follow him.

        “What are you doing over the summer, Tommy?” Olive asks.

        “Shove off, Hornby,” I respond for him.  Tom flashes me a thankful smile.

        She rolls her eyes.  “Are the two brightest students getting nervous?”

        Tom and I share a look.  “Unlikely.”

        Professor Dumbledore pushes through the ornately decorated wooden doors to the great hall, and beckons us inside.  “Take a seat.  You will find an anti-cheating quill on your desk, as well as spare bits of parchment.  We will know if you swap out any of these items for your own.”

        “Who’s ‘we’?” I whisper to Tom.

        “Him, Headmaster Dippet, the other heads of houses, and some people from the ministry.”

        “We’re second years.”

        He shrugs.  “I suppose that they take cheating pretty seriously.”

        I smile, glad that I have no need to cheat.  While my friends manically studied for the past week, Tom and I primarily focused ourselves on mastering fifth year spells.  Of course, there was some review for a History of Magic, but we primarily felt ourselves prepared.

        I sit in the first seat I come to, and run my hand through my hair.  A quick flick of my hand brings my hair from my face.  The curtain that is my hair distracts me during the exam, although it does prevent wandering eyes.

         “Good luck, Abigail!” Joanna practically shouts from the seat in front of me.  I can feel the other second year’s glares.

        I mouth the same back to her, which is enough to make her turn around.

        “Let the exams begin!”

        The Hogwarts Express races down its track, and I am not so conspicuous at pressing my face against the window.  For the first hour, mere glances out the window sufficed.  As the surroundings changed, however, I decided that I should observe them in their entirety.  For all the books on Hogwarts, there are none that described the scenery around the train.  I promise myself that I will sit on the same side of the train on the way back, in order to see both sceneries in their entirety.

        “It is beautiful,” Tom says.  We haven’t spoken in an hour, as we both watch the trees.  Nobody accompanies us in our compartment due to the rumour that we are snogging.

        The rumour has no basis, and I hate my cheeks for blushing at the thought.

        “That it is,” I say.

        We continue in our silent fashion until the sky begins to fall.  Then I turn back to Tom.  I take a deep breath.

        “I’m going to,” his eyes meet mine and I feel myself flinch, “miss you.”

        Most of me wants to close my eyes, or cocoon into myself, but I force myself to meet his gaze.  It looks soft, rather than quizzical.  My breath releases.

        He smiles, “I quite agree. You have Tessa, do you not?"

        I nod.

        “So.” He pauses.  “It seems as if all will be well.” 

        I nod once more, and try to hide the hitch in my breath when his shoe bumps into mine and he does not pull away.

I know the chapters are really short, but that's because this is going to range over 50 years.  I will try to make chapters longer in the future, however.  Remember to comment and all that jazz :)  Also, dedications go to the best commenter after this chapter.