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  As they made their way to Potions, Delilah had her arm looped with Elio and he had her bag slung over his shoulder. It was nice, having her things carried, but also unsettling. She knew they were just being gentlemen, but she wasn't used to such treatment.

  Delilah eyed Elio as he laughed at some joke Abraxas had told.

  His smile was bright as he threw his head back, the light brown hair swaying as he did so. He was rather good looking. They were all rather good looking.

  Elio turned to look down at Delilah, remnants of his laugh still etched on his face. "I take it you've met good ol' Horace?" He asked.

  She hummed as she bit her lip, pulling at the skin slightly. "He's interesting. And rather loud." She remarked and Elio nodded in agreement.

  "Yeah, it's even worse when he's around Tom. Merlin, his eyes light up as if it's Yuletide."

  Delilah eyed Tom and leaned towards Elio to whisper, "is Tom a teacher's pet then, a suck up?"

  Elio blinked at her before laughing, he quickly cut himself off and feigned a cough as Tom looked back at them with an eyebrow raised. Delilah stifled a laugh by burying her face in Elio's shoulder. "Sorry." She coughed and straightened out her features, a laugh still bubbled in her chest however.

"Tom is like this beacon at all of the parties Slughorn hosts."

  "What parties?" She asked and Elio threw a charming grin at her.

  "Well, if you're as smart as you seem, Slughorn will surely give you an invite."

  Delilah nodded, however she made a mental note not to drag too much attention to herself. She wasn't one for parties, and the thought of being stuck at a formal event with no one she knew seemed terrifying. Sure, she was comfortable enough around the boys. And Lolita seemed nice enough. All around, the idea was too intimidating.

  They entered the Potions classroom and there was a surprisingly large number of students.

  There were eight Slytherin's, including her. Four Gryffindors. Ten Ravenclaws, Delilah smiled at them absentmindedly. And six Hufflepuff's. Of course, they were all sitting with people in their houses. Elio tugged her towards a table in the front and she was about to yell at him for it but Slughorn caught sight of her. She sighed and glared at Elio as she took her seat. In front of her sat Tom, and next to him was Abraxas, while Elio sat next to her.

  The table behind them held Lestrange, Avery, Lolita, and Olive. And the rest were students she didn't know. "Ah, Miss Pontmercy my dear! I see you've made good friends?" He patted Tom on the back and stared at the two as if he'd just opened a gift.

  Delilah and Elio looked at each other and shared a knowing smile. Tom raised his eyebrow slightly at Rosier as he caught wind of the silent gesture between them. He appraised him silently, glad he was getting to work on knowing more about her so quickly.

  "Good Morning!" He called and his voice echoed off the stone walls. "Today is going to be exciting indeed! Oh, Delilah I do hope you're up for a challenge!" He laughed and tapped his nose. She shifted in her seat as she felt some eyes drift to her. It was like Slughorn wanted to make things difficult.

  "Since I'm in such a cheerful mood, why not the Elixir to Induce Euphoria? Can anyone tell me the effects?" He looked around the room but made a point to keep looking at either Tom or Delilah. Both knew the answer, but weren't bothering to raise a hand.

  A girl with dark red hair, a Ravenclaw, raised hers. "It induces happiness, sir." Slughorn nodded and granted her house five points.

  "And side effects?" And again. He kept pointedly staring at Tom and Delilah.

  "Does he always do this?" She whispered and Tom nodded curtly once.

  "It can cause excessive singing and nose-tweaking." Lolita said and Slughorn beamed, glad someone from his house answered.

  "Correct! Five points to Slytherin." Was earning points really that easy? He waved his wand and the instructions appeared on the board.

  "Get to work! Your partner is who's next to you!"

  Elio smiled at Delilah. "I'll get the ingredients, set up the cauldron would you?"

  She nodded and lit a small fire beneath it.

  "Pontmercy," Tom began as Abraxas stumbled away to get what they needed. "You seem rather taken with Elio, no?" Delilah blinked and ended up coughing despite her efforts.

  "Define 'taken' please?" She cleared her throat and a blush crept its way up her neck.

  "You get along well." He said simply with a slight incline of the head, as if shrugging was beneath him. Tom could clearly see the early stages of infatuation every time Rosier looked at Delilah. Hell, any time he even talked about her. Which was ridiculous and just further proved how much of a weakness falling to such things is. Tom held himself above that.

  He got nothing but a headache every time one of the boys talked about their latest escapades. Lestrange was usually at the forefront of this. Honestly, the amount of times Tom caught him in a broom closet with a witch past curfew was ridiculously high. And Rosier had only known Delilah for a day, yet he's still trying desperately hard to earn her affections.

  Well, he looked desperate in Tom's opinion.

  Before Delilah could ask him to further clarify, Elio came back and set everything down. "Right then, where to start." He hummed and looked at the board, but Delilah began to throw in the shrivelfig and porcupine quills and stirred until it turned blue.

  More muscle memory she supposed, it was as if some invisible hand was directing her movements, whispering 'trust me' in her ear.

  "Do keep up." She mused to Elio who was scratching the back of his neck. Abraxas chuckled lightly and reached to follow what Delilah was doing but Tom set him stiff with a glance.

  "You do not touch anything. Last time I let you help, you set the bloody table on fire."

  Abraxas' pale cheeks flushed and he plopped himself down in his chair. He looked like a kicked puppy.

  "Do we have any peppermint?" Delilah suddenly asked. There was something about adding peppermint to counteract the side effects for the elixir they were making.

  "Uh," Elio rifled through everything he brought over. "No, why? Do we need it?"

  "Yes, can you go and fetch it please?"

  Elio furrowed his eyebrows and looked at the board. "But it doesn't say-"

  Delilah rolled her eyes and fisted the boy's shirt before pushing him off towards the supplies shelves. He laughed in disbelief as he walked off.

  "Well aren't you aggressive?" Abraxas mused and she shot him a glare.

  "I said please."

  "Why do you need peppermint?" Tom asked. He knew why, he just didn't think she'd know why.

  "It helps counteract the side effects." She shrugged and jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her back. Looking up, someone was dangling a jar of peppermint. Not someone, Elio. She reached to grab it but he tugged it upwards and out of her reach.

  "Elio!" She whispered harshly and made to reach for it again but he pulled away.

  "Ah Ah Ah, no can do, love." He held a smile and one eyebrow was raised. Delilah looked around the room and sighed at the amount of looks she was getting.

  "Elio just give me the peppermint." She made a grabbing motion with her hand but he simply tsk-d.

  "Nope. I deserve an apology."

She looked at him incredulously. "An apology for what exactly?"

  Elio feigned a frown and turned towards Abraxas. "Can you believe this foul treatment I'm receiving?"

  Abraxas groaned dramatically and shook his head. "No, I cannot believe it. It's dreadful. Just dreadful."

  Elio nodded at Abraxas and turned pointedly towards Delilah, an expectant look on his face.

  She gaped at them.

Delilah began to wonder what would happen if she kneed him in his crotch.

  She turned to look at Tom, who was all together ignoring them. "A little help Head Boy?"

  He looked up after a few seconds and blinked at the situation in front of him. His lips only slightly tilted upwards at the frustrated expression of Delilah. "Gentlemen, give the poor girl a break." He looked at Delilah as if she was a child.

  She glared at him, but was nonetheless thankful as Elio handed her the peppermint. "You are insufferable, I swear." She mumbled.

  "Oh, don't get cross." He poked her cheek and she mentally hexed him because she was sure she was blushing like an idiot. Delilah added in peppermint until the potion turned red. Peering over at Tom's, she huffed slightly because he was ahead of her.

  Damn Elio.

  She added the sopophorous beans and wormwood and let Elio add the final touches. Tom had already finished but as some sort of  'courtesy' he waited for them. She supposed he didn't want to steal all the limelight, though she would've been happy if he did.

  Elio called Slughorn over, and just before he turned around Delilah muttered a quick cheering charm.

  "Why'd you do that?" Elio scrunched his nose up as he peered into the cauldron. "I hate yellow."

  "It completes the potion, honestly do you read your potions book at all?"

  Elio was about to retort but Slughorn bustled over and clapped him hard on the back. "Let's see! Let's see! Oh... why this is splendid!" He beamed at Delilah and Elio and then looked at Tom's potion. "Merlin you just keep getting more perfect don't you?" He laughed cheerfully and Delilah's eyes widened as she watched the man praise a seventeen year old like he was some messiah.

  "Twenty points to Slytherin! Delilah if you keep up the good work, who knows what the future has to offer!" She smiled and forced a laugh.

  "Yeah, who knows."

  Elio looked at her with a questioning glance but shrugged it off. "Oh!" He said suddenly, causing not only Delilah to flinch but Abraxas as well. Tom simply glowered at him. "I've been meaning to ask, do you like Quidditch by any chance?"

  Before she could stop herself, a laugh left her lips and she quickly coughed. "Merlin, sorry I..." she laughed again and had to clear her throat. "I don't mind it. Why?" Upon further notice a light blush seemed to creep its way into Elio's cheeks.

  "Well, tryouts are being held this Friday and dear Abraxas," he made a point to glare at his blond friend. "Is making everyone tryout again, so I was wondering if you'd like to, I don't know... pop by? If you want. I know most girls find it quite boring but-"

  "Sure." She smiled at Elio reassuringly and the tension seemed to fall from his shoulders.

  "Great!" He beamed.

  Delilah turned to clean up her table and her gaze fell on Tom, who was flicking through a book rather lazily. "What about you, hm?" She asked and he looked up at her through thick lashes and, despite herself, her breath caught in her throat. His eyes were hypnotic, she felt she could drown in them for an eternity.

  "What about me?" He asked and she gestured towards Elio and Abraxas. Who, to her amusement, were flicking random ingredients at each other.

  "Quidditch. Do you play?"

  He closed his book gently and his dark eyes bored into her, Delilah felt as if he'd tied a string around her throat and was luring her in. Her body was absentmindedly leaning against the table, an effort to be closer to him.

  "Occasionally." She'd only just noticed how deep of a baritone his voice was. It was smooth and charming, but had an underlying rasp to it that made her feel light headed.

  "So," Delilah shook her head, trying to get rid of whatever spell he seemed to have on her. Perhaps it was just his enigmatic aura, magic seemed to crackle around him.

  "Are you trying out?" She asked.

  A dry laugh shook his chest slightly. "I have no desire to be possibly thrown from a broom at over fifty feet in the air."

  Delilah felt her lips tug upward and the action didn't go unnoticed by Tom. His eyes only slightly narrowed, he racked his brain but couldn't find what could be so amusing.

  "Are you scared?" Her tone was teasing and he simply raised an elegant eyebrow at her.

  "Scared? Hardly. The sport in itself is barbaric and I see no wish to partake in it." Tom wasn't appreciating the amused glimmer in her eyes as she smiled at him.

  "Whatever you say." She hummed. If he were a lesser person, Tom was sure he'd be rolling his eyes by now. He had no time for her childish antics.

  "What position do you play?" Delilah asked Elio as they made their way to lunch. "I'm a chaser, Abraxas is Captain as well as seeker, Lestrange is a Chaser, and Avery is the keeper."

  As they sat down at the table, barely a minute passed before an arm draped itself over Tom's shoulders. He stiffened for only a moment before smiling. "Hello, Olive." He greeted kindly, though if one were to pay close enough attention you could hear the exasperation lacing his tone.

  "Tom, it's so good to be able to finally talk to you!" She leaned her body against his. Olive glanced across the table and she narrowed her eyes at the sight of Delilah.

  Confused, she smiled a bit awkwardly. "Afternoon, Olive. I love your hair." Delilah did actually admire how the girl got her hair to fall in elegant waves. She was never able to manage her messy mane of hair, it seemed to stay in a permanent state of frizz and tangles.

  Olive tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled smugly. "Why, thank you." She looked pointedly at Tom, who wasn't sparing her a second glance as he ate his food.

  A form sat down next to Delilah and she flinched. Looking over, Lolita gave her a half hearted smile as she filled her plate. "Where've you been?" Delilah mused as she spotted how the girls' usually perfect hair was slightly disbelieved- and were her shirt buttons mixed up?

  About five minutes later Cain also joined them and Delilah took notice of how his hair was messy as well and his tie was loose and crooked. Delilah looked between the two for nearly a minute before something on Lolita's neck caught her eye. Two love bites, hidden well by her hair. Delilah's mouth went slack as she looked between Lolita and Cain.

  Were they...?

  "You alright, love?" Elio asked, snapping her back into reality.

  "Yes, fine." She looked around the table incredulously. Did nobody else notice? It wasn't any of her business, she supposed. Perhaps it wasn't a secret at all. She's only been here two days. But even if it was, it was obvious Cain and Lolita wanted to keep it under wraps. She watched the two for a bit longer and caught the glances they would steal at each other. It was rather adorable.