She had spent a majority of the ride back to Hogwarts alone in a compartment, Lolita stopping by every once in awhile to make sure she was okay. Pyrrhus also came by for a while to bring her lunch, ranting about some people he found fetching at the ball.

"Hey, whatever happened to Cosette? That Ravenclaw in our DADA class?" They had gone to Hogsmeade together, all thanks to Delilah. Seeing as he begged her to ask Cosette for him.

Pyrrhus shrugged as he bit into his sandwich, rubbing the back of his neck absentmindedly. "I don't know, I like her though. I guess I just got nervous and I sort of..." he trailed with a shrug. Delilah narrowed her eyes at the slight gleam of guilt on his face. "Pyrrhus?"

He sighed and handed her the rest of his food, suddenly losing his appetite. "I panicked and just sort of started avoiding her. I'm pretty sure she hates me now."

Delilah looked at him for a minute before smacking him upside the head. "You can't just do that!" She shook her head and ate the rest of his sandwich. Part of her wanted to ask why he even started seeing Cosette if he was still talking to Ovela. But that breakup was still recent, so she kept it to herself.

"I know." He winced at the new ache on the back of his head, half heartedly glaring at her. "I feel like it's too late to apologize. It's been two months, it'd just be awkward." Delilah settled her eyes with a steel gleam as she looked at him, mustering up the best impression of her mother.

And it worked, Pyrrhus began to fidget under her stare before throwing his hands up. "Fine! I'll apologize to her tonight at the feast."

Nodding her head, she leaned back in the seat and Pyrrhus took to resting his head on her lap. "Good, I'll be sure to watch."

A few minutes of comfortable silence passed. Delilah took to running her fingers through his hair as she stared out the window, watching the green landscape of Scotland pass by in a blur.

With the sound of Pyrrhus clearing his throat, she looked down at him with an eyebrow raised. "I never got to ask you the other night, after the raid. You looked pretty shaken."

Flashes of bright light and glass flying everywhere came to the forefront of her mind, she could almost hear the sirens again. Shaking her head, she continued to run her fingers through his hair. "I'm okay, Riddle got the worst of it." Delilah felt a bit guilty, he had shards of glass dug into his skin due to protecting her.

"He's been through more air raids than I'm sure most of us could count." He muttered, messing with the hem of her robes absentmindedly. Her brows furrowed, "cause he lives in London? He said he spent most of his time with you guys."

He nodded, tugging at a loose seam. "He does for the most part, I suppose he'll get his own place soon since he's eighteen. But some weeks he has to go back to the orphanage."

They both froze.

Pyrrhus shut his eyes tightly, feeling like an idiot for letting that bit of information slip. Whereas Delilah's eyes were as wide as the moon. "To the what now?"

He slowly looked up at her through one cracked open eye, gauging her reaction. Shock was evident. Tom would kill him for this. Still, this was Delilah, she would've found out eventually.

"Don't tell him I told you, actually, don't even tell him you know at all. He hates talking about it."

Delilah's mind reeled with this newfound information to the puzzle that was Tom Riddle. He was an orphan? "Does he have any family?" She tiptoed around the fact that Tom was a half-blood. The boys knew a lot about Tom compared to the rest of Hogwarts, but she felt like this was a secret he was hell bent on keeping.

Pyrrhus shrugged, "he never talks about it." He bit his lip and poked her cheek, thinking for a moment. "Want to tell me what happened between you and Elio?"

She groaned and threw her head back, ignoring the sharp pain that shot through her skull.

____________________________________

As she sat down at the Slytherin table with the girls, well away from a certain green eyed boy, her eyes found Dumbledore at the staff table. As if sensing her gaze, the man turned and gave her smile.

After everyone was settled, Dippet walked up to the golden owl podium and cleared his throat. "Welcome back!" He cheered, his voice bouncing off the stone walls. He went through the typical beginning of term information. Delilah zoned out, staring expectantly at her empty plate.

Olive nudged her side though and gestured for her to look at the front. "It's that bloke from the ball." She whispered, staring curiously over the crowd.

With brows furrowed, Delilah turned and her eyes landed on a dark skinned boy with a charming smile. Their gazes locked and he sent her a wink, causing a handful of people to look in Delilah's direction curiously.

"I'd like to introduce another new student! Everyone welcome Aleksander Eques, a seventh year Ravenclaw." The table clad in blue and bronze clapped the loudest, as did Delilah. She felt her eyes lingering on the table of eagles a bit longer than necessary. That was her true house, after all.

Well, now she definitely had an excuse to hang out in Ravenclaw tower. Her eyes then landed on a redhead and she smiled widely, waving her arm to get his attention. He was a bit farther down, but eventually he spotted her. Septimus grinned, his freckled cheeks stretching with the movement and he returned her wave.

"Since when are you friends with Weasley?" Lolita asked, grabbing a bread roll off a platter. Delilah hadn't realized their food arrived. "Oh it's quite the fascinating tale, I accidentally set him on fire."

____________________________________

She'd managed to go through half the week avoiding everyone, especially Elio. Delilah felt awful for putting off talking to him, she just couldn't find the courage.

Her success on avoidance crumbled however when Slughorn asked her to stay a moment after class. "Yes, Professor?" She fumbled with the strap on her bag, rocking on her feet slowly, she felt restless.

"I do hope to see you tomorrow night." The old man blustered, fumbling around in his briefcase. Her eyebrows shot up and she looked around the room, "pardon?"

Slughorn looked up at her with a funny expression, "the Slug Club dinner? Did Tom not tell you?" Delilah shook her head, annoyance at the coffee colored eyed boy bubbling in her chest. Well, she couldn't fully blame him. She's been avoiding him all week.

Then again, if Tom wanted to find someone, he would. Did that mean he was avoiding her as well? They didn't really talk much after the air raid. She couldn't blame him, they left things... awkward? Delilah wasn't really sure, but something seemed to shift in the space between them. And whether or not it was for the better was an entirely different question.

It was good to know that he didn't want her dead, however. At least not yet.

Delilah nodded at Slughorn after a moment, feeling a new layer of stress fall in her shoulders like a heavy quilt. "I'll be there."

Walking out of the Potions room, the dungeons were relatively empty. Most students were probably out in the courtyard or down at the Quidditch pitch. That's where the girls should be, but Abraxas and Elio would no doubt be practicing. No, she couldn't go there, she wasn't ready to face Elio yet after their breakup.

Her mind then trailed to the library, that was always a safe haven. But as Delilah turned the corner, she just caught a mere glimpse of dark curls walk into her hideout. Grinding her teeth, she let out a huff and slumped a shoulder against a wall. Flashes of that night rang in her head again, a bit more prominent since seeing Tom triggered their appearance.

____________________________________

"Shit, are you okay?" Delilah felt her mouth go dry as she took in the state of him. Tom slowly took off his jacket, barely wincing, but it did sting. Her eyes widened as she saw blood start to spot through his shirt on his arms. "Tom-"

"I'm fine." He settled her with a sharp glance and walked over to the door, which was hanging limply by its hinges. Delilah sucked in a breath at the sight of his back, which was also starting to be stained with blood. "Let me-"

"I'm fine, Pontmercy. We need to get back to the Inn." His tone was cold and a bit distant as he trotted down the steps. Delilah hesitantly walked forward, outside the building there were distant screams, the crack of fire, and orange tinted smoke. Her ears were still ringing, but as she walked out, the sounds became vivid.

A building, only two down from the one they sought asylum in, was blown to bits. The entire front wall was now crumbled bricks and she could see each level and how it was destroyed.

Her eyes wandered to the street and her knees buckled.

"Oh my god." She choked out, ignoring the shards of glass and wood digging into her legs. Tom whirled around at the sound of her voice. It sounded, well, he didn't exactly know. But an ache started in his ribcage at the tone of it.

Delilah was on her knees, palms pressed against the pavement still hot from the bombing, her eyes wide and stuck on something in front of her. Tom followed her gaze and grew tense.

It was a mother covered in ash, almost appearing like a ghost, clutching her dead child to her chest, screaming. The kid couldn't be older than five, and its body was mangled from the explosion.

Tom rushed over to Delilah and tugged her up, turning her face away from the haunting sight of the mourning mother. "Come on," he mumbled, steadying her as she tried to walk.

They made it to the Inn, earning a few strange glances seeing as Tom was bloodied and Delilah looked like she'd been petrified. Stumbling up the stairs, Tom pushed open her door with his shoulder and carefully set her on the bed.

He got light headed for a moment, the room smelled painfully like her. But it was a pain he was absentmindedly welcoming.

Tom meant to leave after he was sure she wouldn't have a panic attack, but as he turned to go she grabbed onto his sleeve. "Wait." The word was quietly spoken but seemed to echo around the room. He raised an eyebrow at her and she slowly looked up at him, wide eyed and doe like.

"Let me help." She gestured to his bloodied clothing, he'd nearly forgotten. "I'm-"

"Fine? No you're not, sit down." The authority in her voice was slightly surprising due to what they just went through, and reluctantly, he sat at the desk. It was the same exact style as the one in his room, but this one was like a blank canvas. Just waiting to be used, to be studied on, to have some insightful revelation.

Delilah got up and walked over to him after she grabbed her wand, she stood in front of him awkwardly for minute and cleared her throat. "Can you?" She gestured to his shirt. His eyes rolled at her flushed cheeks and he started to undo the buttons, he was sure he wasn't the first shirtless boy she's seen.

Her mind was moving a mile a minute, so when he stood up, she failed to take a step back.

They were so close.

Their eyes caught each other as he undid the buttons, and neither could find their will to look away. Tom untucked his shirt when he was finished and shrugged it off before holding it tightly in his hands, which were clenched in front of him.

Delilah found her eyes trailing down his chest, her appreciation of his toned figure clouded by the sight of numerous scars. Her hand twitched to reach out and touch him.

"Curious, aren't they?" He mused dryly, watching her carefully. He felt rather exposed, and he didn't know why. Which bothered him. She wasn't the first girl to see him shirtless, so why were his hands shaking? Delilah looked up at him with a raised brow due to his tone.

Tom trailed his eyes up to the caved ceiling, letting a faux thoughtful look veil his features. "If I recall correctly, I was hit with a rather nasty and dark spell." Her eyes widened then as realization dawned on her, she looked back at his chest and arms, at all the scars. Some much deeper than others. "Fucking hell."

Turning around, Delilah took in his back and she winced. Scars also littered his back, curving around his muscles like misdirected contour lines. There were numerous tiny gashes which were new, thanks to the glass. Most of the bigger pieces came out when he took off his coat and shirt, but smaller pieces were still wedged in his skin.

She waved her wand to get rid of the glass shards and went to work on cleaning the cuts. "Well at least you won't be getting any new scars." She joked, a nervous laugh passing her lips. Tom looked over his shoulder at her with an unimpressed brow cocked. "Pity."

Ignoring his satirical tone, she flicked her wand and closed all the cuts. His back now mostly smooth and removed of all blood, his muscles still seemed taut.

"Finished," she didn't mean for it to come out as a whisper, but he heard her. Tom turned and the distance seemed to shrink, they were probably six inches from each other.

Each drowning in the others presence, yet completely unaware.

Tom looked down at his shirt, which was pretty much done for. That was the second shirt Delilah inadvertently ruined by getting him cut up. Silence stretched between them like a tense rubber band, and it was about to snap.

He opened his mouth but paused, trying to find the right wording. His dark eyes then trailed up and took in her features, which were lightly dusted with ash yet it seemed to make her eyes glow. "Are you alright?" Tom finally said, his voice low and even. Anything louder would feel like a scream.

She shrugged and wrapped her arms around herself, "not really." The image of the mother and child kept flashing like a street sign, blinding her. "Will you be?" A strange invisible dome of comfort seemed to lace around them, almost creating an entire environment of nirvana between their bodies.

Delilah took in a breath, which she didn't know if it was a mistake or not. With his shirt off his scent became stronger; burnt wood, parchment, and cigarettes. Despite herself, over the past few weeks she's found herself seeking out that smell, wanting him around without realizing it.

"Maybe...no." She shook her head and looked down at her feet. "I don't see how anyone could be okay after seeing something like that." Tom nodded, turning his head away from her to look out the dingy window.

Empathy was something lost on him, but even he could admit something like that was troubling to watch. He himself never experienced motherly love, but the notion was hard to miss during the war. His mind reeled back to the woman clutching her son, her mouth hung open in agony as she tore apart her lungs with a scream.

Tom felt a chill roll up his spine. If loving someone and then losing them was that painful, why would anyone let themselves fall in the first place? Whether or not it was simply platonic. He shook his head and looked down at Delilah, she'd probably punch him if she heard his thoughts.

He'd been weary these past few days after the incident in the woods, she clearly didn't remember. But he wasn't sure if anything would trigger said memory. And Merlin knows she'd be absolutely furious with him. Maybe even to the extent where she never spoke to him again.

No, he couldn't have that. The idea in itself appalled him, if Delilah wasn't around it'd be like the world had gone of its axis. Thoughts such as these scared the living shit out of Tom, and not many things could accomplish such a reaction.

"Get some rest."

And he left her standing there.

____________________________________

Raising a fist, she knocked on the door before stepping back. Delilah smoothed down the dress Lolita let her borrow with one hand and twisted Elio's necklace around with the other. Currently, she'd rather be anywhere else than be at Slughorn's party, but there she was. Standing out in the hall like an idiot.

She knew she was supposed to bring a date, and Delilah was planning on asking either Septimus or Aleksander. But with Elio attending the party as well, she felt it inappropriate.

Finally the door opened and she was met with her half drunk Potions Professor, smiling widely and holding a goblet in one hand. "Delilah, Welcome!" He gestured her in and she smiled timidly, quickly eyeing everyone who was attending.

There was a large table with mostly Slytherin students. All the boys were there, and each had a date on their arms, except for Elio. He had his eyes trained on his plate and didn't look at her, something she was slightly grateful for.

A sigh of relief passed her lips as she spotted the girls, Lolita and Aurora next to their boys, Abraxas and Cain. Olive was also there, she was sitting next to Tom. His arm was lazily draped over the back of her chair and he wasn't looking at Delilah either.

Next to Pyrrhus sat that Ravenclaw girl she made him apologize to, Cosette, and she sent them a smile. There were a few others there, two from Gryffindor, three from Ravenclaw, and one from Hufflepuff.

She sat herself down between Olive and Pyrrhus, clearing her throat awkwardly since she obviously interrupted a conversation. "Hopefully I didn't miss anything too interesting."

Aleksander sent her a smile while he shook his head, taking a tentative sip of his drink. "Professor Slughorn was just telling us about his endeavors in Hungary, it's very fascinating." Delilah found herself sharing his grin, not missing the satire behind his eyes. "Please continue, Professor."

Slughorn continued to babble for nearly an hour and a half but she zoned him out, only nodding here and there as she picked at her food. Delilah turned her head away and hid a yawn behind her hand, but her gaze caught on Tom.

He was looking at her over Olive's shoulder and gestured to the door. She raised a brow, she didn't take him for one to ditch a teachers dinner. He was the head boy, usually he kept up with pretense. Delilah shook her head and made a point to bite into a piece of broccoli.

Not being fazed, Tom gestured to the door again and she rolled her eyes. Setting down her fork, Delilah cleared her throat and everyone turned to look at her. Shifting a bit in her seat, she glanced at Tom and he just barely raised his eyebrows as he slowly took a sip of fire whiskey.

"I'm feeling a bit peaky, I thought it'd wear off by dinner but sadly it's becoming a bit much." She ignored the look Lolita was giving her and stood up once Slughorn nodded. "Of course, my dear, feel better!" He raised a glass and just as the door shut behind her, she could hear him start another story.

Delilah looked around and walked over to an awning that was next to a window, smoothing down her dress before sitting down. Rolling her neck, her gaze turned to look out at the night sky, gazing at the cosmos. The January air bit at her skin, but she didn't mind.

Looking back down the hall at Slughorn's door, nearly twenty minutes passed and she laughed dryly. "What the fuck am I doing?" Shaking her head, she stood up and began to walk away. Why'd he ask her to leave if he wasn't coming out? Was he just annoyed by her presence? That didn't seem too far fetched, the more she thought about it.

Just as she reached the stairs to the dungeons, someone took hold of her arm and whirled her around. A scream nearly left her mouth as she found Tom holding a finger up to his lips. He looked oddly haunting with the low lighting of the hall, the green flames from torches casting shadows on his face. He almost didn't seem real, like a phantom.

"What took you so long," she bit out, shrugging off his hold. Tom shoved his hands in his pockets and began to walk down the stairs. "I couldn't very well leave right after you," he turned and looked up at her, realizing that she was still at the top of the stairwell. "Think of the scandal."

An unwelcomed image sprung up in her mind, and Delilah nearly fell down the stairs as she came to realize what she just pictured.

Tom Riddle kissing her, in this very staircase, her back pressed against the cold stone.

She suddenly felt very hot and her cheeks were undoubtedly flushed, where the fuck did that come from? Shaking her head, she began to walk down the stairs as he turned to continue. "Why'd you want to leave?"

Watching him dig in his pocket, Tom pulled out a cigarette and lit it, casting a small orb of a dim orange light around him. "You clearly looked miserable, those dinners are exhausting."

Delilah bit at her cheek, she thought she was hiding her boredom rather well. But leave it to Tom to see right through her. "I was actually having a good time." A light chuckle left his lips, smoke coming out as he did so.

"You can read lips, not minds Riddle." There was a pang in the back of her skull but she ignored it. Delilah instead focused on her annoyance at him for that stupid image in her head, it wasn't going away. He didn't have a say in the matter and she realized she was being irrational, but the warm feeling in her stomach was incessant.

Tom gave her a rather smug look with an eyebrow raised, lifting a hand to pull his cigarette away from his lips. She watched as a cloud of white poured from his nose and disappeared into the air. "Shut up," Delilah muttered. She needed to get away from him if he was going to walk around acting like, well, like that.

She still hated him, but Delilah could never refuse the notion that Tom was attractive. His personality often ruined that, however.

"Slughorn said we're to serve our detention tomorrow," he said after they entered the common room. Her brows furrowed before she remembered their incident while dueling. That felt like so long ago. "Doing what?"

"Cleaning the trophy room, it's better than grading papers for him. Honestly, this school is filled with idiots." Tom ran a hand through his hair and threw his cigarette into the fire, watching as it curled up and burned in the flames.

He felt Delilah come to stand next to him, her arms crossed as she too, gazed into the fire. "Why'd you really ask me to leave?" Her voice was quietly spoken, just barely heard over the dull crack of logs. Tom bit at the inside of his cheek, wishing she didn't ask so many questions. That'd make everything so much easier, though admittedly less interesting.

He asked her to leave because of Aleksander, the little shit wouldn't take his eyes off her. Something about the new Ravenclaw didn't sit right with him.

But Tom would never tell her that of course, she'd probably scold him, rant about how he was acting possessive or what not. And Tom was possessive, he could admit that, but he came to terms with the notion that no one could ever own Delilah Pontmercy a long time ago. She'd cut them a smile each if anyone ever tried.

That thought made his lips tug upward slightly, and Delilah just barely missed it. It was odd yet fascinating to see on him, she rarely saw him so much as smirk. But this was nearly a lopsided grin. And she desperately wanted to know what caused it.

"Goodnight, Pontmercy." And with that, he turned and left out the common room. She huffed and stared back into the fire, she'd forgotten he had his own dormitory as Head Boy. So why'd he walk her to the common room?

The image of them kissing rather intimately sprang into her mind again and she rubbed at her temples. Sleep, that's what she needed.

____________________________________

Begrudgingly, Delilah and Tom handed over their wands to Slughorn, and in exchange their Professor gave them cleaning supplies. He was just about to leave when he whirled around and fixed them each with a pointed gaze. "I know the two of you are rather skilled, no wandless magic. I'll know." He tapped his nose before leaving down the hall, observing their wands curiously.

Huffing, Delilah picked up her bucket and rag and went to the left of the room, trying to put as much distance between her and the boy she was with. That stupid image was still ever present in her mind. It even decided to make an appearance in her dream. If she was being frank, part of her didn't mind, but it was a tad overwhelming.

Tom didn't seem to notice any shift in her behavior, and if he did, he didn't comment on it. Barely ten minutes passed in silence and she started to whistle 'A Taste Of Honey', earning an annoyed glance over Tom's shoulder. "I've never heard that before, is it muggle?" There was a slight hint of disdain in his voice, but he did seem curious. The tune was rather catchy and despite himself, it wasn't too bad to hear.

Considering Delilah was awful at singing, her whistling a song was a gift. "You wouldn't know them," seeing as The Beatles won't be around for nearly twenty years. Delilah was about to start whistling again when something caught her eye on a trophy. It was a golden shield that held the title 'Special Award for Services to the School' and underneath it held a name; Tom Riddle.

Stifling a laugh as she grabbed it, Delilah turned to him with a dumb smile on her lips, "Aw, look what I found." Tom turned and caught sight of what she was holding, a scowl curling at the corner of his mouth. "Jealous?" That earned a scoff from the back of her throat as she halfheartedly cleaned it and placed it back on the shelf, "hardly."

A few more minutes passed, the silence not helping her mind keep distracted. Why did it always have to be him plaguing her thoughts? Why not her fear of never getting home? Why not puppies? Or even Brad Pitt? Her lip curled in annoyance at herself and at a smudge that wasn't going away on a plaque. Looking over at Tom, he seemed completely comfortable with the atmosphere around him. He didn't seem to mind the quiet. But it was currently driving Delilah up the wall.

"Would you like to know something curious?" She blurted out before she could stop herself. Tom looked at her through the reflection in the glass, an eyebrow raised. "The symbol of the Deathly Hallows, y'know the triangle-circle thing I showed you?" She smiled slightly as he instantly put down the trophy and turned around, Delilah enjoyed having his attention, but she'd never admit it.

"Well?" He urged, waving the rag at her impatiently, "I usually can't get you to shut up, don't start now." Delilah ignored the jab and craned her neck up to look at him, she was still sitting on the ground and Tom had walked over. "That mark is often confused for being Grindelwald's mark, seeing as the majority of his followers wear it."

Tom raised an eyebrow, but his lack of a reaction made her frown slightly. He didn't seem surprised. Nodding to himself, he began to pace slightly as he bit at his cheek. Grindelwald already had the Elder wand, but if he was associated with the mark of the hallows, that must mean he's aware of the others existence. Which really was quite annoying. If Grindelwald knew of their existence, there was no doubt in his mind he was trying to find them as well.

Still, Tom could never turn down a good challenge. And a Dark Lord was splendid competition.

A thought occurred to him then, and Tom whirled around to look at Delilah with a curious gleam in his eye. She raised a brow, shifting slightly as she put down another trophy. She didn't like the way he was looking at her, "What?"

"How did you know Grindelwald's followers wear the mark?" She never did cease to catch him off guard now and then. She was like a book full of secrets he never knew he wanted to read. Delilah shrugged, "I probably read it somewhere, common knowledge," she waved her hand dismissively but Tom shook his head.

He walked closer to her and she leaned back slightly, only to find her back hitting the trophy case. Tom bent his knees as he knelt down to be at eye level with her, his dark gaze boring into her royal blue ones. "It's not common knowledge, darling. If it was, I would know about it... coming to think of it." She watched as he tilted his head, he was looking at her as if she was some rare artifact he stumbled upon. Panic started to crawl up her back, but she did her best to keep her features neutral.

"How do you know so much about the Deathly Hallows?" Delilah pulled her tongue away from the roof of her mouth and swallowed, her mouth felt painfully dry all the sudden. "I told you, I read about it-"

"Yes, everyone and their mother has read about it. But they think it's a mere fairytale, and they don't know about the mark. Nor do they know Grindelwald's supporters bare it." His eyes narrowed slightly, trying to decipher why she was lying, or why she even felt the need to. He was about to ask her something else, but the door opened and Slughorn bustled in, a smile on his face.

"It's lunch, you've a break for the time being."

His annoyance flared even more when he caught Delilah letting out a sigh of relief.

What was she hiding?

____________________________________

Delilah avoided the great Hall because Tom would undoubtedly be breathing down her neck the whole time, and because of Elio. She knew she needed to talk to him at some point, but he seemed just as keen on avoiding her as well.

So due to this predicament, she found herself sitting on the edge of the Great Lake, her legs dangling off a large rock, throwing random stones in and ignoring the way her stomach was growling and a certain boy who wouldn't stay the fuck out of her head. Of all people, why'd it have to be him to catch her slight fancy? It made her hate him even more.

Hearing the shuffle of rocks a few feet away, Delilah flinched and acted on impulse, drawing her wand and firing the first hex to come to mind. There was a slight gasp from the person and she blinked a few times before she registered who it was.

Olive was glaring at her, wand raised as she casted a protego on herself, and in her other hand she was clutching a small basket. "That's not how you're supposed to thank the person who brought you lunch." Delilah smiled awkwardly and patted the empty spot next to her, which was a lumpy rock but it made due.

Huffing, Olive carefully navigated her way around the rocks and sat herself down, halfheartedly shoving the basket in Delilah's hands. "Thank you," She muttered, the smell of a sandwich hitting her nose and making her stomach growl. Olive hummed and turned her gaze to the lake, trying her best to ignore the January air biting into her skin.

Looking over at Delilah, she was surprised the girl wasn't shivering, seeing as her own teeth started to chatter. "When are you going to talk to Elio, he's a proper mess at the moment. Merlin knows he won't talk to you first." Delilah sighed as she bit into her food, part of her wishing the lake would just swallow her whole and drown her. "I don't know, soon, maybe..."

"What even happened?"

Delilah picked at a thread on her robes and shrugged, "we weren't going anywhere. And I shouldn't have even gotten into a relationship in the first place, that was just cruel to him. And I love him, I do, but-" she trailed and went a bit stiff when Olive rested her head on her shoulder.

The girls eyes were downcast and she worried at her lips, there was a sort of distant melancholy air about her. Delilah's never seen her like this before, it was slightly off putting. Olive sniffed but she wasn't crying, she wouldn't allow herself to, not anymore. "No two people mean the same thing when they say I love you."

That was true, and the reality of it settled itself uncomfortably on Delilah's shoulders. Three simple words shouldn't hold such power. Those words had the ability to either raise cities or burn them to the ground.

Their comfortable silence ended abruptly when Olive spotted Tom making his way down to the lake. "That's my cue to leave," She grumbled, making her way up to her feet and brushing the dirt off her robes. Before she left, Olive looked down at Delilah with her lips pursed slightly. "You really do need to speak to Elio soon." And then she turned and left, pointedly going the long way around to avoid Tom.

Throwing her head back and releasing a groan, Delilah stood up and fixed her skirt. She wasn't in the mood to talk to Tom, he'd probably bombard her with questions concerning why she knew so much. Part of her wondered if she just came out with the truth, would it sound so ridiculous that he wouldn't believe her? Possibly, but it'd be incredibly idiotic.

Tom stopped a few feet away from her, higher up seeing as he was further from the edge. "Sightseeing?" He mused, gesturing to the still water lake. It appeared vacant above surface, but there was an entirely different environment below, he hoped to observe first hand some day.

"You could say that," Delilah made a point to not look at him and instead turned her focus to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. A beat of silence passed, Tom's patience wearing thin, but Delilah suddenly lifted up an arm and pointed at something. "Do you see it?" Her tone held something of excitement, and when she turned to look at him, her royal blue eyes were alight.

He followed where she was pointing but didn't see anything, was she pulling his leg? "No, I don't see it," He said flatly. But she was unwavered and a smile breached her lips. "It's right there, between those two trees adjacent to that boulder," What she was seeing was a thestral, that beautiful creature half the wizarding world didn't believe existed. But there it was, stretching its winds and shaking its head.

Tom narrowed his eyes at the spot she indicated, he was just about to give up looking when he noticed a branch shift and a new divot created in the dirt. There was definitely something there, he just couldn't see it, so how could- "a thestral?"

Delilah nodded, slightly surprised he remembered when she ranted about them while they were on holiday. Part of her assumed Tom tuned her out most of the time. "They're quite stunning-" her sentence got cut off due to her letting out a surprised scream. As she turned to look at him, her foot slipped on slick surface of the rock, and into the lake she went.

He couldn't help the dry laugh that left his lips once she went under, only to reappear a few seconds later, gasping and wiping the wet hair away from her eyes. Tom settled his features and raised a brow at her, "you're probably one of the most clumsiest people I've ever met."

A slight pout met her lips and he sighed slightly through his nose.

Making his way down to the large boulder like rocks that lined the lake, he held out a hand to haul her out. But as he started to tug her upward, his shoe's grip gave out.

"Merlin-" Tom's voice cut off as he fell into the water, nearly landing on top of Delilah. The water bit into his skin painfully, like daggers of ice cutting into every nerve. Tom emerged from underwater to the sound of Delilah laughing, it carried over the surface easily like ripple and met his ears.

"You find this amusing?"

"Incredibly."

"It's freezing."

Delilah hadn't noticed, for some reason it didn't occur to her in any mind. In fact, she barely even felt the water, it was almost like a phantom presence around her body, and the chill of the water was a memory. Tom himself was trying to keep his teeth from chattering as they floated around each other for a moment, their legs kicking out an occasionally touching.

"You look like you're about to turn into an ice cube," Delilah mused. He scoffed and began to swim back towards the rocky edge of the lake, his limbs feeling painfully stiff as they moved through the water. His eyes scanned to find a decent rock to haul himself out as quickly as possible without the chance of falling back in.

He took his robes off since they were weighing him down and threw them onto shore before grabbing hold of a jagged edge. Although she tried, Delilah couldn't take her eyes off him as he began to lift himself out of the lake, his white shirt now see-through and stuck to his back. She watched as his muscles shifted and strained, only looking away once he was out and turned around towards her.

Her cheeks felt on fire and were probably bright red, but hopefully he would just assume it was the cold. She swam over and he helped her out successfully this time, and Merlin was it hard to think straight as she was pressed against him for a moment. Hyper aware of his lean chest being visible through his shirt.

Once he was sure she wouldn't fall again, seeing as he was in no mood to help her out if need be, he dried himself off with a spell, Delilah following shortly after. Clearing her throat, she gestured towards the forbidden forest, "want to see if you can touch it?" The thestral was still grazing along the edge, unaware of their existence.

Tom motioned for her to lead the way as he shrugged his now dried robes back on, his hair was messed up though. "Are you nervous about exams?" It was a stupid question, Tom would pass all of his tests with flying colors. But he was being unnervingly silent. "No, though others are more vital than others. Considering what career path you choose."

"What do you want to do?" Delilah could never picture Tom at a normal job, though his brilliance would do him well in a Ministry job, it was no place for someone as complicated as him. And his ambition was vast, but a position such as Minister for Magic would be too noisy. At heart, she thought Tom was adventurous, his curiosity and yearning for knowledge always fueling him.

"I would like a position here," Tom said after a moment, not missing the look of confusion on her face. "Really? I mean there's no shame in being a professor but, I don't know," she shrugged, gesturing to the air around her. "There's so much more out there, and someone with your talents has a lot going for them."

"My talents?" He basked in the blush flooding her cheeks and she glared at him. "Shut up." Delilah quickly held out an arm, halting Tom from moving forward. Her eyes were trained on a spot a few feet in front of her. "Right there," she pointed between a knocked over trunk and a makeshift fence made of rocks.

Delilah knelt down and Tom did the same, their thighs pressed against one another. He couldn't see anything, so he made sure to keep his ears open. Every few seconds he could hear a shift in the dirt and a huff from a nose. He was beyond curious to know what the creature looked like, because the way Delilah's eyes were shining, the thestral was obviously something to behold.

She slowly rose to her feet and told him to wait with a hand. Making her way slowly forward, Delilah held out both her palms as she approached the fantastic beast. It's foggy white eyes gazed at her warily, stepping back a bit as she slowly neared. "Hello, beautiful." Her voice was like a soft caress that carried across the air.

It was a bit odd to observe, to Tom it looked like she was talking to a tree.

The thestral huffed a bit and slowly stepped forward, looking at Delilah curiously and she smiled. "I'm afraid I don't have any food for you, maybe next time." She let out a sigh as the thestral nuzzled it's nose against her palm. Looking over her shoulder, she gestured for Tom to come over. "Slowly, keep your hands raised," she warned and for once, he did as told.

He didn't exactly know where to approach, so once he got near enough, Delilah took hold of his hand and guided it forward. Cool, leather-like skin met his touch and his brows furrowed at the feeling of bone. "No fur?" He asked, Delilah shook her head as she guided his hand down the thestrals neck.

Once he got comfortable, he took to brushing his fingers along the side of the creature. To him it looked like he was touching air and Delilah smiled slightly at the expression on his face.

"Do you have any plans for the summer?" Tom's question caught her off guard, the silence around them breaking and the thestral huffed slightly.

Yes, she had plans, to get back home. But as the days flew past in a blur, her hopes seemed to dwindle. "Not that I know of, what about you?" Tom's eyes followed his hand as it moved, trying to imagine what the creature looked like. "I'll be traveling with the boys, but I'll be staying in France for awhile. You're welcome to come along."

She blinked at him for a moment, her hand pausing on the spot where she was petting the thestral. "Maybe," if she was still around by then. Delilah continued her movement before peering at him from the corner of her eye. "Why'd you come out here? I never got the chance to ask."

"Oh, right. Dumbledore wanted to see you."

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Stumbling up the stairs, Delilah nearly tripped three times. She should've smacked Tom for not telling her right away. It was obvious he didn't like the transfigurations Professor, but it irked her that he didn't tell her as soon as he approached the lake.

Knocking on the door, Delilah was out of breath as it opened, smiling up at Dumbledore. "Sorry, I got caught up." He eyed the dirt on her clothes before waving a hand, gesturing for her to come in and sit down. "No trouble at all, lemon drop?"

"No, thank you. You wanted to see me, sir?"

He clicked his tongue and nodded, settling himself down in his chair. Resting his elbows on the edge of his desk, hands steepled beneath his chin, he observed her for a moment. She was looking considerably better, seeing as she was bleeding out the last time he saw her.

"How are you?" She shrugged and scratched at the back of her neck, "fine, a little winded from running up here." Dumbledore watched her over the rim of his half-moon spectacles. He wanted to ask her about that memory he saw of those dreaded few months, her screams still followed him around. He even lost a bit of sleep due to it, and Merlin knows Dumbledore barely got enough rest as is.

But there were more pressing matters.

"I have a proposition, a plan if you will, to get you back home." As soon as the words left his mouth, Delilah shot up straight. She did it so quickly she got whiplash and she felt breathless all over again. "You do? Did you find out what happened? Who sent me here?"

Dumbledore shook his head as he popped a lemon drop into his mouth. "No, sadly those questions still go answered. But I do believe there's a way to get you back home, though the method of doing so will be a bit questionable... and dare I say, illegal."

Delilah raised a brow at him, her mind moving a mile a minute. "Meaning?" Whatever it was, she'd do it. If he believed it could get her back home, she'd do anything. If he'd just spit it out already.

"To put it simply, get into the Ministry, and acquire a time-turner." And by acquire, he meant steal. Delilah's brain reeled at the near impossibility of it. She's broken into the Ministry before, on more than one occasion, but that was when it was overrun by Death Eaters and she had connections. Nonetheless, if Dumbledore thought she could do it, she was getting that fucking time-turner.

"What's the plan?"

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And I FINALLY updated, I'm so sorry for the long wait!! Moving houses is a bitch lol