07. Secrets
||Elliana's P.O.V.||
"Well, it would seem whereas your dueling has improved, your potion making abilities are severely lacking," Snape mumbled in his infamous monotone. "But I have a feeling your offensive skills will be vital for you in the future. Keep doing what you're doing, Kingsley. There's a great war upon us, after all.."
"I know," I sighed, my shoulders slumping forward as I conjured a fireball in my right hand.
Wandless magic would prove to be beneficial; I had no doubt. It was one of the greatest skills I've been able to hone in on with my Pro-Dueling training.
Snape frowned, the stern lines of his face deepening. "You mustn't tell your friends the truth, Kingsley. Not yet..."
The truth. I couldn't tell my friends that I was the biological daughter of the darkest wizard to exist. I couldn't tell them that I was 'fated' to a vampire who just so happened to be Cedric's doppelganger. There was little that I could tell them regarding my time spent in the States— A fact that left me uneasy. I was never one to keep secrets from my friends.
"..I know," I repeated firmly, glancing up at him as the flame dissipated from my hand. "Can I go now?"
He shook his head. "Your friends can wait. Sharpening your skills are far more important than idle gossip."
***
By the time my training session was over, I knew I'd be lucky to make it in time for dinner. I was running as quickly as my legs could take me, not wanting to let my friends down. In my hurry, I collided with a figure, causing their textbook and quills to drop to the floor.
Immediately, I apologized. "I'm sorry. I seriously have a habit of doing that," I joked as I bent down to grab a quill that was rolling on the floor.
As I stood up, I locked eyes with Cho Chang. Pressing my lips into a thin line, I handed her the quill which she accepted with wide eyes. Can you say 'awkward'? Still, I knew I needed to clear the air.
"Hey, Cho.. Look," I breathed out, offering her a small smile, hoping to start things off on the right foot by calling her by her first name. "..I know things were.. weird.. between us before, but.. after everything, I really hope we can start getting along. For everyone's sake."
She quirked a thin brow, looking at me in disbelief. "Really?"
I nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it wouldn't kill us to be friends, would it?"
Before, the Ravenclaw couldn't seem to stand me. And believe me when I say that the feeling was mutual. Granted, my previous dislike for her likely stemmed from jealousy. I had been envious that she was the one hanging on Cedric's arm, hearing him whisper sweet nothings in her ear. For the longest time, I had yearned for that to be me.
Now that I was no longer green with envy regarding their relationship, I was hopeful that the awkward tension between us would cease entirely.
"..Even after.. everything that's happened?" The skepticism was plain as day in her voice.
I inhaled deeply and nodded once more. "Of course. I mean, it would make things much easier on all of us. I'm not so bad once you get to know me. Honest."
She breathed out a wry laugh, but to my surprise, she actually smiled. "I suppose one can never have too many friends."
My smile grew, blinking rapidly as I held out my hand. "So.. Truce?"
She was quick to nod, giving my hand a quick shake. "Truce."
"Cho?" A girl's voice came from over my shoulder.
I turned and saw Pansy Parkinson standing at the end of the hall, a blush immediately creeping to Cho's cheeks.
"Come on," Parkinson smiled at her, adding with a wink, "We have to hurry if we want to get back in time for dessert."
The Ravenclaw's blush deepened. "I'll see you later, Kingsley. Welcome back, by the way."
"Thanks. See ya in the Great Hall," I said to her before spinning on my heels and making a beeline towards the Great Hall once again.
By the time I arrived, my lungs felt like they were on fire. And here I thought I was in shape. I glanced around the Great Hall, smiling when I spotted my friends sitting at the Hufflepuff table.
George started waving frantically, beaming at me from afar. He was sitting with Cedric, who had an empty seat beside him. No doubt, Cho would be joining us shortly after she finished up with whatever she was doing with Parkinson. Natalie was sitting directly across from him, with Fred on her right, facing his twin.
Cedric looked up from his plate of food and flashed me a warm smile that I was quick to return as I took a seat next to Natalie. For some reason, his smile faltered.
"Elle!" Fred leaned forward to see around Natalie. "Glad you could make it."
"Mighty glad, indeed," George winked, bouncing up from his seat and plopping down in the empty space beside Cedric, directly in front of me. "And might I say you're looking mighty lovely this evening?"
I breathed out an airy laugh as I started piling my plate with food. Oh, how I missed the food here at Hogwarts. Cafeteria food in muggle schools is horrendous. That was one thing I wasn't missing about Waverly.
"Thanks, George. You're dashing as always," I grinned as I shoveled some mashed potatoes in my mouth. I have no shame. "Oh My God. This is delicious!"
"You're delicious," George quipped, arching a suggestive brow.
Cedric's mouth fell open, his spoon falling on his plate with a loud clatter as he swiveled his head in George's direction. Fred laughed loudly, followed by my quiet laughter. Natalie was simply looking at me with a blank expression.
I waved a corncob at George, narrowing my eyes at him jokingly and asking, "George Weasley. Are you flirting with me?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cedric staring at the red-headed boy in seeming disbelief. "Are you?" He asked him, sounding thoroughly appalled.
His reaction elicited another round of chuckles from me and Fred. George, however, wasn't fazed. I couldn't tell if he was truly looking at me with 'heart-eyes' or if it was all show, but I was choosing to believe it was the latter.
"That depends." George wagged his brows at me. "Are you flirting back?"
"Obviously not," Natalie quipped, finally joining in.
I glanced at her, curious what she was getting at.
She pointed to my cheeks and chuckled, "She isn't blushing."
My jaw went slack before a smile overtook my face. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Fred started cackling while the rest of us waited for her response.
She rolled her eyes as if it was obvious. "Anytime you try to flirt, your face turns beet red."
I looked at each of my friends. "..Really?"
"It's done that since first year, Elle," Fred mused, shaking his head in amusement.
"You suck at flirting," Natalie smiled coyly, meeting my gaze.
My mouth fell open. "I resent that," I gasped in faux horror. "And I do not."
"Yes, you do," Fred laughed, glancing at Cedric. "Right, Ced?"
His gray eyes widened in response, his cheeks turning a deep shade of red. "Wha-? What do I have to do with this?"
Oh, boy. I knew exactly where this was going.
"Okay, okay. I get it." I was quick to say, raising my hands as if to surrender. "I was a terrible flirt. 'Was' being the key word."
With that, I shoveled more food into my mouth, feeling absolutely ravenous after the long day I've had.
"Was, huh?" Natalie teased, nudging me with her elbow. "Have you upped your game in the months you've been away?"
I smiled, blinking slowly before shrugging. "..Maybe. Maybe not.."
George sighed dramatically, placing his face in his hands as he looked at me longingly. "Well, Elle... You've officially broke my heart."
Chuckling, I joked, "Do you want me to flirt with you, George?"
He nodded, grinning from ear to ear.
I didn't miss a beat as I said, "If kisses were snowflakes, I'd send you a blizzard," before blowing him a kiss and winking.
He blushed, pretending to catch the kiss with his hand and put it in his pocket for safekeeping, earning a laugh all around the table. All aside from Cedric, who was looking at the both of us like we had three heads.
I still had another one up on my sleeve. Leaning towards the blushing red-headed boy, I jokingly whispered, "Not even Snape could Severus apart."
He threw his head back and laughed at that one.
Fred was quick to join in. "Okay, that one was bloody brilliant."
Natalie shook her head, snickering quietly.
I looked at George and grinned. "Better?"
"Much better," he said before taking a big swig of apple juice. "Ahh. But as much as I appreciate it, Elle, I'm afraid I'm going to have to let ya down easy.."
I quirked a brow in amusement. "Oh, really?"
He nodded, placing his hand over his heart. "You see.. My heart belongs to another."
I pulled my lower lip between my teeth to keep from smiling. "Who is she? Should I be jealous?"
Fred was on the edge of his seat, wearing a contagious smile. Natalie glanced at Cedric, who looked just as lost as she was.
"Oh, you should be exceedingly jealous. As a matter of fact, you should be downright green with envy, Elle.. For.. my heart.. belongs to..." His eyes flitted to Cedric, batting his lashes as he finished his sentence, "Ced.." He sighed dreamily.
Cedric's brows flew up his forehead before he rolled his eyes so forcefully that I was genuinely concerned they were going to get stuck in his head. "You're an idiot, you know that?" He breathed out a laugh, elbowing George. "Here I thought you were confessing your undying love to Elliana."
We all laughed, our laughter mingling in the air.
A smirk flitted to George's lips before turning to Ced and saying, "..Would that bother you? If I was?"
Now, it was my turn to roll my eyes.
Cedric's face flushed. "W-What?"
Taking pity on my friend, I changed the subject. "Speaking of, what have I missed while I was gone? Any 'hot' new couples?" I placed my hand under my chin and smiled at my friends. "Give me the tea."
George looked at Fred and Natalie, grinning like a possum. My mouth fell open when I put two and two together.
I playfully smacked Natalie on the shoulder, "When were you going to tell me?"
Damn, I sounded downright hypocritical, huh? Immediately, I felt guilty. But it's not like I could be all 'Hey, Nat. So, I'm fated to a hundred- and twenty-two-year-old vampire. Oh, and he and Cedric just so happen to be Doppelgangers. Weird, huh?' I could only imagine their reactions.
Nat gave me a sheepish smile. "I meant to earlier, but you know.."
Sympathy filled her eyes and immediately, I knew. She was referring to our discussion in my dorm. I nodded in understanding.
"..Right," I breathed out, flashing her and Fred an excited smile. "Well, you two make a great couple. I knew it was bound to happen eventually."
"You did?" They asked in sync.
I nodded, grinning ear to ear. "Yeah."
Natalie pursed her lips before smirking. "Did you see it in the crystal ball?"
I rolled my eyes and laughed. "No. But I didn't need a vision to know that you were both smitten with each other."
Cedric nodded in agreement. "It was pretty obvious."
Fred narrowed his eyes at him in a playful manner. "You're one to talk."
It would seem as though Cedric's blush was going to permanently stain his cheeks. "You don't know what you're talking about, Fred. I mean, seriously."
Now, I was lost. Clearly, I had missed out on quite a bit in the time I've been away.
Cedric hesitantly glanced my way. I met his gaze and offered him a soft smile.
"So, Ced.." I paused, gaining the attention of our friends. "How long have you been... back?"
He pressed his lips into a thin line, deep in thought before saying, "..About a month now."
My jaw dropped. And no one told me?! Anger swelled within me at the knowledge. My head swiveled, shooting daggers at each of my friends.
"And no one thought to tell me?" I asked them, struggling to keep the anger out of my voice.
Fred was quick to speak up. "You've been dodging our owls for months, Elle."
George nodded. "Return to sender."
My brows knitted together in confusion. "What? I haven't been dodging you guys. I would never—" I was at a loss for words at the very thought.
Natalie folded her arms on top of the table and looked at the boys. "Told you." She patted my arm. "I knew you wouldn't intentionally avoid us."
"That doesn't make sense though..." I trailed off, staring down at the table.
Someone has been intercepting my letters. My eyes grew wide, panic engulfing me. That means I wouldn't get to write Edward. If he didn't hear from me, I knew the chaos that would ensue. He was a worrywart by nature as it was.
"...You okay?" Natalie leaned towards me to whisper, gently nudging me with her elbow, effectively pulling me from my thoughts.
"..Yeah. It's just..." I bit my lower lip nervously. "I take it you guys haven't received any letters from me within the past few months? Like at all?"
They shook their heads in sync. Cedric simply stared at me with a blank expression as he absentmindedly picked at his food. I groaned in frustration, covering my face with my hands.
"What's wrong?" George asked around a mouthful of food.
I ran a hand through my hair, meeting each of their curious gazes. "I'm just worried that my friends back home won't be getting my letters," I explained to them, frowning at the thought.
"I must admit— It's weird hearing you call that place 'home'," Fred mused, quirking a brow. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you replaced us, Elle." He was teasing, but there was still a trace of doubt in his voice.
"Of course not," I was quick to say, offering each of them a smile. "I could never replace you guys. But I did make some wonderful friends in Waverly, and I don't want them to worry if they don't hear from me.."
George waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, I'm sure they'll get it all straightened out at the owlery."
Fred nodded in agreement, saying, "Yeah, nothing to lose sleep over."
I sighed, making a mental note to talk to Snape about it when a head full of dark hair caught my eye from across the room. Harry grinned from ear to ear when we locked eyes, running towards me with a pep in his step. I wasted no time in jumping out of my seat and flinging my arms around his neck in a tight embrace that he was quick to return.
"Elle. Welcome back," he said to me, his grin growing as I pulled away to get a good look at him. "I was worried when I didn't hear from you in so long."
"Yeah. Must have been a mix up at the post.." I trailed off, trying to disguise the concern in my voice.
He nodded in understanding, a knowing glint in his eye. "Right. Well, we need to catch up, alright? Say.. Tomorrow sometime?"
"It's a date."
His brows flew up his forehead, a bright blush flooding his cheeks. I rolled my eyes playfully and gave him a gentle shove. "You know what I mean, you goof."
His blush somehow managed to deepen as he flashed me a sheepish smile. "R-Right. Yeah. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow." I chuckled as he walked away, watching as he nearly stumbled over his own two feet in the process.
The twins threw their heads back and cackled like a couple of hyenas as Harry returned to the Gryffindor table with a beet red face.
"Awww! Looks like someone has a little crush," Natalie cooed as I reclaimed my seat beside her.
"She isn't crushing on Harry." Cedric rolled his eyes, earning another round of laughter from Fred and George.
Natalie narrowed her eyes at Ced and shook her head. "I wasn't talking about her. Harry, on the other hand, seems to be crushing big time."
"He is not," I told her, taking a sip of my juice. "We're just friends."
"The kid's fourteen," Cedric spoke up, taking my side. "Of course they're just friends."
"He's fifteen," Fred corrected him with a smirk.
"And a half," George added, wagging his brows.
Cedric's head swiveled back and forth, shooting them both annoyed glares. Clearly, this was 'annoy Cedric day'.
"Age is just a number," I spoke up, earning bewildered looks from the four of them.
What can I say? Age is a sensitive subject for me— You know... Since my boyfriend is a hundred-and-twenty-two-year-old vampire stuck in the never-aging body of a teenager. I would grow old, my youth slowly fading away while he remains unchanged.
"..I mean— Not in every situation, of course." I pulled my lower lip between my teeth in an anxious manner. "..I'm sure Harry is wise beyond his years, so it wouldn't be all that surprising if he got with an older girl. Obviously not too old. Just old enough, of course. Um.." I blinked rapidly, at a loss for words. "Nevermind.."
Cue another round of laughter from the twins and curious glances from Cedric and Natalie.
"..So, you've been exchanging letters with him?" Cedric spoke up after a moment of silence, looking genuinely intrigued.
I nodded, looking back and forth between my friends. "Yeah."
He pursed his lips, seeming to study me. "Since when are you two close like that?"
I looked at him in with a blank expression. Natalie sifted through her mashed potatoes, smiling awkwardly. The twins pressed their lips into a thin line, seeming to be biting back smiles.
"Since the last challenge," I responded without missing a beat, pulling my lower lip between my teeth.
My heart clenched when I brought up the maze. That day changed everything, and Harry and I had bonded over the shared trauma.
Ced's brows flew up his forehead in surprise, his eyes flooding with realization before dropping his gaze to the food on his plate. "..Oh."
Natalie cleared her throat, taking it upon herself to break the awkward tension. "That's a really nice ring.." She pointed at the silver ring on my forefinger that was in the shape of a feather— My 'Whispering Wisps' ring that Jay had infused with the Protean charm. "Where did you get it?"
"A friend gave it to me," I responded, absentmindedly twirling the ring around on my finger.
Cedric furrowed his brows as he looked at it. The twins stole a glance, appearing unenthralled before doing a double take. George's eyes widened as he reached across the table and grabbed my hand, holding it up to his face to get a closer look.
"Merlin's Beard!" George exclaimed. "This ring is nearly identical to Willow's!"
My jaw dropped. They knew of my alias? "..What?"
Fred and Cedric shook their heads in obvious amusement.
"He's obsessed with that Whispering Wisps' girl," Fred chuckled, draping an arm across Natalie's shoulder.
My brows flew up my forehead in surprise, a blush rushing to my cheeks. "Seriously? You guys know of the Whispering Wisps?"
George continued admiring my ring, saying, "Are you kidding?! Everyone knows about them. They're like the hottest Pro-Dueling team right now."
Pro-Dueling was a very new wizarding sport, having made its debut in the States merely months ago, so I was surprised that it had already made an impact on the witches and wizards here at Hogwarts.
"Yeah. I heard they're going to be touring the Scottish Highlands," Fred spoke up, grinning. "George is already trying to scrounge up money for tickets."
"Willow's my favorite," George grinned cheekily, touching the ring on my finger.
My blush deepened at his confession, knowing he had no earthly clue that 'Willow' was sitting directly across from him.
"So, you're a fan too, I take it?" He arched a brow as he finally allowed me to withdraw my hand from his curious eyes.
I looked at each of my friends, a smile spreading across my face, preparing to tell them all about my life as Pro-Duelist with the Whispering Wisps.
"Actually, I'm—" I was cut off when the ring heated up on my finger, a hiss escaping me at the pain. "Ow.."
My brows knitted as I stared at the ring, waiting for it to cool down. Believing it to be a fluke, I tried to say my piece again.
"Anyways... I'm— Merlin! OW!" I flinched, the ring heating up to the point of burning.
I frantically tried to remove it, my mouth falling open when I realized that it was stuck. It wasn't budging. Whatsoever.
"Is that burning you??" Cedric asked, his voice dripping with concern.
"Yes," I manage to blurt out, continuing to try to remove the sizzling ring to no avail.
He immediately whipped out his wand and cast a 'cooling charm'. The relief was immediate, though it was short-lived. The moment I so much as thought about discussing my alias as 'Willow', it started burning once more.
That's when I realized— It wasn't just the Protean Charm at work. Jay had further enchanted it somehow. I recalled how desperate he was to ensure that the rest of us continued to keep our identities hidden, but I never would've thought he would've forced it on us. The fact that I couldn't even remove the ring confirmed my suspicion.
My face heated up in frustration, feeling a bit betrayed by my 'friend' back home.
"You alright?" Natalie asked, her eyes darting from me and to the ring.
When I accepted my fate— realizing that I was being forced to keep my mouth shut, the burning ceased. What other secrets would I be forced to keep from my friends? My heritage, my fated vampire boyfriend, and now, my alias as a Pro-Duelist? The secrets just kept piling up, a wave of guilt coursing through me at the realization.
"Never better.." I mumbled, dropping my gaze to the table.
George quirked a brow, glancing at the ring. "You were saying?"
I pressed my lips into a stern line, collecting myself before forcing a smile, trying to appear light-hearted in front of my friends.
"I was saying..." I trailed off, my body tense as I waited to see if the ring was planning on inflicting anymore pain. "..that I'm.. a fan.." The lie rolled off my tongue, tasting bitter as I continued, "..A big fan of Pro-Dueling.. And of the Whispering Wisps, of course."
"Really?" Cedric questioned, looking at me in disbelief. "You've never been into sports.."
I opened my mouth to speak, but George beat me to the punch. "Who's your favorite Wisp?" He asked, his eyes dancing with delight as he took a bite of corn.
"Lo-" I almost said Lonnie's real name, as opposed to his alias, but the burning on my finger stopped me mid-sentence. "Ash. Ash is my favorite."
Out of all four of my teammates, I was closest with Lonnie. He had become a dear friend to me.
"Hmm.." Fred hummed in response, crunching into his apple. "You struck me as more of a 'Rowan' kind of gal."
Rowan. Or shall I say— Jay. I had to stifle an eyeroll at his comment, feeling beyond vexed with the Whispering Wisps' 'leader', at the moment.
"Nope," I was quick to say, popping the 'p'.
"Why not?" Natalie wondered. "You can't even see the others' faces."
"A little mystery is sexy, Nat," George commented with a teasing smirk, turning to me. "Right, Elle?"
I nodded, not in the mood to discuss 'sexiness' as I stared down at the not-so-sexy burn on my finger.
"Sure. Besides, Rowan seems like he's a bit full of himself to me," I mumbled bitterly, touching the feather-shaped ring.
"You need to put something on that," Cedric spoke up, nodding towards my finger. "Do you have any burn paste? If not, I'm sure Madam Pomfrey would—"
George cut him off mid-sentence, saying, "Why did that ring burn you anyway?"
"Protean charm gone wrong, I reckon..." I muttered the half-lie, a quiet sigh escaping me.
What else could go wrong?
||AUTHOR'S NOTE||
Hope you guys had an okay Monday! 😊