All You Wish For and All You Need

Anne could feel their eyes on her as she walked through the throng of students to the Great Hall for breakfast. Everyone stared at her wherever she went, watching the space beside her where Marcus wasn’t. Anne breathed out sharply in annoyance and pushed through the crowd. They muttered to each other as they watched her go.

The only time Anne saw Marcus was in classes, and in those he resolutely ignored her. Every day was causing her to become more annoyed with him. All she had done was refuse to tell him what she and Arabella had been talking about and it resulted in a reaction like this.

Anne glowered at the Slytherin table where Marcus would normally be seated. But, same as the last two days, he was not there. She huffed as she sat down and angrily poured pumpkin juice into her goblet. Arabella smiled slightly at her before turning back to her toast. Anne drained the drink and then picked at the egg on her plate.

The students sitting around her watched until she felt their gaze and looked up defiantly. “Do you want something?” she snapped. Anne pushed herself away from the table and stormed from the hall. She felt so angry at everyone, and all because of Marcus. Even the teachers weren’t safe from her catty nature.

“Get out of the way,” she snarled as she rounded a corner and walked into someone. When she looked up, Anne saw Marcus’ flat black eyes staring down at her, unreadable. Anne narrowed her eyes and pushed past him.

Marcus stood, watching the space that she had been only moments before. He pursed his lips and continued towards the hall. His stomach rumbled as he smelt the hot food.

Arnold and Richard nodded at him as he sat. He hadn’t spoken a word to anyone since he and Anne had fought. Arnold and Richard were used to this though. Marcus hadn’t been speaking to them much since the ball last year. They partly blamed Anne for this, but at the same time, they were slightly relieved. It meant that they did not have to suffer his dark and changeable temper.

Marcus scanned the hall while he ate. Many students lowered their staring gazes as his eyes met theirs. Like Anne, Marcus was being watched by everyone. It didn’t bother Marcus as much as it did Anne. He was used to being stared at by the students of Hogwarts.

Soon, all the students stepped away from the tables and hurried off to class. Marcus walked at the back of the group of people, listening to the thudding of their feet and the busy babble of their voices. He walked slowly back to the Slytherin common room to collect his bag and then walked to potions.

He sat down at the table he had sat at since coming to Hogwarts. Richard and Arnold sat either side of him, writing something hurriedly with their quills. Marcus watched Professor Armstrong as he wrote on the board. The sound of quills scratching against parchment filled the room and Marcus sat, still as stone.

His eyes wandered around the room and rested on the Gryffindor table. Anne was not there. But, right on cue, there was a knock at the door and Anne entered; her face set and blank.

Marcus bit his lip and frowned. Where was the sparkle in her eyes? Her cheeks were bloodless when usually they were coloured as she smiled and laughed along with the world. She mumbled an excuse to Armstrong before sliding into her seat beside Arabella. She kept her eyes on the desk as Armstrong continued his lecture on the potion they were creating that day.

Marcus watched as Anne’s slender hands clasped together infront of her on the desk and her knuckles turn white as she held them tightly. She stayed that way for five minutes before Arabella nudged her to let her know that they had to start now. Then Anne looked up and towards Marcus. Her eyes seethed as she found him staring at her.

Marcus looked away, something gnawing at his chest. Her eyes were once filled with life and joy and amusement. Now they were dead and filled with hate. For him.