Finders Keepers? [Eddie]

Eddie was eating alone for the first time in a week. Things had been going really well for him at this new school! He had a large group of friends for the first time in years, and most importantly, he had himself a girl friend! He had nearly missed his opportunity, but somehow he had managed to snag Cait and had been walking on air ever since. He ate most of his meals with her now, but today she had a test scheduled during diner, and he was eating alone, just until Benji showed up.

His plate today was pretty standard. His blood sugar had been high, so he was trying to stay away from carbs so that he could have a little bit of dessert. He had pulled a large fillet of salmon onto his plate, and had paired it up with buttered asparagus and wild rice. He loved the variety at this school! you could basically have whatever your heart desired! And everything was always so tender and cooked to perfection! He was sure it was going to be hard going back to Emily's cooking after this. he loved that woman like she was his mother, but she couldn't cook worth a damn. She could fail at making toast. She had once even burnt a pot of water, something a cooking klutz like him hadn't even managed before!

He ate slowly and properly at the diner table, and was so involved in his thoughts that he didn't notice his friend Eileen until she had said his name. he looked up suddenly from his plate, smiled at her and wiped his face before speaking. "Eileen! Hey! great to see you again!"

"How have you been?" he asked with a smile, replacing his napkin beside him and cutting his salmon, "you look like you're getting your colour back, that's good!"

***

"Heeeey Stasja." a red lipped Rita cooed, pulling up a seat next to her fellow Slytherin classmate and smiling like a Cheshire cat. "What's up!"

Rita Skeeter was considered a pest by most people, Stasja probably included in that bunch, so to limit the strain on her relationships with classmates, Rita made sure to rotate through friends often. the last time she had talked with Stasja was more than a month ago, so, unfortunately for her, her turn had come back around. It was about time too, because Rita had a few questions for the girl she was dying to ask.

"Soo..." She started, gripping the edges of her plate excitedly, but she noticed the girl was completely in grossed in thought and was staring straight ahead. "Uhhh... what's going on?" She asked the girl, trying to see what she was looking at.

Rita flinched when Stasja stabbed the plate, cracking it in two. She hadn't expected the girl to be so angry already! She had only just started talking to her! If this was a precursor of things to come, Rita had to tread very very carefully. Maybe she could offer the girl a peace offering? She looked across the Slytherin table, leaning closer to Stasja to try and see where she was looking. She could take a few wild stabs at some things.

"You're cousins not doing well, huh?" She smiled quietly, but the girl didn't seem to look too impressed, so she tried again, "That Muler kid has really taken shining to her, eh? Gotta make you angry..." She scooched a little closer to the grumpy blond, feeling she was getting closer to her target. Guessing games like this were fun to Rita, and feeling like she was on the scent sparked a fire under her.

"I bet you I know a few things about him you could use against him! I bet I have some info you need to beat that little brat at his own games!"

***

"I'm glad you feel better." Eddie smiled softly and watched her play with her spoons. She was cute, and he was glad she was starting to bounce back, and even happier that she was talking to him. Having found out that she had been looking out for him all along had made his day! I made him believe that friendship trumped all, and pushed him further into his comic book-like delusions of real life. Truth and justice could triumph over real life villains, and heroes could be made out of the smallest and timid of us all. he chuckled to himself, and finished up his vegetables.

"So, Stasja, you know. My cousin. The ummmm...."

"You don't have to explain who Stasja is." Eddie snorted, taking a moment to wipe his mouth again before motioning with his left hand all about his face, "Though they've been healed up, the scars that that woman has left on me will not go away." he laughed and shook his head, " She has got a vicious right hook! Wish I could fight like that!"

"Girl. Well, anyways. She kind of wants her wand back. You know, for class and all..."

Eddie didn't have to hear the rest of it to know where this was going, "Yeah, i know." he said darkly and sighed, pulling his bag up on to the table and opening it up to look for the wand. " i was going to give it back a few nights ago, but she decided that she would rather bash my face in than get her wand back." He shrugged and looked down at the wand in his bag. He didn't know if he wanted to pull it out and just give it to Eileen. Hell knows he didn't want to hold on to it it anymore, but it seemed too simple to just give it away. Ever since he had gotten a hold of it, he had wanted to return it to Stasja just because it felt wrong to have it. And as much as he didn't want the magical beatings to start up again, he couldn't keep it from her. But he had hoped that Stasja would come and ask for it herself, just so he could prove he was the bigger man and give it to her while smiling. Did he really want Stasja near him anymore though? She was violent and dangerous, and would probably curse him as soon as she got her fingers on the beautiful piece of wood. Maybe using Eileen as a go between was the best option.

"Here." He sighed, pulling out the wand and handing it over to Eileen freely. "Tell Stasja I'm sorry I kept it so long. I never meant to keep it, i just wanted the right moment to give it back." He smiled softly at Eileen, "Thanks for this, and for everything."

Eddie was caught off guard by the hug, but accepted it gratefully, slapping his arms around her back and squeezing her tightly, "Awww! No problem Leens! Thanks for the hug!" He laughed, and let her get back to her food, "And thanks for having my back all this time. It was good thinking with those love potions, too bad they back fired." he smirked at her, and turned back to his plate, "You'd make a good little hero, you know that?"

"We should hang out sometime." he smiled, turning back to his plate of food. "Get to know each other... again." He laughed, thinking about they day they had met. "Maybe I could learn occulmency of whatever and give you my memories or something. People do that kind of thing, right?" He turned to ask her the question, but was met with the girl stuffing her face full of food. Eddie laughed and let her eat. He was hungry too after all, why delay yummy foods with conversation? He liked the way the girl thought!

Eileen finished her food much quicker than he did, piling back a plate worth in the same about of time it took him to finish his rice and vegetables. "Wow! You can eat like me!" He laughed, pushing his nearly empty plate aside. "You need to start eating more often, or snack or something! You obviously need it."

There was a weird moment where he watched the girl look around at everyone else, then suspiciously lean forward and whisper, "Have you ever been to the Room of Requirement?"

This got a strange look out of Eddie who quickly figured that his was a secret and could have been one of two other options. A, this was some wizarding shop or bar in Europe Eddie had never heard of, or B, there was some actual room in the school named Requirements, which, considering the place had named their forest Forbidden, didn't seem so far fetched. Either way, he ended up shaking his head. Now, was this a good thing, or a bad thing? And why was she asking?

"Room of Requirements? Is that... like, a detention room or something?"

***

Rita noticed Stasja relax and smiled. Oh good! Things were starting to go her way!

Now, what she was about to tell Stasja wasn't really for the girls sake. She really didn't care what the specifics were in this girl's relationship with Eddie Muler, all she cared about were the exciting bits, the fireworks! That, and she needed to tell someone her important discoveries, and she figured Stasja, with her new connection to the boy, would be the most likely person to take interest in her little tidbits of info. "Welll..." She purred with a Cheshire smile.

"You know that the little American over there just asked Caitlin Gallhangana-or whatever her names is- you know, the Irish one- out, and they're saying it was your infatuation for him that made them realize their love for each other! How sweet, hm?"

"Speaking of sweet, I heard that the American is a muggleborn and has some weird muggle born disease. Something where sugar makes him awfully sick! I got my Ravenclaw potions partner to look it up for me and it's true! He has to take medicine and everything! With a needle! Everyday! Sometimes three times in one day! Could you imagine sticking yourself with a needle three times a day? Uuuuuuhh!" The animated girl grabbed her elbows and gave a small shudder, "Gives me the hebbies just thinking about it! But if he doesn't, he gets all weird and can go into shock or something..."

Rita looked over at her captive audience who still didn't seem to impressed. She frowned. How could she not like her stories! Bitch wouldn't know an interesting fact if it bit her in the ass! Guess she was down to her last fact to try and get the reaction she was looking for in the girl.

"Oh, and he's also the one that cut the nipples out of your favourite dress and put oatmeal in your shoes last week."