elysium | tom riddle

4 | act i, scene iv

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𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖋𝖔𝖚𝖗

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𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐃𝐍𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 Forbidden Forest for her Care of Magical Creatures class, and her books pressed to her chest tightly. Her skin seemed to absorb every ray that the sun emitted near her as she walked, her stride was purposeful, but she couldn't suppress the shiver from the cold.

The trees stood; long and lean. Their bare branches decorated with snow quivered in the harsh wind of winter. Gnarled and twisted clusters of twigs reached out like old man's hands, waiting to capture the gently falling flakes. Brilliant white drifts emerged in delicate curves against the dark mossy wood before falling back to the hidden earth.

However, the trees were coming alive again. Ariadne could see it in the leaves that had started growing, though there were few. The leaves that had begun to rise from the winter dangled like jewels. They were like tiny droplets of sapphire and topaz, and the petrichor around her invaded her nose as the snow started to melt and the ground released minerals she had stepped foot in.

A hand seemed to come out from the bark of the trees suddenly, and before she could turn, someone had grabbed her by the uniform's hood. Ariadne hissed as her back was pressed into a tree, and she held her dagger, pressing into the culprit's chin.

A young woman who appeared to be vaguely familiar was staring at her, her chin raised by Ariadne's knife as she held onto it.

"What do you want?" she hissed as she inspected her uniform: Ravenclaw student, perhaps a year younger or in the same year as her.

"You don't remember the person who healed you when your mentor took his rage out on you?" the young woman smirked, rolling her tongue over her teeth.

"I don't know any women healers," she stated and pressed the dagger harder on her chin while the girl grunted.

"It's me, Katarina." She hissed in pain as the tip of her knife dug into the woman's skin.

Ariadne widened her eyes and looked around to see if somebody was watching them. She would surely be late to class, but she didn't care.

"How dare you lie to my face?" she threatened, her lip curling upward as she put her defensive walls up so this so-called Katarina wouldn't see anything but the mask of anger she bored. Ariadne had learned that she would get hurt if she tried to break down these walls, and that was what she feared.

"Tao would not be pleased if he knew you were threatening me," the Ravenclaw said, her eyes shut tightly as the dagger dug up farther up her chin that Katarina thought the girl would draw blood. The pain subsided as she stopped feeling the pressure on her chin, and she opened her eyes and peeked and saw the assassin lower her knife.