ethereal | tom riddle.

end of an era

"Tom?" Eliza asked, frowning as she stared at her textbook, sitting on her usual spot in Tom's bed.

"Yes, darling?" He replied, without looking back.

"I don't understand this."

"Arithemetics?" Tom asked, getting up from his desk, and walking towards her. He sat down beside her as she nodded in response. She pushed the book towards him so he could read the question. She handed him her pen and rough parchment as well. He paused for a second, quickly reading the question. "Alright, look here." He pointed to the question with the pen, underlining a word. "Do you remember what I'd said about this?"

"Confractus extenso."

"Good girl. Show me what you'd do next." He wrote down the first step as she'd answered, and then let her continue it. She could do the next few steps, and then got stuck.

"I hate Arithemetics." She groaned, putting the pen down.

"You've done this before, darling. You know this. Just keep going." He continued to guide her through the answer, and eventually she could solve it.

"I still hope they don't ask this in the examination." Eliza said, slumping against the bed's headboard, to which he rolled his eyes. "I want to sleep."

"You just woke up."

"That's not true. It's been an hour."

They got back to studying and in a routine, January passed them by and February came around the corner quite too quickly. The season for NEWTs and OWLs had been about to begin, which meant that their drinking had switched from alcohol to coffee.

They'd study day in and day out- at the library, in the common room, while sitting at breakfast. Everywhere and anywhere nearly everyone would be seen with a book in their hands. Although her friends were not too concerned, already having secured high ranking ministry jobs because of their parents, they still gave it their all none the less.

Tom and Eliza had quite a few study sessions of their own, sometimes they would study. Other times not so much. They would also go to the library, study or not study, there as well. He'd help her with whatever questions she'd have and whatever concepts she couldn't understand. As a reward, he'd let them take a quick break. They'd sit for hours at a time in silence together in his dorm, reading and solving papers.

This was important to them, important for their futures. Eliza might not have intended to get a job after her graduation, but she did want her grades to be good. That is what gave her validation.

Tom, on the other hand, needed the marks to get to any senior or higher up position that he would've wanted. He was already wanted in the ministry and Slytherin family businesses, but he would not stand getting marks lesser than anybody. Didn't matter who or by how many marks, he had to be the first. He had to be the smartest and that was the bottom line.

And he was. He ranked 1, out of the entire Hogwarts batch writing the NEWTs that year. Eliza ranked a few places lower but she was still happy with her rank. The post exam relief overwhelmed everyone with the greatest sense of relief, but the sadness of leaving Hogwarts was still felt after all the celebrations. But at the Slytherin farewell party hosted by the 6th years, everyone was too wasted to care about anything at all.

Unlike the party, their graduation was a solemn affair. They had spent all of their growing years at Hogwarts to make the most wonderful memories, the friends of a lifetime and the experience that shaped them. Hogwarts was home.

Their ceremony had everyone's parents as well, but Eliza soon realised her parents weren't coming. She felt that it was wrong for her to be so unbothered by them not being there at her graduation, but somehow she felt entirely alright. She didn't miss their presence or feel bad that her parents had not shown. In fact, since no one has shown for Tom either, she was by his side the whole time.

While the others were having photos taken, Tom and Eliza had been speaking to Slughorn who'd kept them company for some time. He was whisked away shortly, and the two made their way to leave the Great Hall and go back to their room.

"Eliza, my dear!" Theodore's mother smiled, giving Eliza a hug as she walked past the entrance of the Great Hall. "I'm so proud of you, dear. I remember the first Christmas that Theodore had come home and told me about all of you. I cannot believe you have all graduated. It feels as though no time has gone by." She looked at the kids around her sadly.

Mr. Nott came over, joining in the conversation. Everyone straightened up, their expressions fixing over. "I am very impressed by your rank, m'boy. Eliza is lucky to have gotten you for marriage. If I had a daughter, sure shot she would be yours. Hell, I'd give you Theodore."  Mr. Nott laughed, as the rest of them exchanged a quick look as they laughed politely as well. "Don't you agree, Eliza?"

"I do, sir. Very lucky indeed." She said as she smiled up at Tom beside her, who had one of his false but charming smiles on his face, looking at Theodore's father.

"Where's your father, Eliza? I had quite hoped to meet him here." Mr Nott asked, but at that, Eliza's expression almost dropped but she didn't let it.

"He had important work to be done so unfortunately my parents couldn't make it today. I shall send him your regards."

"Wonderful. How did you boys rank?" Mr. Nott carried forward the conversation, Theodore's mother seeming to melt away and disappear in her husband's presence.

That night, once all the parents had left and everyone was done clearing out their dorms, they all met one last time at the Black Lake in the middle of the night. They were all still in their clothes from graduation, all still clad in black formals but they sat at the edge of the lake with silent tears threatening to slip.

"We did it." Abraxas whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear it in the silence.

"We really did." Theodore replied back, squeezing Abraxas' hand gently.

Their best memories flooded back to each of them then. The first time they'd ever met, the first time they'd ever gotten drunk with each other, the first time they snuck out of Hogwarts, their birthdays, their holidays, the annual dances, their sleepovers at each other's dorms, the inside jokes, their ever lunch and every dinner. It was all over. It was the end of an era.