Darkness Within

Unprepared

TW: Illness

"Adriana Black?" A healer calls, and I stand.

"Come on Brax." I say, already knowing he'd be unsure of what he was supposed to do.

We follow the man, who I assume to be some kind of a consultant, into an office.

"Please sit, Miss Black." He instructs and myself and Brax do so.

"You can call me Adi." I shrug.

"Adi, I'm afraid it isn't good news."

When you hear that the world around you slows, as the healer describes a grade 3 malignant brain tumor eating it's way throughout my body. I turn to the side and observe my best friend, tears in his eyes as he quickly seeks a cure. I stare at his beautiful long dark eyelashes, which contrasts with his carefully styled bright blonde hair. I count each and every freckle, blemish, studied his sharp cheekbones. As if I'm looking at him for the first time.

"What do you mean you can't cure it! Use magic! You have to do something!" Brax exclaims, his tears spilling over.

"I'm sorry sir, in this aspect, our knowledge is just about as clear as it is to muggles."

"Stop saying that!-"

"Brax." I turn to him again, placing a hand on his which makes him sharply turn towards me, a pleading expression which hurts me to the core. "It's okay Brax." I whisper.

"No, do you understand what he's saying? You'll die! I can't- I can't live through that Adi. I can't lose you." He cries, shaking his head.

"How long?" I turn to the doctor.

"It's hard to say, but at this stage I would encourage you get your affairs in order as soon as you can. It can be a matter of weeks, months, sometimes years." He explains and I nod.

"Thank you, doc. Come on Brax." I say as I touch him on the arm and apparate us to one of our special places when we were younger. A nearby hill, overlooking both our houses.

"Adi please. I know! Tom can make you a Horcrux! He can fix this I know he can." He still pleads. I sigh and sit down in the long grass, a light breeze making its way to my face.

"We can't tell him." I say, bluntly and before he can object I elaborate. "You know him, he wouldn't once consider what I want. Abraxas, I don't want that for me, I've never wanted that for me. If I am going to die." Abraxas shivers at the word. "Then I still want to be me." I explain.

"Oh Adi, you're asking a lot of me." He complains, as he takes a seat next to me. "But I'll do it, for you." He whispers. "I'll help you in anyway I can." He promises and I smile at him.

You may think I'm taking this news really well, I suppose I knew in my heart that something wasn't right with me. However, I had been clinging onto death from the moment I had laid eyes on Tom. It was bound to catch up with me.

I immediately knew that when I go. It would be on my terms and in that- I found comfort.

Narrator:

And thus, our poor Adriana's fate was finally sealed. She was going to die, she didn't know at that moment, that day would come in only a matter of weeks.

And in her absence she would leave behind so many who couldn't even comprehend a world in which she wasn't there. So many broken souls.

You all knew this was coming, I had warned you this was no fairytale.

But Adriana had been dying a little bit each day since she fell in love with Tom Riddle. And to this day, he had still never told her he loved her. But he did, in his own twisted sick way and sadly he'd only realise it when it was too late.

She thought it was almost ironic, her being in a relationship with one of the most blood prejudice dark wizards, the world would ever know. When in reality, she had come to realise. We were all born the same, and we will all die the same.

Everything Tom believed in was pointless, false. No one was better than anyone else in this cruel, unpredictable world and as it stood then, she was living proof.

As Adriana took her beating that night, she didn't feel pain. She almost felt as if she could laugh hysterically. Enjoy it, she thought, it will be the last chance you get.