elysium | tom riddle

55 | act ii, scene xxx

W A R N I N G

Slight mentions of blood and violence.

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𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖋𝖎𝖋𝖙𝖞-𝖋𝖎𝖛𝖊

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𝐈𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓, 𝐀𝐓 last, fate worked in Velasquez's favor.

Much to Ariadne's dismay, however, she was stuck studying for her upcoming exams as the end of the year finally approached. She couldn't afford to think about the things happening between her and Tom Riddle. Draco's words haunted her at night when she stared at her ceiling.

She wanted to decipher why she had fallen in love with him in the first place. If it was love anyway, she didn't know what it felt like as she had never had a proper example set, but the witch knew that she cared for him in some way. In what twisted sort of way she could not comprehend, but she cared even though she had tried to kill him. Perhaps a monster like her could only care about him in a way that consumed her, bringing out the darkness they'd recognized when they met.

Velasquez pushed away her book, blinking rapidly to see if she could regain more eyesight. Staring at her books for hours on end pinged her eyes. She shed a fork and a plate of food and started to eat, forcing herself to start feeding.

The high, vaulted ceiling of the Great Hall stretched impossibly far above, enchanted to mirror the sky outside. Yet tonight, it displayed a turbulent, overcast sky, with clouds swirling in an ominous dance and the occasional flash of distant lightning illuminating the hall with eerie light flickers.

The long, wooden tables, set for the evening feast, stood in orderly rows, their surfaces laden with abundant food and drink. However, the usual warmth of the flickering candles seemed muted, their flames casting long, wavering shadows that danced along the stone walls. The dark, ancient banners of the four Hogwarts houses hung solemnly from the rafters, their colors deep and subdued, adding to the hall's grave ambiance.