Control // Tom Riddle

One

"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye."

Another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had now commenced. The corridors were lined with students of all ages, mainly small eleven year olds trying to find their place. The sky above the looming castle was a brilliant blue with hardly a cloud to be seen. It was a beautiful day as classes were dying down for the week and for the weekend to be starting up. Sixth years like Primrose Rousseau though began to understand the effects of their final two years as homework was already being piled on. She sat in one of the courtyards with a book grasped in her hand, a pained expression masking her face.

Hogwarts was like a dream for the young Hufflepuff giving her a place to escape to, getting away from her father and stepmother. Her first two years were enchanting as she discovered parts of the castle with a girl named Kate Murphy. That was a girl who was strong and caring whom had anyone's back if they needed it. She brought joy to Primrose's every dull seeming life. Third and fourth year brought on more friendships with an older student by the name of Wilson- the now Gryffindor Team Quidditch Captain. There wasn't an end to what she thought they could all accomplish together.

But she was no leader, not someone who could even begin to stand up for herself. She strived in Herbology and Potions but was average in everything else. She seemingly seemed... average as a person, someone who could simply be walked all over. But Primrose was a loyal young girl who still at times cried herself to sleep, had strange cuts up her wrists yet still had a smile plastered onto her lips. The feeling of deprivation towards herself was overwhelming at times and she'd stay sheltered in the cozy beds of the common room. The only thing that stood her apart from everyone else was her descendants from Helga Hufflepuff herself. Everyone knew for it was no secret. For awhile she never spoke of it and it didn't bother the young girl until she realized there was too much to live up to and she'd just never be able to. It was a rude awakening that only triggered her long descent down in mental health.

A cool breeze drifted through the air softly swaying the flowers, grass and tree branches. The air was intoxicating as it was entrenched in the smell of fall. Beckoning voices could be heard from everywhere as they broke into Primrose's concentration. Her dirty blonde considerably light brown hair began to move in the wind no longer staying neat in its place. She desperately tried to calm it with her small hands,

"Ah struggling?" a soft chuckle sounded above her sitting form. Her eyes wandered immediately knowing who this was as she looked from shoes and up. Wilson Hoffman was decked out in his red and gold robes for Quidditch. His dark hair was strewn messily yet still neat, eyes warm and kind. He had fair skin and was tall for a seventh year you could say.

"Wilson!" he had a kind smirk on his lips, arms crossed with an eyebrow raised, "why are you in your Quidditch robes?" It wasn't uncommon for her to stray from actually answering questions. Her mind thought too much for her to actually think about what she was being asked. And for some odd reason she just felt that certain questions didn't actually deserve answers.

"Practice and such. We find out tomorrow who we're officially playing in another two weeks... Would you like to come along?"

"I have no other plans so I'd love to."

"Great!" After helping her up the older student insisted on carrying her few books with him. In his mind Primrose wasn't weak but a lady shouldn't have to carry 'heavy' things if a man was around. To him she wasn't necessarily weak but he struggled to view her as okay because he knew how she felt, he knew how that brain of her worked when it came to just about anything. She worried and fretted about situations she couldn't control and always thought the worse. But still, Prim would follow anyone to just about the ends of the world if she loved them enough, "I always appreciate you coming to our practices you know."