Pick Your Poison | Tom Riddle |

Chapter Twenty Seven: Until September

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"I wonder if this is how people always get close: They heal each other's wounds; they repair the broken skin."
– Lauren Oliver, Pandemonium

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June 7, 1944

Eleanor walked out of her Transfiguration class, marking the conclusion of finals for her sixth year.

With a genuine smile on her face, she walked alongside Marcella, Julius, Cormac, and Lillian in a bunch down the hallway towards lunch.

As she looked around, she could feel the world lift off of everyone's shoulders after the exams. But there was a particular exuberance among the sixth years that was much more noticeable among them.

"We're running the school now, lads!" a couple of Gryffindors cheered, running down the halls, throwing their papers in the air.

Next year, they would be seventh years.

Eleanor took a deep breath, rolling her eyes with Marcella and Lillian once Cormac and Julius started cheering too, joining in with others across the hall. Cormac with his long and narrow frame hopped on the back of Julius to throw their papers in the air.

"I think we all need to discuss ideas of what to do this summer and converge them at our final feast tonight." Lillian suggested, linking arms with Cormac whose curly brown hair was slightly more messier now after he came running back. "This one is letting me stay with his family for the time being."

Eleanor wondered what her summer would consist of given that there were two wars raging through this country and the rest of Europe. There was still the facade she had to convince her parents to believe which was becoming easier by the day. But at the same time, she wasn't sure if she was ready to go exploring just yet and that's if her parents even let her.

"Sounds like a good idea. I already have one in mind." Marcella cheekily grinned, nudging her elbow.

Eleanor's eyes shot over to her friend with confusion but then she remembered her idea for them this summer to get away to New York for a month.

"Are you guys even listening?" Marcella huffed as the two boys started blending in with the obnoxious sixth years that paraded the halls once more.

Even Hufflepuff students engaged in the festivities as they ran out into the courtyard.

"I don't think they realize the seventh years are currently still here. They have to graduate first." Eleanor chuckled slightly.

She thought back to her siblings graduation day that took place outside on a beautiful sunny day and how she thought it was the end of her world that they were leaving.

Once the group of Ravenclaws took their seats in the Great Hall for a quick lunch before they would go off to pack all of their belongings, Eleanor took one look around the room. No one stared at her anymore like she was crazy. Some people even admired her now more than ever, saying cheerful hello's as they passed by. Now that she had that though, she wasn't sure if it's actually what she wanted.

After that immense power --a dark power-- that she used to suppress the unforgivable curse which she lived through, she not only felt the pain running through her bones but that magic too. It was like being so guilty that she was sick to her stomach except part of her wasn't guilty for using that power. Maybe she unconsciously couldn't handle that type darkness and it was taking a toll on her.

Eleanor didn't want to distract herself and regress back into her poisonous state of mind.

But she couldn't help but feel like she wanted others to recognize her capacity and what she had done. She then pinpointed her feeling to the single fact that she felt entitled.