Dose of Darkness | Tom Riddle |

Chapter Fourteen: Do You Want to Know?

There was nothing more uplifting than stepping into the Quidditch Pitch for the last first game of Eleanor's life.

It was the perfect weather where the air was so cold it hurt her lungs but her adrenaline did not allow such complications to cross her mind.

The colors of the houses passed by in blurs as her eyes were only focused on obtaining the gold and avoiding the green. With no beating sun and only thick gray clouds accumulating, she also believed it to be the prettiest of sceneries.

Rainy days on the Pitch were good days.

Eleanor was soaring on her broom, grasping onto the front and leaning forward, weaving through the main competition through the Pitch. Above her, Julius intercepted the Bludger and when she shot up above the game, she noticed that Slytherin got it and it had been passed onto her cousin Aaron.

Then, Aaron had made her first goal.

"Yes!" Eleanor screamed into the air, raising her fist, beaming at Aaron's who's toothy smile could be seen from several yards away.

"And first year, Aaron Parkinson, has broken the tie and put Slytherin in the lead!" said the commentator, a Gryffindor fifth year.

Eleanor's goal in grabbing the Snitch was momentarily postponed as she flew towards Aaron who met her halfway.

"That was wonderful!" she cried, hugging the little girl. "Now, let me win this for us before I get in trouble for cheering you on."

Now, while it was for the opposing team, Eleanor shamefully and quite aggressively put herself back in the game knowing that her excitement for her cousin could not overpower her desire to win.

Eleanor caught sight of the Snitch and took off, bypassing the stands where the Professors sat just in time to hear her mother cheer her name.

As if the little bugger had been possessed by Peeves, it had buzzed in front of her, so close enough that she could grab it. But then, the second her hand was mere inches away, the golden sphere had abruptly flew away and she followed.

The exuberance of the crowd was nothing like she's ever heard. Even from Houses whose teams were not competing, there was a collective rush of sound of cheers through the air as Eleanor pushed forward because if today she caught the Snitch, it would set the record for the school and everyone had been counting on her to do so.

As she followed the small speck of gold, her eyes narrowed, she could see that Slytherins Seeker was also on a set goal today.

Her blonde hair was tied back into a single braid and she was moving the same pace as Eleanor just parallel to her. She grinned smugly to herself, knowing this wasn't even as fast as her broom was meant to go and that Rose had probably underestimated her.
With that, Eleanor sped forward, and with no motive for the Snitch, she moved towards the right and sharply cut Rose off. She did not look back as she moved for the Snitch but she sensed Rose wasn't particularly happy with her.

It was the seventh time she's done it since the game started.

But it was this time that Rose had came back for more.

Eleanor was in a straight path towards the Snitch and she had strained her eyes by her extensive focus. Her heart was racing, and the paralyzing doubt she learned to push aside was slipping through it's cracks. She had never felt this pressure, mainly because she had been so used to just winning. Now, as Rose had bumped into her side, she felt that nerve shaking worry spreading through her again.

Eleanor sped up and nudged her back, wishing she could just knock her entirely off the broom for what she had done that night last week.

But instead, when the Snitch she tried so hard to focus on had dropped, Eleanor leaned back to stop as Rose continued to follow. She watched, sitting on her broom, taking a big risk by allowing her to still chase it but instead, calculated in her mind at what point she should charge on Rose.