Dose of Darkness | Tom Riddle |

Chapter Sixteen: The Old Days

Friday November 21, 1944

Arithmancy was not Eleanor's best work and certainly not her favorite being that it fell on the last class of the day when she was so eager to get out to Hogsmeade this evening.

The lingering cold still persisted, sneaking its way into the immune systems of every student at Hogwarts and it certainly was not fun to hear everyone coughing and sniffling, even if she was among those who were sick.

But magically induced colds were much more tormenting than what Muggles often whined about.

As she laid her head down on her empty notebook, she looked over at Tom who was effortlessly writing away, his features soft even with his level of concentration.

Behind him a pale white light shone through the stain glass windows that gaped from the ceiling down to the floor behind the bookshelves and she stared.

However what was on her mind was entirely different than what she was staring at.

Eleanor wondered how time was soaring by so fast.

It was classes, then Quidditch, then practicing with her secret resistance and weekends were spent in the books. The routine was simple but she had no idea it was already nearing towards winter break and there was suspiciously no signs of Grindelwald's advancement.

"You're staring."

"I'm thinking, actually." Eleanor croaked in response, her words lower than Professor Manaheim's, who stood tall and frail with a voice deep enough to put everyone to sleep.

"Sounds dangerous." Tom exhaled, glancing her away for the first time since class had begun.

Their eyes met for a brief second but Eleanor took a deep, congested breath and shut her eyes.

"The nurses here should be competent enough to handle a mere cold you would think." he added.

Eleanor grinned smugly but faintly as a thought crossed her mind.

"Are you immune to sickness now that you're immortal?" she asked with her eyes still shut.

But when Tom did not reply, she opened her eyes to watch frustration consume him down to his clenched hand in which a quill rested in up to the muscles appearing more prominent in his jaw. She'd say it was an attractive thing to witness but she would be overstepping a boundary.

Since the night of Slughorn's Halloween party, she had successfully thrived without Tom but with the exception of Aaron's transition and Rose trying to drown here.

But Eleanor was doing well without him and while she still felt the ache that something was missing, she did not let herself backtrack.

"Relax, no one heard me." Eleanor sighed, shutting her eyes again.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade tonight? I think they're starting the Christmas decorations."

Tom did not answer again in a timely matter so she annoyingly opened her eyes to glare at him.

"Yes." was all he replied.

Now she felt foolish for trying to speak to him. It was the most she's said to him since the situation with Aaron.

"I presume you will be searching for the Slytherin locket still?" she asked with persistance.

At this time, Tom dropped his quill and she watched him stiffen up at his incoming anger which she had to roll her eyes at. As expected, Tom glared at her with eyes she felt delve right into her soul.

"For someone who has gone beyond limits to dissociate herself from me, you ask a lot of questions. But unfortunately for you I don't have the answer to those questions because I'm not obliged to share anything with you, let alone trust you."