The Dark Lord's Playbook of Nefarious Misdeeds

Entropy

Three days later... The Burrow

Entropy is often called the arrow of time because matter in isolated systems tends to move from order to disorder. As one goes 'forward' in time, the second law of thermodynamics states that entropy of an isolated system will increase- it is one way to distinguish the past from the present.

While it is synonymous with disorder, it can also be applied to the contextual measurement of perfect internal disorder or in other words -equilibrium.

I closed the book I was reading and thought the concept resonated with me and to a degree a fitting parallel to describe the current state of affairs of my life. Everything felt muddled; slipping back into where I was supposed to be didn't feel quite right. I was like a puzzle piece whose space had been altered.

I had holed myself up in Charlie Weasley's old bedroom; I smiled because it still had posters of dragon's stuck to the wall. Perfectly preserved, the room was like a time capsule from his Hogwarts days.

I extricated myself from the confines of the bed and padded over to the window that looked out onto the Weasley's backyard. Charlie's bedroom was one of the room's at the top of the house near the attic- where occasionally I could hear the ghost or ghoul that haunted it. I sighed as I watched the trees lazily bend in the summer breeze and then my eyes dropped downwards as caught sight of Ginny hurling a gnome over the hedge. That certainly brought back memories of every summer de-gnoming the backyard before we were allowed to do anything else.

It was strange, everything was the same for everyone else as my disappearance to them was only a few hours, but for me, it was ten months. Ten long months of tribulations, heartbreak, exciting adventures, new friendships and....love.

The last three days, I haven't once doubted my love for Tom even as I felt the proverbial rug being pulled out from underneath me again. I missed his now-familiar warmth and smell enveloping me as we would settle in for the night- both reading books from the large selection I carried with me. I missed the way he would skim his fingertips across my skin or whisper things that would make me blush from my roots to my toes. Hell, I just missed his soothing voice when I would wake from a nightmare. Not that I had them often while we were gone, his mere presence seemed to chase those dark images away. But the last two days I have been plagued by Malia's death with Bellatrix's maniacal laugh as the twisted soundtrack. I scrubbed my hands over my face, I was exhausted and a little overwrought emotionally.

I know everyone was getting impatient because I had yet to say a word, but I needed time to adjust to this. I needed time to process. I needed time to think. Standing out in the field after Tom left theatrically, I felt the full weight of all their stares. The air was thick with questions, suspicions and curiosity. It was suffocating. I had just been on an emotional rollercoaster- Malia's death and then making love with Tom. Even now, a blush suffused my cheeks. Tom wasn't the most experienced, but somehow that made the experience all the better. He was good at following directions.

As soon as I had locked eyes with Harry, I burst into tears. I was filled with relief and grief. I still held a sliver of guilt because I couldn't but want to stay in my bubble with Tom away from all this mess and responsibility. Every day they would knock on the door, and every day I would ignore them- but I knew they wouldn't wait much longer. Mrs Weasley's motherly instincts and protection could only hold them off for so long. My tears at seeing Harry prompted her in action, shooing everyone out of the way end even chastising Dumbledore about wanting to question me before I was freshly showered and fed.

"Really Albus, shame on you! The poor girl has been through something horrendous let her have a nice hot shower, and I'll whip her up something to eat- look how thin she is!"