Catharsis [Tom Riddle]

Chapter Thirty-One

 "Bloody hell," Avalon groaned. "If one more person tries to convince me that mash is better than chips, I'm going to lose my goddamn mind."

"It's not my fault you lack taste, woman!" Orion laughed, piling a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth as she shook her head, an annoyed look on her face. The Great Hall was bustling during dinnertime, the grand room filled with the chattering of friends and peers, all echoing together into one indistinguishable blend of conversation.

Nearly a week had passed since Avery had flown to her room, and since then, things had returned to normal between the two of them. It became increasingly evident to Avalon that her original view on Orion had been correct-- he was a true friend who cared about her deeply. She almost felt guilty for ever doubting that.

Since learning about what Lestrange had done, Avery spent most of his meal times either with Avalon or with his Quidditch teammates, opting to stay as far away from his old friend as possible. He and Avalon sat at the very end of the Slytherin table, far away from their peers, as they ate their dinner in the peace of their own solitude, but every once in a while, Avalon's eyes would glance up the table and catch a glimpse of Lestrange, Rosier, and Mulciber all sitting together.

Rosier and Mulciber seemed to constantly be talking and laughing, but she rarely saw Lestrange join in on their conversation. It appeared his entire demeanor had changed the night of his birthday: gone was the boy with the charming tongue and mischievous smile, replaced only by the ghost of his former self. Every once in a while, she would see him speak to them, but when he did, his face was stoic and his eyes cold-- the Xavier Lestrange she had once known was gone.

She pried her stare away from the boys, shaking her head as she forced her attention back towards Avery. Though, when her eyes landed on him, she saw his own gaze drawn over her shoulder to the Hufflepuff table, an absentminded smile on his lips. She turned around for a moment to follow his eyes, spotting Clara and her friends chatting together at their own table.

"She left me flowers outside my room the other day," she said, breaking him out of his trance.

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I may have told her that you were having a rough couple of days."

"It was very sweet of her," she smiled.

"She handpicked them from the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest," he chuckled. "The two of us have started to meet each other there once in a while. Can't say it is the most romantic spot, but at least it gives us privacy."

"Be careful around there. There's a lot of dangerous creatures that roam the area."

"She knows her way around, don't worry. We never go deep enough for it to be an issue." He took a bite out of a cookie, downing it with a glass of milk. "Reckon it's probably safer for us there than it is here."

His eyes skirted up as Axel and Rosalie made their way over, stopping beside them. "Nice to see you two finally left our dorm," he said, sending a sarcastic smile to his best friend.

Axel chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Hello to you, too."

"Mind if we join you?" Rosalie asked, to which Avalon and Orion both invited them to sit. Axel quickly wrapped Orion up in a conversation about their next upcoming Quidditch game, rapidly stealing his attention and leaving Rosalie and Avalon on their own. The petite blond girl reached over and began neatly scooping food onto her plate before picking up her fork and knife and cutting into her meal with pristine etiquette. She popped a bite into her mouth before washing it down with a sip of water and patting her lips dry with a napkin, then turning her attention to Avalon between bites. "How have you been, love? I haven't seen much of you since you and Xavier parted ways."