𝔪𝔢𝔱𝔞𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔭𝔥𝔬𝔰𝔦𝔰
deux. — heart of darkness!

Persephone smiled and laughed with her friends as she picked apart a pomegranate at breakfast. She had decided to try and be more sociable, even if it meant having to fake a smile and force a laugh every once in a while. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy spending time with her friends, but her mind sometimes felt miles away, disconnected from her body.

Popping a seed into her mouth she zoned back into the conversation, only to find it was once again about Costia's love life, "I love him, he's my world."

Walburga snorted loudly into her cup of tea, "Okay but he's your fourth 'world' in two months, are you building a solar system?"

Costia gasped in offence as she threw a piece of toast at the offending girl, Walburga screaming loudly about how she didn't want to get crumbs in her hair. Shaking her head at the two, she turned to Abraxas who was seated beside her oddly silent, "Brax, you alright?"

"Yeah, just nervous for this game against Ravenclaw that's all. Fawcett is actually a pretty decent chaser." He ran a hand through his shaggy white hair and picked at the sleeves of his Quidditch uniform.

Placing her hand over his, she smiled encouragingly, "Well I'm sure you're better — there's no need to worry I've watched you guys practice, you'll do great!"

He stared at her hand that rested on his almost nervously as he licked his lips, "Thanks princess, I best be going now."

As he stood the rest of the team followed behind him. The group of girls quickly following as they hoped to get good seats, Costia once again babbling to the two about her latest obsession with Udolf Lestrange, before seating herself beside him in the stands. Persephone looked around slightly lost as Cygnus and Druella sat together. Seeing nowhere else decent to sit she sat between the two couples and prayed for the game to be over quickly.

Her eyes scanned the crowd without truly knowing who she was looking for at first, then she realised it was Riddle she was looking for. But of course he wasn't at the game, it wasn't something that interested him or something that helped him gain power in anyway.

Watching the match she quickly forgot about the two couples surrounding her, watching with baited breath.
It was a horrible day truly, dry but so cold that her breath frosted up in the air and the tip of her nose had turned pink. But she was there to support her friends on the team, though no matter how much the Slytherin's cheered on their team it seemed Ravenclaw might actually stand a chance at winning, quickly catching up as Fawcett was indeed a good chaser.

Looking around to make sure nobody was looking, Persephone coughed into her palm, "Confuno." It was a quiet whisper and she found herself rather proud as the spell worked without the use of her wand. She's read that it was a rather advanced spell and that wandless magic should've made it even harder.

Fawcett didn't just miss the Quaffle, he lost complete control of his body and plummeted towards the ground. One of the teachers using a spell to slow his fall quickly, saving him from breaking his neck, and instead it was just his leg.

As the Slytherin seeker grasped the snitch whist the other seeker was distracted by his teammates injury and the crowed was a mix of cheers and worried shouts, Persephone found herself wanting to care, she wanted to care so badly when she heard the snapping of the players leg as he crashed towards the ground, it was as though there was an empty void growing in her chest — and suddenly the victory of the Slytherin team seemed much more important than an easily healed leg. It was so confusing now she felt absolutely everything and absolutely nothing all at the same time.

Persephone was reluctant to admit how good the power had felt.

—————

Persephone sat on an emerald green armchair, staring into the flames as she tried not to grimace at the taste of the firewhiskey in her glass. The party of their victory was being held in the common room, and yet once again Persephone felt oddly disconnected from everyone. She had danced a little, drank a little and yet she found herself craving some peace and quiet.

"I heard Fawcett took quiet the fall," Tom's voice sounded beside her as he perched himself on the sofa, a tumbler of amber liquid she assumed to be firewhiskey, "It's very odd, especially for a boy so skilled at flying."

"Falling is just like flying — except there's a more permanent destination," Persephone mused rather grimly as she smiled at him, "maybe he just got confused." The lie fell from her lips easily enough, like the ash black smoke from a dying smoker's exhale.

"I'm sure he was very confused," Tom whispered the last word as though it were something dirty, like he knew, "I've laid down the groundwork with Slughorn, if you go to him tomorrow and ask for a slip for the restricted section I'm certain he'll agree."

"You really have him wrapped around your finger don't you?"

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're speaking of." His tone of voice was light, humorous as he leaned back against the sofa and loosened his tie — Persephone taking note of what seemed to be red paint stains on his fingers.

"You have everyone wrapped around those fingers of yours," she snorted ever so sightly tipsy as she downed her drink, "except Dumbledore of course — he really doesn't like you."

"Has he spoken of me to you then?"

"Please it's obvious anyway," Persephone scoffed, "but yes, he warned me to stay far far far far—," Persephone trailed off her attention waining before Tom snapped his fingers in front of her face, springing her back to life, "—where was I? Oh yes he warned me to stay far far away from you."

"And how do you think he'd feel to see you directly disobeying his orders?" He leaned closer, voice smooth and silky in her ear as his words wrapped around her mind.

"Who cares?" Persephone yawned tiredly, empty glass falling from her hand onto the rug with an echoing thump as her body slumped to the side, straight into Tom's side. Her mind emptied, running away into the folds of his cloak as she fell into a deep slumber.

AUTHORS NOTE!
Slightly short chapter, but I wanted to get something out there since I've been feeling a bit uninspired. Since this whole fic as actually based on a short story I did for uni and I just got the grade back, 52/100 — the pass mark is 40 which basically makes my grade a lovey low pass which just makes me feel fantastic. Apparently my writing is 'too descriptive'.

But you know what it's fine, the bad news was sort of balanced out by the fact that I hit 2k followers on here yesterday! So it's not all terrible.

Sorry for the rant lovelies, thanks for reading and remember to vote, comment and or share please! <333

Unedited
-summer